I f •■^V' * A ^,^^ -^ ^^^c/^.^-/ 3^ f^.. .-v.= :'^^_. 4^ ^ ',€a#: f'^^.. '^^^^^'^ ^'^ l^ o ■ "''■" -^ , O ^''''''' c o. ^ ■■^ \flt^: :f|tf' :mm.,-^ ^' \ o .0 .V A^ .^ .: v^. • . 5 < > <. .C *• *.. Sr >° .vV -A/ . .^.-^,* v^ ^^ •^>;. .>•. vf ^:^m^S J)' "^ ' ^"-v-. Ao^ O N O O,' / HISTORY OF V H COLUMBIA COUNTY, NEW YOEK, ^' X — A — MEMORABILIA OF PERSONS AND THINGS or INTEKEST, PASSED AND PASSING, —BY— / i THE HON. JOHN FEANCIS COLLIN, EX-M. C, AND EDITED BY PROF. H. S. JOHNSON, A. M., EDITOR OF THE HILLSDALE HERALD, WITH .jLisr j^:p:PEisrnDi2§:. PHILMONT, N. Y. : PRINTED BY E. J. BEARDSLEY, SENTINEL OFFICE, 1883. PREFACE. The turbulence in Hillsdale for three-fourths of a cen- tury after its first settlement by civilized people and the different nationalities of those people has prevented any historic record being kept of them, and their scores of cemeteries, not being under legal protection, have be- come to a great extent obliterated. For want of historic records a majority of the most prominent inhal^itants living in the town a half century ago are now nearly for- gotten. Without such records, a half century hence, a majority of the present population of the town will be forgotten or oidy preserved by our better organized cem- eteries. Availing myself of my social intercourse with the old inhabitants of the town in the long-ago, I have attempted, in a crude way, to give the past history of the people of the town. To that end I am now supplied with much additional and interesting matter, and am promised much more that may appear in a future volume. How- ever imperfect these volumes may be they will enable future historians to keep a record that will be vastly in- teresting to the people of the town for all time, and will produce a strong moral and religious influence. Many minute histories of individuals and families in the town would be very interesting and instructive — and I am prom- ised such — which will appear in a future volume. Many New England towns are taking histories from the epi- VI PREFACE. taplis in tlieir cemeteries, and I have just received a vol- ume of that character from Bridgewater, Massachusetts, which has given me important information in respect to my maternal ancestry. If encouraged by expressions from the people, I may be induced to give such history from the cemeteries in Hillsdale. JOHN F. COLLIN. Hillsdale, N. Y., Janiuiry 8t,li, 1883. CONTENTS. CHAPTEE I. PKELIMINARY HISTOEY OF HILLSDALE — THE FIRST WHITE SETTLER — ROBERT NOBLE. The Author's Fears — Washington Irving — Discovery of the Hudson — The Grant of 1620— The Dutch Grant— Matthew and llobert Noble— The Old Fort — Land title conflicts. . . ' Page 1 CHAPTEK II. CONFLICTS TO SETTLE MANOR TITLES — PRISON DOORS THROWN OPEN — FORMER HIGHWAY ACTS. Indian Grant of Hillsdale to Massachusetts in 1724 — Civil War in Copake in 1812 — Pardons of Governor Tompkins — Barn Burners and Hunkers — John Collin, Paciflcator in 1793- -John F. Collin, Pacificator in 1845 — "Go Home in Peace and Safety" — Highway Act of 1832 and 1836. . 3 CHAPTEE III. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE NOBLE KINDRED — FIRST WHITE WOMAN SETTLER — THE RACE BROTHERS. The Author's Uncle Deprecating Nobletown— The Nobles — Robert Noble Emigrates in 1724 from Westtield, Mass., to Hillsdale — Is a Captain by Commission from the Governor of Massachusetts — Lays Out Nobletown Five Miles Square— Erects a Fort — Hillsdale Ceded to New York — Robert Noble Pietiirns to Massachusetts — William and Nicholas Race and Seneca TuUar. ...... . . 6 Vm CONTENTS. CHAPTEE IV. CONFLICTING CLAIMS OF JURISDICTION — WHISKEY FLASK AND CIDER PITCHER — SWEEPING TEMPERANCE WAVE. Massachusetts Claims Columbia County and Now York Claims Berkshire County— Juristliction Corapromiserl in 1773 and Perfected in 1787 — Population Left in Hillsdale— The Temperance Society of 1808 ex- tended to Every State in the Union -1.500,000 Members in the United States — 220 in. Hillsdale — Liquor Rations Suspended in the Army and Navy 8 CHAPTEK V. HISTORICAL DIVISIONS— OLD ROADS AND WHO LIVED ALONG THEM— ASSESSMENT LAWS. Four Divisions of the History— First, forty-eight years, 1725-1773 — Second, twenty years, 1773-1793 -Third, thirty years, 1788-1818 — Fourth, sixty-four years, 1818-1882 -Old Bye-roads -Levi Williams —Captain John Collin —James Bryan, Esq. — Tibbits— Loucks' Spring —Present Law of Assessment for Road Tax. .... 11 CHAPTER VI. ANCESTRY OF MRS. RUTH HOLMAN JOHNSON — ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST OF THE COLONISTS. Mrs. Ruth Holraan Johnson —Isaac Johnson, "One of the Founders of Massachusetts"- Arabella, His Wife. Daughter of Thomas. Fourth Earl of Lincoln —His Grandson, Isaac Johnson, Born 1668 —His Son, Benja- min Johnson, Born 1711— His Son William, Born 1753, Died in Hills- dale 1818— His Daughter, Ruth Holman, Born 1780, Married John Collin 1798— Their Children 14 CHAPTER VII THE HUGENOTS — IMMIGRATE TO AVOID PERSECUTION — A COM- MISSIONED OFFICER — PROFESSOR MORSE. Captain John Collin — History of Hugenot Immigration — John Collin, from the Province of Poitou, in France— His Grandson, .John. Sailed CONTENTS. rX from Milford Haven 174:6 and was Never Heard From After— His Son John, Great-grandson of John Collin, of France, born 1732 — Commis- fiioned a Captain by the British Royal Governor (Ti-yon) in 1773— Again Commissioned by George Clinton, Governor of New York — His Cotem- poraries— His Second Wife the Grandmother of the Distinguished Poetess, Lucretia Maria Davidson, and a Relative ol Professor Morse — He died 1809 -His Children. ....... 16 CHAPTER VIII. MORE ~COLLIN ANCESTRY — THE FRENCH WAR — ATTACK ON FORT TICONDEROGA — FAMILIES OF MEANS. David Collin -A Lieutenant in the British Army During the French War — His House Plundered by Robbers During the Revolutionary War — Died in 1824, Aged 90 Years -His Children— Hannah Collin— Settled in Hillsdale on the Farm Now Occupied by Levi Coon — David Collin, Jr. — Resided on the Farm Now Occupied by Rutsen Hunt— Lucy Col- lin, Settled in Hillsdale Near the Turnpike, Two Miles East of the Village— Sally Collin- James Collin 20 CHAPTEH IX. GENERAL FREMONT — NOTED TAVERN-KEEPERS— PUGILISTIC EXHIBITIONS — THE MASONIC FRATERNITY. Bogardus — Dr. Caleb Benton Squire Sherwood — James Bryan's Tavern House — Colonel Chase McKinstry — Samuel Mallory — Ebenezer Soule — Bartholomew Williams — William Tanner -Jonathan C. Olmstead — Edward Bagely — John Nooney — Aaron Reed — Isaac Foster — Amos Knapp — Artemus Johnson. ........ 23 (JHAPTEK X. DIVISIONS OF THE TOWN — STATE REPRESENTATIVES — A GREAT LAWYER — THE FEDERALISTS. The Town Divided into Six Localities : Hillsdale Village, East Hillsdale, Hillsdale Centre, West Hillsdale, Green River, Harlemville — The Birdsalls — John Higgins — Benjamin Birdsall - George Birdsall — X CONTENTS. Hagemans — Pixleys— Amighs — Jordans— William Jordan, Jr. —Ambrose L. Jordan — Joseph Morehouse — Clintonian Republicans — Quincy Johnson— Samuel Judson— Col. Anson Dakin—Christoplier W. Miller — Josiah Knapp — Andrew Higgins — Elisha W. Bushnell— John Collin — Henry P. Mesick— Gen. Provost's Army— Ebenezer Youngs. . 27 CHAPTER XI. HILLSDALE RURAL CEMETERY — RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS AND THEIR FOUNDERS — PEOPLE OF ENTERPRISE. Robert Noble — Bogardus — Caleb Benton— Squire Sherwood — Mrs. Sher- wood; her Daughters — Mr. Dumond— Mr. Shorts— David Wheeler — Sornborger— Osborn — Brainard — Levi Coon — .Walter B. Ten Broeck — Hillsdale Rural Cemetery; its Boundaries —Cemetery on Leonard John- sou's Premises -Monument to Jeremiah Potter —Parla Foster — Asher Adams— John Pixley — Mrs. Joseph P. Dorr -Ephraim Pixley — Refine Latting — Rev. Stephen Gano — Stephen Bristol - Amos K. Knapp — Captaiu Turner — Dr. Henry Cornell — George M. Bullock — Rutsen Hunt — John Q. Johnson — The Village. 31 CHAPTER XII. EAST HILLSDALE — ITS EARLY SETTLERS — SOME OF THEIR DE- SCENDANTS —LOCALITY OF THEIR RESIDENCES. Gaius Stebbins— Dakin — Elijah Burton — Lucy Collin —Edward Bagley — Oliver Bagley -James Bryan 2d — George Amigh — Captain John Collin — Sarah Arnold — Deidoma Morse — John Collin and Ruth Holman — Their Children — Rodney Hill -Rev. Hiram H. White- Lewis Wright — Quincy Johnson — John Hunt — James Taylor — Walter McAlpine — Adanyah Bidwell — Mr. June— Levi Williams. . . . .35 CHAPTER XIII. GREEN RIVER — HARLEMVILLE — HUDSON ORPHAN ASYLUM — COUNTY POOR HOUSE. William Tanner — Jared Winslow — Jonathan Hill — Sarah Amanda Collin — Albert Winslow Garfield — James Collin — Chastine E. Wilcox — Sam- uel B. and Charles A. Sumner — Lewis B. Adsit— Henry J. Rowe — Hiram CONTENTS, XI Winslow — Isaac Hatch — Albert Shepard— Joel Curtis— Gaul McKown — Frederick Pultz — John H. Overhiser —Willis Disbrow — W. H. Gard- ner—Andrew H. Spickerman — ^Ralph Judson — Charles H. Downing —Alfred Curtis — Joel G. Curtis 40 CHAPTER XIV. A HISTOBICAL FOUNDATION — BIRDSALL FAMILY — HILLSDALE CENTRE. Benjamin Birdsall — James Bryan 2d — Pelatiah Hunt — John Wager — Barnet Burtis — Judge Loop — Stephen Hoyt — Ethan Boyes — Dr. Eich- ard Bartlett— Nathaniel Hnsen— Abraham Overhiser —William White — Barnet Wager — Gustavus A. Dibble — Stephen Hedges — Joseph lloss- man —George Knox and David West — Gilbert Sherwood — Walter Mc Alpine — Samuel Truesdell — David Collin — Silas Keed— Lewis Adsit — Mr. Evans— Peter B. Hollenbeck— President Tyler — Austin Morey — Lorenzo Gilbert— Nicholas C. Tyler — Captain Henry P. Mesick — Rev. Abel Brown — Thos. Benedict — Nicholas Sharts — Daniel Darien — Dea- con John Tyler 45 CHAPTER XV. A FAMILY HISTORY DESIRABLE — HILLSDALE ROADS — COMMIS- SIONERS FROM 1852 TO 1883. Family Histories interesting — An Appeal to the Community lor such — Charles Crow — William Coon — Crooked Roads— Columbia Turnpike —Soil for Roads —Road Laws — Assessments — Sums Expended on Roads since 1849— Reform 50 CHAPTER XVI. children's aid SOCIETY — ROELIFF JANSEN VALLEY — BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, 1824 — EQUALIZATION. Children's Aid Society — Astors — Vanderbilts — Sixty Thousand Orphans — Officers — A Residuary Bequest — William T. Palmer — George N. Loop — Isaac White — George Mitchol — Andrew and John Brusie — Roe- lifif Jansen Valley Farms — Titles of 1790— Heirs of Nicholas Hollenbeck — Hillsdale Lauds w orth $1 per Acre — Board ot Supervisors of 1824 — William Murray's Equalization — Board of 1840 — Hillsdale's Supervisor XII CONTENTS. Objects to Prerogatives of the District Attorney —Stockport's Manufac- turing Interests and Valuation— State Assessor's Report. . . 54 CHAPTER XVII JUSTICES OF THE PEACE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR — JUS- TICES ELECTED — THADDEUS REED — PHILIP BECKER. The Justices of the Peace given in order as appointed by the Governor from 1786 to 1827 — Justices elected by the people since 1827 — Thad- deus Reed — Catharine Garner— James W. White — Philip Becker — John P. Becker— East Hillsdale Furnace 58 CHAPTER XVIII. SETTLERS FROM MASSACHUSETTS AND CONNECTICUT — WAR OF 1812 — CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PEOPLE. Purchasers of Manor titles — George Bushnell — Jeremiah Hoffman -Dr. Jones — Elisba W. Bushnell — Parla Foster— His children— Cap t. John Collin— Robert Orr — His children —Elijah Cleveland — His children — His ancestor Guy de Cleveland, of England— Moses Cleveland — Ann Winn — Intelligence and integrity of supervisors and magistrates — Early conflicts— Aid in the war of 1812— Thousands of dollars for com- mutation in the late civil war, and $74,000 war taxes paid — Liberality to sufferers in America and Ireland — Contributions to the Five Points Mission, and Children's Aid Society 61 CHAPTER XIX. ROAD AND BRIDGE EXPENSES ONLY $9,000 FOR FIFTY YEARS — IN SEVEN RECENT YEARS $4,500. Fifty years road, bridge and Commissioner's expenses, only $9,000— Seven years expenses $4,500— Commissioners and Auditors should comply with strict letter ot the law— What a commissioner's account should specify— Should report reasons for assessing over 990 days- Law defining amount of extra moneys, and purposes— Acts of 1875 and 1874— First Monday in October 65 HILLSDALE HISTORY. CHAPTEK I. PEELIMINAEY HISTORY OF HILLSDALE — THE FIRST WHITE SETTLER — ROBERT NOBLE. The Author's Fears— Washington Irving— Discovery of the Hudson — The Grant of 1620 -The Dutch Grant— Matthew an.l Robert Noble— The Old Fort— Land title conflicts. " What constitutes man's chief enjoyment, here; What forms his greatest antidote to sorrow; Is't wealth? Wealth can at last but gild his bier. Or buy the pall that poverty must borrow." One poet has sung "that a competence is all that man can enjoy," while another has sung, that " be it ever so humble, there's no place like home." Hillsdale posses- ses the means for many a happy home, and in writing its history, if the vanity is not gratified of " Miss Mevia Manish, Who desired greatly to bf* sung in Spanish." the author may get himself sung in not very complimen- tary Scotch. And availing himself of the observation of a long life in rescuing some of that history from oblivion, he may get some newspaper notoriety for his imbecility, and should he allude to pending subjects, upon which are involved a bright or a very black leaf in that history, he may get himself charged with impertinence. '2 HILLSDALE HISTOEY. The sources of information from which I have obtained materials for a History of Hillsdale, I have derived from different gazetteers and the documentary History of New York, and from Taylorls History of Great Barrington, and from papers which a half century ago fell into my hands in the settlement of the estates of old men and from my social intercourse with such old men. Washington Irving has said that if the world had not been created. New York would never have had an exist- ence. The same may be said of Hillsdale. It is a town in Columbia County, which county is bounded on the west by the Hudson River, which was discovered by the Dutch in 1609. In attempting to settle upon this river, the Pilgrim Fathers landed upon Plymouth Rock. In 1620 the King of England granted to a New England com- pany' all thlishment of turnpike roads, of which the Columbia turnpike was one and the Susquehanna was another. Much of the stock of the latter is still held by his kindred. He was a prominent actor in a lessee land company, some of which land is now occupied by his kindred. His house for a time was the residence of Elisha AVilliams while aiding AVilliams in the settlement of important Inisiness. He was the cotemporary of Alex- ander Hamilton, William W. Van ^ess and Jacob Rutsen Van Rensselaer, rendering to and receiving from the in reciprocal favors. His wife, Sarah, died December 29th, 1791, and he married Deidama Morse Davidson, May 12th, 1792. She was the grandmother of the distinguished poetess, Lucretia Maria Davidson, and relative of Pro- fessor Morse, the immortal inventor of the electric tele- graph. Though a mechanic by education, he adopted farming as an occupation for a time in Dutchess county. He afterwards bought, and lived for a time, on what was called the Birdsall farm, in Hillsdale, upon which John Higgins lived and died. He then bought and occupied the farm for eighteen years upon which his grandson, John F. Collin, now resides. He died August 21st, 1809. His son Anthony was a soldier in the war of the Revolu- tion, and was made a prisoner by the army of Sir Henry Clinton in 1777, and died in captivity. His daughter Hannah married Thomas Truesdell, October 8th, 1781, and died in Hillsdale June 26th, 1817. His son John married Ruth Holman Johnson, October 23d, 1798, and died in Hillsdale December 28th, 1833. His children were : James, born January 16th, 1800, and died Decem- ber 16th, 1861 ; Sarah Amanda, born April 21st, 1804, HILLSDALE HISTORY. 19 and died 1867 ; Jane Miranda, born February 14tli, 1807, and died February Itli, 1879 ; Ruth Maria, born March 1st, 1813, and died June, 1838 ; William Quincy, born November 22d, 1819, and died July 30th, 182-2 ; Clynthia A., born December 30tli, 1822, and died August oth, 1828; Hannah, born Det^ember 19th, 1809, and Henry Augustus, born January 6th, 1817, both of whom are residing in Mt. Vernon, in the county of Lynn, Iowa; and John Francis, born April 30th, 1802, and, as heretofore stated, is now residing cm the old family homestead in Hillsdale. Ruth Hohnan Collin, their mother, was born September Kith, 1780, died December 2d, 1868. CHAPTEK VIII. MOEE COLLIN ANCESTRY — THE FRENCH WAR — ATTACK ON FORT TICONDEROGA — FAMILIES OF MEANS. David Collin- -A Lieutenant in the Bi-itish Army During the French War — His House Plundered by Robbers During the Revolutionary Wtir — Di(jd in 1824, Aged 90 Years --His Children -Hannah Collin— Settled in Hillsdale on the Farm Now Occupied by Levi Coon — David Collin, Jr. — Resided on the Farm Now Occupied by Rutsen Hunt —Lucy Col- lin, Settled in Hillsdale Near the Turnpike, Two Miles East of the Village— Sally Collin- James Collin. David Collin, son of John and Hannah Morwin Collin, born in Milford, Conn., February 19th, 1734:, and baptized with his older brother in the Congregational Church, May 16th, 1737, was married to Lucy Smith, of Dutchess county, February 19th, 1764, by whom he had two chil- dren — Hannah, born February, 1765, and David, born February 22d, 1767. Mrs. Lucy having- died March 15th, 1767, he married Esther Gillett, January 19th, 1772, by whom he had three children— Lucy, born Februar}' 28th, 1773 ; Sally, born 1775, and James, born April 5th, 1777. He had been a lieutenant in the British army during the French war and was present at an unsuccessful attack upon Fort Ticonderoga. During the war of the Amer- ican Revolution his house was plundered by a band of robbers, who treated his family with great cruelty, tor- turing him and them in order to find property. By his industry and prudence he acquired great wealth, and lived to a great age, and died May 8th, 1824. HILI.SDAI.E HISTORY. 21 Hannah Collin, daughter of David and Lucy Smith Collin, born in Dutchess county in 1765, married Squire Sherwood, aul settled in Hillsdale on the farm near Hillsdale village, now occupied by Levi Coon, where she died at an advanced age, leaving five children— Esther, Hannah, Sally, Lucy and Susan, all of whom have since married and died, and have left very interesting families. David Collin, son of David and Lucy Smith Collin, born at Atnenia, in Dutchess countv, Februarv 2'2d, 1767, mar- ried Lucy Bingham, March 27th, 1791, and died in ¥fij- etteville, N. Y., June '2d, 1844. He had settled and re- sided in Hillsdale, about two milps north of the village, on the farm now occupied by Rutsen Hunt. By his industry and prudence he acquired great wealth. His children were Har)y, Lucy, David, Harriet, Lee, Hannah, Solo- mon B., Amanda and Norton, all of whom by their in- dustry and prudence have added to the wealth they in- herited, and their families have been among the most respectable in the community. Lucy Collin, daughter of David and Esther (lillett Collin, married Elijah Burton, Janunry 8vl, 1796, and settled in Hillsdale, near the turn- pike road, about two miles east of the village. She died June 80tli, 1847. She has had eleven children — Collin, Ely, Belinda, Lucinda, Harriet, Henry, Miranda, Benson, David, George T. and Julia A., all of whom have main- tained respectable positions in society. Sally Collin, daughter of David and Esther Gillett Collin, born in Dutchess county, 1755, and married Doiiglass Clark, a much respected and wealthy citizen of that county. They have had six children — Perry, Henry, Olive, Sally, Caroline and Emeline, who are fill- ing interesting positions in society. James Collin, son of David and Esther Gillett Collin, bfum April 15th, 1777, and married Lydia Hamlin, April 12th, 1804, and died July 15th, 1856. He, too, by his industry and prudence, had acquired a large property. 22 HILLSDALE HISTORY. His cliildren were : Eli, James H., Lydia L., Julia, Aim, Caroline, Cordelia, Aulia and David N., all of whom have been highly respected and all whom are still among the living and enjoying the wealth they inherited. CHAPTER IX. GENERAL FREMONT — NOTED TAVERN-KEEPERS — PUGILISTIC EXHIBITIONS — THE MASONIC FRATERNITY. Bogardiis — Dr. Caleb Benton —Squire Sherwood — James Bryan's Tavern House— Colonel Chase McKinstry— Samuel Mallovy — Ebenezer Soule — Bartholomew Williams —William Tanner- Jonathan C. Olmstead — Edward Bagely — John Nooney — Aaron Reed — Isaac Foster — Amos Knapp — Artemus Johnson. When Massachusetts had yielded its claim to Hills- dale, and Robert Noble had removed to Great Barrin*];- ton, his sceptre descended to a Mr. Boojardus, occupying the premises upon which Levi Coon now resides, from whom it descended to Dr. Caleb Benton, who, possessing talents and wealth, and being a physician such as of whom Homer sung: • A good physician skilled our wounds to hoal Is more than armies in the jjublic weal, he exercised a large influence in the town. He twice represented the county in the State Legislature. He sub- sequently moved to Catskill, where he died. His son Lewis became District Attorney in Green county, and was an applicant for a military commission in the Mexi- can War, but failed tf) convince the War Department that he possessed the requisite qualifications, though the Rev. John McCarty as chaplain, and a Mr. McKinstry as lieu- tenant, from Columbia county, did obtain appointments 24 HILLSDALE HISTORY. and distinguislied themselves in the service, the one re- maining: in such service till his recent death, and the other on the staff of General Fremont, passed from ser- vice when that General lost his presti<^e in the late civil war. From Caleb Benton the premises in Hillsdale passed to Squire Sherwood, who had married Hannah Collin, the daupjhter of David and Lucy Smith Collin. The premises adjoining on the east, now occupied bv Dr. Henry Cornell, became the property of James Bryan, who kept a noted tavern house. He was the first super- visor in the town, and was elected five successive years ; he was also for many years a magistrate in the town of Hillsdale. His son Samuel became a distinguished tavern keeper in the city of Hudson : his son John was a mem- ber of the State Legislature in 1821 ; his son James was also, for some years, a magistrate in the town of Hillsdale ; his daughter married John Cronkhyte, and lived for many years on the farm now owned by Leonard John- son. As a magistrate, he had often occasion to try cases of assault and battery that had occurred on his premises ; and cases occurred there in which men with obscured sight and blackened faces found it desirable to spend a few days at the residence of a kind neighbor before pre- senting themselves to their amazonian wives. On the rise of land some thirty rods west of that tavern house was the district school-house, two stories high, in which, in consequence of the extent of district and prolific popu- lation, forty scholars were usually in daily attendance. The frequent pugilistic exhibitions at the tavern house induced the scholars to learn the art scientifically, which they sometimes carried to such excess as to introduce them to a birchen acquaintance. The upper part of that school-house was occupied as a masonic lodge, and a large number of the most respectable men of the town were among its members ; but they usually became so vivacious at their meetings that their wives rose in re- HILLSDALE HISTOEY. 25 bellion, and the institution, in consequence, lano;uished for many years. After James Br3'an, for nine successive years. Colonel Charles McKinstry r(>presented the town of Hillsdale in the Board of Supervisors, and then for two years repre- sented the county in the State Legislature. Residing at the easterly foot of the Cakeout Hills, his home was near the centre of the town, while it was composed of the Nobletown and Spencertown sections. Of course all the prominent public business of the town, civil and military, was done there, to accommodate which, he kept a noted tavern, and, while occupying prominent civil offices, was the colonel of the town regiment One of his daughters married Judge Jjoen Whiting, of Geneva, Ontario county, N. Y., and one married Judge Augustus Tremain, of Hills- dale, and one married Judge Henry Loop, of Great Bar- rington, Mass., and his son Justus was successively the 1)artner of throe of the most prominent lawyers in Colum- bia county. After Charles McKinstry, the town of Hills- dale, for thirteen years, was represented in the Board of Supervisors by its Spencertown branch ; for nine of those years it was represented by Samuel Mallery and for three years by Ebenezer Soule, and one year by Bartholomew Williams. For the two next years the town was repre- sented by William Tanner, of Green River Hollow. His son was an officer in the infantry comj^any that marched to the relief of Plattsburgh in the war of 1812. For the next two years the town was represented by Jonathan C. Olmstead, of Gre(>n River, and the next year by Edward Bagley, who lived in East Hillsdale at the present resi- dence of Rufus White, at which place his son Oliver was long a merchant, and Avas succeeded by John Nooney, one of the most active business men of the town, who had previously as a merchant l)een in partnership with Aaron Reed, Isaac Foster, Amos M. Knapp, and with Artemus Johnson in the cloth-dressing and wool-carding business. 4 26 HILLSDALE HISTORY. His family was among the most interesting in the town. His chiklren were among the most interesting of forty- odd students of the writer some sixty years ago, who had then just emerged from boyhood, and now stands on the verge of a second chiklhood, which has doubtless in- creased the interest of a letter just received from one of those who was then in childhood his student. CHAPTEK X. DIVISIONS OF THE TOWN — STATE REPRESENTATIVES — A GREAT LAWYER — THE FEDERALISTS. The Town Divided into Six Localities : Hillsdale Village, East Hillsdale, Hillsdale Centre, West Hillsdale, Green River, Hurlemville — The Birdsalls — John Higgins — Benjamin Birdsall — George Birdsall — • Hagemans — Pixleys— Amiglis — Joidans — William Jordan, Jr. — Ambrose L. Jordan — Joseph Morehovise — Clintonian Republicans — Qaincy Johnson— Samuel Judson -Col. Anson Dakin— Christopher W. Miller — Josiah Knapp — Andrew Higgins— Elisha W. Buslinell-John Collin — Henrj' P. Mesick — Gen. Provost's Army — Ebenezer Youngs. When Speucertowii had been separated from Hillsdale in 1818, the hills or other circumstances had left the town divided into six distinct localities, in each of which have been inhabitants who have made interesting histories. Those localities are designated as Hillsdale Village, East Hillsdale, Hillsdale Centre, West Hillsdale, Green Eiver and Harlemville. I will first call attention to the inhab- itants who have resided or originated in the West Hills- dale locality. The Birdsalls were among the earliest of these families, and tliev resided on the farm where John Higgins lived and died. Benjamin Birdsall was four times a representative in the State Legislature, and John Birdsall was a representative in the State Senate. George Birdsall was a distinguished physician and re- sided for a time in what is now the town of Copake. One of the kindred was a military officer and was assas- sinated at Greenbush. The daughters of Benjamin Bird- 28 HILLSDALE HISTORY. sail married into some of the most respectable families in Hillsdale, among whom were the Ha<;emans, the Pixleys and the Amighs. Near the l^irdsalls was the residence of the Jordans. William Jordan, Jr., twice represented the town in the Board of Supervisors, and was the col- onel in the town militia, and his brother Abraham repre- sented the town of Claverack in the Board of Supervisors. Ambrose L. Jordan was a representative in the State Leg- islature, and for four years a representative in the State Senate. He was a Surrogate and District Attorney in Otsego county and for several years Recorder in the city of Hiidson. He was a member of the State Constitu- tional Convention in 1846, and was the first Attorney- General of the State under* the new constitution. It is history that he was second to none among the legal gen- tlemen of that day, who for talents have not been ex- ceeded since. Near the Birdsall residence was that of Joseph Morehouse, who for ten years represented the town in the Board of Supervisors. At his last election an in<'ident occurred that is eminently worthy a place in history. For giving aid and comfort to the enemy in the war of 181'2, the Federal party had become disgraced and had abandoned its name and had adopted that of Clin- tonian Republicans, or American System Men. That sys- tem consisted of the river and harbor policy, to create debts and expenditures as an excuse for levying high duties upon imports — the very polic}' that has since del- uged our country in blood and tears. Of course, that party was opposed to Joseph Morehouse, and they nom- inated a ticket in opposition, putting the name of Quincy Johnson at its head. On the njorning of the election Quincy Johnson made publicly "the declaration that he had been nominated without liis knowledge, consent or approbation, and that he did not approve of the ante- cedents and j^olicy of the party who had nominated him, and that if elected by that })arty he would not qualify and HILLSDALE HISTORY. 29 serve. This anno u nee nieiit left Joseph Morehoiist: to walk over the course without opposition. At the next election Quincy Johnson occupied a position upon the ticket of his choice, and was opposed with the bitterest malignitv, but was elected by a most triumphant ma- jority. Near the Birdsall residence was that of Samuel Jud- son, and he for two years was a member of the Board of Supervisors, and for many years after a most respectable ma<>;istrate in thtJ town. Witli him resided his cousin, Colonel Anson Dakin, who commanded tlie town militia, who were ever ready to march, for the defense of their country, as they did to Long Island aiid Plattsburgh in the war of 1812, and they would ever have blushed at the idea of having the county expend its thousands of dollars for a place to stack their arms in, or to expend six hun- dred dollars a year to provide them with a dancing saloon. In the same section resided Christopher W. Miller, who was an officer in the uniform com[)any that marched for the relief of Plattsburgh in the war of 1812. In the same neighborhood resided Josiah Knapp, who was a Judge of the County Court aud for many years a respectable mag- istrate. Also, in the same neighboi'hood, resided Andrew Higgins, who was a colonel in the militia and for many years a much respected magistrate. In the same section resided Elisha W. Bushnvering man, with a most amiable wife and beautiful daughters, all fell victims to pulmonary consumption. Mr. Osborn was succeeded by Mr. Brainard, whose in- genuity and mechanical genius conceived and constructed the plan and surroundings of the Hillsdale Rural Ceme- tery, of which association for years he was the President. The premises are now occupied by Mr. Levi Coon, who, with Walter B. TenBroeck, are the present .prominent officers in the Presbyterian Church, which has done much to promote the moral and religious character of the peo- ple of Hillsdale; and Mr. TenBroeck has for all time baen th^ efficient Secretary of the Hillsdale Rural Ceme- tery Association, and is now one of the magistrates in the town.* The said premises are bounded on the north and south by the lands of John Quincy and William Leonard Johnson, who are the descendants of that Isaac Johnson whose history has been already given. They are bound- ed on the east by the lands of Dr. Henry Cornell, orig- inally occupied by James Bryant, whose history has been briefly given, and which for a time was occupied by Dr. Benjamin House, who was the President of that nol)le temperance society founded upon principles of m'n\il suasion, which, judging by its antecedents, if it had not * Mr. Ten Broeck though choseu by the people to fill the office df- cljned to accept, its responsibilities !uid refused to qualify. — fJi/. HILLSDALE HISTORY. 33 been destroyed by a side issue, political temperance or- ganizations would have made the people of our country a worthy model of temperance for all other j)eople. The cemetery on the Johnson premises was founded by the first settlers of the town. The monument erected in it to the memory of Jeremiah Potter was the fruit of filial affection. It may be said of him in the language of the poet : That knowledge to his eyes her ample pdge, Rich with the spoils of time did ne'er enroll, Chill penviry represented his noble rage And froze the geaial current of the sonl. A worthy aged son and daughter yet survive him, the one living in Alford, Mass., and the other in Monmouth county. New Jersey. His grand-children are making noble histories, one filling a high judicial position in a Western State. Pavla Foster was one of the early set- tlers of the town, and resided on the premises now occu- pied by Asher Adams. Hp was a patriarch and liberal patron of the Methodist Church, which has also done much to promote the moral and religious character of the people of Hillsdale. John Pixley resided on the prem- ises now occupied by his daughter, Mrs. Joseph P. Dorr. He was a man of talents, princely appearance, and was long a merchant in the town and was once the High Sherifi^ of the county. His father, Ephraim Pixley, suf- fered a loss of property in the early feuds about the Manor title, and the pardon of the authors of that loss gave rise to the name of Barn Burners at the election of 1824, while on the other hand the aid given the enemy in the war of 1812 gave rise to the name of Hunker at that election. Refine Latting 'resided on the premises now occupied by his grandson, Mr. Lawrence. He and Parla Foster were at one time the owners of what is now the village of Hillsdale, and his father was one of the earliest settlers of the town. His mother, by her second mar- 34 HILLSDALE HISTORY. riage, was the wife of tlie Rev. Stephen Gauo, who was the founder of the two Baptist Churches in the town, which have done their share in promoting the moral and religious character of the people of the town. Stephen Bristol was an early settler of the town, and resided on the premises now occupied by his daughter, who by her liberality has done much to promote the interest of the churches and to relieve the sufferings of the poor, and to aid in all the village improvements. Amos M. Knapp was an early settler of the town, and was long a merchant in the village of Hillsdale and once represented the town in the Board of Supervisors. He married Miss Nancy, the accomplished daughter of Captain Turner, who occu- pied what is now the Hillsdale tavern house. Dr. Henry Cornell, George M. Bullock, Butsen Hunt and John Q. Johnson, residents of the Hillsdale village section of the town, have each represented the town in the Board of Supervisors. Each have made laudible ef- forts to protect the town from the burdens so long un- justly imposed upon it. They had the address to pre- vent the Board from stultifying itself upon the subject of the Copake line. And George M. Bullock introduced into the Board a very sensible set of resolutions upon the sub- ject of the publication of the Acts of the Legislature. If the publication of local acts was confined to the localities interested, and the publication of general acts Avas con- fined to such as specially interested the public, it would make such publication very useful and save a very great expense to the State. Favored by the depot on the Har- lem Railroad, the people in Hillsdale village are begin- ning to exhibit a very enterprising spirit in the way of village improvements. It will be well, therefore, to de- lay the -history that they are thus making, to a future edition, when the people may become so interested uj)on the subject as to give the facilities for a more minute history. CHAPTER XII. EAST HILLSDALE — ITS EARLY SETTLERS — SOME OF THEIR DE- SCENDANTS -LOCALITY OF THEIR RESIDENCES. Gaius Stebbins—Dakin— Elijah Burton — Lucy Colliu —Edward Bagley — Oliver Bagley — James Bryan 2d — George Amigb — Captain John Collin — Sarah Arnold— Deidoma Morse — John Collin and Ruth Holman — Their Children— Rodney Hill- Rev. Hiram H. White— Lewis Wright — Quincy Johnson— John Hunt — James Taylor -Walter McAlpine — Adanyah Bidwell— Mr. June— Levi Williams. Gaius Stebbiiis Avas one of the earliest settlers of East Hillsdale. He was a man of intelligence, integrity and princely appearance, and was long- a merchant, his store being where is now the grocery of Walter Shafer, and his residence wher.^ is now that of Geo. T. Burton. In 1807 and in 1809 he was a representative in the State Legisla- ture. A family of Dakins owned the premises now be- longing to George Sornborger, and they kept a noted tavern there. They were relatives of Colonel Anson Dakin, a distinguished resident of Western Hillsdale. Elijah Burton lived on an adjoining farm, now owned by his son, George T. Burton. His wife was Lucy Collin, the niece of Captain John Collin. On the farm adjoining resided Edward Bagley, a deacon in the Baptist Church, and in 1817 was a member of the Board of Supervisors. His son Oliver was long a merchant on his premises. In the same neighborhood resided James Bryan second, who for many years was a respectable magistrate, and whose wife was Nellie Pixley, the sister of John and Joseph Pixley. In the same neighborhood resided 86 HILLSDALE HISTORY. George Amigli, distinguished for amiable disposition and gigantic size and strength, and whose wife was also a daughter of Benjamin Birdsall. Adjoining the Amigh premises on the north for near twenty years was the residence of Captain John Collin, and has continued to be that of some of his descendents to the present time. He held a militar}^ commission under the Crown, and afterwards under the States. He was a pacificator among the people, and did much to settle the contro- versy between the occupants of lands in Hillsdale under Massachusetts titles and the Manor claims. He was a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity, and in his social relations was on terms of intimacy with the Van Kensselaers, the Livingstons, the Van Nesses and Alex- ander Hamilton. Elislia Williams spent some weeks in his family. In his childhood he was baptized in the Con- gregational Church, and the Eev. David Tullar, for forty years a clergyman in Melford, Conn., was in the habit of visiting him during his life. He believed the attribute of the Almighty to be that of infinite love, which would not admit of one particle of those worst attributes of the Devil which many zealousl}' professing Christians are pleased to impute to him. His first wife was Sarah Ar- nold, a Quakeress. The maiden name of his second wife was Deidoma Morse, a near relative of Professor Morse, the distinguished inventor of the magnetic telegra})li, and she was the widow of Oliver Davidson, of Canterbury, Conn., and was the grandmother of Miss Lucre tia Maria Davidson, wh(,)se poetic w)itings attracted the favorable attention of Professor Morse, Washington Hving and Catharine Sedgwick, who procured their publication in a volume. Captain John Collin's oldest son died while a solder in the American army in the war of the revolution. His remaining son, John Collin, married Ruth Holman Johnson, a descendant of that Isaac Johnson Avho was instrumental in the first settlement of Boston, and whose HILLSDALE HISTOBY. 37 history I have already briefly given. Their oldest son was a member of a firm of iron manufacturers in Lenox, Mass., who also established the first plate glass manufac- tory in this country. Two of their sons were at different times for many years members of the Board of Supervis- ors. One once represented the county in the State Leg- islature, and was once a representative in Congress, and was the chairman upon the Committee of Naval Expendi- tures during the two years, and took a most active part in the conception of and advocacy of the tariff' of 1846. Like his grandfather, he was prominent as a pacificator, and was the principal actor in the settlement of a bloody controversy between certain tenants and their landlords in Columbia count}-. The other son of John and Ruth Holman Collin for several years represented the town of Hillsdale in the Board of Supervisors, and has since been a magistrate in Mount Vernon, Linn county, Iowa, and holds an ofiicial position in the college there, of which his son has hmg been a jirofessor. The oldest daughter of John and Buth Holman Collin married Rodney Hill, for a time a magistrate and merchant in Great Barrintr- ton, Mass. Another daughter married the Rev. Hiram H. White, k)ng a member of the New England Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Another daughter married Lewis Wright, a merchant in Xenia, Ohio. Quincy Johnson, the father of John Quincy and William Leonard JoJmson, and long the owner and occupant of the farm now occupied by his son William Leonard, was the son of William and Jane Robinson Johnson, and the lineal descendent of Isaac Johnson, of Bostoji fame. After refusing to be a candidate for Supervisor by a party whose principles and antecedents he did not approbate, he was tor some 3-ears a Town Clerk or Supervisor elect- ed 1 )y the party of his choice, and was for many years a magistrate in the town, and during much of his life was employed as a pacificator among men and as an executor 38 HILLSDALE HISTORY, in the settlement of important estates. His maternal an- cestors had been important actors in much of their coun- try's history. Two of his maternal uncles were the im- porters of the arms and military stores, to obtain which, by the British, brought on the first battle of the Kevolu- tion at Lexington. Those uncles were subsequently in the battle of Bunker Hill, and died in the army near the close of the war. A third uncle fell in the battle with the army of General Burgoyne. Quini^y Johnson was the brother of Ruth Holman Jolmstm, the wife of John Col- lin, and also of Sophia Johnson, the wife of Elias Ford, of Hawley, Mass., and Clynthia Johnson, the wife of the Rev. Harry Truesdell, and Melinda Johnson, the wife of Bishop Leouidas L. Hamline. John Hunt was one of the earliest settlers ia the town of Hillsdale, and lived to be near a century old, and re- sided on the farm adjoining that of Captain John Collin. His oldest son married Sallie Bagley, the daughter of Edward Bagley, and their oldest son, Edward, married Eliza Esmond, the grand-daughter of Squire and Hannah Collin Sherwood. James Taylor was one of the original settlers of Hillsdale and he lived on tlie farm adjoining that of John Hunt. He lived to a very great age, and his mother lived to be some years over a hundred. One of his sons was a soldier in the war of 1812. Walter Mc- Alpiue lived to great age on a farm adjoining that of James Taylor and was among the first settlers of the town. His daughter Nancy married Harry Collin, the son of David and Lucy Bingham Collin. Their son, Henry Clark, married Maria Louisa Park, of Burlington, Otsego county, N. Y., and is now a wealthy farmer in Benton, Yates county, N. Y. Harriet Ann Collin, the daughter of Harry and Nancy McAl]une Collin, married Alfred G. Bidwell, and now resides in Bergen Hill, N. J. Emeline Collin, the daughter of Harry and Nancy Mc- Alpine Collin, married Dr. William Wickham W^elch, of HILLSDALE HISTORY. 39 Norfolk, Conn. Adan^'ah Bidwell, father of Alfred G. Bidwell, lived on the farm now owned by Jacol) Reed, near the premises of Walter B. Ten Broeck. He was a very useful and influential member of the Methodist Church. One of his daughters married a Mr. Noxon, of Hillsdale, and one married Dr. Millen Sabin, of Lenox, Mass. Daniel Winchel was one of the early settlers of Hillsdale and was the owner of a large tract of land, upon which is situated what is now called the Summit of Echoes. He subsequently became the owner of what is now called Prospect Lake and the mills at its outlet in Egremont. His sons were James, Milo, Calvin, Harry and Ezra. One of his daughters married a Mr. Tickner, of Alford, Mass., and another married Seymour Phelps, of Sheffield, Mass. One of the daughters of Seymour Phelps married Martin Haywood, a resident of East Hillsdale. The premises lately (K^cupied by Levi Williams, and now by Mr. Mitchell, and adjoining the lands of George Sornborger, was originally, owned by a Mr. June, who kept a tavern there in the early settlement of the town. Levi Williams married a Miss Hannah Smith, of Tagh- kanic. They bad two sons and one daughter. Adam, one of the sons, lives in New Jersey, and Levi, the other son, owns the premises adjoining those formerly occupied by his father. The daughter, Gertrude, married John Mitchel, and after his death she married Ezra D. Loomis, and now resides a mile north of Hillsdale village. A fuller and more complete history of the residents in East Hillsdale will be given in another edition, if the in- habitants wnll supply the records. CHAPTER XIII. GREEN RIVER — HARLEMVILLE — HUDSON ORPHAN ASYLUM — COUNTY POOR HOUSE. William Tanner — Jared Winslow— Jonathan Hill — Sarah Amanda Collin — Albert Winslow Garfield — James Collin—Chastine E. Wilcox — Sam- uel B. and Charles A. Sumner -Lewis B. Adsit— Henry J. Rowe — Hiram Winslow — Isaac Hatch— Albert Shepard Joel Curtis— Gaul McKown — Frederick Pnltz — John H. Overhiser— Willis Disbrow — W. H. Gard- ner — Andrew H. Spickerman — Ralph Judson — -Charles H. Downing — Alfred Curtis — Joel G. Curtis. The "district of Green River contains less than one- tenth of the population of Hillsdale, and yet its people have made very respectable histories. William Tanner was one of the earlier settlers of the town, and kept a tavern at the tavern-honse now owned by Mr. Van Hoseu. He was a major in the town militia and twice re])re- sented the town in the Board of Supervisors. His son Ralph was a lieutenant in the com])any that marched to the defense of Plattsburt^h in the war of 1812. Jared Winslow was an early settler of the town, and was lon<< a ver}' respectable mahen Hedges owned the farm now owned by Datus Hanor. Joseph Bossman owned the farm now owned b}- the widow and heirs of Nicholas C. Tyler. George Knox and David West owned the farms now owned by llodney Gilbert. Gilbert Sher- wood owned the farm of Norman Crandall. Walter Mc- Alpine owned the farm of William Ward. Samuel Trues- dell oAvnecl the farm of LeKov Hunt. David Collin owned 48 nnj^sDALE history. the farm of Eutsen Hunt. Silas Keed owned the farm of Edward B. Hunt. Lewis Adsit owned the farm of Jack- son Bartlett. Mr. Evans owned the farm of Elisha Os- born. The farm formerly owned by Barnet Burtis is now owned and occupied l)y Peter B. Hollenbeck. For two years he has represented the town in the Board of Super- visors, and has been a trustee in the Hillsdale Rural Cemetery Association durinsj its whole histor3\ His wife was a daughter of Jacob I. Van Deusen, one of the most prominent farmers of Copake. The few other changes will be noticed upon further information, and interesting histories will be given of some of the occupants. The wife of Stephen Hedges was a Miss Gardanier, aunt of the wife of President Tyler. William White was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, and was in the reserve during the last battle with the army of General Burgoyne. Austin Morey was born January 20th, 1819, and married Catharine Smith March 29th, 1845. She was born April 5th, 1822. Their children are : Smith, born June 29th, 1846; Eugene A., born June 29th, 1848; Delia E., born February 13tb, 1856. Eugene A. married Mary Gorsline November 17th, 1869, and Delia E. mar- ried J. T. McKown October 28th, 1880. In 1863 and 1864 Mr. Morey represented the town of Hillsdale in the Board of Supervisors. Lorenzo Gilbert owns the farm adjoining that of his brother Rodney. His wife was a daughter of Esquire James Reyn(^lds, of Copake, and for two years he has represented the town in the Board of Supervisors. Nicho- las C. Tyler was for some years a Justice of the Peace, and his wife was the daughter of Esquire Joel Pierce, whose farm adjoined that of Austin Morey and was very near the farm of Colonel Mclvinstry. Captain Hem-y P. Mesick once owned one of the farms now owned b}' John McAlpine, and the Rev. Abel Brown owned the other farm belonging to McAlpine. The Rev. HILLSDALE HISTORY. 49 Abel Brown was a wortliy member of the Baptist Church, aud his wife was the sister of Judge John Martin, of Claveraek. Thomas Benedict owned the farm adjoining the land of John McAlpine on the north, which now be- longs to John Q. Johnson, and Nicholas Sharts was the original owner of the land adjoining that of John Mc- Alpine on the south, which now also belongs to John Q. Johnson. Daniel Darien was the original owner of the farm of Lorenzo Gilbert, and Deacon John Tyler owned the farm adjoining on the north of Lorenzo Gilbert, who for two years represented the town in the Board of Supervisors. CHAPTEE XV. A FAMILY HISTORY DESIRABLE — HILLSDALE ROADS — COMMIS- SIONERS FROM 1852 TO 1883. Fiunily Histories interesting — An Appeal to the Cominnnity tor such — Charles Crow — William Coon — Crooked Roads— Columbia Turnpike — Soil for Roads —Road Laws — Assessments —Sums Expended on Roads since 1849 -Reform. A family history of the people of Hillsdale who lived a half century ago would now he considered a treasure. A famil}' history of the present population would be con- sidered a treasure to the people of Hillsdale in the half- century to come. These are facts that our people should appreciate, and each and all should give their family his- tory. To publish a part who have generously supplied those family histories, while the large portion of (jur peo- ple were omitted, would be very uninteresting. A brief history upon the subject fi-om memory would be subject to errors, and might be considered by some impertinent. I have therefore suspended that brief history in the hope that the ]3eople generally would take the subject into seri- ous consideration and give assistance in its accomplish- ment. Should they fail to do so, I may think best to adopt the History of Hillsdale as it appears in our lately published county liistor}^, with such additions as my memory and other authorities will enable me to supply. In attending to the officers of the town I should not omit the names of Charles Crow and William Coon, who have long been useful magistrates in Hillsdale villao-e. HILLSDALE HISTOEY. 51 Mr. Crow's fatlier was long a worthy farmer in Western Hillsdale, and his wife's fatlier was a merchant and farm- er in Eastern Hillsdale, A history of the roads in Hillsdale is a subject worthy of attention. The hills and valleys made crooked roads a necessity, and the confusion among the earlier settlers made them much more so. But the establishment of the Columbia Turnpike some eighty-odd years ago made a fine road through the southern section of the town. And some fifty-odd 3'ears ago an association of citizens made an improved road through the centre of the town. The soil is of a character to make the best of roads, and be- ing near the fountain head of the streams the bridges were cheap, consisting chiefly of single spans. Under these circumstances and our efiicient laws, the making and keeping our roads in repftir has comparatively been attended with but small expense to the people. Those laws, however, required the people to be assessed not less than about one thousand days' work annually upon the roads, or about twenty-five days to the mile, to which the overseers of higliAvays had authority to add one-third, if necessary. In addition to this, the Commissioners of Highways, in order to aid weak districts, were authorized to assess upon the property of the town two hundred and fifty dollars annfially, and with the consent of the people of the town through their suffrages, they could be author- ized to assess upon the property of the town the addi- tional sum of seven hundred and fifty dollars. But each of those sums had to be accompanied Avith a particular specification of their objects, and the commissioners are required to report to the Town Auditors that the money had been expended in pursuance of those objects, which report was required to be entered upon the town records. If expended for l)ridges, the report should so state. If expended for road districts, the report should state the districts. To aid towns having expensive bridges, a law 52 HILLSDALE HISTORY. exists authorizing the Town Clerk, Justices and Commis- sioner of Highways on any day previous to the first Tues- day in October in any year, to authorize the making of a loan of one-half of one per cent, upon the assessed property of the town for the purpose of some particular specified object in relation to roads and bridges. Under the provisions of these judicious laws, the people of Hillsdale, previous to 1850, never required much expense upon the roads beyond the per diem specified by law. To repair some bridges or to aid some weak road district there was sometimes expended during a year from one to two hundred dollars. Since 1850 the following are some of the sums expended over and above the per diem as- sessments : COMMISSIONERS. - James Gorsline, Daniel D. Goodsall, - David BushQell, David Bnshnell, - Alfred Curtis, Robert Mc Alpine, - Robert McAlpine, George M. Bullock, - George M. Bullock, Philip C. Shaver, - Peter B. HoUenbeck, Peter B. HoUenbeck, - Isaac Coon, Martin J. Sweet, - Adam D. Van DeBoe, Adam D. Van DeBoe, - Rodney Gilbert, Rodney Gilbert, - Rodney Gilbert, Judson Wiley, - Rodney Gilbert. William D. Washburn, - Ambrose L. Overhiser. In addition to the extraordinary and apparently illegal road tax upon the people of the town, there has been an- YEAB. AMOUNl 1852 - - $ 50 1855 100 1856 - • 100 1857 250 1858 - . 200 1860 150 1861 - - 175 1862 430 1863 - . 700 1864 200 1865 - • 200 1866 150 1868 - 200 187U 250 1871 - 350 1873 — 1874 - 500 1875 800 1876 - 500 1878 1355 1880 - • 500 1881 500 1882 - - 500 HILLSDALE HISTORY. 53 nuall}^ paid for the use of tlie roads fi-om eifrhty to one hundred dollars commutation money, and during the last year the per diem road tax has been doubled. After the next auditing day I shall be curious to look and see if the town books will show that the money has all been expended according to law. I trust that it will not turn out that we have had " star route " performers among us. On the contrary, I trust that the examination will disclose extraordinary merit on the part of our road commissioners. Civil service reform is the order of the day. I trust that we shall never need such reform in old Hillsdale. CHAPTEE XVI. children's aid SOCIETY^ — KOELIFF JANSEN VALLEY — BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, 1824 — EQUALIZATION. Children's Aid Society — Astors— Vanderbilts — Sixty Thousand Orphans — Officers — A Kesiduary Bequest — William T. Palmer — George N. Loop — Isaac White — George Mitchel — Andrew and John Brusie — Roe- liflf Jansen Valley Farms — Titles of 1790— Heirs of Nicholas Hollenbeck — Hillsdale Lauds worth $18 per Acre — Board of Supervisors of 1824 — William Miirray's Equalization — Board of 1840 -Hillsdale's Supervisor Objects to Prerogatives of the District Attorney —Stockport's Manufac- turing Interests and Valuation — State Assessor's Report. There are associations witli the Children's Aid Society of the city of New York that give that society a title to a notice in the History of Hillsdale. That society is one of the worthiest charities of the world. It was incorpor- ated about thirty years ago, and has about sixty thou- sand orphans under its care. It has about fifteen hun- dred regular contributors, who give ti"om one dollar to three thousand dollars annually for its support. Among those contributors are the Astors and the Vanderbilts. Kich bequests are made for its benefit. Mrs. Mary E. Flagg has recently bequeathed $9,000 for its benefit. William A. Booth is the President of that society; Geo. S. Coe is Treasurer ; Charles L. Brace is Secretary, and J. W. Skinner is the Superintendent of its schools. It has fifteen trustees, the terms of five of whom expire annually. To that society a citizen of Hillsdale, after rich bequests to all of his kindred, made a residuary be- HILLSDALE HISTOEY. 55 quest which at his death contained over $8,000 in cash and about $6,000 of investments. A further history of that Society and that bequest will be' given in the future. Among the early residents of Eastern Hillsdale. Wm. T. Palmer formerly owned the farm of Sylvester Wolcott ; George H. Loop formerly owned the farm of George Douglass ; Isaac White was an original owner of the farm of Michael Ward ; George Mitchel, owned the farm of Samuel Mitchel; John Moon formerly owned the farm of Martin Haywood, and Andrew and John Brusie were the original owners of the farm of George Brusie. Isaac White was aided by Caleb Benton and John Pixley in procuring his title to the Ward farm. The best lands in Hillsdale are in the Roeliflf Jansen valley. The Manor titles to the best of those lands were obtained in 1790 at ten dollars per acre. Two of the very best of these farms were apj^raised in 1833 in the distribution of personal and real estate at twenty-five dollars per acre. The very best farm in that valley was sold at negotiated sale by the heirs of Nicholas Hollen- beck, in 1850, at thirty-five dollars per acre. The annual agricultural productions of the town by the census have never much exceeded $175,000, and at times not much more than $150,000, so that taking into account that much of the town consists of rugged hills and some waste land, eighteen dollars per acre is the highest legal value of the whole town. A more talented Board of Supervisors never assembled in Columbia county than that of 1824. To that Board, William Murray, the Supervisor from Copake, submitted an equalization table of the agricultural lands in the county, which was adopted by the Board. That valua- tion put the lands in Hillsdale at thirteen dollars per acre, and those of Stockport at twenty-nine dollars per acre. For eleven successive years Mr. Murray continued to represent that town. In 1837 Greenport having been 56 HILLSDALE HISTORY. admitted as a town, there was a revision of the equaliza- tion table, and that of Mr. Murray was adopted. Up to 1839 the county had been taxed for the support of ex- pensive bridges in certain towns. In that year the Su- pervisor from Hillsdale raised an objection to that coun- ty tax, as the bottom lands along the streams greatly enhanced the value of the lands in those towns, and the mill sites were of still greater value, and the bridges were principally valuable to the people of those towns. The objection was sustained, and the county was no longer taxed for that purpose. In 1840 the Board of Su- pervisors was convulsed about a disputed seat, which on the second week was satisfactorily settled by a committee composed of the Supervisors of Livingston and Hillsdale. The Supervisor from Hillsdale raised objections to pre- rogatives exercised by the District Attorney and jailer, which were ultimately sustained. The Supervisor from Stockport moved that the people of Austerlitz should be taxed for the support of an expensive bridge in Stock- port, as the people of Austerlitz used it on their way to the Hudson market. The Supervisor of Hillsdale op- posed the motion and was sustained. In 1811 it was discovered by the census that in addition to the agricul- tural lands there was $814,000 of manufacturing real es- tate in the town of Stockport, and the Supervisor fi-om Hillsdale moved that in the equalization that manufac- turing real estate should be added to the agricultural in that town. After an exciting debate the motion of the Supervisor from Hillsdale was voted down. By the as- sessor's valuation, the Agricultural lauds in Stockport were valued at $367,000, to which, if the manufacturing real estate had been added, it would have amounted to $1,181,000. But the Supervisors in their valuation re- duced Stockport to $199,433. The effect of this was not only to leave the large amount of the real estate of the manufacturers untaxed, but by reducing the Supervisors' HILLSDALE HISTORY. 57 Vfilnatiou of farm lands below that of the assessors', re- duced the tax upon personal property in Stockport three- tenths of a mill below that of many other of the towns in the county. That policy has been pursued ever since, a little modified at the present session of the Board. While the net income of the real estate in Stockport has been seven-fold greater than that of Hillsdale, Hillsdale has at all times been taxed twice as high as Stockport, including the enormous expense of the civil war. That great wrong might have been averted had the Supervisor from Hillsdale appealed from the equalization of the Board in 1841. His excuse for not doing so for that and the two succeeding years that he was in the Board was the limit- ed amount of county tax imposed upon the people ; that upon Hillsdale for those years but a little exceeded $1,000 annually, being probably less than the woodchuck bounty of the present year. And the whole county tax upon the town was less than half the annual grievance of succeed- ing years. With all its modifications a late State Assess- ors' report will show that at least $10,000,000 worth of real estate, not agricultural, has escaped taxation in the equalization of the present Board of Supervisors. Laws should immediately be passed simplifying and preventing the great expense in procuring redress for these great wrongs. Such expenses and technical provisions of law are used by designing men to prevent redress from being sought for these great wrongs. CHAPTEE XVII JUSTICES OF THE PEACE APPOINTED BY THE GOVEENOR — JUS- TICES ELECTED — THADDEUS KEED — PHILIP BECKER. The Justices of the Peace given in order as appointed by the Governor from 1786 to 1827— Justices elected by the people since 1827 — Tbad- deus Eeed— Catharine Garner— James W. White — Philip Becker— John P. Becker -East Hillsdale Furnace. The justices of the peace in the town of Hillsdale, from 1786 to 1827, were appointed by the Governor of the State, and were in order as follows : Jacob Ford, James Bryan, Benjamin Birdsall, D. Pratt, Charles McKinstry, Ebenezer Soule, Edward Bagley, Judah Lawrence, Bar- tholomew Williams, Joseph Morehouse, Aaron Reed, B. Richmond, Oliver Teal, Sauford Tracy, Cyrus Alger, Jesse Ford, Maurice Birdsall, John Pixley, Joel Pierce, Isaac Ford, Story Gott, William Niles, Henry Loop, Jared Winslow, David Leonard, Timothy Reed, Joseph Rodman, Jonathan Olmsted, George Squires, Erastus Pratt, Salmon Way, Richard Gaul, Stephen Hadley, Cor- nelius Van Kuren, James McKown. Stephen Hadley was the brother-in-law of Chester Goodale, of South Egremont, and the uncle by affinity of the distinguished youthful writers of poetry, Dora and Elaine Goodale, and the father of Sterling Hadley, who for years was one of the State Assessors in New York, and once a representative in the State Legislature. The justices of the peace elected by the people are as HILLSDALE HISTORY. 59 follows : Josiali Knapp, Jr., for three terms ; Thaddeus Reed for five terms : Jared Winslow, John Richmond, Richard Gaul, for three terms each ; Frederick Pultz for three terms ; Samuel Judson for three terms ; John H. Overhiser for two terms : Rodney Hill, Nicholas C. Tyler, Andrew Higgins, for three terms each ; Quincy Johnson, Lewis B. Adsit for five terms ; Eli Richmond for two terms ; Philip Becker for two terms ; Ira Palmer, William Coon for three terms ; Willis Disbrow for three terms ; Charles Crow for four terms ; John Q. Johnson for three terms ; Hiram Winslow for three terms ; Wm. T. Holsapple, Henry J. Rowe and Wm. H. Gardner. Thaddeus Reed for many years kept the tavern at what is now called the Hillsdale House, in Hillsdale village. He was the brother of Rufus Reed, of Hudson, and of Dr. Ebenezer Reed, of Austerlitz, and the uncle by affin- ity of Addison Alger, of Western Hillsdale. His adopted daughter, Catharine Garner, married James W. White, a merchant in Hillsdale village, and now j-esides at Tarry- town, in the State of New York. Philip Becker was the son of John P. Becker, of Har- lemville, and the brother of Stephen C. and David L. Becker, and of Margaret Caroline Becker, who married Orrin M. Sawyer, of Austerlitz, and of Lovina Becker, who married Orville McAlpin, of Hillsdale Centre, and of Elizabeth Becker, who married Sylvanus Smith, of Pen Yan, and of Julianne Becker, who married Samuel Voak, of Waukegan, Illinois, and Catharine Becker, who mar- ried Peter J. Becker, of Hillsdale village, and Polly Becker, who married Gains Truesdell, of Benton, Yates county, N. Y., and Almira Becker, who married Isaac Coon, of Harlemville. Philip Becker was born June 22d, 1805. He married Elizabeth DeGroff July 22d, 1827. His son Henry L. was born July 15th, 1828 ; James M. was born June 29th, 1831 ; Luman P. was born December 20tli, 1833 ; Jane was born April 16th, 1836 ; Julia was 60 HILLSDALE HISTORY. born October 12th, 1837; Emma H. was born September 28tli, 1840 ; Philip was born December 10th, 1813 ; Char- lie was born April 28th, 1846 ; Hiram H. was born May 10th, 1848 ; Mary was born December 20th, 1850. Philip Becker was ever distinguished for intelligence and integ- rity. He was long a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he held an official position. He Avas for a time the Master in a Masonic Lodge. As a carpen- ter and joiner he had many apprentices, who all have made good workmen and respectable men. He estab- lished the furnace in Eastern Hillsdale, and cultivated a farm, and employed in his business a sawing and planing mill. In the discharge of his duties as a magistrate he gave universal satisfaction. CHAPTEK XVIII. SETTLERS FROM MASSACHUSETTS AND CONNECTICUT — WAR OF 1812 — CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PEOPLE. Purchasers of Manor titles — George Bushnell — Jeremiah Hoffman —Dr. Jones— Elisha W. Bushnell — Parla Foster — His children— Capt. John Collin— Robert Orr — His children -Elijah Cleveland^His children — His ancestor Giiy de Cleveland, of England— Moses Cleveland — Ann Winn — Intelligence and integrity of supervisors and magistrates — Early conflicts — Aid in the war of 1812 — Thousands of dollars for com- mutation in the late civil war, and $74,000 war taxes paid — Liberality to sufferers in America and Ireland — Contributions to the Five Points Mission, and Children's .\id Society. When Massachusetts had yielded to New York her claim to sovereignty and jurisdiction over Hillsdale, Robert Noble and others holding titles under Massachu- setts returned to New England. But some remained and purchased manor titles to the lands they occupied. Among them was George Bushnell, avIio was born in Say- brook, Conn. His son John married Loxey Lay, of Say- brook. One daughter married Jeremiah Hoffman, of Claverack, and one daughter married Dr. Jones, of Hills- dale. His grandson, Elisha W. Bushnell, still occupies the old homestead. Parlia Foster, born in Connecticut, remained in Hillsdale and purchased the manor title. He married Phebe Wills, of Connecticut, and their children were : Anna, who married Dr. John Esmond, and after him in succession Mr. Northrop and Benjamin Snyder; Moses married Esther Sherwood ; Isaac married Lucy 8* 62 HILLSDALE HISTORY. Sherwood, and after her in succession Polly Pixley and Nancy Johnson Gerry and Eveline Johnson ; Simeon married Emily Nichols ; Ely married Polly Bushnell ; Seymour married Sarah Madeline Truesdell; Judson mar- ried Sabrina Messenger ; Deidamie married Dr. John Stevens ; Sally married Richard Latting ; Katy married Stephen Bosworth and Phebe married George Wooden. Capt. John Collin, born in Milford, Conn., remained in Hillsdale and purchased the manor title. He married Sarah Arnold, and after her demise he married Deidamie Morse Davidson. His children were : Anthony, who died a soldier in the war of the revolution ; John, who married Ruth Holman Johnson ; Hannah, wdio married Thomas Truesdell. Robert Orr, born in Bridgewater, Mass., re- mained in Hillsdale and purchased the manor title. He married Hannah Kingman. Their children were Susanna, Jane, Hector, Robert B., Montgomery, and Noble. Elijah Cleveland, born in Ceuterbury, Conn., remained in Hills- dale. He married Alice Lawrence, of Centerbury. He died Sept. 28th, 1794, in tlie 74th year of his age, and she died June 12th, 1799, in the 69th year of her age. They were buried near the site of the old Baptist church on the land of Robert Orr, subsequently the land of Solomon B. Collin, in a graveyard now obliterated. Chas. Crow, Esq., is his kindred by affinity. His mother, Lucy Serign Crow, being a sister to Elizabeth Serign, who was a sister- in-law of Elijah Cleveland. The children of Elijah and Alice Cleveland were as follows : Joseph, who married Elizabeth Fenton ; Lucinda, who married Henry Dibble ; Asa who married Mary Dibble ; John, who married Eliz- abeth Serign ; Abigail, who married Thomas Bathrick. and after him she married Peter Smith ; Daniel, who mar- ried Amy Dibble ; Sarah, who married Andrew Reynolds; Waitstell, who married Martha Tabor ; Anna, who mar- ried Henry Salisbury. All born in Hillsdale except Jos- eph, who was born in Middletown, Conn., and died in HILLSDALE HISTORY. 6B 1802. The Clevelands were the descendants of Guy de Cleveland, of York county, in England. He was present at the siege of Bologne in France, and commanded the spearmen in the battle of Poictiers. His descendant, Moses Cleveland, came to America about 1635 and set- tled atWoburn, Mass., and married Ann Winn, Jan. 26th, 1648, and died Jan. 9tli, 1701. Their children were Moses, Hannah, Aaron, Samuel, Miriam, Joanna, Edward, Josiah, Isaac and Enoch. A. much more extended and minute history of the Cleveland kindred may be given when this publication shall be in book form. 'Tis education forms the connnon mind, JiiKt piH the twi^ is bent the tree's inclined. The children in the families here noticed, without a single exception, have all filled respectable positions in society, which has been the fruit of the teachings by their noble mothers. The efforts of those mothers, too, have been most conspicuous in the establishment of the relig- ious churches in the town, wliicli has done so much to improve the moral and religious characteristics of the people. History will sliow that the residue of the popu- lation of Hillsdale, though composed of a conglomeration of all the existing nationalities, compare favorably with those from New England. The thirty-five supervisors that have represented the town, and the fifty magistrates, have all been characterized for intelligence and integrity. For three-fourths of a century the people of Hillsdale were convulsed by the conflicts between Massachusetts and New York, and the occupants under Massachusetts and the manor titles. The settlement of those controver- sies found the people to be such as I have described. In the war of 1812 they individually and collectively gave aid to their country, while others gave aid and comfort to the enemy. In pursuance of law, in the late civil war they quietly gave thousands of dollars by way of commutations, 64 HILLSDALE HISTOEY. and paid over $77,000 in war taxes,altliough they doubted the necessity and expediency of the war, and with Horace Greeley they believed that a Union was not worth sus- taining that had to be pinned together with bayonets, and with the makers of the federal constitution they believed that our Union should be one of mutual affection and ben- efits, and not of force. By their liberality they have ever manifested a kindly regard for those who have suffered by fire or flood or famine, such as has occurred in Chicago, or in the Mississippi valley, or in Ireland. They have long contributed annually to the Five Points Mission in New York city, and one of its citizens has recently made a liberal bequest to the Children's Aid Society, one of the noblest charities of the world. As its merits become developed it will receive further aid from the citizens of Hillsdale. It has 60,000 orphans under its care. It has 32 schools with 86 teachers, in New York city for the ed- ucation of orphans. It has agents all over the country to see that the thousands for whom they have found homes are properly cared for. Alreadj' some of the most active business men of our country are among those whom the society have befriended, atid whose numerously published letters are filled with thanks for those benefits. The char- itable contributions to that society during the past year have amounted to $234,892, and have been annually in- creasing during the past thirty years. CHAPTEE XIX. ROAD AND BRIDGE EXPENSES ONLY $9,000 FOR FIFTY YEARS — IN SEVEN RECENT YEARS $4,500. Fifty years road, bridge and Commissioner's expenses, only $9,000 — Seven years expenses $4,500 — Commissioners and Amlitors siiould c-onii)lj' with strict letter ol the law — What a commissioner's account should specify — Should report reasons lor assessing over 990 days- Law defining amount of extra moneys, and purposes— Acts of 1875 and 1874— First Monday in October. There are fifty years iu the history of Hillsdale in Avhicli the expenses for roads and bridges, including the compen- sation of the Road Commissioners, have not exceeded $9,000. There are seven recent years in which these ex- penses have exceeded $4,500. To guard against such ex- penses in the future, and avoid suspicion in respect to the integrity of the Commissioners, or the discretion of the Board of Town Auditors, the strict letter of the law should be complied with in the discharge of the duties of both Commissioners and Auditors. The account of the Commissioners should always specify the object for which the services were rendered. It should specify the days in filling road warrants and their distribution, and in meet- ing with Auditors, tfcc. He should specify particularly the money he had received from his predecessor or the Sup- ervisor by way of fines or commutations, and particularly where and for what it had been expended. If he should assess over 990 days labor upon the roads in the town of 9 66 HILLSDALE HISTORY. Hillsdale, he sliould report bis reasons for doing so, as that provided 25 days to the mile, to which the Overseers were empowered to add one-third. Upon his own voli- tion he should not be allowed over $250 in any one year for roads and bridges, as the law expressly forbids it, and $100 of that sum would supply ten weak road districts with ten days each of labor on the road, and $150 would supply plank, string pieces and spikes for a half dozen of the average bridges in the town. He should not be allowed for any labor of men and teams that could be rendered by those assessed upon the roads. The officers of the town are not authorized to allow money to be ex- pended upon roads and bridges in the town, except for a single bridge, under an act of 1875, and also an act of 1874, in which they are authorized to expend one half of one-per cent of the assessed value of the town for specific roads and bridges. But no action upon that subject can be taken after the first Monday in October in each year, so as to give time for an appeal to the Board of Super- visors by any one aggrieved by their action. Had all the foregoing laws , been complied with, it would have saved thousands of dollars to the people of Hillsdale in the past, and might save thousands of dollars to them in the future. CHAPTER XX. AN EABLY ACCOUNT OF HILLSDALE, FROM A GAZETTEER OP NEW YORK — CHURCHES AND PASTORS. Hillsdale Village —Harlfiiuville- Green River— ^North Hillsdale Baptist Church— First M. E. Church, Hillsdale Villaj^e -First Presbyterian Church— West Hillsdale M. E. Church -North Hillsdale M. E. Church — Harlemville M. E. Chl^rch -Christian Church at Green River. Hillsdale was formed from Claverack, as a district, March 26, 1782, recognized as a town, March 7, 1788, and a part of Austerlitz was taken off in 1818. The surface is broken by ranges of Jiills which extend in a north and south direction, and are separated by narrow valleys. Its waters are small, but they afford a good supply of mill sites ; they consist of Green River, which crosses the northeast corner, and several small streams which form the headwaters of Roeliff Jansen's and Claverack creeks. The soil consists of a gravelly loam and clay. The popu- lation of the town in 1880 was 1,939. Hillsdale Village on the south line, near the east cor- ner, is a station on the Harlem R. R. It is a smart little village of about 500 inhabitants and contains three hotels, two churches (Methodist and Presbyterian), about half a dozen stores of various kinds, several wagon shops and blacksmith shops, a grist mill, saw mill, two tin shops, harness shop, foundry of plows, where large numbers of Hillsdale iron beam plows are annually manufactured 68 HILLSDALE HISTORY. and sliij^ped to various parts of tlie country. This sta- tion is tlie most important one on the Harlem Kaih'oad, in the county south of Chatham. Harlemville, in the northwest corner, contains one hotel, three stores, a shoe shop, two wagon shops, three or four blacksmith shops, and one church (Methodist). Green River, in the northeast corner derives its name from the' river of the same name, on which it is located, and wliich rises in the town of Austerlitz, flows southeast and empties into the Housatonic River, in Connecticut. The stream, when the water is high, has a greenish ap- pearance, and from this fact and the green trees along its banks its name is derived. The stream is noted for th e abundance of trout it contains. The village contains one hotel, ono church (Christian), a shoe shop, blacksmith shop and saw mill. The town was settled at a very early day, the south part by immigrants from Massachusetts, and the north by Dutch settlers. Among the latter were fam- ilies by the name of Showerman, Blackman, Kinyon, Fregers, Evarts and Sliarts. A Mr. Foster was one of the first settlers near Hillsdale village ; and Cols. Wm. Tanner and Jared Winslow near Green River. The state surrendered its claims to the lands actually occupied, March 12, 1793. Unhappy disputes relative to titles to land in this town, long agitated the inhabitants, and sev- eral lives were lost in the controversy before it was final- ly settled by arbitration. The North Hillsdale Baptist Church was organized with 14 members. May 28, 1787, and with Rev. Stephen Gano, D. D., as its first pastor. The first house of wor- ship was erected in 1787 ; and the present one, which will seat 250 persons, in 1839, at a cost of about $6,000. The present number of members is 22. The last pastor was Rev. Mr. Bennett, of England, who served this church jointly with the Baptist church at North Egremont, but HILLSDALE HISTORY. G9 discontinued service here in 1881. This is the oldest church in the town, and the following are the names of the 14 constituent members at the date of its organiza- tion : James Martin, Caleb Woodward, Jr., Wm. West, Jr., Ambrose Latting, Griffin Wilde, Joanna Latting, Ruth Jordan, Phebe Martin, Esther Terry, Rosannah West, Lucy Loop, Anna Woodward, Sarah Martin and Anna Wilde. The First M. E. Church, of Hillsdale, was organized in 1808, with 30 members, by Rev. Wm. Swayze, and its first pastor was Rev. D. Ostrander. The first lunise of wor- ship was erected 1811, and the present one which will seat 400 persons, in 1874, which with an elegant parson- age cost $9,000. The present pastor is Rev. E. J. Belcher, and tLe membership one hundred and twenty. The First Presbyterian Church, located at Hillsdale village was organized August 16, 1831, by Rev. L. B. Van Dyck, who was its first pastor with 14 memljers. The first edifice was "accepted" by the Society, July 4, 1833 ; it was repaired in 1851, and will seat 250 persons. Its value with parsonage is $6,000. The present membership is 22, and Rev. L. M. Berger is its pastor. During the pastorate of Rev. L. B. Van Dj'ck, from its organization to July 25, 1834, 100 persons joined the church. The West Hillsdale M. E. Church was organized some 50 years since. The first and present edifice, which will seat 300 persons, was erected in 1853, at a cost of $2,500. The first pastor was Rev. Elbert Osburn ; the present one is Rev. N. H. Bangs. Its present member- ship is twenty-eight. The North Hillsdale M. E. Church erected their pres- ent house of worship, which will seat 225 persons, in 1837, at a cost of $5,000. Its present pastor is Rev. N. H. Bangs. The Harlemville M. E. Church erected their first house in 1820 ; and the present one, which will seat 250 9* 70 HILLSDALE HISTORY. persons, and the value of which is estimated at $3,000, in 1854. The present pastor is Eev. Adee Vail. The Christian Church, located at Green Eiver, was or- ganized in 1851, with 30 members, and Rev. Allen Hay- ward, as its first pastor. The house of worship was erec- ted the following year. It will seat 400 persons, and its estimated value is $2,000. The present pastor is Eev. Joel Gallup, and the membership about 20. CHAPTER XXI. HILLSDALE HISTORY AS PUBLISHED IN THE HISTORY OF COLUM- BIA COUNTY, 1878. Area of Hillsdale— Its Population — Surface — Principal Streams — Soil — Early Settlers— Town Officers — Hillsdale Village — Harlemville -Green River -Murray's Corner — North Hillsdale — Cemeteries— Churches and Pastors — Masonic Lodge — Biographical Sketches. This town, whicli is the sixth in size and the tenth in population, lies on the eastern border of the county ad- joining the State of Massachusetts, and is the central town of the east line. Its southern line is also the northern line of the old Livingston manor, as it was finally agreed upon between the patroons, Livingston and Van Rensselaer. Its area is 26,699 acres, of which 21,058 acres are returned as improved. Its pupulation in 1860 was 2552 ; in 1865, 2142 ; in 1870, 2083, and in 1875, 1879. Its greatest length is, from east to west, about seven and three-quar- ter miles and its width, from north to south, is six and one-third miles. It is centrally distant east from Hudson about twelve and one-half miles. The surface is generally hilly in its character. Along the eastern border of the town lies the Taghkanic range of mountains, its projecting spurs on the east extending to and beyond the Massachusetts line. At the foot of this range, a fertile valley, some two miles in width, runs nearly across the town. The northern part is made up of broken, irregular hills and narrow valleys. In the west a 72 HILLSDALE HISTOEY. pleasant little valley extends nearly lialf-way across the town, and along tlie southern line a vale of vary- ing width runs till it joins the lai'ger valley at Hillsdale village. The hills are generally rounded in form, and arable to their summits, though a few of them are rocky and of a precipitous character. The highest points of these hills afford many fine and some extensive views. The principal streams of the town are : Green river (a small stream that flows across the northeast corner of the town, derives its name from the peculiar transparent green tinge of its waters, and is noted for the number of trout that frequent it) ; the small brooks that flow across the east j^art of the town, and unite to form Roeloff Jansen's Kill ; the head-waters of Copake creek, flowing south in the western part of the town, and the rills that form the head-waters of Claverack creek that rise in the northwest part of the town. There are no natural lakes or ponds. The reservoir of the Mellenville manufactories, near the line of Claverack, covers several acres of ground, with a depth of some twenty feet of water. The town was originally a part of the Van Rensselaer patent, except the eastern part, which formed a portion of the lands claimed by both Massachusetts and New York. March 12, 1793, the State surrendered its claim to all lands actually occupied by settlers. This enabled some of the inhabitants to obtain titles to their farms, but others less fortunate were obliged to take leased lands, with all the odious features of ancient feudalism attached. The soil is composed of a variety of combinations of slate, gravel, clay, limestone, and loam, and is generally quite productive. The prevailing rocks are slate, shale, and quartz. Iron ore of excellent quality is found in the eastern part of the town, and in some parts the quartz- rock is found to contain gold, silver, and lead. A mineral paint of excellent quality is also found in the vicinity of one of the ore-beds. HILLSDALE HISTORY. 73 This town was settled at a very early day, probably before 1750 ; the south by immigrants from Massachusetts and Connecticut, and the northern part by Dutch settlers. Among them were families named Showerman, Blackman, Kinyon, Fregers, Everts, and Sliarts. Prominent among the early inhabitants we also mention Martin Krum, Elisha Hatch, James ShejDard, Jeremiah Shaw, William Orr, Isaac Spalding, Josliua Whitney, Archibald and Kobert Lamont, William White, Joseph Morehouse, Jared Winslow, Isaac Hatch, William Tanner, Nathaniel House, M. D., James Bryan, Gains Stebbins, Abel Brown, John Pixley, John and David Collin, Parla Foster, Refine Lat- ting, Quincy Johnson, Caleb Benton, M. D., Azariah Jud- son, John Higgins, William Higgins, Benjamin Birdsall, Ambrose L. Jordan, Abraham Overhiser, Henry Loop, Augustus Tremain, Isaac and Silas Downing, John P. Becker, Christopher W. Miller, HaiTy Truesdell,' Samuel Mallory, Oliver Teall, John Tremaine, Elisha Hatch, John Tyler, Charles McKinstry, John Wager, and families named Hill and Bartlett. It is almost if not quite impossible to learn anything definite about these early settlers. Some of the families have become extinct; some have removed ; some have re])- resentatives still in town ; and a few maintain the line of descent unbroken. Prominent among the early settlers were John and David Collin, brothers, and the children of John Collin, of Milford, Conn. Their grandfather, Paul Collin, married Judith Vallean, and was driven from France by the relig- ious persecutions of the early years of the eighteenth cen- tury. Their son John (1st) married Hannah Merwin. He was a sea captain, and was finally lost at sea in the year 1746. John ('2) settled in the western part of Hillsdale, on what is now known as the Higgins farm, where he lived for a few years, and then removed to the eastern part of the toAvn, on the farm now occupied by his grand- 74 HILLSDALE HISTORY. son, Hon. John F. Collin. David Collin occupied the place now owned by Rutsen Hunt. John was commis- sioned as gaptain by Governor Tryon, and afterwards held a similar commission from Governor George Clinton. He lost one son, Anthony, in the Revolution. He was taken prisoner by Sir Henry Clinton's troops, and died in cap- tivity in December, 1777, aged but seventeen years. David was a lieutenant in the Colonial army during the French war, and participated in an unsuccessful attack upon Fort Ticonderoga. While residing in Amenia, Dutchess coun- ty, during the Revolution, his house was attacked and plundered by a band of robbers, who treated his family with great rudeness and tortured him nearly to death. He died in Hillsdale in 1818, aged eighty-four years. John Collin (2d) was succeeded on the farm by his son John (3d), and he in turn by his son John Francis, who is the present proprietor. He has been a very sucessful busi- ness man, a man prominent in public life, and a man of great influence among his fellows. In 1833 he was elect- ed to the State Legislature, and in 1844 was elected mem- ber of Congress. In both of these positions as well as in all the many minor offices to which he has been called, he acquitted himself with honor and credit. To his kind- ness we are indebted for invaluable aid in gathering the materials for this work. His brother, Henry A. Collin, was prominent in town aftairs, and was five times elected supervisor of Hillsdale. In 1856 he removed to Mount Vernon, Iowa. Hon. John F. Collin has two sons living : John F. lives on the homestead, and Quincy J. is a Meth- odist Episcopal minister, now engaged in teaching in Cal- ifornia, and is also pastor of a Union church there. Quincy Johnson, a prominent early settles, was a son of William and Jane Johnson, of Bridgewater, Mass., grand- son of Benjamin and Ruth Johnson, of Hingham, Mass., and a great-grandson of Isaac and Abigail Johnson, of the same place. He was descended from either Isaac or Ed- HILLSDALE HISTORY. 75 ward Johnson, both of whom came to Massachusetts with Governor Winthrop in 1630, and were prominent men in the Massachusetts colony. He came to Hillsdale with his parents about the close of the last century, and be- came a prominent citizen of the town. He died in Hills- dale in April, 1878, aged nearly eighty-eight years. His eldest son, Wesley Johnson, spent several years in Africa, assisting in the work of establishing the Liberia colony. He went out as physician to the governor's family, and was subsequently called upon by unforeseen circumstances to himself discharge the duties of the gubernatorial office. He was once wounded while assisting in repelling an attack of the natives upon the colony. He devoted his time and money to the work of establishing a college there for the intellectual and moral elevation of the peo- ple, and by his strenuous exertions so weakened his sys- tem that he fell a victim to the malaria of the climate, and had a severe attack of fever. Recovering jjartially from it, he returned to his American home, hoping to re- cuperate and be enabled to complete his work in estab- lishing the college ; but he failed to realize the expected benefit and rapidly failed, and died in Hillsdale July 1, 1844, aged thirty-one years. He was universally respect- ed for his talents, scholarly attainments, enterprise, and amiability of character. Quincy Johnson still has two sons living in Hillsdale. They are William Leonard and John Quincy Johnson. Perhaps the most numerous family in the town are the Beckers. The first of the name in Hillsdale was Peter Becker, who married Mary Southard about 1780. Their son, John P. Becker, married Elizabeth Olum. Philip Becker, who now lives in Hillsdale, was one of the chil- dren of that union. Martin Krum, from Germany, settled in Hillsdale about 1745 ; the place was then called Nobletown. He bought eight hundred acres of the Rensselaer manor. The old 76 HILLSDAiE HISTORY. homestead was the place now occupied by Moses Becker, His sons were John, Martin, Jacob, Henry, Peter, Daniel, and David. David died in early life ; John settled in Co- lumbia county, but in after years moved to Schoharie ; Peter went to Ohio. The others remained in Columbia. His daughters were Mrs. Henry Blunt, of Chatham, Mrs. Fite Mesick, of Claverack, and Mrs. Peter Mull, of Chat- ham. The second husband of the last named was John Mesick. Judge Krum, of St. Louis, is a grandson of Martin, Sr., and son of Peter. The old homestead became several different farms. The house, built before the Revolution, remained in the family until 1835, the last owner being Martin H. Krum, a grandson, now of Fairville, Wayne Co. A son of the latter is Dr. Josephus Krum, of Seneca Falls, for a long time pastor of the Presbyterian church of that place. William Jordan was born in North Castle, Westchester Co., in 1751. He was a soldier in tlie Revolution and served through the war, participating in the battles of White Plains and Stillwater. He married Ruth Ferris, of Horse Neck (now Greenwich, Conn.), and came to Hills- dale soon after the close of the war, settling in the west part, on the farm now occupied by his grandson, Abram I. Jordan. He died in 1833. He was a farmer, and be- ing something of a military man, was familiarly known as "Major" Jordon. Of his children, John settled in Claverack, and in his old age removed to Palmyra, Wayne Co. N. Y., where he died. William settled near his fatlier in Hillsdale, and died there. Daniel and Benjamin removed to Palmyra, N. Y., and died there a few years since at an advanced age. Abram was educated as a physician, located in Claverack about 1815, and was a few years later married to Catharine Mesick, of that town. He was a skillful and successful physician, and enjoyed an extensive practice in HILLSDALE HISTORY. 77 1852. He was a man of irreproachable character and greatly beloved by the people, who eagerly sought his counsel and assistance even in his old age. He died in 1855, having nearly reached the threescore-and-ten years allotted to man. Of Ambrose L. a full biographical sketch will be found elsewhere. Allen was educated as a lawyer, and entered upon the practice of his profession at Hudson, where he at once took rank among the first and most promising of his colleagues. He was, however, driv- en by ill health to abandon the practice of the law, and removed to Plaiufiekl, 111., in 1848, where he still resides. Kebecca married x^dam Van Dusen, of Clifton Springs, N. Y., and removed to that place. She had a large family and one of her sons, Hon. Ambrose L. Van Dusen, has represented the first Assembly district of Ontario county in the Legislature. She died in September, 1877, aged ninety-six years. Lucy married James Phillips, of Clav- erack, and died 3^oung. William White, William Schutt, Parla Foster, Eli Rood, James Shepard, John Jones, and Henry Speed were sol- diers in the Revolutionary war. All except the first named were living in 1840, and were pensioners of the government. The earliest ministers were Abel Brown, Parla Foster, and Harry Truesdell. The first merchants were Gains Stebbins, at Murray's Corners, where he also kej^t an inn, and Elisha Hatch, at Green River. The first inns Avere kept by Gains Stebbins, at Murray's Corners, by Parla Foster, at Hillsdale, and by James Bryan, where Dr. H. Cornell now lives. The first saw-mills and grist-mills were built at a very early date, and their history is lost in oblivion. Among the earliest now known of were a grist-mill where Wheel- er's saw-mill now stands ; a saw and grist-mill where Philip Becker's saw and planing-mill now stands ; a saw and grist-mill about one and a half miles above the Becker 78 HILLSDALE HISTORY. mill, on the Roeloff Jansen's Kill ; and a mill near Har- lem ville, where the Richmond Mills now stand. "Spaf- ford's Gazetteer," published in 1813, says that there were then in the town (which included part of the present town of Austerlitz) "eleven grist-mills, ten saw-mills, four full- ing-mills, and four carding-machines." Among the first fulling-mills were three on the Roeloff Jansen's Kill, in the Collin neighborhood. One of the first carding-machines was near the site of the Baily mill, and another near the present Wheeler mill. Refine Latting was the first tanner and currier in towu. He lived a little west of the village, and also kept an inn. Jared Winslow, probably the first blacksmith, resided, and had a shop, at Green River. The first and only furnace in town was built by Philip Becker, about 1835. It is a small one, devoted to the making of plow castings and custom work. 'It is now owned by a Mr. Yosburgh. The first lawyer to settle in Hillsdale was Thomas K. Baker, who came about 1820. He remained a few years, and then removed to Western New York. Soon after him came Russell G. Dorr, who remained in the town till his death. Martin H. and Harriet Dorr, of this town, are two of his children. The first post-office was kept by Refine Latting, and was about a half-mile west of Hillsdale village. It was sup- plied with mail by means of the Hudson and Hartford stages. The earliest physicians were Nathaniel House and Caleb Benton. Another early and widely-known physician was Dr. Abraham Jordan, afterwards of Claverack. He was com- missioned a surgeon in Ten Broeck's brigade during the war of 1812—15. Previous to the settlement by the whites this section was much frequented by the Indians. One family lived HILLSDALE HISTORY. 79 here for many years after the whites came in. About 1810 the last remnants of the aborigines, in the persons of two of that race who were named Paul and Plioebe, re- moved to the western part of this state. There was an old trading-post near what is now called Murray's Cor- ners, and an old fort once stood near the old burying- ground near Levi Coon's residence. Three brothers named Overhiser emigrated from Germany to America about 1750. One of them, named Barnett, settled near Stam- ford, in Dutcliess county. His son Abraliam married Elizabeth Eighmey, and in 1810 removed with his family to Hillsdale. His children were named Eve, Phranaca, Caspar, George, Conrad, Elizabeth, Abram, Mary, and Barnett. Barnett succeeded his father on the homestead, which is now occupied by his son, Ambrose L. Overhiser. John H. Overhiser, of Hudson, is a son of George Over- hiser. This town was formed as a district March 26, 1782. It had previously been a j^art of Claverack. It was recog- nized as a town March 7, 1788. In 1818 a part of Auster- litz was taken off. Its name is supposed to have been derived from the peculiar conformation of the surface, which is a varied succession of hills and dales. From the orthography given the name in early times, "Hill's Dale," it seems quite possible that it might have been named in honor of some one named Hill, but the other is the generally ac- cepted origin of the title. From the fact that no records previous to 1847 can be found it is impossible to give any prominence to the early civil history, and the lists of officers are also very imper- fect because of it. The following is the most perfect list we have been able to get : TOWN OFFICERS. SITPEKVISOES. TOWN CLERKS. COLLECTORS. 178G-90. James Bryan. Kecords lost. Records lost. 80 HILLSDALE HISTORY. SUPERVISORS. 1791-99. C. McKinstry. 1800-8. Samuel Mallery. 1809-11. Ebenezer Soule. 1812. B. Williams. 1813-14. William Tanner. 1815-16. J. C. Olmstead. 1817. Edward Bagley, 1818-22. Jos. Morehouse. 1823-24. Wm. Jordan, Jr. 1825-27. Jos. Morehouse. 1828. Amos M Knapp. 1829-30. Jos. Morehouse. 1831-32. Henry Loop. 1833-34. Quiucy Johnson. 1835-36. Samuel Jndson. 1837-43. John F. Collin. 1844-45. A. A. Spickerman 1846. Joseph P. Dorr. 1847. 1848. 1849. 1850. 1851. 1852. 1853. 1854. 1855. 1856. 1857. 1858. 1859. 18G0. 1861. 1862. 1863. 1864. 1865. 1866. 18G7. 1868. 1869. 1870. 1871. 1872. TOWN OFFICERS, Records lost. COLLECTORS. Records lost. Henry A. Collin, John H. Overhiser. Henry A. Collin. William P. Stickle. Henry A. Collin. Ralph Judson. Jo.se ph P. Dorr. Thomas K. Baker. John T. Snyder, Edgar M. Knox. Charles Crow. George L. Palmer. Nicholas C. Tyler. Wm. P. Mattison. '• " Henry Cornell. Steijhen B. Barteau. William H. Jenks. " " George M. Foster. " William Foster. Austin Morey. A. Frank B. Chace. " " Theoph. Dimmick. John H. Overhiser. Henry Cornell. " " Martin H. Garner. P. B. Hollenbeck, Henry Cornell. Chas. H. Downing. Geo. M. Bullock. Dcwitt N. Rowe. Grosvenor A. Knox. Grosvenor A. Knox. Benson Simpson. Peter O. Becker, George W. Bushnell. Benson Simpson. Peter M. Becker. David Bushnell. Peter O. Becker. Lewis Haywood, Jr. Walter Dorchester. Albert G. Stillman. William Foster. Lorenzo Gilbert. Moses Jones. Cornelius G. Becker. Peter Humphrey. Stephen Sharts. Chas. W. Hageman. Alexander Snyder. Hiram Winslow. William Albert. Henry L. Becker, Porter A. Becker. Benj. Ostrander. Henry Duncan. William H. Woodin. Peter V. Snyder. HILLSDALE HISTORY. 81 SITPERVI.SOKS. TOWN CLERKS. COLLECTORS. 1873. 1874. Alfrod Curtis. John C. Hubbard. Pett^r M. Becker. James K. Gorsline. 1875. liiitsen Hunt. Freeland Pulver. John L. Duntz. 1876. John Q. Johnson. M. D. Van Tassel. Charles Clarson. 1877. 1878. Allen Sheldon. Levi Zeh. George W. Becker. Napoleon Benedict. The justices of the peace appointed in Hillsdale from the ort^anization of the town till the law authorizing their election by the people went into effect, in the fall of 1827, were as follows, the dates being the beginning of their first and last terms of continuous service : 1786-1801. Jacob Ford. 1813, Joel Pierce. 1786-98 and 1810-13. J. Bryan. Isaac Ford. 1786-1808. Benjamin Birdsall. Story Gott. 1792-1801 and 1808, D. Pratt. William Niles. 1795, Charles McKmstry. 1815-18, Henry Loo]). 1795-1808, Ebenezer Soule. 1815-24, Jared Winslow. 1801-8, Edward Bagley. 1815, David Leonard. Judah Lawrence, Timothy Reed. Bartholomew Williams. Joseph Roregatiou of the church of St. John, in the town of Ghent, was divided, and the part of it located in the vicinity of Harlemville formed a new societ}', under the name of "St. Immanuel's," and built a frame church, thirty by forty feet, costing $1852. This church was completed in 1873, and dedicated in the sum- mer, by Rev. Mr. Haeger, of Pittsfield, Mass. It stands near the fourth three corners, east from Harlemville, on the road to Green River. The society was incorporated June 10, 1871, at a meeting presided over by Jacob Gear- ing and Philip Steitz. The first trustees were Valentine Steitz, Carl Steurwald, and Jacob Christman. The pres- ent offir.ers are Philip Steitz, John Krick, Carl Steurwald, Conrad Usner, Valentine Steitz, and Werner Spengler. The ministers who have preached at this point are Revs. P. Seuel, Carl J. Renz, Fr. Leddin, U. Berne, and C. A. Stoepel, the present pastor, who has ministered to this people since 1876, The present membership is about twent3'-two, and the Sunday-school has a membership of about forty. HILLSDALE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. Owing to the fact that this church was one of the earl- iest of this denomination in the county its history pos- sesses an added interest, and indicates some of the trials, hardships, and stubborn opposition which marked the infancy of Methodism in America. Other denominations either were coldly indifferent or in open opposition, and the way seemed hedged about with impassible barriers HILLSDALE HISTORY. 93 and obstructions that could not be removed or overcome. But through all the church has passed successfully, and achieved a prominent rank among other denominations. The first meeting in this vicinity was held by Rev. William Swayze, in the house of Mr. Isaiah Esmond, a short distance south of Hillsdale village, in the present "\ town of Copake. This was in the year 1807. This first ^ meeting was followed by two others, at which Rev. D. Ostrander and Rev. W. Fradenburg preached, but seemed to produce no efiect upon the people, but a few of whom came to attend the service. From the published "Narrative" of William Swayze, which he prepared and published in 1839, we make the following extract, which gives his account of the subse- quent meetings which resulted in the formation of a church. He says :"I made a second trial, when the enemy arrayed in formidable phalanx around the house. We were suddenly attacked by a volley of stones dashing against the house. One of the company stood at the win- dow near me hallooing, repeating, 'You are a liar!' How- ever unpleasant at the time, I considered it as a favora- ble symptom. I therefore gave out another appointment, which was attended by a large, respectable congregation from the neighborhood of the Hudson turnpike. I named as a text, 'And the door was shut'. Matt, xxv, 10. All was deep attention. I closed, dismissed, and took my seat. Having no directions to leave an appointment for my colleague, and being rathsr at a loss to know my own duty, ha^'ing abundant work elsewhere, I sat a few min- utes thinking this matter over, when I discovered the congregation remained on their seats. I named to them my hesitancies, and concluded by saying I would come again if there was a prospect of doing good ; and I knew of no better way to test this matter than for such as felt desirous to seek religion to come forward and give me their names, and I would pray for them. A Colonel Peak- 12* 94 HILLSDALE HISTORY. sly's lady then came through the crowd, and said, 'Sir, will yoii take my name ?' She then addressed the con- gregation, and said, 'Come, my neighbors, it is high time we changed our manner of living ; not a professor among us, raising families without the fear of God. Let us set an example. You are only waiting one for another. Let us now set out together.' These statements were in a style of native eloquence which would seem self-sufficient to wake up the sympathy of angels, when her daughter and sister, with some eight or ten of her most respecta- ble neighbors, came forward and gave me their names. In conclusion I gave out another ajopointment. On my ar- rival I found six of the number happily converted. I re- mained with them, preaching every night, about ten days, and organized a class of thirty members." The lady here mentioned was Anna, wife of Colonel John Pixlcij, not Peaksley. From this extract we learn some of the circumstances surrounding the introduction of Methodism among the rough and somewhat lawless people who then inhabited this region. After the class was formed it continued to worship in private houses till the summer of 1811, when the first church was built, on lands donated by Parla Fos- ter. It was a frame building, unfinished on the inside, and siipplied with seats formed of slabs laid with their ends resting upon logs laid upon the floor. This church stood upon the hill back of and a little northwest of the present school-house. In this rude structure the voices of the pioneer itinerants resounded among the uncovered rafters, and woke the slumbering echoes, as well as the con- science of many a hardened sinner into activity and life. This continued until 1845, when the present church was built, under contract, at a cost of $3000, exclusive of the site and foundations. The site was donated by Seymour Foster. It has been repaired once at a moderate expense. In 1836, Parla Foster gave a lot on the corner of South HILLSDALE HISTORY. 95 and Cold Water streets as a site for a parsonage, and a commodious lionse was erected thereon, by the gift of the members of the church. In 1842 this house was burned, and another erected in its stead. This buikling remained in use until a year or two since, when the new one, ad- joining the church lot on the south, was built and pre- sented to the society by Miss Flavia Bristol, she taking in exchange the old parsonage. The cost of the new one Avas about $4000, and included the furnishing of the entire house. The })resent valuation of the entire church property is placed at $10,000. Among the prominent members in the first years of the church's existence may be mentioned Parla Foster, Phoebe Foster, Ruth Collin, Quincy Johnson, John Jones, Mrs. John Jones, Duncan Thompson, Mrs. Duncan Thompson, Mr. and Mrs. Eighmy. The great revival connected with the history of the chvirch occurred in 1882. It was sweeping in its nature, and reached every class of the community. About fifty were converted. The pastors of the church, as near as can now be as- certained, in the order of their service, were, commencing with the year 1832, Revs. Elbert Osborne, Richard Hay- ter, Edward S. Stout, S. L. Stillman, D. B. Ostrander, J. Carley, W. Lull, Richard Wyinond, Oliver V. Amerman, Thomas Edwards, Charles C. Keyes, Thomas Bainbridge, W. W. Brewer, John A. Sillick, David L. Marks, Lucius H. King, William Ostrander, Alexander H. Ferguson, Henry Cox, Marvin R. Lent, H. B. Mead, James N. Shaf- fer, Charles S. Brown, L. W. Wals worth, Oliver V. Amer- man, Henry H. Birkins, William S. Bouton, Abraham Davis, Alfred Coons, and W. E. Clark, the present pastor, who is now commencing the third year of his pastoral labors in connection with this church. Previous to 1832, the pulpit was supplied by the preachers on the Salisbury circuit, except the years 1830—31, when it was an apoint- 96 HILLSDALE HISTORY. ment on tlie Ghent circuit. The preachers from 1821 to 1831, inclusive, were Revs. Coles Carpenter, Lucius Bal- dwin, Timothy Benedict, Parmelee Chamberlain, David Miller, John Lovejoy, Samuel Eighmey, Phineus Cook, Billy Hibbard, Noah Bigelow, Q. Stewart, Arnold Schole- field, Elbert Osborn, and John Alley. The present membership is about one hundred and twenty. The officers are as follows, viz : Trustees, H. G. West- lake, Leonard Johnson, Owen Bixby, William Coon, Geo. Burton ; Stewards, H. G. Westlake, William Coon, Alan- son D. Apley, Winthrop Tipple, John Williams, Henry Loring, Frank Johnson, A. F. Park ; Exhorter, Philip Becker. There was a Sabbath-school established in 1828-29, with the following officers : Rev. Noah Bigelow, presi- dent ; Adonijali Bidwell, vice-president ; Harry Truesdell, secretary ; Parla Foster, treasurer ; and three managers. It is now in a flourishing condition, having a membership of one hundred scholars, and twenty-two officers and teachers. It has a fine library of choice and well-selected books, numbering about three hundred volumes. The present officers are Noyes Bristol, superintendent ; Wil- liam Coon, assistant superintendent ; Flavia Bristol, tem- porary superintendent; Frank Johnson, secretary ; George Johnson, treasurer : Alden Williams, librarian ; Thomas Miller, assistant librarian. NORTH HILLSDALE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. This class is supposed to have been formed about 1810 -11, though it is possible it may not have been earlier than 1815. It consisted of about ten members, among whom were Richard Bartlett, M. D., Abraham Overhiser, Aaron Shaw, Mr. Burtis, and Peggy Pierce. The firgt cJiurch building was erected in company with the Baptist society, and stood on the site of the Baptist church. In 1837 it was decided to erect a separate house HILLSDALE HISTORY. 97 of worship. The site was chosen near the North Hills- dale cemetery, and the present church building er'ected. It was dedicated late in the fall of 1838, Rev. Benjamin Griffin, presiding elder, preaching the discourse. The Avork was done by Philip Becker, and the cost was about $3500. In 1859 it was re|Daired and enlarged by the ad- dition of a porch and tower, at a cost of about $1500. The present valuation is $4000. The society was incor- porated under the general statute, Jan. 22, 1838, as the "Wesleyan Chapel of North Hillsdale." The first trus- tees were Nicholas C. Tyler, Barnett Overhiser, Allen Gildersleeve. Barnett Burtiss, and Levi Pierce. In 1859 the church passed through a wonderful period of refresh- ing, in the course of which upwards of eighty persons professed conversion, and the membership of the church was largely increased. The present membership is about fifty or sixty. The pastors since 1839 are known, but previous to that time cannot be ascertained. The following is as perfect a list as we have been able to obtain, viz : Bevs. Albert Nash, George Brown, William McK. Bangs, Charles C. Keys, Thomas Bainbridge, W. W. Brewer, John A. Sil- lick, David L. Marks, Lucius H. King, William Ostran- der, Alexander H. Ferguson, Henry Cox, John W. Jones, Marvin B. Lent, Josiah L. Dickerson, W. L. Winans, E. B. Shurter, Henry H. Birkins, W. J. Ives, David B. Tur- ner, Edward Ashton, Nathan Hubbell, J. H. Champion, William Hall, E. H. Boys, J. H. Lane, O. P. CrandalL The present officers of the church are Peter B. Hollen- l)eck, Jackson Palmer, John S. White, Henry W. Down- ing, David A. Nichols, Austin Morey, John S. Shutts, Allen B. Downing, Homer Traiford, trustees ; David A. Nichols, Austin Morey, Jackson Palmer, John S. White, Homer Trafford, stewards ; Homer Trafibrd, class-leader and clerk. For a number of years a Sabbath-school has been main- 98 HILLSDALE HISTORY. tained, with an averapje attendance of about twenty-five. The present officers are Homer Trafford, s^^perintendent ; John S. Shutts, assistant superintendent ; Frank Down- ing, secretary : Dorr Mitchell, librarian and treasurer. WEST METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF HILLSDALE. Previous to the organization of a class there was occa- sional preaching in the west part of the town by preachers from Hudson, Hillsdale, and other places. These early meetings were held at different places, among others at Knapp school-house and the residences of Augustus Reed and Thomas Haywood. The class was a small one, and was formed about 1835. It was an outgrowth of the church at Hillsdale village. Among the prominent members were Joseph Morehouse, Benjamin Snyder, William Higgins, John Higgins, Josiah Knapp, Titus Simpson, D. Higgins, Joseph D. Goodsell, and Andrew Higgins, who was the first class-leader, and held that office from 1835 till his death, in 1875. The church building was erected in the summer of 1854, and was finished in 1855. It is forty-two feet long by thirty feet wide, and the posts are twenty feet high. It was built by Robert L. Burdick, who received as his remuneration the sum of $1495. The bell cost about $260, and the furniture about $50. The total cost of the structure was nearly $2100. The site, consisting of one acre of land, was given by Milo and Amanda Bissell, and the lot was surveyed by Hezekiah Van Deusen, May 7, 1853. The deed bears date May 31, 1853. The society became incorporated April 3, 1855, and elected Jos. D, Goodsell, Moses Becker, Milo Bissell, trustees. Alauson D. Apley and Joseph D. Goodsell presided at the meeting, and Andrew Higgins acted as secretary. Rev. Daniel Wager, of Ghent, a local preacher, was one of the earliest preaciiers ; also Rev. Timothy Ben- edict. Since 1850 it has been supplied in connection with HILLSDALE HISTORY. 99 the Methodist Episcopal church in Hillsdale village until 1875, since which time it has been connected with the North Hillsdale church. The pastors since 1850 have been Revs. Lucius H. King, William Ostrander, Alexan- der H. Ferguson, Henry Cox, Marvin K. Lent, H. B. Mead, James N. Shaffer, Charles S. Brown, L. W. Wals- worth, Oliver V. Amerman, Henry H. Birkins, William S. Bouton, Abram Davis, Alfred Coons, E. H. Boys, J. H. Lane, O. P. Crandall. HAKLEMVILLE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. Previous to the year 1822 stated religious meetings were held in the vicinity of Harlemville in barns, school- houses, and private dwellings. About 1822 a class was formed, among whom we find were Zedick Knapp, Eben Mallery, Eben Soule, William Sawyer, Abraham Winn, Daniel Downing, David Downing, Elias Downing, John Richmond, Peleg Richmond, Perez Richmond, George Richmond, Harry Richmond, Martin Spencer, Martin Terr}^, and Thomas Palmer. The funeral of Presiding Elder Moriatty, who died very suddenly on Friday morning previous to an apjDointed quarterly meeting, was held in the barn of Daniel Down- ing, one of the oldest Methodists of this vicinity. In the year 1822 the first church was- built, on lands donated for the purpose by Stephen Richmond. It was built by Alexander Rowley, and stood about two miles east of Harlemville. It was a Union church, owned in part by the Baptists, and was called the "Downing Church." It was a frame building, thirty-six by forty feet, and cost about $1000. The dedication was held in the fall of 1822, the ceremonies being conducted by Rev. George Coles. The society became incorporated Jan. 4, 1854, at a meeting presided over by Aaron Hunt, Jr., and Josejoh Richards. The first board of trustees elected at that 100 HILLSDALE HISTORY. meeting consisted of Messrs. Ebenezer Goodseil, George W. Richmond, Philip Wiltsie, Joseph P. Downing, Riley S. Palmer, Ira Palmer, and William D. Mercer. Dnring the following summer a Methodist Episcopal church was built in Harlemville. It was thirty-two by forty-six feet, cost about $2500, and was dedicated in the fall of 1854, by Rev. Lucius H. King. The building com- mittee was Messrs. Fayette M. Blunt, Riley S. Palmer, William D. Mercer. Richard Simmons was the builder. This church is still in use by the society. From a diligent search of the records, and from the recollection of members of the society, we are able to give the following list of ministers who have acted as pastors of this church. They were Revs. Lewis McK. Pease, D. Starks, Arnold Scholefield, Phineas Rice, Griffin, Edward S. Stout, Adee Yail, George C. Bancroft, John Campbell, Deuton Keeler, John Davies, David Hervy, Jr., Aaron Hunt, Jr., David Lyman, James Y. Bates, De Loss. Lull, Amos N. Mulnix, Oscar Haviland, Edward Asliton, D. Gibson, J. O. Kern, J. H. Lane, and E. B. Pierce. At the old "Downing church" Elders Abel Brown and Leland, ministers of the Baptist denomination, fre- quently preached. The latter was quite eccentric in his ways. It is told of him that he once, when over eighty years of age, prefaced his sermon by quoting the familiar lines, — "You'll scarce expect one of my age To speak in public on the stage," etc. David Wager, of Ghent, and three men of the name of Soules, were local preachers, and often officiated at the meetings. A very extensive revival occurred under the preaching of Rev. Elbert Osborn in 1831 or 1832, and another in 1845, under the ministry of Rev. Adee Vail. The present number of communicants is eighty, and the following are the present officers, viz : George W. Downing, Davis Dis- HILLSDALE HISTORY. 101 brow, Jacob Hess, Norman Becker, Isaac Coons, Wesley Hogeboom, Madison Downing, trustees ; Joseph P. Dow- ning, Isaac Coons, William Washburn, stewards ; Joseph P. Downing, class-leader. The Sabbath-school was or- ganized in 1823 or 1824, with Abraham Winn as super- intendent. The present officers are James R. New, superintendent; Mrs. F. A. Mercer, assistant superintendent : T. Dean, secretary ; Norman Becker, treasurer ; Wesley Hogeboom, librarian ; William Gardiner, chorister ; Samuel Downing, Mrs. F. A. Mercer, Sunday-school committee ; J. P. Down- ing, D. Vincent, C. Vincent, Sarah Krum, Mrs. Norman Becker, Mrs. William Washburn, Mrs. Davis Disbrow, Mrs. I. Downing, teachers. The present membership of scholars is one hundred. HILLSDALE LODGE, NO. 612 F. AND A. M. The first Masonic society in Hillsdale antedates the century, though the exact date of its organization is not now known. It was called Mount Vernon Lodge, and flourished until the anti-Mason excitement swept over the country, when it was wrecked by that storm. Prominent among its members were John B. Sharts, Samuel Judson, Artemus Johnson, John Collin, Joel Blackman, David Persons, Thaddeus Eeed, John Pixley, and James Bryan. Several years afterward another lodge was instituted, known as Friendship Lodge, No. 125. It was chartered with seven members, and the first officers were David G. Woodin, Master; Samuel Judson, S. W.; Jefferson B. Bingham, J. W. ; James W. White, Sec. ; Alfred G. Bid- well, Treas. ; Philijj Becker, S. D. ; John P. Sharts, J. D. Henry A. Collin was the first initiate, and among the other prominent members were Richard H. Bartlett, Allen Sweet, John Miller, and Frelin Van Deusen. The Mas- ters were Philip Becker, Henry A. Collin, William Elton. The lodge met in Hillsdale for some time, and flour- 13* 102 HILLSDALE HISTORY. islied to a marked degree ; tlien the place of meeting was changed to Copake for two or three years, and returning again to Hillsdale, it flourished for a time, and in 1858 surrendered its charter. The present lodge was instituted in 1867, but had been working under a dispensation for some months previous. The first officers were Philip Becker, M. ; David C. Baird, S. W. ; Martin J. Wagner, J; W. ; Eliphalet Dimmick, Sec. ; John B. Sharts, Treas. ; Samuel Judson, S. D. ; Wal- ter Shaver, J. D. The Masters who have passed the chair are Philip Becker, Philip Becker, Jr., George M. Bullock, and Char- les M. Bell. The present officers are Piatt Rogers, M. ; Theodore P. Melius, S. W. ; Gilbert A. Deane, J. W. ; Grosveuor A. Knox, Tres. ; Jacob L. Spade, Sec. ; George M. Bullock, 8. D. ; Latting Bixby, J. D. ; David Brusie, S. M. C; William Atkinson, J. M. C. ; William Coons, Chap. ; Ezra J. Beardsley, Tyler ; H. G. Westlake, P. Van Deusen, Charles M. Bell, Trustees. The lodge has fitted up the hall at an expense of sev- eral hundred dollars, meets regularly twice each month, and is in a pros[)erous condition, with a membership of ninty-six. The places of historic interest in Hillsdale are not nu- merous. The southwestern part of the town was in early times called "Nobletown," and apparently received its name from one Robert Noble, who was a leader of the anti-renters during the troubles in the middle of the last century. Where he lived cannot now be ascertained. There was a gore of land in the south part of the town which was in dispute between Van Rensselaer and Liv- ingston, but a line was finely agreed upon between them. In 1791, Sheriff Hogeboom, while on his return from serving some processes in this section, was assailed by a band of disguised men, and was killed by a musket ball. The scene of this tradedy was near the town line of Clav- HILLSDALE HISTORY. 103 erack, in the Jordan neighborhood. The snrrounding hills here hnddlo together and open out into a broad vale looking to the westward and extending for some miles into the town of Claverack. No one was convicted of the crime, but one Jonathan Arnold suspected, fled, was ar- rested, tried, and acquitted. On the trial it was proven that he had loaded his gun with a ball, while the others were loaded with blank cartridges. During the War of 1812 a large number of men were drafted or enlisted from this town, but no record of their names has been preserved. BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. HON. JOHN F. COLLIN, the subject of this biographical notice, was born in Hills- dale, Columbia Co., in a house which stood on the site of his present residence, on the 30th of April, 1802. Paul Collin, a French Huguenot, married Judith Vallean, and emigrated from France, settling at Narraganset, Rhode Island, in 1686. He was the original ancestor of the Col- lin family in this countr}'. He had a son, John, born in Rhode Island, who, about 1730, was employed by John Merwin of Milford Conn., to command a vessel called the "Swan," engaged in the West India trade. Subseqently, while in command of that vessel, he married Hannah, daughter of John Merwin, the proprietor. He was lost, with his vessel, at sea in 1746, leaving two sons, John and David Collin, the former the grandfather of the subject of this biography. He married Sarah Arnold, and settled in Dutchess Co., N. Y., whence he subsequently removed to Hillsdale, Columbia Co. His oldest son, Antony Col- lin, was made a prisoner in the War of the Revolution, and died on board the prison-ship at !New York, in 1777. John Collin died in 1809, leaving a sou, John, and daugh- 104 HILLSDALE HISTORY. ter, Hannah, the former being the father of John Francis Collin. He (John Collin) was born in Amenia, Dutchess Co., Sept. 16, 1772, and died in Hillsdale, in December, 1833. He married Ruth Holm an Johnson, Oct. 23, 1798, was by occupation a farmer, and reared a a family of seven children, who survived him. John Francis, the second son, was reared on the home- stead, and bred to the occupation of his father. Being of a studious turn of mind, he pursued his education chiefly at home, adding to the advantages of the common schools a thorough course of self-culture, embracing the branches usually taught in academies. He has followed the habits of study thus early begun all his life, and has a firm con- viction of the truth of the adage that a man is never too old to learn something useful. He is well informed in classical and general literature, and has an accurate knowledge of history, especially that relating to his own country. In politics he has always been a Democrat, and has been called to fill several important positions of responsi- bility and trust in his town and county. Besides holding many of the minor town offices, he was a member of the board of supervisors for many years, a member of the Legislature in 1834, and a representative in the Twenty- ninth Congress, from 1845 to 1847. In local affairs his life has been an active one, being employed in many cases as an arbitrator and in the set- tlement of many estates, his sound judgment and practi- cal knowledge eminently qualifying him for such duties. He is a man of more than ordinary intellectual capacity, strict integrity and uprightness of character, and is liberal in the distribution of his means for the promotion of all worthy objects. In 1827 he was married to Miss Pamelia Jane Tullar, of Egremont, Mass., by whom he had four children, all of whom are living. She died in 1870. In 1871 he married HILLSDALE HISTOBY. 105 for liis second wife Miss Jane Becker, of Hillsdale, and by this marriage lias one child, Frank B. Collin. His eldest son, John F. Collin, is a farmer, residing with his father. Quincy J. Collin is a clergyman, residing at Santa Clara, Cal. The elder daughter, Pamelia Lorania, married Rev. John Bradin, who resides in Nashville, Tenn. Frances Amelia married Sylvester Barbour, Esq., an attorney-at- law, residing in Hartford, Conn. ELISHA W. BUSHNELL was born in the town of Hillsdale, Columbia Co., N. Y., Dec. 27, 1818. His grandfather, George Buslmell, was born in Saybrook, Conn., Avhence he emigrated to Hills- dale at the age of eighteen, and settled on the adjoining farm west of the present Buslmell homestead. He had six children, among whom was John Buslmell, the second son, who was the father of Elisha W. Buslmell, whose name stands at the head of this article. John Buslmell was born on the farm where his father first settled, Sept. 26, 1789 ; married Sept. 1810, to Loxea Lay, of Westbrook, Conn. ; was a farmer by occupation, a man of energy and enterprise, and highly esteemed for his excellent character. He had ten children, all of whom reached maturity, and six of whom are now living. Elish W. is the fifth child of John Buslmell. He was brought up on the farm, and educated in his boyhood at the common schools. In the fall of 1839 he settled on the place he now occupies, afterwards purchasing the in- terest of his brother George. On the 18th of September, 1840, he was married to Emma, daughter of Dr. Benjamin House, of Hillsdale. Originally a Whig in politics, he became a Republican on the formation of the latter party. In 1854 he was elected to the Legislature, and served the succeeding term with credit. 106 HILLSDALE HISTORY. Mr. Biislinell has been a tliorougligoing and enterpris- ing farmer. He lias not only surrounded himself and family with the conveniences and comforts of a most de- sirable home, but has acquired a competence of this world's goods, and has been liberal in the use of his means for the higher aims and objects of life. Mr. and Mrs. Bushnell have had five children, only two of whom are living, viz. : Sarah E., wife of Mr. A. F. Park, of Otsego county, farmer, now residing in Hillsdale ; and George V. Bushnell, a graduate of Yale College in 1874, and since then engaged chiefly in teaching as an occupa- tion, Mr. Bushnell has been an active member of the Colum- bia County Agricultural Society since 1842, and held the office of president of the same from 1850 to 1855. CHAPTER XXII. RESIDENTS OF HILLSDALE, FROM LAWRENCE & CO.'s COUNTY DIRECTORY, 1880-81. List of Residents of Hillsdale, as published in the Colnmbin, County Directory of 1880-81, giving their occupation and Post Office Address. Hillsdale was formed from Claverack as a district March 26, 1782 ; recognized as a town March 7, 1788, and a part of Austerlitz was taken off in 1818. The surface is broken by ranges of high hills extending in a northerly and southerly direction and separated by narrow valleys. Green River crosses the north-east (;orner, and several small streams, which form the headwaters of Roeliff Jan- sen's and Claverack Creeks, take their rise in the town. The soil is a gravelly loam and clay. The town was set- tled at a very early day, the southerly part by immigrants from Massachusetts and the northerly by Dutch settlers. The first church (Baptist) was organized June 23, 1787, and Rev. Stephen Gano, D. D., was the first pastor. There are three Post Offices in the town, viz. : Hillsdale, Harlemville, and Green River. Names. Occupation. Post Office Address, Acker Gertrude, Hillsdale. Adams Asher J. farmer, " Adams Wm. J. " " Albert John M. mason, " Albert Michael, carpenter, " 108 HILLSDALE HISTORY. Namea. Albert Philip, Albert William, Allen Jolin W. Allen Lyman Allen Peter, Ames Louis M. Andrews Alouzo D. Andrews Francis E. Andrews William, Asliley Mrs. Elizabeth, Atkins William, Babcock Richard, Bagley Erastus, Bailey Samuel, Bain Isaac F. Bain Smith, Barrett Richard, Barrow Thomas. Bartlett Charles, Bartlett Mrs. E. C. wid. Bartlett Jackson, Bartlett John M. Bartlett Richard, Beard William, Becker Aaron S. Becker Albert M. Becker Allen J. Becker Augustus C. Becker Byron, Becker Charles, Becker Charles, Becker Charles F. Becker Geo, L Becker George W. Becker Henry L. Occupation. farmer Post OiBce Address. Hillsdale wid. moulder, carpenter, Green River farmer, Hillsdale (( « « « baggage-master, (( laborer, (( farmer. « « (( it engineer. (( R. R. agent, (( engineer, (( farmer, (1 t( (( laborer. (t farmer « <( « carpenter. (( (( (( farmer, « laborer. « farmer, (( HILLSDALE HISTORY. 109 Names. Occupation. Post Office Address, Becker John A. farmer, Hillsdale. Becker Merviu, (( (( Becker Moses, (( (( Becker Norman, « <( Becker Norton R. « (( Becker Peter J. laborer, (( Becker Peter M. farmer. (( Becker Peter 0. (< (( Becker Philip, Becker Philip, Jr. Becker Richard H. painter, carpenter. Becker Silas, farmer. (< Becker Stephen 0. Becker William H. Bell Charles M. att'y at law. (( Benedict Napoleon T. farmer, (( Best Andrew J. (( << Best Edgar, (( (( Best Henry, Best Henry B. Best Henry J. Best Ruggles, (4 <( Best Samuel, (( (( Best Sylvester, Bevins James, laborer « Bille Alexander, (( (( Bille Amos, (1 Birdsall James, « (< Bixby Latting, Bixby Owen. farmer, « (( (< Blackman Charles, (( (( Blackman Joel, (( « Blinn Mrs. Malinda, wid, « Boice Herman, ^David Lonson, born January 20th, 1809. ^o^ x's -> t^, Stephen C, born August 4th, 1811. Lovina, born May 8th, 1813. Elizabeth, born December 3d, 1815. Julianne, born May 22d, 1817. Catharine, born August 18th, 1820. Margaret Caroline, born October 28th, 1822. Almira, born 1825. Margaret Caroline Becker, daughter of John Pond and Elizabeth Clum Becker, born October 28th, 1822, and married Edward Duncan, March 8th, 1852, by whom she had two children : Carrie Margaret, born June 6th, 1856. Edward Jennings, born February 22d, 1854 ; died After the decease of Edward Duncan, on the 10th of October, 1862, she married Orrin M. Sawyer, of Auster- litz, September 4th, 1864. Philip Becker, son of John P. and Elizabeth Clum Becker, born June 22d, 1805, and married Elizabeth De 36 HILLSDALE HISTORY. Groff, July 22d, 1827. He died in 1882. Their children are : Henry L., born July 15th 1828. James M., born June 29th, 1831. Luman F., born December 20th, 1833 ; died Decem- ber 24th, 1866. Jane, born April 16th, 1836. Julia, born October 12th, 1837. I Emma H., born September 28th, 1840. _^Philip, born December 19th, 1843. y^ Charlie, born April 28th, 1846. Hiram H„ born May 10th, 1848. Mary, born December 20th, 1850 ; died September 6th, 1852. Henry L. Becker, son of Philip and Elizabeth DeGrotf Becker, born July 15th, 1828, and married Jane A. Car- skaden, November 17th, 1851. Their children were : Eugene, born March 22d, 1854 ; died August 22d, ' 1856. Altanah, born August 23d, 1852 ; died February 3d, 1863. James M. Becker, son of Philip and Elizabeth DeGroff Becker, born December 20th, 1833, and married Maria A. Clark, December 1st, 1861. Their children are : James, born February 11th, 1864. Charlie, born March, 1866. Lilly, born April 15th, 1870. Julia Becker, daughter of Piiilipaud Elizabeth DeGroff Becker, born October 12th, 1837, and married Andrew J. Kittell, of Hudson, April 28th, 1859 ; died July 9th, 1861. Their infant child died a few weeks after. Jane Becker, daughter of Philip and Elizabeth DeGroff BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 37 Becker, born April 16tli, 1836, and married John F. Col- lin, son of John and Ruth Holman Johnson Collin, Jan- uary 16th, 1871. She has one son, Frank B., born Octo- ber 8th, 1872. Philip Becker, son of Philip and Elizabeth DeGroff Becker, born December 19th, 1843, and married Cynthia ^ Augusta Truesdell, July 15th, 1866. Their children are : Julia Elizabeth, born April 26th, 1867. Gordon, born September 9th, 1868. Ralph Marion, born October 12th, 1880. David Lonson Becker, son of John P. and Elizabeth Clum Becker, born January 20tli, 1809, and married Sarah Truesdell, daughter of Samuel Truesdell. After her de- cease, he married Ruth A. Tyler, daughter of John Tyler. After her decease, he married Mary Osborn, daughter of Melvin Osborn. He has been dead several years. By his wife Sarah, he had two children, Alfred and Sarah. Bj' his wife Ruth, he had two children, Franklin and Lonson. By his wife Mary, he had one child, Lizzie. Stephen C. Becker, sou of John P. and Elizabeth Clum Becker, born August 4th, 1811, and married Eunice Krum. Their children were : Porter A., John, Mary A., Ellen, Alice, and Lonson J. The last two are dead. LoviNA Becker, daughter of John P. and Elizabeth Clum Becker, born May 8th, 1813, and married Orville McAlpin, son of John McAlpin, January 1st, 1851. She has been dead several years. Their children were : Mary C, born November 25th, 1851 ; died September 15th, 1855. Lucy, born September 3d, 1857. Elizabeth Becker, daughter of John P. and Elizabeth 23* 38 HILLSDALE HISTORY. Clum Becker, born December od, 1815, and married Syl- vanus Smith, and resides in Penn Yan, Yates county, N. Y. JuLiANNE Becker, daughter of John P. and Elizabeth Clum Becker, born May 22d, 1817, and married Samuel Voak, by whom she has one son, Arthur. He now resides in Waukegan, Lake county, Illinois. She died some years since. Catharine Becker, daughter of John P. and Elizabeth Clum Becker, born August IStli, 1820, and married Peter J. Becker, son of Joseph and Betsy Smith Becker, Nov- ember 14th, 1810. Their children were : George W., Gains T., Francis E., Lucy and Charles W. ; the last two of whom have died. She died in 1881. Polly Becker, daughter of John P. and Elizabeth Clum Becker, born April 9tli, 1807, and married Gains Trues- dell, son of Samuel Truesdell, of Hillsdale. Their chil- dren were : John, Ruth, Stephen, Elizabeth, Juliette. Edward Wells Blackington, of Adams, Mass., married Camille Eugenia Van Dusen, daughter of Freeman and Lucretia Tullar Van Dusen, October 1st, 1862, by whom he has had two children. Isaac J. Bigelow was born in Leominster, Worcester county, Mass., February 24tli, 1809, and graduated at the medical college at Cincinnati, Ohio, and married Hannah Matthew, widow of Zelotes Matthew, and sister of the Rev. Leonidas Lent Hamlin, December 1st, 1838. John Braden, born August 18th, 1826, and married Pamelia Laurania Collin, daughter ol John Francis and Pamelia Jane Tullar Collin, October 16, 1856. Their children were : Mary Eliza, born August 11th, 1858. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 89 Francis Collin, born February 20tli, 1860 : died July 20tli, 1860. Fannie, born June 23d, 1866 ; died Sej)tember 18th, 1866. He graduated at the university in Delaware, Ohio, then under the presidency of Edward Thompson, who subse- quently became a liishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Having obtained a license to preach in the Methodist Episcopal Church, he joined the Cincinnati Conference, in which he labored for some years. He is now a member of the Tennessee Conference, is residing in Nashville, and is president of the Central Tennessee College. James Bradish, born 1675, died 1763. His wife was born 1688, died 1769. They had one son, John, born 1719, who married Mary Green, who was l)orn 1720 ; died 1784; and he died 1781. They had eight children : Sarah, born 1744, and married Mr. Nye. Hannah, born 1748. John, born 1750. James, born 1752 ; married Jane Townsend. Mary, born 1754 ; married Mr. Green, of Hardwick, Mass. Dinah, born 1757. Eutli, born 1760, and married Mr. Palmer. Joseph, born 1762. John Bradish, son of John and Mary Green Bradish, born 1750, and married Hannah Warner, of Hardwick, Massachusetts, who was born 1752 ; died 1828, in Pal- myra, N. Y. He was a colonel in the militia, and held important offices in church and state, and died 1825, in Palmyra, N. Y. Their children were : Calvin, born in Hardwick, 1773 ; died in Michigan. 40 HILLSDALE HISTORY. Chloe, boru iu Hardwick, 1775. Charles, born in Hardwick, 1778. Sarali, born in Cummington, Mass., 1781. Luther, born in Cummington, 1783. Calvin, 2d, born in Cummington. Chloe Bradish, daughter of John and Hannah Warner Bradish, born in Hardwick, Mass., 1775, and married to Gain Robinson, son of James and Jerusha Bartlet Robin- son, of Cummington, Mass., 1796- She died in Stock- bridge, Mass., 1866. Her children were : Amanda, Wil- liam Cullen, Cains Cassius, Abigail Blackman, Clark, Erasmus Darwin, Charles Rollin, Chloe, Helleu Elizabeth, and Margaret Sopliia. Sarah Bradish, daughter of John and Hannah Warner Bradish, born in Cummington, 1781, and married Bartlet Robinson ; died 1853. Charles Bradish, son o± John and Hannah Warner Bradish, born in Hardwick, Mass., 1778, and died in Mad- ison, Michigan, 1857. He married Bethia Robinson, daughter of James and Jerusha Bartlet Robinson, 1804, and moved from Cummington, Mass., to Palmyra, N. Y., iu 1807. He was one of the New York electors at the election of President Harrison. His children were : Alex- ander H, William F., Setli W., Bartlet R., Lucretia E., and Philander. Luther Bradish, son of John and Hannah Warner Bradish, boru in Cummington, Mass., 1783 ; died in New York, 1863. He was elected Lieut.-Governor of the State of New York in November. 1838. With a splendid per- son and high moral character, he possessed superior tal- ents. RowENA Bradish, daughter of John and Hannah War- ner Bradish, born 1786, and married John Comstock, BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 41 1801, and settled in the town of Rasin, Micliigan. Her husband died, 1851. She had ten children : Worrener M., Walter E., Francis A., Hannah W., Luther B., Calvin B., Mary S., Charles B., Lauriston A., and Addis E. Cal^^n Bhadish, son of John and Hannah Warner Brad- ish, born in Curumington, Mass., and married Nancy Post, of Long Island, N. Y., and had twelve children : Martha M., Curran, Nelson, Sarah, Luther, Calvin, John W., Hannah W., Augustus W., Amanda G., Myron H., and Norman F. He settled in Lenox county, Michigan, and bought a large tract of land, which he divided among his children. He died in 1854. His wife died in 1839. Maetha M. Bradish, daughter of Calvin and Nancy Post Bradish, born in Michigan, and married Norman B. Carter, and settled in Black Creek, Michigan. They had four children : Bussell C, Amanda D., Francis N., and Nancy B. CuERAN Bradisp, SOU of Calvin and Nancy Post Bradish, born in Michigan, and married Boby Cumstock, and set- tled in Adrian, Michigan. Their children are : Hellen E., Thomas A., and Darius C. Nelson Bradish, son of Calvin and Nancy Post Bradish, born in Michigan, and married Phebe Wilson, 1828, and settled in Adrian, Michigan. Their children are : Myron W., William C, Ann E., Warren C, Lousia, and Mary C. Sarah Bradish, daughter of Calvin and Nancy Post Bradish, born in Michigan, and married Paul Jagger, 1827, and settled in East PaJmj'ra, N. Y. Their children are : Luther B., Lucy A., and Charles E. Luther Bradish, son of Calvin and Nancy Post Brad- ish, born in Michigan, and married Rachael Moon, June, 1846. 42 HILLSDALE HISTORY. Calvin Beadish, son of Calvin and NancvPost Bradisli, born in Micliigan, and married Mary Ann Jennings, 1838, and settled in Lenawee county, Michigan. Their children are : Horace C, Orrin H., and Chloe C. John W. Bkadish, son of Calvin and Nancy Post Brad- isli, born in Michigan, and married Lydia A. Jeroleman, 1840, and settled in Lenawee county, Michigan. Their children are : Elizabeth F., Mary A., Sarah J., and Martha M. Hannah W. Bradish, daughter of Calvin and Nancy Post Bradish, born in Michigan. Augustus W. Bradish, son of Calvin and Nancy Post Bradish, born in Michigan, and married Eliza M. Apple- by, 1847, and settled in Lenawee county, Michigan. Their children are : Clarence M., Herbert H. and others. Amanda (t. Bradish, daughter of Calvin and Nancy Post Bradisli. born in Michigan, and married Melvin T. Nickerman, 1844, and settled in Adrian, Michigan. Their children are : Calvin B., Norman F. Therese E., and Francis A. Myron H. Bradish, son of Calvin and Nancy Post Brad- ish, born in Michigan, and drowned in the ninth year of his age. Norman F. Bradish, son of Calvin and Nancy Post Bradish, born in Michigan, and married Caroline M. Ca- tou in 1845, and settled in Lenawee county, Michigan. Their children are : Mintlia A., Hellen A., and Nor- man E. Alexander H. Bradish, son of Calvin and Nancy Post Bradish, born in Michigan, and died, in early childhood. William F. Bradish, son of Charles and Bethia Eobin- son Bradisli, born in Palmyra, N. Y., and married Kachael BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 43 F. Warren in 1834, and settled in Medina, Michigan, in 1853. His wife died in 1862, and be married Ferris De Forrest. His children are : Emma J., Chloe E., Clark R., and James Q.: the last of whom perished by the blow- ing up of a steamer on the Mississippi river while serv- ing as a soldier in the late civil war. Charles H. Bradish, son of Charles and Betliia Rob- inson Bradish, born in Palmyra, N. Y., and married Amy Ann Aldrich in 1849, and in 1853, moved to Lenawee county, Michigan. His children are : Zimrhoda J., and Alexander H. Seth W. Bradish, son of Charles and Bethia Bradish, born in Palmyra, N. Y. ; died in Michigan in 1837. Bartlet R. Bradish, son of Charles and Bethia Robin- son Bradish, born in Palmyra, N. Y., and married Cora M. Philips, in 1857 ; died in Adrian, Michigan, in 1863. LucRETiA E. Bradish, daughter of Charles and Bethia Robinson Bradish, born in Palmyra, N. Y., where she now resides, bhe has given some valuable assistance in this compilation. Philander P. Bradish, son of Charles and Bethia Rob- inson Bradish, born in Palmyra, N. Y,, and married Maria T. Bradley, of Lyons, in 1848, and settled in Batavia, N. Y. Their children are : John H., Edward F., William B., and Francis. Elijah Burton, born in Dutchess county, N. Y., July 31st, 1769, and married Lucy Collin, daughter of David and Esther Gillett Collin, January 3d, 1796. Their chil- dren were : Collin, born December 29th, 1797. ^ Ely, born October 30th, 1799 ; died February 23d, 1860. 4A HILLSDALE HISTORY. Belinda, born July 23d, 1801 ; died August 20tli 1864 Lucinda, born December 1st, 1802 ; died January 21st, 1863. Harriet, born January 28tli, 1805. Henry, b.)rn March 18tli, 1807. Miranda, born April lOtli, 1809. Benson, born July 17tli, 1811 ; died August 25tli 1862, David, born August 23d, 1813 ; died October 14tli, 1813. George Trafford, born August lOtli, 1814. Julia A., born June 21st, 1817. Elijah Burton, died February 7th, 1856. Harriet Burton, daughter of Elijah and Lucy Collin Burton, born in Hillsdale, N. Y., January 28tli, 1805, and married to Joshua Dakin, of Dutchess county. Their children are : Jane, Ambrose L., Jennett, Mariett, Ches- ter E. Henry Burton, son of Elijah and Lucy Collin Burton, born in Hillsdale, March 18th, 1807, and married Eliza Doan, October 29th, 1834. Their children are : Sterling, born October 20th, 1836. Lucy, born November 30th, 1838 ; died August 3d, 1857. Henry Collin, bom July 11th, 1843 ; died August 24th, 1848. Henry Burton has been dead several years. Sterling Burton, son of Henry and Eliza Doan Burton, born in Hillsdale, October 20th, 1836, and married Mar- tha L. Whiting, July 13th, 1864. Their children are : Henry Collin, born August 22d, 1865. Charles Whiting, born January 29th, 1868 ; died Feb- ruary 1st, 1868. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 45 Miranda Burton, daughter of Elijah and Lucy Collin Burton, l)orn A|n-il lOtli, 1809, and married George W. Bnshnell, son of William Bushnell, of Hillsdale. Their children are: Mary Jane ; Josephine, died - ; William Henry. (tEOKgj-; Ti;AFi'oi;i> lUiii'o.s, sou nf l^lijali aud Jjucy Col- lin Burton, born August 10th, 1814, and nnirried Maria Everts, of Hillsdale. They have had one daughter, Urvilla. John Bushnell, son of George Bushnell, born in Hills- dale, September 2()th, 1789, and married to Loxey Lay, of Saybrook, Conn., September 20th, 1810 ; died June 30th, 1842. Their children were : Julia Ann, born September 18th, 1811. Cliloe, born January 1st, 1813. Caroline, born October 21st, 1814. George, born July 10th, 1816. Elisha W., born December 27th, 1818. John and Loxy, twins, born January 5th, 1821. Lay, born February 28th, 1826. Abby, born April 17th, 1828, Ely, born April 3d, 1830. Julia Ann Bushnell, daughter of John and Loxey Lay Bushnell, born in Hillsdale, September 28th, 1811, and married to Solomon B. Collin, son of David and Lucy Bingham Collin, October 13th, 1835 ; died December 6th, 1865. Their children are : Martha, born December 5th, 1836. James Lee, born July 1st, 1838. John Bingham, born April 4th, 1840. Julia Ann, born July 16th, 1843. Mary Louise, born July 21st, 1846, Abby, born April 25th,' 1850 ; died April 5th, 1854. 24* 46 HILLSDALE HISTORY. Lois Ann, born February 12th, 1853. Viola, born May 2()tli, 1855 ; died March 17th, 1871. Chloe Bushnell, daughter of John and Loxey Lay Bushnell, born in Hillsdale, January 1st, 1813, and mar- / ried to Arnold Fletcher Truesdell, son ol Har-^i^y and Clynthia Johnson Truesdell. Her children are : Morania Julia, Emma, and Madeline, Chloe Bushnell Truesdell is now dead. Elisha W. Bushnell, son of John and Loxey Lay Bushnell, born in Hillsdale, December 27th, 1818, and married to Emma House, daughter of Benjamin and Phebe Vanderburgh House, September 1st, 1840, by whom he had five children : Sarah, born November 7tli, 1841, and married Arthur Park, November 20th, 1861. George, born August 14th, 1843 ; died March 7tli, 1845. Mary Vanderburgh, born April 20th, 1847 ; died May 3d, 1848 George Vanderburgh, born September 11th, 1851. Clayton, born October 23d, 1857 ; died November 21st, 1859. His wife, Emma House Bushnell, died November 16th, 1859, and on the 12tli day of February, 1862, he married Frances L. Orton, who died August 1st, 1865, and after her death he married Catharine Martin Roe. George W. Bushnell, son of William Bushnell, born in Hillsdale, and married Miranda Burtcm, daughter of ^Elijah and Lucy Collin Burtou, and now resides in the State of Illinois. His children were : Mary Jane; Jose- phine, died ; William Henry. John Cary, born in Somersetshire, England, emigrated to this country in 1639, and settled in Duxbury, Mass., BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 47 and married Elizabeth, daughter of Francis Godfrey, 1644, He subsequently became an original proprietor, and among the first settlers, of West Bridge water, Mass., and was the first town clerk. He died in 1681, and his wife died in 1680. Their children were : John, born at Duxbury, 1645. Francis, born at Duxbury, 1647. Elizabeth, born at Duxbury, 1649. James, born at Braintree, 1652. Mary, born at Bridgewater, 1654. Jonathan, born at Bridgewater, 1856. David, born at Bridgewater, 1658. Hannah, born at Bridgewater, 1661. Joseph, born at Bridgewater, 1663. Rebecca, born at Bridgewater, 1665. Sarah, born at Bridgewater," 1667. Mehitabei, born at Bridgewater, 1670. Ezra Oary, the grandson of Francis Gary, and great grandson of John and Elizabeth Godfrey Gary, married Mary, daughter of Col. John Hoi man, and great aunt of Euth Holinau Collin, in 1737. He settled in New Jersey, and had two cliildren : Sarah, born 1738, and Shepherd, born 1742. Ephraim Gary, great grandson of John Gary, married Jane, daughter of Gapt. John Holman, 1771. Their chil- dred were : Salome, born 1774 ; Jane, 1773 ; Gyrus, 1777; William Holman, 1779 ; Ephraim, 1782, Shepherd, 1784; Susanna, 1787; Francis, 1789 ; Jason, 1791 ; Adenith, 1793; Harmony, 1796. His wife Jane, died, 1809, and he died, 1828. Joseph Gary, son of John and Elizabeth Godfrey Gary, was b(n'n in Bridgewater, Mass., 1663, and moved to Windham, Conn., and is the ancestor of the distinguished writers of poetry, Phebe and Alice Gary, and also of Gen. S. F. Gary, of College Hill, Ohio. 48 HILLSDALE HISTORY. The ancestors of Jolm Gary were Norman French, one of whom was an officer in the army of William the Con- queror, who cantoned out the country to his men, and Mr. Gary thereby became an extensive land owner in Sommersetshire. In the subsequent civil wars the owner of the Gary property took sides in behalf of Richard Second, against Henry Fourtli, and the property, in con- sequence, became confiscated to the Crown. In the be- ginningj of the reign of Henry Fifth, an Arragonian Knight, after having passed triumphantly through divers countries, went to England and challenged any man of his rank and quality to make trial of his valor in arms. Sir Robert Gary accepted the challenge, and the combat was waged in Smithlield, London. The contest was long and doubtful, but finally terminated in favor of Sir Robert Gary, and the king, in consequence, restored to him a large part of the confiscated lands and authorized him to bear the coat of arms of the Kniglits of Arragon. Gen. S. F. Gary has supplied me with a pictorial representa- tion of that coat of arms, and he and Miss Phebe Gary have kindly given me much valuable information in res- pect to their kindred. Douglass Clark, of Dutchess count}^ N. Y., married Sally Collin, daughter of David and Esther Gillett Collin, and settled in the town of North East. Their children are : Perry, who married Caroline Winchell. Henry, who married Betsey Ann Wheeler. Olive. Sally, who married Alexander Trowbridge. Caroline, who married Caleb D. Barrett. Emmeline, who married Hamilton Wheeler. Ambrose Clark, of Dutchess county, N. Y., married Jula Ann Collin, daughter of James and Lydia Hambliu Collin. Their children are : BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 49 Edward, born July 6tli, 1835 ; died July 30th, 1835. Julia Ann, born May 7tli, 1810. Ambrose, born September 17tli, 1842. James M., born December 12tli, 1844. Howard, born September 24th, 1849 ; died, March, 1850 Hattie L., born JanTiary 13th, 1852. Seward, born December 24th, 1854 ; died January 2d, 18G7. Alice Gary, a descendant of John Gary, one of the or- iginal proprietors of Bridgewater, Mass., was born in Gin- cinnati, Ohio, 1822 ; died in New York, February, 2d, 1871, while in poetic talent she ranked higli among her contemporaries. She was equally distinguished for her social qualifications. Phebe Caey, a daughter of John Gary, of Bridgewater, Mass., sister of Alice Gary, and niece of Gen. S. F. Gary, of Gollege Hill, Ohio, was boru in Gincinnati, Ohio, in 1825 ; died in Newport, Ehode Island, August 1st, 1871. Like her sister, she was social, amiable and res- pected by all, and the following birth-day tribute to her friend, Miss Susan B. Anthony, indicates the good-na- tured poetic talent with which she was endowed : We touch our caps, and place tc-night The victor's wreath ii))on her, The woman who outranks u.s all In courage and in honor. While others in domestic broils. Have proved by word and carriage. That one ol' the United States Is not the state of marriage. The caring not the loss of men, Nor for the world's confusion, Has carried on a civil wj»r And made a revolution. 50 HILLSDALE HISTORY. True, other women have been brave When banded or husbanded ; But she has bravely fouo;ht her way Alone and single handed. And think of her unselfish strength, Her generous disposition. Who never made a lasting prop Out of a proposition. She might have chosen an honored name, And none have scorned or hissed it ; Have written Mrs. Jones or Smith, But strange to saj' she missed it. For fifty j'ears to come may she Grow rich and ripe and mellow, Be quoted even above par, Or an J' other fellow. And speak the truth from pole to pole, And keep her liglit a-burning. Before she cuts her stick to go The way there's no returning Because her motto grand has been. The right of every human ; And first and last, and right or wrong. She takes the side of woman. A perfect woman, nobly planned, To aid, not to amuse one ; Take her for all and all, we ne'er Shall see the match for Susan. Isaac Coon, born May 22cl, 1824, and married Almira Becker, daughter of John P. and Elizabeth Ann Becker, September 28th, 1850. Their chiklreu are : Edwin Allworth, born October 13th, 1863. John Henry, born September 22d, 1855. Eugene Smith, born July 5th, 1864. Orrin M., born October 4th, 1865. Sidney N., born February 18th, 1869. Mr. Corbett, of Plymouth, Mass., married Betty, BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 51 daughter of Gain and Margaret Watson Robinson, and had one daughter, Betsey. Betsey Corbett, daughter of Mr. and Betty Robin- son Corbett, born in Cummington, Mass., and married David Orr, of Hillsdale, N. Y. ; and upon the death of David Orr, she married John Yan Dusen, of Hillsdale. LoEENZO L. Crowns, of Washington, D. C, married Mary Collin, daughter of James and Yelona Hill Collin, December '27th, 1859, by whom he has two sons. He is now dead. LucRETiA E. Church, born May 1st, 1825, and married ^Charles A. TuUar, son of Seneca C. and Mary A. Gordon Tullar, November 10th, 1814. Silas L. Church, born September 22d, 1820, and mar- ried Pamelia Jane Tullar, daughter of Seneca C. and Mary A. Gordon Tullar, December 26th, 1851. Their children are : Minnesota, born April 19th, 1853. Yirginia, born June 27th, 1859. Elizabeth Chuuch, born July 21th, 1823, and married William Fredeiick Tullar, son of Cbarles aud Rebecca Race Tullar, November 25th, 1841; dipd July (Jth, 1842. Oliver Davidson, of Canterbury, Conn., born 1754, and married to Deidania Morse, 1779 ; died 1787. Their chil- dren were : Oliver, born in Canterbury, 1781. Jose])ii, born in Canterbury, 1783. Anna, born in Canterbury, 1785. Oliver Davidson, son of Oliver and Deidama Morse Davidson, boiii iu Canterbury, Conn., 1781, and married to Mary Miller, of Dutchess county, N. Y. They had sev- 52 HILLSDALE HISTORY. eral children, among whom were Lucretia Maria and Margaret Miller Davidson, who, though dying at an early age, had poetic talent which has procured their names places in Appleton's Cyclopedia of Biography, and Drake's Dictionary of American Biography. He was a physician, and died in Plattsburgh, N. Y. Joseph Davidson, son of Oliver and Deidama Morse Davidson, born in Canterbury, Conn., 1783, and married and had several children ; but he and all his children are dead, except one son, Erastus, who resides in Lansing- burgh, N. Y. Anna Davidson, daughter of Oliver and Deidama Morse Davidson, born in Canterbury, Conn., 1785, and married to Aaron Ford, of Hillsdale, N. Y. ; died May 5tli, 1839. She had no children. Lucretia Maria Davidson, daughter of Oliver and Mary Miller Davids(m, and granddaughter of Deidama Morse Collin, born in Plattsburgh, N. Y., September 27th, 1808 ; died August 27th, 1825. In October, 1824, a gentle- man who knew her intense desire for education, placed her at a female seminary in Troy, N. Y., where her inces- sant application soon destroyed her constitution, previ- ously debilitated by disease, and she died before com])let- ing her 17th year. A biographical sketch, with a collec- tion of her poems, was published by S. F. B. Morse, in 1829, entitled "Amir Khan, and other poems," the re- mains of L. M. Davidson. Although a great part of her compositions were destroyed, 278 remain. Her biography has been written by Catharine M. Sedgwick, in 1843. Margaret Miller Davidson, sister of Lucretia Maria Davidson and granddaughter of Deidama Morse Collin, born March 26th, 1823; died November 25th, 1837. Sharing her sister's precocity, she began to write at six years of age. At ten she wrote and acted in a passionate BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 53 drama in society, in New York, and, notwithstanding the warning of her sister's fate, her intellectual activity was not restrained. Margaret's poems were issued under the auspices of Washington Irving, and the works of both sisters were published together, in 1850. A volume of selections from the writings of Miss Margaret M. David- son, with a preface by Miss C. M. Sedgwick, appeared in 1843. Lieutenant L. P. Davidson, U. S. A., the brother of Margaret and Lucretia, who also died young, wrote verses with elegance and ease. EoswELL Dekbyshiee, of Lenox, Mass., married Ellen H. Collin, daughter of James and Velona Hill Collin, May 9th, 1849 : died on the Isthmus of Darien. Spencer Esmond, son of Isaiah Esmond, of Hillsdale, married Sally Sherwood, daughter of Squire and Hannah Collin Sherwood. They had a daughter, Eliza, born June 30th, 1816. Anna Esmond, daughter of Isaiah Esmond, was born in Hillsdale, and married John W. Truesdell, son of Thomas and Hannah Collin Truesdell, July 25th, 1801. Her children were : Beebe, born June 5th, 1805 ; died April 1811. John W., born November 13tli, 1806. After the death of her husband, she married Refine Latting, by whom she had one daughter, Henrietta, wiio married Owen Bixby. Mrs. Anna Latting died in 1870. Eliza Esmond, daugiitor of Spencer and Sally Sher- wood Esmond and granddaughter of Squire and Hannah Collin Sherwood, was born in Hillsdale, June 30tli, 1816, and married Edward B. Hunt, son of Samuel and Sally Bagley Hunt, September 19th, 1866. 25* 54: HILLSDALE HISTORY. Maria Everts, daughter of Henry Everts, born in Hills- dale, and married George Trafford Burton, son of Elijah and Lucy Collin Burton, by whom she has had a daugh- ter, Urvilla. David L. Farnham, of Benson, Vermont, married Han- nah Collin, daughter of David and Lucy Bingham Collin, June 12th 1829 ; died January 17th, 1860. His children were : Samuel, born December 23d, 1835 ; died July 11th, 1836. Rosamond D., born July 9th, 1837. Almina, born September 23d, 1839, and married De- laney Bartlet, January 8th, 1863. Andrew Ford, born in Abington, Mass., and married Maria Beal. They had eight children, viz. : Elias, Levi, Eleazar, Andrew, Sarah, Elizabeth, Matilda, and Jerusha. He was at the battle of Bunker Hill. Levi Ford, son of Andrew and Maria Beal Ford, born in Cummington, Mass., and married Desire Whitman, of Chesterfield, Mass. Ebenezer Ford, son of Andrew and Maria Beal Ford, born in Cummington, Mass., and married Huldah Otis, of Goshen, Mass. Andrew Ford, son of Andrew and Maria Beal Ford, born in Cummington, and married Olive Baker, of Haw- ley, Mass. Sarah Ford, daughter of Andrew and Maria Beal Ford, born in Cummington, and married Freedom Whitman a Baptist clergyman. Elizabeth Ford, daughter of Andrew and Maria Beal Ford, born in Cummington, and married Stephen Wortli- ington. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 55 Matilda Ford, daughter of Andrew and Maria Beal Ford, born in Cummington, and married Jason Oles, of Goshen, Mass. He was a Presbyterian clergyman,^ and settled in Hamilton, N. Y. Jerusha Ford, danghter of Andrew and Maria Beal Ford, born in Cummington, and married and moved to Ohio. Elijah Fay married Margaret Robinson, daughter of James and Jerusha Bartlet Robinson, and settled in Ham- ilton, Madison county, N. Y., and he and his wife died there, leaving a son, James, who remained on the liome- stead, and married Maria Nash, by whom he had a num- erous family. ^ Elias Ford, son of Andrew and Maria Beal Ford, born in Cummington, and married Sophia Johnson, daughter of William and Jane Robinson Johnson; died in North Adams, 1838. His children were : Elias, 8o])hia, Maria, Polly, Sarah, William C, Jane M., and Clynthia. Elias Ford, sou of Elias and Sophia Johnson Ford, born in Hawley, Mass., and married to Ann T. Snyder, of Hillsdale, N. Y., by whom he has two sons : Benjamin and James. He is now dead. Sophia Ford, daughter of Elias and Sophia Johnson Ford, born in Hawhn', and marrietl Noah Ford. Maria Ford, daughter of Elias and Soj^hia Johnson Ford, born in Hawley, and married Isaac Atkins. Polly Ford, daughter of Elias and Sophia Johnson Ford, born in Hawley, and married to Sherbil Bradford. Sarah Ford, daughter of Elias and Sophia Johnson Ford, born in Hawley, and married William Temple. 56 HILLSDALE HISTORY. William C. Ford, son of Elias and Sophia Johnson Ford, born in Hawley, and married Delia Demmin, 1838, and lives in Fair Haven, Conn. Jane M. Ford, dausjhter of Elias and Sophia Johnson Ford, born in Hawley, and died in early life. Clynthia Ford, daughter of Elias and Sophia Johnson Ford, born in Hawley, and married Mr. Martin, and set- tled in Minnesota ; died in 1872. Seymour Foster, son of Parla and Phebe Wells Foster, born in Hillsdale, and married Sarah Madeline Truesdell, daughter of the Rev. Harvey and Clynthia Johnson / Truesdell, Februarv 20th, 1830 \ died 187i. His children were : Wells, Henrietta, Augusta and Willie. Wells died in boyhood. Henrietta Foster, daughter of Seymour and Sarah Madeline Truesdell Foster, born in Hillsdale, and mar- ried Dr. Horace G. Westlake. She has one daughter, Henrietta. Augusta Foster, daughter of Seymour and Sarah Mad- v^ eline Truesdell Foster, born in Hillsdale, and married to Loring Bartlet, of the city of New York. MosES Foster, son of Parla and Phebe Wells Foster, born in Hillsdale, and married Esther Sherwood, daugh- ter of Squire and Hannah Collin Sherwood, and settled in Unadilla, Otsego county, N. Y., where he died. Isaac Foster, son of Parla and Phebe Wells Foster, born in Hillsdale, and married Lucy Sherwood, daughter of Squire and Hannah Collin Sherwood, by whom he had one daughter, Adeline. After the decease of his wife, Lucy, he married Polly Pixley, daughter of John and Anna Sturgis Pixley, by whom he had one daughter, Jane, BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES 57 After the decease of Lis wife, Polly, lie married Naucy Johnson Gerry, widow of Ebenezer Gerry. After the de- cease of his wife, Nancy, he married Eveline Johnson, daughter of Lemuel Johnson, late of Hillsdale, deceased. He is now dead. Parla Foster, born in Connecticut, and married Pliebe Wells, and settled in Hillsdale, N. Y., in which place he resided many years, and died at a very advanced age. He was a soldier in the war of the Kevolution, and was a high- ly esteemed citizen. His children were : Talcott, Anna, Moses, Simeon, Isaac, Ely, Deidama, Sally, Katy, Sey- mour, Judson, and Phebe. Of the children of Parla Foster, Talcott died early. Emma married Dr. John Esmond, and after his decease she married a Mr. Northrop, and after his decease she married Benjamin Snyder. Moses married Esther Sher- wood; Simeon married Emily Nichols; Isaac married Lucy Sherwood, and after her decease he married Polly Pixley, and after her decease he married Nancy Garry, and after her decease he married Emeline Johnson ; Ely married Polly Bushnell; Deidama married Dr. John Stevens; Sally married Ilichard Latting ; Katy married Stephen Bos- y^ worth ; Seymour married Sarah Madeline Truesdell; Jud- son married Sabrina Messenger, and Phebe married George Woodin Sylvester C. Gardner, of Manlius, N. Y., born March 24th, 1811, and married Caroline Collin, daughter of David and Anna Smith Collin, September 25th, 1838. His children are : Edmund, born June 20th. 1840 ; died June 21st, 1840. Caroline, born January 16th, 1842. Sylvester, born November 18th, 1844. Sarah, born January 21st, 1849. Anna, born December 11th, 1850. 58 HILLSDALE HISTORY. Miriam, liorn September 6th, 1852. William, born March 26th, 1861. Francis Godfrey was one of the early settlers of Bridgewater, Mass., and lived to an advanced age, and died in 1868. His daughter Elizabeth married John Gary, one of the first proprietors of that town, and by his will he appears to have been the grandson of John Gary, of Somersetshire, England. John E. Gavit, born in the city of New York, October 29th, 1817, and was educated in bank note engraving by his step-father, who was one of the firm of Gasilear, Du- rand & Edmonds. He went to reside in Albany, October 1836, and on the 28th of November, 1840, married Mar- garet Sophia Kobinson, daughter of Dr. Gain and Ghloe Bradish Robinson. John E. Gavit has been dead several years. Their children are : John, born August 4th, 1841 ; died a few months after. Joseph, born December 22d, 1842. Margaret V)orn March 22d, 1845. William Edmonds, born February 10th, 1848. Helen Elizabeth, lK)rn November 26th, 1849. Clark, born June 27th, 1851. Julia Niles, born February 22d, 1854. Ghloe, born April 29th, 1856. Pauline, born February 3d, 1859. Joseph Gavit, son of John E. and Margaret Sophia Robinson Gavit, born in All)any, December 22d, 1842, and married Fannie Palmer, daughter of E. D. Palmer, the celebrated American sculptor. He has cme son — John, born in Albany, July 1st, 1868. Margaret Gavit, daughter of John E. and Margaret Sophia Robinson Gavit, liorn in Albany, March 22d, 1845, BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 59 and married to Charles Prentis Adams, son of Dr. L. S. Adams, of Stockbridge, Mass., October 8th, 1868. James H. Gilhuth, a clergyman and member of the Iowa Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, married Sarah Adeline Collin, daughter of Henry A. and Sarah Ann White Collin, of Mount Vernon, Linn county, Iowa, June 20th, 1809. They have several children. Philip Grandin, married Amanda Robinson, daughter of Gain and Chloe Bradish Robinson, by whom he has had eleven children, only two of whom are now living. His sou William graduated at West Point. Two of his sons were twins, one of whom was named Andrew Jack- son, and the other Martin Van Buren. William Hanley, born in Virginia, Ajuil 17th, 1833, and married Melind T. Wright, daughter of Lewis and Hannah Collin Wright, November 27th, 1857 ; died August 5tli, 1870. His children are : Marislin, born August IGth, 1858. John Collin, born November 30tli, 1861. Louis Wright, born November 2d, 1863. \A'illiam Alonzo, born December 12th, 1855. Ebenezer Hamline, grandfather of the Rev. Leonidas Lent Hamline, was born in Middletown, Conn., 17-10, and married Lois Brooks, and settled in Burlington, Conn. : died in 1810. He had six children : Mark, Daniel, Lent, Rosa, Hannah and Lois. He was a soldier in the French war, and an officer in the war of the Revolution. Daniel Hamline, son of Ebenezer and Lois Brooks Hamline, married Lucretia Barns, and settled in Sarato- ga county, N. Y. They had a large family of children. Lent Hamline, son of Ebenezer and Lois Brooks Hamline, settled in New London, Conn, and died there. 60 HILLSDALE HISTOKY. Rosa Hamline, daugliter of Ebenezeer and Lois Brooks Hamline, married and settled in Burlington, Conn., and died there. Hannah Hamline, daughter of Ebenezer and Lois Brooks Hamline, married Thomas Beckwith, and died in Burlington, Conn. Lois Hamline, daughter of Ebenezer and Lois Brooks Hamline, died in Canton, Conn., at a very advanced age. Maek Hamline, son of Ebenezer and Lois Brooks Ham- line, born in Burlington, Conn., 1763, and married Rox- ana Moses, daughter of Othneal Moses ; died in 1840. They had ten children, two of whom died in infancy. The survivors were : Philo, Leouidas, Lent, Norman, Roxana, Experience, Saphrona, Harriet and Hannah. His wife Roxana died at Canton, Conn., 1831, and he married Dei- dama Humphry, widow of Judge James Humphry, of Canton. Philo Hamline, son of Mark and Roxana Moses Ham- line, married Tliurza Barber, and settled in New Hartford, Connecticut, and had eleven children. He was born in 1788 ; died, 1857. His wife, Thurza, died in Canton, 1851. One of their daughters (Mariette) married Hiram Foster, a farmer of Mendon, Massachusetts, and had three sons, all of whom volunteered as soldiers in the late civil war, and one of whom died from neglect and ill treatment in the hospital in the city of Washington, D. C. Norman Hamline, son of Mark and Rt)xana Moses Ham- line, died in some of the southern States. Roxana Hamline, daughter of Mark and Roxana Moses Hamline, married Friend White, of Hartford county, Connecticut, and died leaving several children. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 61 Saphrona Hamline, daughter of Mark and Koxana Moses Hamline, married David Humphrey, of Great Bar- rington, Massachusetts, and died in 1847, leaving six children. Experience Hamline, daughter of Mark and Eoxana Moses Hamline, married Mr. Billings, and died in 1857. Her husband died in Indiana, 1855. Harriet Hamline, daughter of Mark and Boxana Moses Hamline, married Zelotes Mather, and after his death married Isaac J. Bigelow, December 10th, 1838. Hannah Hamline, daughter of Mark and Boxaua Moses Hamline, married Bev. James Longhead, who settled in Morris, Illinois. Leonidas Lent Hamline, son of Mark and Boxana Moses Hamline, born in Hartford county, Connecticut, May lOtli, 1797. He was educated for the ministry, but suspended his studies on account of ill health. He sub- sequently studied law. On the 6th of March, 18'24, he married Eliza Price, daughter of Jeffrey Price, of Zanes- ville, Ohio. He subsequently became a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and joined the Ohio Con- ference in 1832. His wife, Eliza, died in Cincinnati, March 27th, 1835, leaving one son, Leonidas Price. In 1836 he married Melinda Johnson Truesdell, widow of Arnold Truesdell, and daughter of William and Jane Bobinson Johnson. In 1836 he was appointed Editor of the JVestern Christian Advocate, associated with the Bev. Charles Elliot. In 18-40 was ai)pointed Editor of the Ladies' dlagazhic, published at Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1844 he was elected a Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which capacity he labored till his health failed in 1852, when he resigned that position and died at Mount Pleasant, Henry county, Iowa, March 23d, 1865. He was 62 HILLSDALE HISTOBY. buried at Evanston, Illinois, where a Scotch granite mon- ument is erected to his memory. He had a commanding appearance, a gentlemanly address, and possessed talents and eloquence of a high order. Leonidas Price Hamline, son of Leonidas Lent and Eliza Price Hamline, born in Zanesville, Ohio, August 13th, 1829. He graduated at the Medical College at Cas- tleton, Vermont, and married Virginia Moore, daughter of Capt. John Moore, of Peoria, Illinois, December 31st, 1850. They have had five children : Leonidas Moore, born October 5th, 1852. John Henry, born March 23d, 1856. Eliza, born February 6th, 1859 ; died February 26th, 1859. Theodosia, born June 30th, 1862. Virginia Malinda, born March 23d, 1866. Lydia Hamline, born in Dutchess county, March 30th, 1783, and married James Collin, son of David and Esther Gillett Collin, April 21st, 1801 ; died November 1st, 1855. Her children were ; Ely, born February 23d, 1805. James Hamblin, born March 5th, 1808. Lydia Louise, born June 15th, 1810. Julia Ann, born November 17th, 1813. Caroline, born September 21st', 1817. Cordelia, born April 6th, 1820. Aulia, born April 6th, 1820 ; died April 6th, 1820. David Nelson, born March 17th, 1823 ; died March 3d, 1810. Lemuel Hill, born 1751, died August 25th, 1828. His father and two brothers came from Old ami settled in New Engla]id. Among his children were two sons, Jona- than and Harvey. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 03 Jonathan Hill, son of Lemuel Hill, born March 4tli, 1775, and married Cliastine E. Wilcox, February 25tli, 1801. Tlieir children were : Rodney, born January 27th, 1802. Hibyl Yilona, born October 24th, 1803. Pluma A., born December 26th, 1805. Cornelia E., born March 16tli, 1808. Alice C, born February 3d, 1810. John, born May 1st, 1812. Henry L., born February 2d, 1816. Ch as tine E., born July 22d, 1819. Rodney Hill, smi of Jonathan and Cliastine E. Wilcox Hill, born January 27th, 1802, and married Sarah Amanda ColJin, daughter of John and Ruth Holman Johnson Col- lin, February 20th, 1825. He is now dead. Their chil- dren are : John Henry, born May 10th, 1826. Ruth Maria, born January 23d, 1829. John Henry Hill, son of Rodney and Sarah A. Collin Hill, born May lOtli, 1826, and married Catharine Augus- ta Hull, June 3d, 1850. Their children are : Rodney, born November 6tli, 1852. John Henry, born October 28th, 1854. John Edward, born December 13th, 1857. Frank Albert, born February 8th, 1860. Fred Augustus, born February 6tli, 1861. Charles Pomeroy, born September 1st, 1863. Pluma A. Hill, daughter of Jonathan and Cliastine E. Wilcox Hill, born December 26tli, 1805, and married Albert Winsh)w, of Hillsdale, and died at Monterey, Mass. Sibyl Velona Hill, daughter of Jonathan and Cliastine E. Wilcox Hill, born October 24th, 1803, and married 64 HILLSDALE HISTORY. James Collin, son of John and Eutli Holman Johnson Collin, March 17th, 1828 ; died August 11th, 1846. Her children are : Ellen H., born February 20th, 1829. Charles K, born March 1st, 1832. Louis E. , born August 10th, 1833. John H., born February 25th, 1835. Mary C, born March 1.5th, 1838. William M., born March 23d, 1842. CoENELiA E. Hill, daughter of Jonathan and Chastine E. Wilcox Hill, born March 16th, 1808, and married Henry Williams, of Alford, Mass., and settled in Dayton, Ohio. Alice C. Hill, daughter of Jonathan and Chastine E. Wilcox Hill, born February 3d, 1810, and married Collins Hunt, of Lenox, Mass. John Hill, son of Jonathan and Chastine E. Wilcox Hill, born May 1st, 1812, and married Miss Wilcox, and died in Chicago, Illinois. Henry L. Hill, son of Jonathan and Chastine E. Wilcox Hill, born February 2d, 1816, lias been twice mar- ried, and is settled in Chicago, Illinois. Chastine E. Hill, daughter of Jonathan and Chastine E. Wilcox Hill, born July 22d, 1819, and married Mr. Garfield, of Monterey, Mass. She is now dead. Thomas Holman and Abigail his wife, resided in Milton, Mass., and had ten children. He was selectman and town clerk. Abigail, born February 15th, 1665. Nana, born September 15th, 1668. Patience, born February 24th, 1670. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 65 Sarah, born April 13th, 1673. Mary, born March 8th, 1674 ; died June 4th, 1675 ; and Thomas, born March 8th, 1674 ; twins. Mary, born August 24, 1677. John, born March 13th, 1679. Ann. born August 11th, 1680. Samuel, born June 27th, 1683. Nana Holman, daughter of Thomas and Abigail Hol- man, born September 15th, 1668, and married Benjamin Beal, of Braintree, June 17th, 1700. Saeah Holman, daughter of Thomas and Abigail Hol- man, born April 13th, 1673, and married Kicliard Woods, of Boston, October 9th, 1701. Ann Holman, daughter of Thomas and Al)igail Holman, born August 11th, 1680, and married Samuel Swift, of Milton, Mass., November 6th, 1707. John Holman, son of Thomas and Abigail Holman, born in Milton, Mass., March 13th, 1679, graduated at the Harvard University, 1700, and married Ann, the daughter of Daniel Quincy, of Boston, and sister of John Quincy, of Braintree, Mass. ; died 1759. He was a colonel in the State militia, and a Representative in the Massa- chusetts Legislature in the years 1734-1737 and 1744, in which capacity, as well as in all others, he was highly respected. His children were : John, Ann, Peggy, Euth and Mary. John Holman, son of John and Ann Quincy Holman, born in Bridgewater, Mass., and married Ann, daughter of Isaac Harris, 1734 ; died 1755. His wife died 1757, aged 45 years. He was a captain in the State militia. His children were : Sarah, born 1736. 66 HILLSDALE HISTORY. Ann, born 1738. William, born 1740. Abigail, born 1743. Isaac and Jane. Ann Holman, daughter of John and Ann Qiiincy Hol- man, married Joseph Billings, of Stoughton, Mass., 1730. Peggy Holman, daugliter of John and Ann Quincy Hol- man, married John Johnson, son of Isaac and Abigail Johnson, 1731. Ruth Holman, daughter of John and Ann Quincy Hol- man, married Benjamin Johnson, 6tli son of Isaac John- son, and grandfather of Ruth Holman Johnson Collin, 1732. Mary Holman, daughter of John and Ann Quincy Hol- man, married Ezra Gary, 1737. Their children were ; Sarah, born 1738, and Shepherd, born 1742. Jane Holman, daughter of John and Ann Harris Hol- man, married Ephraim Gary, 1771. Their children were: Jane, born 1773. Salome, born 1774. Gyrus, born 1777. William Holman, born 1779. Ephraim, born 1782. Shepard, born 1784. Susanna, born 1787. Francis, born 1789. Jason, born 1791, Asnath, born 1793. Harmony, born 1796. Edward B. Hunt, son of Samuel and Sally Bagley Hunt, born in Hillsdale, February 15, 1814, and married BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 67 Susan Burtis, daughter of Thomas Burtis, February 2d, 1857. After the death of his wife, Susan, he married Eliza Esmond, daugliter of Spencer and Sally Sherwood Esmojid, September 19th, 18G6. Emma House, daup;hter of Benjamin and Phebe Vander- burgh House, born in Hillsdale, November 7th, 1820, and married Elislia W. Bushnell, son of John and Loxey Lay Bushnell, September 1st, 1840 ; died November 16tli, 1859. Her children were : Sarah, born November 7th, 1841. George House, born, August 14tli, 1843 ; died March 7th, 1845. Mary Vanderburgh, born April 20th, 1847 ; died May 3d, 1848. George Vanderburgh, born September 11th, 1851. Clayton, born October 23, 1857 ; died November 21st, 1859. Jane B. Hunt, daughter of Benjamin Hunt, of Lenox, Mass., born June 22d, 1801, and married James Collin, son of John and liutli Holman Johnson Collin, May 5th, 1822 ; died February 25th, 1827. Her children were : James H., born March 21st, 1823. Jane S., born November 27th, 1824. John Francis, born February 15th, 1827 ; died April 29th, 1828. Bhoda How, of Connecticut, married Bentley White, March 3d, 1819 ; died April 14th, 1841. Her children were : Sarah Ann, born January 14th, 1820. Sibyl M., born May 29tli, 1822 ; died December 18th, 1824. Stephen, born March 17th, 1826. Jane M., born October 20tli, 1832 ; died October 20th, 1834. 68 HILLSDALE HISTORY. Edward Johnson, born, Horn Hill, Kent, England, 1599 ; died at Woburn, Mass., April 23d, 1672. He came to tliis country with Gov. Winthrop, 1630, and was prom- inent in the organization of the town and church of Woburn, 1642. Was a captain of its military company ; was chosen its representative in 1643, and annually re- elected until 1671 ; was speaker of the house, 1665, and was on the committee with Broadstreet, Danforth and others, to meet the Commissioners Nicolls, Carr, etc., who had been sent from England. He was recorder of the town from its incorporation till his death. Some of his writings were published in London, in 1654, and reprint- ed in the Massachusetts Historical Collections, and again with notes, by W. F. Poole, in 1867. Isaac Johnson, one of the founders of Massachusetts, born in Clipsham, Rutlandshire, England ; died in Bos- ton, September 3()th, 1630. He came over with Gov. Winthrop, arriving at Salem, June 12th, 1630. He was one of the four who founded the first church at Charles- town, July 30th and September 7th ; he conducted the first settlement of Boston. He was a good and a wise man, and was the wealthiest of the colonists. Arabella, his wife, was the daughter of Thomas, the fourteenth Earl of Lincoln. She accompanied her husband to New England, and died in Salem, August 30th, 1630. In honor of her, the name of the Eagle, Wiuthrop's ship, was changed to the Arabella. Isaac Johnson, of Hingham, Mass., born 1668, and married Abigail, widow of Isaac Lazell, and daughter of John Leavitt ; died 1730. He was a captain, a magistrate and four years a representative in the Massachutts Legis- lature. It is a well authenticated tradition that his grand- father emigrated to tliis country with Gov. Winthrop in 1630 \ and it is therefore a fair conclusion that his grand- BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 69 father was either Edward or Isaac Johnson, who did ac- company Gov. Winthrop. His chiklren were : David, Solomon, Daniel, James, Deborah. Sarah, born 1702. John, born 1705. Joseph, born 1707. Benjamin, born 1711, and Mary, born 1716. Captain David Johnson, son of Isaac and Abigail John- son, married Rebecca, daughter of John Washburn, 1719. Their children were : Isaac, born 1721. David, born 1724. Mary, born 1729, Sarah, born 1732, and Rebecca, born 1734. Solomon Johnson, son of Isaac and Abigail Johnson, married Susanna, daughter of Joseph Edson, 1723 ; died 1771. Their children were : Susanna, born 1723. Seth, born 1733. Josiah, born 1735. Nathan, born 1738. Mary, born 1740. Judge Daniel Johnson, son of Isaac and Abigail John- son, married Betty, daughter of James Latham, 1720 ; died 1741. His children were : James, born 1728. Jeremiah, born 1734. Leavitt, born 1736. The great grandmother of Betty Latham was the famous Mary Chilton, who was the first female that set foot on Plymouth shore in 1620. •27* -^ 70 HILLSDALE HISTORY. Daniel Johnson, son of Judge Daniel and Betty Latham Johnson, graduated at the Harvard University 1767, and settled in the ministry at Harvard 1769, and died there September 23d, 1777. JosLiH Johnson, son of Judge Daniel and Betty Latham Johnson, married Buth, daughter of Eliphalet Leonard, 1757. Their chiklren were, James, Daniel, Cyrus, Buth and Betty. James married Sally Washburn, and settled in Easton, Maine. Daniel married Mary Barker, and settled in the city of New York as an attorney. Cyrus was a physician, and married Henrietta, daughter of Deacon Isaac Lazell. JosiAH Johnson, son of Solomon and Susannah Edson Johnson, married Azuba, daughter of Ephraim Cary ; died 1812. She died 1816. They had only one child, Solo- mon, who married Sally, daughter of Gain Bobinson, and settled in Bhode Island. Major John Johnson, son of Isaac and Abigail John- sou, married Peggy, daughter of John and Ann Quincy Holman, 1731 ; died 1770. She died 1757. Their chil- dren were : Sarah, born 1733. Abial, born 1735. Lewis, born 1738. Patience, born 1744 Joseph, born 1747. Content, born 1748. Calvin, born 1751. Benjamin Johnson, son of Isaac and Abigail Johnson, married Buth, daughter of John and Ann Quincy Hol- man, 1732 ; died 1768. She died 1764. Their children were : ■BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 71 Ruth, born 1736. Benjamin, born 1739. Rhoda, born 1743. William, born 1753. Ruth married Ste])lien Richardson. Benjamin died in the army. Rhoda married Winslow^Richardson. William Johnson, son of Benjamin and Ruth Holman Johnson, born in Bridgewater, Mass., 1753, and married Jane Robinson, daughter of James and Jerusha Bartlet Robinson, 1779 ; died at Hillsdale, April, 1818. His chil- dren were : Ruth Holman, born September 16th, 1780. Sophia, born January 7th, 1781. Melinda, born December 7th, 1785 ; died March 9th, 1792. Clynthia, born April 7th, 1788. Quincy, born April 5th, 1791. Melinda, born September 29th, 1801. Ruth Holman Johnson, daughter of William and Jane Robinson Johnson, born in Bridgewater, Mass., Septem- ber 16th, 1780, and married John Collin, son of John and Sarah Arnold Collin, of Hillsdale, N. Y., October 23d, 1798 ; died in Hillsdale, December 2d, 1868. Her child- ren were : James, born January 16th, 1800. John Francis, born April 30th, 1802. Sarah Amanda, born April 21st, 1804. Jane Miranda, born February 14tli, 1807. Hannah, born December 19th, 1809, Ruth Maria, born March 1st, 1813 ; died May, 1838. Henry Augustus, born January 6th, 1817. William Quincy, born November 23d, 1819 ; died July 30th, 1822. Clynthia A., born December 10th, 1822; died August 5th, 1828. 72 HILLSDALE HISTOKY. ■ Sophia Johnson, dauo-hter of William and Jane Robin- son Johnson, born in Cnmmington, Mass., January 7tli, 1784, and married Elias Ford, son of Andrew and Maria Beal Ford, and settled in Hawley, Mass. She died in 1831. Her children were : Elias, Sophia, Maria, Polly, Sarah, William C, Jane M., and Clynthia. Melinda Johnson, daughter of William and Jane Rob- inson Johnson, born in Cummiugton, Mass., December 7th, 1785 ; died March 9th, 1792. Clynthia Johnson, daughter of William and Jane Rob- inson Johnson, born in Cummington, Mass., April 7th, |/ 1788, and married Rev. Harry Truesdell, son of Thomas . and Hannah Collin Truesdell, February 9tli, 1809, and is now dead. Her children are : Arnold Fletcher, born January 6th, 1810. Sarah Madaliue, born May 12th, 1812. John Quincy, born February 22d, 1825. Quincy Johnson, son of William and Jane Robinson Johnson, born in Cummington, Mass., April 5th, 1791, and married Abigail Cook, of Otis, Mass., May, 1812. His children were : Wesley, born February 24th, 1813 ; died July 1st, 1844. Marvin, born December 16th, 1814 ; died September 20th, 1841. William Leonard, born September 5th, 1816. Jane, born April 24th, 1818 ; died November 24tli, 1830. John Quincy, born August 28th, 1820. Melinda, bora December 31st, 1823. James Leroy, born April 17th, 1822 ; died 1869. After the death of his wife Abigail, he married Mrs. Eveline, widow of Capt. Isaac Foster, and daughter of BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 73 Lemuel Jolmson, late of Hillsdale, deceased. He is now dead. Melinda Johnson, dauo-hter of William and Jane Eob- inson Jolmson, born September 29tli, 1801, and married Arnold Truesdell, scm of Thomas and Hannah Collin Truesdell, September 10th, 18'20. He died at Wilming- ton, Oiiio, March 28th, 1835, and she married Rev. Leon- idas L. Han] line, of Cincinnati, Ohio, 1836, and died in 1881. He subsequently became a Bishop of the Metho- dist Episcopal church, and after years devoted to his duties in that capacity, he retired to his estate in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, where he died March 23d, 18(55, leaving a large estate to his wife and son. She now resides at Everston, Illinois. Wesley Johnson, son of Quincy and Abigail Cook Johnson, born in Hillsdale, February 24tli, 1813. He spent several years, in Africa, assisting in the foundation of the colony in Liberia. He went as })hvsician to the Governor's family, and subsequently discharged the duties of Governor himself. He was once wounded in repelling an attack of the natives upon the colony. He devoted time and money in the establishment of a college there, and finally fell a victim to the malaria of the clim- ate. After suffering with African fever, he returned to his home in America, ardently desiring a restoration to health that he might complete the enterprises he had commenced for the benefit of the colony. But the seeds of death had been sown, and he died in Hillsdale, July 1st, 1844, universally respected for his talents, scholar- ship, enterprise antl amiable characteristics. Marvin Johnson, son of Quincy and Abigail Cook John- sou, born in Hillsdale, December 16th, 1814, and married Miss Park, of Chatham, N. Y. ; died September 2d, 1841. 28 ^ 74 HILLSDALE HISTORY. William Leonard Johnson, son of Quiucy and Abigail Cook Jolmson, born in Hillsdale, September 5tli, 1816, and married Emeline Sornborger, September 12tli, 1852. Their children were : Ida, born September 10th, 1853 ; died April 21:tli, 1856. Willie, born September IStli, 1855 ; died September 25th, 1855. Franklin, born June 2d, 1857. George Quinc}^ born December 5th, 1859. Jane Johnson, daughter of Quincy and Abigail Cook Johnson, born in Hillsdale, April 2-4th, 1818 ; died Nov- ember 24th, 1830. John Quincy Johnson, son of Quincy and Abigail Cook Johnson, born in Hillsdale, August 28th, 1820, and mar- ried Sallj^ Latting, daughter of Richard and Sally Foster Latting, March 24tli, 1844. Their children are : Wesley R., born January 6th, 1845. Jane M., born February 4tli, 1847. Hiram W., born January 23d, 1849. Parla, born December 12tli, 1850. Lillia E., born August 14th, 1855. Quincy, born July 22d, 1857. Theophilus, born November 18th, 1859. James Leroy Johnson, son of Quincy and Abigail Cook Johnson, born in Hillsdale, April 17tli, 1822 ; died in Missouri, 1869. Melinda Johnson, daughter of Quincy and Abigail Cook Johnson, born in Hillsdale, December 31st, 1823. Artemas Johnson, son of Lemuel Johnson, born Janu- ary 20th, 1785, and married Susan Sherwood, daughter of Squire and Hannah Collin Sherwood, February 12th, BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES 75 1814 ; died December 13tli, 1865. Their children were : Julia, born August 31st, 1815 ; died March 22d, 1859. Mary, born March 21st, 1818 ; died April 18th, 1869. Nancy, born August 31st, 1820 : died September 10th, 1848. Parker, born June 18th, 1822. LeEoy, born April 22d, 1824 ; died September 17th, 1827. Henry, born May 27th, 1826 ; died August 15th, 1869. Jane, born April 30th, 1828. Lee, born July 29th, 1831. Dwight, born January 31st, 1833. Artemas, born July 31st, 1836 ; died September 13th, 1841. Lucy, born October 3d, 1839 ; died September I6th, 1841. Betty Latham, daughter of James Latham, and grand- daughter of E-obert Latham, and great great granddaugh- ter of the famous Mary Chilton, who was the first female to set foot on Plymouth shore, in 1620, and born in Bridgewater, Mass, and married to Judge Daniel John- son, son of Isaac and Abigail Johnson, 1726. Her kins- man, William Latham, born in 1803, and graduated at Brown's University in 1827, and settled in South Bridge- water as an attorney, is a descendant in the fifth degree from Robert and Susan Winslow Latham ; and I am in- debted to his kindness for much informati(m contained in these pages. Charles Mead, of Dutchess county, N. Y., married Caroline Collin, daughter of James and Lydia Hamblin Collin, April 3d, 1840. Their children were : Charles Nelson, born April 23d, 1841 ; died July 11th, 1850. 76 HILLSDALE HISTORY. James Arthur, born March 2d, 1843. Caroline E., born March 2d, 1845. Martha, born May 25th, 1847. Clara B., born December lltli, 1849. Ellen, born May 22d, 1852. Eobert Collin, born July 28th, 1857. Carl Fremont, born November 5th, 1860. Frederick Mesick, born in Clave rack, and married Harriet Collin, daughter of David and Lucy Bingham Collin, March 3d, 1823. She died February 28th, 1826, and he subsequently married Joanna Latting, daughter of Retine Latting, of Hillsdale, by whom he had several children. After the deatli of his wife Joanna, he married a Mrs. Jarvis, and died in Claverack. Miles Merwin, born in England or Wales, in 1623, em- igrated to this country in 1645, and became the owner of a large tract of land situated on Long Island sound, and now known as Pond Point or Merwin' s Point. It was mostly situated in the town of Milford, New Haven coun- ty. Conn., but extended easterly across Ouster river into what is now the town of Orange. By Lambert's history of Milford, it ajjpears that he was a tanner and currier, and also engaged in commerce, being part owner of two brigs and a sloop, the latter employed in coasting while the former made voyages to the West Indies. He died April 3d, 1697. By his first wife he had the following children : Eliza. John, born 1650. Abigail. Thomas. Samuel, born August 21st, 1656. Miles, born December 14th, 1658. Daniel, born 1661. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 77 His first wife having died, 1G64, lie married the widow of Thomas Beach, by whom he had the following chil- dren : Martha and Mary, twins, born January 23d, 1G66 ; Hannah, born 1(367 ; and Deborah, born 1670, at which time his second wife died. His first wife joined the Con- gregational Church June 2d, 1661, and he joined the same church in the November following. His daughter Eliza married Mr. Canfield. Abigail married i^bel Holbrook. L • Deborah married Mr. Burwell. Daniel died young. Samuel married Sarah Woodin. Thomas settled in Norwalk. - t John Meewin, son of Miles Merwin, by his first mar- riage, was born in Milford, 1650. He settled on the home- stead. His wife's name was Mary. His children were : John, born 1680. Joseph and Hannah. John was baptized, 1682, Joseph, in 1686, and Han- nah, in 1690. John Merwin, son of John and Mary Merwin, born in Milford, 1680, and settled on the homestead. His wife's name was Hannah. His children were : John, born 1707. Hannah, born 1708. Joseph, Sarah and David. His wife Hannah joined the First Congregational Church of Milford on the 22d of May, 1720, and his five children were baptized on same day. John Merwin, son of John and Hannah Merwin, born in Milford, 1707 ; died February 19th, 1792. His child- ren were : Elizabeth, John and Daniel. 28* 78 HILLSDALE HISTOKY. Hannah Merwin, daughter of John and Hannah Mer- win, born in Milford, 1708, and married John Collin, an emigrant from France, 1730. Her children were : John, born 1732. David, borji 1734. James, born 1736 ; died in his infancy. David Merwin, son of John Merwin, 3d, born m MiL ford, and married Eunice Perry, by whom he had several children, among whom were John, Isaac, David, Merritt and Mark. John Merwin, son of Jolm Merwin 3d, and grandson of John and Hannah Merwin, born in Milford, March, 1735, and married Elizabeth Buckingham, 1755 ; died, 1826. His children were : John, Elizabeth, Content, Sarah, Samuel, and Daniel. Samuel Merwin, son of John and Elizaljeth Bucking- ham Merwin, born in Milford, 1775, and married Susan Nettletou, 1795, by whom he had a daughter— Sarah. After the death of his wife Susan, he married Mary Welch, September, 1800, by whom he had seven children: Susan, Mary, Caroline, John Welch, Samuel Orange, Homer, and Mark us. Susan Mary Merwin, daughter of Samuel and Mary Welch' Merwin, born in Milford, 1801, and married to Sid- ney Buckingham, January, 1825. Their children were : Lucy Belden, born June Gtli, 1832 ; died September, ^1833. Charles Augustus, born June, 1838 : died October, 1849. She has given important assistance in this compilation. Caroline Merwin, daughter of Samuel and Mary Welch Merwin, born in Milford, 1803, and married to Charles BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 79 Pond Strong, March, 1825 ; died, 1836. She had two children : Charles William, born March, 1833. Caroline Merwin, born March, 1836. John Welch Merwin, son of Samnel and Mary Welch Merwin, born 1807, and married to Rebecca Louise Hunt- ington, 1840, and had one child, John Huntington, born 1842. After the decease of his wife, Rebecca Louise, he married Maria Gilbert Huntington, by whom he had live children : Maria Louise, born January, 1847. Edward Gilbert, born November 1848. George Henry, born 1850. Charles Augustus, born 1852. William Albert, born 1856. Samuel Orange Merwin, son of Samuel and Mary Welch Merwin, born March, 1810 and married Susan T. Chapman, of Virginia, 1833 ; died 1865. His children were : John, Caroline, Virginia, William Frederick, Mary, Charles Buckingham, Samuel, Josephine, and Charlotte. Homer Merwin, son of Samuel and Mary Welch Mer- win, born July, 1812 ; died November, 1840. Charles Merwin, son of Samuel and Mary Welch Mer- win, born 1805, and married Aurelia C. Piatt, January 4th, 1827 ; died December 19th, 1867. His children were : George Piatt, Ixmi, October l()tli, 1828. Mary Susan, born October 5th, 1830. Samuel Clark, born March 22d, 1833. William Henry, born August 15th, 1835. John Welch, born January 10th, 1838. Caroline Elizabeth, born January 5th, 1841. Charles Homer, born September 30th, 1843. 80 HILLSDALE HISTORY. Miles Merwin, son of Miles and Mary Briscoe Merwin, and great grandson of John and Mary Merwin, born at tjie homestead (Merwin's Point), 1750, and married to Abigail Ann Beach, and settled at Merwin's Point ; died 1820. His children w^ere : Miles, born 1774. Abigail Ann, born 1771. Daniel, born 1779. Samuel, born 1782. Mary, born 1785. Anson, born 1788. Nathan, born 1791. Benedict, born 1794. Stephen Merwin, sou of Miles and Mary Briscoe Mer- win, born at Merwin's Point, and settled in Milford, where he married and had three children : David, Stephen and Huldah. Samuel Merwin, son of Miles and Mary Briscoe Mer- wiu, born at Merwin's Point, and never married. Mary Merwin, daughter of Miles and Mary Briscoe Merwin, born at Merwin's Point, and married Jeremiah Piatt, and settled in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Huldah Merwin, daughter of Miles and Mary Briscoe Merwin, born at Merwin's Point, and married Eli Smith, and settled in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Miles Merwin, son of Miles and Abigail Ann Beach Merwin, born at Merwin's Point, 1774, and married Julia Carrington, 1800 ; died in Milford, 1846. Abigail Ann Merwin, daughter of Miles and Abigail Ann Beach Merwin, born at Merwin's Point, 1771, and married Nat. Hepburn, 1795 ;died in New York city, 1861. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 81' Daniel Merwin, son of Miles and Abigail Ann Beach Merwin, born at Merwin's Point, 1779, and married Mary Tomlinson, 1807 ; died in Milford, 1858. Samuel Merwin, son of Miles and Abigail Ann Beach Merwin, born at Merwin's Point, 178'.^, and married Clar- ina B. Taylor, 1807 ; died in New Haven, 1856. Mary Merwin, daughter of Miles and Abigail Ann Beach Merwin, born at Merwin's Point, 1785, and married Rev. Charles Atwater, 1809, and settled in North Bran- ford, Conn. Anson Merwin, son of Miles and Abigail Ann Beach Merwin, born at Merwin's Point, 1788, and married Calina Tomlinson, 1812 ; died in Milford, 1868. Nathan Merwin, son of Miles and Abigail Ann Beach Merwin, born at Merwin's Point, 1791, and mai-ried Nancv Whiting, 1816. Marcus Merw^in, son of Samuel and Mary AVelch Mer- win, borii January 28th, 1817, and married Abigail Mar- tha Smith, February 3d, 1815 ; she having been born August 18th, 1830. They settled at Merwin's Point, and have had six children : Charles Philip, born November 15th, 1845 ; died Feb- ruary 7th, 1846. Charles Philip, born December 6th, 1846. Emma Virginia, born February 6th, 1849. Homer Smith, born February 9th, 1851. Julia Hudson, born April 30th, 1854 ; died July 4th, 1859. Harry Merryman, born March 14th, 1864. Charles Philip Merwin, son of Marcus and Abigail Martha Smith Merwin, born December 6th, 1846, and married Hattie Hitchcock, January, 1871. 29 82 HILLSDALE HISTORY. John Welch Merwin, son of Charles and Anna C. Piatt Merwin, lives on a part of the Merwiu's Point farm. He has no family. Benedict Merwin, son of Miles and Abigail Ann Beach Merwin, born 1794, and married Polly Isabel, 1818 ; died, 1868. He settled at Merwin' s Point, or Pond Point. Jesse Merwin, son of Daniel Merwin, born in Milford, Conn., August 25th, 1784, and settled in Kinderhook, N. Y., where he died November 8th, 1852. Jesse Merwin secured the love and esteem of all who knew him. He married Jane Van Dyck, October 16th, 1808. His children were : Daniel E., born Se]3tember 1st, 1812 ; died January 5th, 1865. Henry, born July 16th, 1814 ; died March 28th, 1866. Catharine, born March 11th, 1816. Asher, born March 30th, 1818. Cornelius, born April 30th, 1820 ; died June 30th, 1871. Albertine, born May 4th, 1822. Jane E., born December 19th, 1824. Samuel, born December 12th, 1826. David, born May 19th, 1829. W. J., born May 30th, 1834. W. J. Merwin, son of Jesse and Jane Van Dyck Mer- win, born in Kinderhook, May 30th, 1834, and married December 3d, 1856, to Mary Reynolds, who was born De- cember 23d, 1831. His children are : James R., born September 16th, 1857. Mary A. born August 8th, 1860. Clarence B., born March 21st, 1862. Katie, born June 30th, 1865. Louis, born January 21st, 1868. Ada, born April 21st, 1871. BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 88 The Merwin family having been an important root of the Collin family, has received a somewhat particular at- tention. Homogeneous and unique, like the people of New Eng- land generally, while partici])ating largeh' in the great and good characteristics of that people, they have been free from the bigotry and avarice that has characterized too many of them. One of their interesting characteristics is their attach- ment to their old ancestral home, it having remained in possession of the family two hundred and twenty-seven years. Their longevity — many of them living from seventy to ninety years — is, no doubt, the result of wise and temper- ate habits. Their high moral characteristics are evinced in the fact that most of them are members, and some of them are clergymen, of the difierent religious denominations. And, notwithstanding their numbers extending through cen- turies of the past and over a vast extent of country, all have been characterized for intelligence, integrity, indus- try, enterprise and high social dispositions. Another branch of the family of Miles Merwin, who was born in Wales, in 1623, is as follows : He had a son Miles, born in Connecticut, 1658, who had a son Daniel born in 1685, who had a son Daniel, born in 1718, who had a son James, born in 1739, who had a son Hemon, born 1767, who had a son James, who was born in 1777, who had a son Alanson, who was born in 1801. Alan son Merwin married Amanda Kemball, January 13th 1825, and on account of the celebration of their golden wedding on the 13th of January 1875, the following pamphlet was published : 84 HILLSDALE HISTOBY. GOLDEN WEDDING. MEEWIN — KIMBALL. 1825—1875. MARRIED. At Leyden, Lewis County, N. Y., on the 13tli day of Jan- uary, 1825, by the Eev. Ruel Kimball, Alanson . Merwin, to Amanda Kimball, both of Leyden. Now at their Golden Wedding it is deemed ajipropri- ate to place in form for preservation, some records and facts hastily gathered, concerning the families of Merwin and Kimball, thus united. Miles Merwin, the ancestor of the Merwins in Amer- ica, was born about 162.3, in the North of Wales, or Eng- land, and in 1645, being then b3^ trade, a tanner, emigrat- ed to New England, and settled in the town of Milford, Connecticut, there becoming the owner of a large tract of land, situated on Long Island Sound, and now known as Pond Point or Merwin's Point. This town was originally called "Wepowage," and its settlement commenced in 1639, the settlers being mostly from the counties of Essex, Hereford and York, in England. Miles died at Milford, April 23, 1697, aged 74. He had a numerous family as follows : Eliza, who married a Mr. Canfield ; John, born in 1650, and who settled at the homestead : Abigail, who married Abel Holbrook); Thomas, who settled at Nor- walk, Connecticut : Samuel, born August 21, 1656, mar- ried Sarah Woodin, and settled at NeAv Haven ; Miles, born Dteceraber 14, 1658 ; Daniel, born 1661, and died young ; Martha, Mary, Hannah, and Deborah, who mar- ried a Mr. Burwell.*^ Miles, the son, was married in^Sep- tember, 1681, and had a son Daniel, who was born at BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 85 Milford about* 1685. This Daniel moved to Dm-liam, Couiiecticut, about 1710, and was a proprietor there in 1721. He had a sou Daniel, Jr., born about 1716, who married Elizabeth Wells, December 20, 1788. Of this marriage was born James Merwin, on October 19th, 1739. The wife Elizabeth, died October 29, 1739, and the hus- band married again in 1711 and had other children, tlie descendants of some of whom are now living in the vicin- ity of Kingston and Prescott, in Canada. James Merwin married Martha Smith, who was born in 1736, and died August 2, 1808. They lived in Haddam, Connecticut, where James died, February 13, 1790. Of this marriage, there were born Hemon Merwin, on August 1, 1767, who died January 1, 1814; Elizabeth, born in 1769, and died young; Kebecca, May 13, 1771, married to Dan Carter about 1803, and died 1819 ; Anna, in 1773, and died young; Martha, December 1, 1774 who married James Clark in 1789, and died in 1819 ; James, June 5, 1777, who married Esther Smith, and died at Leyden, !New York, February 13, 1865 ; Daniel, December 1, 1779, and died in 1836. Hemon Mekwin, above named, married Anna Brooks, on Mixj 6, 1790, and liad children as follows : David, born August 1, 1791, (settled in Illinois ;) Heman, January 9, 1791; Anna, ISovember 19, 1795, (wife of Charles Clark, of Fulton, New York; j Simon, December 29, 1797, (now of Frankfort Station, Will County, Hlinois ;) Dolly B., September 3, 1800, (widow of Kobert Graham, deceased, of Haskell Flats, Cattaraugus County, New York ;) Calvin ij., January 10, 1803, (now of Phoenix, Oswego County, New York ;) Smith, February 8, 1805, (a physician in Michigan ;) James, January 14:, 1807, (who settled in Illi- nois, and left a son, James Merwin of Waterloo, Iowa.) Dan and Kebecca Carter, above named, had children as follows : Worthy, of Turin, New York ; William, of Fox Lake City, Wisconsin, deceased : Salona, of Consta- 86 HILLSDALE HISTOEY. bleville, Lewis County, deceased ; Eebeccia ; Esther Ann, wife of Solomon Reed, of Lowville, New York. Of the third generation of this branch, we are now informed of George Carter, of Turin, New York ; Elmer Carter, of Omaha, Nebraska ; Helen A. Gould, of Saginaw, Michi- gan ; Jennie F. Mallorj, of Fox Lake City, Wisconsin ; Sophia Kyder, of Seymour, Connecticut ; Norris M. Car- ter, of Iowa; Maria C. Francis, of Carthage, New York ; Sarah A. McNally, of Green Castle, Indiana ; Dora A, Mills, of Lowville, New York ; Elizabeth M. Plummer, Clark li. Wallace, Jennie L. Platner and Worthy S. Wallace, of Independence, Iowa ; Eliza E. Andre, of Mechanicsville, Iowa ; Albert E. Wallace, of Lowville, New York. Daniel, (born as above stated, December 1, 1779,) had sons Benjamin, Hezekiah, Daniel, Timothy and James. Of' these, Benjamin had sons, William, of Hastings Cen- tre, and Smith, of Voluer, New York. James, (born as above stated, June 5, 1777,) moved in 1800 with his wife Esther, from Haddam, Connecticut, to Leyden, N. Y., then a wilderness, and settled on the farm he owned and occupied until his death. His wife died April 30, 1865. She was born at Haddam, February 5, 1782, and was the daughter of Lewis Smith and Anne Hubbard his wife. They had two other children, Han- nah, wife of Allen Augur, and Catharine, wife of Joseph Stimpsou, both of whom settled early at Leyden. The sole representative of the family of Mrs. Augur, is Lewis Augur, of San Francisco, California. The family of Mrs. Stimpson, were Sydney, (now deceased,) Nelson, Joseph, Catharine, (now deceased,) Lucinda, Sabra, Clinton, Mary Ann, (noAv deceased,) Sylvester, (now deceased,) and Martin. The only child of James and Esther Merwin, was Alan- son Merwin, born at Leyden, February 23, 1801. Before leaving this branch, may it be permitted to the BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 87 grandchildren of James Merwin, to stop one moment and recall some of the incidents of his life, and some of the traits of his character, as learned from his own lips, or from those who early knew him. Born during the Revo- lution, his cliildhood was familiar with its trials and suc- cesses. Early left fatherless and poor, his education was barely enough to enable him to read and write, experi- ence must give him whatever else he might need. At about sixteen years of age, he was apprenticed to learn the trade of a blacksmith, and at that school he graduated with a reputation second to none, for industry, knowledge of his trade, and faithfulness to the interest of his em- ployer. With this capital and a good constitution, he started in life, and for several years was engaged at his trade at Haddam, Middletown, and the sea coast, being much employed as a ship blacksmith upon vessels being built on the Connecticut River. But the desire to obtain homes, operated then as ever, and transferred him with others, in the year 1800, to the Black River Valley, whither the tide of emigration from his locality tended. The settlements then in New York State, west of Albany, were few and scattering. Utica was but a hamlet in a swampy valley. Boonville had but two or three houses, and here and there in the woods beyond was a settler, who had built his log house, and was clearing and burn- ing for cultivation. Travel then was by the ox team or on foot. The bear and the Indian were the neighbors, men then were hardy and industrious, and foremost among them was James Merwin. At first he could buy and pay for but ten acres of land, and his practice was not to run in debt. His log house he built for himself and wife, and commenced to clear and till. During the day he worked on his farm, and at night he was at his forge as work might come in. One fall within a year or two after his arrival, he went on foot back to Connecticut, worked there during the winter at his trade, in ship build- 88 HILLSDAiE HISTOEY. ing, and iu the spring returned witli funds enougli to buy him another ten acres. During the war of 1812, he served with tlie militia, when called out to Sackett's Harbor. After the war he continued his farming, always attending faithfully to his business and performing all his engage- ments, careful in all things, temperate, kind and humane, inteilectuallj sti'ong and sound in judgment, never neg- lecting his duties to his family, to society, or as a citizen, modest in his demeanor, never putting himself forward in the way of otliers. Firmness and dignity of character, and strict uprightness were among his marked character- istics. In education he was always interested, sending his son to the Lowville Academy, and Clinton Institute. For sixty-five years, he with his faithful, intelligent and ca[)able wife, sharing his labors and burdens and pleas- ures, lived upon the farm, they in their youth selected for a home, and lived to see the wilderness turned into fruit- ful fields, their child and grandchildren grown up and be- come settled iu life, and their great grandchildren gather about them, and lisp their names with aflection and ven- eration. The KiMBALLS were at Ipswich, Mass., from 1650, and were numerous, originating probably with Richard Kim- ball, who came from Ipswich, England, in 1634. Henry, son probably of Richard, was at Ipswich in 1640, and Thomas was at Charlestown in 1658. Boyce Kimball, a descendant of Richard, was born at Ipswich, June 26, 1731, and the record of the family of himself and Rebecca, his wife, is thus : Boyce, born March 4, 1757 ; Rebecca, July 9, 1759 ; Jonathan, July 23, 1761 ; Ebenezer, Decem- ber 3, 1764 ; Mary, September 11, 1767 ; Susanna, July 24, 1769 ; Priscilla, November 21, 1771 ; Timothy, Decem- ber 21, 1773 ; Richard, May 19, 1775 ; Amasa^, May 23, 1777 : Ruel, December 20, 1778. About January 1, 1799, Ruel married Hannah Mather, and settled in Marlboro, "Vermont, being a Presbyterian Minister. Their family BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 89 record stands thus : Euel, born Deceraber 24, 1799 ; Amanda, April 13, 1802, at Marlboro, Vermont; Cotton, June 7, 1804 ; Huldali, August 1, 1806, at Leray, died August 22, 1827; Alonzo, November 20, 1808, now of Green Bay, Wisconsin; David M., November, 25, 1810, died, Augiist 1, 1813 ; David M., August 26, 1813, died, October 23, 1857 ; Lucy, July 31, 1815, now wife of Kev. Henry Bannister, of Evanston, Illinois; Mary, December 18, 1817, died, March 4, 1852 ; Harriet, January 14th, 1820, died, February 12, 1823 ; Martin L., September 24, 1826, now of Berlin, Wisconsin. Ruel Kimball, Sr., died, October 1, 1847, at East Hampton, Massachusetts, and his wife Hannah, died at Leyden, March 9, 1860. She was the daughter of Timothy Mather and Hannah Church, his wife, whose family record stands thus : Parents, Tim- othy Mather, born at Marlboro, Yermont, March 1, 1757, died, March 18, 1818; Hannah, his wife, born November 26, 1756, died, October 13, 1827. Children, Lucy, born February 26, 1780 ; Hannah, July 1, 1781 ; David, August 6, 1783. Timothy, July 24, 1785 ; Lois, June 10, 1787 ; William, August 15, 1789 ; Cotton, March 25, 1791 ; Enos, March 15, 1793 ; Dan, May 6, 1795 ; Phila, June 23, 1797. Timothy Mather, Sr., was descended from Richard Mather, who was born of an ancient family in Lowton, Parish of Winwick, Lancanshire, England, and settled as a minister, at Dorchester, Massachusetts, in 1635, being the grandfather of Cotton Mather. In the life and character of Rev. Ruel Kimball, as well as in that of his wife, Hannah, there was much that is in- teresting and instructive, and that deserves a place in the memories of their descendants. Mr. Kimball, with but a common education, prepared himself for the ministry, at a time when its duties were more than ordinarily labori- ous and self-denying, and when the burdens, too, rested heavily on the wives. At first, located in Marlboro, Ver- mont, he left there about 1805 for Leray, Jefferson 90 HILLSDALE HISTORY. County, and there remained till about 1816, when he moved to Leyden, and there lived till his death. Though strict in his religious views and habits, he was still pater- nal and kind. His heart was always open to the unfor- tunate, and his benevolence was constant, and in amount up to the scriptural standard. In demeanor he was dig- nified and impressive, earnest and thoughtful ; as a christian preacher, beyond reproach. His wife was well fitted for her position, was a woman of more than ordi- nary ability, and morally and intellectually, her standard was high, and she so taught her children. "Her children arise up and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praise th her." Mr. and Mrs. Alanson Merwin immediately after their marriage, in 1825, went to live upon their farm upon the East Road in Leyden, where they have ever since resided. Their house, small at first, has been necessarily enlarged from time to time, but it is the Old Homestead still. Their children are James A. Merwin, of Port Leyden, New York, Huldah K. 8axe, wife of Rev. George G. 8axe, of Stamford, Connecticut, and Milton H. Merwin, of Utica, New York. THE ANNIVERSARY. Those born in Lewis County, or familiar with its cli- mate, will appreciate the uncertainties of travel or endur- ance, in that locality for any day m the month of Janu- uary. The 13th day of January, 1875, was not an excep- tion. The elements reminded us of earlier days. How- ever, the children, with their life companions, succeeded in reaching the homestead frcmi different and distant lo- calities. The grandchildren were held in reserve. The parents, for their years, wonderfully sustained themselves and met the day with such joy and gratitude as only those in like circumstances can appreciate. Without, the storm raged furiously, piling up the snow and intensify- BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 91 iiipj the cold. Witliiu, were glad and joyous hearts, and mingled voices all in harmony, ready to greet the occa- sion looked forward to with so much interest by all. Many of the friends we hoped to see were necessarily absent, but in memory we gathered them all. The old familiar rooms were summerized, the beautiful calla and the fragrant heliotrope, the carnation and the rose, and the waxen green of the smilax were there, ty]nfying the ideas of the occasion. Many letters were read, many re- miniscences were called up, and with good cheer for body and mind, the day passed rapidly away. And finally as we parted, we adjourned to meet again. Do voU-idc, the coming summer, when we hope all the grandchildren will be present to enjoy the renewed festivities and pleasui-es, and be enlivened by the spirit of the Old Home. We append some extracts from communications re- ceived for the golden wedding. FKOM ALONZO KIMBALL, ESQ., OF GEEEN BAY, WISCONSIN. To my hroiher ami sister : •'Allow me, youi' yoniifj;er brother, to congratulate j'ou on this happy retnru of your tiftieth wedding day. An occasion of this kiuil is not common, aud occurs in the history of a family' only here and there. Fifty years have been born and grown old since occurred that happy event in your lives. Well I remember that day and the jihace where. It was in the parlor of the old house, situated on the east side of the old State road, on Leyden Hill. That old house I can see it yet, though I helped to tear it away years agoue. TJiat old parlor was not vtry spacious nor ornately tinished, nor fashionably furnished. There was no carved furniture, no richly wrought ottomans,, no fashionable cushioned sofas or chairs. No velvet carpet covered the floor. The walls were not evt^n papered, nor doors or casings painted, and to come to the })lain truth, all the surroundings were very plain, a plain common parlor, plain common furniture, and very i)lain people tilled it on that occasion. But joy abounded, and virtue and happiness had a home there, and in your hearts were high aspirations and a determined purpose and firm resolve to battle manlully with the conflicts of life before you. Our venerated father, many years gone to his rest, officiated on that occasion, and you stood upon the west side of that old parlor, and with joined hands you solemnly pledged ycur loves till death should you separate, and then 92 HILLSDALE HISTORY. and there our father pronouncerl you lawtnllj' wedded, husband and wife, and fervently invoked the divine blessing to rest on yoii and yours thi'ough all the devious ways of life's pathway. Then followed congratu- lations and many hearty good wishes, and an abundance of right hearty good cheer, suitable to the time and occasion. Can you recall the names of the guests on that occasion ? I remember some of them. The Fish family and the Ferrys, but I cannot name all. But, alas, vei'y few of them still live, only in th'^ spirit world. But a kind Providence has spared you, and crowns your lives with many and rich blessings. * * * If you travel in mind through your streets from North to South and from East to West, you will discover very few that were in their manhood fifty years ago. Call to mind the changes that have taken place in these fifty years, changes in the political world, chanpes in the social and moral world. The improvements in the arts and the discoveries in the sciences, the improvements in farming and horticulture, while railroads and telegraph lines intersect the land in all directions. In fact, you have witnessed the introduction of a new civilization, and in all these changes you have not been idle lookers on, but heli>ers instead, in pro- ducing them, part and parcel of them." FROM REV. HENRY BANNISTER, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS. * * * "The event is not more rare than it is of most thrilling inter- est, that two persons, joined in holy wedlock in their youth, survive to see the fiftieth year of their marriage. With yon, the j'ears past have been peaceful, prosperous and happy. Our kind Heavenly Father has ever continued his tender hand upon and with you. Your pathway has been strewed with flowers rather than with thorns. The usual common perplexities you have had, but as to trials, you have had none worth mentioning. The most precious interests of your household are your children. These you reared and educated, and sent out into the world to do good, and their career thus tar has made you happy. They are with you this day, and, as far as possible, with their own children, all to bless you. Their affection and honor, you have always had, and with your increasing years, their reverence will grow and their blessings will multiply upon you. The same reverence will be upon your names when you are gone. The more we think of it, your lives together, seem a mar- vel to us. No sickness ol serious account, no deaths in your own circle, no interruptions to worldly prosperity, nothing but joy in your children and grandchildren ; unnumbered comforts surrounding you to this mo- ment ; vicissitudes all in an ascending grade of blessings throughout — so far as this world has gone with you, golden lives, as well as golden wedding — for all which, no doubt, this occasion finds you overflowing with gratitude to God. Your brothers and sisters thank God in your be- half. Fain would we all be with yon and join grateful hearts in this festivity of your lives. The years are rapidly passing with us all. None BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 93 of HP are without occasion for deep gratitude for the goodness of God to us all. The time allotted for the reinaiiiiof;; duties assif^ned to each of us is short. May it be spent in the fear and love of God, and be closed with the consciousness that our work has been well dont." * * * Another branch of the family of the original Miles Merwin and his son Miles, is as follows : John, son of Miles 2cl, born 1650, his son John 2d, born 1680. He had a son Joseph, who was one of the old land proprietors of New Milford, Conn., and he had a son David, born Oc- tober 11th, 1746, and died April 25th, 1826. He had a son Orange Merwin, born April 7th, 1777, who became a member of Congress in 1826 — 1827. His children were Caroline, Henry,Tryphena, Harriet, Charlotte and Horace. Henry was born in 1803, and died in 1880. For twenty years he was a justice of the peace, and five years a select- man, one year an assessor,two years in the State Legisla- ture, and one year in the State Senate. After which he removed to Gaylordsville, were he died. In the military he used to be the colonel of the 4th Connecticut Cavalry. There are other branches of the Merwin family, of the same characteristics with the foregoing, among whom were distinguished clergymen and jurists. Rev. Abner Morse, born at Med way, Mass., September 5th, 1793 ; died at Sharon, Mass., May 16th, 1865 ; gradu- ated at Brown University, 1816. He was distinguished as a genealogist, and he published a memorial of the Morses, in 1850. Rev. Jedediah Morse, born at Woodstock, Conn., August 23d, 1761 ; died at New Haven, June 9th, 1826. He graduated at Yale College, 1783. He was the first prominent geographer of America. Among his children were : 94 HILLSDALE HISTORY. Samuel Finley Bruce, born April 27tli, 1791. Sydney Edwards, born February 7tli, 1794. Samuel Finley Bruce Morse, born April 27th, 1791 ; died April 2d, 1872. He was the son of the Eev. Jede- diah Morse, and graduated at Yale College, 1810. He distinguished as a portrait painter and statuary, and is immortalized as the author and discoverer of the Electric Telegraph. He edited the poems, with a biographical sketch, of Lucretia Maria Davidson, to whose grand- mother, Deidama Morse Collin, he was related. Sydney Edwards Morse, son of Eev. Jedediah Morse, born at Charlestown, Mass., February 7th, 1794 ; died in New York, December 23d, 1871. He was distinguished as a journalist, and was the author and discoverer of sev- eral useful inventions. Elijah Matson, born October, 1768, and married Sarah Grinell, December, 1796. They had a son, John, born February 3d, 1806, who married Margaret Waterman, September 10th, 1833, whose children were : Cordelia, born November 22d, 1834. Alvin, born December 10th, 1836. Chloe, born May 31st, 1840. James, born May 2oth, 1842. Lewis, born October 11th, 1844. Lydia A., born January 12th, 1847. George T., born January 24th, 1851. Sarah O., born Febru.iry 17th, 1853. Chloe Matson, daughter of John and Margaret Water- man Matson, born in Waterloo, Indiana, May 31st, 1840, and married Henry Alonzo Collin, son of Henry. Augus- tus and Sarah Ann White Collin, June 30tli, 1868, by whom she has one child, Ruthie, born June 16tli, 1869. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 95 Deidama Morse, sister of Josiali Morse, of Hillsdale, N. Y., born in Connecticut, February 22cl, 1748, and mar- ried Captain Oliver Davidson, of Canterbury, Conn., 1779 ; died in Hillsdale, June 9tli, 1821. Her children were : Oliver, born in Canterbury, 1781. Joseph, born in Canterbury, 178B. Anna, born in Canterbury, 1785. After the decease of her husband, Oliver Davidson, and on the l.Stli of May, 1792, she married Captain John Col- lin. Her granddaughters, Lucretia Maria and Margaret Miller Davidson, possessed poetic talents of the highest order. JosiAH Morse, brother of Deidama Morse Collin, re- sided in Hillsdale, N. Y., and died, 1802. By his last will and testament, executed June 7th, 1801, he bequeathed his estate to his wife, Mehitable, and his brothers Ben- jamin and Peter Morse, and his nephews, John and Josiah Morse, and to his friend, Charles Frederick ; and he ap- l)ointed his brother-in-law, John Collin, to be his execu- tor. The witnesses to the will were, Charles Whitwood, Asa Alger and Thomas Andrews. The will was admitted to probate, July 14th, 1802, by W. W. Yan Ness, Surro- gate, before whom the executor, John Collin, duly quali- fied. Capt. John Morse, father of Virginia Morse, and father- in-law of Leonidas Price Hamline, was born in Virginia, and died in California, January 12th, 18GG. Theodosia, wife of Capt. John Morse, was born in New Jersey. She had a daughter — Virginia, — born November 9tli, 1835. She had been previously married to Dr. Eees, of Philadelphia, who died without children. Virginia Morse, daughter of John and Theodosia Morse, was born at Ripley, Ohio, November 9th, 1835, 96 HILLSDALE HISTORY. and married to Leonidas Price Hamline, December 31st, 1850. Her children are ; Leonidas Morse, born October 5tli, 1852. John Henry, born Marcli 23d, 1856. Eliza, born February 6tli, 1859 ; died February 26tli, 1859. Theodosia, born June 30tli, 1862. Virginia Melinda, born March 23d, 1866. Othneil Moses, maternal grandfather of Leonidas Lent Hamline, was born on Long Island, N. Y., in 1728, and married to Sarah Pinny, of Windsor, Conn. ; died in Bur- lington, 1816. He had eleven children, and served as a soldier in the French war, and as a captain in the war of the Revolution. His wife was born in Windsor, Conn., 1734; died in Burlington, Conn., 1822. His children were : Otheneil, Beuben, Eliliu, Isaac, Polly, Dorcas, Koxany, Olive, Rhoda and Cynthia. Othneil Moses, son of Othneil and Sarah Pinny Moses, born on Long Island, N. Y.,and married Polly David, and settled in Burlington, Conn., where he died. He served as a captain in the war of the Revolution. Reuben Moses, son of Othneil and Sarah Pinny Moses, born on Long Island, N. Y., and married Hannah Brooks. He was a soldier in the war of the Revolutton. Elihu Moses, son of Othneil and Sarah Pinny Moses, born in Burlington, Conn., and married Miss Brooks, and settled in Cleveland, Ohio, and served in the war of 1812, and was on board of Perry's fleet in the battle on lake Erie, and died in the lake, leaving a wife and four chil- dren. Isaac Moses, son of Othneil and Sarah Pinny Moses, died in the Florida war. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 97 Sarah Moses, daugliter of Otlmeil and Sarah Pinny Moses, married John Balcli, and settled in New York city. Polly Moses, daughter of Othneil and Sarah Pinny Moses, married Hezekiah Richards, of New Harford,Conn. Dorcas Moses, daughter of Othneil and Sarah Pinny Moses, married Joel Dorman, of Burlington, Conn. RoxANY Moses, daughter of Othneil and Sarah Moses, born in Burlington, Conn., 1767, and married to Mark Ham line. They were the parents of the Rev. Leonidas Lint Hamline. Olive Moses, daugliter of Othneil and Sarah Pinny Moses, married Mr. Walker, and settled in Homer, N. Y. Rhoda Moses, daughter of Othneil and Sarah Pinny Moses, married a German, who was subsequently lost at sea. Cynthia Moses, daughter of Othneil and Sarah Pinny Moses, married John Talbot, of Hartford county, Conn., and settled in Clarendon, Ohio ; she died in 1856. The children of Otlmeil and Sarah Pinny Moses, with but two exceptions, lived to an advanced age, and were distin- guished for piety, and the men for military services. Rachael Moses, sister of Othneil Moses, was born on Long Island, N. Y., and Married to Mr. Wilcox, and set- in New Hartford, Conn. She was a woman of great fort- itude ; and during the French war, while her husband and sons were in the army, she rendered important ser- vices as nurse and physician to the inhabitants of her own and the adjoining towns. Orville McAlpin, son of John McAlpin, bom in Hills- dale, November 29th, 1814, and married Lavina Becker, 98 HILLSDALE HISTORY. daughter of John P. and Elizabeth Clum Becker, January 1st. 1851. Their children were : Mary Caroline, born November 25th, 1851 ; died Sep- tember, 1855. Lucy, born September 3d, 1857. Mary Caroline McAlpin, daughter of Orville and Lavi- na Becker McAlpin, born November 25th, 1851, and died September 15th, 1855. She was a most amiable and in- teresting child, and intelligent above her years. And thus early passing to the grave, illustrates the adage, that Death loves a shining mark. JohnNoxon, of Great Barrington, Mass., married Nancy Johnson, daughter of Artemas and Susan Sherwood John- son, and granddaughter of Hannah Collin Sherwood. They had one child, Jeseph. Hiram Niles, of Connecticut, married Chloe Robinson, daughter of Gain and Chloe Bradish Eobinson. They had one son and five daughters. Matthew Orr, of Bridge water, Mass., married Mary Robinson, daughter of James and Jerusha Bartlet Robin- son, and moved to Nine Partners, Dutchess county, N. Y. After his decease, she moved to Palmyra, Wayne county, N. Y. Her children were : Margaret, Anna, John, James, Watson, and Corbet- Margaret married John Stafford, of Rhode Island. Anna married John Averil. John and James went to Ohio. Watson settled in Schoharie county, N. Y., and rep- resented that county in the State Legislature in 1834. Corbet Orr commanded a sloop on the Hudson river for some years. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 99 David Ore, of Bridge water, Mass., married Elizabeth Corbet, a granddaughter of Gain and Margaret Watson Robinson, and moved to Nine Partners, Dutchess county, N. Y. After his decease she married John Yandusen of Hillsdale. Hugh Orr, of Bridge water, Mass., moved to Hillsdale, N. Y., and married Miss Heath. Egbert Orr resided in Hillsdale, and was brother of Matthew, David and Hugh Orr. Mary Osboen, daughter of Melvin Osborn, of Michigan, married David Lonson Becker, son of John P. ajid Eliz- abeth Glum Becker, and settled in Benton, Yates county, N. Y. She has one daughter, Lizzie. Harriet N. Osborn, daughter of Melvin Osborn, of Michigan, born 1822, and married George Sornborger, of Hillsdale, died September 19th, 1871. Her children were : Mary, born August 11th, 1851 ; died April 1st, 1857. Florence, born September 11th, 1855. Avery Park, born in Preston, Conn., December 23d, 1781, and married Betsey Meech, September 14th, 1806, and settled in Burlington, Otsego county, N. Y., 1809. Their children are : Roswell, born October 1st, 1807. Daniel A., born September 13th, 1810. Harriet, born March 3d, 1814. Eliza, born October 13th, 1816. Maria L., born March 13tli, 1820. Clarissa, born January 22d, 1822. Roswell Park, son of Avery and Betsey Meech Park, born October 1st, 1807, and married Mary B. Bahvdin, •^'i^'M December 28th, 1836. After her death, in October 23d, 100 HILLSDALE HISTOEY. 1854, lie married Elizabeth Niles, of Wisconsin, April 25tli, 1860. He died July 16tli, 1869. Eoswell Park pos- sessed poetic talents of a very high order, of which the following extract, written when only sixteen years of age, is an evidence : Wlien storms are uplifting the waves of the ocean, Or when the bright sunbeams enliven the clay, When nature inspires us v»ith warmest emotion, We still think of kindred and friends far away. When time has fled by and our absence is finished, To scenes of enjoyment we cheerfully come ; And still our affection remains undiminished For much beloved kindred and thrice welcome home. Daniel A. Park, son of Avery and Betsey Meech Park, born September 13tli, 1810, and married Emeline E. Rhodes, January 1st, 1834 Haeriet Park, daughter of Avery and Betsey Meech Park, born March 3d, 1814, and married Russell G. Dorr, of Hillsdale, Sej^tember 19th, 1832, by whom she has had two children, Martin H., and Harriet. Eliza Park, daughter of Avery and Betsey Meech Park, born October 13th, 1816, and married Norton S. Collin, of Hillsdale, September 23d, 1837. Her children are : Eliza, born February 27th, 1839. Lucy, born February 21st, 1841. Norton Park, born June 9th, 1842. Virginia, born August 26th, 1851 ; died August, 1856. Cordora, born May 10th, 1858. Maria L. Park, daughter of Avery and Betsey Meech Park, born March 13th, 1820, and married Henry Clark Collin, of Benton, Yates county, N. Y. Her children are : Henry Park, born Julj' 26th, 1843. Charles Avery, born May 18th, 1846. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 101 Mary Louise, born June 7th, 1848. Frederick, born August 2d, 1850. Emeline, born February 16tli, 1852. George, born February 3d, 1854. William Welch, born January 2d, 1856. Frank McAlpin, born September 17th, 1859. Clarissa Park, daughter of Avery and Betsey M eech Park, born January 22d, 1822, and married David Collin, son of David and Anna Smith Collin, October 22d, 1845, by whom she had nine children : David, born January 6tli, 1847 ; died November 3d, 1862. Edward, born September 30th, 1848. Clara Park, born May 25th, 1850. Ros^well Park, born January 4th, 1852. Charles Lee, born November 23d, 1853. Harriet, born August 14th, 1856. Miriam, born February 7th, 1859. William Taylor, born March 28th, 1861. Daniel Francis, born November 16th, 1863. Eltweed Pomeroy, of Northampton, Massachusetts, died May 22d, 1662. His chileren were : Medad, Eldad, John, and Joseph. Medad Pomeroy, son of Eltweed Pomeroy, had a son Ebenezer, who married Miss King, of Northampton, and their children were : John, Ebenezer, Sarah, Simeon, Jonali, Setli, Daniel, and Thankful. Seth Pomeroy, son of Ebenezer, and grandson of Dea- con Medad Pomeroy, born at Northampton, Massachu- setts, 1707, and married Miss Hunt ; died in the war of the Revolution, 1777, and was buried with the honors of war near the Baptist Church in Peekskill, N. Y. His chil- 31* 102 HILLSDALE HISTORY. dreu were : Seth, Quartus, Medad, Lemuel, Martha, Mary, Sarah, and Asaheh He engaged, while quite young, in military duties, and was a captain in 1744, and a major at the capture of Louisburg in 1745. In 1755, he was lieutenant colonel in AVilliams' regiment, and was the chief commander in the battle with the army of General Diskau. His regiment was most prominent, and suifered most in gaining the victory at Lake George. He was a delegate to the Prov- incial Congress in 1774 and 1775. In October 1774, he, with Preble and Ward, were chosen general officers ; and in February, 1775, a brigadier generah He was in the hottest of the light at Bunker's Hill, and a few dnjH after was appointed senior brigadier general, and died in the army, 1777. Lemuel Pomeroy, son of Seth Pomeroy, born 1737, was forty years a member of the State Legislature ; died at Southampton, December, 1819. Quartus Pomeroy, son of General Seth Pomeroy, mar- ried and had live children : Thaddeus, George, Seth, Martha, and Hannah. Seth Pomeroy, son of Quartus Pomeroy, married Han- nah Wells, and had seven children : Quartus Wells, George Eltweed, Henry Brown, Louis Dwight, Thaddeus, Seth, Martha Whitlesey, and Mariah Ashman. George Eltweed Pomeroy, son of Seth, and grandson of Quartus, and great grandson of General Seth Pomeroy, married Hellen E. Robinson, daughter of Gain and Chloe Bradish Eobinson. and settled in Toledo, Ohio. Their children were ; Two Hellen Augustas, Martha Hannah, Mary Jane, Maria Louise, George Eltweed, Mary Robin- son, and Thaddeus. Of these, one Hellen Augusta, Mary Jane, and Thaddeus, are dead. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. lOB Hellen Augusta Pomeroy, daughter of George Eltweed and Hellen E. Robinson Pomeroy, married Geo. S. Thor- bnu. The Pomeroys descended from Sir Ralph de Pomeroy, a knight in the army of William the Conqueror, whom he accompanied to England, and for his distinguished services the King granted him fifty manors in Derbyshire, and several in Somersetshire, upon which he built a castle, which is still in tolerable preservation, and occupied by his descendants. When the Earl of Essex was Lord Lieutenant of Ire- land, one of the younger branches of the Pomeroy family accompanied him in the capacity of chaplain, and among his descendants is Major-General John Pomeroy, who served in the British army in America during the revolu- tionary war. The branch from which all the Pomeroys in the United States descended, emigrated about the year 1G35, and consisted of two brothers, Eltweed and Eldred, who first settled at Dorchester, near Boston. Daniel Quincy, born in England, and emigrated to this country, settled in Boston and married Ann Shephard, daughter of the Rev. Thomas Shephard, of that town, and granddaughter of the Rev. Thomas Shephard, of Cambridge. He was a goldsmith by occupation, and died August 10th, 1690. He had two children, Ann and John. Ann Quincy, daughter of Daniel and Ann Shephard Quincy. born in Boston, June 1st, 1685, and married Col. John Holman, of Milton, Mass., and settled in Bridge- water, Mass., where she died, leaving five children, John, Ann, Peggy, Ruth, and Mary. She was the great grand- mother of Ruth Holman Collin, of Hillsdale. John Quincy, son of Daniel and Ann Shephard Quincy, born in Boston, July 21st, 1689, He graduated at Har- 104 HILLSDALE HISTOEY. vard University, 1708, and was for many years a member of the State Legislature and its speaker, and for several years a member of the council and a colonel in the militia. He died, July 13th, 1767, just two days after the birth of his celebrated great-grandson, John Quincy Adams, who, subsequently, inherited his estate. His daughter married the Kev. William Smith, of Weymouth, by whom she had two daughters, one of whom, Abigail, married ex-President John Adams, the other married Judge Crouch, of the United States court. George Robbins, born in Lenox, Mass., and married Jane S. Collin, daughter of James and Jane B. Hunt Col- lin, October 28tli, 1817, by whom he has had two children: Mary E., born in Ohio. James, born in New Marlborough, Mass. Nicholas Race, born December 25th, 1739. His wife, Lucretia. was born December 12tli, 1744. They settled in Egremont, Mass., and lived to very great age. Their children were : Andrew, Stephen, Abram, Rebecca, Isaac N., William, and others. Rebecca Race, daughter of Nicholas and Lucretia Race, born in Egremont, Mass., September 1st, 1781, and mar- ried to Charles Tullar, son of Seneca and Eunice TuUar, of Egremont, November 27tli, 1799 ; died in Sheffield, Mass., December 22d, 1861. Her children were : Seneca Charles, born February 10th, 1801. Tabitha Paulina, born March 'l6th, 1804. Isaac R., born May 4th, 1806. Pamelia Jane, born April 11th, 1808. David W., born May 31st, 1812. Lucretia, born May 22d, 1816. . William Frederick, born June 12th, 1818. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 105 Gain Kobinson, born in S(;otland, 1682, and (^mirrratod to Ireland, and married a wife, by whom he had two chil- dren, Archiliald and Susan. His wiie having died, he emigrated to this country and married Margaret Watson, and lived for a time in Braintree, Mass., and for a time at Pembroke, and finally settled in East Bridgewater. He had recommendations from the churches in Ireland, Braintree and Pembrt^ke. He died, 1763. His children by his last marriage were : Alexander. Joseph. Gain, born, 1724. Increase, born, 1727. Betty, born, 1728. James, born. 1730. John, born, 1732. Margaret, born, 1735. Mary, born, 1738. Martha, born, 1740. Jane, born, 1742. Kobert, born, 1746 Archibald Eobinson, sou of Gain Robinson, born in Ire- land, and emigrated to this country. He married Mercy Field, daughter of Richard Field, of Bridgewater, Mass., 1747, and had two sons : Robert, born, 1747. John, born, 1749. Susannah Robinson, daughter of Gain Robinson, born in Ireland, and emigrated to this countr}^ and married Christopher Erskine. Alexander Robinson, son of Gain and Margaret Wat- son Robinson, born in Braintree, Mass., and married Hannah White, 1745, and had a daughter, Abigail, 1746, and moved to Nova Scotia. 106 HILLSDALE HISTORY. Joseph Robinson, son of Gain and Margaret Watson Eobinson, born, 1722, and married Abigail Keitli, daugh- ter of Joseph Keith, 1746. Their chiklren were : Joseph, born, 1747. Benjamin, born, 1748. Edward, born, 1750. Susannah, born, 1753. Abigail, born, 1755. His wife, Abigail, having died, ho married Hannah Snow, daughter of Isaac Snow, 1759. Their children were: Isaac, born, 1760. Hannah, born, 1763. Snow, born, 1765. Having died in 1766, his estate was settled by his brother James. His son, Snow, died in the revolution- ary army, at West Point, 1783. Gain Eobinson, son of Gain and Margaret Watson Rob- inson, born 1724, and married Miss Dyer ; died in 1778. His children were : Gain, William, Increase, John, Dyer, born, 1765 ; Joseph, Ansel, Sally and Zibeali. James Robinson, son of Gain and Margaret Watson Robinson, born 1730, and married Jerusha Bartlet, daugh- ter of Ebenezer Bartlet, of Duxbury, Mass. His children were : James and Bartlet, twins, Watson, Abner, Gain, Clark, Jerusha Bartlet, born 1753, Margaret, born 1754, Mary, Elizabeth, Jane, Esther, Bethia. Previous to 1775 he lived on Clark's Island, in Plymouth harbor. From thence he moved to BridgeAvater, where he resided five years, and then moved to Cummington, Mass., where he died, 1793. James Robinson, son of James and Jerusha Bartlet Robinson, born 1750. He had a nautical education and BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 107 had the command of a ship at an early age, and in liis ship the first arms and military stores were brought from France at the commencement of the Revolutionary war. To get possession of some of the arms and munitions that he imported, brought on the first fight at Concord and Lexington, which roused the martial spirit of the nation. After the commencement of the war he left the ocean and took a command in the army and at the battles of Bun- ker's Hill and those fought with the army of Burgoyne, and sat beside the death-bed of his brother Abner, who fell in one of those battles. He died himself in the army near the close of the war. Bartlet Robinson, son of James and Jerusha Bartlet Robinson and twin brother of James Robinson, born 1750, and w^as with his brother on the ocean and most of the battles in the Revolutionary war, and died in the army. Watson Robinson, son of James and Jerusha Bartlet Robinson, born 1751, and married Anna Webster, of Goshen, Mass. He was in the battle of Bunker's Hill and served as a soldier through the war of the Revolu- tion, and died in Palmyra, N. Y., leaving s&veral children. Abner Robinson, son of James and Jerusha Bartlet Robinson, born 1761, and w^as killed in battle at Still- water, Saratoga county, N. Y., October, 1777. The cir- cumstances attending his death are worthy of considera- tion. It w^as during the darkest peiiod of the American Revolution. The British arms had been uniformly suc- cessful, and to their final success it seemed only neces- sary to establish a line of fortified posts from New York to Canada, by w^ay of the Hudson. To that end the army of Sir Henry Clinton had advanced from New York to Columbia county, and had burned the manor house of the Livingstons. The army of General Burgoyne had 108 HILLSDALE HISTORY. advanced from Canada to Sai'atoga county, and had burned tlie splendid mansion of General Scliuyler. To prevent the junction of those armies, General Washington sent some of his best troops under the command of Gen- eral Gates. Among those troops were the brothers James Bartlet and Watson Bobinson. Those troops were joined by a volunteer company from Bridgewater, Mass., under the com maud of Captain Jacob Allen, and in that com- pany were Thomas Latham and Abner Bobinson, boys of about sixteen years of age. In October, 1777, those troops gave battle to the army of Gen. Burgoyne. During the fight it became advisable to withdraw that Aving in which the Bridge water com- pany fouglit ; and while retiring before a pressing enemy, firing by platoons with all the order of veterans, Capt. Allen fell and was borne from the field. Soon after young Bobinson fell, mortally wounded, and the retiring troops were about to leave him, when his youthful companion stepped beside him. When admonished by his comrades that he would fall into the hands of the enemy, he re- plied, "This boy must be carried from the field, or I stay with him." This brought assistance, and Abnei- Bobin- son was in consequence permitted to die in his tent, with his brother James sitting beside him. This act of Thomas Latham has endeared the name to all who have in their veins the blood of the Bobinsons. Brave boys ! had I the genius of a Virgil, your names should be handed to posterity beside those of Nisus and Eurialus. Increase Bobinson, son of Gain and Margaret Watson Bobinson, born 1727, and married Bachael Bates, of Hing- ham, Mass., 1755, and died in the French war, 1756. He was a Sergeant under Gen. Wlnslow. Mary Bobinson, daughter of Gain and Margaret Watson Bobinson, born 1738, and married Bichard Bartlet, 1757. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 109 Martha Robinson, daughter of Gain and Marf,'ai-et Wat- son Robinson, born 1740, and married Archibald Thomp- son, 1761. John Robinson, son of Gain and Margaret Watson Rob- inson, born 173'2, and married Miss Studley. His (hiugh- ter, Martha, married Eliplialet Bailey, 1782. Robert Robinson, son of Gain and Margaret AVatson Robinson, born 1746, and married Bethiah Kingman, 1772. Their children were : Samuel, James, and others. They settled in Cummington, Mass. Benjamin Robinson, son of Joseph and Abigail Keith Robinson, born 1748, Mud married Eve Packard, daugh- ter of James Packard, 1770. Their children were : Anna, born 1771- Deborah, born 1777. Susannah, born 1781. Benjamin, born 1784. Kilboru, born 1787. Polly, born 1790. Hodijah, born 1793. His wife. Eve, died 1796, and he married Keziah, widow of Elijah Packard, and daughter of John Ames, 1798. Their children were : Nabby Lazell, born 1799, Bethiah Ames, born 1802. Margaret Watson, born 1806. He died 1829, and his wife, Keziah, died 1838. Anna Robinson, daughter of J3eujamin and Eve Packard Rbbinsfm, born 1771, and married Uriah Brett, 1799 Deborah Robinson, daughter of Benjamin and Eve Packard Robinson, born 1 777, married John Adams, 1798. 110 HILLSDALE HISTORY. Susannah Kobinson, daughter of Benjamin and Eve Parckard Robinson, born 1781, and married Icliabod Keith 1802. Polly Robinson, daughter of Benjamin and Eve Pack- ard Robinson, born 1790, and married Mr. Bradbury, of Maine, and after his decease she married a Mr. Herrick, of Boston. Nabby Lazell Robinson, daughter of Benjamin and Keziah Robinson, born 1799. and married Samuel P. Con- don 1821 ; died 1832. Bethiah Ames Robinson, daughter of Benjamin and Keziah Robinson, born 1802, and married Martin Rams- dell. Margaret Watson Robinson, daughter of Benjamin and Keziah Robinson, born 1806, and became the second wife of Samuel P. Condon. William Robinson, son of Gain and Miss Dyer Robin- son, married Hannah Eggerton, 1780; died 1816. Their children were : William, born 1784. Abigail, born 1786 ; died 1801. Marcus, born 1791. Sally, born 1795. Mary Hitchborn and Maria Dyer, twins, born 1799. William Robinson, son of William and Hannah Egger- ton Robinson, born 1781, and married Abigail Delano, of Duxbury, 1812. Marcus Robinson, son of William and Hannah Egger- ton Robinson, born 1791, and married Charlotte Barstow, of Pembroke, 1820. Sally Robinson, daughter of William and Haniiah Eg- gerton Robinson, born 1795, and married Henry Gray. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Ill Mary Hitchborn Eobinson, daiiohter of William and Haunali Eggerfcon Robiusou, born 1799, and married James Sidall. Dyer Eobinson, son of Dj^er and Abigail Stetson Eobinson, born 1792, and married Miss Standish. Gad Eobinson, son of Dyer and Abigail Stetson Eobin- son, born 1795, and married Margaret Orr Keith, 1821. Jacob Eobinson, son of Dyer and Abigail Stetson Eob- inson, born 1798, and married Elioda W. Chandler. Their children were : Caroline E., born, 1823. Jacob Harvey, born. 1826. Lydia Hall, born, 1827. Charles Eobinson, son of Dyer and Abigail Stetson Eobinson, married Ann Maria Keith. Salome Eobinson, daughter of Dyer and Abigail Stet- son Eobinson, married Zenas Keith, 1821. Abigail Eobinson, daughter of Dyer and Abigail Stet- son Eobinson, married Capt. Scott Keith. Capt. Benjamin Eobinson, son of Benjamin and Eve Packard Eobinson, born, 1784, and married Mary Pack- ard, 1809. Their children were : Benjamin Eoseter, James Lawrence ; Elijah Packard, born, 1816 ; Maiy, born, 1818. Their son, James Lawrence, died at sea, 1835. HoDiJAH Eobinson, son of Benjamin and Eve Packard Eolnuson, born, 1793, and married Silvia Orr, daughter of Hugh Orr, and had cme daughter, Lucia Watson Herbert. Gain Eobinson, son of James and Jerusha Bartlet Eob- inson, born January 24tli, 1771, and married Chloe Brad- 112 HILLSDALE HISTORY. isli, daugliter of Col. John Bradisli, of Cummington, Mass., 1796, and settled in Palmyra, N. Y. His children were : Amanda, William Culleu, Cains Cassius, Abigail Black- man, Clark, Erasmus Darwin, Charles Rollin, Chloe, Helen Elizabeth and Margaret Sophia. He was a man with talents of the first order, of fine ap- pearance, of easy and gentlemanly address, interesting in conversation, and distinguished as a physician. Died June 21st, 18-')2. Amanda Eobinson, daughter of Gain and Chloe Bradisli Robinson, born in Palmyra, Wayne county, IS. Y., and married Philip Grandeii, by whom she has had eleven children ; all now dead but two sons. Her son, William Granden, graduated at W est Point. William Cullen Kobinson, son of Gain and Chloe Brad- ish Robinson, born in Palmyra, N. Y. ; died m Illinois, unmarried. Caius Cassius Robinson, son of Gain and Chloe Bradish Robinson, born in Palmyra, IS. Y., and graduated at Pair- field, iS. Y., Medical College, and moved to Palmyra, in Michigan. In the twenty-fourth year of his age he mar- ried Eliza Warner, daughter of (Stephen Warner, of Cum- mington, Mass., and had one son, Eucius Gain, and died in the thirty-sixth year of his age. Abigail Blackman Robinson, daughter of Gain and Chloe Bradish Robinson, born in I'almyra, ]N. Y., and married Alexander B. Tiffany, an attorney, wJiu settletl in Palmyra, Michigan, and became distinguished in his pro- fession, and was raised to the bench. She had a large family of children, of whom only three are living — two daughters and one son. Claek Robinson, son of Gain and Chloe Bradish Rob- inson, born in l^almyra, IS. Y., and married Delia Strong, by whom he had one daughter, Mary. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 113 Erasjmts Darwin Eobinson, son of Gain and Chloe Bradisii Robinson, born in Palmyra, N. Y., and married Calista Peek, and had three children, all now deceased. He settled, and now lives, in White Pigeon, Michigan. Charles Rollin Robinson, son of Gain and Chloe Brad- isii Robinson, born in Palmyra, N. Y., and married Calista Corbett, and had one daughter, now deceased. He set- tled and cultivated a farm in Palmyra, Michigan. Chloe Robinson, daughter of Gain and Chloe Bradish Robinson, born in Palmyra, N. Y., and married Hiram Niles, of Connecticut, and has had one aon and live daughters. Clark Robinson, son of James and Jerusha Bartlet Robinson, born in Clark's Island, in Plymouth Harbor, Mass., and died in Cummington, Mass. Margaret Sophia Robinson, daughter of Gain and Chloe Bradish Robinson, born in Palmyra, N. Y, and married John E. Gavit, November 28tli, 181:0, and settled in Old Stockbridge, Mass. He is distinguished as an en- graver, and has long been employed by the Government of the United States in that important capacity. She has had nine children, four sons and live daughters : John, born August 4th, 1841 ; died a few months after. Joseph, born December 22d, 1842. Margaret, born March, 22d, 1845. William Edmonds, born February 10th, 1848. Hellen Elizabeth, born November 26th, 1849. Clark, born June 27th, 1851. Julia Niles, born February 22d, 1854. Chloe, born April 29tli, 1856. Pauline, born February 3d, 1859. 114 HILLSDALE HISTORY. Jerusha Bartlet Robinson, daughter of James and Jerusha Bartlet Robinson, born in Plymouth, 1753, and married Wait Wadsworth, of Duxbury, Mass., and settled there, where some of her descendants yet live. Margaret Robinson, daughter of James and Jerusha Bartlet Bobinson, born in Plymouth, Mass., 1754, and married Elijah Fay, and settled Hamilton, Madison county, N. Y., and they both died there, leaving a son James, who remained on the homestead and raised a num- erous family. He married Morilla Nash, of that town. Mary Robinson, daughter of James and Jerusha Bart- let Robinson, married Mattdew Orr, and moved to the Nine Partners, in Dutchess county, N. Y. After the death of her hiisband, she moved to Palmyra, Wayne county, N. Y., where she died. Among her children were Wat- son, Corbett, Margaret, Anna, John, and Jonas. Elizabeth Robinson, daughter of James and Jerusha Bartlet Robinson, married Alexander Mclntyre, and had three sons, Alexander, Thomas, and Abner. Her son Alexander became a distinguished physician, and died July 22d, 1859, leaving three children — a daughter and two sons. Esther Robinson, daughter of James and Jerusha Bart- let Robinson, married Amos King, and settled in Hadley, Mass., where they died. Among their children (War- rener, whose recent death received honorable notice in the Springfield Bepuhlican), they had also a daughter, Minerva, who married Willard Nash, and settled in Madi- son county, N. Y. Eleanor Robinson, daughter of James and Jerusha Bartlet Robinson, married Jacob Convers. Among her children is a son, Maxey, who resides in Elmira, N. Y. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 115 Bethia Eobinson, daughter of James and Jeruslia Bart- let Robinson, born in Bridgewater, Mass., and married Charles Bradish, son of John and Hannah Warner Brad- ish, of Cummington, Mass., 1804, and moved to Palmyra, Wayne county, N. Y., 1807, where they died at advanced ages. Their children were : Alexander H., William F., Seth W., Bartlet B., Lucretia E., and Philander. Jane Robinson, daughter of James and Jerusha Bartlet Robinson, born in Plymouth, Mass., August 6th, 1763, and married William Johnson, son of Benjamin and Ruth Holman Johnson, of Bridgewater, Mass., November 8th, 1779 ; died in Hillsdale, N. Y., April 7th, 1836. Her chil- dren were : Ruth Holman, born September 16th, 1780. Sophia, born January 7th, 1784. Melinda, born December 7th, 1785 ; died March 9th, 1792. Clynthia, born April 7th, 1788. Quincy, born April 5th, 1791. Melinda, born September 29th, 1801. Amelia Ann Robbins, born November 29th, 1799, and married Theodore W. Whiting, March 15th, 1820, by whom she had two children : Harriet Amelia, born December 10th, 1821. Frederick Theodore, born June 6th, 1825. George Robbins, born in Lenox, Mass., and married Jane S. Collin, daughter of James and Jane B. Hunt Col- lin, and settled in New Marlborough, Mass. They have had two children : Mary E., and James. Nathan Seward, of New Hartford, N. Y., born Novem- ber 28th, 1814, and married Harrietts Collin, daughter of David and Anna Smith Collin, June 13tli, 1848. Their children were : 116 HILLSDALE HISTORY. Harriette, born Marcli 19th, 1849. Anna, born May 26th, 1850. Nathan, born November 24th, 1851 ; died November 28th, 1851. Luc J, born July 17th, 1853. Elizabeth, born February 13th, 1855 ; died April 13th, 1855. Emeline Sornborger, daughter of Uriah Sornborger, born November 19th, 1820, and married William Leonard Johnson, son of Quincy and Abigail Cook Johnson, Sep- tember 12th, 1852. Their children were : Ida, born September 10th, 1853 ; died April 24th, 1856. Willie, born September 13th, 1855 ; died September 25th, 1855. Franklin, born June 2d, 1857. George Quincy, born December 5th, 1859. George Sornborger, son of • Uriah Sornborger, born 1820, and married Harriet N. Osborn, daughter of Melvin Osborn, 1852. Their children were : Mary, born August 11th, 1853 ; died September 1st, 1857. Florence, born September 11th, 1855. Ariel Smith, of West Stockbridge, Mass., married and had a daughter, Olive. After the death of his wife he married Rebecca, widow of Charles Tullar, and daughter of Nicholas and Lucretia Race. He was a respectable member of the Baptist Church, and died in West Stock- bridge. Lucy Smith, of Dutchess county, N. Y., married David Collin, son of John and Hannah Merwin Collin, February 19th, 1764 ; died March 15th, 1767. Her children were : BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 117 Haimali, borii 1765. David, born February 22d, 1767. Anna Smith, of Dutchess county, N. Y., married David Collin, son of David and Lucy Bingham Collin, January 2d, 1817. Her children were : Edmund, born December 28th, 1817 ; died December 29th. 1817 Caroline, born December 26th, 1818. Lucy B., born March 15th, 1821. David, born August 23d, 1822. Harriett, born November 15tli, 1824. Miriam, born May 16tli, 1828, Anna Smith, born October 4th, 1829. Lydia Smith, of Amenia, Dutchess county, N. Y., mar- ried Lee Collin, son of David and Lucy Bingham Collin, by whom she had one child. Ely Smith, of Bridgeport, Conn., married Huldah Merwin, daughter of Miles and Mary Brewster Merwin. Their children were, Almon, Mary and Ruth. Porter Tremain, son of Augustas Tremain, of Hillsdale, N. Y., married Amanda Collin, daughter of David and Lucy Bingham Collin, November 11th, 1830, by whom he had one son, Augustus, born March 27th, 1884. After the death of his wife, Amanda, on March 26th, 1840, he mar- ried Lucy B. Collin, daughter of David and Anna Smith Collin, September 28th, 1841, by whom he had two sons : Charles, born April 23d, 1843. Porter, born January 24th, 1852. John Truesdell, born July 1st, 1722, and married Rachel Wright, September, 1743 ; died February 1st, 1782. His children were : 33* > 118 HILLSDALE HISTOEY. Hannali, born August 24tli, 1744. David, born September 2d, 1749. Stephen, born June lOth, 1753. John, born May lltb, 1755. After the death of his wife, Rachel, he married Sarah V^ Sneadwell, November 7th, 1757, by whom he had one son, Thomas, born February 2d, 1759. Thomas Truesdell, son of John and Sarah Sneadwell Truesdell, born February 2d, 1759, and married Hannah Collin, daughter of John and Sarah Arnold Collin, Sep- tember 3d, 1781 ; died at Wilmington, Ohio, April 10th, 1822. His children were : John W., born May 7th, 1783. Bebee, born January 10th, 1784. Sarah, born June 17th, 1785. Harry, born March 1st, 1788. James, born September 3d, 1790 ; died October 12th, 1790. Arnold, born September 15tli, 1796. Gove, born May 14th, 1802 ; died January 30tli, 1818. John W. Truesdell, son of Thomas and Hannah Col- lin Truesdell, born May 7th, 1783, and married to Anna Esmond, daughter of Isaiah Esmond, July 25th, 1804 ;died September 23d, 1806. His children were : Bebee, born June 5th, 1805 ; died April, 1811. John W,, born November 13th, 1806. Now dead. Sarah Truesdell, daughter of Thomas and Hannah Coflin Truesdell, born June 17th, 1785, and married Eras- tus Taetor, of Ontario county, N. Y., March 11th, 1803 ; died May 17th, 1810. Her husband died January 7th, 1813. Their children were : Hanuah, born March 18th, 1805. Lydia, born June 10th, 1807. Sarah, born June 30th, 1809. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 119 Harry Truesdell, son of Thomas and Hannali Collin Truesdell, born March 1st, 1788, and married Clynthia Johnson, daughter of William and Jane Robinson John- son, February 19th, 1809 ; died October 14th, 1844 His children were : Arnold Fletcher, born January 6th, 1810. Sarah Madeline, born May 12th, 1812. John Quincy, born February 22d, 1825. Bebee Truesdell, son of Thomas and Hannah Collin Truesdell, born January 10th, 1794, and married Margaret Post, December 10th, 1815 ; died at Wilmington. Ohio, 1866. His children were : John Osmond, born October 3d, 1811. Aurelia A. A. E., born December 24th, 1817. C. Fernando, born February 16th, 1820. Charles Seymour, born December 31st, 1822 ; died April 4th, 1823. Anna Maria, born August 21st, 1824. Arnold Truesdell, son of Thomas and Hannah Collin Truesdell, born September IStli, 1796, and married Me- linda Johnson, daughter of William and Jane Robinson Johnson, September lOtli, 1820 ; died at Wilmington, Ohio, March 28th, 1835, and was buried in the cemetery in Lebanon, Ohio, in the family plot of the Rev. John and Lorauia P. Collin Braden. Gove Truesdell, son of Thomas and Hannah Collin Truesdell, born May 14th, 1802 ; died January 30th, 1818. Arnold Fletcher Truesdell, son of Harry and Clyn- thia Johnson Truesdell, born January 6th, 1810, and mar- ried Cliloe Bushnell, daughter of John and Loxey Lay Bushnell. His children are : Morania, Julia, Emma, and Madeline. 120 HILLSDALE HISTORY. Sakah Madeline Truesdell, daughter of Harry and Clyntliia Johnson Truesdell, born in Hillsdale, and mar- ried Seymour Foster, son of Parla and Phebe Wells Fos- ter. Her children were : Wells, Henrietta, Augusta, and Willie. John Quincy Truesdell, son of Harry and Clynthia Johnson Truesdell, born February 22d, 1825, and mar- ried Julia Ann Hollenbeck, February 14th, 1843. His children are : Harry, born December 20th, 1843. Clynthia Augusta, born July 15th, 1845. Arnold F., born April 25tli, 1848. George Emmet, born June lltli, 1851. Marion Darwin, born December 9th, 1857. Elmer Quincy, born November 23d, 1861. Harry Truesdell, son of John Quincy and Julia Ann Hollenbeck Truesdell, born December 2(>th, 1843, and married Ellen Minkler, July 4th, 1867. Clynthia Augusta Truesdell, daughter of John Quincy and Julia Ann Hollenbeck Truesdell, born July 15th, 1845, and married Philip Becker, son of Philip and Eliz- abeth DeGroff Becker, July 15th, 1866. Their children are : Julia, born April, 1867. Gordon, born September 9th, 1868. George Emmet Truesdell, son of John Quincy and Julia Ann Hollenbeck Truesdell, born June 11th, 1851; died July 18th, 1861. Gains Truesdell, son of Samuel Truesdell, born in Hillsdale, and married Polly Becker, daughter of John P. and Betsy Clum Becker. His children are : John, Stephen, Euth, Elizabeth, and Juliette. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 121 Arnold F. Truesdell, son of Jolm Quincy and Julia 1 . , Ann Hollenbeck Truesdell, born April 25tb, 1848 ; mar- Ir ried Adda Slater. Seneca Tullar, born June 21st, 1751. His wife, Eu- nice, was born Auoust 2d, 1750. Tlie^^ settled in South Egremont, Mass., and lived to a great age. Tliei)- chil- dren were : Charles, born June 3d, 1778, and Talitha. Talitha TuLLAR,daughter of Seneca and Eunice Tullar, of South Egremont, Mass., married Isaac N. Race, son of Nicholas and Lucretia Bace. Her children were : Eunice, Seneca, Gorton, and others. Charles Tullar, son of Seneca and Eunice Tullar,born in South Egremont, Mass., June 3d, 1778, and married Rebecca Race, daughter of Nicholas and Lucretia Race ; died August 26tli, 1824. His children were : Seneca C, born February 10th, 1801. Talitha Paulina, born March 16th, 1804. Isaac R., born May 4th, 1806. Pamelia Jane, born April 11th, 1808. David W., born May 31st, 1812. Lucretia, born May 22d, 1815. William Frederick, born June 12th, 1818. Seneca C. Tullar, son of Charles and Rebecca Race Tullar, born in South Egremont, February 10th, 1801, and married Mary A. Gordon, of Sheffield, who was born Sep- tember 24th,' 1804. They were married Sept. 30th, 1824. He died some years since. Their children were : Charles A., born October 9th, 1825. Pamelia Jane, born August 4th, 1828. Rocelia Jennett, born July 7tli, 1831. Charles A. Tullar, son of Seneca C and Mary A. Gor- 31 122 HILLSDALE HISTORY. clou Tullar, born October 9th, 1825, and married Liicretia E. Church, November 10th, 1811 ;died October 22d, 1855. Pamelia Jane Tullar, dauohter of Seneca C. and Mary A. Gordon TiiUar, born August 4th, 1828, and married Silas L. Church, December 26th, 1851. Their children are : Minnesota, born April 17th, 1853. Yirginia, born June 17th, 1859. EocELiA Jennett Tullar, daughter of Seneca C. and Mary A. Gordon Tullar, born July 7th, 1831, and married Dyer Wait, March 27th, 1856. They have one son- Charles T., — born January 1st, 1861. Talitha Paulina Tullar, daughter of Charles and Re- becca Race Tullar, born March 16th, 1801, and married John M. Bartholomew, of Sheffield, Mass., October 8th, 1822, by whom she has had two children : Charles Willis, born September 14th, 1825. Pamelia Jane, born December 28th, 1827. Pamelia Jane Tullar, daughter of Charles and Rebec- ca Race Tullar, born April ILth, 1808, and married John F. Collin, son of John and Ruth Holman Johnson Collin, September 23d, 1827 ; died June 8th, 1870. Her children were : Jane Paulina, born 1828 ; died September, 1830. Hannah Clynthia, born 1829 ; died March, 1831. Pamelia Laurania, born 1831. John Frederick, born 1833. Quincy Johnson, born 1836. Frances Amelia, born 1840. David W. Tullar, son of Charles and Rebecca Race Tullar born. May 31st, 1812, and married Laura L. Note- ware, of Sheffield, Mass., June 7th, 1843. Their children were : BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 128 Susan Paulina, born March, lOtli, 1814. John F., born January 31st, 1846. LucBETiA TuLLAR, daughter of Charles and Eebecca Race Tnllar, born May 22d, 1815, and married Freeman Yan Dusen, of Hillsdale, 1837. Their children are : Camilla Eugenia, born January 1st, 1842. Paulina and Pamelia, twins, born October 6th, 1844. William Frederick Tullar, son of Charles and Eebec- ca Race Tullar, born June 12tli, 1818, and married Eliza- beth Church, November 25th, 1841. She died July 6th, 1842, and he married Melinda French, October IGth, 1845, by whom he has one daughter : Attie E., born April 4th, 1854. John F. Tullar, son of David W. and Laura D. Note- ware Tullar, born January 31st, 1846, and married to Mary Daly, who was born 1856. Susan Paulina Tullar, daughter of David W. and Laura L. NoteAvare Tullar, born March 15th, 1844, and married Albert M. Williams, April 5th, 1862. Their chil- dren are : Charlotte L., born March 7th, 1863. Edson E., born October, 19th, 1868. Walter B. Ten Broeck, born in Hillsdale, February 2d, 1827, and married Mary Ette Van Dusen, January 25th, 1855. Their children are : Vandell, born January 16th, 1856. Alice, born April 17th, 1859 ; died July 4th, 1861. Jay W., born August 24th, 1861. Carrie, born January 20tli, 1863. Seymour Van Dusen, born November 26th, 1810, and married Caroline McArthur, who was born May 11th, 124 HILLSDALE HISTOEY. 1814. He died a few years since. Their children are : Mary Ette. born February 15th, 1835. Jennett, born July 8th, 1837. Delila, born August 12th, 1840. Almira, born April 16th, 1842. Annie, born September 1st, 1844. Newton J., born November 8th, 1846. Elizabeth, born March 5th, 1848. Mary Ette Van Dusen, daughter of Seymour and Caro- line McArthur Van Dusen, born February 15th, 1835, and married Walter B. Ten Broeck, January 25, 1855. Their children are : Vandell, born January 16th, 1856. Alice, born April 17th, 1859 ; died July 4th, 1861. Jay W., born August 24th, 1861. Carrie, born January 20tli, 1863. Jennett Van Dusen, daughter of Seymour and Caroline McArthur Van Dusen, born July 8th, 1837, and married John Frederick Collin, son of John F. and Pamelia Jane Tullar Collin, December 15th, 1857. Their children were : John Jay, born December 12th, 1858 ; died July 2d, 1861. Ruth Anna, born February 4th, 1863 : died October 16th, 1870, Frances Pamelia, born August 13th, 1866. Delila Van Dusen, daughter of Seymour and Caroline McArthur VanDusen, born August, 1840, and married Ezra Best, and settled in Egremont, Mass. Almira Van Dusen, daughter of Seymour and Caroline McArthur Van Dusen, born April 16th, 1842, and married James Bain, of Copake. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 125 Annie Yan Dusen, daughter of Seymonr and Caroline McArtliur Yan Dusen, born September 1st, 181:4, and married Henry Hollenbeck, of Eoremont ; died Septem- ber 25tli, 1870, leaving one child. Newton J. Yan Dusen, son of Seymour and Caroline McArthur Yan Dusen, born November 8tli, 1816, and is now a telegraph operator at KetonaJi, on the New York and Harlem liailroad. Elizabeth Yan Dusen, daughter of Seymour and Caro- line McArtliur Yan Dusen, born March 5tli, 1818, and married Frank Clemens, of Ansonia, Conn., 1871. Fueeman Yan Dusen, born February 7th, 181)6, and mar- ried Lucretia Tullar, 1837. His children are : Cornelia Eugenia, born January lOth, 18-42, Pamelia and Pauleua, twins, born October 6th, 1844. Died 1883. Camella Eugenia Yan Dusen, daughter of Freeman and Lucretia Tullar Yan Dusen, born January 1st, 1842, and married Edward Wills Blackington, of Adams, Mass., October 1st, 1862. Pamelia Yan Dusen. daughter of Freeman and Lucre- tia Tullar Yan Dusen, born October 6th, 1844, and mar- ried Albert H. Willis, October 5th, 1870. Paulina Yan Dusen, daughter of Freeman and Lucretia Tullar Yan Dusen, born October 6th, 1844, and married Edward C. Saxton, November 9tli, 1869. Baknet Wager, son of John and Mary Arnold Wager, born January 29th, 1793, and married Lucy Collin, daugh- ter of David and Lucy Bingham Collin ; died April 15th, 1845. Margaret Watson, born 1700, and married Gain Rob- inson, who settled in East Bridgewater, Mass. She died 126 HILLSDALE HISTORY. 1777. Her cliildren were : Alexander, Joseph, Gain, In- crease, Betty, James, John, Margaret, Mary, Martlia, Jane, and Robert. Dyer Wait, born June 5tli, 1824, and married Rocelia Jennett Tullar, daughter of Seneca C. and Mary A. Gor- don TuUar, March 27th, 1856, by whom he has had one child, Charles T., born January 1st, 1861. Samuel James Wells, of New Hartford, N. Y., married Anna Smith Collin, daughter of David and Anna Smith Collin, October 12th, 1854, by whom he has had four chil- dren : Samuel James, born September 5th, 1856. David, born September 23d, 1858. John Lewis, born December 26tli, 1860. Paul Irving, born March 9th, 1863. Frederick T. Whiting, born June 6th, 1825, and mar- yT ried Ruth Maria Hill, daughter of Rodney and Sarah A. Collin Hill, December 11th, 1849. His children were : John Fred, born December 13th, 1852. Mary Anna, born July 12th, 1859. Henry Mason, born February 10th, 1863. Florence Amelia, born October 6th, 1869 ; died . Theodore W. Whiting, born April 8th, 1799, and mar- ried Amelia Ann Robbins, March 15th, 1820, by whom he had two children : Harriet Amelia, born December lOtli, 1821. Frederick Theodore, born June 6th, 1825. Bentley White, of Connecticut, married Rhoda How, March 3d, 1819. His children were : Sarah Ann, born January 14tli, 1820. Sibyl M., born May 29th, 1822 ; died December 18th, 1824. BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES 127 Stephen, born March 17th 1826. Jane M., born October 20th, 1832; died October 20th, 1834 Stephen White, son of Bentley and Rhoda How White, born May 29th, 1822, and married Olive N. Chapman, Oc- tober 26th, 1853. Their chiklren are : Mary L., born September 17th, 1854. Ida M., born January 17th, 1856. Bentley, born October 28th, 1857. Ernest, born February 9th, 1860. •Helen M., born October 28th, 1866. Hiram H. White, born in Canton, Conn., 1806, and married Jane M. Collin, daughter of John and Ruth Hol- man Johnson Collin, June 2d, 1830 ; died October 11th, 1864. He was a clergyman — a member of the New Eng- land Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he labored for many years. In talents, integrity and eloquence, he had but few superiors. Sarah Ann White, daughter of Bentley and Rhoda How White, born January 14th, 1820, and married Henry A. Collin, son of John and Ruth Holman Johnson Collin, October 29th, 1836. Her children are : Henry Alonzo, born August 14th, 1837. Sarah Adeline, born January 3d, 1840. Edwin, born August 31st, 1842. Barak Wilson, of Dutchess county, N. Y., married Cordelia Collin, daughter of James and Lydia Hamblin Collin, September 21st, 1840 : died March 26th, 1855. Albert M. Williams, born at Stockbridge, Mass., Aug- ust 31st, 1837, and married Susan Paulina Tullar, daugh- ter of David W. and Laura L. Noteware Tullar, April 5th, 1862. His children are : 128 HILLSDALE HISTORY. Charles L., born March 7th, 1863. Edson E., born October 19th, 1868. Theron Wilson, born June 10th, 1805, and married Lydia Louisa Collin, daugliter of James and Lydia Ham- blin Collin, January 8th,' 1829 ; died January 27th, 1862. His children were : James, born June 17th, 1830. Eli NeAvton, born June 27th, 1832. George Theron, born February 3d, 1837. Sarah Louisa, born September 20th, 1834. Lydia Esther, born November 25th, 1810. Robert Hamblin, born November 23d, 1850. Albert H. Willis, married Pamelia Van Dusen, daugh- ter of Freeman and Lucre tia Tullar Van Dusen, October 5th, 1870. Worcester Wheeler, born December 28th, 1779, and married Wait Freeman ; died May 7th, 1866. His children were: John T., born August 9th, 1818. Erastus, born January 7th, 1820. Louisa, born January' 12th, 1822. Sarah A., born April 16th, 1824. Mary A, born October 22d, 1826. Charlotte A., born March 31st, 1829 ; died January 5th, 1866. Noah W., l)orn March 30th, 1828. Louisa Wheeler, daughter of Worcester and Wait Freeman Wheeler, born January 12th, 1822, and married James Hamblin Collin, son of James and Lydia Hamblin Collin, September 11th, 1845. Sarah A. Wheeler, daughter of Worcester and Wait Freeman Wheeler, born April 16tli, 1824, and married Lewis S. Peck, September 7th, 1847. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 129 Mary A. Wheeler, daughter of Worcester and Wait Freeman Wheeler, born October 2"2d, 1826, and married Isaac M. Vail, September 3d, 1844. Noah W. Wheeler, son of Worcester and Wait Free- man Wheeler, born March 30th, 1828, and married Sarah E. Bushnell, May, 1863 ; died August 7th, 1866. Lewis Wright, born in Brunswick county, Virginia, February 11th, 1796, and married Hannah Springer, of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, July 15th, 1823, by whom he had one daughter, Mary Elizabeth, born April 17th, 1824 His wife, Hannah Springer, died July 5th, 1827, and on the 16th of April, 1833, he married Hannah Collin, daugh- ter of John and Ruth Holman Jolmson Collin, by whom he had one daughter, Meliuda T. He died November 8th, 1866. Mary Elizabeth Weight, daughter of Lewis and Han- nah Springer Wright, born April 17th, 1824, and married James H. Collin, son of James and Jane Hunt Collin, July 12th, 1843. Her children are : Frances M., Sarah M., Emma S., Henry Clay, and Jennie L. Melinda Truesdell Wright, daughter of Lewis and / Hannah Collin Wright, born March 27th, 1834, and mar- ried William A. Hanley, November 27th, 1857. Her chil- dren are : Marielin, born August 16th, 1859. John Collin, born November 30th, 1861. William Alonzo, born December 12th, 1865. Louis Wright, born November 2d, 1862. Chastine E. Wolverton, born at Charleston, Montgom- ery county, N. Y., July 12th, 1821, and married James Collin, son of John and Ruth Holman Johnson Collin, September 7th, 1847. Her children are : 130 HILLSDALE HISTORY. Edwin W., born September 19tli, 1849 ; died 1871. Mortimer and Monteatli, twins, born December 9th, 1852. George W., born December 13tli, 1855. Hattie May, born May 1st, 1856. Lizzie A., born March 12th, 1860. APPENDIX TO CYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY. The declaration in the foregoing work, "that the influ- ences that conceived such laws as the tariflf of 1842, had produced the imputed cause which formed the excuse for provoking the late civil war," may provoke the criticisms of politicians and excite the incredulity of many honest men; therefore, for the instruction of the latter, the writer will, at a future time, write the history of those laws. To say that the converting of West India molasses into Boston rum was one of the most cherished interests in New England, would excite almost universal incredulity ; and yet that it is so, is a fact susceptible of the most pos- itive proof. Overr sixty thousand hogsheads of that West India molasses, with the aid of narcotics and water, are annually converted into over one hundred thousand hogs- heads of that Boston rum. That rum has almost without exception been the material for procuring all slaves im- ported from Africa. It has been used to debase civiliza- tion and to make barbarians still more barbarous. It has produced many of the worst evils in this country, and, in fact has been more mischievous to the world than any other occurrence since the fall of Adam. Yet it has been made the recipient of government bounties, and is now exempted from the taxation imposed upon other interests. To keep the people in ignorance, this Boston rum has been studiously excluded from every census except that of 1850. BIOGRArHICAL SKETCHES 181 The same wicked influences that have made Boston rum a cherished interest, is now operatinj^; in tlie perpetu- ation of the misnomer, a protective, tariff. And the ap- parent controversy between the two Houses of Congress is only intended to deceive the people, and keep frf)m them the fact that its effects are to make the great mass of the people slaves to a pampered aristocracy. To create a debt as an excuse for imposing a high tariff upon which discriminations might be made for the bene- fit of the pampered few, was one of the objects for which the civil war was provoked. Had those pampered inter- ests been taxed in proportion to others, that debt would now have been paid, and the object of the war Avould to them have been lost. To avoid such payment, that debt is now being funded so as to make its payment impossible till a very remote period, without a breach of national faith to the public creditor. To pay the interest on such debt will of course perpetuate the existence of that aristocracy by a continu- ance of the high discriminating tariff, and to reconcile the people to this, they inculcate the doctrine that a national debt is a national blessing. Loyalty now consists in sub- serviency to those interests of Boston rum, discriminat- ing tariff, and national debt. And to enforce that loyalty, the mailed hand is now upon the throats of a large por- tion of the people, and national liberty is gasping beneath the feet of a tyranny. THE TAEIFF QUESTION. SPEECH OF MR. JOHN F. COLLIN, OF NEW YORK, IN REPLY TO MR. ALBERT SMITH, OF NEW YORK, DELIVERED IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, TUESDAY, JULY 28, 1846. The Bill to amend the act entitled "An act to reduce the rates of postage," &c., being under consideratioa in Committee of the Whole — Mr. Collin addressed the Committee as follows, in re- ply to Mr. Smith, of New York : Mr. Chairman : It has been with some embarrassment and reluctance that I have availed myself of occasions to speak to this House. It would have been my desire not to do so again at this session. But remarks recently pub- lished, purporting to have been made here by my col- league from the thirty-third district, will hardly justify me in permitting them to go forth to the world unnoticed. The gentleman is reported to have devoted most of an hour in commenting upon a speech I had made in March last. He first joined issue upon my remarks, that under the tariff policy of 1842, our agriculture had languished and thousands of our agricultural population had been made fugitives to other climes. These sentiments the gentlemau denies, and calls upon me for the proof. The gentleman will not deny that between 1840 and 1845, in the State of New York the births over deaths THE TARIFF QUESTION. 133 were nearly 60,000 annually, and that 50,000 annually em- igrated to the State during that period. It cannot be de- nied, that from these two sources, the natural increase of the population of the State during that j)eriod would have been near half a million. But, sir, the census of the State shows the increase to have been only ai)out 180,000, and that to have been confined almost entirely to the cities ; while in many of the best agricult^iral districts, the population has been actually diminished. These facts could not have escaped the notice of the gentleman. The Governor, in his annual message, called attention to them. Will any gentleman undertake to say that the agricultural population of the State of New York would have been stopped in its onward progress if its interests were not languishing'? It is universally admitted that in 1841, agriculture was then in an unprecedented state of depression. It will scarcely be disputed that since that time it has suffered a much greater depression. Our com- mercial records show that our agricultural products have sunk since that time about 43 per cent. In the financial report of the Secretary of the Treasury, on page 335, the price of agricultural productions are shown to have sunk, since 1842, in the State of Rhode Island, about 30 per cent. ; while at the same time the price of manufac- turers' goods have been enhanced. These facts will not be disputed. The causes may be a matter of controver- sy. Among the reasons assigned by the correspondent from Illiode Island for the depressed prices of agricul- ture' there, is the condition of the currency. Among the reasons assigned for the enhanced prices of manufactur- ers' goods, is also the condition of the currency. Per- haps the same reasons would be given by the gentleman from New York. My reason for the enhanced price of manufacturers' goods is, the protection given by the tariff. My reasons for the depressed prices of agricultural pro- ducts are, the embarrassments thrown in the way of our 134 HILLSDALE HISTORY. foreign market by the operation ol the tariff. Sir, if agriculturalists in New York were suffering deep depression in 1841 ; if since that time thev have had to sell their products for less, and have been compelled to pay advanced prices for the goods they have consumed, can it be a matter of surprise that their population has diminished ? It certainly cannot ; and impartial men cannot long be in suspense as to the cause. Sir, agricul- tural laborers, for want of employment ; farmers, whose property has been encumbered by debts ; persons wish- ing to engage in agriculture, with but limited means — in consequence of the oppressions under which the agricul- turists of the State of New York have been laboring, have been compelled to abandon their native State, and to seek other latitudes, where smaller means would procure them employment, a living, or a home. This, sir, is my opinion of the cause of the diminished agricultural population of the State of New York. If the gentleman entertains other sentiments, no one can question his right to do so. And if he is disposed to propagate his opinions, he will not find me controverting them by billingsgate epithets. Sir, in my speech in March, I spoke of gentlemen hav- ing expressed a preference for all the consequences of a war with England, rather than have a modification of the tariff of 1842. The gentleman asks. What Whig member of the House had ever used language like that, or any- thing resembling it? In the first jlace, I think the gen- tleman will be embarrassed to find the word Whig, among the remarks I made on that occasion. I say, deliberately, that sentiments such as I then expressed were uttered here. If the gentleman was so inattentive as not to have heard them himself, and he deems it material to have done so. it must be set down as his misfortune, and not the fault of the person uttering the sentiment. Sir, I, cannot consent, even to gratify the gentleman, to look over the ponderous speeches upon the Oregon question, THE TARIFF QUESTION. 135 to ascertain what gentleman was most logical in sliowing that the position taken by the President upon that ques- tion had precluded all further negotiation, and that war would be the consequence. I cannot look to see what gentleman was most eloquent in describing the horrors and calamities of such war, or who expressed himself most alarmed lest such war should be averted, by the President's settling the question by negotiating for the whole of Oregon, in exchange for a modification of the tarifi". It is sufficient for me that such language was used. It is sufficient for my purpose that it is distinctly within the recollection of members of this House. It is entirely sufficient for all I can desire, that such language was used in the public papers, and stands so charged in the Union of the IStli of February. The gentleman says he will be among the first to denounce any one who shall hold lan- guage akin to such as he has seen fit to deny. Now, sir, one short week had only transpired after the gentleman's threatened denunciation, when one of his political asso- ciates on this fioor, said, in a speech, that to carry out certain policy, among which the modification of the tariff stood preeminent, would inflict greater evil than was ever before visited upon this country. Hir, our cities have been burned, our people have been oppressed with taxa- tion, and once driven into a war with England upon that account. Nearly every State in our Union has had its fields drenched with the blood of its citizens. And yet, in the expressed opinion of that gentleman, all these could not equal the calamity produced by the repeal of the tariff, and the adoption of some two or three kindred measures. All I have to say on that subject to the gen- tleman from Pennsylvania is, he may expect, in the course of some four months, a denunciation, expressed in terms some of which would sound most familiar within the purlieus of some low tippling-house. It takes about that time, I believe, for the gentleman's indignation to 136 HILLSDALE HISTORY. mature. At least it took about that time to be developed against my remarks. Sir, the gentleman gives me credit for political consis- tency in advocating the doctrine, that the same reasons would justify the destroying the exchanges between Ohio and Massachusetts that would justify the destruction of the exchanges between Great Britain and the United States. With much of the political cant of the day, he attempted to controvert that doctrine. It is a sentiment inculcated by high authority, that distinguished acts and eminent human qualifications, are but as a sounding brass or tinkling cymbal, without being accompanied by the principle of charity, (which, I believe, is understood to mean universal love and good-will to all mankind.) Now, sir, I believe that that gentleman or statesman who ceases to be actuated by that great principle, will not stop in his downward progress till a single unit in exist- ence shall engross all his desires and aspirations, regard- less of the interest of the world beside. I believe that that statesman who would deny the people of this coun- try the participation in the blessings which Providence has bestowed upon other coxintries, because other coun- tries may be benefited by our so participating, would find no difficulty in making the same rule apply to the intercourse betw^een Ohio and Massachusetts, when pers- onal or party interests or policy should render the application of such rule convenient or necessary. In the gentleman's strictures upon what I said in rela- tion to the interests of the wool-growers, I must says that the gentleman either wilfully perverted my meaning, or he is chargeable with a degree of stupidity for which I had not given him credit. He says, "his colleague is for let- ting in all foreign wool without any tax at all." I should like to be informed by the gentleman when he has ever heard me utter such a suggestion. It is true, I have spoken of the repeal of the tariif act of 1842 ; but have I THE TARIFF QUESTION. 137 not at all times advocated tlie substitution of one more equal and just in its operations ? Did not the gentleman make his speech in opposition to the very act that I had been advocating some two weeks before he sp(jke, as a substitute for the act of 1842? When the gentleman made this charge, did he not know that I had advocated, with as much zeal as I Avas ea|>able of, the very tariff act against which he spoke ? If he did, he purposely per- verted my language. If he has ever inferred from my speeches that I was advocating the abandonment of tariff duties, he must have very stupidly misunderstood the whole tenor of my remarks. No person in this House has advocated with more zeal than I have, that wool should have the incidental jorotection of as high revenue duties as were imposed upon any goods imported. Let the gentleman look at his published speech, on page 8, and he will there read; "And yet his colleague was for letting in all foreign wool without any tax at all." Then let him look on page 9, and he will also read, "His colleague professed to desire to protect the wool-grower, and was for adopting McKay's bill, putting all wool on a par, under a duty of 25 per cent." Let the gentleman look at those two paragraphs, and see whether, in his vocabulary, he has not got some brief word with which he might express such a palpable contradiction. The gentleman professes to be the friend of the tariff of 1842, and also of tlie wooi-grower. It certainly must be a tax upon the gentleman's ingenuity to reconcile these two attachments. Mr. Nathan Appletoii, in his criticism up- on the report of Mr. t^ecretary Walker, says : "The man- ufacture of woolens has always given rise to the most difficult questions in the arrangement of the tariff, owing to the difficulty of adjusting the duty on wool to the sat- isfaction of both wool-growci's and manufacturers." He also says : "Our own production of wool was much below our consumption." 8ir, how was the controversy between 138 HILLSDALE HISTORY. tlie wool-grower and the manufacturer adjusted by tlie act of 1842 ? To the manufacturer was given a protec- tive duty of 40 per cent. ; to the wool-grower there was given no protection at all. They were cavalierly told, that to protect wool was not protecting labor ; it would only be protecting the growth of sheep. They were told that if they could not live by wool-growing, to go at some- thing else. Sir, according to Mr. Appleton, our own pro- duction of wool was much below our consumption. Now, sir,' it is one of the arbitrary and universal laws of trade that demantl and supply are the controlling principle of price. If, then, our own production of wool was much below our consumption, then tJie demand would have been greater than the supply ; and had it not been for foreign wool, the price would have been at its highest rates. But under the operation of the tariff of 1842, the five per cent, wool (for little else has been imported) has been introduced to the amount of so many millions of pounds, that the supply has exceeded the demand ; and, in consequence, the price of our wool has sunk to the lowest rate known in our history. And yet the gentle- man is the professed friend of the tariff of 1842 and of the wool-grower. Sir, the Congress that passed the act of 1842 had before them the evidence that the manufac- turers were then enjoying a net profit of over 30 percent., while that of the wool-grower was less than two per cent. That fact was stated and proved in the speech the gentle- man has seen tit to criticise. That fact, in the midst of the gentleman's criticisms, he has not seen fit to question, and therefore must be presumed to have admitted. And yet, in the face of these injuries, he would fain be consid- ered the fi-iend of that unjust act, and also of the people suffering by its injustice. The gentleman and his friends are horrified at the idea of ad valorem duties Nothing but specifics will, in their opinion, answer for either revenue or for protection. THE TARIFF (QUESTION. 139 Why did they not tliiuk of that when passing the act of 1842 ? Why vote down a number of amendments pro- posed for imposing specific duties upon wool, and finally turn it off with the lowest ad valorem duty known to our statute books ? Sir, their friendship for the wool-grower was of the same character with that of this very ingenious gentleman. Had the specific duty proposed by the gen- tleman from Vermont on the 12tli of Jul}^ 1842, been adopted, it would either have stopped the importation of the 24,000,000 of pounds of wool of the past year, or, in- stead of the $50,000 of revenue received, it would have produced to the treasury $2,400,000. That amendment would have bestowed upon our wool-growers during the last year at least $5,000,000. But the act of 1842 did not allow of such a provision, and yet this friend of the wool- grower is an avowed friend of that act. Under the act of 1842, it is universally admitted, that on the imports of wool, the greatest frauds have been committed ; in conse- quence, little revenue has been received ujjon large im- portations, and the wool-grower has received no protec- tion. By the bill lately before the house, those frauds would have been prevented, the accruing revenue would have been increased sixfold, and the wool-grower would have had the protection of thirty, instead of five, per cent. And yet the gentleman was the zealous opponent of that bill, the professed friend of the act of 1842, the professed friend to revenue and of the wool-grower, and the professed enemy of frauds. By the census of Massa- chusetts, in 1845, $8,887,478 worth of woolen goods were manufactured ; there were 3,901 men and 3,471 women employed in the manufacture of those goods. Now, al- lowing $20 per month to each man, and $10 per month to each woman, would produce a gross amount of $1,352,- 760 ; thirty per cent, upon the goods manufactured would produce the sum of $2,066,243, or the sum of $1,313,483 more than was required to be expended in tlie labor on 140 ~ HILLSDALE HISTORY. the whole amount of the goods. By this estimate, it will be seen that the duty in the late bill before the House would have giA^eu a protection to the woolen manufac- turer of Massachusetts to nearly twice the amount of the labor required in their business. And yet the gentleman from New York was for adding ten per cent, more to the protection of the manufacturer, and he was for denying to the wool-grower any protection against that foreign wool which has been shown to be working the destruc- tion of that grown in this country. In 1845, there were 1,01(3,230 pounds of wool raised in Massachusetts, of which, 93,218 pounds were Saxony, 487,050 pounds were merino, and 435,962 pounds of common wool. The aver- age price for which the whole sold was 32 cents per pound. The late Prime Minister of England has told us that England requires annually 70,000,000 of pounds of foreign wool to supply her consumption. I have examin- ed their price current, and find that the lowest price paid for any wool grown in Europe has been 36 cents per pound, and the highest $1.36 per pound. The whole ex- pense of delivering our wool to the English manufacturer would be less than 4 cents per pound. But, sir, the act of 1842 deprives our wool-growers of this market, by im- posing a duty of from forty to one hundred per cent, up- on the goods taken in exchange for our wool, and we are left entirely dependent upon the home market for our sales, and at the mercy of our manufacturers for our price. Those manufa(;turers have managed to have fine wool growing introduced into Buenos Ayres. They have man- aged to get the entire control of that market. Millions of pounds of a fine grade of wool are annually imported under false invoices, cheating our revenue, and ruining our domestic wool-grower. The act of 1842 denies us the power of selling our wool in a foreign market, and leaves us exposed to fraud and management, in competing with THE TARIFF QUESTION. 141 foreign wool at home. Sir, the o-entleman from New York says the law is sufficiently stringent, and the cnstom- house ofl&cers must be at fault if those frauds are allowed. The custom-house officers, sir, during the last year, seized upon 116 bales of that wool, fine and clean, that was im- ported as costing less than 7 cents per pound. But the law was found powerless. The fraudulent invoices were too ingeniously got up. The seizure had to be relin- quished, and the officers got laughed at for their pains. And, sir, the act that has prouuced all these consequences is a favorite law of the gentleman, and yet he is the friend of the wool-grower — a consistent statesman — a gentleman well qualified to give indignant lectures here ! But why this sudden outbreak of indif capital themselves. Sir, the advocates of discrimination in duties contend that high duties do not increase the price of the article to the consumer. So said the authors of the act of 1842 ; and yet in that very act they provided to have the duties refunded to sugar refiners and to rum manufucturers. So said the advocates of that act at the last session of Con- gress ; and yet they almost vmanimously voted to refund duties on railroad iron. Duties under that act have been refunded on over three" millions of pounds of sugar, and over four millions of gallons of molasses, during the last year. And during the past few years, over three millions of dollars have been refunded on railroad iron. Sir, un- less on sugar, molasses, and iron, the price is increased 160 HILLSDALE HISTORY. to tlie amount of duty imposed, a grosser act of legisla- tive injustice was never perpetrated than under tlie oper- ation of the laws refunding those duties. But, sir, the consideration that is urged upon us with more earnestness than all others is, that discriminations for the benefit of manufacturers creates a home market for our agricultural prcxluctions. To a right understanding of this argument, we can again refer to the statistics of Massachusetts. In 1845, the manufactured products of Massachusetts amounted to $87,924,083. Discounting thirty-five per cent, (the average of duties by the act of 1842,) would give to those manufacturers a bonus, raised b}^ a tax upon the people, of $22,795,133 annually. Dis- counting twenty-four per cent., (the average of duties by the act of 1846,) gives annually to those manufacturers a bonus of $17,017,565 Now, then, suppose the agricul- tural productions consumed in this country to be annually $800,000,000 ; suppose the population of Massachusetts to be one twenty-fifth of the whole, as it is nearly ; sup- pose one-third of that population to be employed in man- ufacturing : — then, sir, the manufacturing population would be one-eightieth of that of the United States, and may be expected to consume one-eightieth of those agri- cultural productions. Upon that basis of calculation the manufacturing population of Massachusetts would con- sume annually $10,000,000 worth of our products of agri- culture. That, sir, is the value of that home market. Under the policy recommended by gentlemen, we have paid over $22,000,000 annually, and shall still pay over $17,000,000 annually, for a market to consume annu- ally only $10,000,000 worth of products. I ask gen- tlemen to look at this view of the subject. If they call this calculation theorizing, I ask them how facts and fig- ures can ever be made to produce demonstration '? Upon this basis of calculation, we have been paying to tlie manufacturers of this country, under the name of pro- DUTY ON TEA AND COFFEE. IGl tection, over $48,000,0(>0 annually more than the whole amount of agricultural productions which they have or can consume. Is it suprising, then, sir, that under this system of creating home markets, in the language of the gentleman from Massachusetts, [Mr. Hudson,] agricul- ture has not retained its proportion to the growing ])opu- latiou of the country? Is it surprising that the agricul- tural population of New York has diminished within the last five years ? Is it surprising that agricultural pro- ducts generally had depreciated in price over forty per cent, since 1841, or that the gross value of the agricultu- ral products of New York was worth many millions less in 1845 than they were in 1840 ? Is it surprising that the gross value of agricultural products had diminished in Massachusetts near four millions of dollars between 1841 and 1842, as the census shows ? Is it surprising that nine millions of pounds of wool grown in New York was worth more, by $700,000, in 1840, than thirteen millions of pounds of wool is worth at the present prices ? Is it at all surprising that manufactures have advanced beyond the proi)ortion of our growing population during this same time? Is it not surprising, sir, that the people of this country have so long tolerated a system so unequal, so oppressive, so unjust? In common with my brother farmers, I have felt the blighting influences of this policy. I have listened to their cunningly-devised fables and falsehoods, which have been resorted to to blind us to the causes which have robbed us of the fruits of our toil, and pushed us on the road to adversit}^ I have witnessed the violent struggles by which a modification of policy has been resisted. I have seen with what desperate energy the attempt has been made to retain upon us a policy of revenue more highly oj)pressive than was then existing in any nation on the face of the earth. I believe it is a desire to restore that policy, which is one of the strongest motives in op- 39 162 HILLSDALE HISTORY. posing a duty upon tea and coffee. I believe the levying that duty for the purposes of the war will assist in pro- tecting VIS against the reestablishment of that or a similar policy. It is this conviction that has prompted me in go- ing more largely int* > this subject than I otherwise should have done. Avarice, sir, was never satisfied by indulgence, nor am- bition surfeited by gratification. Those who have enjoyed contributions upon the people for the last quarter of a century, will not quietly submit to a deprivation of any of their spoils. Office-seekers and legislators will be found willing to make with them common cause. There will be "an effort to put again upon us the yoke of 1842. The struggle must come. Whether at this session, the next, or after the nation has been convulsed at another election, I know not ; but the struggle will come. To the friends of justice, of the people's rights, of their country's good, we must look to save us again from the vortex of oppres- sion. But, sir, if the doctrine of special and partial legisla- tion is to be insisted upon — if the doctrine of legislative protection is to prevail in this country, then, certainly, its benefits should not be confined to the few, but should be directly for the benefit of the greater portion, if not for the whole of our population. No considerable interest should be left to the uncertain tenure of contingent, incidental consequences. Under this view of the case, the agricul- tural interest should be one specially to receive the direct benefits, by way of legislation. I will venture to suggest, then, the propriety of ascertaining the average export valuation oti all the staple articles of agriculture, for the last ten years ; the the grain, flour, wool, provisions, &c,, of the North ; the cotton, tobacco, rice, sugar, &c., of the South. And upon that average valution to give an ex- port bounty equal to one half of the average per cent, duty imposed upon imports. This bounty would be DUTY ON TEA AND COFFEE. 163 special protection to agriculture, which gives employ- ment to three-fourths of our population. At the same time manufactures would enjoy the protection of the duties, and commerce would enjoy the increased exports and imports which a sj'-stem of bounties may be presumed to create. Now, sir, what objection can be raised to this system of protection by the advocates of that doctrine? It cannot be said to be new. I cannot claim the merit of origiualit}' in proposing it. We give to fishermen boun- ties, and why are the hardy sons of the ocean any more subjects of bounty than those of the field ? We give to rum makers and sugar refiners bounties, by way of re- funded duties ; why are not the producers of flour, meat, wool, and cotton, equally subjects of such bounty '? If it is called refunding duties on raw matierial, in one case ; in the other, if you please, call it refunding duties on the cloth, iron, sugar, molasses, salt, spices, , .>^^ ^O .0 C, if 4 Ov "^ ^> ,^x^' \. .V v^ 6> J, ■ A '>; •^0 o o V /• ^0■ ^^^ O^^ 0- A > ) ^ ^0 nV ■' « « 5 -^ c .^^ '•> .^" ^:pv 4 '?y •<<> ^0 .^' A °o .*<^ « c ^ -&* '0^ .^^ • ■^0 .0 .^" o ..0' A^ /-^ --^B^ /^. 'w:^ .^^ .^' ..^' ,0 <!>■- .0' .^^ pj'ipiCi^ N.MANCHESTER. " <^ INDIANA .^'' LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 014 223 779 9