Moving back to the rest of the town, previously I wrote of the development of Melrose as a summer colony, beginning in 1871 when photographer C.C. Schoonmaker bought 28 acres of land and had Avenue A and B surveyed and laid out into about 60 building lots. Before then the center of population in the area had been in Grant’s Hollow, site of the grain cradle factory founded by Isaac Grant about 1830. The company also had a general store and hosted the Junction Post Office. I have written about Grant and his partner Daniel Viall and the factory extensively elsewhere. In 1895 the company was purchased by Albert E. and N.B. Powers of Lansingburg and F. H. Ferris of Melrose and re-incorporated as the Grant Ferris Company. The company had plans to continue manufacture of agricultural machinery and expand to operate country stores nationwide, but the plant burned the same year, ending their hopes. Certainly this loss accelerated the move to focus on the Melrose we know today.
Beers Atlas 1877
1871 map of the lands of CC Schoonmaker- found in a book of deeds. Note the similarity to Beers Atlas
About 1875 George W. Sinsabaugh built a “villa” at the bottom of Church Street, on the west side of the railroad tracks. It was on the site of the home of Denise Hegarty as of 2022. George was a well-known confectioner and caterer in Troy. Born in Schoharie in 1825, George moved to Troy as a young man and went into the confectionary business with his sister, Mrs. Sarah Ostrander, on Congress Street. By the 1850 US Census, he had married Catherine Quackenbush. They had two children, Charles C. and Sarah. According to Weise’s “City of Troy and Vicinity”, George built 20 3rd Street as his shop in 1856. The 1870 US Census already listed George, 45, as a retired confectioner, with $35,000 in real estate and a personal estate of $20,000. I truly think he was not retired. The 1875 NY Census listed him as a candy maker, with son Charles, 21, as a hardware clerk. Daughter Sarah, 24, had married Harry Sliter, 27, a wholesale grocer.
Sinsabaugh ad from the Troy Times
The 1880 US Census listed George as a resident of Melrose. He was described as a retired restaurant keeper. Sarah and Henry lived with them. Perhaps George was attempting retirement, but besides his confectionary on 3rd Street, he also ran the 5th Avenue Hotel, according to his obituary. Weise states that son Charles took over the confectionary in 1878, but the obituary states that didn’t happen until 1897. I don’t know which was true. Besides the census , another sign that George considered Melrose his retirement home was his active participation in the organization of the Melrose Presbyterian Church in 1882. He was instrumental in the construction of the building and served as a trustee.
On May 15, 1891 confectioner George Sinsabaugh advertised “for sale or to let from May 2: the beautiful house and grounds..at Melrose.” He didn’t sell the house, renting it to E. Wallerstein in 1893. By 1895, things had changed again and he was operating his large villa as an inn. The Schaghticoke “Sun” of August 23 reported that his “boarding house is full of city sojourners.” In November he and his wife celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at their home in Melrose. 100 friends attended a supper from seven to midnight. A wedding cake made 25 years ago and preserved was part of the repast. The ubiquitous Doring’s Band of Troy- here called an orchestra- entertained.
March 5, 1897, the “Sun” reported that George would be arriving in Melrose by April 1, implying he had spent the winter in Troy. He had been in “feeble health” but expected he would recuperate as soon as he arrived. Perhaps he did, but at the same time he retired (again) from the confectionary business, which he had begun in the 1850’s. George died in December 1901. According to his obituary on December 13, 1901, he had lived full-time at his home in Melrose for the last several years of his life, until it burned in March of 1900. Another article in the Troy “Times” reported that the house burned in March 1901. (December 31, 1901) Sadly for George, his son Charles declared bankruptcy in November 1901, just before his father’s death. Apparently he recovered from the bankruptcy and followed in his father’s footsteps as caterer, confectioner, and restaurateur for a number of years. But the connection with Melrose was broken.
Melrose train station
For at least thirty years after Schoonmaker’s purchase, well-off Trojans erected summer homes along Avenue A. It was probably quicker to get from Troy to Melrose in 1890 by train than it is today by car. And the station was right at the west end of Church Street, across the tracks from Sinsabaugh’s. There were at least six trains each way per day. Other residents, both on Avenue A and nearby, rented out their homes for the summer. The Troy “Times” included advertisements for these homes, then reported the arrival of Trojans for the summer and their activities while in the area. The Schaghticoke “Sun” of July 20, 1894 stated, “the summer visitors are here and have taken possession of the town,” on July 27, “Melrose has the potential to be a boom town!” The paper noted it needed better fire protection, a meat and fish market, a barbershop, shoemaker, harness maker, and a livery stable. In 1902, a trolley line was proposed from Troy to Williamstown, passing just west of Avenue A. We know this did not come to pass.
What did Melrose have in the way of a “downtown”? Besides the hotel, there was the blacksmith shop of Henry Stearns, where S and M Motors is today. There was also the general store of John O. Wing, known as J.O., located on the east side of Route 40 just where Valley Falls Road branches off. J.O., born in Pittstown in 1844, had a general store in Melrose by 1875. That census listed John O., 30, wife Caroline; and daughters Vivia, 9; and Lillian, 2. The Post Office was also in the store. John operated the store until 1921, when he passed the operation on to William Diefendorf and his wife Ruth, his granddaughter.
the sign over the store says “Diefendorf”
J.O. also built a buttonhole factory next to his home in 1893. The April 22 Troy “Times” reported that construction was almost done. On May 12, the paper added that the machinery was in place. J.O.’s daughter Lillian operated the factory. The 1900 US Census listed Lillian Vines, 28, a widow, as the forelady of the factory. The Wings were involved in the religious and social life of the community as well. J.O. was leader of the singing school for the Lutherans in 1878, a trustee of the Presbyterian Church in 1900, and then moved on to the Methodist Church after they joined the Presbyterians in 1906. In 1914, the Methodist minister, Rev. Booth, who was also a poet, presented Wing with a very long poem on the occasion of his 70th birthday. The whole thing was published in the Troy “Daily Times” on March 10.
Charles Francis
Charles Francis, editor of the Troy “Daily News”, was one of the early purchasers of land on what became Avenue A from C.C. Schoonmaker. Charles was born in Troy in 1853. His father, John M. Francis, had begun the Troy “Daily Times” newspaper just a couple of years earlier. Charles was a champion rower at Cornell University, served as Secretary to his father when he was the US Ambassador to Greece from 1871 to 1873, then went into the family business, only finally taking over full control of the “Times’ after his father’s death in 1897. He married Alice Evans of Ithaca about 1879. They had five children. At the time Charles built his summer home in Melrose, he was about thirty years old and the father of small children. He was also active in the New York National Guard in addition to his work at the newspaper.
According to research by George Somnitz and my own research, in 1884, Christopher C. Schoonmaker and his wife Eleanor sold five small adjoining lots on the east side of Avenue A to Charles for $2000. One lot fronted on the new Avenue A, the rest stretched up the little hill to current route 40. They faced south on what was called Second Street, a cross street from Route 40 to Avenue A. The deed included sharing a natural spring on the hill east of the property with Schoonmaker. The men agreed to build a reservoir on the hill and put in pipes to their homes, plus allow each other access for any needed repairs. Charles agreed to maintain the portion of Avenue A in front of his property. A few years later, Charles bought the property for the proposed 2nd Street, ensuring he would have no traffic on the south side of his home. Somnitz stated that the Francis’ had tennis courts in the back yard and a large cistern for water storage.
Charles hired contractor Theron Andrews to build him a Queen Anne style “cottage”, with two stories and an attic. Interestingly, Theron, from Hoosick Falls, was only 21 years old at the time. On May 21, 1885, days before the Francis family was to move in, the house burned to the ground, along with the adjoining ice house. The loss was $7,000, but Charles was fully insured. The fire began in the kitchen, though the report was that the kitchen stove was out. Two gardeners were sleeping in an attic room, but were warned by Charles Andrews, father of the contractor, and they escaped. The residence of Thomas Griffen, on the south, was scorched, as was that of C.C. Schoonmaker, on the north. CC stood on the roof of his house, protecting it from fire, and had his feet blistered through his rubber boots. A number of fruit trees were ruined as well.
The fascinating article in the Troy “Daily Times”, referred to above, tells us so much- the name of the contractor, that the attic rooms of the home were servant’s bedrooms, and that the Francis family was employing two gardeners, plus the fact of a household ice house. Ice would have been cut in the winter on a local pond and stored in a specially designed building for use through the summer. This little building was common at one time. And there is the great image of C.C. Schoonmaker defending his home. There was no local fire department, so no way to quench the fire. Thanks to the insurance, the house was quickly rebuilt.
Francis home on Avenue A- the one built after 1900
One of my favorite articles about the Francis family appeared in the Troy “Daily Times” on August 28, 1891. Mr and Mrs. Charles Francis were just returning from “four or five” months in Europe, traveling directly from New York to their home in Melrose. There they were greeted by a surprise reception. Chinese lanterns were hung from his residence and those of his neighbors. The employees of the Troy Times took a special train to Melrose to welcome their boss home, accompanied by Doring’s Band. They processed from the station, at the bottom of Church Street, to the Francis home, the route of march illuminated by Greek Fire and fireworks. There the band played “Home Sweet Home,” and Charles and his father, John. M. Francis, addressed the employees. Everyone was served a “collation” (food). At 10 o’clock the employees cheered the occasion, paraded back to the station, and took the train back to Troy. Doring’s Band, which numbered about twenty men, performed as a “labor of love,” finishing with “Auld Lang Syne.” Wow.
Charles Doring, leader of the band
By the 1900 US Census, Charles and Alice lived at 191 2nd Street in Troy with their children and four servants. The next year, Charles was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Greece, then served as Ambassador to Austria-Hungary. He and Alice travelled extensively. Yet Avenue A in Melrose remained their summer home. Charles died at age 58 in 1911.
Charles Francis’ “Spring Villa” burned again in 1901, in June. A brakeman on the railroad noticed the Francis fire. Perhaps because Charles was serving as Ambassador to Greece, the home had been leased for the summer by Judge L.E. Griffith of Troy, who had already moved in “some valuable bric-a-brac.” Lewis E. Griffith (1847-1912) was a prominent attorney in Troy, and served seven years as a county judge. He and wife Georgiana lived at 146 2nd Street in Troy, handy to the courthouse. Both this fire and the one at the Sinsabaugh’s, about the same time, were thought to be arson, though I have not found any follow-up on that in the newspaper. Both homes were rebuilt, though of course George Sinsabaugh did not return to Melrose, as he passed away that year.
Judge Griffith and his wife returned to Melrose the following summer, having “taken a cottage.” Here is a sampling of other notices and ads of the time: “Mr and Mrs E.A. Frear left yesterday to occupy their house at Melrose for the summer.” (June 19, 1901) Edwin A. Frear was the partner with his brother William in one of Troy’s primary department stores, Frear’s. “Wanted: girl to cook, wash and iron- must be willing to go to Melrose for the summer…apply 46 2nd Street, Troy.” (May 31, 1901. “For rent: a large pleasant house at Melrose on the avenue convenient to the railroad station. C.H. VanWie” (April 6, 1901) Mr. VanWie was the local Presbyterian minister. “For rent for the summer: house, grounds with plenty of fruit and a good large barn. Furnished, 3 minutes from the station. F.A. Lape” (1901) “Mr and Mrs Charles Campbell will go to their home at Melrose for the summer.” (1902) “Mrs John Humphrey and son Harris have leased the home of Henry Stearns for accommodation of summer visitors (1898)” Henry Stearns had a blacksmith shop on the west side of Route 40, just kiddy-corner from the current auto repair shop. His barn was often used for parties. Perhaps he and his family found a cheap place to stay for the summer so they could make more money renting their home to Trojans. “Coverly of “Wells and Coverly” has leased the John Sipperly place for the season.” (1898) James Coverly and his partner had a large and prosperous men’s clothing business for twenty five years after 1890. He and wife Adell had one daughter. They must have loved Melrose, as they appear in the 1905 NY census as residents of the Avenue. April 12, 1902: “For rent: large well-furnished 14-room house for the summer at Melrose. J.O. Wing.” “To let at Melrose for the summer, seven-room furnished cottage, large piazzas and lawn, Dr. H.G. Nelson, 5th Ave. Troy.” June 11, 1904 “The new summer residence being erected at Melrose for Thomas Galvin of Troy” was robbed of tools.
Just to the south of the Francis “cottage” was that of Thomas W. and Eliza Griffen. This home shows up on the 1877 Beers Atlas map of Melrose, along with that of GW Sinsabaugh, and CC. Schoonmaker, so was among the earliest on the Avenue. The 1875 NY Census for Schaghticoke includes Thomas, 64, and Eliza, 56, both from Saratoga County. He was a desk manufacturer. The 1878 Troy Directory lists him as a spring bed manufacturer, with a factory on River Street, but his home at Melrose. So he was a year-round resident, commuting on the train, rather than a summer resident. Thomas died in 1889. Showing the continuing popularity of Avenue A as a summer destination, the house was purchased by Dean P. and Jessie Taylor in 1926. He was a U.S. Congressman from 1943-1961. The former Somnitz home was built on the Taylor tennis courts in 1939.
Caldwell/Denio home
The Denio house near the south end of Avenue A was originally built about 1890 by James and Margery Caldwell. Margery’s name is on the 1890 deed for a lot 150 feet wide and 472 feet deep, purchased from Frank VanDusen for $500. James, born in Alabama in 1865, attended RPI and returned to Troy about 1890 to join Ludlow Valve, rising to be its President by 1909. He was involved in many, many other Troy businesses, sat on the board of a number of banks, and was a noted philanthropist, one of the founders of Samaritan Hospital. The Caldwells built the home not long after they returned to Troy, and sold it about 1911. This was just after James became the President of Ludlow. The July 7, 1904 Troy “Daily Times” reported that the Caldwells were off for Fisher Island for two months’ vacation. Perhaps travel appealed more to the Caldwells than having a large summer home.
Another Civil War soldier with a connection- this time very small…to Schaghticoke.
I wish I could find out more about Jesse H. Corkins. In the NY 1865 Census he was living in the hotel of Gilbert Rice in the village of Schaghticoke. He was 29-years-old and reported that he had been in the 49th Massachusetts Volunteers in the Civil War. Best of all, he listed his occupation as “artist,” the only person in that or any other census I have seen who did so. I just cannot find him either before or after that date, nor can I find that he applied for a pension.
The 49th Massachusetts was a nine-month regiment, which was mustered in in Pittsfield on October 28, 1862, and mustered out on September 1, 1863. The regiment first went to New York City, then by the steamer “Illinois” to Louisiana by February 3, 1863. The men participated in the siege of Port Hudson from May to July. Overall it lost 30 men to wounds and 84 to disease during its brief service.
I think it is interesting to look at the other residents in Rice’s hotel in that 1865 census. Besides the owner, Gilbert, who was 37, there were his wife, Ester, 45, and their daughter Jennie, 6, plus Gilbert’s sisters, Sarah, 50, and Abbie Tyler, 48, both widows. The other residents were Edward Dammer, 22, who had been a soldier; Daniel Groesbeck, 44, a single “gentleman;” Stephen Parmer, 39, a jeweler; John Harris, 20, a machinist; Thomas Hayden, 22, a clerk; Elisha Harris, 55, an architect; Robert McWilliams, 77, a laborer; and David McKay, 37, a flax dresser. What a great assortment of occupations. The innkeeper had also served in the Civil War for six months, and Edward Dammer still listed his occupation as soldier. All of the tenants were single men who needed a place to eat and sleep. Wouldn’t we love to know what kind of artist Jesse was and what became of him?
What about Pleasantdale?…… As of the 1900 when the area that is now Pleasantdale was added back to the town of Schaghticoke it was still a sparsely occupied area. There were a few farms in the northern part, from the DeepKill, which enters the Hudson River at the junction of today’s River Road and Calhoun Drive, to the south. Current Calhoun Drive was originally part of the 18th century Stone Arabia Patent and was settled by the Weatherwax family about the time of the Revolution. I have written about this Palatine German family earlier. There were still Weatherwax farms there 100 years later. There were also a few farms along the Hudson River Turnpike, current River Road.
James Knox Polk Pine
Along current Haughney Road where it goes down the hill south into Pleasantdale was the stock farm of James Knox Polk Pine. James was born in Hoosick Falls in in 1841 or 1843. His father James worked as a merchant, insurances agent, and lawyer there, but found his true calling when he went to work for Walter Wood’s agricultural machinery factory and began to invent things. He moved to Troy and had a factory which made various tools and parts. His son James K.P. went to school in Hoosick Falls and moved to Troy with his dad in 1860. After clerking at a collar factory, he partnered with several men in his own collar factories, beginning around 1862. Along the way he married Clara Adams of Troy in 1865. He had a farm in Brunswick as of the 1870 census, where his occupation was listed as collar manufacturer, but built a beautiful farm near what is now the junction of New Turnpike and Haughney Roads as of the 1875 NY Census. It was then in Lansingburgh, after 1900 in Schaghticoke. He and Clara had three children Charles, 9; Kate, 7; and Bessie, 2. Illustrated in “Sylvester’s History of Rensselaer County”, the farm boasted thoroughbred trotting horses and shorthorn cattle.
JKP Pine in Pleasantdale, from Sylvester’s “History of Rensselaer County”
James was a gentleman farmer. He was really an entrepreneur. He partnered with Myron Hamblin in a collar firm beginning in 1880. After Hamblin died he went on alone, founding the James K.P.Pine Company about 1884. He consolidated five firms to form the United Shirt and Collar Company about 1890 (John Waite, “Industrial Archeology of Troy, Waterford, Cohoes, and Green Island”). Called the Lion Factory, it was one of the largest shirt and collar shops in the world. It is now the Standard Manufacturing Company on 2nd Avenue in Lansingburgh, in the process of conversion to apartments.
today’s Standard Manufacturing on 2nd Avenue in Lansingburgh- from John Waite’s book
Besides having the farm, James and his family lived at 853 2nd Avenue, his father and mother next door. James was one of the original board members of the People’s Bank when it began in 1889, then becoming President. He invested in and operated various companies through the years and served on the boards of Troy Savings Bank, Samaritan and Leonard Hospitals, the YMCA and YWCA. He was a devoted Mason, a pillar of the Presbyterian Church, and a staunch Republican. James died at his summer home at Lake Bomoseen, Vermont in 1919.
from the Lansingburgh Historical Society. The house was approximately where the Price Chopper is
from the Lansingburgh Historical Society
The original farm in current Pleasantdale was owned by the Lansings. Abram Jacob Lansing and the patroonship of Rensselaerwyck had a dispute over the land so that Abram did not receive a deed to that part of the Stone Arabia patent until 1769. His son William inherited, and he left a portion of his property, including the farm in Pleasantdale to Edward Lansing and his sister Alida. By 1900 the farm consisted of 110 acres, the frame farm house and two tenant houses. That house is at the junction of Haughney Road and Tampa Avenue. The 1900 US Census listed Edward, 69, as a farmer, living with his sister Alida, and her husband Alexander Dickson, 74, an Irish clergyman. Edward was a bachelor and Alida and Alexander had no children, so when they all died in 1904, and after some years of dispute among the heirs, the land was sold in 1915 and developed. I will write about that in the future.
1909 Troy Daily Times. Camp Fairweather was a YMCA Camp
One part of the Lansing Farm was a grove of trees along the river. I found many, many newspaper articles describing the picnics of school, church, and civic groups at Lansing’s Grove from about 1860 until the land was sold in 1915. An article in the Troy “Daily Times” on February 2, 1915 states: “toward the south of the homestead is Lansing’s Grove, extending nearly a mile along the Hudson and from the river to the road on the east. It was famous for years as a picnic grounds. Back in the sixties it was the scene of the annual outings of the old Haymaker baseball club and the fire engine companies for which Lansingburgh was noted, and later it was a favorite spot for the picnics of Sunday Schools and social organizations. It was no unusual occurrence in those days to see the grove illuminated at night by Chinese lanterns and torches for the dances that followed the picnics of some of the organizations, and the crowds that were attracted compared favorably in size with those found at similar events of the present day.” Participants took the horse cars, later the trolley to the trolley barn just north of the end of the bridge to Waterford, then walked north along the turnpike or the shore. Older readers may remember the J.M Fields Department Store, which was housed in the old car barn on the current site of the Hannaford grocery store. Apparently some people came and camped along the river in temporary structures every summer, some on shore, some in boats moored to the shore on both sides of the Hudson. In 1904, the North End Gun Club put in a new rifle range near the grove. (Troy Daily Times April 9, 1904)
from Lansingburgh, by Don Rittner
Pleasantdale 1910 Troy Daily Times
An article in the Troy “Daily Times” on July 28, 1864 connects Lansing’s Grove to my next topic. “The picnic of Trinity Church Sabbath School takes place in Lansing’s grove to-day. Doring’s Band furnished the music, Sinsabaugh the ice cream- and the entire arrangements are of an order not usually excelled on such occasions.”
Continuing to report on men with a connection to Schaghticoke who served in the Civil War…..
Dorwin Cookinham was born in Schaghticoke in 1848. His father, Jacob, was a master blacksmith, I believe in Melrose. His mother was Phebe Bryan. He had an older brother Benjamin, who appears only in the 1850 US Census, so must have died, and an older sister, Sarah, born in 1845. Dorwin enlisted in the 192nd New York Infantry in March of 1865, in Allen (?). He gave his age as 18 but was 16 or 17- years- old. He was 5’5” tall, with blue eyes and brown hair and gave his occupation as laborer. Dorwin must have been itching to take part in the war, enlisting as soon as he could or his father let him.
NYS Muster Card of Dorwin Cookin(g)ham
The 192nd made it to Virginia just about the time of the surrender of Lee at Appomattox, and was mustered out in Cumberland, Maryland on August 28, 1865. Dorwin, however, was discharged at Hart’s Island, New York on May 4, “with detachment.” Hart’s Island was the site of a Confederate prisoner of war camp at the end of the Civil War, and I think there was a hospital there as well. He may have been working as a guard of some sort, but he also reported to the NY Register of Officers and Enlisted Men that his health was permanently impaired by his service, so he may have been hospitalized. He was back home with his family by the 1865 NY Census, where he also reported himself as “Permanently disabled.” What had happened? Perhaps it was chronic dysentery or diarrhea?
Whatever disability Dorwin suffered in his brief months in service, it didn’t prevent him from living a long and useful life. By the 1870 US Census he was listed as 23 –years- old, married to a woman named Frances, age 22, and living in Poultney, Vermont. He listed his occupation as “physician.” According to the information accompanying his tombstone photo on “find a grave”, he attended the Troy Academy as a youth, then both the Albany Medical and Kansas-Missouri Medical Colleges. I wonder if he was a student in Troy Academy at the time of his enlistment?
By the 1880 US Census, Dorwin was in Battle Creek, Kansas with a second wife, Anna M. Hawkins, born in Illinois, who was ten years younger than he. He listed his occupation as farmer. According to researchers on ancestry.com, they married in 1878. Dorwin attended a medical college in Kansas and began to practice medicine again in 1889, in Topeka, Kansas. The 1900 US Census listed them on New Jersey Avenue in Holton, Kansas. Dorwin and Anna had three children: Bryan, born 1880; Franklin, born 1882; and Annie Edith, born 1884. By the 1920 US Census, Dorwin and Anna lived alone in Topeka, Kansas, where he continued to practice medicine until his death in 1923.
Dorwin did not report himself as a veteran in the 1890 census nor did he apply for a pension based on his service. Anna lived until 1939. They are buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Topeka, Kansas, where his tombstone does not record his service.
Tombstone of Dorwin Cookinham in Topeka, Kansas. Thanks to Find-a-Grave
I only found Elisha Cook as a veteran buried in Schaghticoke thanks to Heidi McColgan of “Vermont in the Civil War.” Elisha is buried in Elmwood Cemetery. He was born in Manchester, Vermont in 1836, the son of Elisha and Mary Cook, farmers. The 1850 US census for Manchester lists the family: Elisha, 48; Mary, 43; plus children Mary, 19; future soldier Elisha, 14; Frederick, 11; Sarah, 8; Allen, 4; and Milon, 7/12, plus grandfather Elisha, aged 90. By the 1860 US Census, Elisha, Jr. had moved out and was living in the family of marble dealer Ira Crockran in Dorset. Presumably he was working for Ira as well.
Elisha Cook muster card for the 22nd NY
Elisha didn’t wait to enlist to fight in the Civil War, but went to Albany and enlisted in Company G of the 22nd NY Infantry on June 21, 1861 for two years. The 22nd left Albany on June 28. One of its men was killed by a mob as they passed through Baltimore shortly after. They served around Washington, D.C., then were part of the Army of Potomac during the battles of 2nd Bull Run on August 30, 1862, Antietam, September 17, 1862, and Chancellorsville in May, 1863. The 22nd was fortunate not to have been fully involved in any of these great battles, so suffered relatively few casualties, though Elisha certainly saw plenty of action. He and the regiment were mustered out on June 19, 1863 in Albany.
Elisha Cook Muster Card, 2nd NY Veteran Cavalry
This service would certainly have completed Elisha’s commitment to his country, but he enlisted again, in Company L of the 2nd NY Veteran Cavalry in Granville in September 1863. His muster card described him as a farmer from Manchester, Vermont, with black eyes and hair and a dark complexion, 5’8” tall. The 2nd served around Washington, D.C. at first, then in Louisiana and Florida. Elisha experienced none of this as he deserted on the way to Washington, D.C. Perhaps he enlisted for a bounty, perhaps as he got closer to the action his enthusiasm waned.
By the 1870 US census, Elisha was back in Manchester and had married a woman named Esther. He was working on the railroad. The couple had a daughter, Edith, age 1. Esther probably died soon after. According to a little article in the Troy “Times”, Elisha of Valley Falls married Sarah Brundige of Schaghticoke in 1877. I did not find them in the 1880 US Census, but Elisha applied for an invalid pension in 1882. As of the 1890 Veterans Census, Elisha lived in Vly Summit and besides listing his service in the 22nd, he stated he was hurt in the back and had applied for a pension, not as yet approved.
In the 1892 NYS census the family continued to live in Vly Summit, which is west of Center Cambridge. Elisha, 56, was a laborer, and he and Sarah, 38, had five children: Frank, 19; Blanche, 11; Bertha, 7; Effie, 5; and Chester, 1. Elisha appeared in the 1900 US census, age 63, as a farmer. He and Sarah still had the four youngest children at home. Elisha died the next year of apoplexy, without a will. He is buried in Elmwood Cemetery, with his service in the 22nd Regiment noted on his tombstone. There is no indication that his widow received a pension. Sarah married John Quackenbush in 1903 and lived in the area until at least 1925, according to an ancestry.com family tree.
Besides the wool and flax mills, the third historic business in Schaghticoke was the Powder Mill. I have written about it extensively elsewhere, so will not do so here, except to note that the mill continued to suffer explosions- and deaths of employees, to provide gunpowder for the U.S. Military, and to modernize . The Schaghticoke “Sun” on April 26, 1895 noted the company was building a powder magazine near the Fitchburg RR station as “the current buildings not adequate for the amount of powder they are manufacturing.” On March 18, 1898 the mill sold just 7500 pounds of powder to the federal government- war with Spain was impending- but this is a paltry amount to what they could have supplied. John J. Stewart’s barrel works, located at the southeast end of the bridge across the Hoosic River at Schaghticoke, was making containers for it. On June 8, the “Sun” reported that the company had “shipped a large quantity of powder via boat from Stillwater this week.” The final closure of this mill will also be included in a future article.
Delbert Seymour’s photo of a 1910 explosion at the powder mill, in the Troy “Daily Times”
There was a new mill in the village of Schaghticoke as of 1896- or at least the renaming and renovation of an old mill and the beginning of a new enterprise. The Empire Mill and Coal Company was incorporated that year with a capital stock of $10,000. The Schaghticoke “Sun” of May 13, 1896 reported that the “new company is the successor of the straw paper mill of Wiley and Button.” The paper mill had just closed in January 1896 due to “the high cost of straw and the low price of wrapping paper.” (Schaghticoke Sun January 24, 1896). And co-owner Frederick Wiley died in March 1896.
One of the former paper mill operators, David Button, was the President of the new company. William Elmer Wiley, the son of Frederick Wiley, the Wiley of the paper mill, was the Secretary; and J. Warren Button, son of David, was the Vice-President. David Button held 2/3 of the stock, W. Elmer 27 ½%, and J. Warren 5 shares. They planned to build a mill on the site of the “lower” paper mill. It would have a masonry foundation of 38 x 58’, be two stories high with a basement. The wheel house of 27 x 48’ would be in the rear. The men planned to grind grist, which hadn’t happened in the village for a few years, but also deal in lumber, coal, mason’s materials, and farmers’ produce. They “upper mill” would be removed and the site offered for sale. The site opposite, called the “Joy property” and the “Stratton property”- perhaps indicating the site of the store connected with the early flax mill- would be the site of a store house. The September 11, 1896 “Sun” reported that the company was “now operating”, grinding grist and with a circular saw in use. This is now the mill of Hoosac Valley Farmers Exchange.
I have written before about David M. Button (1836-1909), a son of prominent farmer William Pitt Button. He married two Baucus sisters: Eliza, who died in 1903, then Frances, who died in 1925. The year after Empire Mill began, David ran for Town Supervisor. In a stunning upset, Job Doty, the Democrat, defeated him. The 1900 US Census listed David, 64, as a dealer in coal and lumber. David died in 1909.
Son J. Warren, born in 1858, was listed in that same 1900 census as a travelling salesman. Aged 41, he had been married fifteen years to Lovetta, then 35. She was the daughter of Charles and Emma Mott, who lived mostly in upstate New York and Vermont. Charles was a minister, so they moved quite often. J. Warren and Lovetta had four children: Harold, Earl, Donald, and Irving. Earlier in his career, in 1888, J. Warren received a patent for a “butter worker” (Syracuse Weekly Express, October 10, 1888), so he had an inventive streak .J. Warren was active in local government, serving as a Justice of the Peace, and losing a bid to be President of the Village of Schaghticoke the year he died, 1923. His obituary described him as the owner of Empire Coal.
J. Warren was also a very lucky man. On July 14, 1914 he went to the mill, checking for damage after a big electrical storm. He was repairing a fuse in the grist mill when he inadvertently put both hands on a live wire, carrying 4,400 volts. His body jerked “mightily” and he ended up on top of some wires, some five feet off the floor. He was discovered about ten minutes later, and an employee turned off the main switch. J. Warren fell to the floor. The rescuers used a “pulmotor”- a resuscitator- for two hours. In the end, the only injury he suffered was from the fall to the floor. As I said earlier, J. Warren died in December 1923, but of cancer. He is buried with many other Buttons at Elmwood Cemetery.
William Elmer Wiley, from photos in the Masonic Temple
William Elmer Wiley, whom I think was known as Elmer, was born in 1862. He grew up on the family farm, near where the town hall is today, but moved to the village of Schaghticoke as his father developed the straw paper mill. He married Esther Tarbell in 1896. She was the daughter of Newell and Julia Tarbell of Franklin County, and the niece of prominent local physician Daniel Tarbell.
The 1900 US Census listed the new family: Elmer and Esther and their daughter Helen, plus his mother Hester. His occupation was given as hardware and grocery merchant. He was in partnership with Job Viall. As of 1897 the business was called the Schaghticoke Cash Store. An ad on January 1, 1897 in the “Sun” lists products for sale: tea coffee breakfast foods, skates, sleighs, bells, syrup, molasses, flour, potato chips.” Elmer was a busy man- occupied with the new business and with his partnership with Viall.
By the 1905 NY Census William E., 43, was a machinist. He appears to have specialized in the repair and engineering part of the business of the Empire Mill. He and Esther lived on Main Street, with children Helen, 8; and Frederick, 3. In later census, he was listed as a plumber and steam fitter, though he remained a director of the Empire Coal and Milling.
Meanwhile, Elmer was very involved in his community. He was trustee of the village school, fire chief, trustee of the Methodist Church, and member of the Odd Fellows and the Masons. He was also a town assessor, tax collector, and justice of the peace. He served as Supervisor of the town from 1924-1929. Esther died in 1946 and Elmer in 1955. They are buried in Elmwood Cemetery.
Job Viall, Elmer’s early business partner, was also a life-long resident of town. He was a son of Daniel and Mary Germond Viall. Daniel was the co-owner with Isaac Grant of the Grant Fan Cradle Company in Grant’s Hollow. Job was born in 1847. At age 20 he was a bookkeeper in Troy, working for agricultural business Nutting & Hull with his father. As of the 1870 US Census, he was in the village of Schaghticoke, married to Sarah Alida Baucus, and already operating a hardware store. Through his long life, Job was listed variously as a hardware or grocery merchant in the village. He and Alida had one child, Jennie, born in 1872. After Alida’s death in 1894, Job married Louisa Sigworth. He outlived her as well. After Louisa’s death in 1923, Job lived with Jennie and her husband Edward Pinkham. Though he may not have owned the hardware store any more, he was still listed as hardware salesman in the 1930 US Census, at age 83. He died in 1933. He and his family are buried in Elmwood Cemetery.
This article began with the big news of 1900, the forced restoration of Speigletown and Pleasantdale to the town of Schaghticoke. I spoke of the huge financial burden this imposed on the town, due to road maintenance, and of the small population living in the area south of the Deepkill- only sixty voters.
So let’s look more closely at the two restored parts of the town. I have written a bit about Speigletown before. There was a small settlement there by 1790, with an extensive plan for development, with lots plotted out on both sides of Route 40 both north and south of the intersection with Fogarty Road. Most of those lots were not developed, but the community was on the earliest north-south route in Rensselaer County, the Northern Turnpike, which was opened in 1800. Modern Fogarty Road was both part of the SanCoick Road- which wound through Rensselaer County to Hoosick Falls, as well as the road to Cooksboro and on toBennington. By 1850, Speigletown had a school, church, hotel, tavern, and blacksmith shop. Current Irish Road led from Speigletown west to the Hudson River Turnpike, now River Road, which was the other through north-south road through town. Along the stream which paralleled Irish Road, the Koolkill, there were a couple of saw mills and a mill to process flax. What is now Calhoun Drive also went through to the Turnpike. There were a few farms along the way.
There was also a settlement on the Deep Kill in Grant Hollow, which was the dividing line between Schaghticoke and Lansingburgh from 1819-1900. The Grant Cradle Factory began about 1830. Besides manufacturing grain cradles, it housed a general store and post office. The church and school were on the Schaghticoke side of the Deep Kill, the factory mostly on the south side. In between Speigletown and Grant Hollow, the house on the west side of Route 40, just south of Turner Road was a late 18th century inn run by Revolutionary War veteran James Brookins. It is now next to DLC Electric.
By the time Speigletown became part of the town of Schaghticoke once more in 1900, it had become quite a destination for excursionists from Troy. In the summer, bicycle clubs from Troy and Lansingburgh rode to Speigletown; in the winter, groups drove their sleighs, then had a meal at the hotel. Year round there were political meetings there. All of the following articles appeared in the “Troy Daily Times.” December 20, 1882, “a large company assembled at Ray’s hotel in Speigletown to take part in a pigeon shoot.” January 18, 1884, “15 gentleman from Troy enjoyed themselves Tuesday evening at Ray’s hotel. While their merriment was at the height, another party of six couples from Troy appeared. September I, 1894, “the Mason Athletic Association had a ride to Speigletown yesterday” to play a game of baseball with “a Speigletown nine.” January 24, 1901, “Young people will sleigh from Powers Opera House to Speigletown,” and have a dance at the hotel with Sunderlin’s orchestra providing the music. March 2, 1893, the “Bon ami social club had a sleigh ride to Speigletown.” October 20, 1904, the “Owl’s Club of the YMCA had supper this evening at Freeborn’s Hotel in Speigletown.”
hotel in Speigletown
A couple of different men owned or operated the hotel at Speigletown at the time. The building is apartments now, on the west side of Route 40, just north of Kathy Fogarty’s beauty shop. The Beers Atlas map of 1876 records John Dusenbury as the owner. John had a hotel in Pittstown as of the 1865 NY Census, but was at Speigletown as of 1870, when the census recorded him as 44- years old, with a hotel worth $5000. His wife Sarah, also 44, lived with him, as well as his son Charles, 10, and son Guy, 21, who helped run the hotel, and Guy’s new wife Alice, 21. He was still the hotel keeper in the 1880 US Census, but shortly after Theodore Ray took over.
Theodore Ray was born in Pittstown in 1844, served in the Civil War briefly, came back home to farm, but then began a career in hotels as a clerk at the American House in Troy in 1875. The Beers Atlas of 1877 showed him operating a hotel in the village of Tomhannock. The 1880 US Census listed him there at age 35, with wife Anna, 27, and son James, 10. But he was in Speigletown by 1882, when an article in the Troy “Daily times” on December 20 recorded that a large group gathered at Ray’s Hotel to take part in a pigeon shoot in Valentine Perry’s field behind the hotel. Perry owned the property just to the north of the hotel on Route 40. About 125-130 pigeons were shot of 450 which had been acquired for the event. On January 31, 1883, a group from Troy came to dance at the hotel: “Mr Ray has a splendid floor for dancing. Dancing class is held every Tuesday.” An article in the Lansingburgh “Courier” (Apr 7, 1883) touted Ray’s Hotel as a “first-class hotel.” “The larder is constantly supplied with all..the delicacies of the season, while the bar, wine and ale vaults are stocked with the finest wines, the choicest whiskeys, the purest ales and porter, and the best cigars, imported and domestic…”Ray even boasted a telephone. “A physician may be summoned, a telegram sent, or any order given to the market man or merchant as readily at Speigletown as in the heart of the city….For a quiet, homelike, and at the same time elegant resort for summer boarders, singly or in families, Ray’s North Lansingburgh Hotel stands unrivaled.” (Remember, at this time Speigletown was still part of Lansingburgh.)
An article from January 18, 1884 really captures the spirit of the era: “sports of Speigletown and vicinity have been talking nothing but horse.” So Theodore Ray and neighbors George Dormandy, Ben Brewster, Al Filkin, George Ward, and Mr. Stearns set up a race on Vail Avenue the next day, with a purse of $50 to go to the winner, who would treat everyone to a “first class dinner” afterward. Each man was to drive his own horse. There is no longer a Vail Avenue in Lansingburgh, so I’m not sure where the race took place. Theodore and family moved on again by 1887, when he took over operation of the Phoenix Hotel in Lansingburgh for about ten years. (Troy “Times”, April 15, 1887) When that business failed he went on to Greene County, then on to Florida.
from the Troy City directory 1890
I don’t know who took over the hotel next. One newspaper article mentioned Freeborn’s Hotel, but I cannot find out anyone by that name in the census. William E. Burns is listed as a hotel operator in the 1905 NY Census. He was 49, and listed with wife Nellie and son Earl, 12. But I do not find him in the newspapers or elsewhere in the public record.
photo of the blacksmith shop- on the east side of route 40 just south of the junction with Fogarty Road
Speigletown also featured the blacksmith shop of B.B. Wool, a school, and the Union Church. Those three buildings were on the east side of route 40- the school, in operation until 1961, was a dental office until recently and is now a physical therapy office. The church was just to its north, and the blacksmith shop just north of that. As with the other churches in town, this one was a center of local social life, with the ladies putting on suppers and entertainments.
History of the Town of Schaghticoke 