Thorndale

A LITTLE HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF LA GRANGE

Edmund Van Wyck*

It may be well, for the benefit of those who are not familiar with Dutchess County, to place ourselves geographically and politically. Geographically Dutchess County is situated on the east bank of Hudson's River about midway between Nieu Amsterdam and Fort Orange.—I mean New York and Albany—and was set off as a County by the Duke of York in 1683 and named for his "Dutchess." We were quite a big boy then, but in 1717 a large area of the northern end was attached to Albany County, and that now forms part of Columbia. Then in 1812 Putnam was taken off the southern end, and the County attained its present shape when the Oblong was added to the eastern side in 1731.

Politically, from 1717 until 1738, the County was divided into the "North", "Middle" and "South" Wards. In 1737 the "Wards" were done away with and the County re-organized into "Precincts", eight at first and finally in 1768, after various and sundry boundry changes, there were twelve "Precincts", and this arrangement lasted for twenty years. In 1788 the Duke of York and his playmates had been induced to return to England and we here in Dutchess County were in for another recr2-anization, this time into "Townships", nine at that time. Between 1788 and 1875, when the Town of Wappinger was erected, we finally have the township pattern of today.

So much for the County. LaGrange is one of the "inland" Towns, south of the center of the County, and its western border is about five miles east of the Hudson River. It is bordered on the north by Pleasant Valley, on the east by Union Vale, on the south by Beekman and Wappinger, and on the west by Poughkeepsie. In size it is about six miles east and west and also north and south. A pleasanter place ycu cannot find!

The Town of Freedom was erected in 1821 from parts of Beekman and Fishkill. The name was changed to LaGrange in 1826 when the Post Office Department objected to too many Freedoms and no "Zip" codes.

The Town is just about six miles square and is almost square in shape. Its western boundary follows the windings of the Wappingers Creek beginning near 'fed Plass' meadow and ending at the "Ford" near Maloney Road. We let our neighbors frcm the Town of Poughkeepsie on the west come over by means of four bridges, one at Overlook Rcad, two at Manchester Bridge and one at Red Oaks Mill. Many years ago there were fords at Rochdale at Gysbert Paelen's (Overlook Road), at De Groff's Mill (Manchester Bridge), at the Oswego Road (near Green-

Edmund Van Wyck, a life-long resident of the Town of La Grange, is a Trustee of the Dutchess County Historical Society and served as President of the Society for several terms.

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vale Farm) and the one which marked the beginning point of our south Ene, near Maloney Road.

The south line runs almost due east to a point just south of Arthursburg and a short distance east of Route 82. Then the line shoots off to tl-e northeast, thereby cutting off a corner of our otherwise square-cornered Town. Then we turn north and meet at a common point where our Town and the Town of Pleasant Valley, Washington and Union Vale all come together, north and west of Verbank Village. From there we head west and eventually come to the Wappingers Creek, where we started.

Our natural drainage system consists of the Wappingers on the west, the Sprout through the middle, and Jackson Creek not far from the eastern edge of the Town. Between them, ranging north and south, are low rolling hills, from whose tops you may have beautiful views—the Berkshires to the northeast, the Appalachian Range, including Mt. Beacon, east and south, and, across the Hudson the Catskills to the west. Pause and take a look sometime.

If you draw a line from the southeast corner of the Town where LaGrange, Beekman and East Fishkill meet near Arthursburg, to the northwest corner just up-creek from Rochdale, you will have re-established part of the Rombout Patent line; the area of our Town west of that line was in the Rombout Patent of 1686 and that on the east was in the Beekman-Livingston Patent of 1703. This line passes just a hundred or so feet to the west of our "Little Red School House" now the Library.

There were a number of mills in the Town; the oldest was probably Moses De Groff's at Manchester Bridge. This was a grist and flour mill built in 1792. It stood on the east side of Titusville road on the pond bank just across from the end of the present concrete bridge. It ceased operation in 1911 when the railroad was re-built and the pond destroyed by the fill. The original lock, in its wooden case and six inch key, is now on display at the "Glebe House" in Poughkeepsie.

Another noted mill was the Titus Woolen Mill at Titusville which flourished from the early 1800s until just after the Civil War and left us a legacy in the names of a Road and a locality. A small grist mill stood beside the little stream which crosses the intersection of Titusville and Noxon Roads. On the property now owned by Chief Edward Hunt beside Route 55 as you come into "Billings Gap" from the east, stood "Bowman's Mill," a very busy grist mill until the early 1900's when cars and trucks, combined with cheap western grain and low railroad rates brought lower prices for feed and grain.

In the little valley behind the Prokeepek place on Overlook Road, near "Birch Hills," was a saw mill, and it was here that lumber was sawed for Peter R. Sleight's new barn in 1838. There was also a small saw mill back of Arthur Sudler's home on Lauer Road. These last two little saw mills were called "Thunder shower mills" because they seldom had water unless it rained. There were many like that. On the bank of the Wappingers, just back of Ken Shafer's, in the corner of Hubbard's

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meadow, stood a fulling mill. This was a likely spot for one because they used lots of water and there is a good spring fed brook which enters the creek at that spot.

Among the larger and best known mills was the one at Moores Mills, operated, as you might guess, by the Moore family which settled there in 1750. They also had a mill at a later date where Route 82 crosses Jackson Creek at La Grangeville. At Morey's Corners, where Noxon Road passes over Jackson Creek, Morey also had a grist mill as well as a distillery and a Tavern. When the N. D. & C. R. R. was built, the "business centre" moved half a mile .or so to the west and became La Grangeville.

Ike Wolven had a blacksmith shop at the corner of Titusville and Phillips Roads. The small building is now part of a dwelling. Also at Manchester Bridge were the blacksmith and wainwright shops, run for years by Billy Donnelly. These shops were destroyed in 1910-11 when the railroad was double-tracked and re-located. In Freedom Plains we had two blacksmith shops and wagonmaker's shop. One stood on Dr. Fink Road almost in front of our "Little Red School House", and was operated by Bill Hen Baker. The other was run by Godfrey Wolven and his son-in-law Paul Berger, and the shop stood about where the Diamond Horseshoe is now. Wolven's Hall was the seat of Town government for many years, in fact the Town was organized there. It was originally the Duryea House, built in 1774. Automobiles put both of these shops out of business. 'There was a carriage maker's shop at Moores Mills and one on Cramer Road in Overlook which was owned and operated by John Logan. He did some carriage and wagon making and repair work, but engaged more largely in painting them. Many years ago there was a blacksmith at the corner of Mountain Road and Rossway Road.

Another occupation of the times was that of cider making. William Henry Brower had a cider mill on Maloney Road just off Noxon, and Henry Harris had one on Route 55 east of Manchester. There was one for a short time at Arthursburg Road and Route 82. Many farms had small hand presses, but their output was low. Cider making leads to the subject of taverns.

We should remember that the tavern of the early days was more than a place to liquidate a thirst. Travel was slow by horse, and the roads were often snow-bound in winter, deep with mud in the spring of the year, beds of dust in the summer. The taverns, not too far apart, were havens from the heat in summer, inclement weather at any time, and a place of shelter, board and lodging after a long day over bumpy roads. Their keepers were reputable people earning an honest living. DeGroff's tavern was at Manchester Bridge and served from the 1790's until the early 1900's. Wolven's, Durye's and others were at Freedom Plains, some dating back to about 1775.

The tavern at Noxon or Sprout Creek is now owned by Mr. Emil Walters and has been beautifully restored by him and used as a private

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residence. I have never been able to find who built it or who operated it down through the years, but it is pre-revolutionary, "Hard" cider was common in those days. Stills were in operation all over making "apple jack" and rye whiskey. It was not "moonshine" as there were no taxes and no cause to keep under cover. I remember an elderly gentleman who used to visit frequently at our place, told of a tavern not far from where he lived as a young man, and remembered that "Whiskey was three cents a glass, and I could get to feeling pretty good for nine cents." The place now owned by Mr. Knight was once Morey's tavern, and later was used for a few years for the Methodist Church Parsonage.

I have tried to outline some of the foundations of our Town of LaGrange, and I have purposely omitted mention of the most important feature of our Town—the People who live in La Grange and those who have gone before us. The "dear friends and gentle people" of the past and of the present are the finest to be found anywhere. Pax vobiscum.

To all my friends who love flowers, the birds, the green woods and everything that grows to help make our earth a pleasant soujourning place, this little book is dedicated.

"Stories of the Wild Flowers" (1931) by J. Wilson Pouchen M.D.

* * a *

flpril 17, 1854

The Common Council of the City of Poughkeepsie do ordain as follows: The Common Seal of the city of Poughkeepsie shall bear the device of a bee-hive, and below such device the figures "1799-1854", and engraved around it the words "Seal of the City of Poughkeepsie".

James Emott, Mayor Robert N. Palmer, Chamberlin

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THORNDALE, A PLACE OF BEAUTY

Louise Tompkins*

Beyond the quaint gate house on Route 44, one mile from Millbrook on the way to Poughkeepsie, lie 800 acres of rarely beautiful woodland and meadows. Amid such scenes of rustic beauty, and perhaps those very same scenes, the noted composer Edward MacDowell received the inspiration for his woodland sketches. MacDowell roamed about the country during boyhood vacations at the home of his aunt Mrs. Emily Knapp Sembler near Mechanic. In later life, he credited the beauty of the region with inspiring him to compose the sketches.

Oakleigh Lewis Thorne, the present owner of Thorndale, is a direct descendant in the tenth generation of William Thorne, the first member of the family to come to America, apparently from Devonshire, England.

Ambitious young men in the Old World frequently indentured themselves to a prosperous man in the New World for two reasons: firstly, to obtain a free passage on a ship to their future home thereby saving their money for investment later; secondly to insure a safe home in the new country where they could study business prospects while working to repay their employer for the trip across the sea. After that they were declared "freemen." William was made a freeman at Lynn, Massachusetts, on May 2, 1638, obviously he had availed himself of this opportunity. Not happy in his new situation, he went in 1645, to what is now known as Flushing, Long Island, gaining the honor of being the first settler on the island. His new location became known as Thorne's Neck. He received, with seventeen other men that same year, a patent from Governor William Kieft permitting him to settle on Long Island and "enjoy the liberty of conscience." The next year he went to what is now known as Gravesend and was granted a plantation lot in that community, evidently retaining his claim on the land in Flushing.

Isaac Thorne and his wife Hannah, were the first members of the Thorne family to arrive in Dutchess County, coming from Long Island in 1725. They settled in the Great Nine Partners Patent and soon othei members of the family followed them.

Two Thorne brothers, William and Isaac, started a store at Mechanic and, as early as 1795, it was under the firm name of "William and Isaac Thorne." They were active, enterprising merchants, enjoying the confidence and high esteem of the entire community. In 1780, they had helped to erect a Quaker meeting house at Mechanic and, in 1796, Isaac was one of a committee of three which opened the Nine Partners Boarding School near the meeting house.

*Miss Tompkins, a resident of Millbrook, is the Historical Society Vice-President representing the Town of Washington.

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William's wife was named Jemina. She was a tall spare woman with very plain features but a very amiable disposition. William liked to remark teasingly that he had not married her from motives of love or money but solely for her beauty. This remarkable woman lived to be 99 years old. Sometime between 1787 and 1800 William took up 400 acres of land in the town of Washington which later became known as Thorndale, the old homestead of the Thorne family.

Samuel, son of William, the founder of the store, and the greatgreat grandson of the first William who settled on Long Island in 1645, took over his father's store and "in his hands it became very extensive, customers coming 15 or 20 miles, even from Connecticut, to sell their produce and make purchases." Samuel became quite an importer, of woolens from England, and cotton cloths from India. These articles were always to be found upon his shelves. In 1809, it is said that he had 1500 open accounts on his books, and that he purchased and packed 880 barrels of pork in one autumn. As Poughkeepsie became a trade center Samuel gave up his business and retired to Thorndale, where he remained until his death, June 30, 1849.

Jonathan Thorne, son of Samuel, founded the Thorne fortune and became one of the great American merchant princes of the 1860's. Born on April 20, 1801, in the Town of Washington, he was trained in "close habits of industry" by his father.

In 1820, he went to New York City where he engaged in the dry goods business. Three years later he married Miss Lydia Ann Corse. Mrs. Thorne was the daughter of Israel Corse, a leather merchant who conducted a business in the "swamp" on the flats later spanned by the Brooklyn Bridge. Mr. Thorne became associated with his father-in-law in the leather business and succeeded him in 1830. He often arose early and went to his office long before breakfast. After working all day, he frequently returned to his business again, as soon as he had finished his dinner in the evenings. His chief pleasure was driving fast trotting horses.

In 1850, the year following his father's death, Mr. Thorne remodeled the 50-foot square house at Thorndale as a summer residence, changing the style of architecture from early Hudson River Bracheted to late Greek revival. At this time, he began to purchase thorough-bred Shorthorn cattle for the Thorndale herd, giving his son Samuel charge over it. He was one of the first, if not the first, American to import cattle and sheep from England for breeding purposes. In the spring of 1853, he sent Samuel, accompanied by the noted cattle judge, Francis M. Rotch, to England. They bought short-horned cattle from the Bates herd, considered the best in the United Kingdom, paying $5,000 for Grand Duke and $3,000 apiece for three Duchess cows. In October of the same year these valuable animals with several others were shipped to the United States. En route, the vessel ran into a terrible storm. Duchess 68 was killed outright by a falling mast. Peri, a roan heifer, had one horn knocked off, two ribs broken, and one hip knocked down. Never-

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theless this hardy creature lived to become the mother of a notable family of Thorndale Shorthorns.

These valuable animals cost Mr. Thorne the snug sum of $18,000, this being the highest price paid up to that date for shorthorn cattle imported to America.

Jonathan Thorne continued to import Shorthorn cattle from England until he had a virtual monopoly of Dutchess and Oxford Shorthorn blood in America. These superb animals cost $100,000. In color, they were golden red, red with white markings, roan or pure white.

Samuel Thorne decided to sell the cattle in order to devote more time to the family leather business in New York City. His father approved of this decision. When the Thorndale herd was sold to J. O. Sheldon of White Spring Farm Geneva, N. Y., in 1866, it was one of the most valuable of its kind in the world. Mr. Sheldon disposed of the herd at auction. Buyers, not only from the United States but from England and other countries, contested hotly for the animals. One cow was sold for $40,000, several others for $30,000 each.

His first wife died in 1872 and a few years later he married Mrs. Eliza Fox Merritt. He passed away on October 9, 1884, at his home at 524 Fifth Avenue, New York City. interment was at Woodlawn.

At the time of his death he was director of the Central Trust Company; the Leather Manufacturers' National Bank; and the Sixth Avenue Railroad Company. He was also one of the original promoters of the Pennsylvania Coal Co.

Thorne Memorial School at Millbrook was built in memory of Jonathan and Lydia Ann Thorne in 1894 by their five children: Edwin, Samuel, Jonathan Jr., William and Phoebe Anna.

Edwin Thorne grew up in the leather business, making an ample fortune. In 1857, he and Charlotte Pearsall were married. Three children were born to them: Thomas Pearsall, Chester and Oakleigh. Thomas Pearsall gained recognition in musical circles as the composer of the Maid of Plymouth, a light opera based on the romance of John and Priscella Alden. Chester developed a beautiful estate Thornwood, at Tacoma, Washington. Oakleigh remained at Thorndale.

Edwin Thorne's health failed in 1862 and he retired from business. Mrs. Thorne died in 1867. The next year he purchased Thorndale, his birthplace, from his father, settling down to the leisurely life of a country gentleman. The opening of Thorndale as his country seat was a brilliant social occasion attended by the most beautiful ladies and handsome gentlemen in Millbrook and New York Society. He moved his stud of fine horses, with the stallion Hamlet at its head, to Thorndale and about the same time built a race track on the estate where he exercised his famous trotting horses. The most beautiful of them all was a stallion named Thorndale. When this noble animal died, he was buried under the branches of the large white pine tree on the lawn in front of the

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house. Old timers said that 300 persons attended the burial. The pine tree was dug, when quite small in the woods and planted on the lawn by Edwin Thorne.

James B. Clay, son of Henry Clay, came to Dutchess county looking for fine horses. Edwin Thorne persuaded him to purchase Mambrino

Chief from Richard Eldridge, a Mabbettsville horse dealer. This horse became one of the ancestors of the famous Kentucky race horses. Edwin

Thorne owned one of Mambrino Chief's most famous daughters named

Lady Thorne (2 :18%). This great race mare was the only trotter that ever defeated Dexter (2:17¼), the only one that beat Goldsmith Maid six times. Returning from a visit to the home of his brother Jonathan in New

York City, Edwin Thorne told of a contraption in the cellar which heated the whole house. "They will all die of pneumonia," he prophesied. After Oakleigh Thorne had installed air conditioning in Thorndale in 1938, he invited the New York relatives to come to Millbrook and "die of pneumonia all over again."

Mrs. Oakleigh Thorne, the former Miss Helen S. Stafford, was a southern belle from St. Louis, Missouri. She resided for a time with Captain and Mrs. R. S. Hayes at Barrycroft, an estate near Millbrook.

This charming girl, with rare talent fOr creating beauty married Oakleigh Thorne in 1899 at St. Louis, Missouri, and came to live at Thorndale. Then a new era began in horticultural life of the estate. Even then there were many fine trees and rare shrubs on its broad acres. One unique tree, a Canadian spruce, grows on the south side of the artificial lake. Here young Oakleigh practiced fly casting and rifle marksmanship. He used to shoot the tips off from the branches of the spruce tree (until discovered and reprimanded). The continued shock to the terminal shoots apparently forced this adaptable tree to do its growing laterally into a grotesque shape. There are many natural grafts supporting the heavy deformed limbs. Its situation on a ridge with plenty of water from the lake for its roots no doubt enabled it to survive the shock period.

Mrs. Thorne, her active mind teeming with original ideas, soon found ways of adding to the charm of Thorndale. In 1901, the beauty of the mansion was enhanced by an East wing designed by the architect, Thomas Nash. On December 24, 1904, Mr. Thorne deeded Thorndale to Mrs. Thorne—a lovely Christmas present for a happy wife.

About 1929 or 1930 Mrs. Thorne planned and carried out the Allee of chipped maples and birches, the focal point being a lake and boat house or pavilion designed by Jerome Allen. The maples are some of the few clipped ones in this county. Their ethereal beauty of the fantastic shapes covered with snow, glistening in the pale moonlight of a winter evening, once seen, can never be forgotten.

In 1933, she adapted a circular wooden porch, designed by Thomas Nash on the west side of the mansion. Removing the wooden material

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