68. Country School House

HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY. 24'7

of Josiah Halstead. Simeon Kelsey owned what is known as the Camp farm, and was a man of considerable wealth. He left three children, two sons and a daughter. To the latter, he gave at his death his whole property, except ° ten dollars to each of his sons.

Josiah Wilcox lived on the farm now occupied by Alanson Culver. Jonathan Close came from Putnam County. He had three sons, Jonathan, Reuben, and Solomon, and a daughter that married a Williams, a gunsmith at Boston Corners. Joel Rogers lived near Boston Corners.

Nathaniel Lathrop married a daughter of Elder Dakin, and lived near Mount Riga Station. He moved from this town before i 800.

Three brothers by the name of Culver came from France, and settled in this country. Elisha Culver was a descendant of one of the brothers, and settled near the old Baptist Church at Spencers Corners. Both himself and wife were members of the Episcopal Church. He was a justice of the Peace under King George. He used to draw up many of the legal documents for the people. The family have preserved a deed written by him which is dated 1764. He had three sons and four daughters; Elisha, Jun., Joseph, and John; Hannah, Sarah, Martha, and Polly. Elisha had a son who became a sea captain, and who died on the voyage from Batavia to Philadelphia. John Culver became a Methodist preacher, having been received into the church July, 1788. He was licensed to exhort July, 1790, by Rev. John Bloodgood, and was accepted as a local preacher by Rev. Freeborn Garrettson, in August of the following year. When John Culver began to preach there was no Methodist Church in this town. He held his meetings in barns, school-houses, and private dwellings. He preached in Ancram, Pine Plains, Milan, Copake, Hillsdale, Mount Washington, Sheffield, Salisbury, Sharon, Canaan, Amenia, and Stanford.

According to his Journal, he solemnized over two hundred marriages, and probably preached over eight hundred funeral

Dutchess County Historical Society