74. Old Skidmore Mill

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leading from Union Vale to Beekmanville, near the location of the old union burying ground, which was probably the first church built in this immediate vicinity. It was a plain, oldfashioned structure, of medium size, with no gallery.

The Christian denomination is quite numerous and influential in this town. A neat and commodious house of worship has been recently built. They formerly worshiped in an old church under the mountain, which was torn down when the present one was erected. Albert Hall and Joseph M. Cutler contributed largely towards its erection. Near this church is a beautiful rural cemetery. There are several fine monuments, and a family vault upon the grounds. It is elegantly laid out ; a miniature artificial lake is enclosed within its limits; all of which adds to the natural beauties of the location. The monument of Albert Hall is apiece of fine mechanism, the design of which is one of his own selection. Another monument will be erected to the memory of Joseph M. Cutler at a cost of $2600. Cutler was largely interested in the mining interests of the town, in which he acquired great wealth.

James Skidmore was an early settler, who built the mill and old house near Crouse Store. He owned a large tract of land in the vicinity. The mill is one of the oldest in the town. On Pleasant Ridge is an old dwelling with its siding composed of shingles, built by Nicholas O U Skidmore Mill. Baker. It is somewhat remarkable from the fact that all the nails used in its construction were made by himself, on the anvil. He was a blacksmith, and made the nails during the evenings, after the regular work of the day was over. He was also a merchant; the building he used for a store is still standing we believe. It was his custom, when about to take a trip to New York for goods—which he only undertook once or twice a year—to prepare his bed, and a stock of provisions to last several days, which he had to take with him, as the sloop did not board passengers in those days. After

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a. deal of preparation, he would be conveyed to Poughkeepsie,_ take his bed and provisions on board the sloop, and then was. pften forced to submit to a long and tedious passage. Several, days would elapse before he would again set foot in Pough;; keepsie, and then all the goods were conveyed in wagons over the rough roads to the top of Simpson Hill.

Another character who flourished in these parts was Caleb Simpson, after whom the hill is named. He came in here and, much to the regret of the people, started a low groggery.~ Some of the leading men of the neighborhood went to him and besought him not to sell any liquor, but to no avail. Tq Nicholas Baker, who was more earnest in his appeals than the rest, he said, " I shall yet live to sell liquor in your house.'; Years passed away. Simpson was finally reduced to poveity3 and went away, and a few years afterward died a pauper. He was brought back and buried in a little graveyard, which may still be seen, on Simpson Hill. The funeral procession passe the house of Baker, who, happening to be looking out of the window at the moment, inquired who was dead. On being told it was his old neighbor, Caleb Simpson, he recalled the; remark made by the latter years before, and said "he guessed Old Simpson would not be able to fulfill his threat to sell liquor in his house quite yet."

Years ago, some parties from Connecticut were in this vicinity searching after tidings of a pedlar. He had not returned home at the usual time, after making a trip, and his friends, becoming alarmed, started to look for him. They, by diligent inquiry along the road, tracked him all the way to, Simpson's, and there they lost all trace of him. He was seen to go there, but was never seen to go away. Some time afterwards, his wagon was found in the woods, about a mile from, Simpson's, and which was completely rifled of its contents.; Sufficient proof could not be obtained to convict any one of the crime, though certain parties were strongly suspicioned.

Some years since, a man by the name of Lee, we believe, was suddenly missing from this vicinity. Some supposed he

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420 HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY.

thad gone into other parts without mentioning the matter to any one; but others thought his sudden disappearance very strange. Some time afterwards, as one Henry Harrington was upon his death bed, and almost with his last breath, under:took to make a confession of a murder. He expired before all the details had been disclosed; but sufficient information was gathered to establish the fact that about the time of the disappearance of Lee, Harrington, in company with another man, were each driving a mule team between Beekman Furnace and Poughkeepsie; that they were returning from one of their trips by the upper road, passing by Crouse Store; that on their way the said Lee got in to ride with them, and they, being full of liquor, killed him for his money. They procured a shoe-box at the store, put the dead man into it, and hid it away in what is still known as the Factory Woods, just in the edge of Union Vale, above the furnace pond. Harrington's companion soon fled the country, and he kept the secret to himself until he was induced, at the very threshhold of eternity, to divulge the crime. About the time of the disappearance of Lee, two young girls were rambling in these woods, when they suddenly came upon a man who was sitting by a pile of fresh earth. He was one of the mule drivers above mentioned. The girls wondered what the fresh dirt meant, but never thought of the matter again until years afterwards, when the confession of Harrington brought it to remembrance.

Many years ago in this town, while a number of men were excavating for the purpose of , making a new road, they came upon a quantity of human bones, which had apparently been thrown promiscuously together, and left there to decay. No one could recollect, not even the "oldest inhabitant," of any person or persons having been buried there. It is supposed an Indian battle occurred on this ground, and that friend and foe were buried together, and left to rot.

Verbank Station is located on the line of the Duchess and Columbia Railroad. It is at the intersection of the main

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highway between the Clove, so rich with immense beds of iron. ore, and the beautiful region of Washington Hollow. On a> knoll, a few rods from the station, is a schoolhouse and an: antiquated church; and on another, a rural cemetery. Where: only a few years ago were green, open meadows, bordering acrystal stream, a little village has sprung up. Verbank Village. lies about three-fourths of a mile from the station. It is locate d upon the verdant banks of Sprout Creek, from which, it takes its name. Formerly a cotton mill and a paper mill. were operated here by the water power furnished by that. stream. A flour, grist, and plaster mill is now in operation here.

Quaker City, or Oswego,` as formerly called, is below Verbank, about one mile east of Moores Mills Station, on the. Dachess and Columbia Road. Here is located a Hicksite Church and a boarding school. . The latter was established by the Quakers after the Nine Partners School had closed,. and was a flourishing institution under their charge. It was afterwards purchased by private parties, by whom it is now° managed. It is situated on an eminence, surrounded by: enchanting rustic scenery, and by a rich farming country. Its retired situation makes it eminently suitable for children, where they avoid the many temptations incident to large villages and. cities.

The Factory Woods derive that name from the fact that a woolen factory was formerly established on the adjacent stream just above the furnace pond. The factory was not designed for the manufacture of cloth, but merely for carding and spinning. A fulling mill was established here at the same: time.

Some years ago, a widow named Odell, living in the town of Union Vale, picked up near Pleasant Ridge a silvei` Spanish dollar, and the question as to how it came there raised considerable comment at the time. Afterward, her son, in

* The ci iein of this name was thus told the writer : .fin ]ndi nt and his squaw were once cot hg up a wiudiug path n the yiein:ty. b th the worse from having iath;heil twO' much po' r whiskey. As they traveled on, reeling against c acii other, they would arhete— iate "Us-we go, Us we go."

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422 HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY:

passing over the mountain, found another coin of the same kind. Report of the discovery spread among the people of that section, and excited them to the extent that they repaired ~to the spot with picks and shovels, and began to search for treasure that was supposed to be hidden there. All day' :Saturday and Sunday they pursued their investigations. At' ;sundown on Sunday, as they stopped work, it was mutually agreed to desist from further explorations until daylight the following morning. Some parties, however, were so anxious after the treasure, that they broke over the agreement, acid 4ug away with might and main all night. About sixteen Spanish dollars in all were found. Old settlers tell the stoiy .of a foreigner, who visited these parts about fifty years ago, 'who stopped but a short time, and his final disappearance was o sudden as to cause general remark. At the time there wasr :a hotel on the mountain, kept by George Wait, and the build;ing is still standing. The supposition is that the foreigner buried his money in the mountain, and it has washed out of its bed. In no other way can the presence of money in this° 1tonely place be accounted for.

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WASHINGTON.

POPULATION, 3,000. -SQUARE ACRES, 36,648.

WASHINGTON was formed March 7, i i88. The origin of its name is obvious. It is mostly comprised within the Great Nine Partners Tract. Stanford was taken off

* 1t is paid that rilkin, ore of the orignal proprietors, caused the place to be named after him by the present of a barrel of rum.

423

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hired out to a farmer in the vicinity. The farmer worked him late at night, and routed him early in the morning; and seemed determined to get all the work out of the fellow that was possible. The young man complained of his treatment to some of his friends, exclaiming, with an oath, that it was very "little rest" he ever got while living with his employer. The locality has ever since retained the name. Lithgow, Washington Hollow, and Washington Four Corners, are hamlets.

Examination by Captain Paul Rycaart, taken at Poughhkeepsie, Oct. 7, 17 7 I .

Serg't Cassedy's account of the ill treatment he Received from Jonathan Mead the Blacksmith and Timothy Driskill at the Nine Partners when on Command after Deserters September the 3oth, 1761.

That on the 29th day of September Lieut. Lyons detached him and a Serg't of the 55th with ten men in pursuit of three deserters from the 17th Regiment, which he had information were concealed by the Inhabitants of the Nine Partners, when he with the Command came to a place called the City he was informed that one McIntosh, a Deserter from the 55th Regiment was at work for Mr. Bokay a Justice of the Peace,, near the above mentioned place, he thought it necessary to send the Serg't of the 55th in pursuit of said Deserter, and himself with a Corporal and three men to continue the route. to nine Partners, when he parted from the Serg't of the 55th he gave him Lieut. Colonel Darby's orders and pass which he had received from Lieut. Lyons. As soon as he came to the' nine Partners he was informed that three men whose names they said were Charles Lee, John Brevington and Joseph Roberts (whom he knew to be deserters from the 17th Regiment) had been lately at Sutherland's Mills. Asked a Blacksmith if he could inform them of any Deserters, he answered he knew of none, and if he did he would not tell—the Serg't then proceeded to the Mills and enquired from Mr. Sutherland, (who he was told is an officer of the militia,) if he had seen three rren pass that way, he said that he had seen three men there about four days ago, and that he had given them change for some Dollars, and likewise that one of them (which• the Serg't knew by the description to be Charles Lee, one off

* In the Town of Amenia.

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HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY. 425 the Deserters above mentioned) had a great number of Dot- lars in a handkerchief, and wanted to change Dollar for Dollar with the said Sutherland, he giving none of a later date than 1755—this made ye Serg't conclude that Lee had coined the Dollars—the Serg't afterward came to the house of one Freeman who told him that three men, naming the three Deserters names, viz: Charles Lee, John Brevington and Joseph Roberts had been four days near his house carousing, and had left it about five day since, when they went away they stole a coat from him; the said Freeman next day went with the Serg't in pursuit of the Deserters, on their way they were informed that a Deserter from the 55th Reg't was married to the daughter of Timothy Driskill whose house was in their road, when they came to Driskill's house he told the Serg't he knew of no Deserters. That it was false whoever had told him that his daughter was married to one—as the Serg't had been told that Driskill was a man of bad character and did knowingly entertain Deserters, he secured said Driskill who then confessed that his daughter was married to a Deserter from the 55th, and that he knew of one Armstrong from Sage's light Infantry, and would assist him in taking them. After the Serg't had settled with Driskill in what manner they were to act he with one man of his party went to a house a little distance from the Driskills, and after they were jgot into bed the above mentioned Mead a Blacksmith with about thirty other people forced into the house and dragged the Serg't and Allan Cooper a Grenadier into different rooms and beat them in a most cruel manner, saying D n the king and all such raschally fellows that were after Deserters, and after they were tired of beating them kept them prisoners all night without having any proper authority for it, the next morning Samuel Smith a Constable and likewise an officer of the militia, came to them and said that he had a warrant to take him the Serg't and his party before a Justice of the Peace, the Serg't then directed him to the house where the rest of the party were also secured and with him carried before Justice Roswell Hopkins, who abused them very much saying Lieut. Lyons his officer, and he deserved both to be hanged, and uttered many abusive expressions, and would not even suffer them to say anything in defense, but committed them unheard to the Common Goal, nor would the justice take the least cognizance of their information against Driskill for concealing Deserters, nor of Mead the Blacksmith leading a posse breaking into the house where they lay, beating them in a most terrible manner, and using ye

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traitorous expressions he did against the King's Sacred Majesty.

By what information I could collect from the inhabitants, those of the nine Partners are a riotous people and Levellers by principle. PAUL RYCAUT, Captain.

To Lieut. Colonel JOHN DERBY.

The Nine Partners Boarding School was established in 1796, at Mechanic, by the society of friends. A farm of one hundred acres was attached to it, and it was provided with a cash endowment of $io,000. For many years it had an average attendance of one hundred pupils. Jacob Willetts was the first pupil of the school, and was connected with it, either in the capacity of pupil or teacher, for a period of thirty years or more. The school building was originally built for a dwelling house; Samuel Sweet was the builder. It was a large and commodious edifice, and well adapted to the purpose. The society purchased the building, and the lot on which it stood, of Samuel Mabbett. They afterward made some additions to it, and also some changes in is interior.

Jacob Willetts was the first teacher that was educated in the school. Tripp Mosher was the first Superintendent, and Joseph Talcott the second. ' Willetts commenced teaching. when he was eighteen years of age; his wages were taken up by his father. The day he was twenty-one he stepped into the Superintendent's office, and speaking in a manly tone, said— "you may make your entries in any name now, sir, if you please." A gentleman by the name of Huntington was teacher one or two years.

Willetts married Deborah Rogers, descendant, in a direct line, of John Rogers of early colonial history. She, too, was first a pupil in the school, and afterward became teacher. She taught most of the time from I802 until the Separation. This occasioned so much feeling that the school was nearly broken up, and Willetts and his wife went to Nantucket, where they remained about five years. They returned in 1832, and opened a private boarding school in the spring of the following year. He taught there two years,

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HISTORY OF DUCHESS COUNTY. 427 'when he was requested to go back to the Nine Partners School. He accepted, at the same time engaging a man to teach his own school, to which he soon afterwards returned. He traveled summers and taught winters until about the year 1853, when he gave up teaching.

The fame of the Nine Partners Boarding School while Wilt letts had charge of it extended far and wide. But what brought his name still more prominently before the public was the fact of his writing some text books for schools, which at that time were considered the best extant. The first edition of " Willetts' arithmetic" was published in 1813. Paraclete Potter, the old bookseller of Poughkeepsie, was the publisher. Willetts took his manuscript to him, uncertain as to its fate. Potter looked over the pages, saw there was true merit in 'them, and readily offered to become publisher; and furthermore, made a payment of $20 in books. Mrs. Willetts said 'to the writer, that when her husband returned with all those books, she felt the richest she ever did in her life. This arithmetic was extensively' used throughout the country, and passed through several editions. There are many a prosperous merchant and business man now living, who received their 'first lessons in the deparment of figures from Willett's arithmetic. The work was afterwards revised by Augustus McCord, of LaGrange. Willetts afterward issued a geography and atlas, the most accurate of any then known.

The beloved widow of Jacob Willetts is still [1876] living at a very advanced age, and is enjoying the eventide of a useful life under the tender care of her daughter, Mrs. Franklin 'F. Carpenter. It was recently the fortune of the writer to spend an hour with her; her cheerful countenance, and her sprightly recital of events occurring in the dim past, will • long 'be remembered. Among other things that contribute to cheer 'the old lady's walk in life, not the least are the little mementoes she continues to receive from time to time, from people eminent in the varied professions, who received their early education=and perhaps the lofty inspiration that led to their

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