Charlton Heritage by Frank Lafferthun
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Charlton Heritage Saratoga County, New York Frank J. Lafforthun, Historian Foreword: For the past 200 years there has been only three short histories written about the heritage of the town of Charlton. The first such known history was written by Prof. Levi Packard, principal of the Charlton Academy, in 1869. From this brief history, of noteworthy interest, became the basis for the history of Charlton included in the "History of Saratoga County" by N. Sylvester. The greater share of information in "Stories & Pictures of Charlton" by W. Bronson Taylor, published in 1959, also conformed to Packard's history. This book "Charlton Heritage” also depends on Prof. Packard, for facts on the early history of Charlton, but goes one step before, and one step beyond that period thus making up a comprehensive collation of facts from 1774 to 1974. Fictional books continue to be written through the imaginations of authors, and bear no facts, but a history recording is acquired by vigilant search of the town records, and from these records this writer has tried to record here information about the town of Charlton, that could be lost forever if the town records were destroyed by fire. Frank J. Lafforthun, Historian Main Street, Charlton October 1, 1978 Cynthia J. Lafforthun, Typist Mechanic Street, Galway Vol. I - Part I An Offspring of Albany County: On the 17th of October, 1683, the first "General Assembly" of the "Colony of New York" chosen by the planters or inhabitants of every part of the government, met at Fort James, in the city of New York, with "free liberty to consult and debate among themselves all matters as shall be apprehended proper to be established for laws for the good government of the said Colony of New York and its dependencies. The people had, after years of struggle, met in lawful assembly and put on record, in fitting words, the "Charter of Liberties and Pvtileges," such as they would have, and passed other laws. Among other similar warrants, it was "ordered that the sheriff of Albany and Rensselaer Colony cause the freeholders to meet and chose two persons to be their representatives in the General Assembly, to be held at the City of New York, October ye 17th, 1683. Among the acts passed, was one "to divide this province and dependencies into Shires and counties" for the better governing and settling the courts in the same. This act, dated Nov. 1, 1683, divided the province into twelve counties, New York, west Chester, Ulster, Albany, Dutchess, Orange, Richmond, Kings, Queens, Suffolk, Dukes and Cornwall, the two latter taking their territory in Massachusetts and Maine. The county of Albany to contain the Towns of Albany, the Colony of Renslaerwyck, Schonecteda, and all the villages, neighborhoods, and Christian Platoons on the east side of Hudson River from Roel of Jansen's Creeks, and on the west side from Sawyer's Creeke to the Sarraghtoga. It will be seen that the names of these counties are English, subsequent division on gave names very largely in honor of our own patriots and statesmen, while a few preserve the memory of our native Indian tribes, From this time until 1770, the colonial government continued with these ten original counties, and with but slight territorial changes. They were not surveyed, and their boundaries were loosely defined. That of Albany, especially, was vastly larger than those early Governors and Legislators knew, embracing the whole territory lying north of Ulster and west of the Hudson River, and taking In nearly the whole State, even to Canada and the Lakes, and north of Dutchess, on the east side of the Hudson, including the whole of what is now the State of Vermont, indeed, the State of Vermont and the fifty counties of the State of New York, erected since this date, were all formed from the original territorial limits of Albany County of 1683 and 1691, except Putnam, Sullivan, Rockland and part of Green and Delaware. The ten thus formed directly from Albany County, are chronologically as follows; 1 - Gloucester, Mar. 16, 1770, including what is now Orange, Washington, Coledonia, Orleans and Essex, Vermont, 2 - Tryon, Mar. 12, 1772, changed to Montgomery April 2, 1784, from which and the wilderness then known only as Indian land, the counties west of Green, Schoharie, Schenectady, Saratoga and the Adirondacks, have since been formed. -1- 3 - Charlotte, March 12, 1772, changed to Washington April 2, 1784, from whose territory has since been erected Warren, Clinton, St. Lawrence, Essex and Franklin. 4 - Cumberland, Apr. 4, 1786, covering the present counties of Bennington, Windsor, Windham, Rutland, Addisons and Chittenden, Vermont. 5 - Columbia, Apr. 4, 1786. 6 - Rensselaer, Feb. 7, 1791. 7 - Saratoga, Feb. 7, 1791. 8 - Schoharie, Apr. 6, 1795. 9 - Greene, March 25, 1800. 10 - Schenectady, March 7, 1809. What a mother of counties is old Albany? Chapter 65 Laws of 1809, passed March 7th sets off Schenectady County with minutely described bounds, and declares "that the remainder of the County of Albany shall he called and known by the name of the County of Albany. (Transcribed from "Brief History of Albany and Schenectady Counties by George R Howell & Jonathan Tinney - 1886). Vol. I - Part II Kayaderosseras Patent: Thomas Palmer and Christopher Yates, Commissioners appointed for the partition of land pursuant to an Act of the Legislature of this Colony Entitled an Act for the more effectual Collecting of his Majesty's Quiet (Quit) Rents in the Colony of New York for partition of land in order thereto which said tract was granted by Her Majesty Queen Anne by letters patent under the Great Seal of the province of New York bearing date the Second Day of November One thousand Seven hundred and Eight, Manning Harmense, Johannes Beekman, Rip VanDam, Anna Banker, May Bickley, Peter Fauconier, Adrian Hooglandt, Johannes Vischer, John Tudor, Joris Hooglandt, John Stevens, John Latham, Sampson Broughten and their heirs, assigns forever. In the following words, all that tract of land situate lying, being in the County of Albany, called Kayaderosseras, alias Queensborough, beginning on Schenectady River about three miles distant from the westerly corner of the bound of Nistifione the said place being the southwesterly corner of the patent then lately granted to Manning Hermance, Peter Fauconier and others. (Transcribed from the patent field books,) end quote. The purchase of this patent was confirmed by the Mohawks, July 26, 1783. The boundaries were so loosely defined that disputes arose between the earlier proprietors and the land owners of the adjoining patents, which were not settled until after the Revolution. -2- Legend tells us that before the survey of this patent began the Mohawk Chiefs and the Commissioners stood at the north bank of the Mohawk River, at the foot of Tribes Hill where they bargained for the boundaries. It is told that the Indian Chief stood here and pointing northeastward proclaimed that the line shall run in that direction to the Third Falls on Hudson's River. This point is now known as Bakers Falls and lies south of Hudson Falls. This northeast line was run by Surveyor William Cockburn, and his crews. This line appears in the survey descriptions but for some unknown reason at a point west of Corinth another line was surveyed northward for 8 miles to the headwaters of the Kayderosseras Headwaters. At the Third Falls a large rock was inscribed with the words "Third Falls". This rock was the merging point for three of the northeast allotments of the patent. From this rock the survey continued southward on the west bank of Hudson's River to its junction with the Mohawk River, thence it continued westward to the beginning. The patent contained 400,000 acres. The present town of Charlton was surveyed as the 13th Allotment, and the 5,000 acre tract, which runs from the center of Charlton Road to the Glenville line. This 5,000 acre tract was the first tract set aside to be sold to defray the cost of the survey. The 5,000 acre tract was surveyed into 200 acre farms, except those lots that bordered the "Fourth Ward of Schenectady, now a part of the town of Glenville, The 13th Allotment was made up of 13 lots as well as the other allotments, but in 1787 when the east line of the Town of Amsterdam was established the first four great lots of this allotment were ceded to Montgomery County. The northern section of the Town of Charlton is made up of Great Lots number 5 thru 13. Although each lot was drawn as a loyal subject's share we find that some of the great lots were subdivided. It appears that by the time of the drawing of the shares the original loyal subjects had passed on so the shares fell to their heirs, or assigns, of which there were two and three shares to be drawn for one great lot. Nearly all the north and south roads of the town were laid out on the lot lines or subdivisions thereof. At the time of the survey these lot lines were only one degree off from the magnetic north point of the compass. This accounts for the northerly roads running nearly true north. Nearly all the land in the 13th Allotment was surveyed into 50, 100 and 150 acre farms. The crossroads were laid out between these farms. Some of these crossroads do not hold true to an east and west direction and no known reasons for this can he found, except that many of the early proprietors had large holdings and ran the road through their farm as to the most convenient direction.