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COLUMBIA COUNTY. 247
The Hudson Female Academy was organized in 1851, and. occupies a substantial stone edifice
formerly used as a private lunatic asylum.
The Orphan Asylum was established in Oct. 1843, and is in charge of a board of lady managers.
Forty to 60 children are provided for. It is supported by private donations, assisted by an annual
stipend of $1000 from the co.
The city contains 11 private schools, 2 public libraries, 3 banks, and 3 newspaper offices. Pop.
6,720.
A lunatic asylum was established here in 1832, but it was given up upon the opening of the State
Asylum at Utica.1 The first religious organization (a society of Friends) was formed in 1784, and
a meeting house was built in 1785. There are now 11 churches in the city.2
Hudson was formerly known as “ Claverack Landing.”3 The foundation of its future prosperity
as a city was laid by Seth and Thos. Jenkins and their associates, in 1783.2 It grew with great
rapidity, and soon became the center of a very extensive commercial business. In 1775 it became
a port of entry,3 and at an early period its commerce extended to the West Indies and Europe.4
Shad and herring, from the river and coast fisheries, ship timber, and country produce were ex¬
ported, and numbers of ships were employed in the whale fisheries. The embargo, and the war
which followed, destroyed this trade. The whaling business was afterward resumed, and for some
time prosecuted with success; but it has since been entirely abandoned. A daily line of steamers
plies between this city and Albany, and the day line between Albany and New York touches here.
KIXDERHOOK 5—was formed as a district, March 22,1772, and reorganized as a town
March 7,1788. A part of Chatham was taken off in 1795, a part of Ghent in 1818, and Stuyvesant
in 1823. It occupies the central part of the n. border of the co. The surface is level or undu¬
lating. Kinderhook Lake, in the n. e. part, is about 4 mi. in circumference. The principal
streams are Kinderhook Creek and the outlet of Kinderhook Lake. The soil is a fertile, sandy,
and gravelly loam. Kinderhook, (p.v.,) situated on the creek of the same name, was
incorp. April 18, 1838. It contains 4 churches, the Kinderhook Academy, a newspaper office, 2
banks, and several manufacturing establishments.6 Pop. 1078. Lin(Iciiwal<1, the residence
of Ex Pres. Martin Yan Buren, is about 2 mi. s. of this village. Yalatie,7 (voFa-che, p. v.,)
situated at the junction of Kinderhook Creek and the outlet of Kinderhook Lake, was incorp. June
30, 1856. It contains 4 churches, 5 cotton factories,10 and several other manufactories.11 Niver-
Ville, (p.v.,) on the outlet of Kinderhook Lake, is a station on the A. & W. S. R. R. It contains
a wadding factory, batting factory, gristmill, and 21 houses. Settlements commenced under the
Dutch Government.12 The rights of certain settlers were confirmed by the act of March 12, 1793.
A controversy concerning the patent of John Hendrick De Bruyn, granted in 1686, was settled by
commissioners June 8, 1812. A Ref. Prot. D. church was organized in 1712. Rev. Johannes
Lydius, of Albany, conducted the first religious services, and Rev. J. Yan Driesen was the first
settled pastor. There are 8 churches in town.13
LIVINGSTON—was granted as a manor,14 July 22, 1686, formed as a district, March 24,
1772, and organized as a town, March 7, 1788. Clermont was taken off in 1787, and Ancram and
Taghkanick in 1803. It is situated in the s.w. part of the co., bordering on the Hudson,
surface is generally undulating. Claverack Creek crosses the n. e. corner, Klema Kil15 flows
through near the center, and Roeliff Jansens Kil forms the s. w. boundary. In most of its course
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given by Hudson from the number of Indian children congre¬
gated to see his vessel at a point above Stuyvesant Landing; and
another, that it was derived from the number of children belong¬
ing to a family residing at the forks of an Indian trail, where
the village of Kinderhook now is.
8 A steam cotton factory, gristmill, sawmill, 2 hat factories, and
a candle factory.
9 A Dutch word, signifying “ Little Falls.” There is a fall here
of about 15 feet; and hence the name.
1° There are about 400 looms in these factories, and 400 to 500
persons employed: warp and wicking exclusively are made at
one of them.
11 A paper mill, furnace, machine shop, plaster mill, and saw¬
mill. Pop. estimated at about 1500.
12 A record belonging to the Ref. Prot. D. church, dated 1729,
and signed by Johannes Van Driesen, gives the names of 100
families then residing in town. Among these are the names
Van Alsteyn, Van Allen, Van Schaack, Van Burjren, Van Der
Pool, Conyn, Huijk, Vosburg, Schermerhorn, Klauw, Gardenier,
Van Valkenburgh, Van Sleijk, Wieber, and Mulder.
43 2 M. E., Bap., Evang. Luth., Presb., Prot. E., Ref. Prot. D.,
and R. C.
44 The manor, of which this town is a part, was granted to
Robert Livingston.
48 Little Creek. |
1
Established by Dr. S. White. It was continued 61 years,
and during that time 297 patients were admitted.
2
Seth and Thomas Jenkins, and 28 others, that year formed
themselves into an association for commercial purposes, and
selected “ Claverack Landing” as the seat of their operations. A
city plot was at once surveyed, docks were built, and shipbuild¬
ing commenced. The following year the Hudson, a ship of 300
tons, was launched by Jenkins & Gelston. Cotton Gelston
opened a store the same year, and in 1785 Thomas Jenkins and
Josiah Alcott built a ropewalk, 600 feet long. Josiah Barnard
built a wind gristmill on Prospect Hill, in 1787; and Thos. and
Beth Jenkins and Stephen Paddock, a hemp ducking factory, in
1789.
3
8 Henry Malcomb, the first collector, was appointed June 12,
1795.
4
It is said that at one time a greater amount of shipping was
5
owned at this port than at New York.
6
J A Dutch name, signifying “ Childrens Point.” There are
7
ieveral versions of the origin of this name: one is, that it was
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