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RENSSELAER COUNTY. 559
flowing through the N. part, is bordered on a portion of its course by steep banks 200 feet high.
On this stream, at the mouth of Tomhannock Creek, is a beautiful circular valley, three-fourths of a
mi. in circumference, and bounded on nearly every side by steep hills.1 The soil is generally a
fertile, sandy or gravelly loam. Considerable manufacturing is carried on in town.2 Scfaaglitl-
coke Point (Schaghticoke p.o.) contains a pop. of 1148. Schaghticoke 91111 contains
25 houses, Tbe Borough 8, Junction (p. v.) 17, and Old Schaghticoke 6. About
1670, Gov. Andros settled a remnant of the Pequots and other Eastern tribes, under tbe name
of “ Schaghticokes,” in this town, on land given them by the Mohawks, as a barrier against the
Northern Indians.2 By tbe charter of 1686 tbe city of Albany was allowed to purchase of the
natives 500 acres of land in this town; but, neglecting to do so, Hendrick Yan Rensselaer obtained
the same privilege in 1698. He sold his right to the city the next year, and in 1707 an Indian
deed was obtained for a tract 6 mi. square, mostly within the limits of this town. In Oct. 1709,
the city conveyed the land to actual settlers.3 The early settlements suffered greatly from Indian
hostilities. A fort was built in 1746 at Old Schaghticoke and garrisoned by 2 companies of soldiers.
The whole settlement was abandoned on tbe approach of Burgoyne; but, through the influence
of the royalists', the place was not burned, though held for some time by tbe British and Hessian
outposts.5 Tbe Schaghticoke Seminary was incorp. May 4, 1836. The first church (Ref. Prot. I).)
was formed in 1714.6
SCSIOItACfk4—was formed March 17, 1795, at tbe time of the division of “Bensselaerwyck;”5
parts of Berlin and Nassau were taken off in 1806. It lies upon the Hudson, in tbe s. w. corner
of the co. From the river the surface rises in a series of bluffs 200 feet high, from the summits
of which it spreads out into an undulating upland inclined toward the w. Bunker Hill, the
highest point, is about 500 feet above tide. The surface is intersected by numerous deep gulleys
of small streams. Tbe principal streams are Yierdee Kil,9 Moordeners Kil,10 Ylockie Kil, Muitzes
(Mitch-es) Kil, and Yalatie (Yola-sbe) Kil.11 Tbe soil in the e. is clay, and in the w. a fertile,
sandy and gravelly loam. Castleton12 (p.v.) is a fine village upon tbe Hudson. Pop. 431.
Schodack kail ding (p.v.) contains 250 inhabitants, Muitzes JK.11120 houses, Sdiodack
Depot (p.v.) 18, East Schodack (p.v.) 15, and Bunker Hill 9. Scliodack Center
and South Schodack are p. offices. This vicinity seems to have been thickly inhabited by
native tribes at the time of Hudson’s visit in 1609.13 The first settlements were made by tenants
under Van Rensselaer. Over 40 settlers are mentioned in Bleeker’s survey of 1767.14 The census
reports 7 churches.15
STEPHENTOWN16—was formed from “Bensselaerwyck,” March 29,1784. Petersburgh was
taken off in 1791, and parts of Berlin and Nassau in 1806. It lies in the s.e. corner of the co.
Its surface consists of 2 rocky mountain ranges separated by the valley of Kinderhook Creek.
The highest summits are about 1800 feet above tide. The principal peaks are Round Mt., and
Whitney and Butternut Hills, e. of tbe valley, and Brockway Hill and Webster Mt. w. A con-
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9 “ Fourth Creek,” reckoned from Albany.
10 “Murderers Kil,” from an obstinate battle fought between
the settlers and a hand of robbers at an early day, (traditional.)
11 “ Little Fall Creek.” Another small creek in town is named
Adams Killetye, (Little Creek,) from Adam Moll, who was taken
prisoner by the Indians while drinking of its waters.
is Named from an ancient Indian castle on the adjacent hills
It was first settled in 1792, and incorp. April 13,1827. Formerly
called “ Morriches Hastie.”
13 “ On the evening of the 15th he arrived opposite the moun
tains which lie from the river side, where he found ‘a very
loving people and very old men,’ and the day following reached
the spot hereafter to be honored by his own illustrious name.
One day more wafts him up between Schodac and Castleton; and
here he landed and passed a day with the natives, greeted with
all sorts of barbarous hospitality; the land ‘ the finest for culti¬
vation he ever set foot on;’ the natives so kind and gentle that
when they found he would not remain with them over night,
and feared that he left them—poor children of nature!—because
he was afraid of their weapons,—he, whose quarterdeck was
heavy with ordnance!—they ‘ broke their arrows in pieces and
threw them in the fire.’ ”—Everett’s Address, Inauguration Dud¬
ley Observatory, p. 54.
14 Among the names of the early settlers are Yan Buren, Bar
hndt, Yan Valkenbnrgh, Springsteen, Schermerhorn, Janze,
Ketel, Poel, Miller, Schevers, Lodwick, Huyck, Beekman, Mills,
Molls, Salsberg, Witbeck, and Nolton. The first mill was built
before the Revolution, below Castleton. Barhydt kept the
first inn, in 1778. A carding mill was erected on Muitzes Kil
in 1800.
is 3 Ref. Prot. D., 2 M. E., Bap., and Ev. Luth.
16 Named from Stephen Yan Rensselaer. |
1
A small stream called the Dwaas Kil (stream running both
ways) flows from the Hudson into the mouth of the Hoosick.
When Hoosick Kiver suddenly rises, the current of this stream
is often changed; and it is not uncommon to see it running n.
in the morning and S. at night.—Fitch’s Ag. Surv. Wash. Co.,
1849, p. 930.
2
8 A portion of these removed to Kent, Conn., in 1728, and the
remainder, numbering 400, joined the French in Canada.
3
These were Johan de Wandelaer, Jr., John Heermans Vischer,
Corset Voeder, Daniel Kittlehuyn, Johan Knickerbacker, Louis
Viele, and Derick Van Veghten, who went there to reside, and
were joined soon after by Martin de Lamont, Wouter Quacken-
bosch, Peter Yates, David Schuyler, Wouter Groesbeck, Philip
Livingston, Ignace Kip, Cornelius Vandenberg, and many others,
Whose descendants still reside in the vicinity.
4
Sometimes written “ Shodac” or “ Schoddack.”
5
A confirmatory act of incorporation was passed March 17,1795.
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