HISTORY AND GENEALOGY OF BERNE, NEW YORK

August 8 meeting of Helderberg Hilltowns Association

2011-08-04T16:27:00.000-07:00

The minutes for the latest meeting of HHA has been posted on the main page of AlbanyHilltowns.com.

The next meeting place for HHA on Monday night 7pm will be the former Red Baron on Lake Road off County Route 1 on the north end of Lake Onderdonk in Westerlo.

Our reason for visiting this location is that it has been offered as a site for a community cannery. Owners Rich and Vickie Bylsma have some other ideas that could work with ours as well – such as a permanent farmers’ market with cool cellar for self-serve items, and a couple of ideas that could allow us to earn a little income to support our activities.

Also on the agenda will be a discussion of the so-called Dark Skies initiative, updates on the website, and, of course, reports and plans for the Farmers and Artisans Tour (known to the cognoscenti as FAT) which is galloping along due to the efforts of Jane and her crew.

I’m hoping you can make it. If you know you are coming please respond back to me, so Vickie will know about how many tables to set up. Thanks. Zenie Gladieux

Hungerford Burial Grounds posted on Bernehistory.org

2011-05-26T16:18:00.000-07:00

HUNGERFORD CEMETERIES CLEANED UP AND TRANSCRIBED

Daniel Hungerford Family Burial Ground. Photo May 2011 by Gary Ovitt

Two Hungerford Cemeteries have been recently added on the BerneHistory.org site and one new one added. The Stephen Hungerford Burial Ground and the Hungerford Farm Burial Ground have been updated with new burials and photos, and the Danial Hungerford Burial Ground has been added. This is due to the work of Gary Ovitt, a Hungerford researcher. He and a small group of helpers cleaned up the Stephen Hungerford Family BG and the Daniel Hungerford Family BG and documented with photos the burials in both plus the Hungerford Farm BG.

Cleaning up the Daniel Hungerford FBG. Photo by Gary Ovitt, May 2011

RECENT ADDITIONS OF HISTORIC SITES

2011-01-30T10:40:00.000-08:00

A large number of new pages have been recently added to the Helderberg Hilltowns web pages on the sites of historic and scenic interest in the Town of Berne.

The most historic site in the town of Berne is on the north side of Fox Creek below the bridge in the center of the hamlet of Berne. This is where the mills and factories were located that caused the hamlet to be located where it is. And yet the town turns its back on the mill site. It is as if it never existed. This would be a great area for an historic park, perhaps created as an expansion of the existing Fox Creek Park on the south side of the creek.

Fox Creek Park is located along the old road to Knox on the above map made in 1975 by Robert Lambert for an article in Our Heritage

Fox Creek Park is below the Berne Falls in the Berne hamlet. It is reached by a short access road on the west side of Helderberg Trail just south of the bridge across Fox Creek in the hamlet of Berne. In 1977 one could still see on the Fox Creek Park side of the creek evidence of fastenings for a log dam. Perhaps they are still visible.

Weidman's Mills - About 1752 Jacob Weidman built a log dam at the top of the Berne falls on Fox Creek to create a mill pond to power the first sawmill. By 1781 his son Peter had built a grist mill below the sawmill.

Berne Carding and Fulling Mills - By 1797 Miner Walden Carding and Fulling Mills had been below the older Weidman's Mills. It later produced wooden shoe pegs.

Simmons Axe Factory was started about 1825. This mill had its own dam, a log structure with stone wing walls.

Berne Grist Mill - The Berne Grist Mill was the successor to Weidman's grist mill built by Jacob Weidman after 1750. Weidman's mill had burned shortly prior to 1832, the year in which it was rebuilt by Malachi Whipple. Whipple also built, along with Ball and Dwight, aa carding and fulling mill adjacent to the Weidman property in the 1830's. The use of these lands and their water power source was more or less esablished by the pond above the bridge.

Waterfall on Fox Creek
Nov. 2009, Charles Sloger

Proposals

The park should be expanded to include land on the opposite Fox Creek Park where the historic mills and factories stood: Weidman's Mills, Berne Carding and Fulling Mills,Simmons Axe Factory, and others. Their historic sites should be marked. There should be a trail along the north side of the creek connection the mill sites.
A King Post Truss Bridge for pedestrians might connect the two parks. Both sides could be still called Fox Creek Park; it would just be doubled in size to include the historic mill sites on the north bank of the creek.
Perhaps the land on the south side of the Foxenkill between Fox Creek Park and Berne Town Park could be bought to expand the park. The land has not much value to its present absentee owner because of it's inaccessibility from the main Yarmchuk farm which is on the opposite bank. On the other hand, it is very accessible from the hamlet side, especially the school, and would be a valuable addition to Fox Creek Park. If the land can not be bought cheaply, perhaps a right-of-way for a trail could be purchased of would be given to the town. The trail would extend from Fox Creek Park to the Berne Town Park with access to the school.

Photo Gallery

Berne Falls, by Charles Sloger

Wooden bridge in hamlet of Berne across the Foxenkill
Berne Historical Society

Wooden dam in hamlet of Berne above the bridge across the Foxenkill
Berne Historical Society

Becker Bros. Mill; photo in the collection of the Berne Historical Society

Hart's Mill; photo in the collection of the Berne Historical Society

Now; Google Earth

Other Historic Sites in Berne - Using as a basis An Inventory of Historic and Scenic Resourses In the Town of Berne compiled by Thomas Conklin for the Berne Conservation Advisory Council, 1979

Jacob Weidman's Home Site - This was on the north side of the mill pond above the dam on Fox Creek. It is where there is a NYS Historic Marker for the home of his son, Peter Weidman. The 1979 inventory misstates the location as being where the home of his son Jacob Weidman, Jr. was located on Turner Rd. on the farm of the late Harold Lendrum.
Berne and Knox Cheese Factory site.
The Johannes Fisher House - called Tom Wood's Farm on the 1979 inventory.
Lower Hotel - called the Old Hotel on the 1979 inventory
St. Paul's Lutheran Church
Beaverdam Reformed Church site
West Berne
Bradt Hollow School, District No. 17
West Mountain Methodist Episcopal Church
Dietz massacre site
South Berne
The Philo Bradley House - former residence of Justice Joseph F. Bradley who cast the deciding vote in the election of Rutherford B. Hayes
East Berne and Lobdell's Grist Mill site
Reidsville and Reidsville Quarry
Thompsons Lake and Warners Lake
The Johannes Warner House - Zeh's former home on the 1979 inventory
White Sulphur Springs House
Berne Town Hall

FOX CREEK PARK

2011-01-29T05:45:00.000-08:00

Fox Creek Park

From Albany Hilltowns

Waterfall on Fox Creek
Nov. 2009, Charles Sloger

[show]

Location

Fox Creek Park is below the Berne Falls in the Berne hamlet. It is reached by a short access road on the west side of Helderberg Trail just south of the bridge across Fox Creek in the hamlet of Berne.

History

Weidman's Mills - About 1752 Jacob Weidman built a log dam at the top of the Berne falls on Fox Creek to create a mill pond to power the first sawmill. By 1781 his son Peter had built a grist mill below the sawmill.
Berne Carding and Fulling Mills - By 1797 Miner Walden Carding and Fulling Mills had been below the older Weidman's Mills. It later produced wooden shoe pegs.
Simmons Axe Factory was started about 1825. This mill had its own dam, a log structure with stone wing walls.
In 1977 one could still see on the Fox Creek Park side of the creek of evidence of fastenings for yet another log dam. Perhaps they are still visible. There are probably a number of foundations of mills and factories along the north side of the creek.

Visitor facilites

There are picnic tables under a small pavilion, basketball hoop, and open meadow to play in.
There is a convenience store and restaurant at the entrance to the park where you can buy something for a picnic in the park.
A short path provides access to the creek and view of the falls.

Proposals

The park should be expanded to include land on the opposite Fox Creek Park where the historic mills and factories stood: Weidman's Mills, Berne Carding and Fulling Mills, Simmons Axe Factory, and others. Their historic sites should be marked. There should be a trail along the north side of the creek connection the mill sites.
A King Post Truss Bridge for pedestrians might connect the two parks. Both sides could be still called Fox Creek Park; it would just be doubled in size to include the historic mill sites on the north bank of the creek.
Perhaps the land on the south side of the Foxenkill between Fox Creek Park and Berne Town Park could be bought to expand the park. The land has not much value to its present absentee owner because of it's inaccessibility from the main Yarmchuk farm which is on the opposite bank. On the other hand, it is very accessible from the hamlet side, especially the school, and would be a valuable addition to Fox Creek Park. If the land can not be bought cheaply, perhaps a right-of-way for a trail could be purchased of would be given to the town. The trail would extend from Fox Creek Park to the Berne Town Park with access to the school.

Photo Gallery

Berne Falls, by Charles Sloger

Wooden bridge in hamlet of Berne across the Foxenkill
Berne Historical Society

Wooden dam in hamlet of Berne above the bridge across the Foxenkill
Berne Historical Society

Country Holiday Gift Bazaar

2010-11-09T06:56:00.000-08:00

Country Holiday Gift Bazaar - Thacher Nature Center of Saturday, Dec. 4, 10 am – 4 pm. and Sunday, Dec. 5, 11 am – 3 pm. Meet friends for a day of shopping and beautiful scenery, enjoy baked goods and refreshments, take home beautiful and original items hand made by local artists, crafters and artisans. Jewelry, jams and jellies and maple products, homespun wool products and knitted items, original artwork, pine needle baskets, stained glass, breads and spices, home made soaps and organic beauty products, wildlife and nature photography, Native American style dream catchers and decorative art, rustic holiday ornaments, carved wooden bowls, rustic wooden bears and outdoor wooden items and more! Call 872-1237 for additional information.

LOT 461, EAST BERNE ON JOSLIN ROAD AND BROOKHAVEN DRIVE

2010-10-01T16:18:00.000-07:00

LOT 461, East Berne

The south half of Lot 461 in East Berne was settled in 1791 by Elisha Hungerford. The north end was settled about 1800 by Caleb Barton. Thanks to Betty Fink for a recent picture of the house built by Caleb Barton.

The Caleb Barton House is now lived in by Mavis Schanz.

October Fundraising Dinners in Berne

2010-09-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

October 2nd: Annual Roast Pork Supper - Served family style from 3:30-6:30pm at the Berne Reformed Church: roast pork, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, gravy. green beans, homemade applesauce, rolls, homemade pie and beverage.

October 17th: Annual Roast Beef Dinner - Berne Volunteer Fire Company will have their annual Roast Beef Dinner serving at noon at the fire house. Cost is $10 at the door and $11 for for take out (prices may change closer to the day of the event. The menu will include: roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy, cabbage salad, homemade pickles, vegetables, homemade applesauce, rolls, coffee, tea, milk and homemade pies!

SENICA SNYDER BALL

2010-09-22T14:58:00.000-07:00

Letter from Senica Snyder Ball in Delano, Minn. to his brother Charles E. Ball in Knox, NY --written May 1, 1899
Delano May 1 99
Brother Charley How are you? Anyway, i was Just thinking it is 23 years ago today that I was married. How time goes by here. I am giting to be a old man and I do hate to git old and rinkley. But we have to take our medicine as it comes to us. I have not had very good health for some time. But I am to blame myself. I lived little too fast when I was younger and I am now reaping Evil Doings. My Ray is in ND. He has been gone over a year. He is 17 years old. So you See I am Back Whare I was 25 years ago only Better fixed. I have a nice House of furnished in good Shape. But it is no Home for me Since my wife died. A young man can stand those things Whare a old man can't.
Well Charley Who gites the old farm whare we was all Raised? I hope you will git it. Have you made a Settlement yet? What will you give me for my interest in cash?
I must close. Give my Love to your wife. Tell her to write me and I will answer. It is awful hard work for me to write. I am so nervous i can't read this after I write.
Senica Snyder Ball

Page 1

Page 2

West Mountain

2010-09-11T07:24:00.000-07:00

WEST MOUNTAIN Thanks to Katie Jean Bensen the history of West Mountain has been substantially updated. West Mountain was first settled starting about 1790. By the 1930s many farms had already been abandoned due to repeated cropping with buckwheat, barley and rye. Soil erosion was commonplace. Most of the farms on West Mountain were bought by the Resettlement Administration in the 1930s. Lewis Sherman House, Lot 400; taken say 1937. No longer standing. From collection of Nicole Pelepzuck Cross Much of the land, up to 80% had been deforested for farming. Federal money was used to purchase the unproductive farmland for just 2 to 4 dollars per acre. The government helped to move many of the farm families to other areas. However, several farms remained in the possession of the farmers. A few of these included the William D. Wood farm, the Crosby farm, Peasley farm, and the Sherbin farm. Katie Wood, wife of William D. was approached by the Resettlement Administration during the 1930's and asked to sell her farm, to which as history tells, she answered with a solid 'No". In the early 1940's, the Federal government granted the NYS Conservation Department a 99 year lease for what is now much of the Partridge Run Wildlife Management Area. The sum of $1.00 was the price for the lease, with three purposes stated for the land, forestry, wildlife and recreation. Over the next 20 years the total land accumulation through the Dept. of the Interior and the Division of Lands and Forests brought the total acreage to 5,478. BERNE SCHOOL NO. 3 Location Berne School No. 3 was a half mile north of the Rensselaerville town line on Lot 401 on West Mountain. Interior of the Berne schoolhouse 3 along with the teacher, John Pelepzuck, Jr. and Josie. Picture from the collection of Nichole Pelepzuck Cross History Due to the location of this school so close to the Renssesselaerville - Berne town line, this school was jointly operated by the Towns of Rensselaerville and Berne. It would be a careful but educated guess to say that the school started sometime between 1795 and the very early 1800's. Being situated on lot 401a it is safe to say the land was donated by John Crosby and John Crosby Jr. who occupied lot 401 in the year 1795 to the mid 1850's. Even though the Town of Berne was set off from Rensselaerville in 1795 it seems this school continued to be referred to as a Berne and Rensselaerville District even into the last years of its operation. Students from both townships attended this school well into the 1930's. This school had many district numbers and names over many decades it was in operation. In addition to being the Berne school No. 3, it was also the Rensselaerville District School No. 23. (In 1816 this school was known as # 12 Berne.) The school also bore other names such as Peasley School for the Peasley family living nearby. Blanche H. Peasley was the Enumerator in the early 30's and Wallace A. Peasley the Trustee in 1936. It was also called the Baptist Church School due to it's proximity to the early Baptist Church, and West Mountain Schoolon it's insurance policy.^[1]. The label "West Mountain School" as referred to in the History of the Town of Rensselaerville, People made it Happen Here, by way of an insurance policy is believed to be inaccurate and referencing not this school but another that existed close to the town line, District #19. Mis-numbered on the 1866 Beers map of Berne. In 1933 this school was District #3 Town of Berne and Rensselaerville, Supervisory District #2. with Blanche Peasley as the Enumerator. This information was taken from the original school census of 1933. The school was disolved on July 15, 1944. Falling down in 1976, the building is now gone. From School Census August 30, 1933: District no. Three Town of Berne and Rensselaerville. Supervisory district no. Two Albany County, J. Edward Smith District Superintendent. Trustee Herman Malin of Rensselaerville. Enumerator Blanche H. Peasley. Rensselaerville. According to this school Census / register all students in the district, from birth to 18 were enumerated. They are as follows: Theodore Apanasowich, Henry Malin, Richard Malin, John Pelepzuck Jr. Josephine Stephanawitz, Elizabeth Salzer, Joseph Salzer, Richard Weidman, George Pelikan Jr. West Mountain School Unknown West Mountain School Can anyone identify this West Mountain School near Rensselaerville? According to the note on the back, at the time it was taken it was abandoned and soon to be torn down for as part of the land project that eventually became Partridge Run State Wildlife Management Area. Notice to Choose Fence Viewer Letter concerning a fence dispute. Contributed by Nichole Pelepzuk Cross. Letter concerning a fence dispute.Contributed by Nichole Pelepzuk Cross. Notice to Choose Fence Viewer.Town Law section 363 ante P 639To John Pelepzuck Persuant to section 363 of the Town Law you are hereby required to choose within eight days after service of this notice a fence viewer to act with Avery Zimmer a fence viewer I have chosen in determining the dispute which has arisen between us concerning the division fence between our lands; and if you fail to do I shall choose both of said fence viewers as authorized by law. Dated this 18th day of May 1937 Wallace A Peasley Sources ↑ People Made It Happen Here, History of the Town of Rensselaerville ca. 1788-1950, Published 1977

WEST MOUNTAIN

Thanks to Katie Jean Bensen the history of West Mountain has been substantially updated.

West Mountain was first settled starting about 1790.

By the 1930s many farms had already been abandoned due to repeated cropping with buckwheat, barley and rye. Soil erosion was commonplace. Most of the farms on West Mountain were bought by the Resettlement Administration in the 1930s.

Lewis Sherman House, Lot 400; taken say 1937. No longer standing.
From collection of Nicole Pelepzuck Cross

Much of the land, up to 80% had been deforested for farming. Federal money was used to purchase the unproductive farmland for just 2 to 4 dollars per acre. The government helped to move many of the farm families to other areas. However, several farms remained in the possession of the farmers. A few of these included the William D. Wood farm, the Crosby farm, Peasley farm, and the Sherbin farm. Katie Wood, wife of William D. was approached by the Resettlement Administration during the 1930's and asked to sell her farm, to which as history tells, she answered with a solid 'No".

In the early 1940's, the Federal government granted the NYS Conservation Department a 99 year lease for what is now much of the Partridge Run Wildlife Management Area. The sum of $1.00 was the price for the lease, with three purposes stated for the land, forestry, wildlife and recreation. Over the next 20 years the total land accumulation through the Dept. of the Interior and the Division of Lands and Forests brought the total acreage to 5,478.

BERNE SCHOOL NO. 3

Location

Berne School No. 3 was a half mile north of the Rensselaerville town line on Lot 401 on West Mountain.

Interior of the Berne schoolhouse 3 along with the teacher, John Pelepzuck, Jr. and Josie.
Picture from the collection of Nichole Pelepzuck Cross

History

Due to the location of this school so close to the Renssesselaerville - Berne town line, this school was jointly operated by the Towns of Rensselaerville and Berne.

It would be a careful but educated guess to say that the school started sometime between 1795 and the very early 1800's. Being situated on lot 401a it is safe to say the land was donated by John Crosby and John Crosby Jr. who occupied lot 401 in the year 1795 to the mid 1850's. Even though the Town of Berne was set off from Rensselaerville in 1795 it seems this school continued to be referred to as a Berne and Rensselaerville District even into the last years of its operation. Students from both townships attended this school well into the 1930's.

This school had many district numbers and names over many decades it was in operation. In addition to being the Berne school No. 3, it was also the Rensselaerville District School No. 23. (In 1816 this school was known as # 12 Berne.)

The school also bore other names such as Peasley School for the Peasley family living nearby. Blanche H. Peasley was the Enumerator in the early 30's and Wallace A. Peasley the Trustee in 1936. It was also called the Baptist Church School due to it's proximity to the early Baptist Church, and West Mountain Schoolon it's insurance policy.^[1]. The label "West Mountain School" as referred to in the History of the Town of Rensselaerville, People made it Happen Here, by way of an insurance policy is believed to be inaccurate and referencing not this school but another that existed close to the town line, District #19.

Mis-numbered on the 1866 Beers map of Berne.

In 1933 this school was District #3 Town of Berne and Rensselaerville, Supervisory District #2. with Blanche Peasley as the Enumerator. This information was taken from the original school census of 1933.

The school was disolved on July 15, 1944. Falling down in 1976, the building is now gone.

From School Census August 30, 1933:

District no. Three Town of Berne and Rensselaerville. Supervisory district no. Two Albany County, J. Edward Smith District Superintendent. Trustee Herman Malin of Rensselaerville. Enumerator Blanche H. Peasley. Rensselaerville. According to this school Census / register all students in the district, from birth to 18 were enumerated. They are as follows: Theodore Apanasowich, Henry Malin, Richard Malin, John Pelepzuck Jr. Josephine Stephanawitz, Elizabeth Salzer, Joseph Salzer, Richard Weidman, George Pelikan Jr.

West Mountain School

Unknown West Mountain School

Can anyone identify this West Mountain School near Rensselaerville? According to the note on the back, at the time it was taken it was abandoned and soon to be torn down for as part of the land project that eventually became Partridge Run State Wildlife Management Area.

Notice to Choose Fence Viewer

Letter concerning a fence dispute. Contributed by Nichole Pelepzuk Cross.

Letter concerning a fence dispute.Contributed by Nichole Pelepzuk Cross.

Notice to Choose Fence Viewer.Town Law section 363 ante P 639To John Pelepzuck Persuant to section 363 of the Town Law you are hereby required to choose within eight days after service of this notice a fence viewer to act with Avery Zimmer a fence viewer I have chosen in determining the dispute which has arisen between us concerning the division fence between our lands; and if you fail to do I shall choose both of said fence viewers as authorized by law.

Dated this 18th day of May 1937

Wallace A Peasley

Sources

↑ People Made It Happen Here, History of the Town of Rensselaerville ca. 1788-1950, Published 1977

Recent items added to Helderberg Hilltowns site

2010-09-09T07:04:00.000-07:00

Barbecue and yard sale
Berne-Knox-Westerlo Sports Boosters will hold a fund-raising barbecue and yard sale Saturday Sept. 18, from 10am to 5pm. at Berne Town Park. The chicken barbecue will begin at 1pm. Each dinner will cost $9, and will include a half chicken, baked potato, coleslaw, and dessert. Members of all 21 teams are participating, from the fall, spring, and winter sports seasons.

History

NEW CEMETERY PAGE

Sept. 2006, Allen Miller

A page has just been created for the two stone Eli Miller Family Burying Ground at the foot of Cole Hill in the Town of Berne.

RECENT BIOGRAPHIES

Wife of Ellery Shufelt and his children

Ellery Shufelt, of West Mountain, was born 1895 one of nine children. He never got beyond the fourth grade and could not read nor write. Ellery was called to service in October of 1918. Ellery married his wife Beatrice in May of 1933. They had four children. The family was one of the last families to live on West Mountain in the 1930s when they were squatters during the time the federal Land Recovery Program were buying up abandoned and marginal farms. (Read the article on Partridge Run State Wildlife Management Area for more information about this period in the history of the Berne.) Both Ellery and his wife were stricken with TB. In the biography of Ellery Shufelt is a very interesting Altamont Enterprise article on his family and their hard scrabble life.

Ellery Shufelt and family

These photos were taken by Arthur Rothstein, the well known photographer for the Farm Security Administration.

Dau. of Ellery Shufelt

Ellery Shufelt Cutting Buckwheat

TURNER BURIAL GROUND The Turner Burial Ground is located on West Mountain within the boundaries of the Partridge Run NYS Wildlife Management Area on Bradt Hill Rd; in the southwest corner of Lot 468. It is named after George Turner (1783-1833) who emigrated from England and settled on West Mountain in 1832. The earliest known burial was 1812; last was 1937. It seems to have been a community burying ground from the beginning, as there are many different names of early farming families who lived in the immediate vicinity. 100 by 140 feet. This cemetery was restored in 2003 as part of Berne Heritage Days. It is mowed regularly by the Town of Berne. It is surrounded by a stone wall in fair condition. The stone wall was repaired in the summer of 2009 by the Town. The front stone wall was rebuilt in the summer of 2010.
Rebuilt stonewall, 2010

Rebuilt front stone wall, 2010

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE NAMES FOR THE TOWN OF BERNE

2010-07-16T09:41:00.000-07:00

Colony of Rensselaerwyck - In 1629 most all of the land in Albany and Rensselaer Counties were part of the Dutch Colony of Rensselaerwhyck which had been granted in that year to Kiliean Van Rensselaer, a wealthy Dutch Merchant.
Rensselaerwyck Manor - When in 1664 the English wrested control of the Dutch Colonies in the New World they continued to honor the Van Rensselaer land grant, which now became known as the Rensselaerwyck Manor.
Beaverdam - About 1740 the first settlers in the what is now the western half of the Town of Berne said they were from the Beaverdam. (These homesteaders were actually squatters since they did not lease the land from the Van Rensselaer owners.) Marriage records in both Schoharie churches and churches below the hill say the bride or the groom was from Beaverdam or Beaver Dam. And, of course, about 1765 when the first church was formed in the area, it took the name "The Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of the Beaverdam." ("Dutch" signified that the congregation was "Deutch", i.e. German.)
Town of Watervliet - In 1788 the Town of Watervliet was created; it consisted of all of what is now Albany County except the city of Albany, and part of Schenectady County. For the next two years folks who a few years later would live in Berne were from Watervliet.
Town of Rensselaerville - In 1790 the Town of Rensselaerville was created from the western half of Watervliet. The result was that in the 1790 federal census everyone who lived in what are now the Towns of Berne, Knox and Renssselaerville were listed as being from Rensselaerville. In 1791, in a Van Rensselaer deed for the Reformed Church farm, the church was called, "The Reformed German Church of Beaverdam in the town of Rensselaerville," thus acknowledging the change in the name of the town.
Town of Bern - In 1795 the Town of Bern was created from the northern two thirds of the Town of Rensselaerville. Rensselaer town officials selected in 1790, lived in what is now Berne; and when Berne was created they became the town officials of Bern and kept Rensselaerville's official journal. For them it was a merely a change of name and a reduction in size. The first use of the name Bern for the area is when the Town was created. Records for churches below the hill continued to say people from Bern were from Beaverdam for the next decade before they finally got use to using the name of Bern. In 1797 the Reformed Church officially became "The Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Bever Dam." They gave up changing the name of the church every time the name of the Town was changed.
Town of Berne - Our Heritge, the 1977 Bicentennial history of the Town of Berne, says the spelling of the town name was changed from Bern to Berne sometime in the late 19th century. The middle of the 19th century would have been more correct, since it was spelled Bern in the 1850 federal census and Berne in the 1860 census.

Planning Committee Survey Results for Types of Businesses in Berne

2010-05-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

''Many businesses were personally favored by respondents. A local farm produce center was the most favorable to have in Berne. Other highly favorable businesses were animal shelter, antique/flea market, bakery, bed and breakfast inns, book store, convenience store, fish farm, garden center, grocery store, local farm butcher, medical offices, pharmacy, Helderberg tourism, and winery. Many of the other businesses had 50% or more favorable support.

Most of the large scale businesses such as big box retail stores, big box warehouse, hunting farm, and an industrial power plants were opposed or strongly opposed.

When asked where they would accept commercial development in Berne, the most common answer was along Route 443, followed by along Route 85 and in or near a hamlet. Along Route 57a and anywhere in Town was favored by less than 20% of respondents. There were about 12% who said that commercial development should be nowhere in Town.''

Editor's comment.- If we want local farms and businesses we must support them with our by buying locally. It does no good to say it would be nice to have a convenience store, a grocery store, a local farm butcher, a farm produce center if we do not spend our money locally to show that we really support them.

Upcoming Events Calender

2010-05-04T08:59:00.000-07:00

There are two calenders of upcoming events available for announcements for organizations and businesses on www.AlbanyHilltowns.com .

Those who wish to post events on these pages are urged to do so themselves.
___

May 13

The Heldeberg Market is a new, low-cost service that will market Hilltown farmers' and home industrialists' goods online to customers throughout the Capital Region. It will launch on June 1, 2010.

Farmers and home artisan producers interested in learning more about the Heldeberg Market are invited to an informational session at the Berne-Knox-Westerlo Middle School, Room 170, on Thursday May 13, 2010 at 7:00 p.m.

Please contact owner, Sarah Avery Gordon, to RSVP for the informational session at 518-669-3446 or Sarah Gordon.
___

May 15 and 16

Save Thacher Park!
Join Us, On May 15'th, and 16'th, For "Thacher Day Out". The time will be 12:00 pm-5:00 Pm on both days. We will have tons of food, music, and FUN!!

May 18

The next meeting of the Helderberg Hilltowns Association will be at the Hilltowns Senior Center, 1656 Helderberg Trail (Route 443, half way between Berne and East Berne), May 18 at 7pm.
It has been suggested that since the focus of the first meeting was heavily agriculture, we should continue the discussion of "Ideas About What the HHA Should Do" but divide the discussion into several distinct categories -- Agriculture; restaurants; bed & breakfasts; recreation; open space protection; cultural tourism; historic preservation; sightseeing; museums; family-tree research; etc. That way we will get a better perspective of the broader role of the HHA (or Albany Hilltowns Association?).

May 31

The Hilltowns Memorial Day Parade will step off at 10 AM along Helderberg Trail (Route 443) from the Senior Center to the Berne-Knox-Westerlo School. A big old-fashioned celebration has the Color Guard by the VFW and American Legion, the BKW Band, floats, firetrucks and ambulances, marching units of youth and adults, and a number of horses. At the end of the parade, ceremonies to honor our veterans are held on the common in front of the school; a wreath is laid at the memorial by the Gold Star Mother, a volley is shot, taps is played. Prizes are awarded to floats and marching units. Many organizations offer refreshments or baked goods for sale. Best viewing along the route of march is from the intersection of Routes 443 and 156 to the BKW school. Get there early as good spots go quickly. Sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of the Helderbergs.

ERNEST J. ECKER, LOT 401, ENOS WRIGHT HOUSE

2010-01-31T16:11:00.000-08:00

I have just finished the weekly update to Albany Hilltowns main pages. It summarizes changes made this past week and gives links to them: Civil War soldier biographies, Lot numers, farm houses, farm activites, ideas for farmers, and much more.

Here are a few of the new pages added this past week:

A biography page has been started for Ernest J. Ecker who died on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010, in Delray Beach, Fla., where he had lived in his later years. He was 87.

The Enos Wright House, 1560 Helderberg Trail, Berne, was built 1891 by Charles Willsey for Enos J. Wright (1837- 1905). Wright was a 49 year old farmer, single, and living at home when his mother died in 1885. A few months later he married 27 year old Ida Mae Schoonmaker, who had been a domestic in the home of his parents’ home for a number of years. The house was a major addition to the small, earlier house which is now the east wing kitchen.

Lot 401 situated on West Mountain at the intersection of Bradt Hollow Road and Peasley Road.

The earliest settler on was John Crosby (1758 - 1803), who settled here with his family in 1795. During the Rev. War he was in the militia in Dutchess Co. The family was originally from Harwich, Barstable Co., Mass. Crosby was undoubtedly one of the founders of the the Baptist Church that was on his lot.
1797 - The Rensselaerville and Berne Baptist Church was built at the intersection of Bradt Hollow Road and Peasley Road. It was in existence until late in the 19th C. Now only the cemetery remains. The records were stored in a barn and were lost when the barn burned.
1800 - The earliest burial in the Baptist Church Burying Ground was 1800. It remained in active use until 1901. Seven Revolutionary War soldiers and a daughter of a Lord Mayor of London are buried here.
Site of School House No. 3, (the Peasley School).
1866 Beers map of Berne shows J. Crosby, the Baptist Church, and School House No. 2 (actually No. 3). John Crosby Jr. (1793 - 1869), born in Dutchess Co. came with his family to West Mt. when he was two years old. He was raised and lived on the family farm until his death in 1869 when he was buried in the Baptist Church Cemetery
Crosby Farm - Grass-fed, beef, produced with heritage breed, dexter cattle, sides, custom butchering, all natural. Timothy Lippert; 30 Bradt Hollow Rd., Berne; - Tel. (518) 797 3610 or Email tlippert@starband.net

CEMETERIES; COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, V R MANOR PAPERS

2010-01-21T13:00:00.000-08:00

CEMETERY DESTROYED
There is a family buying ground in Berne that had four beautiful cut stones that were a century or so old and in fine condition. They were in a pasture on a fence line but were not fenced in; cows knocked them down and broke them. The hay grew tall, then tractors ran over them not knowing they were there. There are probably not enough pieces left to save. I know of another cemetery in Berne with many more stones where this is also occurring.

This picture was taken a number of years ago

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

The Town of Berne is undergoing a Comprehensive Plan Review; the committee is making available all email communications. If you would like emails generated by the Berne Comprehensive Plan Review Committee to be forwarded to you; please submit your request and your email address to compsecretary45@yahoo.com

VAN RENSSELAER LEASES, SURVEY NOTES

The main page of Albany Hilltowns has been updated. I have started adding early VR survey notes and leases.

DIETZ / DEITZ FAMILY OF BERNE AND SCHOHARIE

2009-12-27T17:39:00.000-08:00

This painting is in the collection of the Greater Oneonta Historical Society museum and is published with their permission. It was painted by James Dietz, a son of the massacred Johannes Dietz, so he would have known what the house and barn looked like.

I have just created a new Facebook group Dietz / Deitz Families of Berne and Schoharie for descendants of the children of Johan Peter Dietz of Germany, all of whom eventually settled in Schoharie and Albany Counties in the first half of the 18th Century. This group will make it easy for us to stay in contact with distant cousins, and allow us to exchange information and ask questions about our common ancestors.

You do not need to be a member of Facebook to look at the site, nor will you be spammed. You would have to join if you want to participate.

The images on this page are of the Dietz massacre in Sept. 1781, the only intrusion into Berne during the Rev. War.

This engraving of the Dietz massacre is from "Stories of the Revolution,” by Josiah
Priest, 1836. The chapter "The Captive Boys of Rensselaerville - John and Robert Brice" tells how they were captured in the massacre and taken west by the Indians. John lived out the war in an Indian village. Robert was sold to the captain of a boat on lake Erie. The story is the remembrances of Robert.

TROUT STREAMS IN BERNE? - NOT!

2009-12-17T10:02:00.000-08:00

Fox Creek Falls, Nov. 2009, by Charles Sloger

Years ago NYS stocked trout in Berne; but that stopped because there is no legal public access. Not that it matters, since neither the Foxenkill nor the Switzkill are good habitat (both are too warm, and some pollution in the Foxenkill) to support a healthy population of trout. There is also a bank erosion problem. Planting of trees and shrubs along the banks would help prevent both bank erosion and cooling the waters for trout, as would establishing a cut line. When do you think that will happen? It took ten years of so for the sewer system in Berne to start to be built. Maybe its not too early to push for creekside rehab?

Here are proposals for

A trail along the Fox Creek from the Long Path to Berne Town Park.
An expansion of Fox Creek Park to include ruins of historic mills and factories on the opposite side of the creek.

Law Office > Select School > Fire House > Post Office > Garage

2009-12-15T12:55:00.000-08:00

The photo to the right is of the 1929 Model T Ford called the "Village Queen", still the pride of the Berne Fire Dept.

A small building in Berne served many functions since it was built in the mid 19th Century:

Law office of Edward Vincent Filkins, Esq.
The Select School in 1882 of his daughter Carrie Filkins.
Berne Post Office in the 1920's. The post master from 1915 - 1928 was Clarence Haverly, husband of Carrie Filkins.
Berne Volunteer Fire Company was organized in 1929 it became the first fire house.
It is now a private garage.

This photo is from about 1977 and was published in Our Heritage.

FARMS AND FARM ACTIVITIES

2009-12-13T14:57:00.000-08:00

Newcomb's Farms, East Berne

I have just updated the Berne Farms, Natural History, and Outdoor Recreation page on Albany Hilltowns to include a lot more farms. Here is the current listing:

Alpaca Shack Bob Rowe and family, Berne. - High quality, eco-friendly alpaca clothing. Visit the farm and pet the Alpacas.
Beaver Dam Farms - Breeding Stock, registered Polled Herefords, feeder cattle, hay. Open year round, hours vary; 2032 Helderberg Trail, tel. (518) 872-0256.
Busch Farm - Quality hay. Busch Ln. By appointment (518) 872-1664.
Crosier's Sugar Barn - Open year round; Spring 7 days a week, Weekends rest of the year. Offering hay rides, maple tours, custom pig roasting, chicken barbecues, brush hogging and farm drainage work, firewood. 353 Filkins Hill Rd. Tel.(518) 872-2213.
Elk Hill Winery - built by the Primiano Family, the only winery in the hill towns, is at 125 Prim Lane, off of Rte. 156 Berne, a couple of miles north of the hamlet of Berne. Call 518-872-2314 for directions.
Ever Flowing Springs Farm - Grass fed beef. 73 Francis Rd. Open year round by appointment (518) 872-0426.
Helderberg Alpacas 331 Saw Mill Road, East Berne, New York; phone number is (518) 872-9053. - Alpacas for sale, boarding, yarn and fiber for sale, farm visits.
Mcauliffe's Mountain Farm - All natural meats and organic veggies. 60 Mountain View Ln., Tel. (518) 872-2041
Morning Fog Farm - High Quality Food, Sustainable Farming Methods: Local, Naturally Raised Beef, Pork, and Chicken; Organic Produce; Organic Herbs; Farm Products; Unique Gifts. On-Farm store is open Friday 3 - 6 PM, Saturday 10 AM to 4 PM and always by appointment. We'll have: Beef, Pork, Chicken, Honey, Maple Syrup, Milk Soaps. 1207 Switzkill Rd., Berne. Please call us at (518) 872-1772 between 10am and 6pm Monday through Saturday for more information. We accept MasterCard and Visa. Email: eatwell@morningfogfarm.com:
Partridge Run Farm and Apiary, 484 Ravine Road, Berne, New York - Open daily for honey and related products (e.g., candles, soaps).
Newcomb's Farms 1498 Thacher Park Road. - Farm stand open May-November 9am-8pm. and a Community Supported Agriculture program^[1] with fresh produce, fruit, local honey & syrup, flower greenhouse, hanging baskets, annual and perennial bedding plants, herbs and vegetable bedding plants. On Saturdays throughout the season home made pies & bread. A member of Local Harvest. Email csnewcombsfarm1@yahoo.com
Mountain Winds Farm - operated by Randy Grippen, sells all natural farm raised chicken and eggs, maple syrup. Email mtwindsfarm@netzero.net
R6 Livestock Co. - Cattle, hay. 1119 Switzkill Rd., Berne; Tel. (518) 872-0344
Shale Hill Farm - Freezer beef, hay straw, fence stakes and firewood. 617 Cole Hill Rd.; Tel. (518) 872-2533
Tim Lippert's Grass-fed Beef - Berne, to order Email tlippert@starband.net or call the farm 518 797 3610
Windy Hill Farm - Wool blankets, sheep skins. Call for location (518) 872-1386.

On the same page is a list of Berne cemeteries that are easy to visit.

I have also added places for something to eat

Jersey's - an informal restaurant, Main St., East Berne; Tel. 872-9158.
The Highlands Restaurant and Tavern - in an historic home with panoramic view, 1670 Berne Altamont Rd.; Tel. 872-1938.
Maple Inn - a restaurant in an historic hotel at 64 Main Street, East Berne (off Rt. 443). Tel. 872-9433.
Zwicklebauer's - a restaurant in an historic resort on the shore of Warners Lake at 141 Warners Lake Rd., East Berne. Tel. 872-1016 / 872-9912.
Foxenkill Tavern - Fine dining restaurant and bar in historic building in park-like setting near the Foxenkill. Rte. 443 just west of West Berne. Tel. 872-1287.
See also suggestions for something to eat in the nearby hill towns:

Rensselaerville Farms, Natural Areas, and Outdoor Recreation

Knox Farms, Natural History, and Outdoor Recreation

Westerlo Farms, Natural Areas, and Outdoor Recreation

HILL TOWNS FARMS, NATURAL HISTORY, AND OUTDOOR RECREATION

2009-12-04T17:28:00.000-08:00

I have done an extensive update on BerneFarms, Natural History, and Outdoor Recreation to add information on where visitors can eat and sleep. I have also listed the historic cemeteries and family burying grounds that are maintained and easily accessible. I will now be working on listing historic buildings to see.

I have done a similar page for Knox Farms, Natural History, and Outdoor Recreation

BERNE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

2009-12-01T08:03:00.000-08:00

1) The town of Berne is updating its comprehensive plan. The Comprehensive Plan committee meets on December 2 at the Berne Town Hall. While they already have a full agenda, they do allow time for public comment. Here are proposals for them to consider:
Whereas increasing the number of travelers to the town would be a benefit to the economy of the town:

The planning and construction of scenic trails for use by hikers, bikers, horseback riding, fisherman, photographers, cross country runners, etc is encouraged. In the fall they might be used by hunters; in the winter by cross country skiers and snow mobiles.
Landowners whose land a trail crosses or who live within 1000 feet of a trail are encouraged to build facilities along such trails to benefit users of the trails and to charge for their use: tent camping sites, toilet facilities, picnic tables, fire pits.
In any district of the town a home owner may operate a Guest House. The definition of a Guest House is a home owner who makes extra bedrooms available in their home for occasional guests. The Guest House is not a business but rather a way to earn extra money for the home owner from time to time.
With special permits, landowners in agricultural districts may build up to five cabins to rent by the day or week, and to build facilities for use by up to five recreation vehicle campers.

Someone from the town would need to present the above proposal for discussion.

2) The main page of Albany Hilltowns wiki site has been updated to remove the offending phrases "Tourists" and "Tourism." It turns out they give many people bad connations of the hill towns being turned into a Woodstock with tour buses, pollution, and congestion.

3) Here is a direct link to a page on the Albany Hilltowns site titled Head for the Hills - the Albany Hilltowns. It has many ideas for giving folks below the hill reasons to visit the hill towns.

4) The Facebook group for people to support the idea that increasing the number of visitors to the hill towns would beneficial has been renamed the same name Head for the Hills - the Albany Hilltowns.

5) Here is a direct link Berne Natural History and Outdoor Recreation, a page that lists existing natural reserves that visitors can go to hike, picnic, cross-country ski, etc. It also had some thoughts for expanding outdoor recreation opportunities in the future.

BERNE ECOTOURISM

2009-11-26T18:16:00.000-08:00

This was a beaver dam at one time. Later the State made a small earthen dam to stabilize the pond. A beaver dam is now located just above this pond. New ponds are located in Partridge Run Wildlife Mgt. area along Fawn Lake Road near Berne, New York. Photo by Charles Sloger, Oct. 2008. Here is a link to more of his incredibly beautiful photos.
Partidge Run is one of several Berne Natural History areas open to the public in for hiking, photography, picnicking, etc.
Eco-tourism - getting tourists to come to the hill towns for the beauty of the countryside: hiking, biking, caving, visiting old cemeteries, trails to historic ruins, taking pictures, admiring our historic hamlets. It is a low impact way to help the local economy and encourage preservation of farmlands, scenery, historic homes and hamlets. Tourists need guest houses, B & B's, campgrounds, and picnic sites. To further that end I have created a new Albany Hilltowns Ecotourism Facebook Group. You don't need to belong to Facebook to check out the group. While there, click on the "Wall" tab. There are a couple of exciting proposals. If you support our goals, we would love to have you join us.
The town of Berne is updating its comprehensive plan. The Comprehensive Plan committee meets on December 2 at the Berne Town Hall. While they already have a full agenda, they do allow time for public comment. Here are proposals for them to consider:

Whereas Eco-tourism is a low impact way to encourage tourism in the town and would be a benefit to the economy of the town:

The planning and construction of scenic trails for use by hikers, bikers, horseback riding, fisherman, photographers, cross country runners, etc is encouraged. In the fall they might be used by hunters; in the winter by cross country skiers and snow mobiles.
Landowners whose land a trail crosses or who live within 1000 feet of a trail are encouraged to build facilities along such trails to benefit users of the trails and to charge for their use: tent camping sites, toilet facilities, picnic tables, fire pits.
In any district of the town landowners may take in guests in existing buildings using existing bedrooms and advertise as either a Guest House (no breakfast), or a Bed and Breakfast.
With special permits, landowners in agricultural districts may build up to five cabins to rent to tourists, and to build facilities for use by up to five recreation vehicle campers.

Someone from the town would need to present this proposal for discussion.

BERNE, THE NEXT RENSSELAERVILLE?

2009-11-10T22:04:00.000-08:00

The hamlet of Berne has a lot going for it, but it has not tried to make use of it. It could be like Rensselaerville. It could expand Fox Creek Park to the other side of the creek and make an adjoining historical park of mill and factory ruins. It could have an antique store or two; a bed and breakfast or two; a nice restaurant. Berne has set its sights to low. My class of 1957 high school motto was "Aim High." I wish Berne had the same motto.

OLD DAMS, GRIST MILLS, SAWMILLS & BRIDGE SITES

2009-10-11T17:10:00.000-07:00

In 1984 the old Berne Conservation Board did a very thorough job of locating every cemetery and small family burial ground in the township. Each of these cemeteries were keyed to a section of a USGS topographical quadrangle. This past summer Dennis and Dave Bernhardt updated that survey and used took GPS coordinates for the 50 cemeteries they could find. Some of these were not found in 1984. They are now updating the descriptions and location information on the Berne Historical Project site.

I would like to suggest and request that the current Conservation Board consider making a survey of historic sites to locate and document the conditions of the remains of any historic sawmills and grist mills, bridge and dam sites. They were scattered all over the town. A starting point would be the 1854 and 1866 maps of the town which showed various grist and sawmills. Like abandoned cemeteries, these abandoned ruins will eventually be lost. It would be good to know exactly where they were before it is to late.

I feel sure I could find some volunteers to help in this project. Maybe even do it under the leadership of the Conservation Board.

WORLD WAR II HONOR ROLL FORMER SITE

2009-10-09T16:03:00.000-07:00

I just added a number of "Then and Now" images of the hamlet of Berne on the AlbanyHilltowns.com Wiki site. Included is a series on the World War II Honor Roll that was originally at the intersection of Helderberg Trail and Irish Hill Road in the hamlet of Berne. Look at what a sorry sight the old site has become.

RENSSELAERVILLE PILOT SCANNING PROJECT

2009-10-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

The Rensselaerville Historical Society has 52 “Genealogy books”, 12 “Cemetery books”, and 7 “Deeds and Leases books” that are available to researchers at the old Grist Mill in Rensselaerviller during the warmer months. At their last monthly meeting I submitted a proposal that they scan these handwritten records and post them on the Albany Hilltowns site. They have agreed to have a Rensselaerville Pilot Scanning Project this winter to see how much time it takes, and how the results look on line. The Society currently has an old desk top PC at the Grist Mill that does not have the capacity to store the scanned files, so they need to buy a new one or upgrade the one they have. They also need a laptop computer. A scanner has already been donated. Please contact me if you can contribute hardware, or hard cash.

Remember the Knox Historical Society will sponsor a Dutch barn tour on Saturday, October 10th.

photo by Allen Deitz 2005

Knox is having their monthly meeting Tuesday, October 6
The Berne Historical Society annual meeting was held Tuesday, Sept. 28. Ralph Miller, Historian, Town of Berne, was elected President. His wife, Jan Miller, is the new Secretary. At this time I do not have the names of the other officers.

CIVIL WAR IN BERNE; REUBEN L. WEIDMAN

2009-10-04T20:00:00.000-07:00

While doing research for an upcoming book on the Hilltowns particpation in the Civil War, I find that with the start of the war there was tremendous enthusiasm in Albany, and especially in Berne. In the first year Berne contributed from their taxes more than two thirds of the amount raised in Albany County. In the second year they contributed almost half. What was there that caused the folks of Berne to be such strong supporters of the Civil War? Any suggestions?

The photo is of Reuben L. Weidman who was in the 15th Cavalry during the Civil War. He was born in Berne, enlisted in the Town of Wright and was buried in Westerlo. That is what I mean by the Hilltowns are interconnected. We are all family.

KING POST TRUSS BRIDGE

2009-10-01T05:48:00.000-07:00

I just found that the bridge that was once across the Foxenkill on the old road from Berne to Knox was called a king post truss bridge. Wouldn't a reproduction bridge be a great addition to the Fox Creek Town Park! It would make the ruins of the old mills on the north side accessible to the public. Speaking of access, how about a trail along the south side of the Foxenkill connecting Fox Creek Park with the Town of Berne park on the west side of town. It would give students walking access to BKW School. It could be used by not only school kids, but also strollers, hikers, joggers, fisherman, and bicyclists. It would give access to the beautiful creek whose only access now is below the brige in the center of town. Despite the serene beauty of the creek, it is asset the town has turned its back on. The presence of a trail could increase property values.

HISTORY AND GENEALOGY OF BERNE, NEW YORK: ALBANY HILLTOWNS BLOG

2009-09-18T17:40:00.000-07:00

HISTORY AND GENEALOGY OF BERNE, NEW YORK: ALBANY HILLTOWNS BLOG

ALBANY HILLTOWNS BLOG

2009-09-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

Not having enough to keep me busy I have created a new blog for Albany Hilltowns. My thinking is that this way people can subscribe, and I will only be sending out updates on Albany Hilltowns genealogy and history who have an interest in that subject.... Take a look and be the first to subscribe.

It is my intention to keep this blog going also for things having to do with just the history of Berne as opposed to the Hilltowns in general.

Photo is Old Water on the Foxenkill, by Allan Deitz

UP DATE ON ALBANY HILLTOWNS

2009-08-19T02:48:00.000-07:00

We have a few very active volunteers adding old photos and articles to AlbanyHillowns.com. I have just done an extensive update of our main page to highlight some of our new projects, one of which in "Then and Now" photos of buildings in the Hilltowns. Thanks to Marty Duel for posting the first set of photos.

We also have completed the inventory of the hundreds of men from the four Hilltowns: Berne, Knox, Westerlo and Rensselaerville, that served in the Union Army during the Civil War. While we have begun biographies for each of them, much remains to be done if we are to meet our deadline of 2011 for a book on the Hilltown men in the CW and their families. Help is needed and appreciated. If any of you have Hilltown ancestors, we would invite you to visit our site and contribute to it.
____________________________________________
Three weeks ago on AlbanyHilltowns.com I posted images of Wm. Cockburn's 1787 survey map of the Western Manor of Stephen Van Rensselaer III. Since then I did an extensive rearrangement of the images and updated the key to the images so they were more readable. I also rearranged the order of the images so they are in the same order as the key. And I made separate maps for Knox and Berne. I have started to annotate the map of Berne to make it easier to understand. See images 3, 7 and 11 to see where I am headed. I have also started an index for Berne and Knox. The index was already done for Rensselarville, and hardly anyone lived in Westerlo. (must be the same is true today, at least I am not aware of anyone there who is interested in the history of the town.)

1787 survey map gives and interpretation of the overall 1787 map (needs to be revised).
1787 map of Knox has images of the Knox section of the northern half of the map
1787 map of Berne has images of the Berne section of the northern half of the map
1787 map of Westerlo has images of Westerlo and eastern third of Rensselaerville
1787 map of Rensselaerville has images of the western two thirds of Rensselaerville

_________________________________________
From Nancy J Curran:

--32nd Annual Rensselaerswijck Seminar Oct 2 and 3 in Albany New York

RUSSELL SHORTO TO BE OPENING SPEAKER AT 32nd ANNUAL RENSSELAERSWIJCK SEMINAR

Russell Shorto, noted author, will speak on “Oh, Henry: What Has the Hudson Year Wrought?” at the opening reception of the 32nd Annual Rensselaerswijck Seminar, Thursday, Oct. 1, at 5:30 p.m. at the NYS Museum, Albany. Admission is free.

Oct. 2 and 3 the Rensselaerswijck Seminar, “Kiliaen van Rensselaer’s Colonie: The Beginning of European Settlement of the Upper Hudson,” will be in the New York State Museum’s Carole Huxley Theatre. Registration is at 9 a.m. both days.

Genealogy and history will be twin themes in the analysis of the history of the Van Rensselaers, both from the aspect of their place in history and the succeeding generations of the family.

Click here for more information about the seminar.
_______________________________________________

Early morning mist on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Photos courtesy of my High School classmate Charles Sloger, who still hangs around Berne. Yes, that is Berne, by the dawn's early light. I never get up that early myself, but am glad he did.

Here are more of his photos:

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=berne&w=9900206%40N08

_____________________________________________

UPDATE ON THE CIVIL WAR PROJECT

The year 2011 is the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. Several hundred Hilltown men served in the Union Army with a casualty rate of maybe 25% killed or injured. It had an big impact on the Towns and their families. We are writing biographies on each soldier. Information from the biographies will be used to produce a book on the lives and families of Civil War veterans. Publication is targeted for 2011.

The book will be in three parts:

The events leading up to the war with emphasis on why the men in upstate NY seemed compelled to join the army of Father Abraham.
The history of the units and their battles.
Biographies of the Hilltown men. Individual biographies could be authored by family researchers.

Thanks to many people, especially Betty Fink and Pam Molle, a list of Hilltown men in the Civil War is complete, and biographies have been started for each of them. Right now some of the biographies consist of just the basic facts gleaned from Civil War Records.

Help Needed

We need one or more volunteers for each of the towns to flesh out the biographies. If you see something below you think you might be interested in, contact me before beginning so I can coordinate who is doing what and prevent duplication.

One of the sources would be the Hilltowns Genealogy posted on the Berne Historical Project web site. This can be done by anyone familiar with how to update biographies in this project. It is not difficult and I can help you learn.
If the men lived until the latter part of the 19th C. or longer, I would like on line newspaper archives, such as the Altamont Enterprise, or Albany papers posted on the http://www.fultonhistory.com/ Fulton History] site, searched for additional information, such as obituaries.
We also need someone with access to census data, such as that posted on Ancestry.com and other sites, to add census information for the Civil War men.
Family researchers are asked to write or contribute information on their ancestors who served. We need copies of photos, letters written home from the soldiers, death notices, pension requests, military papers, medals, pictures of tombstones, family stories, etc.
An article needs to be written about each of the units in which Hilltown men served including the history of the unit and the major battles in which the unit fought.
A list of Hilltown men by unit is needed for the appendix. It should also have a summary of each one's fate (KIA, wounded, captured, died in prison, died as a result of wounds, life-time disability, unrelated death, unknown). All of the information for this assignment is in the biographies as currently written.
We need someone to take photos of the headstones of Civil War veterans to add to their biographies so we will have them available for our book. This should be done by cemetery. Volunteer to do a cemetery and I will try to get you a list of the CW men buried there.

The book editor will be Michael Grant Hait Jr.. Michael lives in the Washington DC area and has access to the National Archives; he is currently writing a book on Civil War soldiers and is experienced with an on-demand publishing.
Go to our Civil War pages to see what information we have collected so far.

1787 SURVEY MAP

2009-08-07T15:21:00.000-07:00

Switzkill Valley settlement in 1787>

About 1785 Stephen Van Rensselaer III hired William Cockburn to survey his Helderberg wilderness in preparation for leasing the vacant land in the hills. The resulting 1787 survey map shows roads, churches, mills, and streams, gives the lot number and name of each leaseholder that were already there at the time of the survey.

The northern half of the map is of Berne and Knox. The southern half of the map is of Rensselaerville and Westerlo. The map is in the NYS Library Manuscripts and Special Collections Division in Albany. In the 1930s or 40s they made what they call "photostats" of the original map.

The photostat copies of the northern half of the map is on 14 sheets. Basically it is 3 sheets wide and 4 sheets high for the first two rows, and 5 sheets wide for the southern two rows. The southern half map is divided into two sets, SE and SW. The SE set of photostats includes all of Westerlo and eastern third of Rensselaerville. The SW set of photostats includes the rest of Rensselaerville. Each of these two sets consists of 12 sheets; 3 sheets wide and 4 sheets high.

When I (Hal Miller) was at the NYS Library the end of June, 2009, I made used my digital camera to make a digital image of each sheet for all three sets. I then cropped the images and enhanced them to the best of my limited ability.

I have just uploaded the images to www.AlbanyHilltowns.com

1787 survey map gives and interpretation of the overall 1787 map (history and interpretation needs to be revised).
1787 map of Berne and Knox has images of the northern half of the map
1787 map of Westerlo has images of Westerlo and eastern third of Rensselaerville
1787 map of Rensselaerville has images of the western two thirds of Rensselaerville

LOCATION OF THE BEAVER DAM

2009-04-12T15:39:00.000-07:00

This is a followup to my posting of a few days ago on the early beaver dam that gave the community we now call Berne its original name of Beaverdam or Beaver Dam.

I have figured out how to make links to Google maps showing the location of the beaver dam. This link is to a satellite view of the junction of the Switzkill flowing north into the Foxenkill.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=canaday+hill+rd,+berne,+ny&sll=42.623586,-74.151492&sspn=0.007121,0.015879&ie=UTF8&ll=42.619513,-74.162886&spn=0.003371,0.007939&t=h&z=17

The view shows the Switzkill at the bottom flowing north into the west flowing Foxenkill. To the west of the junction is a small side stream also entering the Foxenkill from the south. At the southern end is a small round pond. The dam would have been where the small streamlet flows into the pond. It would have been easy for the beavers to dam. As the water rose they would have had to widen the dam and make it higher until it flooded a number of acres. Over the years the area behind the dam silted in and became marshy, which is why the 1787 map indicates a swamp rather than a body of water.

Perhaps the wood rotted away at the bottom of the dam, or maybe the settlers killed off enough beavers that the ones remaining could no longer maintain the dam. For whatever reason, the dam gave way in a rush and scooped out a basin at its foot. The silted in area above the old dam remains marshy to this day. In the 200 or more years since the dam burst the pond basin has largely filled in.

The topography map shows how level the land is allowing the a large shallow beaver dam with a wide, low beaver dam. Of course the silting in above the dam only made the land more level.

Note: The dam was near the end of the small hook shaped low spot on south side of Fox Creek. Google has mislabeled the creeks. The one from the south which is unlabeled is the Switzkill. The label which says Switz Kill is Fox Creek / Foxenkill.

THE BEAVER DAM

2009-04-09T07:10:00.000-07:00

Before the Town of Berne was formed in 1795 the area was called the Beaverdam after a large beaver dam that was near the where the Switzkill joins the Foxenkill, a very short distance west of the current day intersection of Cannaday Hill Road and Switzkill Road.

I got to thinking about the location of the beaver dam again, as I have done on and off for years, and suddenly realized that it could not have been on either the Foxenkill or the Switzkill because annual floods would have washed it out. So obvious; we should have thought of that before. And the beaver dam must have been a very large and seemingly permanent structure to have the community named after it.

Since the Beaverdam Reformed Church took its name from the prominence of the dam, the dam had to have been very near the site of the church. The history of the Reformed Church says the original log church building was on the knoll in what is now the Beaverdam Cemetery. The 1787 Van Rensselaer survey map, shows a drawing of the church to indicate its location; and it is not on the knoll. Rather, it is on the north side of the Foxenkill, just east of the confluence with the Switzkill. In fact, the church is where the house and barn of the old church farm is located.

According to church history, the original log building was replaced by a frame structure in 1786. So, although the survey map is dated 1787, the survey must have been done before then. I had thought the survey of the West Manor was started in 1786 and finished in 1787 when the map was dated. However, I recently had my attention called to the fact that there are a number of leases dated 1774, including one for Johannes Ecker on lot 594. His lot was on the south side of the Foxenkill, across from the church. The lot is bisected by the Switzkill at its juncture with the Foxenkill.

It makes sense that the survey would have taken many years from start to finish. My conclusion is that the survey that shows the log church on the bank of the Foxenkill was done by 1774. As yet another aside, the reason the graves of the massacred Deitz family have never been found in the Beaverdam Cemetery is that they were buried alongside the old log church in a now lost location.

I now realized that the beaver dam had to have been on a side stream flowing into one of the two creeks near their intersection and the church. I had wondered why it was not on the 1787 Van Rensselaer survey map; well, it is! The beaver pond is shown as a marshy area on the dividing line between lots 576 West Part and 576 East Part, the lot just to the west of that or Johannes Ecker. The dam was on a small stream that flows into the Foxenkill just west of the confluence with the Switzkill.

A US geological survey map shows lot 576 as being very flat. The beaver pond would have flooded what is now Canaday Hill Road. In fact, the geological survey map shows Canaday Hill road crossing a marshy area.

Van Rensselaer 1787 survey map, New York State Archives

This small section of the survey map is centered on the log Beaverdam Reformed Church. The Switzkill flows from the south center north into the Foxenkill. The beaver pond is lower left of center and Swizkill Road is to the lower right of center parallel to the Switzkill. The Cannaday Hill Rd. dead ends into Switzkill Road because beyond to the west is blocked by the beaver pond. The house of Joannes Ecker is across Switzkill Road from the house of Jim and Maryellen Hamilton where the barns are or were.

Response from Allan Deitz:

I was in that marshy stream two years ago with my canoe and a camera. It is marshy and becomes very small after about 50 feet from the Foxenkill. It comes in from a southwest angle It is between the first island from the east bridge over Rt. 1 and the mouth of the Switzkill. I was there on Memorial weekend and it is shallow. It is very possible that was the site of the dam.

Response from Jim Hamilton:

There are still some wetlands in that area, so having it displayed on the old map could mean just that it has been low and wet for a long time, but it sounds good to me that the dam was there someplace. Depending on exactly where the dam was and how large, if there were fewer trees back then, one might have actually been able to see it from the small rise above the Fox Creek where the original church would have been.

MILLER ICE HOUSE

2009-02-23T17:29:00.000-08:00

At the request of a fourth grade teacher, I dashed this off one morning in April, 2001 to tell her class about ice houses:

I grew up on a farm in the Helderberg Mountains of western Albany County some 60 years ago. Although I am not that old, still, when I was a boy we had an ice house. The ice was harvested from nearby Warners Lake. The lake froze over every winter, and when the ice was a couple of feet thick a group of farmers would gather and use long saws with wide teeth to cut blocks of ice roughly one-and-a-half feet by one-and-a-half feet. They used large tongs to pick up the ice and put it on an sledge. The sledge was like a low slung sled with real thick, dull blades instead of wheels. Horses were used to drag the ice laden sledge across the ice, up on to the lake shore, and along the snow covered roads to home.

Our ice house was the size of a garage but a bit higher then the average garage. The only "door" was a two foot wide opening that went from the ground to the roof. The ice was stacked tight in layers, with a foot or so of sawdust put all around the sides of the pile of ice to act as insulation between the walls of the building and the ice. As the level of ice rose, boards were put horizontally across the door opening from the inside; then sawdust was put between the boards and the ice to keep them in place without nails. There was a ladder built up along side the door opening on the outside of the building for access to the top of the ice. The top layer of ice was covered with a foot or more of sawdust.

Where did we get so much sawdust? Well, our large old farm house was heated with three wood stoves, including the one in the kitchen that my mother cooked on. The wood was from trees my father cut each fall in our wood lot. In those days the trees were cut with a crosscut saw. It was a wide blade saw about five feet long. My father would be on one end of the saw and a hired man would be on the other. They pulled it back and forth between them. The logs were so big it was all two men could do to pick them up and put them on a low sledge. If they were too big, they had to be levered onto the sledge using a long bar of iron for leverage; or chains were wrapped around them and a horse pulled them onto the sledge. The sledge was pulled in the early days by horses, but later by a tractor. The sledge could be pulled over both bare ground or snow. The logs were stacked in the backyard to dry. The smaller branches, which would have been about ten feet long, were stacked vertically like an Indian tee-pee so that air could get in and dry the wood. When the wood was dry enough to burn, the logs were cut into smaller pieces by what we called a "buzz" saw. It was like a large outdoor table saw, and was powered by a tractor. The tractor, which was parked near the saw, had a pulley wheel that turned when the engine was running. The belt, which was like a fan belt used in a car, was about thirty feet long and a foot or so wide. While one end was around the pulley wheel on the tractor, the other was around a pulley wheel on the saw. When the tractor engine was running, the belt went around, turning the saw. The turning of the saw made a buzzing sound, which was why it was called a buzz saw. There was one man on each end of a log, and they moved it against the saw. The sound changed to a loud, high-pitched squeal as the log was cut in two. With all of the noise the old tractors used to make, plus the noise of the saw biting into the wood, it was an awful racket!!

The foot long logs were thrown into a pile. Later we had to split the wood with an ax so the pieces would be small enough to fit in the stove. Then my brother and I had to stack them in the woodhouse that was attached to the back of our house. The wood house was about the size of a garage, and by the time the snows came, it was packed to the ceiling, back to front. Each morning and night my brother and I had to fill the wood boxes in the house next to each stove.

In the summer, to get the ice from the ice house, a hole would have to be dug in the sawdust and the tongs used to get a block of ice out. Then the saw dust was put back to cover the remaining ice. Neither my brother nor I could lift the heavy blocks of ice so we used the tongs to pull the ice along the ground to the house. As the ice house was gradually emptied, the extra sawdust was thrown out the narrow opening in front into a pile below. My brother and I used to love to climb up into the ice house and jump out the opening onto the sawdust pile below.

Instead of a refrigerator we had an wooden icebox to keep food cold. It was kept inside the wood house, just outside the kitchen door. It looked like a wooden refrigerator with two doors. The bottom door was for the ice and the other gave access to the food storage area. The ice sat on a metal drain that allowed the melt water to collect in a metal tray beneath the ice. This had to be emptied often as the ice melted.

On hot summer days the ice was also used to make homemade ice-cream. The ice was crushed and mixed with salt to lower the temperature at which it froze. This made it cooler so it would freeze the cream faster. The ice was put in a wooden ice cream churner. In the center was a metal container with the cream and fresh strawberries or peaches. There was a beater that had to be turned with a handle to mix the cream until it got cold enough to start to firm up. Of course that was the job of the kids. Our reward was being allowed to lick the ice cream off of the beater.

MEMOIRS OF BERNE, by T. Emmett Willard

2009-02-21T16:08:00.000-08:00

Below is a letter to the editor from Thomas Emmett Willard that was printed in the Altamont Enterprise Jan. 5, 1900. Willard was born 1840 and lived in Berne in the 1850's. This article is about his teacher, Peter A. Youngblood, who was the principal and teacher in a Select School in the hamlet of Berne. The school was in the Hellenbeck building, built by Daniel Wright in 1838 as a furniture store and undertaking establishment. It was a three story building where the Masonic hall now stands. Wright's woodworking shop with coffin specialty was in the basement level. On the next floor he stored lumber, and on the upper level the Odd Fellow Lodge conducted meetings. By early 1855 Daniel Wright had sold the building and business to Isaac B. Hellenbeck. About that same time the I. O. O. F. became defunct due to diminished membership. In Oct. 1856 Rev. John Cannon Van Liew was called as preacher to the Berne and Beaverdam Reformed Churches. Van Liew started a Select School in the meeting room on the upper level of the Hellenbeck building. After the death of Issac B. Hellenbeck in 1878 the undertaking business went to his son George. In the 1880's there stood several buildings just above the post office in the center of town. One was the large two story buildings owned by George Hellenbeck with his undertaking business on the first floor and a hall above. In 1889 the Hellenbeck building caught fire and the conflagration spread in both directions; all five businesses were destroyed.

Memoirs of Berne.

My Dear Enterprise:

The following clipping appeared in the Evening World of Aug. 4th 1899:

“Peter A Youngblood, who has just been buried from the Jerry McCauley Mission house in Water street, was once a New York lawyer, it is said. Through drink he became a tramp. One night eight years ago he wandered into the McCauley Mission attracted by the singing. He became converted and renounced drink. He became an active worker in the mission. Twice in the next two years he relapsed, but six years ago he promised he would never touch liquor again. He never did.”

After the lodge of I. O. O. F. that roomed over Daniel Wright's shop, died of anemia, (lack of blood,) the Rev. VanLiew started a select school in the rooms they vacated. I. B. Hellenbeck had become the owner, and Peter A. Youngblood, then about 21 years old was the principal, (and interest too.) He claimed to have been born on a Pacific Island, I have forgotten its name. His father was a missionary. Miss Olivia Settle dabbed him Peter Adam, and the name stuck, altho' the A stood for some other cognomen. He taught for two terms and was a little fellow of a sandy complexion, red moustache and all the charms and conceits those features carry. This was in 1854 or 1855. [Actually Van Liew did not come to Berne until late 1856.] In 1883 I happened into Frank Duffy's, who then kept a saloon on Nassau street, New York, about No. 90. I had known Duffy, who was a character, when he owned a soda fountain on the corner of Grand St. and the Bowery. So as I passed I stopped to say a word to him. At the end of the bar was a shabby, dissipated, little man that I instantly recognized as my whilsome [sic.] pedagogue. I turned my back to him and began to tell Frank some stories of my schooldays! (You remember the school room was three stories up.) And poor Youngblood pricked up his ears and sidled around to see if he could recollect me. After I had confidentially told Duffy of a thrashing P. A. Y. had given me, he blurted ont, "Say thats all right, I did teach school up there, and my name is P. A. Youngblood, now who in the deuce are you." After a hearty laugh I told him who I was. I never saw him or Duffy since. Duffy went to Fort Hamilton, committed a homicide and died in Sing Sing. This notice brings up a host of memories, of coffins on the grand floor, lumber on the second and learning on the third, and the other scholars who attended, some to learn and some for fun. We had more fun than learning. I wonder where that band of scholars is now. The most of them have gone up higher. Some are surely left who can remember poor Youngblood and his select school, three flights up, over I. B. Hellenbeck's morgue, a flight from grave to gay. It was a high school indeed. So many branches taught that the tree of learning bent with the weight of its own fruit, of which that which I gathered wits like dried apples sadly evaporated and easily carried away.

Respectfully,

T. Emmett Willard

GAZETEER OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK: Bern

2009-02-10T07:06:00.000-08:00

This was the basis for the Article on the history of Berne from the Knowersville Enterprise, 1884

Bern entry in the Gazeteer of the State of New York, By John Homer French, 1860

Bern^[1] - was formed from Rensselaerville, March 17, 1795. Knox was taken off in 1822. It lies near the center of the western border of the county. The Helderbergh Mts., 1200 feet above tide, form the eastern border. Grippy and Irish Hills, two broad mountains, with steep declivities and rolling summits, 900 to 1000 feet above tide, occupy the center. The s. and w. arts are hilly, and the N. rolling. The principal streams are the Foxen Kil and the Switz Kil. These streams flow N. W. through narrow valleys bordered by step hill sides. Werners and Thompsons Lakes, in the N. E., are small sheets of water. In the lime rock, in the N. E. part, are numerous small caves and sink holes.^[2] There are several sulphur springs in town. The soil is a sandy and gravelly loam interspersed with clay. Bernville (Bern p.o.) contains 50 houses;^[3] E. Bern^[4] (p.v.) 15; S. Bern (p.v.) 15; and Reidsville (p.v.) 12. Peoria is a small village on the line of Knox. Settlement was begun about 1750 by a few German families. In 1777, a company of 85 militia were raised in this town, of which the captain and 63 men joined the British, and the remainder the Americans at Saratoga. Bernville, then called “Beaver Dam,” was fortified during the war, and sentinels were posted at night to prevent surprise by the Indians.^[5] The place at one time became a rendezvous for tories.^[6] The Ref. Prot. D. Church of Beaver Dam was formed in Jan. 1763. The first settled pastor was Johannes Schuyler, in 1767.^[7]

Footnotes (from original)

1. Named from the native place of Jacob Weidman, first settler and mill owner.
2. In one of these caves, during the [Revolutionary] war , a notorious tory and spy named Salisbury was concealed for some time, but was at last arrested. The place is still known as ‘’Tory’s Hole.’’ Simm’s Schoharie, p. 525.
3. In 1825 an extensive axe factory was erected here; but it was soon after removed to Cohoes.
4. Formerly called ¨Philadelphia, and still locally known as “Philla.”
5. The family of Johannes Deitz, consisting of 8 persons, were murdered by the Indians. – Simm’s Schoharie, p. 499
6. Cornelius Schermerhorn kept a tory rendezvous, and at one time an abscounding paymaster from Burgoyne’s army is said to have been murdered at his house.
7. A parsonage farm was given to this church by S. Van Rensselaer, midway between Bernville and Peoria and a church was erected upon it. In 1835 the society was divided, and a new edifice was erected at each of the villages, the farm being held in common by both societies. The census reports 13 churches in town: 4 M. E., 3 Ref. Prot. D., and one, each, Bap., Evang. Luth., and Friends.

HISTORY OF BERNE, from the Knowersville Enterprise

2009-02-09T17:56:00.000-08:00

Article on the history of Berne from the Knowersville Enterprise, 1884

From Albany Hilltowns

From the Knowersville Enterprise, forerunner to the Altamont Enterprise, Saturday, Sept. 20th, 1884.

THE HISTORY OF BERNE

ITS FOUNDERS, LOCATION, BUSINESS ENTERPRISE AND PROGRESS UP TO THE PRESENT TIME

Berne was formed from Rensselaerville, March 17th, 1795. Knox was broken off in 1822. The village lies near the centre of the west border of the County. The Helderburgh Mountains rise to the height of one thousand two hundred feet above the tide. Grippy and Irish Hill occupy the center. They are broad mountains with steep declivities and rolling summits from 900 to 1000 feet above the tide. The south and west parts are hilly and the north rolling.

The principal streams are the Foxen Kill and the Swiss Kill passing though the town from the south past to the north west and forming a junction near the south-west corner. They flow through narrow valleys, bordered by steep hillsides.

Thompson's Lake in the north-east corner partially in the town, and Warner's Lake near East Beme, are small bodies of water. These waters, and especially Thompson's Lake, attract many people to the place, and in order to accommodate the people through the hot sultry weather of summer, two large and commodious boarding houses have been built, one by Mr. Hart and the other by Mr. Livingston.

Although they can accommodate about 80 to 100 persons, there are many who have to get accommodations among the farmers.

The town comprises five small villages the names of which are Berneville, Peoria, (West Berne) South Berne, Reidsville and East Berne.

Berneville in 1777 was called Bever Dam. It was fortified during the war and sentinels were posted at night to prevent surprise by the Indians. The place at one time was a rendezvous for Tories.

The family of Johannes Deitz consisting of eight persons were murdered by the Indians.[1] Cornelius Schermerhorn kept a Tory rendezvous and at one time an absconding paymaster from Burgoyne's army, is said to have been murdered at his house.

Berneville for the past few years has made no great improvement, yet it can be called a lively little town. It contains about four hundred inhabitants, a post office, three churches, (Methodist, Reformed and Lutheran) two hotels, six stores, two grist- mills, saw mill, furniture and undertaker's store and several other shops and about seventy dwelling houses.

Near the place there are three mineral springs situated on the lands of Jacob Hochstrosser, and said to be valuable for their medical qualities. Mr. Hochstrosser has built a large and commodious building in which he can accommodate at least eighty people, and during the summer months his house is well filled with guests from Brooklyn New York and Albany.

Other places of importance might be mentioned, but for the want of space we will have to pass them by until some future time, when we hope to give a more explicit view of the business as it is now.

Retrieved from "http://www.albanyhilltowns.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Article_on_the_history_of_Berne_from_the_Knowersville_Enterprise%2C_1884"

Note: This article mentions Grippy Hill. Can anyone tell me where that was and why it was called that.

OUR HERITAGE

2009-02-07T04:32:00.000-08:00

Our Heritage, published in 1977, is a 144 page book on the history of the Town of Berne. It was edited byEuretha Wolford Stapleton, Historian, Town of Berne.

The second page of the book says it was copyrighted by the Berne Historical Society. That is an error; an errata inserted inside the front cover says that there was a publication error and that the book was produced by the Town of Berne Bicentennial Commission, and: ''The copyright should read The Town of Berne not the Berne Historical Society.''

The book includes many early photographs and biographical sketches on the some of the families of the early settlers. It was printed both in paperback and in hardback.

The first chapter, ''The Coming,'' starts:

"As nearly as can be determined from records of births, deaths, and deeds it was 1750 when Jacob Weidman led a small band of settlers along an old Indian trail through the Helderbergs. Weidman, Ball, Bassler, Deitz, Hochstrasser, Knieskern, and Zeh - where or how did they meet? Probably we shall never know."

In fact a study of baptism records of these "first" settlers show that the story of Weidman leading a group in 1850 is not true. The Dietz and Ball families had already lived in Beaver Dam for ten years. The Bassler family was in Philadelphia in 1765. The Hochstrasser's were still in Knox in 1787, The Knieskern and Zeh families had settled first in Schoharie Valley in 1712. Only the Jacob Weidman family arrived about 1750, and that was because the brothers of his wife, Elisabetha Dietz, were already in Beaver Dam. This article, originally published in the Altamont Enterprise, has more information on the early settlers of Berne.

Although much new information has been discovered in recent years on these families, there is still much of value in this very interesting book. Unfortunately it is now out of print.

Berne Civil War page at the AlbanyHilltowns.com site has a transcription of a page from Our Heritage with links biographies of the men from Berne who were in the Civil War.

Re-printing of ''Our Heritage''?

Perhaps if enough interest is shown in the reprinting of ''Our Heritage'' The Town of Berne could be persuaded to print a second edition. If this is done, it should have a forward or afterword with a brief summary of current thinking about the history of Berne. This might be done by a "Print-on-Demand" publisher using digital copies of the current book.

If you support this idea, please go to the edit tab of Our Heritage page at AlbanyHilltowns.com and add your name to this petition asking for a re-print.

HILLTOWNS MEN IN THE CIVIL WAR

2009-01-09T20:28:00.000-08:00

As some of you know, I have recently started a web site for people researching their Albany Hilltowns ancestors from Berne, Knox, Westerlo, and Rensselaerville.

2011 is the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. Perhaps a hundred or more hilltown men served in the Union Army with a casualty rate of maybe 25%. It had an big impact on the Towns and the families.

Researchers from the Albany County hilltowns history and genealogy group on Facebook are planning a series pf books on the history of the Hilltowns and the families that lived. The first in the series will be on the men from the Hilltowns who served in the Civil War. It will tell how the war affected the towns and their families. Where possible, family researchers will be asked to write, or at least contribute information, on their ancestors who served.

Since there are no Civil War monuments in the hilltowns, the book will be a written memorial to the service of our Hilltown men. This will show that those who served are not forgotten.

We want to collect copies of photos, letters written home from the soldiers, death notices, pension requests, military papers, medals, pictures of tombstones, family stories, etc.

Michael Grant Hait Jr. will serve as the editor for the Civil War book. He lives in the Washington DC area and thus has access to the National Archives. He is currently writing a book on Civil War soldiers.
To help us begin, we ask that all of you who have a Hilltown ancestor who served in the Civil War post their biography to Albanyhilltowns.com. Make sure the biography has a section on their service in the Civil War. Then add a link under the Civil War page reached from the bottom of the Main Page.

I have uploaded a file list of Hilltown Men in the Civil War. It can be accessed by following links from the bottom of the home page at AlbanyHilltowns.com. Please look at the list and let me know if one of the men is an ancestor of yours that you can write a biography on. Send me additions and corrections.

It has men with the following surnames:

Allen, Ball, Barber, Barckley, Baxter, Bell, Beller, Bennett, Best, Billings, Blade, Bogardus, Boomhower, Brate, Bronk, Cary, Champenois, Chesbro, Chrysler, Clow, Condon, Cummings, Davis, Dennison, Devoe, Dietz, Ecker, Engle, Filkins, Flansburgh, Flint, Gathan, Gibbs, Haight, Haverly, Hayes, Hinman, Hochstrasser, Hoose, Irons, Jones, Karker, Ketcham, Kilbourn, Lavery, Ludden, Martin, Mattice, McCulloch, McNary, Merrihew, Miller, Newberry, Osterhout, Palmer, Posson, Post, Reinhart, Requa, Resue, Sagendorf, Secor, Shafer, Shay, Shultes, Sinclair, Slade, Smith, Snyder, Stafford, Stalker, Stanton, Steiner, Stonet, Strvell, Stringham, Taylor, Van Vleek, Wagoner, Walden, Warner, West, Westfall, Wilber, Willsey, Wilson, Wnne, Wisegarver, Wood, Wright, and Zeh.

ALBANY HILLTOWNS website

2008-12-20T05:14:00.000-08:00

"The Hilltowns" is a colloquial term for the four Towns in western Albany County, New York above the Helderberg Escarpment. The four Towns are Berne, Knox, Westerlo, and Rensselaerville. They are called Hilltowns because they are in the "hills" above the Hudson Valley in eastern Albany County.

About two weeks ago I joined Facebook and started Albany County Hilltowns History and Genealogy group where members can post and exchange information on the history of the hilltowns of western Albany County and the genealogy of the people who lived there. We already have fifty members. Right off we decided to work on two big projects:

A series of books on the history of each of the hilltowns and the families that lived there.
A web site focused on the history of the four hilltowns and the families that lived. The idea is to have detailed information about the families, their farms, and their homes. It will also have information on the history of the schools, churches, cemeteries and businesses.

The web site is already up at Albanyhilltowns.com. It is a Wiki site. That means anyone can add information on their ancestors. There are web pages for individual farms, houses, and families. Under families there are pages for biographies, family stories, family history, and genealogical charts. All of these pages are to be created and edited by family researchers.

Here are some sample pages:

Farm on Berne Lot 510.
Historic home The Joannes Fisher House.
Biography of Corporal Harold C. Mattice.
Dutch barn Jacob Post Barn. Follow links from that page to other Dutch barns.
A business Warner's Sawmill

ALBANY HILLTOWNS GROUP

2008-12-10T10:34:00.001-08:00

I have started a new group in facepages called Albany County hilltowns history and genealogy. The stated purpose:

A JOINT EFFORT OF RESEARCHERS WANTING TO SHARE THEIR EXPERTISE ON THEIR FAMILIES AND THE HISTORY OF THE HILLTOWNS OF WESTERN ALBANY COUNTY: BERNE, KNOX, WESTERLO, AND RENSSELAERVILLE.

We are just about a week old and we already have about 30 members. Some of the projects under discussion are

a series of books, one for each town, with the history of the families that lived there in 1866 and earlier (based on the 1866 Beers map and early census records). the family chapters will be written by family researchers. There will be an editor for each one to provide direction and uniformity.
a web site that we can all update that will have the history of each farm, house, and business. The domain name is albanyhilltowns.com. We will be entering content shortly.

Right now one has to join facebook to participate. I just joined last week and found about 40 people I know were using it. It is fun.

I anticipate that once we get the new domain up and running there will no longer be a need to join facebook.

Here is a section of Wm. Cockburn's 1787 survey map for Van Rensselaer. In the center is the cross roads which where the hamlet of Knox is now located. In 1787 it was the farm of J. Thompson, whom I believe was John Thompson Sr. More on the family in a forthcoming post.

2008-11-30T03:44:00.000-08:00

The other day I was searching the Altamont Enterprise digital archives for obituaries. I found the following death notice in the Apr 17 1896 edition.

West Berne - Mr. George Smoke died Tuesday of
last week [April 6, 1896]. Funeral on Friday, Mr.
Smoke was-about 89 years old-and well
known in this section. He had been in
the employ of Mr. J. D. Haverly for
years.

Smoke was one of about four Negroes that lived in the Berne and Knox area in the latter half of the 19th Century. According to census records, George Smoke was single, and worked for John D. Haverly from before 1865. I can not find him in earlier census records.

BERNESWITZER ORIGIN OF BERNE?

2008-11-19T12:59:00.000-08:00

From the History of Schoharie County by Roscoe

We will here remark that several of the old families of Middleburgh, Schoharie and Wright were connected by marriage with the Weidmans a very old and substantial family, from a place called Berneswitzer in Germany and who settled in Berne, Albany county and gave the name of their paternal home to the settlement. Many of the families of this town, removed from Beaver Dam, once a very prominent settlement of that town.

Actually Jacob Weidman is commonly believed to be from Berne, Switzerland. There is no Berneswitzer in Germany.

OSTRANDER FAMILY BURYING GROUND

2008-11-03T07:06:00.000-08:00

The other day I received an inquiry about the Ostrander Cemetery - which I prefer to call the Ostrander Farm Burying Ground since it was on the old Ostrander farm and was for the burial of members of the Ostrander family. (A cemetery is a burial ground for multiple families and is on ground that is not privately owned by a single family.) Actually there are two primary families buried there: Ostrander and Dutcher; I have not yet found the relationship between the two families.

The Ostrander Family Burying Ground is in the northeast corner of Town of Knox on Bozie Hollow Road. It is on the old Ostrander farm settled before 1800 by Jacob Ostrander (1773 - 1861) and his wife Catherine Kenter Ostrander (1775 - 1855) . The earliest readable inscribed stone is that of their 16-year old son James who died in 1839.

Records of early burial places on the farms in the town of Guilderland, N.Y. and surrounding towns were Compiled by WILLIAM A. BRINKMAN, HISTORIAN
Town of Guilderland, Altamont NY RD1, 1940.

Jacob Ostrander, died August 30, 1861 aged 88 years and 2 months

Catharine, his wife, died February 17, 1855 aged 80 years, 6 months

Michael Shrader, died April 1, 1855 aged 72 years and 9 months

Jemima Ostrander, wife, died September 24, 1860 aged 77 years, 8 months

Charles Ostrander, died 1872 aged 72 years

Elizabeth Schrader, wife, died ------

William Ostrander, born August 5, 1828 died December 22, 1897

Margaret Jane Ostrander, wife, born September 1, 1833 died March 26, 1895

Mary, their daughter, born August 26, 1871 died June 11, 1890

Laura, their daughter, died October 18, 1880 aged 3 years and 6 months

Grant, their son, died September 4, 1871 aged 3 years and 5 months

Peter J. Ostrander, died March 9, 1862 aged 65 years and 6 months

Hannah, wife, died September 2, 1864 aged 65 years, 1 month

James, their son, died November 4, 1839 aged 16 years and 5 months

John Ostrander, died November 18, 1862 aged 63 years

Jacob Dutcher, born 1818 died 1907

Mary Auchampaugh, wife, born 1823 died 1877

Walter Dutcher, their son, born 1865 died October 14, 1871 aged 6 years, and 6 months

Edwin Dutcher, born 1851 died 1891

Mary Brumachim, wife, born 1853 died ----------

Frederick Bradt, born 1853 died 1881

Elizabeth Dutcher, wife, born 1851 died 1899

Jacob Dutcher born ------- died ---------

Emmett Dutcher Dutcher, born -------- died --------

Charles Hyser, born ---------- died January 7, 1897 aged 49 years
He was a soldier in Co. I, 142 New York Volumteers, Civil War.

Some are buried here without stones.

Pictures of some of the stones are posted at http://www.newyorkgravestones.org/

SPRADO FAMILY BURYING GROUND

2008-10-27T07:30:00.000-07:00

Now that the Altamont Enterprise archives are available on line I have been able to do a lot more research in both genealogy and history of Berne. Yesterday I was searching for information on the Sprado family who in the early 1940's lived on Woodstock Road, just west of the intersection with Filkins Hill Road. The family first came to my attention when I was told that there was a Sprado Family Burying Ground there owned by the Town of Berne. My mother told me she remembered the family vaguely because two girls from up on Cole Hill use to catch the school bus from the corner where our farm was, at the intersection of Cole Hill Road and Heldeberg Trail. Mother said that the girls' mother died and was buried on the farm. A couple of years ago my brother and I tried to find the cemetery without success. Perhaps there is no stone? Anyway, with the help of the AE archives I found that she was the wife of Karl / Carl Otto Sprado. Carl and Helene were both born in Germany and immigrated in 1926. I believe they first settled in New Jersey before moving to Berne. Carl farmed and sold produce through classified advertisements in the Enterprise. They had two daughters, Helen and Charlotte, who attended Berne Knox. Helene died in Nov. 1941 when the girls were pre-teens. There were also ads in the Enterprise from a Borghaus Sprado. A few years ago when I first became aware of the cemetery I got some help in research from John Travis, Albany County Historian. John told me that he found a deed that says Carl Sprado bought the property from his sister, Emma Berghaus. So there seems to be some confusion between Berghaus and Borghaus and the relationship to Carl.

ALTAMONT ENTERPRISE ON LINE

2008-09-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

I am very happy to report that the Guilderland Public Library has now made possible on line access to the

Knowersville Enterprise July 1884-July 1888

and

Altamont Enterprise
July 1888-June 1905, July 1906-December 1976, July 1977-December 1979

The digitization of this collection was coordinated by the Guilderland Public Library.
The original newspapers are owned by the Altamont Enterprise and Albany County Post and were microfilmed by the New York State Newspaper Project and the New York State Library.

http://historicnewspapers.guilpl.org/

For further information on this project contact the library:

BOOKS ON BERNE FAMILIES:

2008-08-25T08:50:00.001-07:00

While most of my research on Berne area families is done on the Internet, I also use a number of books written by fellow researchers.

The Wright Families of Berne, New York, by Douglas Wright Cruger was privately printed in October 2003; 326 pages. This an extremely well documented book on all of the Wrights of Berne and nearby towns. Doug has a few books left. He can be contacted at dcruger@maine.rr.com

Haverlys of the Helderbergs, and there many descendants, by Estella Haverly Roth and Ramona Machester Tryon. I think the first edition was 1994 and was published by the Haverly Family Association. There was an update in 1995 and 2004. For more information contact:
Allene Slater baslater@nycap.rr.com
Ramona Tryon, 108 State Route 146, Schoharie, NY 12157-4215

There is a series of four books of old photographs of Berne and Berne families including many reminisces edited by Willard Osterhout, sponsored by The Warner's Lake Improvement Association.

Life at the Lake, Warner's Lake, N.Y. published 2004
Life Along the Way, Traveling N. Y. 43 Warner's Lake and Beyond, 2006
The Journey continues...Life Along the Way, 2007
The Final Journey, 2008, includes photos and stories about Camp Pinnacle, Camp Woodstock and Camp Orinsekwa

Contact Willard at 518-872-1606, or by email to purchase any of the books. willandjerri1@msn.com

Indian Ladder, A History of Life in the Helderbergs, by Gary L. Donhardt, 2001, is an excellent history of Berne. It includes much information on the following families: Thompson, Winne, Secor, Hart, Schermerhorn, Ketcham, Van Wormer, Smith, and Van Zandt. Contact: Gary L. Donhardt donhardt@memphis.edu

LaGRANGE, HAVERLY, TRUAX, CLIKEMAN, CROUNSE

2008-08-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

There are quite a few LaGrange's in the Berne Families Genealogy. Some of them lived on the Hill and many married into Berne area families. I have many LaGrange cousins. So when my brother, Ralph, Town of Berne Historian, forwarded me an email the other day from Sandra Lee Blake, I decided to devote a posting to her LaGrange ancestors.

From Sandra Lee Blake, Herndon, VA t37traveler@fastmail.fm

I am the great great niece of Menzo Haverly of Berne. My mother is Dorothea LaGrange, daughter of Ethel Martha Truax LaGrange and Schuyler LaGrange. My mother is the last living LaGrange who actually spent much of her childhood on the LaGrange homestead on LaGrange Lane off Ostrander Rd. in Guilderland. My grandmother, Ethel LaGrange is one of the three daughters of Elva Haverly and William Truax. My grandmother, Ethel Truax, took care of Uncle Menzo in his home in East Berne during the 1950s and 1960's until he passed away. I clearly recall visiting his home every Sunday and talking with "Uncle Menzo" as a child. At the time he was blind and spent his days sitting in a platform rocker in the darkened living room of his home. I remember the sleigh bed, coal fired kitchen stove my grandmother cooked on, and heavy empire style furniture in the dining room. Most of all, I remember the one time I was allowed in the barn and saw a fabulous horse drawn sleigh. I also remember his neighbor just down the road, a woman named Lillian Westfall. I would very much like to contact Marilyn Miller Figel who submitted the obituary clipping of Elva and William Truax. I have much geneaology info on the LaGranges, but until a few days ago I had only sketchy information on the Haverly/Truax branch. I do have two original photos of Elva and William Truax and their three daughters. I would be happy to share any information and photos I have with any interested parties.

When my sister and I cleaned out my mother's house in Glenmont, NY about 5 years ago, there were boxes and notebooks and photographs of LaGrange geneaology that my mother had collected and traced. We donated these items and an antique dress of Ethel Truax's to the Albany County Historical Society. (My mother is still living but in the late stages of Altzheimer's; she is in a skilled nursing home near my sister in Carmel, CA.

I sent Sandra a report on hundreds of Berne ancestors of Dorothea LaGrange. Here is her reply:

Good Grief! OUR FAMILY TREE IS MORE OF A THICKET THAN A TREE! My mother had told me that cousins married cousins and that there were double
cousins in the family.

I am still printing the volume on the Berne area ancestors of Dorothea LaGrange. Reading through it I can fill in a coupe of bits of info now:

Ref. 1

Dorothea LaGrange was born on November 9, 1917 and married George Albert
Lee (b. Oct 22 1916 in Atlanta, GA to Rev. William Arthur and Emma Gertrude Brown Lee) on August 22, 1941. He just died on July 16, 2008. They later divorced and my mother took back her maiden name and moved from Watertown to Glenmont, NY in the early 1980s. They had two children: Sandra Mae Lee born Oct 10, 1947, and Glenda Rae Lee, born June 9, 1953. Sandra married Mark Addison
Fowler (b. Knoxille, TN on June 30, 1947). They divorced in 1989. They had three children: Erika Allison (b. Oct 19, 1969); Christian Addison (born Nov. 19, 1972), and Matthew Everly (born Oct 18, 1980).

Ref. 6
Ethel Martha Truax died on July 2, 1972 in Watertown, NY. She married Schuyler LaGrange on October 23, 1912. Schulyer passed away on Dec. 19, 1948 from Parkinson's Disease. Their two children were Dorothea and Clayton.

Ref. 8 & 9
Jacobus LaGrange's wife's maiden name was Engeltie Veeder. In addition to Myndert, they also had a daughter, Antje, born April 21, 1728. On Aug. 10, 1748 she married Jellis LaGrange, son of Christian LaGrange & Catalynte Dumont LaGrange. They had 3 children- Peter, Margert and John.

There is some crazy stuff going on back here - first cousins marrying, names repeating to the point of distraction....

In the next exchange, Sandra replied:

Thanks for the info and explanations. I am going to forward some of the Berne area information to a contact in Texas who actually stared all of this. Out of the blue last week I received a letter from a Richard E. Smith of Richmond TX asking for info on
his ancestors Gillis de la Grange, Omie de la Grange and Johannes de la Grange. I called him, and it turns out he is a Truax also. He plans to visit the Albany, NY area. I mentioned Berne and Guilderland as family places.

The Truax family and the LaGrange family were intermarrying in the 1700s, then again in the 1900s. Small world.

He had contacted the Dutch Settlers Society in Albany, who gave him my address. My mother was/is a lifetime member and gave me the same as a birthday gift one year. After sending him some LaGrange info, I got curious and began poking around on line. I googled "Menzo Haverly" at 3AM. My jaw dropped when I hit the Hudson-Mohwak Genealogical and Family Memoirs: Tuax site through www.schenectadyhistory.org - and there on the third page was my grandmother's name. then followed the Haverly family info - and there was what I was looking for - Josiah, son of John Haverly, married Esther, daughter of Jacob and Mary Saddlemire, and their children were: 1. Livernus; 2. Menzo; 3. Elva, aforementioned as the wife of William J. Truax, and 4. Etta.

Also - Olive Truax, who married Roy Crounse - I remember both of them well - Olive was blind when I knew her as a child, but I remember visiting them at their farm, which I believe was in Altamont. They had a daughter, Esther, who married Otto Schultz. They had two sons, Carl and David. Otto and Esther have passed away within the past ten years. They lived in the area, but I don't remember the town.

My parents moved to Voorheesille in 1950. We lived in the house that my grandmother, Ethel Truax LaGrange, had built for herself However, she wound up caring for Menzo Haverly and moved "up on the hill" The house is still there, and was relatively unchanged as of 5 years ago. It is a white bungalow with a detached garage and sits just before the "Y" in the road (either rte 85 or 185 I think) where the Altamont Rd forks to the left. If you continue straight, you head toward the Army depot and Guilderland. The house is about 1/4 mile from the old Voorheesville
Central School. Heading toward Altamont it was (perhaps still is) the first house on the right. There are houses on the hill behind it. The land to the right of the house as you face it used to be an old apple orchard owned by Belle and Allen Hurst who lived in the white farmhouse on the right by the bridge over Vly Creek at the school. He was a justice of the peace and had an active orchard just up the Altamont Rd.
In the winter the Hursts would flood the low spot at the lower end of the old apple orchard so the kids could ice skate there. Coming from Berne, you'd take New Salem Rd., then turn left onto 85 or 185 just past the school. House is on the right as described above - in case you want to see some Truax property that you probably never knew existed.

And in the next email:

Nicholas and Mary Ann's daughter Mary married Franklin Clikeman (not Clickman). For more info on this family offshoot go to:
http://www.patcrosbie.com/ancestry/lagrange.htm

Nicholas and Mary Ann's daughter Catherine married Myndert LaGrange on Nov. 17, 1880. Their son, Schuyler married Ethel Truax. My mother often spoke of how much she admired her petite and pretty grandmother, Catherine LaGrange. I have a picture of her feeding chickens and another of her at the LaGrange home (not the homestead,but another one on LaGrange Lane in Guilderland) with her husband, two children, Schulyer and Viola, and a horse handler with a horse. Apparently the LaGranges were breeders of Morgan horses...

"HAMLET" OF BERNE IN 1795

2008-08-12T06:28:00.000-07:00

Actually, there was no hamlet of Berne when the town was founded in 1795. The major buildings would have been the Weidman sawmill and gristmill plus the home Jacob and Elizabeth Dietz Weidman shared with the family of their son, Peter.

Weidman mills and home

It was about 1750 or 51 when the Jacob Weidman moved his family from Greene County to settle near the families of his wife's brothers. Weidman built his home on the north bank of Fox Creek, just above the upper falls in what is now the hamlet of Berne. By 1755 he had built a dam (of logs?) along the top of the falls to create a pond to harness the water power of the creek. Below the falls he built the first sawmill in the Helderbergs; a waterwheel would have operated a vertical saw blade that moved up and down. Within a few years a gristmill was constructed below the sawmill.

Bruce Wideman, a Weidman descendant and researcher, shared with me information from the early deeds and leases for the Weidman family. The earliest is a scrap of a 1774 lease for the mill land. This is one of the earliest Van Rensselaer leases for land in the Helderbergs.

On 3 March 1787 Steven Van Rensselaer deeded outright 261 acres to Jacob Weidman. This was most unusual, since Van Rensselaer did not ordinarily sell his land. Still, even in this sale, Van Rensselaer kept all rights to the mills, milldam, and millstream. Included in Jacob’s purchase was all of the land on both sides of Fox Creek from the sawmill east on both sides of the Helderberg Trail (State Route 443) to its intersection with today’s Tabor Road. The 1787 map shows Jacob owning the southern 165 acres of lot 598 and his son Peter owning the northern portion of the land.

18 December 1790 Jacob's son Peter leased an additional 30 acres of lot 597, which was called the "Mill Lott." This is to the west of lot 598 and includes the lower falls and the land on which the gristmill is shown on the 1787 map. Based on this, I conclude that Jacob operated the sawmill and Peter operated the gristmill.

The 1790 Federal Census for Rensselaerville, which at that time included Beaver Dam, lists for Jacob Weidman: 5 Free White Males over 16, 3 Free White Males under 16, and 5 Free White Females. There are separate households nearby for all of his children except Peter. By studying the number and ages of the occupants of Jacob’s household, I conclude that at the time of the 1790 census, Peter and his family were living with his parents.

Jacob Weidman’s house is shown on the 1787 map as being on the south side of the Helderberg Trail just east of the mill. That is the site on which Peter later built his own home, as shown by a New York State Historical Marker that says:

WEIDMAN HOME

THE LARGEST HOUSE IN BERNE

WITH TEN FIREPLACES

BUILT BY PETER WEIDMAN

IN 1800, STOOD

ON THIS SITE

Our Heritage says, "When the surveyor’s map of the Van Rensselaer’s estate was drawn in 1787 it clearly indicated that Jacob Weidman’s house and barn were already built on the Tabor Road location and that the grant was then owned by Jacob Jr. who also rented an adjoining tract of land. The footpath drawn on the map is approximately the same route as the present Tabor Road." While the map does show a house and barn on what is now Tabor Road, on a tract owned by Jacob Weidman Jr., it also clearly shows the house and barn of Jacob Weidman as being above the falls near the sawmill and gristmill; it was an easy walk to work.

The last record of Jacob and Elizabeth is 28 November 1794 when Jacob sold the 261 acres in lot 598 to his son, Peter, and presumably retired. In the deed Jacob refers to Mathias Shultes as being the son of his wife Elizabeth, so she must have been still alive. (The next to last record for Jacob and Elizabeth is 3 March 1794 when Jacob and Elizabeth sponsored the baptism of their great-grandson Jacob W. Ball.)

I suspect the large Peter Weidman home was actually built prior to 1790 by his father, Jacob.

1795 roads in the hamlet

Helderberg Trail was only a horse trail in the early years of Beaver Dam. By the time of 1787 survey it had been upgraded and realigned to make it passable to wagons. It would have crossed Fox Creek between the upper and lower falls on a one lane wooden bridge. There would not have been the T shaped intersection at the junction of Rts. 443 and 156; rather, the road going east across the bridge would have gone straight ahead and up the slope then curving right to join the present alignment.

The 1787 Van Rensselaer survey map shows the only road to Knox being a combination of the present day Turner Road and Tabor Road. There was probably a trail down the southern bank of the Fox Creek on a similar alignment with the present access road to Fox Creek Park but the map is not very clear. Certainly by 1795 it continued on down to the flats where there would have been another single lane wooden bridge crossing the creek.

The Johannes Fischer House

The first meeting of the Town of Berne was held in the home of Johannes Fischer. This is now the home of John and Linda Clemmer at the end of Stranahan Lane, which approaches the house from the rear. The Fischer home faced the old wagon road to Knox which crossed Fox Creek on a bridge on the flats below the Weidman mills.

The Johannes Fischer House, built by 1789

Piter Fischer, father of Johannes, probably homesteaded his farm in the 1740’s. About 1750 he married Dorothea Ball, whose father, Peter, may have had the next farm to the west. They were among the earliest settlers in Beaver Dam (now Berne), and settled on choice valley land. Perhaps the Fischer House was built before 1789, when it is said to have been the site of the first “Town” meeting, called to propose that the Town of Rensselaerville, (which then included Berne and Knox), be separated from the Town of Watervliet. Fischer operated an inn and store from his home. Farmers bringing their grain to Weidman’s gristmill would buy supplies and spend the night before making the long journey home.

In 1790 Fischer was one of the few local families to own slaves. It was generally the earliest settlers, who had settled on the best valley land, who were prosperous enough to afford them. About 1812 Fischer built a large, one-room brick building to house his three slaves, plus the slaves of travelers staying in his inn. Conveniently located behind the slave quarters is an outdoor brick beehive oven. There are slaves buried in back of the Wood Cemetery. In 1827 slavery was outlawed in New York State. The slave quarters and oven still exist.

An 1854 map of Berne shows J. Wood living in the Johannes Fischer House and also a J. Wood in the Jacob Fisher house across the road, built in 1829 by the son of Johannes. Perhaps John M. Wood, of Dutchess County, owned them both. Col. Wood moved to Berne before his marriage in 1832. Although the 1855 census indicates he was not a property owner, Berne Historical Society records say that his young son, Thomas, inherited a portion of Col. Wood’s farm in the 1840’s. The 1866 Beers map shows P. J. Wood in both houses. This was actually Thomas J. Wood, son of John. In 1878 the Cheese Factory Association built a cheese factory nearby on land given them by Tom Wood.

SHULTES AND BALL FAMILIES OF BERNE

2008-08-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

This post is lifted directly from the latest weekly newsletter of my distant cousin, good friend, and great family researcher, Terrell Shoultes:

“I have found that the study of family genealogy over the past 8 years (now 33 years) has brought many of my ancestors back to life. It is fascinating to look at an old b/w photograph and stare into the eyes of kinfolk who lived over 100 years ago. Genealogy has taught me that as long as we are remembered, we are never dead.”

Terry Shoultes - Dinner speech to the Lake Worth Rotary Club in 1983

It is my usual practice during the time between the end of summer camp and the beginning of the new school year to do genealogy research and update my SHOLTES-SHOULTES-SHULTES computer database.

My genealogy database (as of August 1, 2008) contains the following:

Total number of individuals = 33,109

Total number of marriages = 11,564

Average lifespan = 58 years 5 months

Earliest birth date = 100 A.D.

Total number of generations = 69

Total number of difference surnames = 5,610

With more people in the house and my computer office serving as a bedroom, my usual schedule of late night/early morning research has been modified. Even so, I have been able to read, process, and discover a wealth of new information. I have also been able to write contributing articles for research documents, magazines, newspapers, and various websites.

The picture at the beginning of my weekly letter was provided courtesy of the Ball family of Berne (Albany County), New York. During my trips to Berne between 1977 and 2005, I had a chance to meet a few of those in the picture:

#2 - Clyde Alexis Sholtes (11Jul1904-21Jan1997)

#10 - Clyde Lawrence Ball (14May1888-10Mar1991)

#13 - Alta Mae (Sholtes) Ball (12May1891-25Sep1996)

#29 - Mildred Alberta (Ball) Wright (06Jan1913- )

#30 - Gertrude M. (Ball) Deitz (13Oct1916-16Apr2008)

The same Sholtes farmhouse as in the 1927 picture as it appeared in 2005

The original farm tract of approximately 160 acres was established in 1786 by Johan Jacob Scholtes (12May1761-1Feb1852) and his wife, Mariah Fisher (abt1760-1Jun1839). In his last Will and Testament published in 1840, Jacob Scholtes declared the following:

Fifthly, I give and devise unto my Grandson, Jacob Scholtes, all that certain piece or parcel of land situate lying and being in the town of Knox, in the county of Albany, and the State of New York, and known as distinguished as Lot number six hundred, in the manor of the Rensselaerwick, and bounded on the south by lands of Peter Marselis and Gerardus G. Marselis, and on the east by lands of said Peter and Gerardus Merselis, and the north by lands of Philip Sternburgh, and on the west by lands of John Stiner, and supposed to contain one hundred and fifty acres of land be the same more or less, to have and to hold the same unto him, his heirs and assigns forever, provided he pays and performs the bequests and legacies herein before given and bequeathed unto his brother, Gedion Scholtes.

Seventhly, I give and bequeath unto my Grandson, Jacob Scholtes, son of my son, John I. Scholtes, all the horses, cattle, sheep, hogs, farming utensils, and the rest and residue of the personal estate and effects which I may have at my decease, after the payment of ten dollars to each of my sons herein before given and bequeathed to them, and after payments of my debts and funeral expenses.

Jacob Sholtes, the grandson referenced in his grandfather’s will, was born at Knox (Albany County), NY on June 3, 1817. He grew up on the farm and eventually became the owner and operator of the enterprise.

Jacob Sholtes married three times to: 1) Mary Ann Haverly (16Mar1824-22Dec1847); 2) Christina Weidman (16Feb1826-15Aug1849); and Angelica Schell (28May1828-13Nov1906). He was the father of twelve children.

Jacob Sholtes (3Jun1817-3Sep1891) - Angelica Schell (28May1828-13Nov1906)

In 1851 following his marriage to Angelica Schell, a new farmhouse was constructed. It is said to have taken two years to complete. The original house remained standing until around 1910. The barn (see picture below), built by his grandfather in 1800, was dedicated with a historical marker by Berne Historical Project members Harold Miller, Al Deitz, and me during the Berne Heritage Festival of 2005.

To my knowledge, there is one survivor remaining from the family photograph taken in front of the Sholtes farmhouse in 1927. It has been my pleasure to meet, write to, and otherwise communicate with my cousin, Mrs. Alberta (Ball) Wright since I started researching the family genealogy back in 1975. At the age of 92 when I last visited her home, she recalled many family memories and details.

IS THERE INTELLIGENT LIFE ON PLANET JUPITER? ® - July 24, 2005

After cleaning up, Al and I drove over to the residence of Alberta Ball Wright, daughter of the late Clyde L. Ball (14May1888-10Mar1991) and Alta Mae Sholtes (12May1891-25Sep1996). When I first discovered the Shoultes link back in 1977, Alta Sholtes Ball was my nearest living relative at 86 years of age. We met Mr. & Mrs. Ball in 1977 and videotaped another visit in 1987. Al Deitz is their grandson. Alberta Ball Wright is one of the charter members of the Berne Historical Society. We enjoyed a delightful afternoon of family discussion and regretted having to leave so Al and I could attend a church supper at the Berne Dutch Reformed Church (established in 1834 and the church where our ancestors worshipped).

I have spent the past two weeks researching an outstanding publication of pictures assembled by Willard Osterhout (also one of my longtime PLANET JUPITER readers) of East Berne, NY. His publication is titled THE JOURNEY CONTINUES … LIFE ALONG THE WAY published by the Warner’s Lake Improvement Association in 2007. For those who have roots in the Albany County Helderburg region, the book is highly recommended reading. If you are interested, send me an email and I’ll tell you how to get in touch with him.

I honor the memory of Mrs. Wright’s father at the end of this letter by transcribing a newspaper article written about him in 1980. Please take the time to enjoy some family history.

“I CAN SEE 90 YEARS”

Clyde Lawrence Ball was born near the village of Altamont (Albany County), New York on May 14, 1888; the son of Charles Eugene Ball (11Jan1856-21Sep1951) and Minnie B. Onderdonk (16Feb1862-7Mar1948). This story was written by Carol DuBrin and appeared in THE ALTAMONT ENTERPRISE issue of February 1, 1980. It was my great pleasure to meet Mr. Ball during vacation trips to New York in 1977 and 1987 and I have a treasured videotape of our 1987 visit. If there were ever a role model of duty, honor, integrity, and family values, Mr. Ball shines as an example for all Americans to emulate. He died on March 10, 1991 at the age of 102 years.

With a little sketched map of where I was going, I drove up the hill from Altamont, around the sharp turns in Berne, out of that hamlet to Switzkill Road and left out along that to three residences clustered on a little knoll around a bend in the road.

There live the Clyde Balls on land that has been in his family since the turn of the century. On each side live their daughters with their families. What a wonderful way to live the "golden years", with children, grandchildren and great grandchildren near at hand!

I went out there to visit a man much respected and admired -- "a lovely man," as my husband said, who has served his community and his church well over the long years -- a family man, a good friend, a helpful businessman, an excellent teacher.

Sitting in his favorite rocker, his charming wife knitting nearby, we reminisced over the experiences of a lifetime. "I can see 90 years," he mused as we chatted, joined briefly by both daughters. With their help we wove a life-pattern of love and service, filling it out with the little incidents that somehow stick in our minds and color the whole.

To begin with, the Balls were rural Altamont folks living on a farm on the hill above the village where the Altamont Reservoirs collect village water. That was back in 1888. Doc Barton drove his rig up the hill on May 14 to deliver the first of the two Ball children. Two years earlier, the young couple had rented this farm on shares from the owner, a certain Mr. Schoonmaker. They worked hard and the farm prospered as little Clyde grew.

A stream came down the hill past the farm. As a five year old, Clyde remembers going out in the field to pick golden dandelions for his mother. They looked bigger and yellower on the other side of the creek. And so the lad carefully picked his way on stepping stones, leaping to one large rock and then to the further shore.

He gathered a great bunch of the bright flowers and headed for home, jumping to the big rock, then down to the step-stones -- but he missed and fell into the deep, rushing water. He could not swim or gain a foothold against the current.

A passerby saw him struggling and reached out, hauling him safely to shore as his flowers floated on down the creek! Which was worse -- the loss of his pretty dandelions or the cold wet clothes sticking to him and weighing him down as he hurried back to the house?

It was long about that time that Altamont decided it needed a village water supply. After much study it was decided that part of the Schoonmaker - Ball farm was the ideal spot. And so the first reservoir was laid out and dug, to be fed by that same stream little Clyde had fallen into.

The field had been pasture land for the Ball horses. They had not yet been removed the day the retention dam was closed. It started to rain. It not only rained, it poured -- and the family had to rush out into the storm to drive the horses to safety beyond the waters reach. The reservoir filled in that one day.

Living near all that water, the hired man figured young Clyde should surely know how to swim. So he decided on a no-nonsense approach. He went with the lad to the reservoir, picked him up and threw him in! Two years older than when he had fallen in the creek, Clyde faced with the choice of sink or swim, swam. And he soon learned to enjoy it.

The reservoir became his summer recreation spot! It also offered great bullhead fishing. Clyde remembers that first fish he caught -- it got him with one of it’s' spines and the sore burned mightily, giving the youngster a healthy respect for the fishes defense mechanism.

Apparently, the reservoir provided just the right growing conditions for the bullheads as Clyde recalls the day the dam was opened and the water drained for cleaning. All the area farmers came with grain sacks and left with them full of the wriggling, flapping fish they had scooped up.

It was when Clyde was seven that his sister Hazel was born. That completed the small family circle. Hazel was a baby but Clyde attended school -- District School No. 4 (still standing but altered with additions). It is the yellow house above the George Walk farm on Route 158.

He can remember part of one year when he was the only student (and the school was scheduled to include grades 1 through 8). Clyde used a shortcut through the fields to school. His father insisted anyone could follow his train as it was paved with the lead pencils the lad lost as he skipped along!

Much of the farm is now under water. With great frugality the family had saved a bit of money and they decided to buy a farm of their own out beyond Berne where some of the family already lived. The new farm had 100 acres and a house on the road -- the cost, $1,450. The year was 1899.

Still, crops had to be harvested at the Altamont farm and much work done to arrange for the moving, so it was set for the following spring. On the other hand, when the move was made, they would want to be able to get the seed crops planted right away.

To manage this, the father and the hired man went early one morning over the hills to the new farm to plow and prepare the land.

One day, young Clyde was sent by his mother to take the men their mid-day meal. Along with the packed dinner was a bucket of good thirst-quenching milk from their own cows. To make the trip, Clyde harnessed up the family's small two-wheel cart and set out letting the horse go at a good pace. The little cart bumped and swayed, jiggled and bounced along behind the frisky horse.

They made the trip in good time for the men's lunch. The food arrived in fine shape but the trip had been too much for the milk -- it had turned to a fat lump of butter! All the liquid had slopped out as the cream churned itself on the bumpy road!

The spring of 1900 saw the young family move to their new home. Clyde and a friend, Frank Witter, were given the job of driving the livestock, six or seven cows and about 30 sheep, from one farm to the other.

They started right after an early breakfast, following the roads, the two lads herding their flock along. At mid-day, they were still some distance from Berne. By mid afternoon, they reached the little community.

At that time, there were sidewalks through the village. And the sheep chose to follow (better than the gardens) as the boys pushed on, past the houses, the stores, around the bend, out of the community and on to the farm where they arrived about 4 p.m.

Clyde's aunt lived in the house on the knoll where he now resides and she had the boys in for dinner -- ham and eggs. "Boy did that taste good!"

New home, new school and this one was just down the road apiece. His new teacher was Myron Shaver, and a good one he was. Clyde liked him immensely but the teacher that followed was not so dedicated, so Clyde elected to walk the several miles back into Berne to go to school. There he met Alta Sholtes, his future wife. Her home was where "His" Farm Fellowship is now located and it was just down the road from the school. Still if it was a cold or stormy day, she would get her horse and ride quickly across the field, dismount at the school door and send the horse running back to his barn again, Mrs. Ball recalls. (She has been busily knitting on a sweater for a great granddaughter all the time we were conversing).

Way back there in the country, sister Hazel became very ill and developed deadly pleurisy. A specialist, a Dr. Etting from Albany, was informed of her serious condition. The doctor packed his black bag (all doctors had them then), caught a train to Altamont, hired a horse and carriage at the village livery stable, and drove up the mountain to Berne, out the Switzkill Road to the farm, and there, operated to drain the fluids which were flooding Hazel's lungs. She recovered beautifully.

In our recollections we now reached the high school years. There was no high school up on the mountain. The nearest was the Altamont High School on Grand St. in that village. In order to attend, Clyde had to board in the community. He lived with the Gene Sturgess family during the week and only made the long trip home on the weekends.

The two years he attended high school, he made a bit of money working for Dr. Barton, the same doctor who delivered him and his sister in the Altamont hill farmhouse. He remembers caring for the doctor's horse -- a big white that he washed down daily. Summers, Clyde worked on the farm.

In 1907, the one-room school above his family's farm needed a school teacher and 19 year old Clyde got the job. He has saved that first teaching contract (and all subsequent ones) and it shows that he received $280 for that year of teaching. He was paid in three installments -- a third in the fall when money came in from the school taxes, a third in January when "public money" became available, and the last third in June as they finished the school year.

He had grades one through eight, taught all the subjects and did his own janitor work! That was the beginning of 23 years of teaching in one-room schools.

Summers, Clyde went to Middleburgh to school himself, to upgrade his own education. He also clerked in a store (at 15 cents an hour). Later, he sold insurance and, because he was so good with figures, assisted people with their income taxes. Mathematics was his joy.

"We were going together when he started teaching school in Berne," Mrs. Ball recalls. "One winter day we were in a crowd of young people all going to a party up on West Mountain at the top of Sickle Hill. A storm developed and it snowed so hard there was no way we could get home that night. The whole party stayed at an aunt’s house. She had 21 of us for a pancake breakfast the next morning!"

"Of course there were no telephones to let our families know," Clyde added. "Later we had three phone companies here in Berne alone: the West Berne Telephone Co., the Jerome Burst Telephone Co., and New York Tel. And we could use them for 10 cents a call."

"We came back home after breakfast. We couldn't see the roads and the horse got off in drifts so high he was up to his neck and he had to fight his way out."

Clyde Lawrence Ball and Alta Mae Sholtes were married at the home of her parents (the Sholtes farmhouse on Rock Road) on Thursday June 1, 1911

In 1911, Clyde and his Alta were married. They rented a big two room apartment (one up, one down, privy attached in the rear) in Berne for $5 a month. There was no electricity or running water. They carried that by the pailful from the well outside.

Here, their first daughter was born. They moved to bigger quarters, a home owned by the Wood family. There, their second daughter was born. They would tease her by saying, "Oh, you were just born in the woodhouse!"

While Clyde taught that one room school, his sister Hazel attended there -- also her future husband. then his own children grew and he had daughters Gertrude and Alberta in his classes!

When they came to school they never addressed their father as such -- always "Mr. Ball" or "Teacher". It must have been hard to remember!

"Dad was a good teacher," they recall. And, in fact, he inspired Alberta to go on and become a teacher herself -- as his mother had been and her father before her.

A family treasure is grandfather Onderdonk's old school bell. First used in 1860, the bell has been engraved with the names of the family teachers: Charles L. Onderdonk, Minnie Onderdonk (Clyde's mother), Clyde L. Ball, Alberta Ball Wright, Ruth Wright DeWitt, and Jean M. Wright. The last two are Clyde and Alta's granddaughters.

Usually the bell sits in a place of honor at the Berne Historical Society. Right now, it has been borrowed back so that a great granddaughter with a broken leg in a cast can use it to ring for help!

A desk from the old Berne one-room school sits on the Balls' back porch, lacy ironwork supporting a double seat. The outhouse from the school is up in the field behind their house.

I've seen a number of these little buildings converted to the modern day use of shelters for kids waiting for their school bus at the end of long rural driveways. I wanted to put one we had to such use but my city-bred husband was appalled at the thought. So on windy below-zero days, I would drive the girls down our long lane to the road and wait for the school bus with them. No way could we see the road and watch for a coming bus from the house.

Clyde remembers that school discipline in those days went on the assumption that to "spare the rod would spoil the child." He says that wouldn't work now.

Then, it was expected and it usually did the trick -- and without the child ending up hating the teacher, either. Clyde was so popular with one of his little students that when he changed schools she went to live with her grandmother just so she could still "go to school" to him!

From 1916 to 1920, Clyde served as Berne town clerk. Later he was justice of the peace. In that role, he had one exciting incident when a lawbreaker threatened to kill the police, the judge, and others he was angry with.

During the First World War, Clyde had a third responsibility, as a member of the local draft board. In the Second World War, he served on the ration board.

Clyde taught almost continuously from 1907 to 1947. In 1930, he had been asked to teach in the Berne-Knox High School. Of all the former one-room teachers, he was the only one certified for both elementary and high school teaching.

"He was a good and kind teacher. I wasn't too good at business math and he would stay after school to help me," a friend told me of her former teacher.

"Good with figures." Clyde was the treasurer of St. Paul's Lutheran Church for 50 years and was honored when he retired from that position nine years ago. Sixty years a Mason -- a director of the Maccabees -- a member of the Cemetery board.

At home, Clyde and Alta's lifetime of devotion continued. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a big party at the Grange Hall. Their 65th wedding anniversary at St. Paul’s, coming up on June 1 is number 69. And their family grew and the generations were added so now there are fourteen great grandchildren for Alta to knit for!

And of a winters evening, Clyde and Alta sit in their comfortable living room and play a game of dominos, looking back together over a good life in the Helderburg hill country.

But they have seen much more -- many trips to Michigan taking grandchildren to and from college -- even a fast summer tour of the U.S. with their friends (and relatives), the Harry Gibbs, back in 1955 when they went west by the northern route and came back through the South. Memorable was the drive along the California cliffs above the Pacific Ocean.

Great memories -- family, friends, service to church and community -- such are the 90 years Clyde Ball can look back and see.

We had a great visit!

ISRAEL B. SPENCER, FIRST TOWN CLERK

2008-07-22T10:19:00.000-07:00

In a recent post I referenced a letter to the Editor that was about the formation of the Town of Berne. The writer said that the first town clerk of Rensselarville in 1790, and then of Berne in 1795, was Israel B. Spencer. I had never heard of him so I have just done some research.

Israel B. Spencer was in the 1800 federal census in Berne with three sons under 10, a daughter under 10 and another daughter under 16. He was between 26 and 45 years old as was his wife. Elsewhere he was called Israel B. Spencer, Esq.

There is an Israel B. Spencer buried in a small cemetery in Williamstown, Otsego County but I am not sure he was the same man that lived in Berne. The tombstone says Israel B. Spencer, Revolutionary Soldier, New Hampshire Militia, with no dates.

In fact, there was an Israel B. Spencer in Otsego County between 1790 and 1800 so that could not have been the man from Berne.

I am doing further research.

LT. COL. WILLIAM V. HANNAY

2008-06-26T16:50:00.001-07:00

In my last post I mentioned a 1927 transcription of the Dunbar Hollow Cemetery by Mr and Mrs. William Vanderpool Hannay. Since he and his wife also did transcriptions of the cemeteries in Berne, I decided I should know more about him. Here is what I found out in a few hours of searching on the Internet:

Lt. Col. William Vanderpool Hannay

William V. Hannay was born 22 May 1896 in the city of Albany, the son of William Hannay and Luella Vanderpool Hannay. His father had been born in Westerlo and moved to Albany where he became a successful clothing merchant.

William took an early interest in his family history, and at the age of 17 researched his ancestors and wrote and published a genealogy of the Hannay family. While I have not read his Hannay genealogy, my own superficial research shows that Andrew Hannay, William V.'s second great-grandfather, immigrated from Galloway, Scotland and settled in Westerlo by 1784.

By 1917 young William was was working as a salesman in his father's store in Albany. Shortly afterwards he married. His wife must have shared his fascination with history and family genealogy since they spent all of their spare time from 1926 to 1936 roaming the hills of the Helderbergs searching out all of the cemeteries and family burying grounds they could find. Actually, they made two surveys during that period. One was on behalf of the Dutch Settlers Society of Albany; the goal was to record the inscriptions of fast disappearing field burying grounds. The other was started by Hannay himself as chairman of the American Legion Graves Registration Committee to register the location of verterans' graves in Albany County.

By 1930 his father had died and he inherited the family business, a clothing store at 310 Quail St., Albany.

He was in the US Army during WWII and rose to the rank of Lt. Col. After the war he returned to Albany. Between 1945 and 1947 the Dutch Settlers Society of Albany, in their annual year books XXI and XXII, published his 1926-1936 compilation of Burying Ground Inscriptions, Town of Berne.

During those same years Hannay and his wife also transcribed the cemeteries in Westerlo. I have a copy of some of their typed ms. but am not sure where I got it from, or if it was ever published.

My sources for this story were census records, Dutch Settlers Society Yearbooks, Hannay's WWI draft registration a copy of which is posted on Ancestry.com, and information found on the Internet by searching his name. Any errors are probably mine, and I would appreciate corrections.

Further reading:

Genealogy of the Hannay Family; by William V. Hannay. 71p. 1913

Burying Ground Inscriptions, Town of Berne, Albany County, N. Y.; compiled by Lieut. Col. William V. Hannay. Published by The Dutch Settlers Society of Albany, Yearbook Vols. XXI and XXII, 1945 - 1947.

FOUNDING OF BERNE; HOCHSTRASSERS

2008-06-24T03:24:00.000-07:00

I was filing some newspaper articles that I had previously scanned and saved in my computer and found an interesting Letter to the Editor that I had first come across in 2004. It tells of the formation of the Town of Berne. I am not sure now where I found it but it seems to be from either a Gallupville newspaper (was there ever one?) or the Gallupville column of a Schoharie paper. Unfortunately I did not even make a note of the date but based on the letter it must have been about 1902. Perhaps it was the Altamont Enterprise. (Four months ago Tom Tryniski, the Fulton History site owner, generously offered to scan microfilmed archived copies of the Altamont Enterprise to post on his site so they will be available free of charge to anyone using the Internet; as far as I know, he has still been sent nothing to scan.)

Mr. Editor:
As to the information on Towns that has been offered, I have some evidence that has not been seen as yet. I refer to the old town record book of Rensselaerville and the records of the town of Berne, continued in the same book from April 7th 1795 to April 12th 1853, Jackson King suprervisor and C. H. Bell town clerk in 1853. The book is in a good state of preservation although over 112 years old.

The first entry for the town of Rensselaerville is on April 6th 1790, the Town being taken from Watervliet, March 8th, 1790. Jacob Hochstrasser was supervisor and Israel B. Spencer, town clerk. They both held office until April 7th, 1795. On April 15th 1794, a special town meeting was held to divide the town, (in accordance with an act passed by the legislature) and Berne was taken from Rensselaerville, March 17th 1795, and on april 7th 1795,the first town meeting for the town of Berne was held at the home of Johanis Fisher, innkeeper. The same place is now owned and occupied by Thos. J. Wood, just north of the village of Berne. At that town meeting the same persons were elected supervisor and town clerk that had served in Rensselaerville for the past five years, viz. Jacob Hochstrasser supervisor, and Israel B. Spencer town clerk. We also note that Johannis Fisher and others in that locality during the course of a few years lived in three towns, viz: Watervliet, Rensselaerville and Berne. Knox was taken from Berne Feb. 28th 1822, so that the people who lived in the north part were in four different towns. In 1814, 3 school commissioners and 5 inspectors were elected for the first time in Berne. In 1817 slavery was abolished. In 1819 there were 25 licenses and permits granted to sell liquors in Berne. Price $5. In 1833, 2 justices of the peace, the first in Berne, were elected, viz. Henry Weidman and James Parish.

Who can inform us who Jacob Hochstrasser was, where he lived, etc.

Geo. E. Shultes

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE NAMES FOR THE TOWN OF BERNE

Colony of Rensselaerwyck

In 1629 most all of the land in Albany and Rensselaer Counties were part of the Dutch Colony of Rensselaerwhyck which had been granted in that year to Kiliean Van Rensselaer, a wealthy Dutch Merchant.

Rensselaerwyck Manor

When in 1664 the English wrested control of the Dutch Colonies in the New World they continued to honor the Van Rensselaer land grant, which now became known as the Rensselaerwyck Manor.

Beaverdam

About 1740 the first settlers in the what is now the western half of the Town of Berne said they were from the Beaverdam. (These homesteaders were actually squatters since they did not lease the land from the Van Rensselaer owners.) Marriage records in both Schoharie churches and churches below the hill say the bride or the groom was from Beaverdam or Beaver Dam. And, of course, about 1765 when the first church was formed in the area, it took the name "The Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of the Beaverdam." ("Dutch" signified that the congregation was "Deutch", i.e. German.)

Town of Watervliet

In 1788 the Town of Watervliet was created; it consisted of all of what is now Albany County except the city of Albany, and part of Schenectady County. For the next two years folks who a few years later would live in Berne were from Watervliet.

Town of Rensselaerville

As Shultes points out in his Letter to the Editor, in 1790 the Town of Rensselaerville was created from the western half of Watervliet. The result was that in the 1790 federal census everyone who lived in what are now the Towns of Berne, Knox and Renssselaerville were listed as being from Rensselaerville.

In 1791, in a Van Rensselaer deed for the Reformed Church farm, the church was called, "The Reformed German Church of Beaverdam in the town of Rensselaerville," thus acknowledging the change in the name of the town.

Town of Bern

In 1795 the Town of Bern was created from the northern two thirds of the Town of Rensselaerville. What is really interesting is that Hochstrasser and Spencer, the Rensselaer town officials selected in 1790, lived in what is now Berne; and when Berne was created they became the town officials of Bern and kept Rensselaerville's official journal. For them it was a merely a change of name and a reduction in size.

The first use of the name Bern for the area is when the Town was created. Records for churches below the hill continued to say people from Bern were from Beaverdam for the next decade before they finally got use to using the name of Bern.

In 1797 the Reformed Church officially became "The Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Bever Dam." They gave up changing the name of the church every time the name of the Town was changed.

Town of Berne

Our Heritge, the 1977 Bicentennial history of the Town of Berne, says the spelling of the town name was changed from Bern to Berne sometime in the late 19th century. The middle of the 19th century would have been more correct, since it was spelled Bern in the 1850 federal census and Berne in the 1860 census. I am not sure what the spelling was in the 1855 New York State census

JACOB HOCHSTRASSER

I am very glad Shultes asked, "Who can inform us who Jacob Hochstrasser was, where he lived, etc.," since some of the information now in the Berne Families Geneaolgy on Jacob Hochstasser and his son Jacob Jr. appears to be wrong. I now believe the first supervisor of Rensselaerville and Berne was the Jacob Samuel Hochstrasser, b. ca. 1730 in Brenshcelbach, Hamburg, Germany, son of Samuel. About 1754 in Germany Hochstrasser married Maria Elizabeth Merselis. I now identify Jacob as the first Justice of the Peace of the Town of Berne; he was called Jacob Hochstrasser, Esq. and his son was Jacob Hochstrasser, Jr.

Jacob must have immigrated with his brother Paulus. The earliest record of the Hochstrasser’s in the Albany area that I have found so far is the Oct. 1765 Albany Reformed Church baptism of Paulus, Jr., son of the brother of Jacob, Paulus, Sr. and his wife Elizabeth. Since two of Jacob’s children were baptized in the same church in 1768 and 1771, it appears that the family initially settled near the city of Albany, perhaps in Guilderland or maybe even Knox.

The only Hochstrassers shown on the 1787 Van Rensselaer survey map of the western half of the Rensselaerwyck Manor (Berne and Knox) are Jacob's sons Paul b. 1759 and Balthazar living near what is now East Township, in what is now the Town of Knox. Balthazar's 1786 Schenectady marriage record to Catherine Achenbach, says he was born in Germany; since he was born 31 Dec. 1764, their father Jacob and his brother Paulus, Sr. must have immigrated in 1765. This is contrary to the legend in Our Heritage, the history of Berne written in 1977, that the Hochstrassers came to Berne with six other families led by Jacob Weidman in 1750.

Buried in the Beaverdam Cemetery is:

"Judith, wife of Jacob Hochstrasser, Esq. died April 10, 1789, aged 18 yr."

My initial thought was that, because of her young age, this could not be the wife of the elder Jacob, Sr. who had earned the title of Esq. due to his prominence and success in the town; however, the younger Jacob would have been identified on her tombstone as Jacob Hochstrasser, Jr. Surprisingly, I found an 18 October 1788 marriage of Jacob Hochstrasser and Judith Hone in the First and Second Presbyterian Church in NYC. She was probably his third wife.

The 1790 federal census has Jacob Hochstrasser listed in the Town of Rensselaerville near his son Baltus in the area that is now the Town of Knox.

From 1793 - 1797 Jacob was one of several men who represented Albany County in the New York State Assembly.

In 1796 Jacob Hochstrasser married Elizabeth Prince Miller, also in NYC. Undoubtedly his association with the politicians and businessmen in Albany put him in contact with the father's of his last two wives.

Some time in the 1790's Jacob Hoschstrasser, Esq. moved to the east end of hamlet of Berne, perhaps to be near to his daughter, Elizabeth, who in 1790 married Jacob Settle, the soon to be proprieter of one of the early stores in the hamlet. To the west was the 30 acre lot of Petrus Weidman on which he had built the biggest house in Berne.

According to an April 1798 newspaper article, Hochstrasser was out walking in Weidman's fields when he came across a badly decomposed body hanging from a silk handkerchief noose looped around the neck and suspended from the top rail of a fence. After much searching it was learned that it was the sad remains of Lemuel Olmstead of Rensselaerville who had disappeared from his home the previous December.

Since there is no Jacob Hochstrasser living in Berne in 1800, I assume that Jacob Esq. died between 1798 and 1800. However, there is a Jacob Hochstrasser in 1800 living in Trenton, Oneida, NY. Further research shows that he ran a lime kiln and stone quarry, so this would not be Jacob Hochstrasser, Esq. An 1808 newspaper article says that Jacob Hochstrasser of Trenton was declared a pauper. Could that have been Jacob Hochstrasser, Jr., formerly of Berne?

More on the early history of the Town in the next posting.

DUNBAR'S OF DUNBAR HOLLOW, WESTERLO

2008-06-23T17:07:00.000-07:00

The murder of Calvin Finkle - Anti-Renter

Although this blog is mainly about the families of Berne, I also research the history and families of surrounding towns - and include them in the Berne Families Genealogy.

This past week I have been helping a descendant of Calvin Finkle find his grave. Finkle, a stubborn Anti-Renter, was shot and killed Oct. 9, 1874 in Greenbush, Rensselaer County, by a Deputy Sheriff who had been sent to collect the rent. His wife was Eleanor Dunbar; he was buried in the Dunbar Farm Burying Ground in Dunbar Hollow, Westerlo.

I found a Dutch Settlers Society Yearbook listing of 15 stones in the cemetery transcribed by Mr.and Mrs. William VanDerpool Hannay, July,1927. It gives the following directions: "turn right from Ravena-Westerlo road at the foot of the Dormansville hill, and proceed 1.5 miles, turn to the right then the next left to the end of the road, and go to the next house. Cemetery north of the house."

I am told that the cemetery is also called the Dunbar Hollow Cemetery, and that it is at the south end of Dunbar Hollow Road. If anyone can tell me whose property it is on, or who to contact to find it, I would be very grateful.

Dunbar Hollow Murders

While researching the Dunbar family, I found a number of newspaper article on the tragic murders of brothers David and Stephen V. Lester, ages 9 and 7, in Westerlo on the 28th of Sept. 1850. After the death of their father, they went to live with their uncle David Lester. On the fateful day the boy's uncle left home on a sixteen mile round trip to Brigg's mill at Stephensville, the present-day Alcove. The boys were left in charge of his stepson, twenty year-old Reuben Dunbar. When David returned home that night the boys were missing. Reuben say that they had wanted to gather butternuts or go fishing and that he told them they had better not. No search was made for them that night, but the next day Lester, Reuben an neighbors started looking for Davy and Stephen. Their bodies were found a few days later deep in the woods hidden under rocks and branches.

Reuben A. Dunbar was tried and found guilty. He was sentenced to death, and was hanged on the 31st of January 1851 for the murder of his two young nephews.

The boys were reportedly buried in the Dunbar Hollow Cemetery but they are not on the list of stones transcribed by the Hannays. It may be that not all of the stones were readable.

Follow-up: Thanks to a comment by anonymous I continued my search and found Reuben, Reuben's father, Alexander, and the two murdered sons of George H. and Patience Lester buried together, the only four burials in the Wickham Farm Burying Ground, Dunbar Hollow, Dormansville.

Further reading:

The Hudson River Magazine for April, 1939, contains an article "Murder in Dunbar Hollow" by Ray Mower.

New York Folklore Quarterly - Page 33
by New York Folklore Society - Folklore - 1958
Cuyler, Jacob C., Trial of Reuben Dunbar for the Murder of Stephen V. Lester ...

BEAVERDAM HOTEL, HIRAM WALDEN, MARTHA MAURACHE

2008-06-21T19:02:00.000-07:00

Beaverdam Hotel

Got any old postcards in your attic? This real photo postcard recently sold on eBay for $96.99 plus shipping and handling!!

It features the Beaverdam Hotel ofIsaac L. Walden in West Berne, circa 1910. Photo shows Isaac Walden (proprietor), Vertie Lee Walden (Isaac's wife), Stanton Walden (brother of Isaac / hotel clerk), Joseph Lee (Isaac's father-in-law), and Martha Mattice (servant).

Here is a picture of the family tombstone in Woodlawn Cemetery.

photo by Joan Wright

HIRAM WALDEN

Issac was the grandson of Hiram Walden. According to the Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-1949 Biographies W page 1964, Hiram Walden was a Representative from New York; born in Pawlet, Vt., August 21, 1800; attended the district schools; moved to Berne, Albany County, N.Y., in 1818 and to Waldenville, Schoharie County, N.Y., in 1821; engaged in the manufacture of axes; major general of militia; member of the State assembly in 1836; was one of the supervisors of the town of Wright in 1842; elected as a Democrat to the Thirty-first Congress (March 4, 1849-March 3, 1851); was not a candidate for renomination in 1850; resumed his former manufacturing pursuits; was also employed in the customhouse in New York City; discontinued his active business pursuits and lived in retirement until his death in Waldenville, N.Y., July 21, 1880; interment in Pine Grove Cemetery [Beaverdam], Berne, Albany County, N.Y.

MARTHA MATTICE MAURACHE

Martha Mattice, the servant girl at the Beaverdam Hotel, was descended from a Palatine German family that were among the first settlers in the Schoharie Valley. In 1931 Martha married Jean Leon Maurache, an orchestra leader in the Grand Theatre in Albany during the days of Vaudeville. Jean Leon was born in France and immigrated to America in 1906. After his death in 1945 she worked in the kitchen of the Berne Knox Westerlo school cafeteria.

IN MEMORIUM - Willard Schanz

2008-06-08T07:23:00.000-07:00

I have been neglecting my blog recently. My excuse is that Ed and I took the month of May off and traveled to Texas to visit his family, and to California to visit friends. Since we got back, I have no excuse.

WILLARD SCHANZ

While we were on the road we were deeply saddened to receive word that my uncle Willard Schanz had died unexpectedly. His obituary is posted on the Berne Historical Project web site so I won't repeat it here.

Uncle Willard's great-grandfather, George Schanz, Jr. was born in Bavaria in 1840 and immigrated to settle on West Mountain in Berne about 1869. A few years later George married Christina P. Becker, the daughter of his neighbor's Mattice and Charlotte Becker. They were from Strausberg, Germany.

Willard's mother was Mildred Proper. Her ancestors settled in Schoharie in the late 18th Century.

On Aug. 7, 1954 Willard married my aunt, Mavis Ada Becker, daughter of Omer and Ada Shultes Becker. Mavis' great-grandfather, Peter Becker, was born in Waldham, Bas-Rhin, Baden, Germany. He and his parents and siblings immigrated in 1840 and settled on West Mountain. Peter's half-brother Philip was born in Strasurg according to 1855 NYS Census census records. It is not unlikely that Mavis and Willard's Becker ancestors were cousins, but their exact relationship is unknown at this time.

Ada Shultes' earliest known Shultes ancestor was Mathias, who came to Beaver Dam (now Berne) about 1751 with his mother , Maria Elisabetha Dietz and his step-father Jacob Weidman. Mathias' son Mathias II was one of the earliest settlers on West Mountain and is buried there in the Mathias and Peter Shultes Family Burying Ground.

IN MEMORIUM - Gertrude Ball Deitz

2008-04-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

photograph by Allen Deitz

Peter Deitz Farm Burying Ground

This small, abandoned burying ground for the family of Peter Ives Deitz and his wife Elizabeth Haverly is overgrown with trees and undergrowth. There are several downed stones, and perhaps more buried in the underbrush. Owner stated it was vandalized circa 1974. Burials 1812-1853. We need GPS coordinates.

Peter Deitz was the great great grandfather of Franklin S. Deitz, husband of Gertrude Ball Deitz.

GERTRUDE BALL DEITZ

The sympathy of the Berne community and the many friends of Gertrude Ball Deitz is extended to her children Allan, Arlene, and Gerald, to her sister Alberta Ball Wright, and to their families. Since her obituaries are posted on the Berne Historical Project site I will not repeat them here. Instead I will post here a recent Letter to the Editor, which I wrote, and which was printed in the Altamont Enterprise, the weekly newspaper serving the Hill Towns for 123 years.

Dear Editor,

Gertrude Ball Deitz, who died April 16, 2008 at age 91, had VERY deep Berne roots. She was born in Berne, the daughter of Clyde L. Ball and Alta Mae Sholtes.

Peter Ball, her earliest Ball ancestor, was about about ten years old when his father and mother emigrated in 1709 with thousands of other Palatine refugees from the Rhine river area of what is now Germany. Unfortunately, his father Johannes, along with hundreds of others, died in the long ocean voyage or shortly thereafter. When about 150 refugee families settled in the Schoharie Valley in 1712 and 1713, Peter and his widowed mother were not among them; still, they were apparently living somewhere in the greater Albany area when he was naturalized at Albany in 1716. When in 1740 his daughter Dorothea married Peter Fischer, both the Fischer and Ball families were undoubtedly neighbors living on the flats along the Foxenkill below what is now the hamlet of Berne.

Gertrude Ball was not the first Ball to marry into the Deitz / Dietz family. Her third great grandfather, George, son of Peter, married an Elisabetha Dietz in 1763. Elisabetha was the daughter of Johannes Dietz who was massacred in 1781. Also in 1763, George's brother Hendrick married Maria Elizabetha Dietz, a cousin of Elizabetha. George and Hendrick's oldest brother, Johannes married Maria Margaret Dietz in 1747. She was an aunt of Elisabetha and Maria Elizabeth. Based on all of these Dietz / Ball marriages, it is my opinion that by 1747 a number of Dietz siblings were also living along the Foxenkill just to the west of the Peter Ball homestead.

Gertrude Ball's mother was a Sholtes; her earliest Sholtes ancestor to live in Berne was Mathias Shultes, born 1740. He was the son of an unknown Shultes and Elisabeth Dietz, sister to the Maria Margaret Dietz who married Johannes Ball. Mathias Shultes was about 11 years old when his mother and step-father, Jacob Weidman, moved about 1751 to the Beaver Dam, as the area was then called.

In 1937 Gertude married her neighbor and distant cousin, Franklin Deitz, son of Frederick Deitz and Theodora Haverly. Frederick Deitz was also descended from Mathias Shultes. Theodora's earliest Haverly ancestor living in the Berne area was Christian John Haverly, also from the Palatine area of Germany, who before 1759 moved to what is now West Berne.

To summarize: the grandparents of Gertrude Ball and Franklin Deitz's three children, Allen, Arlene, and Gerald, had the surnames Ball, Sholtes, Deitz and Haverly, all early Berne families. It is especially interesting that a 1787 Van Rensselaer survey map of the area that now encompasses most of the Towns of Berne and Knox shows the Ball, Shultes, Dietz and Haverly families as neighbors, in the same vicinity as the families of Gertrude Ball and Franklin Deitz lived a century and a half later. (The current English spelling of the names differ from the original German, and different branches of the families spelled the names differently.)

The Berne Families Genealogy, posted on the Berne Historical Project website at www.Bernehistory.org , details the complex relationships of Gertrude and Franklin's ancestors. A 100 page ancestor report for the children of Gertrude and Franklin has 2225 people, including siblings of great-grandparents, going back 15 generations. They were from Germany, France, the Netherlands, and a Mohawk woman from the Turtle clan.

--
Harold Miller
Oaxaca, Mexico
Berne Historical Project www.Bernehistory.org
Blah, bla, blog at http://berneny.blogspot.com/

History of the first generation of the Dietz Family of Berne and Schoharie.

IN MEMORIUM - Janice Irene LeBuis Bassler

2008-04-20T07:17:00.000-07:00

DAVID CONGER FAMILY BURYING GROUND...

...on Cass Hill Road near Reidsville, is the small, well kept burying ground of the family of David Conger (1791-1878). In 1984 it was said to be well kept with monuments in excellent condition. We need GPS coordinates for this FBG.

JANICE IRENE LEBUIS BASSLER

Deepest sympathy is extended to the family of Janice LeBuis Bassler, eldest daughter of the late Doris and Leo LeBuis and devoted wife of Fred "Pete" Bassler. She is dearly missed by her family and the entire Berne community.

I decided to do a some research on the Lebuis family to add to the Berne Families Genealogy. Janice's paternal grandparents, Arthur and Eugenie (Landriau) LeBuis were French Canadians from Québec. They immigrated in 1901 and settled in Albany. In 1910 they were living at 839 Broadway in Albany; Arthur was a carpenter and Eugenie was the mother of 7 children of whom 5 were alive and living at home. Janice's father, Leo, (called Leopold in the 1920 census) was born in Albany on 10 Feb. 1912, making him the youngest of 8 children.

On Aug. 19, 1935 Leo LeBuis married Doris Irene Filkins, eldest daughter of Frederick Hazael Filkins Jr. and Nettie F. Skinner, both descended from early Berne area families. Frederick's second great-grandfather, Isaac Filkins, was born 1755 in Pittstown, Rensselaer, NY and settled on what became known as Filkins Hill about 1801. Nettie's second great-grandfather, Josiah Skinner, was born 1754 in Sharon, Litchfield, CT and moved to Rensselaerville in 1787.

Janice's husband, Pete Bassler, has even deeper Berne roots. His fifth great-grandfather, Frederick Bassler Sr., was born in Riehn, Basil Canton, Switzerland in 1712 and immigrated in 1749 to Philadelphia with his first wife, Esther Thommen. The family remained there about 6 years while Frederick likely worked as an indentured servant to pay for the ships passage. During that time his first wife died and he married a widow, Anna Margaret (Leys) Leip / Leib. About 1755 Bassler moved to the Beaver Dam and homesteaded a farm on what is now Hill and Dale Road in the Town of Knox. Shortly thereafter his second wife died and he married Anna Dannerin.

Pete Bassler's mother was Sarah Weidman. His fifth great-grandparents were Jacob Weidman, who immigrated from Switzerland between 1738-1743, and Elisabetha Dietz, whose family was from the German Palatinate. They moved from Greene County to the Beaver Dam (now Berne) about 1751. Jacob, is said to have led a small band of settlers including the Dietz and Bassler families. Actually, the Bassler family arrived about 1755, and two of Elisabetha's brothers had settled about 1740 on the flats between what are now the hamlets of Berne and West Berne.

HUNTERSLAND, SIMMONS, PLUE, TALLMAN

2008-03-19T17:15:00.001-07:00

HUNTERSLAND CHRISTIAN CEMETERY

The Huntersland Christian Cemetery is a long established and well-maintained cemetery. As does the Huntersland community, the cemetery also straddles the line between the Town of Berne, Albany County, and the Town of Middleburgh, Schoharie County. Earliest burial 1844. Per a meeting on September 25, 1893 the official name is The Union Cemetery Association of Huntersland. Transcriptions of the tombstones posted on the Berne Historical Project site are courtesy of Steve and Anne LaMont, keepers of the history of Huntersland.

photograph by Barbara Bolster-Barrett

HISTORY AND GENEALOGY

Many months ago I started editing the Berne, New York site on Wikipida to make it more meaningful. One of the sections I added is labled Prominent Residents. Today I added Daniel Simmons who had an axe factory in Berne.

Recently I went to Cornell University's ¨Making of America,¨ a digital online archive of journals and books on American social history. Searching on "Berne, Albany" I found a mention in the book History of Cohoes, Arthur H. Masten, 1877 of Daniel Simmons, a prominent former resident that I had not yet added to Wikipida.

"Daniel Simmons began life as a blacksmith and had a forge in the lower part of the city of Albany. Here he commenced making axes by hand for an occasional customer, using for the cutting edges German or blister steel, which was then supposed to be the only kind that could be successfully welded to iron. About 1825 it was found that by the use of refined borax as a flux, cast steel could be made to answer the purpose, and Mr. Simmons promptly took advantage of the discovery, being one of the first to put it to practical use. His axes soon became favorably known, and the demand for them was so increased that greater facilities for production became necessary. Accordingly in 1826, he removed to Berne, Albany County, where he secured a small water power, erected rude buildings, and put up trip hammers and other machinery. In time these accommodations proved insufficient, and Mr. Simmons went to Cohoes, where he founded an establishment, which under years of successful management, made the Simmons Axe familiar in all parts of the globe. This became the foundation of the establishment of the Cohoes Manufacturing Company." [from THE HISTORY OF COHOES]

I recently had an email from Rick Plue so I ran an ancestor report for him that had 560 people. Then I did a few hours of research and ran an update that had 35 pages with 836 peope. We are 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 10th cousins 1, 2 or 3 times removed through at least 9 sets of shared great-grandparents. But then I am cousins with most everyone who has Berne ancestors.
Got an email from my good friend and fellow researcher Russ Tallman who researches his Tallman ancestors and related Helderberg area families. With the inspiration of this site he has started a Tallman blog.

NEWSPAPER ARCHIVES; OUR HERITAGE

2008-03-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

Today's featured cemetery is the

Dearstyne Family Burying Ground

This abandoned burying ground of the Lawrence Dearstyne family, who leased this lot in 1837, is in very bad condition. There are about 10 unmarked field stones. It is a sad little place. I wish I could post a photo but we have none. The Berne Historical Project would like to add GPS coordinates and photographic records of the stones to their site. If anyone can help us, it would be much appreciated. To find the cemetery follow the directions given on this link.

HISTORY AND GENEALOGY

Yesterday I was searching the Fulton History site for items with the word "Berne" in them and found this article in the Albany Evening Journal on the August 27, 1916 dedication of St. Mary's of the Lake Catholic Church at East Berne.
I have added a permanent link in the left hand column for the Fulton History site.
Tom Tryniski, the Fulton History site owner, has generously offered to scan microfilmed archived copies of the Altamont Enterprise to post on his site so they will be available free of charge to anyone using the Internet. Once posted, archived newspapers are fully "searchable," and when an article of interest is found, such as an obituary or article on Berne, individual pages can be downloaded. I put the editor of the Altamont Enterprise in contact with Tom, and they have agreed that the Enterprise will have microfilmed copies of their archives sent to Tom for scanning. Having the archives of the Altamont Enterprise on line will be a wonderful service for all of the Hilltowns, and for descendants of Hilltown families living all over the country. Currently archived copies of the Enterprise are available on microfilm at the New York State Library, the Guilderland Public Library, and the Altamont Village Museum. Your local library may be able to get them on loan form the Guilderland library.
The same "Berne" search on the Fulton History site also turned up an article on the family of Sylvanus Walden Settle, born 1818 son of Jacob Settle, Jr. and Cornelia Rose Walden. About that same year, Jacob Sr. built a store with a meeting hall upstairs. He sold groceries, dry goods, crockery, hardware, paints and medicines. Source: Our Heritage. The former Settle store is the only store still operating in the hamlet of Berne.

Continuing the family line of work, Sylvanus Settle was a succesful Albany merchant when he died in 1899. In May 1901 his wife Caroline died leaving an estate of $30,000 dollars, some of which was left to various individuals in Berne and to the local churches. A front page article in the June 11, 1901 Albany Evening Journal gives the terms of her will and tells why her only living descendant, a granddaughter, was left just one dollar and was therefore contesting the will.

"Our Heritage," edited by Euretha Wolford Stapleton, former Historian, Town of Berne, and produced by the Town of Berne Bicentennial Commission, 1977, is a 144 page paperback on the history of the Town of Berne, including many early photographs, plus biographical sketches on the some of the families of the early settlers. Although much new information has been discovered in recent years on these families, there is still much of value in this very interesting book. Unfortunately it has been out of print for many years. A few years ago the Historical Society discussed the possibility of having it reprinted but for some reason nothing came of it.

HISTORY AND GENEALOGY OF BERNE, NEW YORK

August 8 meeting of Helderberg Hilltowns Association

Hungerford Burial Grounds posted on Bernehistory.org

RECENT ADDITIONS OF HISTORIC SITES

Proposals

Photo Gallery

FOX CREEK PARK

Fox Creek Park

From Albany Hilltowns

Contents

Location

History

Visitor facilites

Proposals

Photo Gallery

Country Holiday Gift Bazaar

LOT 461, EAST BERNE ON JOSLIN ROAD AND BROOKHAVEN DRIVE

October Fundraising Dinners in Berne

SENICA SNYDER BALL

West Mountain

Location

History

Recent items added to Helderberg Hilltowns site

History

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE NAMES FOR THE TOWN OF BERNE

Planning Committee Survey Results for Types of Businesses in Berne

Upcoming Events Calender

May 13

May 15 and 16

May 18

May 31

ERNEST J. ECKER, LOT 401, ENOS WRIGHT HOUSE

I have just finished the weekly update to Albany Hilltowns main pages. It summarizes changes made this past week and gives links to them: Civil War soldier biographies, Lot numers, farm houses, farm activites, ideas for farmers, and much more.

Here are a few of the new pages added this past week:

CEMETERIES; COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, V R MANOR PAPERS

VAN RENSSELAER LEASES, SURVEY NOTES

The main page of Albany Hilltowns has been updated. I have started adding early VR survey notes and leases.

DIETZ / DEITZ FAMILY OF BERNE AND SCHOHARIE

TROUT STREAMS IN BERNE? - NOT!

Law Office > Select School > Fire House > Post Office > Garage

FARMS AND FARM ACTIVITIES

HILL TOWNS FARMS, NATURAL HISTORY, AND OUTDOOR RECREATION

BERNE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

BERNE ECOTOURISM

BERNE, THE NEXT RENSSELAERVILLE?

OLD DAMS, GRIST MILLS, SAWMILLS & BRIDGE SITES

WORLD WAR II HONOR ROLL FORMER SITE

RENSSELAERVILLE PILOT SCANNING PROJECT

CIVIL WAR IN BERNE; REUBEN L. WEIDMAN

The photo is of Reuben L. Weidman who was in the 15th Cavalry during the Civil War. He was born in Berne, enlisted in the Town of Wright and was buried in Westerlo. That is what I mean by the Hilltowns are interconnected. We are all family.

KING POST TRUSS BRIDGE

HISTORY AND GENEALOGY OF BERNE, NEW YORK: ALBANY HILLTOWNS BLOG

ALBANY HILLTOWNS BLOG

UP DATE ON ALBANY HILLTOWNS

1787 SURVEY MAP

LOCATION OF THE BEAVER DAM

THE BEAVER DAM

MILLER ICE HOUSE

MEMOIRS OF BERNE, by T. Emmett Willard

GAZETEER OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK: Bern

HISTORY OF BERNE, from the Knowersville Enterprise

Article on the history of Berne from the Knowersville Enterprise, 1884

From Albany Hilltowns

OUR HERITAGE

HILLTOWNS MEN IN THE CIVIL WAR

ALBANY HILLTOWNS website

ALBANY HILLTOWNS GROUP

BERNESWITZER ORIGIN OF BERNE?

OSTRANDER FAMILY BURYING GROUND

SPRADO FAMILY BURYING GROUND

ALTAMONT ENTERPRISE ON LINE

BOOKS ON BERNE FAMILIES:

LaGRANGE, HAVERLY, TRUAX, CLIKEMAN, CROUNSE

"HAMLET" OF BERNE IN 1795

SHULTES AND BALL FAMILIES OF BERNE

ISRAEL B. SPENCER, FIRST TOWN CLERK

LT. COL. WILLIAM V. HANNAY

FOUNDING OF BERNE; HOCHSTRASSERS

DUNBAR'S OF DUNBAR HOLLOW, WESTERLO

BEAVERDAM HOTEL, HIRAM WALDEN, MARTHA MAURACHE