Fall 2015 Journal - Greene County Historical Society

90 County Route 42
Coxsackie, NY 12051
The Early
History
of the
Prattsville
House Hotel
ISSN 0894-8135
Volume 39 Number 3
Fall 2015
by
Jean M. Bush
The Prattsville House is located
on the old Schoharie Turnpike
Road, which we know as Main
Street, in the village of Prattsville.
It has housed staff and family and
welcomed guests for at least 170
years. Cotillion parties – formal
evening dances – were hosted here,
as well as balls celebrating George
Washington’s
birthday
and
Independence Day. The hotel has
had over thirty owners and has
been cared for by numerous proprietors. The sturdy structure has survived at least six major floods and
four foreclosure sales.
It has been known as the
Prattsville Hotel, Miller’s Hotel,
and the Prattsville HotelHomestead Lounge, but the name
Prattsville House has been indelibly
printed on the facade for most, if
not for its entire, existence. A gratifying part of the hotel’s rehabilitation after the destructive tropical
This is a copy of the hand-drawn sketch of the Greek Revival version of
the building. Collections of the Vedder Research Library.
storms of 2011, was discovering
that the name was still visible on
the original wooden boards of the
frieze.
Evidence suggests that, like
most of the village, the Prattsville
House came into existence through
the vision of Colonel Zadock Pratt.
A survey map of the village,
believed to have been commissioned
by Pratt, was produced by Allen H.
Jackson on June 5, 1833. A reproduction of the map is on file in the
Greene County Clerk’s office. A
handwritten notation says that it
was “Traced from original map in
possession of Mrs. Pauline Sachs by
G. H. Fifield.” Unfortunately, the
date of tracing is not identified, and
neither is the filing date.
The current Prattsville House, a
five-bay, two-and-one-half story,
Greek Revival structure, is located
on Lot No. 15 of that map. The
Greek Revival style was popular
from 1830 to 1850, and it spread
with the aid of carpenter’s guides
and pattern books. Rather than
having elaborate columns, such vernacular forms often had simple,
easy-to-construct square columns
like those on the Prattsville House.
This form, with a hipped roof and
upper porch, is more commonly
found in our southern states.
The front-gabled, two-story,
three-bay structure on the map
may be a rendering of the early tavern that stood on that lot. If the
map illustration shows a true representation of that tavern, the original building was either replaced or,
morphed into the building that
stands on that lot today.
An undated sketch of the Greek
Revival Prattsville House was
included in a book of original hand
drawings, which are believed to
have been commissioned by Pratt.
Although the Zadock Pratt
Continued on page 23
The Editor’s Desk
"Wish you could be here with us.
We are exploring all of the historical
parts of Catskill."
This quote is from the back of one
of the Rip Van Winkle Park postcards.
And if we widen the statement just a
bit, changing Catskill to Greene County,
the resulting sentence becomes a fitting
Greene County History
Published Quarterly by
Greene County Historical Society, Inc.
P.O. Box 44, Coxsackie, NY 12051
Robert D’Agostino, Journal Editor
Jennifer Barnhart, Designer
Publications Committee Members:
Robert D’Agostino, Chairman
David Dorpfeld
Robert Hallock
Jim Planck
Thomas Satterlee
Contributors
Jean Bush, Robert D’Agostino, David
Dorpfeld, Wanda West Traver
Subscription to Greene County History is only
one of the member benefits of the Greene
County Historical Society.
Memberships are available as follows:
Student/Senior (65 & up) $20
Individual
$25-$39
Dual/Family
$40-$74
Supporter
$75-$124
Patron
$125-$249
Benefactor
$250-$499
Silver Benefactor
$500-$999
Gold Benefactor
$1000 and up
Library
Business Basic
Business Friend
Business Supporter
$25
$25
$50
$100 and up
Membership inquiries and change of address
should be directed to:
Thomas Satterlee
Financial Secretary, GCHS
164 High Hill Road
Catskill, NY 12414
GCHS is headquartered at the
Bronck Museum
90 County Route 42
Coxsackie, NY 12051
The Bronck Museum: 518.731.6490
Vedder Research Library: 518.731.1033
http://www.gchistory.org/
Copyright 2016
Greene County Historical Society, Inc.
mission statement for Greene County
History: we do try to explore the entirety of this amazing County of ours.
It's true that, over the years, the
articles tend to cover the eastern half of
Greene County more than the western
half, but we are always on the lookout
for articles dealing with our western
half. This edition contains a prime
example: an article on the history of
the Prattsville House Hotel, by Jean
Bush. Jean is recently retired from the
Historical Register Committee, and
kindly offered us this article.
This edition also contains an article
on a little-known Revolutionary War
hero, Sybil Ludington. Most American
schoolchildren learn about the midnight ride of Paul Revere when they're
in grammar school; his legend as a
Revolutionary War hero is further bolstered
by
Henry
Wadsworth
Longfellow's famous poem about that
ride. But Revere wasn't the only one to
ride and warn Revolutionary soldiers of
approaching British forces.
Wanda West Traver, another of our
writers, and David Dorpfeld, our
Greene County Historian, have collaborated on an article about Sybil's relatively-forgotten ride through what is
now Putnam County – as well as her
later life, which she spent right here in
Catskill. Hers is a fascinating story –
and yes, there is a poem about her ride,
as well. (In truth, more than one!)
Of course, the History Quiz completes the offerings in this edition. This
time we present a brief history of the
Rip Van Winkle Park, late of Leeds,
New York.
All of this research is here for you
because people are exploring the history of our Greene County. But of course
– and you knew this was coming – we
are always on the lookout for new material.
What sights, sites, and people, now
gone, live on in your memory? Each
and every person reading this page has
knowledge of people who have made an
impact, of places that suddenly no
longer exist. Share them with us: write
about them for us. Greene County
History is always looking for manuscripts,
and
the
Publications
Committee encourages Society members to consider writing for us. Editorial
assistance can be provided.
The Publications Committee seeks
manuscripts which relate to history
within the various townships of our
County. Items need not be of worldshaking import; we seek, rather, to
record for the use of future generations,
information about people, events, and
artifacts that could be lost when our
generations are gone. Sights and sites –
remember that photographs are important historical artifacts as well!
Material for Greene County History is solicited by the Publications Committee in
accordance with the following conditions:
1. The Society has no funds to purchase articles. However, under special conditions the Society may be able, to a limited degree, to reimburse an author's
research or reproduction expenses.
2. Material must be original and written in acceptable English style, preferably
word-processed or typewritten, and double-spaced.
3. An author should be prepared to cite the sources from which the information
was obtained. In many cases, a formal bibliography will be needed.
4. The name, address, and telephone number of the author must be given.
5. The Committee reserves the right to accept or reject material submitted.
6. The Committee reserves the right to edit accepted material for historical accuracy, clarity, and/or space considerations.
7. Photographs:
* Photographs submitted as part of the article, will be returned after being
copied.
* If the author sends photographs as image files, those files must be in either JPG
or TIF format, at a resolution of 300 dpi.
* Any image taken from the web, must identify the website source where it can be
found.
Articles, as well as requests for further information, should be directed to
Robert A. D'Agostino, Journal editor, at the Greene County Historical Society,
Inc., P. O. Box 44, Coxsackie, New York 12051.
J O U R N A L V O L 3 9 PA G E 2 2 - FA L L 2 0 1 5
Left: This is the 1833 Map of
Prattsville, clearly showing
Lot No. 15. Note that the
Zadock Pratt residence is
illustrated on Lot No. 13.
Courtesy Greene County
Clerk's Office.
Museum archives were devastated
by Hurricane Irene in 2011, it is
fortunate that the Vedder
Research Library had obtained a
copy of the Prattsville House
sketch.
For much of its existence, the
hotel property also included the
back half of Lot No. 14, Lot No.
35, part of Lot No. 36, and another small connecting parcel. On
those parcels stood a Livery
Stable, a barn, and perhaps other
structures.
Colonel Pratt and Mary, his
fourth wife, sold Lot No. 15 to
John Watson, who was Pratt’s
business partner – and his brotherin-law as well. The September 12,
1844 deed to Watson states that
the premises were already in
Watson’s actual possession.
Editions of the Prattsville
Right: The September 1847
advertisement
from
the
Prattsville Advocate.
Advocate during the year 1847
announced
that
Bethuel
Sutherland had become the sole
proprietor of the “Prattsville
House” with a well-stocked bar
and a variety of wines and liquors.
In addition to being the hotel’s
proprietor,
Sutherland
was
Prattsville Town Clerk that year,
then became Supervisor during
1848-1849.
Apparently Sutherland was not
the best businessman because he
became unable to pay his creditors.
He issued at least two promissory
notes to John Watson. He also
issued several notes with his brother-in-law, Roderick S. Blish. On
March 7, 1850, he assigned his
“property of every name and
nature” to his brother-in-law and
John Laraway. Exempted by law
from the assignment was a tavern
This is perhaps the earliest photograph of the
Prattsville House. Notice the widow’s walk, the large
original columns, the gas lamp in the street, and the
absence of a front sidewalk. Courtesy of Harvey
Truesdell.
stand in Prattsville and the adjacent lots occupied by Sutherland.
Also exempted were 7 stoves
with pipe and zinc, 18 beds, 20
bedsteads and bedding for same, 10
wash stands and furniture, 6
tables, 130 yards of carpeting and
oil cloth, 3 dozen knives and forks,
all crockery glassware, and kitchen
and cooking utensils. There was a
quantity of liquor and wine, a
clock, cigars, and bar furniture.
These exemptions likely were instituted because Sutherland was only
the proprietor of the business and
not the owner of the property.
In a deed dated November 13,
1850, John Watson and his wife
sold Lot No. 15 to Cyrus Smith
and John Laraway. In this deed, it
describes the lot as being that
“upon which the Prattsville House
now stands.” Three months later,
Photo taken during the Miller family's tenure. Contrast
this with the earlier photo: here the widow’s walk has
been removed, and the building sports new slender
columns. The lower windows have been replaced as well,
changing from “six over six” panes to “two over two”
panes. Courtesy of Harvey Truesdell.
J O U R N A L V O L 3 9 PA G E 2 3 - FA L L 2 0 1 5
Laraway and his wife Adeline, sold
their one-half interest in Lot No.
15 to Cyrus Smith, making Smith
the sole owner. Cyrus and his wife
Caty then sold out to Jeremiah
Fisher of Kingston, on April 1,
1851.
SOURCES
For the next twenty-one years,
a rapid succession of proprietors
and owners followed. During 1872,
Justice Miller and another individual took possession. By 1882,
Dwight Miller, the son of Justice,
held sole ownership. Dwight and
his descendants continued to own
Beer’s Atlas of Greene County, New York, published 1867
Brooklyn Daily Eagle classifieds, June 15,1930
Examiner, Catskill NY, October 9, 1869, “The Great Flood”
Examiner, Catskill NY, October 9, 1869, “The Great Freshet”
Examiner, Catskill NY, October 16, 1869, Local Notes column “The
News; Prattsville gives the following account of the freshet at that
place.”
Examiner, Catskill NY, June 13, 1874, “The Great Storm; Damage
and Loss of Life in Prattsville”
Examiner, Catskill NY, June 20, 1874, “The Flood from Our
Exchanges; In Prattsville”
Examiner-Recorder, Catskill NY January 16, 1947, “40 Years Ago”
column
Gilboa Monitor: April 8, 1886; April 22, 1888; May 3, 1888; May 24,
1888; April 2, 1908
Gilboa Monitor: April 16, April 29, April 30, May 1; March 17, 1910
Greene County Directory, 1896
Greene County Indices: Deeds in chain of title
DeedBook 34 p 302-303 9/12/1844 Pratt to Watson, Lot 15 (no
mention of Prattsville House)
DB 42 p 232-235 3/7/1850 Sutherland assignment to Laraway and
Blish
DB 43 p 422 2/3/1850 John Laraway & wife Avaline to Cyrus
Smith, ½ interest in Lot 15
DB 44 p 34 11/11/1850 Watson & wife Marcy S. to Cyrus Smith &
John Laraway, Lot 15
DB 43 p 423 2/8/1851 Laraway & Blish (Sutherland’s assignees) to
Cyrus Smith, Lot 45 & part of Lot 46
DB 43 p 422 2/13/1851 John Laraway and wife Adeline to Cyrus
Smith, ½ interest in Lot No. 15
DB 44 p 257 4/1/1851 Cyrus Smith to Jeremiah Fisher
DB 45 p 363 3/12/1852 Jeremiah Fisher to James Auchmoody
DB 50 p 111 7/6/1854 Referee to Peter Lafever
DB 56 p 316 2/21/1860 Lafever to Philip Dinegar & Leonard Smith
DB 57 p 35512/20/1861 Leonard Smith to Dinegar
DB 60 p 93 4/21/1862 Dinegar to Joseph Clark
DB 63 p 95 4/6/1864 Clark to Edwin L. Walters
DB 69 p 202 5/1/1866 Walters to George W. Martin
DB 76 p 197 6/3/1871 Referee to Mary C. Martin
DB 77 p 404 6/20/1871 Mary C. Martin to Houghtaling &
Lamoreau
DB 77 p 163 4/1/1872 Houghtaling to Justice Miller and Charles
Fancher
DB 81 p 101 7/14/1874 Fancher ½ share to Mary A. Miller
DB 82 p 409 12/7/1874 Justice Miller to Dwight Miller
DB 93 p 108 2/28/1880 Mary A. Miller to Charles Fowler
DB 100 p 135 7/6/1882 Charles Fowler, ½ share to Dwight Miller
[Dwight now has 100%]
DB 177 p 367 3/13/1907 Ettie, Seymour & Harriet Miller to Charles
A. Layman
DB 177 p 369 3/13/1907 Charles A. Layman & wife to Ettie Miller&
Seymour Miller
and operate the hotel until 1986.
A more comprehensive history
of the Prattsville House, along
with a source list, is on file at the
Greene County Historical Society’s
Vedder Research Library, as well as
at the Zadock Pratt Museum.
DB 216 p 169 4/11/1917 Henry Jordan and wife Ida to Etta, Hatti
and Robert F. Miller
DB 275 p 200 8/27/1937 Robert F. Miller to Hattie L. Miller
DB 327 p 76 10/17/1951 John C. Welsh to Hattie, Robert & Lillian
Miller
DB 457 p 580 1/17/1971 Lillian B. Miller to Lillian Miller and Sarah
E. Brownell
DB 470 p 1061 1/14/1974 Lillian Miller & Sarah Brownell to Robert
I. & Sarah Brownell
DB 601 p 330 3/28/1986 Referee to Miklos & Linda Devald
DB 705 p 59 6/3/1988 Linda Devald to Miklos Devald
DB 860 p 30 6/24/1996 Miklos & Linda Devald to Adele M.
Distefano
DB 860 p 32 8/20/1996 Adele Distefano to Doris Devald
DB 37 p 368 10/9/1844 Lot 14 Pratt & Watson to Fenn (one boundary line is Lot 15, occupied by French and Southerland)
MortgageBook V p 397 7/19/1848 Cyrus Smith and John Laraway
MB Y p168 4/1/1851 Cyrus Smith and Jeremiah Fisher
MB Z p 104 4/1/1852 James Auchmoody and Cyrus Smith
MB Z p 120 4/19/1852 Satisfaction of MB Y p168
Greene County Surrogate Court Box Q File 1697 Roll 25 Etta
Miller
Greene County Surrogate Court Box 285 File 6587 Robert Fenn
Miller
Leader, Windham NY, September 8, 2011 (from Associated Press)
“Areas ravaged by Irene face new flooding threat”
Map by Allen H. Jackson, June 5, 1833
Map of Greene County, NY From Actual Surveys; 1856, by Samuel
Geil
New York State census: various
Otsego Farmer, January 6, 1905
Prattsville Advocate, 1847 [various issues, found online]
Prattsville Advocate, September 8, 1851
Prattsville Advocate, November 1853 [Dubois]
Prattsville Advocate, J. DeNoyelles Proprietor
Prattsville News, July 1873 “Best Kept Hotel”
Recorder, April 25, 1919
Schoharie County Supreme Court, May 16, 1854, Cyrus Smith vs
Auchmoody & others – public auction;
Stamford Mirror-Recorder, May 9, 1871; March 9, 1927; September
20, 1928; December 6, 1828; August 1, 1929; May 23,1900;January
1, 1931
United States census: various
Windham Journal, April 1, 1858, Huggins leased Prattsville House
Hotel
Windham Journal, 1858, J. DeNoyelles
Windham Journal, June 18, 1874, “The Recent Flood at
Prattsville”
Windham Journal, January 17, 1907, “DEATHS”; “Home News”
Windham Journal, January 24, 1907, article on Dwight Miller
Windham Journal, March 9, 1907, “The Snow of 1857” [Scrap
Book -Vedder Research Library]
Windham Journal, June 10, 1914, “Last but not Least”
Windham Journal, May 22, 1930, article on Etta Miller
J O U R N A L V O L 3 9 PA G E 2 4 - FA L L 2 0 1 5
Sybil
Ludington:
The Female
Paul Revere
by
Wanda West
Traver
additional material by
Here, in silhouette, we can see Anna
Huntington's bronze statue of Sybil
on her historic ride. Image courtesy
of Vincent Daquino and Purple
Mountain Press.
Sybil Ludington has become
known as the female Paul Revere
because of her own “midnight ride”
alerting troops during the American
War for Independence.
Paul Revere, who was one of
three men alerting the troops during his famous midnight ride, rode
12 miles over well-traveled roads.
Sybil, on the other hand, rode
on horseback alone, a 40 mile ride
through dark woods and muddy
roads in Putnam County on the
rainy night of April 27, 1777. She
was only 16 years old.
Ludington was alerting the
men of her father’s regiment that
the British troops had attacked and
burned Danbury, Connecticut, and
that the regiment needed to meet at
her father’s home and march to
Connecticut to oppose the enemy.
By the time she arrived back
home, the Patriots were already
marching off to help drive the
British back to their ships in Long
Island Sound.
Henry Ludington, Sybil's
father, served in the Seventh
Dutchess County militia known as
“Colonel Ludington’s Regiment.”
In 1776, the Patriot’s Provincial
Congress of the Colony of New
York appointed him colonel.
Additionally the new provincial
David
Dorpfeld;
Greene County
Historian
congress, calling itself
the
Convention of the Representatives
of the State of New York, commissioned Henry Ludington a colonel.
Sybil Ludington was born in
Putnam County. She was the oldest
of a dozen children born to Henry
and Abigail Ludington. The
Ludingtons were a prosperous family, owning a farm, a gristmill and a
sawmill. This would lead one to
believe her life was easy, but that
was not entirely correct.
Vincent T. Dacquino, perhaps
the leading living authority on
Ludington, in his book Sybil
Ludington, The Call to Arms, tells
that, “On the surface, Sybil’s life
was free from many of the hardships of the time. Her parents were
far from poor, and her father has
great influence in the county.
However, she bore many burdens on
her young shoulders. The oldest of
12 children (there were only eight at
the time of her ride), she was
expected to take a prominent role in
raising her siblings. In addition, she
had to face the reality that her
father might leave home and never
return or that a shot could ring out
at any time and take him as he sat
at the family table. Sybil’s world of
‘simple country prosperity’ was
actually a complex maze to uncer-
J O U R N A L V O L 3 9 PA G E 2 5 - FA L L 2 0 1 5
tainty, fear, and bravery. Sybil was
compelled to take a leading role in
protecting her father, who was a
wanted man.”
Why was Colonel Ludington a
wanted man? At the time of the
American Revolution the British
controlled New York City as well as
the area around the city. Where the
Ludingtons lived was not far from
there, and was a hotbed of fighting
and skirmishes between Colonials
and the British.
On top of that, there was considerable Tory activity in the area.
They were Loyalists, their allegiance pledged to Britain and King
George. These Tories were constantly conducting raids and promoting
general havoc upon those that supported the revolution. It was difficult to know who could be trusted:
sometimes the least trustworthy
person was your neighbor next
door!
On April 24, 1777, twenty
transports and six British war vessels left New York Harbor for
Compo Beach in Connecticut. These
ships were under the command of
General William Tryon.
The plan was to land troops at
Compo Beach and march on
Danbury. Their goal was to destroy
military stores at the Continental
Army depot there.
On the night of April 26, 1777
an exhausted messenger appeared
at the door of the Ludington family. He informed the Colonel that the
British were burning Danbury. The
Colonel knew that this meant he
had to assemble his regiment and
provide whatever support he could
provide for the Continentals and
volunteers fighting in Connecticut.
But as night fell, how could this be
accomplished in a timely manner?
In his 1907 book Colonel Henry
Ludington: A Memoir, Willis
Fletcher Johnson tells us the following:
“In this emergency he [Colonel
Ludington] turned to his daughter
Sybil, who a few days before, had
passed her sixteenth birthday, and
bade her to take a horse, ride for the
men, and tell them to be at this
house by daybreak. One who rides
even now from Carmel to Cold
Spring will find rugged and dangerous roads, with lonely stretches.
Imagination only can picture what
it was a quarter and a century ago
on a dark night, with reckless bands
of ‘Cowboys’ and ‘Skinners’
[Cowboys and Skinners were bands
of guerrillas and irregular cavalry
who operated chiefly in the ‘Neutral
Ground’ of Westchester County,
New York, during the American
Revolution.] abroad the land. But
the child performed her task, clinging to a man’s saddle, and guiding
her steed with only a hempen halter, as she rode through the night,
bearing the news of the sack of
Danbury. There is no extravagance
in comparing her ride with that of
Paul Revere and its midnight message. Nor was her errand less efficient than his was. By daybreak,
thanks to her daring, nearly the
whole regiment was mustered
before her father’s house at
Fredericksburg, and an hour or two
later was on the march for
vengeance on the raiders.”
Colonel Ludington’s quandary
is also romanticized in a poem titled
“Sybil Ludington’s Ride” by
Berton Braley and reprinted in
Dacquino’s book. A portion of that
poem follows:
“The Colonel muttered, ‘And who,
my friend,
Is the messenger I can send?
Your strength is spent and you cannot ride
And, then you know not the coun-
tryside;
I cannot go for my duty is clear;
When my men come they must find
me here;
There’s devil a man on the place
tonight
To warn my troopers to fight.
Then, who is my messenger to be?’
Said Sybil Ludington, ‘You have
me.”
‘You’ said the Colonel, and grimly
smiled,
Based on best research this map, reproduced from Daquino's book, presents
the probable route that Sybil took during her historic “midnight ride”
through today's Putnam County. Each of the stars identifies the location of
a historical marker placed in recognition of her ride. Map courtesy of
Vincent Daquino and Purple Mountain Press.
J O U R N A L V O L 3 9 PA G E 2 6 - FA L L 2 0 1 5
‘You! My daughter, you’re just a
child!’
‘Child!’ cried Sybil. ‘Why I’m sixteen!
My mind’s alert and my senses
keen,
I know where the trails and the
roadways are
And I can gallop fast and far
As any masculine rider can.
You want a messenger? I’m your
man!’
The Colonel’s heart was aglow with
pride.
‘Spoke like a soldier. Ride, girl, ride
Ride like the devil; ride like sin;
Summon my slumbering trooper in.
I know when duty is to be done
That I can depend on a
Ludington!’”
Sybil Ludington rode as far
south as Mahopac and Mahopac
Falls, then north to Redding
Corners and Stormville, and once
again south to her home in
Fredericksburg – the path of the
entire trip resembling somewhat of
an oval in shape. The accompanying
map traces the route of her ride.
Though Colonel Ludington and
his men were too late to save
Danbury, he and his men along with
other soldiers met General Tryon’s
men at the Battle of Ridgefield,
and ultimately drove him and his
men back to their ships in Long
Island Sound.
In his book Dacquino says that
present day visitors to Putnam
County New York can trace the
path of Sybil Ludington’s midnight
ride by following historic markers
placed along her route.
Additionally, Anna Hyatt
Huntington, a world-famous sculptor, created a bronze equestrian
statute of Sybil Ludington, which
was placed in Putnam County, NY
at Gleneida Lake, Carmel, NY. A
three-foot replica of the statue
This is the postage stamp issued
by the U. S. Postal Service commemorating Sybil Ludington's
ride. March 25, 1975 was the official first day of
issue.
Reproduction
courtesy
of
Vincent Daquino and Purple
Mountain Press.
This New York State Historical
Marker commemorating Sybil's
ride was placed through the
advocacy of the Enoch Crosby
Chapter of the Daughters of
the American Revolution, in
cooperation with the American
Scenic & Historic Preservation
Society, the NYS Division of
Highways,
and
the
NYS
Department of
Education.
Image courtesy of Vincent
Daquino and Purple Mountain
Press.
stands in the plaza of the Danbury,
Connecticut Public Library. In 1975
an eight-cent United States postage
stamp was also dedicated in her
honor.
Fast-forward to 1784 when, at
the age of 23, Sybil Ludington marries Edmond Ogden. Edmond was
29 at the time, a farmer and
innkeeper in a “public house.” Two
years after they were married their
only child, Henry, was born. In
1792 the Ogden family moved to
Catskill.
Based on research performed by
the late Greene County Historian
Mabel Parker Smith, Dacquino was
able to tell the reader quite a bit
about the Ogden’s time in Catskill.
For instance, in 1789 Ogden was the
keeper of a “public house” at
Catskill Landing. It is likely that
Edmond chose to live in The
Landing to make use of his skills, as
well as taking advantage of this
bustling neighborhood to earn the
family's daily bread by catering to
J O U R N A L V O L 3 9 PA G E 2 7 - FA L L 2 0 1 5
the laborers and businessmen who
needed food.
The most active area of development, The Landing, was situated
along the Catskill Creek, located at
the foot of Jefferson Hill, and residents watched processions of farm
wagons loaded with produce and
livestock making their way to the
port at The Landing. Sybil,
Edmond, and their seven-year old
son, Henry, settled into an environment dominated by the port and its
countless activities and diversions.
James
D.
Pinckney’s
Reminiscences of Catskill recorded
Edmond as having subscribed to
the academy building fund during
the time young Henry was enrolled
in a school at The Landing.
Unfortunately Edmond Ogden died
September 16, 1799 in New York
City, presumably from yellow fever.
Edmond and Sybil had been
proprietors of an inn named
“Ogden’s Corner.” When Edmond
died in 1799 she continued the inn,
Today the Lyman Hall house stands at 253
Main Street, at the corner of Greene
Street, in Catskill. Research has shown that
this was the property Hall purchased from
Sybil Ludington Ogden. Based on research
by Greene County Historian Mabel Parker
Smith and others, the foundation of this
structure may share part of the foundation
of Sybil's “Ogden's Corner” inn. However,
while our local On-Ti-Ora Chapter of the
Daughters of the American Revolution has
researched the history of this location and
its connection to Sybil, the National
Society of the DAR has not approved the
placement of a historical marker here.
Image courtesy of Vincent Daquino and
Purple Mountain Press.
becoming the first female innkeeper
of Catskill. Beer’s History of Greene
County New York notes her to be the
only licensed female among 23
licensed innkeepers in 1803. She
continued the inn until about 1810.
A deed in the Greene County
Clerk’s office dated May 4, 1804
records property at the corner of
Main and Greene Streets, Catskill
being purchased by Sybil Ogden,
Widow, from Reuben Webster of
the County of Litchfield and State
of Connecticut.
County Historian Mabel Parker
Smith discussed Sybil’s purchase in
a Daily Mail article on January 11,
1978, noting that the “Ogden’s
Corner” tavern sign swayed at the
southwest corner of Main and
Greene Streets for about six years
from the purchase of the land.
Smith further commented that possibly there was the erection of a
stone structure thereon.
However, it is believed that
Sybil Ogden did not serve the public in the present brick residence
now occupying the Main and
Greene Street corner. In 1810 Sybil
Ogden sold the property to Lyman
Hall. In the book, Historic Places of
Greene County, 253 Main Street is
pictured as it exists today with the
following information: “In 1811
Lyman Hall built his home on the
property he bought from Sybil
Ludington Ogden.” It is believed
that the foundation of the Hall
building, was part of Sybil’s home
and tavern from 1804 to 1810. The
book further notes that the first
occupants of the 1811 building
were Lyman Hall and his wife,
Electa Day Hall.
Edmond and Sybil’s son, Henry,
married Julia Peck of Catskill at
age 24. Sybil had helped see Henry
through his education and he
became “Henry Ogden, Attorneyat-Law of Unadilla, Otsego
County.”
After the 1810 sale of the property at the corner of Greene and
Main Streets, Sybil moved to
Unadilla and lived with Henry and
his wife until her death.
Henry’s first son, Edmond
Augustus, named for his grandfather, was born February 20, 1811.
This Edmond graduated from West
Point Military Academy and served
in the Army with the rank of
Major. He died at Fort Riley,
Kansas Territory in 1855. Henry
had three additional sons and two
daughters.
Sybil Ludington Ogden died
February 26, 1839 in Otsego
County. She is buried in Patterson,
Putnam County, NY next to her
parents
at
the
Patterson
Presbyterian Church Cemetery. It
seems fitting that she was returned
to the area of her youth -- and that
“midnight ride” of April, 1777.
Each April for the past 37 years,
there has been a 50-kilometer
footrace held in Carmel, New York
on the closest Saturday to the date
of Sybil Ludington’s ride. The
course of the race approximates the
route taken by Ludington, and finishes near the statue of her on the
shore of Lake Gleneida in Carmel,
New York.
Sybil was truly the female Paul
Revere, and deserves to be remembered as such!
SOURCES
Dacquino, Vincent T, Sybil Ludington:
The Call to Arms, The Pride of Putnam
County
Gallt’s Dear Old Greene County
Historic Places of Greene County
Hasenkopf, Sylvia, Greenville Pioneer
newspaper articles
Pinckney, James D, Reminiscences of
Catskill
Smith, Mabel Parker, Catskill Daily
Mail articles, 1978
The Publications Committee wishes to
extend our collective thanks to author
Vincent Daquino as well as publisher,
Purple Mountain Press, for allowing the
reproduction of the map and the images
used in this article. Sybil Ludington: The
Call to Arms is available at Barnes & Noble
and at Amazon.com, as well as from Purple
Mountain Press.
J O U R N A L V O L 3 9 PA G E 2 8 - FA L L 2 0 1 5
The History Quiz Answer:
What, and where, was
Rip Van Winkle Park?
The entrance to the Rip Van Winkle
Park. Image courtesy of Mr. Robert
Carl.
The postcard image which
accompanied the History Quiz question in the last edition, was a bit of
a curve ball. The statue and its display, sat on the north side of what is
today's Route 23B, and was on the
property of the Rip Van Winkle
Cabins – today's Rip Van Winkle
Motor Lodge. That statue, which
was created by Robert Carl's grandfather, stood approximately where
the in-ground pool sits today at the
Rip Van Winkle Motor Lodge.
Formerly known as Forest Hill
Park, the Rip Van Winkle Park, on
the other hand, was situated on
acreage just south of today's Route
23B, between the Astoria Motor
Court and the former Koch's
Restaurant. The park site is across
Route 23B from the Leeds
Firehouse. The property ran down
to Catskill Creek, and included hiking trails as well as spectacular
views along the Creek, including the
falls near the mills just upstream. In
all, the property ran to about eighteen acres.
The reported 1911 purchase –
actually it was a lease – of the flourishing Rip Van Winkle Park from
Mary Phelan by the Catskill
Traction Company was a great coup.
It was important enough, in fact, for
the announcement to receive coverage in the New York Times! Those
were the days when trolleys were the
kings of local transportation, before
they were overtaken and supplanted
by the personal automobile. The
lease cost was set at $25 for 1911 and
$50 for 1912, with a $10 increase for
This view looks up to the ridge, from
the Creek. The land rises behind the
rectangular building in the center.
Note the rocks that jut out into the
Creek, as well: they help to provide a
consistent orientation through these
postcard images. Image courtesy of
Mr. Robert Carl.
This view looks west. Here we see the
rocks that jut out from the shore of
the Creek, but from the other side of
the rocks, and at the shoreline.
Further west we can see the falls, as
well as the mills they helped power. On
a different postcard, they are
described as the A. T. Stewart Mills.
Image courtesy of Mr. Robert Carl.
1913 and 1914. (Why so low? The
trolley company had also agreed to
pay the land taxes.)
Like Kinderhook's Electric
Park, Leeds' Rip Van Winkle Park
was easily accessed by a trolley ride
– during the years when the trolley
ran, of course. But while the main
attraction of Kinderhook Park was,
in fact, the mechanical rides onsite,
Rip Van Winkle Park had none of
that.
J O U R N A L V O L 3 9 PA G E 2 9 - FA L L 2 0 1 5
Rather, the attraction of the
Leeds park was more in line with
that of Cole's Grove, which hugged
the west shore of the Hudson at the
eastern edge of the property owned
by the family of artist Thomas Cole.
Cole's Grove was a place for family
picnics and relaxation with nature –
it was frequently described as a “sylvan glade,” a place of relaxation.
The Rip Van Winkle Park seems
to have been created in that mold:
the Times report described it as “one
of the prettiest pieces of land in the
Catskills,” and that the Park was
“an ideal place for picnics and excursions.” Locally, the Coxsackie Union
proclaimed that “Leeds has become
Catskill's Coney Island.”
Under ownership of the trolley
company, the new come-on was the
fact that admission to Rip Van
Winkle Park would now be free. The
idea was that the new free admission
policy would lure more locals as well
as more “Summer visitors” to the
Park. All they had to do was get
there... on the trolley... which did
cost money to ride.
Of course, when the trolley
company sponsored special events,
such as George Ober “and his Sylvan
Players” performing the play Rip
Van Winkle one evening and The
Rivals the next, there was a general
admission fee of fifty cents, with
reserved seats a dollar – though you
could get a combination ticket,
reserved seats for both performances, for only $1.50.
The author wishes to thank Mr. Robert
Carl for sharing both his extensive postcard
collection, and his memories of the area.
This History Quiz answer would certainly
not have been possible without his assistance! Thank you!
History Quiz
You'd have to live under a rock not
to know that the latest installment
of Star Wars franchise, Star Wars
Episode VII: The Force Awakens,
premiered on December 18, 2015.
Advertising tie-ins have been everywhere – though (spoiler alert!)
there are no Chryslers, Rams,
Dodges, Jeeps or Fiats in the film,
despite the implications of the
automaker's recent ad campaign.
But that's today. For this edition's History Quiz question, let's
journey back to May 25, 1977. That
was the release date of the first
Star Wars film... now known as Star
Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
That original Star Wars film, like
the current offering, premiered at
the Catskill Community Theatre on
its opening day. But here's the question: how many weeks did the original Star Wars movie stay at the
Community Theatre? How long
was that engagement?
Looking down from the ridge, toward
the Creek. Note the building just left of
center... it's the same building we can
see looking up from the Creek. Image
courtesy of Mr. Robert Carl.
Fall 2015
Greene County Historical Society, Inc.
c/o T. Satterlee
164 High Hill Road
Catskill, NY 12414-6411
Non-Profit
Organization
US Postage Paid
Newburgh, NY 12550
Permit No. 1491
Return Service Requested
The answer to this question
will be found in the next edition!
Looking down from Route 23B: the same ridge, but after a hundred years
have passed. The rectangular building is gone, and the trees have grown
in, but if you look carefully you can still see the rocks jutting out from the
left shore of the Creek.
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