Hudson, New York, USA
1900 - City of Hudson

...The territory included in the boundaries of Hudson city was formerly a part of the old town of Claverack and was included in the grant of land purchased from the Indians in 1662 by Jan Frans Van Hoesen, to whom it was confirmed by Governor Nicoll on May 14, 1667. The patentee died about 1703 and under the law of primogeniture the property passed to his eldest son, Jurrien; but there were other children and the land was divided. On Jannary 7, 1704, he conveyed to his brothers and sister, Jacob Jans, Johannes, and Catherine (wife of Francis Hardick), the lands lying on and near the river. The portion conveyed to Francis Hardick and his wife is thus described in the deed:

"A certain piece of land situate, lying, and being at Claverack aforesaid, on the east side of Hudson's River, now in their possession, Beginning from the river side and runs up Eastwardly into the Woods along the north side of the Waggon Way to the Spruyt of Dientz bridge at the bounds of said Jurrien Van Hoesen, and so along the said bounds Northwest to the bounds of Jacob Jans Van Hoesen, and from thence Westward along his bounds to the said River side, together with the House and Barn and Orchard."

Francis Hardick when a boy had run away from service in Liverpool and was brought over on a vessel trading between that port and New York. He found employment with Mr. Van Hoesen and afterwards married the daughter. Jacob Jans Van Hoesen, brother of Jurrien, received lands to the northward, while those of Johannes, another brother, lay upon the river and South Bay, extending on the north to the road which formed the boundary of the tract allotted to the Hardicks. The road, or "Waggon Way," led from the interior to the landing and passed along the line of what became Ferry and Partition streets. The lands of Johannes and the Hardicks, lying respectfully on the southern and northern sides of the road, comprised a large part of the site of Hudson city. Francis Hardick died about 1742 and bequeathed his more northerly land to his son Jan, while the remainder, extending south to about the line of Ferry and Partition streets, went to his son William; he died about 1760, leaving several sons, among whom were Francis (the eldest), Gerrit, Jacob and Lendert. The lands descended by primogeniture to Francis, and at his death, May 4, 1783, were inherited by his sons, William, Peter and Daniel; the part allotted to the latter was probably outside of the city limits. Previous to the death of Francis Hardick he sold to Jeremiah Hogeboom a "store and wharf lot," and a "mill lot," the latter including what became known as Underhill's Pond, and the store and wharf lot lay on the river on the north side of the old County road (Ferry street), as shown on a map made in September, 1774. In 1783 both of these lots were owned and occupied by Peter Hogeboom, jr.

Jurrien Van Hoesen conveyed his land, extending from the Wagon Way to the South Bay and westwardly to the river, to Johannes, as stated, and the latter passed it on to Jacob and Gerrit Van Hoesen, October 28, 1724. In 1783 this land was in possession of Hendrick Van Hoesen, Gerrit Van Hoesen, John Van Alen, and Catharine (Van Hoesen) Van Alen. The land conveyed by Jurrien Van Hoesen to his brother Jacob Jans, in 1704, extended from the Hardick tract northerly along the river to the north line of the patent; this, or a part of it adjoining the Hardick tract, descended from Jacob Jans Van Hoesen to his son Jacob, and from him to his sons, Jacob and John Jacob Van Hoesen, who owned it in 1783.

Here, at Claverack Landing, as it was originally called, the farmers brought their products and the river men took them aboard their craft for transportation to other points. Two rude wharfs were built, each having a small storehouse, of which the owners were Peter Hogeboom, jr., and Col. John Van Alen. Hogeboom's store stood on the "store and wharf lot" mentioned, and Van Alen's on what is now the southwest corner of Ferry and Water streets. Where the country road came down to the river, at the site of the later ferry slip, was the landing place of a ferry operated by Conrad Flock "to and from Lunenburgh," which was the upper and older part of Athens village. Flock's foot passengers were taken over in canoes, and wagons on two canoes fastened side by side, the animals swimming alongside.

Peter Hogeboom, jr., built a mill on the mill lot, for which the small stream supplied a somewhat inadequate quantity of water for a time, and ground grain for the settlers. Orchards had been planted along the country road, which were in bearing, and the farms were well tilled. The herring fishery in its season aided in adding to the food supply and the financial income, large quantities being shipped to New York.

In the early part of 1783 came the body of New Englanders, who have been mentioned, to take up the task of making a city. Among them were a number of sturdy Quakers, and altogether no better party of settlers could have been gathered to effect their purpose and no event in the history of the county has been of greater importance for its development at this point. These proprietors were mostly from Providence and Newport in Rhode Island, and Nantucket and Edgarton, Massachusetts, and the number was limited to thirty, though not quite that number was reached. They possessed considerable means and were familiar with sea going navigation and the whale fishery. A committee came on ahead to select a location, passed through Long Island Sound and into the Hudson, examining locations at several points on the way. The committee consisted of four members, Thomas Jenkins being one and Cotton Geiston another; the other two are not designated. Thomas Jenkins was the leader and the one having the most money. They finally decided to locate at Claverack Landing and doubtless were cordially received by the few pioneers who had laid the foundations for improvement. Their landing was made July 19, 1783, and the first business transaction made by them was the purchase by Mr. Jenkins of the Hogeboom store and wharf property for £2,600. On the 22d of the same month Margaret, widow of the second Francis Hardick, William and Peter Hardick, her sons, and Gerrit and Jacob, sons of the elder William Hardick, conveyed to Thomas Jenkins land "bounded northerly by land of Jacob Van Hoesen to the river, about 200 rods, and by the river to lands conveyed by Peter Hogeboom, jr., to Thomas Jenkins," for £1,870. On the same day Francis Hardick transferred to Thomas Jenkins for £540 a lot of two acres lying on or near North Bay. These three tracts included the land lying north of Ferry and Partition streets, and were probably all that was embraced in the first purchase. Title to other later purchases was taken by Mr. Jenkins for the Association. One of these was dated September 5, 1783, and conveyed from Lendert Hardick twelve and a half acres and twenty perches of land for £250, lying nearly in the northwestern angle of Second and Mill streets. Lendert Hardick had purchased it from Francis Hardick, Br., to whom it had descended from his father. The Hogeboom mill lot was sold to Thomas Jenkins in 1784...

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The first dwellings in the place were those of Seth Jenkins, John Alsop, and Joseph Barnard, which were built in 1783, before the arrival of the main body of proprietors. The first two stood on the north side of what is now Franklin square. The first meeting of the proprietors was held in the Jenkins house, which in after years was known as the Swain house, and was burned in the great fire of 1838. Stephen Paddock's portable house was set up on Front street and occupied only until he could erect a more commodious one. The Robert Barnard house was the next one built and stood on the corner of First and Warren streets. Jared Coffin built on the south side of Union street, directly opposite First street. The first house on Main street was built by Peter Barnard; he was not a proprietor, but was long a respected citizen, The dwelling stood on the south side of the street about midway between First and Second. Some of the very early houses were of brick, which had been burned in the vicinity many years; one of these was the residence of Colonel Van Alen, which stood on the southeast corner of Ferry and Water streets. Brick were manufactured on the north side of the old wagon road near Third street and also on Diamond street, in early years...

On September 2, 1784, Gideon Gardner, Cotton Geiston, and Daniel Paddock were appointed a committee in charge, in response to a proprietors' vote "that the three wells be stoned and masoned up." In Mr. Miller's book, reprinted herein, he terms these wells as cisterns; but it seems doubtful that the intelligent proprietors would have so misused the word, "wells." A cistern at that date meant just what it does today, and a well was a source of drinking water coming up out of the ground. These three were undoubtedly dug for public use, one of them being situated on Third street, another in the vicinity of Second street, and the third near the market house. In any event they were supplemented in a short time by a water supply brought in an aqueduct.

The year 1785 saw great strides in the progress of the young city, and perhaps the most astonishing phase of the general aspect of the settlement by the proprietors was the energy, enterprise, and good judgment displayed by them. On the 9th of June, of that year, a committee of proprietors was appointed "to survey and plot the city." This important work was done under the direction of Cotton Gelston, who was given "one house lot for his trouble in laying out and making a plot of the city." This survey included the streets before named and added thereto Fourth and Fifth streets. Between the long streets extending eastward from Front street, were laid out so called "gangways," twenty feet wide, which formed the rear lines of the town lots, which were laid out fifty by one hundred and twenty feet in area. The city plot extended southwardly to the old country road and in the opposite direction to the alley next north of State street. Thomas Jenkins and David Lawrence were appointed to name these streets. This survey was accepted formally by the Council on July 13, 1786. In September, 1785, Peter Van Hoesen obtained permission "to lay out a road to the South Bay;" this was done and became South Third street. In the same fall the road from Claverack bridge to the Hudson was widened to sixty six feet, as also was the one from Livingston manor "until it intersects the Claverack road near the house of John Mandeville." Other important streets were added as the growth of the city demanded Partition street from Front to Third, in May, 1794; Chapel street in May, 1796; the road up the Academy Hill in 1800, opened by the Columbia Turnpike Company; Seventh street in 1801, and Union street and Cherry alley at the same time, etc...

Before the close of 1785 this "commercial settlement," as the proprietors had termed it, had become a community of stirring, progressive business activity. In its shipping it already stood second among the ports of the States; ship building was being carried on by Titus Morgan, who began in 1784, and Jenkins and Gelston took up the business soon after him; numerous stores were opened; building was on the increase, and many shops in which were conducted trades and manufactures upon which the shipping interests depended, had been established. Some of the proprietors, having knowledge of farming, settled on lands in the vicinity and aided in growing the produce needed by the community. Among those engaged in business here in 1785 are found the following: Thomas Jenkins was a merchant and advertised for sale "at his store opposite the house of Ezra Reed, the best West India and New England Rum, Iron, Salt, and Dry Goods;" Greene & Mansfield were merchants in similar lines of trade; Cotton Geiston was a merchant on Main street; Shubael Worth on the northwest corner of Main and Second streets; David Lawrence, also in trade. T. R. Bowles had a general store and advertised "Dilworth's spelling books, by the Dozen or single," Bunker and Eastman were operating a tannery; Latham Bunker was a blacksmith; Jenkins and Gelston, ship builders, and Titus Morgan in the same business; Tristram & Barzillai Bunker were sail makers: John R. Bolles, "saddler, next door to Thomas Jenkins' store;" Richard Bowles, saddler; Phineas June, tailor; Dennis Macnemara, "Taylor for Ladies and Gentlemen;" J. Pritchard, "Taylor and Ladies' Habit Maker, from London;" Peter Field, watchmaker and jeweler; Thomas Worth, who announced that he had "Silk and Stuff Shoes for sale at his shop near the Market;" Gideon Tabor, boot and shoe maker; Walter Johnson, "from Newport, Baker" (corner of Front and Ferry streets); Lot Tripp, drugs and medicines; Dr. Levi Wharton, drugs and medicines (one of the two earliest physicians in the city, the other being Dr. Joseph Hamilton); Ezekiel Gilbert, the first lawyer in the city; Stoddard & Webster, printers and publishers of the first newspaper; James Robardet, "instructor in the polite accomplishment of dancing." It is known that this list, made up mainly from Mr. Miller's book, and the Gazette files, does not include nearly all of the business interests of the place at that early date.

It is one of the peculiar facts in the history of Hudson that the proprietors and settlers, within a year and a half after the first purchases of land were made by them, determined upon incorporation as a city. To accomplish this purpose a petition was presented to the Legislature, February 17, 1785, which was prepared by a committee consisting of Ezekiel Gilbert, John Thurston, Ezra Reed, and Seth Jenkins. Seth Jenkins, Ezekiel Gilbert, Henry Van Rensselaer, and John Thurston were appointed to present the matter to the Assembly with such influence as they could exercise. The act was passed on April 22, 1785, and Hudson became a city with the following boundaries:

"Beginning at the channel of the Hudson's River, in the County of Albany, directly opposite the Mouth of the Creek commonly called Major Abram's Creek; thence to and up the middle of said Creek to the place where the Claverack Creek empties into the said Major Abram's Creek; thence up along the middle of said Claverack Creek until the said Claverack Creek strikes the line of the Manor of Livingston to the East side of Hudson's River; thence into the said River One Hundred and Eighty feet below High Water Mark, and thence to the place of Beginning; keeping the same distance of One Hundred and Eighty feet all along from High Water Mark aforesaid."

This territory was diminished in area in 1833 by the formation of Stockport, and again in 1837 to its present limits by the erection of Greenport. The freemen living within these boundaries were by the act "ordained, constituted, and declared to be, from Time to Time and forever hereafter, one Body corporate and politic, in Fact and in Name, by the name of the Mayor, Recorder, Aldermen, and Commonalty of the City of Hudson."...

Columbia County At The End of the Century, Hudson Gazette, Hudson, New York 1900

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