Rensselaerville, New York, USA (Medusa)
1860 - Rensselaerville

RENSSELEARVILLE - named from the Van Rensselaer family-was formed from Watervliet, March 8, 1790. Bern was taken off in 1795, and a part of Westerlo in 1815. It is the s. w. corner town of the county. Its surface is mostly upland, broken by parallel ridges extending N. and s. and rising 400 to 600 feet above the valleys. The principal streams are Catskill Creek and its tributaries, Scrub, Fox, Ten Mile, and Eight Mile Creeks, and Wifiow Brook. The valleys of these streams are narrow, and are bordered by steep hill sides, and the streams are rapid, and. subject to sudden and destructive freshets. Upon Ten Mile Creek, near Rensselaerville, is a fall of 100 feet; and upon Willow Brook is another of 40 feet. Bog iron has been found in the e. part. There is a sulphur spring 2 1/ 2 miles N. E. of Preston Hollow. The soil is clay and gravel, underlaid by hard pan. Rensselaerville (p.v.) contains an academy. Pop. 561. Williamsburgh, on the w. border of the town, contains 18 houses; Preston Hollow (p.v.) 40; and Medusa (p.v.) 30; Potters Hollow and. Cooksburg are post-offices. The town was mostly settled by emigrants from New England soon after the Revolution. Michael Brandt, a German from Schoharie, lived in town during the war. Daniel Shay, the leader of the revolt known as Shay's Rebeffion, moved to this town in 1795. Maj. John Edmonds, a Revolutionary officer, was also a settler in this town. The first church (Presb.) was formed in Nov. 1793, and the edifice erected. in 1796. Rev. Samuel Fuller was the first pastor.

Gazetteer of the State of New York By: J. H. French, LL.D. 1860

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