A Backward Glance in
—
A picture of
Reprinted in
Transcribed by Yvonne Bauer
January 2005
Notes on current locations were inserted in the 1893
reprint.
Notes current in 2005 are given in bold.
(The
following article is reprinted from an advertiser of
In former days the main body of
The stone house above mentioned was
owned and occupied by Francis Baird, an old gentleman who also owned a large
farm adjoining; he kept a store in a small wing of the house, and a sign in
front indicated that there was “Chandler & Baird’s Store.” John Baird, the son of the old gentleman, was
by trade a tanner, and had a tan-yard a little back of the house, near the
small sparing brook, another son named Abiah F. Baird, was a lame man and by
profession a lawyer. The father lies
buried in the Presbyterian ground near the church—the sons afterward removed to
Sandyhill, in this state, where they both died.
John Smith kept the principle tavern of the village;
he was a large, pursy man, and wore a band across his forehead, from which was
suspended a patch to cover a defective eye.
He was a Mason, and the lodge was in a large upper room of his house.3 The ladies of the neighborhood
volunteered to assist in fitting it up, which was done in a very handsome style
for that day. Mr. Smith died about the
time we are referring to, and was buried in the Presbyterian ground, with the
Masonic honors.
What is now the Wawayanda House[1],
which has since been enlarged, was owned and occupied by Daniel Burt, who also
owned, and had formerly occupied the old shingled house before mentioned; Joel
Burt, his son kept a store in the first mentioned; Mr. Burt afterwards sold out
and removed to Oswego, in this state, where his descendants are still to be found. The old Presbyterian meeting house stood on
the site of the present church4. It was an uncouth fabric, with a double
pitched roof a mere shell without pews in the gallery, and some ancient and
uncomfortable ones below, —it stood high up from the ground, and the foundation
was so open that the village sheep lodged under it—in the playful language of
the day it was styled “the Lord’s barn.” —Mr. Joline,5
a clergymen from
Up the road towards Florida, on the
east side, near where Mr. Van Houton now lives, was a small shapely frame
house,6 occupied by Dr. Hopkins, a very
accomplished gentleman, who ranked high in his profession. He got into some difficulty and was obliged
to leave but returned again after an absence of a few years, and resumed the
practice of his profession; he afterwards went to
About half a mile further up, where
now Mr. N. R. Bradner is located,9 in an
old fashioned house, lived Aannias Rogers, who was a farmer and dealt largely
in cattle–he was also the town butcher.
Returning again to the village and
taking the old road towards Sugar Loaf, at a short distance on the left hand,
will be found a small stone house still standing[2]
which was built and occupied by Mr. Montanye, the
Baptist minister of the village. He was
a small, square built, active man, of pleasant countenance, and good natural
abilities; he gave very good sermons, and presided over the only regular
Christian congregation then existing in the village.
“Beside the bed where parting life was
laid, and sorrow quilt and pain at times displayed, the Reverend champion
stood: at his control despair and anguish fled the struggling soul. Comfort came down his humble hopes to raise
and his last trembling accent whispered praise.”
Your informant was present when Mr. Montanye preached his farewell sermon. The scene was very impressive; his emotion was
so great that at times it impeded his enunciation, and at the conclusion when
he uttered the words “Brethren, farewell,” many of his parishioners were in
tears. Advancing up the road, at the
next house on the left, lived Jacob Mabee, the village blacksmith. His shop was near the road; his house a
little back; some of his descendants are still to be found here.
Again advancing on the opposite side
is an old fashioned stone house, still there, lived James Benedict, a
substantial farmer a men of excellent reputation of inquiring mind, and strong
common sense. Your informant on a visit
to
1 At the
bandstand corner, lately occupied by Mrs. Sarah Pierson. Now occupied by the Mobil Station, corner of Main and Colonial Ave.
2 The old
house now occupied by Mrs. Herrick.
3 The building now occupied by William W. Van Duzer.
[1] On
4 The present reformed church is on the same lot.
5 The father of the late Mrs. Van Houten.
6 The present Old School Baptist parsonage.
7 In the lawn where Judge Boattie’s new house stands, and near the old wall.
8 The reformed church parsanage stie.
9 The old dwelling is now rented by Jocob
[2] No longer standing.. Current property of James Quinn.