1. Hudson, 1785. 6. Hillsdale, 1788. TOWNS. Mountains. U. Taghkanic range. 11. Taghkanic, 1803. 14. New Lebanon, 1818. Rivers and Creeks. C. Hudson river. b. Claverack creek. c. Copake. d. Ancram. g. Roeliff Jansen's. h. Vallitje. i. Kinderhook. Falls. Kinderhook falls. Lakes and Ponds. k. Copake lake. 1. Charlotte. j. Whiting's pond. Villages. HUDSON. Kinderhook. m. Fish. BOUNDARIES. North by Rensselaer county; East by the state of Massachusetts and Dutchess county; South by Dutchess county; and West by the Hudson river. SURFACE. The surface of Columbia county is greatly varied, but may be regarded as composed of two long and broken valleys, on the east of which the Taghkanic range forms a natural boundary between the county and the state of Massachusetts; the high banks of the Hudson form the western boundary, and the Peterborough mountains constitute the dividing ridge through the centre of the county. The western valley rises on the north and sou, causing its waters to flow towards the centre; while the eastern, being highest in the centre, sends its streams north and south. The western valley being much the broadest, gives the county the form of a basin, retaining all the waters that rise in it, and discharging them into the Hudson, through the Kinderhook and Roeliff Jansen's creeks. RIVERS. The Hudson is the principal river; the other streams of the county are Kinderhook, Claverack, Copake, Roeliff Jansen's and Vallitje creeks. LAKES. Fish, Whiting's pond, Copake and Charlotte, are the only lakes worthy of notice. RAILROADS. The Hudson and Berkshire, and the Great Western railroad pass through the county; and the route of the Harlaem railroad is laid out through it. CLIMATE. The climate varies with the surface. In the valleys it is mild and pleasant, with early seasons; on the moun tains, it is colder and more backward. The county is regarded as very healthy. GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The Taghkanic mountains, in the eastern part of the county, are primitive, and composed mainly of granite, and granular limestone. The remainder of the county is transition, and its principal rocks are graywacke and blue limestone, below which, for the most part, lies a bed of slate. The minerals are, iron ore of superior quality, lead ore, sulphuret of copper, oxide of manganese, sulphuret of zinc, heavy spar, peat, marl and marble. There are several mineral springs, both sulphurous and chalybeate, in the county. Those at Lebanon are much frequented, and considered as possessing valuable medicinal properties.* The sulphur springs in the town of Stockport are attracting considerable attention. SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. Portions of the county are highly fertile, while others are less productive. The marl and lime which abound in the county, furnish ample means for enriching it, to the highest degree of productiveness. The timber of the county is principally pitch pine, hickory, oak, maple, elm and chestnut. PURSUITS. Agriculture is the leading pursuit. Much attention is given to the culture of grain and the rearing of cattle. The growth of wool is very large. Manufactures are also an important pursuit in the county. The principal articles are cotton and woollen fabrics, including prints, flour, iron and brass ware. Cmmerce. An active trade is carried on from Hudson and the other river towns of the county, with New York and other home ports, employing a number of steamers, sloops and barges. The produce of the inland towns finds its way to a market by the railroads. Mines. There are some iron mines in the county. STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. cheese and wool. Oats, potatoes, corn, rye, butter, SCHOOLS. In 1846, there were in the county, 184 district school-houses, in which schools were taught, an average period of nine months. 11,275 scholars received instruction, at an expense for tuition, of about $22,038. The district libraries numbered 22,540 volumes. There were, the same year, in the county, twenty-six select schools, with 435 pupils, and four academies with 238 students. The following is the late Dr. Meade's analysis of the waters of the New Lebanon spring. Two quarts of water contain Muriate of lime, grs. 1 Muriate of soda, (common salt,) 1 3-4 11-2 Carbonate of lime, 3-4 5 Atmospheric air, 8 RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Dutch Reformed, Baptists, Presbyterians, Friends, Episcopalians, Jews, Lutherans, Shakers, Universalists, Congregationalists, Unitarians, and Roman Catholics. The whole number of churches is seventy-four; of clergymen, sixty. HISTORY. This county was originally a portion of two manors. The manor of Rensselaerwyck included all except the seven southernmost towns, which constituted the manor of Livingston, granted in 1684, 1685, and 1686, and confirmed to the proprietor in 1714. In 1710, a company of seventy German families, part of those sent over by Queen Anne, settled in the present town of Germantown, which they called East Camp. In 1725, an arrangement having been made between George I. and the proprietor of the Livingston manor, a tract of 6000 acres was secured to them, of which forty acres were to be reserved for the use of a church and school, and the remainder divided equally among the inhabitants. The other six towns, Clermont, Livingston, Taghkanic, Gallatin, Copake, and Ancram, still constitute the Livingston manor. The leases are generally long, and the rents payable in produce. The northern towns, mostly belong to the manor of Rensselaerwyck. Difficulties have frequently occurred between the proprietors of these manors and their tenants. In 1766, the military forces were called out to quell the disturbances in the town of Claverack, in the Rensselaer manor, and a conflict ensued in which several lives were lost. Similar occurrences have taken place within a year or two past. The county was mostly settled by Swedish and Dutch emigrants, with the exception of Germantown, already mentioned, and Hudson, which was founded in 1783, by enterprising citizens of Rhode Island and Nantucket. The manorial system has perhaps prevented, in some degree, the full development of the capabilities of the county; yet it has, with slight exceptions, uniformly enjoyed a high degree of prosperity. VILLAGES. HUDSON city, the capital of the county, is pleasantly situated on the banks of the Hudson, here about fifty feet above the level of the river. It was formerly largely engaged in commerce, but the interests of this, as well as all our other commercial ports, were greatly injured by the action of the French and English, relative to neutral vessels, and the course necessarily adopted by our government in return, prior to the late war with Great Britain. After recovering from the severe losses occasioned by these events, the citizens of Hudson engaged in the whale fishery, but with indifferent success. The coasting trade is prosecuted to some extent. There are some manufactories here, principally of sperm oil and candles, malt liquors, iron, and carriages. The Hudson Academy is an old chartered institution, and the Hudson Female Seminary, is a new and flourishing school. The Hudson Lunatic Asylum is a private institution, but well conducted, and enjoying a large amount of patronage. The city is supplied with excellent water, by means of an aqueduct. The Hudson and Berkshire railroad adds materially to the business facilities of the city. Population, 5,657. Valatie is an important manufacturing village, in the town of Kinderhook, situated at the junction of the Valatie (a corruption of Vallitje) and Kinderhook creeks; here are four large cotton mills, two iron foundries, and several other manufactories. Population, 1600. Kinderhook village, in the town of the same name, is delightfully situated on a plain, five miles east of the Hudson. It has several manufactories, and a flourishing incorporated academy. It is the birth place of ex-President Van Buren, and his beautiful country seat, Lindenwald, is about two miles south of the village. Population, 1500.. Columbiaville, in the town of Stockport, is a manufacturing village of some importance. Its manufactures consist mainly of cotton sheetings. The Hudson River Seminary, a manual labor institution, is located here. There are in the town of Stockport, several other manufacturing villages. The principal are Glencadia, Springville, Hudson Print Works, and Chittenden's Falls. New Lebanon Shaker Village, in the town of New Lebanon, called by the inhabitants the "Village of the Millennial Church," is situated on the west side of the Taghkanic mountains. This is one of the largest settlements of this singular people. They have here a very large church, arched over throughout its entire extent; ten dwelling houses for their families, or communities, which consist of from 60 to 150 persons each, and numerous workshops and manufactories. Their grounds are highly cultivated, and their society prosperous and wealthy. This settlement was founded a few years after that at Neskayuna, noticed under Albany county. Population about 600. Two and a half miles from this village, are the New Lebanon springs, which are a fashionable resort for invalids and pleasure seekers, during the summer; the scenery here is very delightful. 10* |