History of the Town of Berlin

Berlin was formed from Petersburgh, Schodack, and Stephentown, March 21, 1806. A portion of Sand Lake was taken off in 1812. It lies near the center of the E. border of the co. Its surface consists of 2 ranges of mountains separated by a narrow valley extending N. and S. The hilly region is wild and broken, and the declivities are generally precipitous. The principal streams are Kinderhook Creek, flowing S., and Little Hoosick River, flowing N. The headwaters of these streams are but a few rods apart, near S. Berlin. The W. part of the town is covered with forest, in which are several fine lakes. The soil in the valley is a gravelly loam, but among the mountains it is a hard sterile clay intermixed or covered with fragments of rock. Berlin (p.v.), containing 326 inhabitants, South Berlin (p.v.) and Center Berlin (p.v.), are all situated in the valley of the Little Hoosick. West Berlin is a p.o. Godfrey Brimmer located near N. Berlin in 1765. ¹ The first church (Seventh Day Bap.) was formed at N. Berlin, in Dec. 1780; Wm. Coon was the first preacher. ²

¹ Among the other early settlers were Reuben Bonesteel and a family named Richer, who came in soon after Mr. Brimmer. In 1769 Peter Simmons and Jacob O. Cropsey lived at the Hollow, and in the same year Daniel Hull and Joseph Green came into town. Col. Bentley settled near N. Berlin, and Thos. Sweet, a blacksmith, at S. Berlin. Jas. Green, a son of Joseph G., died in 1857, aged 100 years. Daniel Hull kept the first tavern before the Revolution, and Hezekiah Hull opened an inn soon after the war. Caleb Bentley built the first grist mill, and Amos Sweet, the first saw-mill, in 1780. Dr. John Forbes, the first physician, located at S. Berlin in 1775. Soon after the Battle of Lexington, two companies were formed in this and the adjacent towns, a part of whom were stationed at D. Hull's for local protection; the others were engaged elsewhere in active service.
² The census reports 3 churches: 2 Bap. and 1 Christian.

Berlin was formed from Petersburgh, Schodack and Stephentown, March 21, 1806. A part of Sand Lake was taken off in 1812. It lies near the center of the east border of the County. The surface consists chiefly of two ranges of mountains, separated by a narrow valley extending north and south. The hilly region is very wild and broken, and the declivities are generally steep and often precipitous. The principal streams are Kinderhook Creek, flowing south, and Little Hoosick River, flowing north. The headwaters of these two streams are but a few rods apart, near South Berlin. In the west part of the town are several fine lakes surrounded by the forests. The soil in the valley is gravely loam, but among the mountains it is a hard sterile clay, intermixed or covered with fragments of rock.

Berlin is made up of the towns [sic - hamlets] of Berlin, situated on the Little Hoosick River, and containing about 300 inhabitants; South Berlin, located in the south part of the valley of Little Hoosick; and Center Berlin, located near the center of the town, and also located in the valley of Little Hoosick.

Godfrey Brimmer located near North Berlin in 1765. Among the early settlers were Reuben Bonesteel and a family named Richer who came in soon after Mr. Brimmer. In 1769 Peter Simmons and Jacob O. Cropsey lived at the Hollow, and in the same year Daniel Hull and Joseph Green came into town. Col. Bentley settled near North Berlin, and Thomas Sweet, a blacksmith, at South Berlin.

Daniel Hull kept the first tavern previous to the Revolution, and Hezekiah Hull opened an inn soon after the war. Caleb Bentley erected the first grist mill, in 1780. Dr. John Forbes, the first physician, located at South Berlin in 1775.

Soon after the Battle of Lexington, two companies were formed in this and adjoining towns, a part of whom were stationed at D. Hull's for local protection; the others were engaged in active service.

James Green, a son of Joseph Green, one of the early settlers, died in 1857 at the age of one hundred years.

The first church (Seventh Day Baptist) was formed at North Berlin in December 1780. Rev. William Coon was the first preacher.

During the winter of 1845, Berlin was the scene of a most cold-blooded and cruel murder. The murderer was Henry G. Green, and his victim was the lady whom he had married about one week previous. From his confession, made just before his execution, and the testimony elicited upon the trial, we gather all the facts necessary for our present purpose. It appeared from the testimony that Green made the acquaintance of Miss Mary Ann Wyatt, a beautiful and accomplished lady of Lowell, Massachusetts. She was engaged as an actress in the play of The Drunkard, and was traveling in company with her brother when Green made her acquaintance. After a short acquaintance, he offered his hand in marriage and was accepted. The nuptials were celebrated, and they entered upon life with bright prospects, amid the congratulations of many friends of wealth and high social position. A few days after their marriage, a party was formed for a pleasure ride to Hoosick. Here Green met a lady of his acquaintance who playfully told him she had expected to marry him. Though there was nothing in the appearance or conduct of his bride to make him regret the step he had taken, he seems to have been possessed with a strange and uncontrollable passion for this young lady, and very soon began to plan for the removal of the object that intervened to prevent the consummation of his wishes. Green at first procured opium, which he gave his wife, but this was vomited up before it effected the desired object[ive]. Next he procured arsenic and continued to repeat the dose in various ways, in coffee and in soup, while she was suffering from previous doses under the care of a nurse. There was no complaint that his victim was not all he had expected, but she must be removed to allow of the union with the young lady before mentioned. He declared in his confession that he had no fears of detection, and the first feelings of pain or regret for the deed was when he saw the suffering of his wife. He had shown his affection for her by purchasing a cloak, dress and other articles after their marriage, and there was no change in her conduct towards him until she became suspicious that he was the cause of her sickness. He suffered the extreme penalty of the law, on the tenth of September 1845, and was buried in the cemetery at Berlin, beside his victim. Her remains were afterwards removed by her friends to another part of the grounds, and a neat monument erected as a tribute of respect by her brother. The sentence of death was pronounced upon Green by Judge Parker, who asked him if he had anything to say why judgment should not be pronounced against him. Green replied "not guilty." The Judge then said: "That is adding nothing to what has already been said; that plea has been put in by your counsel, and the issue has been tried with every advantage to you. You have had the aid of rich and powerful friends, friends of high respectability and character, who have secured for you every opportunity of presenting your whole case to the jury fully and fairly. Notwithstanding this, an intelligent jury have found you guilty, and no person who has heard the trial does not concur in the justice of the verdict. You stand condemned as guilty of having murdered your wife. Your case in all aspects exceeds in enormity any of which I have ever heard. It will no doubt stand out on the page of History as the most criminally awful case of murder that ever came before Court or jury. You murdered her deliberately, you murdered the woman you had sworn but one short week, I may say, four days before, to cherish through life; the woman whose destiny had been placed in your keeping, in less than one week after marriage you deliberately poisoned. You pursued your design day and night, repeating the deadly potation from time to time until she expired, and then added to the crime of murder the black crime of perjury, for you violated the most solemn vow you had made at the altar. Was it ever known that so interesting and holy a relation as that of man and wife has ever been followed so soon by results so shocking and painful to all the feelings of nature. Now the law pronounces your sentence, you are to be executed, cut off in the prime of your life, or rather, just as you are entering on life where you had rich and powerful relations and friends to aid you, when you might have been respected, but from which you are to be cut off and consigned to an early grave. And those friends who have stood by you will not share the disgrace that awaits you. You have had the advantage of every doubt that has arisen on the trial, and you must not flatter yourself with hopes that cannot be realized, but prepare for the awful death that awaits you and make preparation for your final account. It is the judgment of the law, that on Wednesday, the 10th day of September next, between the hours of 8 o'clock in the morning and 5 o'clock in the afternoon, you be taken to the place of execution and there be hanged by the neck until you be dead."

The population of Berlin in 1865 was 2,149, and its area was 34,135 acres.

Early Settlers
Bentley, Caleb, Colonel
Bonesteel, Reuben
Braman, Paul
Brimmer, John George, and family
Crandall, Ebenezer
Cropsey, William O.
Dennison, James and Daniel
Green, Joseph
Himes, Simeon
Hull, Daniel
Niles, Nathaniel
Satterlee, William
Simmons, Peter
Sweet, Thomas
Thomas, Peleg
Whitford, Joshua

Early Churches
Baptist Church of Christ, organized about 1784
Christian Chapel, organized Jan. 27, 1830
Methodist Episcopal Church, organized in 1877
Seventh-Day Baptist Church, organized on Sept. 24, 1780

Revolutionary War Soldiers
Bates, Oliver
Beebe, Nathan
Bentley, Caleb
Bentley, Elias
Bill, William
Bonesteel, Henry
Bonesteel, Reuben, Jr.
Bonesteel, Simeon
Braman, Paul
Burdick, Jabez
Burdick, Thomas
Burdick, William
Burdick, Zaccheus
Crandall, Thomas
Gray, Daniel
Green, James
Green, John
Griswold, Manus
Hall, Isaiah
Hendrick, Moses
Hoard, Samuel
Hull, Daniel
Hull, Rev. Justus, Captain
Johnson, William
Jones, Silas
Keymon, Wells, Orderly Sergeant
Moon, Jabez
Peckham, Bradick
Rhodes, Samuel
Saunders, Charles
Shaw, James
Simpkins, Gideon
Smith, Joshua (one of Lafayette's body guards)
Spencer, Randall, Colonel
Stewart, Jehial
Stillman, Wait
Sweet, Samuel
Sweet, William
Taylor, Job
Wilcox, Job

A large number of the citizens of Berlin served in the war of 1812 but were not called into active duty.

Civil War Soldiers
Anthony, Andrew J., enl. Oct. 1863, 8th U. S. Col. Regt.
Austin, Alburtus, enl. Sept. _, 1863, 21st Cav.
Beekman, Augustus, enl. July, 1861, 2d Ind. Regt.; pro. on Gen. Wood's staff
Bennett, Joseph H., enl. Aug. 15, 1862, 125th Regt.
Bentley, William, enl. May _, 1861, 2d Regt.; re-enl. 16th H. Art., and joined the Mounted Rifles
Bills, Edward, enl. Jan. 1, 1862, 31st Mass Regt.; re-enl. June _, 1864
Bills, Henry, enl. Aug. 20, 1862, 125th Regt.
Blowers, William, enl. Sept. 6, 1862, 151st Regt.; trans. to 2d Invalid Corps
Booneman, Anson, enl. Jan. 1, 1863, 169th Regt.
Boulyer, Fred, enl. Sept. _, 1863
Brimmer, Benjamin R., enl. Dec. 29, 1863, 16th H. Art; trans. to 1st Mounted Rifles
Brimmer, Cyrus A., enl. July 19, 1861; Navy, ship "Sabine Run," Sept. 17, 1863, and Feb. 14, 1865, "Kearsarge."
Brimmer, Edsick C., enl. Feb. 20, 1862, 31st Mass.; pro. 1st Lieut; re-enl. fall 1863, Col. Regt.
Brimmer, Lorenzo D., enl. aug. 5, 1862, 125th Regt., re-enl. 169th Regt.
Brimmer, Martin L., enl. March 7, 1865, 192d Regt.
Brimmer, Rosey, enl. Feb. _, 1862, 31st Mass. Regt.; res. July _, 1864
Brodt, A. H., enl. Nov. _, 1863, 128th Regt.
Brown, Franklin M., enl. Aug. 10, 1862, 125th Regt.
Bugbee, James H., enl. Aug. 20, 1862, 125th Regt.
Busher, Charles, enl. Aug. 20, 1862, 125th Regt.
Butrey, Henry, enl. Aug. 25, 1862, 125th Regt.
Canfield, Philip, enl. Dec. 11, 1863, 1st Mass. Regt.
Carr, M. V., enl. Feb. 7, 1862, 104th Regt.
Chamberlin, William R., enl. Aug. 20, 1862, 125th Regt.
Chapman, Ralph, enl. Jan. 24, 1863, 57th Mass. Regt.
Chapman, Stephen B., enl. April _, 1861, 2d Regt.; re-enl. Jan. 1, 1864, 1st Mounted Rifles
Church, Benjamin, enl. June _, 1862
Conklin, Thomas, enl. Jan. _, 1863, 4th Mass. Regt.
Conner, George R., enl. 1861, 80th Vols.; pro. to adj't., 130 Regt.; died in service
Contois, Victor, enl. Aug. 15, 1862, 159th Regt.
Crown, Jersey, enl. Sept. _, 1864
Curlet, Moncer, enl. Sept. _, 1864
Delaney, John, enl. April _, 1861, 2d Regt.
Fry, Reuben, enl. Aug. 20, 1862, 125th Regt.
Grant, George, enl. Aug. 20, 1862, 125th Regt.
Grant, Ira A., enl. Sept. 3, 1864, 146th Regt.
Grant, Lester J., enl. Aug. 12, 1862, 125th Regt.
Green, Frederick M., enl. July 10, 1864, 8th Mass. Regt.
Green, H. V., enl. Aug. 15, 1862, 125th Regt.
Hakes, Franklin F., enl. Oct. 1, 1862, 169th Regt.; pro. to corp.
Heusse, Adam, enl. July 28, 1862, 169th Regt., Co. A
Hogan, James A., enl. April 20, 1861, 1st Regt.; pro. to Sergt.; re-enl. Jan. _, 1864, 16th H. Art.
Hull, F. U., enl. Aug. 4, 1862, 34th Mass Regt.; pro. to 1st Lieut.
Hull, Herman, enl. Aug. 26, 1862, 125th Regt.
Hull, William C., enl. Sept. 2, 1862, 169th Regt., Co. C; trans. to Vet. Res. Corp
Jones, William D., enl. Sept. 20, 1864, Harris Cav.
Lee, Francis, enl. June _, 1861, 30th regt.; re-enl. in Pa. Regt.
Lee, Jay, enl. 1864, Griswold's Cav.
Lewis, L. L., enl. Aug. 27, 1862, 125th Regt.
Lipser, Michael, enl. Jan. 28, 1862, 31st Mass. Regt.; re-enl. Oct. _, 1863, 176th Regt.
Livingston, Hiram S., enl. 2d Regt.
Lockwood, William, enl. April 22, 1865
Looker, John, enl. Feb. 20, 1862, 104th Regt.
Loomis, A. F., enl. Aug. 18, 1862, 125th Regt.
Lott, Herbert L., enl. Aug. 26, 1862, 125th Regt.; wounded
Macumber, Nathan, enl. Nov. _, 1863, Vt. Regt.
Maett, Joseph, enl. 1862, 12th Batt.
Main, Winter, enl. Sept. 1, 1864, 188th Pa. Regt.
Manchester, Aaron W., enl. Dec. 25, 1863, 16th H. Art.; shot through right lung
Mattison, Hamilton A., Capt., enl. aug. 5, 1862, 12th Regt.
McFall, John H., enl. Aug. 9, 1861, 125th Regt.
Miller, John, enl. Sept. 26, 1862, 169th Regt.
Miller, Lewis, enl. Aug. 1, 1862, 125th Regt.; trans. to 11th Regt.
Mulson, Fred, enl. April _, 1861
Mulson, Fred, enl. Oct. _, 1861, Scott's Nine Hundred
Nooning, Thomas, enl. April 20, 1861, 1st Zouaves NY City; re-enl. Aug. 27, 1862, 125th Regt.
Odell, Javish, enl. Aug. 20, 1862, 125th Regt.
Peckham, Jefferson D., enl. Aug. 26, 1862, 125th Regt.; trans. to Vet. Res. Corps.
Rathbone, Charles, enl. Aug. 26, 1862, 125th Regt.
Reynolds, Eleazer, enl. 125th Regt.
Rhodes, Edward T., enl. Aug. _, 1865, 21st Cav.
Rhodes, Gardner T., enl. Aug. _, 1861, Harris Cav.; re-enl. Mass. Regt.
Ruff, Felix, enl. Jan. 1, 1864, 164th Regt.
Saunders, Murray C., enl. Jan. 28, 1862, 31st Mass. Regt.
Saxby, Robert, enl. Sept. _, 1864
Shaw, Hiram, enl. Dec. 28, 1863, 169th Regt.
Sloutsoner, Henry, enl. Jan. _, 1864, 16th H. Art.
Smith, Irvin M., enl. July, 1863, 19th Mass. Regt.
Smith, Joseph, enl. Oct. _, 1862, 169th Regt.
Stanton, P. Allen, enl. Nov. 6, 1863, 1st Mass. Cav.
Steward, H. H., enl. Aug. 10, 1862, 125th Regt.
Stifle, Gottlieb, enl. Feb. _, 1864, 125th Regt.
Stone, Edwin B., enl. April 28, 1861, 2d Regt.; wounded, one leg disabled
Stone, Samuel, enl. July _, 1861, 2d NY Vols.; re-enl. 125th Regt.
Strousburgh, John, enl. April _, 1863
Sweet, Ira L., enl. Aug. 16, 1862, 125th Regt.; res. Sept. 1864
Taylor, Albert, enl. March _, 1865, 22d Cav.
Taylor, C. H., Lieut., enl. Aug. 1, 1862, 125th Regt.
Taylor, John L., enl. March _, 1865, 22d Cav.
Taylor, Jonas, enl. Sept. 10, 1861, 19th Illinois Regt.
Taylor, William H., enl. Jan. 6, 1864, 21st Cav.
Thomas, O. L., enl. Sept. 1863, 169th Regt.
Thompson, George, enl. March 7, 1862, 11th Cav.
Thompson, Otis, enl. Sept. _, 1865, 192d Regt.
Tracey, A. S., enl. Sept. 10, 1861, 7th Cav.; re-enl. May _, 1863, 16th Cav.
Tracey, C. H., enl. May _, 1861, 2d Regt.
Tracey, C. H., Jr., enl. Sept. 10, 1861, 7th Cav.; re-enl. Dec. 3, 1863 and June 13, 1865, 4th U. S. Cav.
Trumbull, Charles, enl. April _, 1861, 2d Regt.; re-enl. 125th Regt.
Trumbull, Philemon, enl. April _, 1861, 2d Regt.
Wager, H. N., enl. Sept. 22, 1864, 188th Regt.; lost left arm at Hatcher's Run
Walker, Wallace W., enl. Feb. 18, 1864, 169th Regt.; pro. to Ord. Sergt.
Ward, James, enl. Nov. _, 1861, 7th Cav.; re-enl. Aug. 27, 1862, 125th Regt., and 48th Regt., Oct. 15, 1863
Waterman, Irvin, enl. Nov. 28, 1863, 1st Mass Cav.
Weaver, Charles H., enl. 125th Regt.
Weim, James E., enl. Aug. 26, 1862, 125th Regt.
Whipple, John, enl. Jan. 1, 1862, 31st Mass. Cav.
Whitman, Charles H., enl. Sept. 2, 1864, 61st Mass. Regt.
Wildes, Robert C., enl. Jan. 1, 1863, 7th H. Art.
Wink, Charles, enl. 1862, Mass. Regt.
Winn, James E. enl. Aug. 20, 1862, 125th Regt.

Civil War Soldiers Who Died in Service
Brightmeyer, Philip, enl. Aug. 1, 1861, 43d Regt.; died May 5, 1864 in the Wilderness
Brimmer, D. M., enl. Aug. 31, 1862, 169th Regt.; died March 18, 1863 at Washington
Buckbee, Charles, enl. Feb. 5, 1863, 164th Regt.; died June 1, 1864 in the Wilderness
Conner, George R., adjt.; died Dec. 18, 1863 at Berlin
Coon, George, enl. Jan. 4, 1864, 169th Regt.; died Oct. 31, 1864 at Washington, DC
Eltaman, Lewis, enl. Oct. _, 1862, 5th Cav.; died June 20, 1864 at Richmond
Green, E. L., enl. Aug. 10, 1862, 125th Regt.; pro. to 2d Lieut.; died June 17, 1864 at Georgetown, Va.
Green, W. H. H., enl. Aug. 10, 1862, 125th Regt., died June 30, 1864
Greenman, Joel A., enl. Aug. 18, 1862, 125th Regt.; died April 8, 1863 at Berlin
Hiser, Adam, enl. Aug. 20, 1862, 125th Regt.; died April 1, 1864 at Alexandria, Va.
Horton, Hiram, enl. May _, 1861, 2d Regt.; died June 10, 1865 at Petersburg, Va.
Horton, Thomas J., enl. Aug. 10, 1862, 125th Regt.; died June 5, 1864 at Cold Harbor
Hull, E. B., enl. Dec. 26, 1863, 125th Regt.; 2d Lieut.; pro. to 1st Lieut.; died July 12, 1864 at Petersburg, Va.
Judwin, C. W., enl. Dec. 29, 1863, 16th H. Art.; died May _, 1864 at City Point
Lampshire, D. S., enl. Aug. 212, 1862, 125th Regt.; died Aug. 26, 1863 at Convalescent Camp
Lookey, Curtis, enl. Feb. 3, 1862, 31st Mass. Regt.; died July 18, 1864 at New Orleans
Manchester, George B., enl. Aug. 1, 1862, 125th Regt.; killed June 2, 1864 at Cold Harbor
Merrill, Marcus, enl. Mar _, 1862, 4th Regt.; died Sept. 17, 1862 at Antietam
Nicholas, D. A., died Aug. 7, 1864 at Andersonville
Northrup, A., enl. Aug. 12, 1862, 125th Regt.; died July 18, 1864 at Andersonville
Northrup, R., enl. Aug. 12, 1862, 125th Regt.; died March _, 1864 at Berlin
Parks, J. P., enl. March 4, 1862, 104th Regt.; died Sept. 20, 1862 at Camp Parole, Va.
Reynolds, Joseph, enl. Dec. 29, 1863, 16th H. Art.; died Nov. 26, 1864
Sweet, J. B., enl. Dec. 29, 1863, 16th H. Art.; died March 28, 1864 at Wilmington, NC
Taylor, J. N., enl. april 1, 1864, 169th Regt.; died May 10, 1864 at Chesterfield
Thompson, Martin, enl. Jan. 27, 1863, 7th Cav.; died Dec. 5, 1864 at Charleston, SC
Tracy, H. M., enl. Dec. 25, 1863, 7th H. Art.; died June 24, 1864 at Baltimore, Md.
Vars, Alfred, enl. Jan. 1, 1862, 31st Mass. Regt.; died April _, 1862 at New Orleans
Watson, J., enl. Aug. 10, 1862, 125th Regt.; died Nov. 4, 1864
Welbrant, William, enl. Jan. 10, 1864, 169th Regt.; died May 10, 1864 at Chesterfield

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