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North Greenbush was formed from Greenbush, Feb. 23, 1855. It lies upon the Hudson, directly w. of the center of the co. The clay bluffs, 100 to 200 feet high, rise from the edge of the water, leaving little or no intervale. From the summits of the bluffs the surface spreads out into a rolling upland, broken by the deep gulleys of the streams. The principal stream is Wynants Kil, in the n.e. Aries Lake, on the e. border, is a fine sheet of water. The soil is a sandy and gravelly loam interspersed with patches of clay. The people are extensively engaged in supplying the markets of Albany and Troy with garden vegetables and milk. Bath1, opposite the upper part of Albany, contains about 12 houses, Defriestville2 [sic] 12, and Wynantskill 15. The first settlement, made by tenants under Van Rensselaer, was among the first in the manor.3 There are 3 churches in town.4
1 Named from a mineral spring in the vicinity. It was laid out as a village by the Patroon toward the close of the last century. In 1800 the traveller Maude, in his "Visit to Niagara", says that it is likely soon to surpass Troy and Lansingburgh in trade, and Ballston and Saratoga as a watering place.
2 Sometimes called "Blooming Grove." The first settler was Martinus Sharp.
3 Among the early settlers were John Cranel, Juriah Sharpe, Reinier Van Alstyne, Marte, David, and Philip Defriest, Philip Wendell, Rutger Vandenburgh, Cornelius van Buren, John Fonda, Ed. Hogg, and Lawrence Rysdorf.
4 2 Ref. Prot. D., Free Dutch.
North Greenbush was formed from Greenbush February 23, 1855. It lies upon the Hudson, directly west of the center of the county. The clay bluffs rise from the river to the reight of 100 to 200 feet, leaving little or no intervale. From the summits of these bluffs the surface spreads out into a rolling upland, broken by the deep gulleys of the streams. The principal stream is Wynants Kil, in the north-east. Aries Lake, on the east border, is a fine sheet of water. The soil is a sandy and gravelly loam, interspersed with patches of clay. The people are extensively engaged in supplying the markets of Troy and Albany with garden vegetables and milk.
The village of Bath, situated on the Hudson River, about half a mile above the East Albany Depot, contains two churches, viz., Baptist and Methodist; a union school, a hotel, six groceries, a coal and wood yard, two confectionary stores, two meat and vegetable markets, two shoe shops, several other mechanic shops and about 2,000 inhabitants. The village is connected with Albany by a steam ferry.
The village of Defreestville, in the south part of the town, called also Blooming Grove, contains a Reformed church, a hotel, a black smith shop, a wagon shop, a shoe shop, two groceries and about a dozen dwellings.
The village of Wynantskill contains two churches, two hotels, a grocery, three blacksmith shops, two wagon shops and about a dozen dwellings.
The first settlement was made by tenants under Van Rensselaer, and was one of the first upon the Manor. Among the early settlers were John Cranel, Juriah Sharpe, Rainier Van Alstyne, Marte, David and Philip Deforest, Philip Wendell, Rutger Vandenburgh, Cornelius M. Van Beuren, John Fonda, Ed Hogg and Lawrence Rysdorp. Most of these names are found upon Bleeker's Map, made in 1767.
The population in 1865 was 2,575, and its area 12,868 acres.
The number of school districts is eight, employing eleven teachers. The number of children of school age is 1,300; the number attending school, 765; the average attendance, 351, and the amount expended for school purposes during the year ending Sept. 30, 1869, was $7,494.39.
Two private schools in the town have an attendance for sixty-six pupils.
North Greenbush was formed from Greenbush February 23, 1855. It lies upon the Hudson River, directly west of the center of the county, and is bounded on the north by the city of Troy and the town of Brunswick; on the south by the towns of Greenbush and East Greenbush; on the east by the towns of Sand Lake and Poestenkill; and on the west by the Hudson River.
The first settlement of the town was made by tenants under Van Rensselaer and were among the first upon the manor. They probably began as early as 1640.
North Greenbush has had a creditable representation in the various wars that have occurred in the country. In the Revolutionary War a large number of the then scanty population performed active service. Among them were Peter De Freest and Maj. Jacob De Freest. Henry Kinney, who settled in the town after the close of the war, served from Dutchess County.
In the War of 1812 a number of residents of the town prepared to participate and joined the army, but saw little or no service. Among these were Volkert V. Vandenburgh, Henry S. Kinney, Capt. Philip and Maj. Jacob Barringer, Martin Van Alstyne, Col. John De Freest, Stephen Williams, and John Dearstyne.
Stewart Snowdon, a representative of the town in the Mexican War, lost a leg in that struggle.
Below is a list of soldiers from North Greenbush that participated in the Civil War, prepared from muster-rolls of the State and from the reports of the census of 1865.
Civil War Soldiers
Died in Service
Blake, Charles, enl. April, 1862, 122d Regt.
Adsit, Nathaniel, enl. Sept. 1, 1864, 91st Regt.
Beerstyne, Sylvester, enl. Nov. 1862, 44th Regt.; re-enl. Aug. 1863, Navy, ship "Grand Gulf"
Berry, Hamilton, corp., enl. Aug. 17, 1862, 7th H. Art.; pro. to lieut. on Gen. King's staff
Blake, Geo., enl. Sept. 1864, 122d Regt.
Boyce, John, enl. Feb. 9, 1865, 192d Regt.
Brown, Peter, enl. Sept. 1864, 22 Regt.
Brown, Silas H., enl. Oct. 3, 1862, 177th Regt.
Carpenter, Theodore, enl. Oct. 20, 1862, 177th Regt.; re-enl. Sept. 6, 1864, 8th Art.
Castle, John J., corp., enl. Aug. 22, 1862, 7th H. Art.; pro. to sergt. and 1st sergt.; wounded at Cold Harbor.
Castle, Wm. H., enl. Oct. 1862, 31st Regt.; wounded; trans. to 7th Vet. Res. Corps.
Champine, Charles S., enl. Aug. 29, 1861, 91st Regt.; pro. to corp.
Chase, Erastus, enl. Sept. 1, 1864, 91st Regt.
Collins, D. H., enl. Nov. 6, 1861, 102d Regt.; pro. to sergt.; re-enl. Feb. 28, 1865.
Cone, Henry, enl. Sept. 1, 1864, 91st Regt.
Cooper, Wm. J., enl. July 29, 1862, 11th Art.
Cory, Robert, enl. May 17, 1861, 24th Regt.
Craven, Paul, enl. Dec. 31, 1863, 11th Art.
Cummings, Timothy, enl. Aug. 22, 1863, 13th Vermont Cav.
Davidson, Geo. M., enl. Sept. 16, 1861, 91st Regt
Day, John, enl. Navy, ship "Ottawa".
De Freest, Daniel, enl. Sept. 17, 1864, 23d Art.; trans. to 8th Art.
Elmendorph, Samuel, enl. Aug. 24, 1862, 121st Regt.
Fallie, Adolphus, enl. Aug. 5, 1862, 165th Ohio.
Freeling, Alexander, enl. Oct. 28, 1861, 12th Art.; taken prisoner.
Freeling, Charles, enl. Aug. 6, 1862, 11th Art.
Fremont, Theodore, enl. July 25, 1861, 7th Art.
Gadeau, George H., enl. 125th Regt.
Gregory, Charles, enl. Aug. 21, 1864, 91st Regt.
Gregory, David, enl. Aug. 1862, 44th Regt.; re-enl. 146th Regt.
Gregory, Philo, enl. June, 1862, Navy, ship "Port Royal"; re-enl. 24th Cav.
Hacknell, John, enl. Aug. 31, 1863, 44th Regt.; trans. to 144 Regt.
Hamilton, Hobart, quartermaster, enl. Sept. 1, 1863, 102d Ill. Regt.
Hamilton, Wm., surgeon, enl. Sept. 1862, 102d Ill. Regt.
Hodge, Timothy, enl. Aug. 9, 1861, 115th Cav.
Hosmer, Charles B., enl. Aug. 23, 1864, Navy, ship "Moose".
Lea, James, enl. Aug. 1861, 43d Regt., re-en. Jan. 1864
Mackey, John H., enl. Sept. 6, 1861, 44th Regt.
McCumber, Wm., enl. Aug. 1862, 122d Regt.
McDonald, Alexis, enl. Sept. 1, 1864, 91st Reg.
McKnab, James, enl. Oct. 1861, 10th Regt.; died of typhoid fever, La.
Mason, Frederick, enl. Sept. 2, 1862, 44th Regt.; re-enl. 140th Regt.
Moore, John, enl. Aug. 29, 1862; killed in battle.
Radcliff, John, enl. July 4, 1863.
Radcliff, Stephen, enl. Aug. 4, 1862, 7th Art.; wounded.
Saulsbury, Wm. F., enl. Aug. 29, 1864, 91st Regt.
Schermerhorn, Jacob, enl. Sept. 31, 1864, Navy, ship "Grand Gulf".
Smander, Jacob, enl. Dec. 7, 1861, 91st Regt.
Smith, Wm., enl. Sept. 15, 1861, 6th Vermont.
Southworth, Albert H., enl. Aug. 1862, 134th Regt.
Stiver, David, enl. Sept. 3, 1864, Navy, ship "Grand Gulf".
Stroup, Henry E., enl. Jan. 1, 1864.
Swan, Wm. H., enl. Aug. 30, 1862, 44th Regt.; wounded.
Trovell, John, enl. Aug. 11, 1861, 113th Regt.; pro. to sergt.; wounded.
Unkstine, John, enl. 125th N. Y.
Vanacker, John, enl. Jan. 11, 1864, 50th Eng. Corps.
Vanderze, George F., enl. 125th Regt.
Vickange, Thomas, enl. April 23, 1861, 3d Regt.
Wallace, Nathaniel, enl. Sept. 2, 1863, Navy, ship "Memphis".
Wentworth, Leonard, enl. June, 1861, Navy, ship "Marion".
White, Henry, enl. May, 1862, 3d Regt.
Whorton, John S., lst lieut., enl. Sept. 1861, 14th Regt.
Wilkins, Addison D., corp., enl. Dec. 10, 1861, 91st Regt.; pro. to sergt.; re-enl.; wounded Jan. 1865.
Wilson, James, enl. Aug. 29, 1862, 91st Regt.
Yodkins, Jacob, enl. Aug. 24, 1861, 91st Regt.
French, Hollis, enl. Aug. 2, 1862, 116th Ill. Regt.; re-enl. 7th Ill.; died April 3, 1864, at Camp Chase.
Moore, John, enl. Aug. 9, 1862, 103d N. Y. Regt.; trans. to 113th Regt.; died July 13, 1862, at Petersburg, Va.
Morris, John A., enl. Dec. 29, 1863, 113th Regt.; died at Andersonville.
Yodkins, Edward, enl. Aug. 29, 1864, 91st Regt.; died March 31, 1865, at Petersburg, Va.
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