1880 History of Ulster County New York - Saugerties Section

62 HISTORY OF ULSTER COUNTY, NEW YORK.
dnced into the markets of New York, Boston, and other large cities,
but once used it recommended itself. In 1873 it is estimnted there were
3000 men and boys engaged in quarrying in the town of Saugerties.
"Of the numerous small hamlets that sprang into existence through
#
the more thickly settled quarry districts in the town of Saugerties,
appropriately termed, Quarryville is the oldest and largest. In 1873
it is estimated to have had a population of 1200, but at the
present time there are probably not more than half that number of
inhabitants, the falling off in the demand for stone having caused
many to seek employment elsewhere. Most of them people are of
Irish and German nationality.
'' Elisha Parks, s pioneer quarryman, wks the first to settle here and
build himself a home. He was soon followed in this respect by William
Van Valkenburg, Thomas Maxwell, and others. Mr. James Maxwell
at prescnt occupies the old Maxwell family residence. Extensive
quarries were opened on the lands of Messrs. Plough, Wynkoop, and
Crawford. The following are the names of a few of the pioneer
quarrymen : D. Ransom, John Fisher, John Waters, Patrick Brady,
Timothy Donovnn, Henry Kimball, Peter Fiero, John Maxwell,
Wendell Saile, Christopher Fiero, James Maxwell, Owen Deveny,
Walter Cook, Abram Bouse, and Hugh Smith. From 1840 to 1850 between
60 and 100 loads of stone came to Malden daily from Quarryville.
"Geological Formatian.-After careful examination we find thnt
'bluestone' is simply a local term given to the stonecommonly known
by that name, and that its proper name is Qreywacke. This 'Chambers'
Encyclopmdia' defines as a partially-translated German word used
aa the name of a rock formed of heated clay, common in though not
confined to the Silurian and Cambrian stratn. It is an extraordinary
fact that in the vicinity of St. Petersburg the Silurian system contains
beds of unconsolidnted clay. A visit to any of our brickyards will
show that the layers of blue clay are the same as thatof the bluestone
in our quarries; hence it is reasonable to suppose thnt at some stage
of the world's history bluestone was blue clay, and thnt by the action
of heat or other ngencies it was brought to its present stste. Its color
and composition would still further show this.
"The Silurian system occurs in the basin of Hudson's Bay, in the
valley of the river St. Lawrence, and in the valley of Lake Champlain.
In portions of New York State it is most fully developed, with a
great number of subdivisions in regular layers, one upon the other,
with outcrops in favorable condition for examination. These rocks
occur also in England, Belgium, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and
Russia A great variety of rock is comprised in this system. Hard
sandstones, fine slates, and Bagging-stones constitute a large part.
Conglomerates are less common. Many formations consist largely of
limestone. Professor James Hall, in a description of three of the
classes of this system,-the Helderberg, the Hudson River, and the
Portage,-in which greywacke is quarried to any extent, says, 'Hundreds
of fossils have been found in these groups; a large majority,
however, of them nre shells. Snakes, toads, worms, coral, and starfish
have been found in bluestone. From the great number of species
of shells in the Silurian system within the State of New York it may
be inferred that the climate was tropical, or at least much warmer than
it is now, for, at the present time, it is only in warm regions that such
a profusion of species is found in such limited areas.'
"Greywacke belongs to the fourth class in stratified rocks, the
chnracter of the rock being clearly defined by an examination of the
deposition. It forms a strntum which i~ generally about two feet
thick, and can be split out in slabs of almost any desired size. The
rock is travereed by joints that divide the slabs about perpendicular
to their layers, and are as slnooth as if cut by a saw, which greatly
facilitates the labor of the qunrrymen. Gray & Adams, in their
'Elements of Geology,' in spenking of the formation of rocks, state
that 'thin layers of fine material and of very uniform thickness are
dqosited from quiet waters, and those which consist of coarse gravel
and pebhles are the products of agitated waters. The layers of the
etrntified rock, originally mud, sand, gravel, shells, coral, etc., have
become solid by the agency of bent, pressure, cohesion, crystallization,
eta. Unstratificd rocks have been erupted in a melted condition
at different periods in the history of the earth.'
" Professor Willinm W. Mather, in his 'Report of the First Qeological
District of New York,' in 1843, says, 'The quantity of bluestone
is so grent thnt it cannot be exhausted. It has been traced, exelusive
of its sinuosities produced by valleys intersecting its plane, a distance
of one hundred and forty miles in the first geological district, and it
undoubtedly underlies nll thecountry that is occnpied hy thnt portion
of the Catskill and Erie division that overlies this rock.' The results
of glacial action are apparent in many bluestone quarries in the
vioinity of Saugerties.
'6 On page 86, Central Purk Neport for 1862, is the following classification
of stone used on the park, as to density and hardness.
'cAs to hardness, 1, Granite from the State of Maine ; 2, North River
gmywacke; 3, Park gneiss; 4, Westahester County gneiss; 5, Westcheater
County white marble; 6, New Brnnswick freestone; 7, New
Jersey freestone.
"Density, 1, Westchester County marble; 2, greywacke; 3, Park
gneiss; 4, Maine granite; 5, Westcheater County gneiss; 6, Dorohester
freestone; 7, Albert freestone.
"The relative hardness is shown in the order named, No. 1 being
the hardest. The relative density is also shown in the order named,
No. 1 having the greatest density.
"The following experiments, made by Gen. Thomaa J. Rodman, of
the OrdnaneeService, U.S.A., with greywacke, show its great strength :
Name of stone. Density. Cm8hing strength Ttunnverw strength
per sqnare inch. per aquare inch.
North River greywacke 2727 22,450 609
Rockport granite 2645 15.296 374
Quincy granite ............ 2666 9,739 235
California sandstone .... 2636 20,039 425
LIMESTONE.
The hills upon the Hudson River, and extending back
about two miles, are underlaid with limestone. At times
considerable quicklime bas been manufactured in town, and
limestone rock is now quarried for shipment.
The manufacture of brick and of white-lead are mentioned
in connection with the villages where the works are
located.
XI1.-MILITARY.
The military history of Saugerties, as a separate civil
division, does not extend back earlier than the year 1811,
when the town was formed. Events relating to the territory
now constituting Saugerties, as well as the names of
citizens sharing in military affairs, will be found included
in the chapters of the general history relating to the early
wars, in the muster-rolls of companies, and in the annals of
tho town of Kingston, from which Saugerties was formed.
A pny-roll of a party of men of Col. John Snyder's militia regiment
of Ulster County, under the command of Lieut. Peter Post,
when stationed nu the Western frontiers in the year 1779, the day of
commencing and ending both included.
Peter Post, Licnt ........
Christian Will, Sergt ...
John Hendrickse, Corp.
Edward Whitnker .......
Abrnm W hitaker .........
Jacob Berger ..............
Jacob Eker (Acker) Peter Wynkoop ...........
Abram Hommcl ..........
Joseph Masten ............
Coon radt Fercs ............
Samuel Post ...............
Peter Oosterhoudt ........
Benjamin Krom ..........
Johannes Vielc ...........
Valentine Trumpbour ...
Joliannes France .........
Peter I. Winnie ..........
Wilhelmus Berger ....... 1
May.
3
5
3
3
3
3
4
6
5
6
6
6
6
7
9
10
10
4
13
April.
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
Month.
1
Days.
..........
.......... 28
1 ..........
1 ..........
1 ..........
1
..........
..........
29
..........
.......... 27
28
..........
.......... 27
27
..........
.......... 27
27
..........
.......... .26
24
.......... 23
.......... 23
.......... 29
.......... 1 20
Amount of
S 8. d.
10 0 0
3 14 8
2 18 8
2 1 3 4
2 1 3 4
2 1 3 4
2 11 6
2 8 0
2 9 9
2 11 6
2 11 6
2 11 6
211 6
2 6 2
2 2 8
2 0 10
2 0 10
2 1 1 6
1 15 6
55 8 1
To rations due to Lient. Peter Post, 31 days, at one ration
per day, nnd one shilling per ration ..................... 1 11 0
56 I9 1