TOWN OF GREENFIELD
"History Alive"
2006
September 2006
"Well, well, well! Here we are, back again ready for another school year. Ready to think about your leisurely drive around our lovely little Town (well not quite so little anymore) where all the men are strong, all the women are beautiful, all the children are smart and where it never rains until after sunset.
As you rode around Greenfield, did you think about the things we talked about last year?
We sure did!
What were some of the things you remember about early Greenfield?
Well, let's see.....Oh, I know, there was a terrible battle right here. It was the Battle of Wilton on February 17, 1693.
Your memory is great! Who was fighting?
It was near Mt. McGregor at a place called Stiles Tavern. The French troops and the Algonquin Indians fought against the Mohawk Indians and after the Battle the French and Algonquins went back up near the St. Lawrence River.
Great! What else do you remember?
Well, there was so much fighting not too many people came here to live for quite a while.
That's exactly right. It wasn't until 1775 that Presto Denton came here and Gershom Morehouse came in 1786. Most historians say that he was our first permanent settler who built the first grist mill and the first saw mill in Town.
Oh, I remember something else! After the Revolutionary War more people began to come here.
Yes, that's exactly right. The War ended on October 19, 1781 and slowly, more and more settlers come here to live, and then......
Wait....wait...wait! I know what was next. It was March 12, 1793. Last year when you told us about that date you said, "The page you are reading will light up, bands will play and you'll hear a great booming voice shout, You have arrived! This is it! This is the date of the century! This is the BEGINNING!"
My goodness! How did you remember all of that?
Well.....I just pictured in my mind the bands playing and I pretended there were fireworks in the sky as that booming voice was shouting.
Wonderful! So now we were officially a Town.
I know! I know what came next! The people built houses, grew food and built churches and schools.
Yes, they did and by 1830, there were 3144 people living in Greenfield. But in October of 1825 something happened to.....
Yes! Yes! It was the opening of the Erie Canal and some of our people got on a boat and went West and by 1870 we had only 1698 people in Greenfield.
But things turned around didn't they, because there were many inventions in the 1800's. This was called the......the...... Oh, I've forgotten.
That's quite all right! Your memory has been fabulous up to now and I'm sure you would have remembered, if you had taken just a couple more minutes. It was the Industrial Revolution you were thinking about; a time when all sorts of machines were invented and began to be used to grow and harvest more crops, to use new ways to build homes, make clothes and study scientific questions.
An we needed people to do all these things, so more and more people moved to Greenfield but.....
I remember what happened then. Most of the people who moved here weren't farmers. They drove to Troy, Albany and Schenectady to work in offices and factories.
And what were we called then?
We were called "a bedroom community".
That's right, because many people slept in Greenfield, but worked in other places. And by 1970 our population was higher than it had ever been in our whole history. In Greenfield in 1970, we had 5,000 people.
Wow! What a change from 1,961 people 1950.
It most certainly was a tremendous change and this change brought new challenges to our Town.
What challenges? What happened after we had 5,000 people here in 1970.
Well....right here, right now is a very good time for one of our suggestions. So....here it is. Go and get your Greenfield Glimpses book. It's probably been a while since you have looked at it. Read the PREFACE TO GREENFIELD, pp. 3-4. On the very next page you see the heading, Introduction, Contents. Read down through the lists on the next three pages. If you know about a topic which you read, to on to the next listing. If you read something which you don't remember, turn to the page given and refresh your memory so you'll be all ready as we move along in our story of the history of our expanding little town in the "country of the lakes and the crooked stream" (see p. 10)
October 2006
AND THE YEARS PASS BY
(The Post-Revolutionary Years)
So...here we are...thinking and talking about some important ideas and events in the story of the early years of our Town.
Let's pretend that we are going to paint a mural showing these early years. What would we show in our mural for this time in Greenfield, right after the end of the Revolutionary War?
Let's see...We could show woods and woods and woods, filled with all kinds of wild animals. And if we had been there, we would have heard all the chirping of many birds in the daytime, wouldn't we? But at night there would be owls hooting, wolves howling and the sounds of the frantic scurrying of all sorts of small animals trying to escape their enemies or searching for food.
Wonderful! Your description is so very good that I can almost see and hear these activities in my imagination. Now, what will we paint next?
How about some men cutting trees and building homes? Yes. A few veterans bean to come to this area after the war. By this time some, but not all, of the fighting between the Native Americans and the English and French troops had stopped and it was possible for the early settlers to begin planning their lives here along the Kayaderroseros (spelling from Greenfield Glimpses) Creek. What do you think we should add next to help tell the story of the early years in what would come to be known as the Town of Greenfield?
Would they plant gardens with vegetables and corn growing? Sure and after that???
Oh, I just remembered something I read about in Greenfield Glimpses. What was that?
Stone walls. My grandfather always laughs when anybody mentions stones in Greenfield. He says, "Sure, we have tons of stones. Why do you think we have so many stone walls?" Is it true hat we have more rocks in our soil than anybody else?
Well, let's put it this way. We do have more rocks and stones here in our Town than in many other places. Do you know why? No, I don't have a clue. Why?
Do you have the book Greenfield Resources? No. I haven't even heard about it. Does it tell about rocks in Greenfield? Yes. I not only gives a very accurate, very scientific explanation about rocks, but is also tells about the history of Greenfield, the natural resources here, and many other topics related to our Town. And to make it even more enjoyable, there is a pull-out map in every chapter.
Hey! I'd like to read that book. Where can I get one? Oh, that's very easy. Just stop at Town Hall and buy one from the Town Clerk.
Great!! I can't wait to see a book about Greenfield that has a map in every chapter and tells why we have so many rocks in our soil.
Yes, it's an excellent source for a great deal of information about Greenfield. Now, let's go back to thinking about our mural. What shall we paint next? Oh, wait a minute before we go on. Let me mention that page 84 in Greenfield Resources tells about the rocks, but some of the vocabulary is a bit difficult so you may want to keep a dictionary handy for some of the scientific terms. Now..shall we go on with our mural plans? What shall we add now?
Think about these early families. After they had their homes built and their gardens planted, what would they think about next? What did they need? Was it...Let's see...was it schools and, oh I know, it was churches.
Exactly the right answer. They did start to build some schools and churches as they were also getting their homes and food supply ready, but most construction was done a few years later when they put up 16 one-room schools and many churches. During the week, the young children went to school, helped around the farm, and then on Sunday, the whole family put on their best clothes, most of which mother had made and went to church in their buggy wagon.
I think I might like to live life like they did. Well....it was a life of very hard work, but there were a number of most enjoyable things in their lives also. They had harvest celebrations with good food, music and dancing. During the rest of the year there were other activities like quilting bees, barn raising parties and of course skiing, fishing and swimming in the Kayaderroseros. Young ladies were taught how to sew because they would have to help make clothes for the family. Boys went hunting in the woods with their fathers so they could learn to be skillful hunters.
Oh, I just thought of something. We could draw a parch on one of the houses and show a group of girls and women having a little sewing party.
Great!! This is going to be a fine mural. I can hardly wait to see it when it is finished. But let's go back to something you did last week when you read the list of contents in Greenfield Glimpses. Take another quick look at these topics. This may give you some more ideas for drawings which you can add to your mural; ideas which we can talk about next month.
November 2006
Did you get some new ideas for the mural from Greenfield Resources?
I sure did! I made a long list and then I'll chose the ones I think will be best to use.
That's a very good idea. Planning carefully usually brings good results. But, before you go on with the mural, I'd like to take a brief detour. I'd like to start our short trip "off the beaten path" by reminding you that Greenfield officially became a Town on March 12, 1793. Before that, there were very few brave people who dared to come to this area to live in the late 1600's and early 1700's.
Oh, why didn't many people dare to come here to live? Was it dangerous? Was it because of the wild animals in the forests?
No, it wasn't the animals. The great danger was wars. These wars began in Europe and like a pot of water boiling in too small a pot, they spilled over into America. There was King William's War in 1689 - 1697 and Queen Anne's War in 1701 - 1713. This second war had border fighting with the French and their Indian allies here in the North. Then there was about twenty-five years of European and American peace which came to an end with King George's War in 1744 - 1748. The next war, known as the French and Indian War, greatly affected our area, known as the "Land of the Kayaderossera", which was the hunting and fishing land of the Mohawk Indians. The land was crossed by the war trails of the Mohawks and their enemies to the North, the Algonquin Indians. Bloody skirmishes were constant. Many lives on all sides of these conflicts were lost. Finally, after years of fighting and after George III became King of England, a treaty was signed in Paris in 1763. When peace arrived however, George III had a most important decision to make.
If the wars had stoped in 1763, wasn't the King of England happy? Why did he have such a great decision to make? Everything was all right then, wasn't it?
Well, yes and no. Sure, he was happy the wars had stopped. He was a peace-minded ruler. But his big problem was this. Should he let the people who had left England to live in America, the Colonists, run their own government and live their lives the way they wished or should he say "I am your King. Follow my laws. Live the way I tell you to live." He could let the Colonists run their government and they would be independent of his laws, or he could demand that they treat him as their King and ruler. To do this, he believed, would cause them to fight against him and, if they won, they would be free.
What a problem! What did he do? Did he tell the Colonist to run things themselves or did he say, "I am the boss?" Was our area, which is now Greenfield, affected by his decision? What happened?
Read pp3 and 4 in Greenfield Glimpses. Think about the lives of our early settlers. Picture in our mind the "miles and miles of stone fences (walls)." Think about the hours, days, weeks, and sometimes years, during which our early settlers worked to build homes, churches and schools, and struggled to create a community, a town, in what was then just a wilderness.
Oh, I've never really thought much about those early Greenfield settlers. Wouldn't some of them be our great-great grandparents, maybe?
Yes, they sure could have been. By the way. Do you have a family tree? Do you know your great-grandparents names and where and when they were born?
Well, I know a bit about my ancestors, but how can I learn more?
First of all, ask your parents to tell you about their parents and grandparents and great-grandparents, and great aunts and uncles. Write this information in a special place, like a notebook. Use the Family Tree chart we are showing. Next month, we'll give you more suggestions for filling your family tree chart.
Hey, my Mom and Dad just came in the door from Albany Airport where they picked up my grandmother who flew here from Ohio to spend several weeks with us.
Perfect timing! Go to it! I'll see you in December.
December 2006
Grandma, Grandma! It's so nice you're here. We haven't seen you since you were here for Daddy's birthday in May. Come, site down here and talk to me. (Mom suggested that Grandma might need a chance to rest a bit, have a snack or maybe take a nap after her flight.) So......45 minutes later......
You look all rested Grandma. Wasn't that sandwich Mom made for you delicious? Now.....may I ask you some very important questions?
Grandma nodded her head up and down and smiled.
All right. Here they are. Where were you and Grandpa born? You lived in Greenfield when you were a little girl, didn't you? Did Grandpa live here too? Why did you go to Ohio?
Oh my goodness, the answers to all those questions would fill a book. But, I'll try to give you the short answers and then you can get some books and read all about the time when my parents, my grandparents and I were growing up. Well.....to begin this story, yes, I was born in Greenfield in 1927. My Pa was a farmer with 30 cows, 4 horses, some pigs, chickens, ducks, a pair of oxen and a great big barn down behind our home which had a long porch all across the front.
Where did you go to school?
I went to Daketown School. Then I went to high school and I graduated from Union College.
Wow! You spent a lot of time in school, didn't you?
Well......yes I did. But I really enjoy learning.
I always did, even when I was little. After college, I got a job as a teacher in a little Town called Saugerties, which is in the Hudson Valley, about 100 miles north of New York City. Five years later another teacher came to our school system. That other teacher is now your grandfather.
Hey, I like that story. Tell me more and more and more.
Eight years later, your grandfather and I had an idea. Let's go out west, we thought. So....we packed up and, just for the fun of it, we decided to ride westward on the Erie Canal just like my great-grandparents did in 1857.
What is the Erie Canal?
Well......it is one of my favorite places to travel. The dictionary defines the word canal as an artificial waterway. To describe it in a simple way would be to say that a canal is a big, long ditch made by men. We were fortunate in New York State to have the natural advantage of a fairly level route westward from the Hudson River to Lake Erie. Take a look at your New York State map.
I have it right here in front of me. Here is the Hudson River and over here in the Western part of the State, I see Lake Erie.
Very good. And our State had another stroke of very good luck. That strip of land from the Hudson to Lake Erie is absolutely the only break in the entire chain of the Appalachian Mountains. Did you find the Appalachians on your map? Isn't it amazing that the only place where there is an open space to go through the mountains is right here in our own State?:
That's great! So what did we do with that level land?
That level land you're asking about is 350 miles long.
Three hundred and fifty miles! How could anyone dig a ditch that long? Wouldn't that be impossible?
Well, many New Yorkers did think it couldn't be done.....There were ridges to cross, a wilderness of woods and swamps, and 350 miles of digging.
Did they do it? Could they do it? What happened?
DeWitt Clinton became the New York State Governor and he was sue the canal could, and should be built. He used his power as Governor to get things started. Digging began on the Fourth of July, 1817.
Hey, I liked your canal story, but I'm studying the history of the Town of Greenfield. The canal doesn't have anything to do with Greenfield History, does it?
Let's stop a minute and think about the early settlers in Greenfield. What did they do for a living? Did they have anything they would like to sell which could be taken westward? Would any of them wish to travel westward?
Of my goodness. Where can we find answers to those questions?
First, go to Greenfield Glimpses. That will give you a review of some of our early settlers. If you have a friend or neighbor who was born and grew up in Greenfield, talk to them. You may be surprised to know that there are quite a few "old timers" still around. And, there's another place where you can go to be surrounded by historical information.
Where's that? Is it in Greenfield?
It's the Saratoga Room.
The Saratoga room? Where's that?
It's in the Saratoga Springs Library. It is one, very large room, completely filed with books, maps, pamphlets and pictures about the history of this area. Ellen deLalla is the Local Historian there. Go to the library, go upstairs on the elevator, turn left and you'll to right toward the Saratoga Room. Ask your questions and they wil use their wide knowledge of the history of this area and their very friendly, helpful manner to assist you in getting some answers to your questions. (Oh, by the way, here's their Saratoga Room hours: Monday & Thursday 7PM to 9PM, Tuesday & Friday 2:30PM to 4:30 PM, Wednesday 9AM to 1PM and Saturday Noon to 4 PM)
Come back in January (hey, that's a new month with new numbers - 2007) and we'll talk about the canal and Greenfield.
January 2007
Now that we have watched the fireworks and changed our calendars, let's come back to our once tiny Town in the "Land of the Kayaderossera"; an area which served as the hunting and fishing land of the Mohawks. In 1708 the Kayaderosseras Pact was made with the Mohawks but it did not become final until 1768 when the Mohawks paid $5,000. It was 1786 before a few brave souls began to settle here and on February 1, 1791 Saratoga County was set off from Albany County. But the great big, momentous day came on march 12, 1793 when we officially became the Town of Greenfield. Rapidly, word spread about the beauty and the resources of this area, so more and more settlers arrived. You know the story of some of the things which happened after that because we have spent quite a bit of time talking, reading and researching this period in our early history. We had gotten up to October 1825. Do you remember why that date was so very important to us?
October 25, 1825? Oh, I know. It was the opening of the Erie Canal by Governor DeWitt Clinton who led a parade of canal boats from Buffalo to the Hudson and then downriver to New York City.
Say, that was great! How did you remember all of that?
Because my grandmother found a box of letters in her attic which her father and mother had written. They told about the Canal and about my great grandparents trip in 1857 as they were on their way to Ohio. What fun I had reading all of them!
What a great experience you had. It helps us remember better, if we hear about something, especially dates and then see the same information on paper, doesn't it?
It sure does. I could never have remembered all of that if I hadn't seen those letters. Am I glad my grandma found that box hidden back under the the eaves in the attic.
Yes, how lucky you were. So......we are now up to October 1825 and the question which we asked before. Did the Canal help our little Town?
Did it really help us at all?
The answer to that question is, "Yes it did."
How? I don't really see how a canal could help us.
Well, you already told me one way.
I did! What was it?
You told us how your great grandparents went to Ohio.
Oh, gosh, I did, didn't I?
Yes, and many people from this area did the same thing. So, one answer to our question is that people got on the canal boats and traveled westward. Do you think this caused a change in our Town population?
Oh, I don't know. Did it?
Look on p. 15 in Greenfield Glimpses to find that answer. And the number 1063 may be of interest to you as you study this. (Look at ALL the numbers)
By the way, we were also thinking about how the canal helped us in other ways. Start talking, reading, using your computer and going to the Public Library to see what other answers you can find. We'll talk about them in February, the second month of our brand new year.
PS Did you get some information for your family tree?
Do you have 4 minutes to spare? If you do, please complete the following and give to your teacher:
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1. I read History Alive each month. Yes_______ No ________
2. I used the following: _____ Greenfield Glimpses, ______ Greenfield Resources, ______ Public Library
________ Computer _______ Other
3. I want to see more chapters _______ Yes _________ NO
4. I'd like to see these changes ___________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
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February 2007
October 25, 1825. What was....
Hey. I know, even before you ask the question.
Excellent! Tell us.
That was the day that Governor Dewitt Clinton led a parade of canal boats from Buffalo to the Hudson River and then down to New York City.
Great! But how did you remember the exact words from our last chapter?
Because of my father.
Your father? What did he do?
He got a New York State map and I traced with my fingers the route Governor Clinton took as he led the other boats. I began at Buffalo and traced eastward to Albany. Then the boats went into the Hudson River and on down to New York City, so I pretended I was on the boat with Governor Clinton, and let my fingers go right down to New York City.
What a good idea. It certainly helped print all of that information right in you brain, didn't it?
It certainly did! My dad said he learned as much as I did.
Good! You mentioned that you pretended to be on the boat with Governor Clinton, but I'll bet you would like to know who was really on the boat with him.
Who was it? Was it somebody very famous?
On Governor Clinton's boat names the, Seneca Chief, were his family, some of his friends and his official staff. A team of our powerful gray horses hauled the boat along. They began walking on the tow-path, a path which had been made so it would be easier for the horses to go along beside the canal. They would pull those very heavy ropes connecting them with the vessels.
Boy oh boy! How I wish I could really have been standing right beside Governor Clinton. What a ride that would have been, wouldn't it?
Oh yes! But it gets better and better.
But how could it be better than riding down a brand new canal with the Governor of our State?
Here's how! Just as the horses stepped onto the tow path, a cannon announced the official opening of the Canal. A few minutes later another cannon along the canal boomed forth. A third cannon, far off in the distance, went off.
Wow! Wouldn't it be great to hear those three cannons?
Yes, yes! But those three were the first of several hundred cannons stationed at intervals along the canal, reaching down along the Hudson, all the way to New York City. And those booming cannons shot off, one after the other. They flashed the news of the opening of the Canal, just as fast as sound could Travel. *It took one hour and twenty minutes for the sounds of the cannons to be heard in New York City.
What a trip! What a trip!
It certainly was. But there's more! There were many barges following the Governor's boat. They were decorated with flags and flowers and crowded with excited people. We aren't exactly sure how long it took for that long procession of boats to complete the trip. But, we do know that the booming cannon sounds were heard in New York City in one hour and twenty minutes, long before the boats arrived. They were met there with the sounds of ringing bells and more booming cannons.
I can hear all of this in my imagination.
Yes, I can too. It was a momentous occasion for New York State and also for our whole nation. And, this brings us back to our January question. Did the Erie Canal, which is often called the Barge Canal, help us here in Greenfield? As you did some reading and research, did you find some answers?
Yes I did. I found out that there was a charge for people to use the canal. IN 1825, along the completely finished part of the Canal, a half million dollars were collected in tools. That's what they called the money people paid to use the Canal. Five years later a million dollars was collected because so many farmers and business people shipped many, many things on the canal. This money was a boon to the State and its people.
You certainly have a very good memory. Did you know that in just twelve years the money collected from the tolls, more than paid for the complete cost of digging and maintaining the canal?
Oh, my gosh! How much money was collected?
About fifteen million dollars.
Whew! I'll bet the people in New York State were thankful that Governor Clinton had worked very hard to get the canal finished, weren't they?
Oh yes they were, especially because some people made fun of Governor Clinton's idea of building what they called, "A big ditch". The people who did not like his idea kept making fun of him and "his ideas". But he was re-elected to a second term as Governor and finally in 1825 much of the work was finished and he rode proudly down to New York City. Now, tell me what else you learned about how the canal helped the people who lived in our small Town.
One book told about how farmers in Greenfield and in other parts of our country could ship their wheat and other produce to Europe. Many poor people there were no longer starving and the farmers got money for their produce.
Very good. This Canal was a big help for farmers because in 1824, before the canal was opened it cost $88 a ton just to send anything from Albany to Buffalo. Eleven years later, it cost just $3.00 a ton. The farmers were overjoyed. They were saving money on shipping costs and also earning money for everything they sold.
Did some of them get really rich?
They certainly did. Where we once had a wilderness, like early Greenfield, we now had prosperous farming communities.
The Canal really made a big difference in the lives of the early settlers, didn't it?
It certainly did. The barges on the Canal carried people and products out to the western part of our country and returned peole and products back here to the East. And of course, people and freight moved North and South on the Hudson.
I wish I had been alive then.
Well, just as we have always had many good things happening in our country, there have always been some problems to be solved. That was the way it was in the 1820;s - many good ideas, many good results and some problems and challenges.
I don't care. I would really liked to have been a pilot on one of those barges.
It sure would have been exciting, wouldn't it? But now, let's move along and discover all of the new, exciting ideas and events which came along as our little Town and its strong, purposeful, dedicated citizens lived through the rest of the 1800's. See what you can learn about those years and come back next month so that we can compare notes.
*Information from The Book of Knowledge p.4885
March 2007
"Whoa! Whoa!" That's how famous jockeys stop their equally famous race horses. That's just the way the farmers in Greenfield brought their teams of horses to a halt as they finished plowing, before planting their fields. Perhaps that would be a very good way to pause in our recent travels and then gently, ever so gently, pull the reins just a bit to focus on a different track; a track solidly centered in our small community and especially concentrated on all of the outstanding citizens who listen, watch, think and very often take action to maintain the admirable ideas and ideals which have characterized Greenfield since 1793.
We began a mural to create a depiction of our Town's history with the visualization, in our active imaginations, of the early days when farming was the predominant occupation; an occupation absolutely essential to provide food, clothing and shelter for these first settlers who arrived in this area in the late 1700's and early 1800's.
By 1820 there were 3024 people here, before the Canal was completed in 1825. IN 1830 our population was 3144, a gain of 120 people, followed in 1840 by a lost of 341 citizens. In 1850, 87 more people decided to settle in our picturesque, rural Town. We had gained 80 more people by 1860, and lost 272 by 1870. Then our population saw a rather dramatic change with the loss of 737 people from 1870 to 1950. Our head count in 1950 was 1961 citizens who enjoyed life surrounded by the verdant meadows, majestic tress, the sparkling water of the Kayaderosseros Creek and the beauty of our impressive stone walls over which friends and neighbors could communicate.
But this was NOT the time when the straw broke the camel's back. It was the tipping time, the quiet time, the gateway time - the gateway to a new and brighter future; a future of change, sometimes more rapid than some citizens preferred, but a future approaching as rapidly and with as much certainty as the sun over our peaceful horizon.
So....here we are. Since 1925 the Canal had been operating at full speed. Seven years of calendars were discarded and not it's 1832, and by golly there is something new on our horizon. The Schenectady-Saratoga Railroad is bringing passengers and freight within a couple of miles of lower Greenfield. New construction begins and the Adirondack Railroad is formed. Tracks are built across Greenfield with a station at Kings (It's still right here). Stations were built in South Corinth, Corinth, Handley and North Greenfield.
The years rolled along. We had gone from a narrow, Indian foot path to a dirt road wide enough for a wagon or a stage coach of the tally-ho type, drawn by four horses. The trip from Hadley to Saratoga could be completed in about five hours.
Well, well, well! We're moving right along, aren't we? You may want to do some research yourself to see what came along next. Better yet, come along with us in April. What surprises will we discover then?
April 2007
Movers and shakers!
Movers and shakers? Why are you using those words? What do they mean for Greenfield?
Those two adjectives are an excellent way to describe the early settlers of our Town.
Why?
Well, the story starts in Europe. Some of them left their native land and went to live in other European Nations. After a while, they decided to leave those countries where they had been living.
What happened to make them do that?
They decided that the quality of life which they were seeking for themselves and most especially for their children, was not available there.
So, what did they decide to do?
They packed their belongings and embarked on the arduous trip to America, often on poorly constructed boats, traveling amid powerful, destructive, Atlantic storms.
They must have been brave to come all the way across the Atlantic Ocean.
Yes. The word "brave" is another adjective which aptly describes these strong people who first settled in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and in Dutchess County in lower New York State, before moving to what is now known as Greenfield.
When did they get here and was it Greenfield then?
No. It was just known as the "Land of the Kayadrosseros", because the Kayadrosseros Creek was a fast flowing stream running right through this area. The name of this creek meant the "country of the lakes and the crooked stream." This area was the hunting and fishing ground for the Mohawks when these early settlers from England, France, Ireland, Holland, Germany, Scotland, Italy, Poland, Yugoslavia and other nations arrived during the late 1700's. And as you already know, we officially became the Town of Greenfield on March 12, 1793.
Well, what happened then.
That answer is easy. These movers and shakers began to move and shake.
That's a funny answer.
Yes, it sounds funny but there was nothing funny about their steadfast determination to move and shake until they had created the beginning of a different life in the New World for themselves and their descendants.
Wow! What a story. I know about all the things they did when they first got here, but what was next?
The key to a large part of the rest of the story is the word "move".
"Move?" Why?
Well, go and get your dictionary and find the word "move". Right after that word you will read the following: "to go continuously from one point to another, to change one's residence or location, to begin marked activity, to live one's life in a specified environment and to cause to advance." These phrases provide an extremely accurate picture of our early settlers and of the activities they pursued to achieve their goals.
So, what were their next plans?
You already know all of the first things they did to provide food and shelter. They also fished in and traveled on the Kayadrosseros Creek. The men and boys hunted in the deep woods where they walked on the narrow Indian trails to find their prey. This was the life our first settlers led n the 1700's. But their visions and their vigor pushed them to go farther and faster.
How could they do that with just those Indian trails?
They couldn't.
Well then, what did they do so they could go farther and faster?
The answer is simple but the process was slow and back breaking.
What process?
They built dirt roads wide enough for the farm wagons they had made. This was better and faster, but once again their ideas and their ideas and their physical strength continued to push them into new endeavors.
Didn't their wagons go fast enough on the dirt roads?
Not really, and traveling in open wagons was not ideally suited to the climate in Kayadrosseros Country, the Northeastern part of New York State.
How did they solve this problem?
They built stage coaches which gave them some more protection from inclement weather, but this mode of travel still did not meet their "bigger and faster" demands. So in 1832 a big step toward their goals was taken. The Schenectady-Saratoga Railroad was built and came chugging along to provide passenger and freight service just a couple of miles from lower Greenfield. That was a good step forward, but a giant step followed when the Adirondack Railroad was formed and constructed across Greenfield with stations at Kings (still here), South Corinth, Corinth and Hadley. This was in 1863 - 1865.
I know this from the chapter in March.
Yes, this is the beginning of a long story involving baby steps to giant steps which our forefathers took. These changes, both small and large, marked an important turning point in our History. This constant improvement in modes of transportation was like turning a sharp corner to greater economic success. We can't forget one other part of this transportation story which we talked about in February.
Oh, I know what that was. It was the Erie Canal and I even remember that it was sometimes called the Barge Canal. That's where I really wish I had been able to travel from Albany to New York City.
Yes, I know. The Erie was another giant step on the economic route our early citizens took. It was opened in October o 1825, not so many years after we officially became the Town of Greenfield in 1793. The vim and vigor had produced some very good results. But the word "stop" was not in their vocabulary.
They had moved from the narrow Mohawk trails to the use of trains and boats on the canal in just a few years. Wow! What progress they made. It almost seems hard to believe.
Yes. In a way it does, unless you remember that these early residents really did have very clear ideas of what they wanted and most importantly, the did have the vim and vigor to work intelligently, creatively, enthusiastically and consistently to achieve these goals.
Yeah! It was great, but I remember that many other people in various areas helped to put together this constantly changing economy and our ancestors would then figure out how they could use all of these changes.
That's true. It was a collective effort which helped produce the good results. But there is still a long way to go to see all of the excellence of our citizens visions and achievements. We have just enjoyed thinking about some of their activities and of the success they experienced during their first few years in our Town. And if you have done the arithmetic, you already know that our website will not soon run out of material, because there are many, many years of striving, occasional failures, and impressive accomplishments to look at and to talk about.
Don't worry. I'll be right here!
May 2007
You have probably mailed your April calendar page and the copy of the April internet chapter already, haven't you?
My calendar? My internet chapter? Why? Why?
Didn't you tell me that at the end of each month you mail the calendar page and the internet chapter to your grandmother so she can add them to the Greenfield History notebook she is keeping?
My calendar page and internet chapter? Oh my gosh! I don't believe it! How could I have forgotten? A new month is already here? It seems like we just began April, but May is already here, isn't it? Whew! How did April come and go so quickly?
Well, I'm sure you have heard that old saying, "Time flies when you're having fun?"
It sure does and I sure did - have fun, I mean. We started a new science project, went on a field trip to the Military Museum, started writing poetry and essays for our school creative writing booklet, wrote the script and put on a Civil War television program, using the big refrigerator box we got from the furniture store, and joined three other classes in creating a math quiz. All of us took the quiz and then had a pizza party to honor the class with the highest scores.
No wonder you forgot to put a letter in the mail to your grandmother. However, I'm positive you'll have that in the mail tomorrow. Right?
Right! My calendar page, the April chapter, and my note of apology for being late, will go out in the morning. Here's my May calendar page. I'm all ready so....let's get going on the history chapter for May.
All right! Fasten your seat belt! Here we go, way, way back to a time 400 years ago when European settlement began in what is now the United States. At that time the land was occupied by a few million Neolithic hunter-gatherers. Because of their limitations, they were forced to concentrate primarily on clothes, food and shelter. Slowly, this aptly named "banana republic", became what Historian, John Steele Gordon, describes as "the greatest economic engine the world has ever known." He continues, "There are few economic sectors, from agricultural exports, to jet aircraft production, to entertainment, in which the United States does not lead, as we produce about one-third of the world's goods and services."
Gee! He makes our country sound pretty great, doesn't he?
Yes, he does! But think about those words of praise for a few minutes; "the greatest economic engine the world has ever known." Isn't that description of our nation just about right?
Oh yes i is! It certainly is!
I agree. but let's move on. We took a brief look at 400 years ago, but since our interest is centered around Greenfield, we want to concentrate on our change from a small, agricultural town of about 1200 citizens in 1793 to a bustling town of 6700 citizens in 2007. We must also add the information that about 90% of our first settlers were farmers. The other 10% were blacksmiths, mill owners, coopers and itinerant peddler who made shoes, pots and pans and small furniture items like baby cradles, cupboards and bed frames.
They certainly did a lot of work and developed many creative plans for our new little Town, didn't they?
Yes! Remember our April chapter? We gave a great deal of attention to the "movers and shakers."
I remember. They guided our town and provided encouragement for the growth which was occurring.
They surely did! Now, let's go back and think about where we stopped in March.
Let's see. We talked about transportation and how the Canal and the railroads caused a big jump in our economy. People could move all kinds of products from place to place, faster and cheaper, than in the days of the Indian trails and the horse and buggy.
Yes, and gradually more people came here to live. They worked hard and had very good ideas for helping to stimulate change, do things faster and live better. People were using the new communication methods and more and more settlers were taking advantage of the useful inventions which were being created during the industrial revolution. Then some other less obvious activities took place. A few of these started several years before we became a town. But, since they didn't happen right here, many local citizens didn't see or hear about them.
Well, if many people didn't see of hear about these things, how do we know they happened?
Like this. I'm sure you have been up in your bedroom when your dad turned the downstairs thermostat higher. Right?
Sure I have. Bu what does that have to do with the happenings which affected our Town's history?
Did you see your father touch the thermostat?
No.
Did you hear the thermostat click?
No.
Did you know the thermostat was adjusted higher?
Yes.
How?
I felt the heat and I was nice and warm.
Now, tell me how we know about some activities when we don't see or hear about anything related to them?
Well, we feel the results.
A perfect answer. Just right!
Well, tell me about these thins people didn't see or hear about when they first began.
All right, I will. But first, let me remind you that we had no telephones, no television, no radio and very few books, magazines and newspapers in the early days of our Town.
Go on. Tell me more. How did we find out, if we didn't see or hear about certain things?
It was 1789, four years before our Town became official. George Washington, our President, selected Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury for our country.
Sop, how did that influence our lives here in Greenfield?
Hamilton did four things which saved our nation from financial ruin, and the things he did were so very important because they affected the pocketbook of every citizen in the nation and of course, every Greenfield resident, too.
Holy smokes! What the dickens did he do?
Hamilton developed a system of taxation so the government could pay it bills. He organized a banking system which provided a way for the national government to pay off the debts left over from the Revolutionary War. This made the people feel more confident about their government. His last important decision was to set up a system so the government could borrow money when necessary. These financial procedures were tremendously valuable in strengthening the nation's wealth. Hamilton was greatly praised for the prodigious work he had done to achieve these successes and he was constantly labeled with the word "genius".
Well, how did his work make such a difference in the lives of the early citizens of our Town? Tell me! Tell me!
The people in all communities were astonished. It was difficult for them to believe that one man, in just two years, could produce such amazing financial opportunities for them. Throughout much of the 1780's, the entire country had been sunk in a paralyzing depression. Now, with Hamilton's ideas in place, the money began to flow. In 1792 the Federal government was worth about 3 1/2 million dollars. (That's just a year before Greenfield received its charter) But.....by 1800, just 8 years later, how much do you think the Federal revenues were? Would you like to guess?
Oh, probably 4 1/2 million dollars or a bit more.
Hang on to your hat, because what I'm going to tell you may blow it right off your head.
All right! Come on! How much? How much?
By 1800 our government was worth more than 10 million dollars. Government bonds were selling like hot cakes. The banking system grew rapidly. For the first time since our Colonies began, the United States had a reliable and convenient money supply.
So....could the farmers of Greenfield now borrow money to build a new barn or buy more cows?
They surely could. They could borrow money for whatever they needed, to improve their homes, their farms and their lives.
But, did all of these financial changes really help the people in Greenfield get more things they needed to run their farms and their homes? Were they really able to lead better lives?
Yes and yes. And at the end of each month, when they put their hands into their pockets, they found more money and suddenly their faces were all smiles, from ear to ear.
Wow! That's great!
It certainly was. And, thanks to Alexander Hamilton, the economy of our new nation and of our new Greenfield was off to the races. It began the growth that has been the wonder of all of the rest of the world, to this day.
What a story! What a story! I like to hear about people who really do make a difference in the world, especially when the things they do helps mother, fathers and children have better lives. Will June's story show something like that also?
In June we are going to meet a king. This king was right here in America but never, ever, wore a golden crown.
Well, I'll have to try to figure that one out and then come back in June to see if I was right. See you on Just 1st. So long 'till then.
***Each month we are adding a question. Sometimes it will relate to the specific topic for the month and sometimes not. It will look like the following:
Did You Know
Did you know that Washington first offered the job of Secretary of the Treasury to Robert Morris, who refused the offer. Morris went into buying and selling land and ended up in debtor's prison.
June 2007
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Hey, what's going on here? We're surrounded by signs?
