Churchtown

Claverack,

Columbia County,

New York

By Captain Franklin Ellis²⁶

¹⁸⁷⁸

^{Page 242}

    ^{Churchtown is a hamlet of about twenty houses, three miles south from Claverack village. It is partly situated in the towns of Livingston and Taghkanic.  Among the first settlers were the Hagadorns, whose home stood on the lot now occupied by R. Decker's Place.  South of them lived Nicholas Roat, and east Jonas Rossman.  Frederick Houser was also an early settler.  A few miles east from this place settled Uldrich Sours, a native of Germany, living there to the extreme age of one hundred and five years.  A grandson, Samuel Sours, is now one of the oldest citizens of Churchtown.}

    ^{Robert Bortle had one of the pioneer stores in the building now occupied as a tavern.  The early landlords were Fred. Houser and Peter I. Rossman, the latter keeping public-house many years.  There are at present a tavern and several stores.  In one of the latter is kept the Churchtown post-office, which was established about twenty-five years ago, with Albert Sheldon postmaster.  The present incumbent is R. Decker.  There is a tri-weekly mail from Hudson.}

    ^{The place contains also a full complement of mechanic shops and the St. Thomas' Lutheran Church.}