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The Ghent Manufactories Ghent, Columbia County, New York By Capt. Franklin Ellis369 1878 The Ghent Manufactories are limited to a few establishments, principally on the eastern part of the Kline Kill. But in 1820, when the town extended to the Claverack and Kinderhook, there were reported six grist-mills, four saw-mills, four fulling-mills, five carding-machines, and three cotton and wool factories. The present Garner grist-mills, near the village of Ghent, occupy the site of saw and grist-mills erected soon after the settlement of the town, by Samuel Coleman. Subsequently the Spanglers operated them many years. Above this are the old Arnold mills, now operated by F. Stupplebeem. Between these is Niles' paper-mill, established in 1872. It employs water and steam power, and is capacitated to produce three thousand five hundred pounds per day. The Mickle paper-mill is an older establishment. Its capacity is about the same as the Niles mill. Sixty years ago Edward Holmes had a woolen-factory, in a brick building, near Niles' mill, which was abandoned, and a new factory erected farther up the stream. This, too, has been discontinued. In the western part of the town were small saw-mills, operated by Peter Philip, John Tipple, John Van Hagan, and one, now operated by Peter Engle, that was built by George Snyder. In this locality was a small woolen-factory, by Thomas Van Alstyne, operated about 1824.
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