|
VILLAGES-HAMLETS-NEIGHBORHOODS
GREENPORT, COLUMBIA COUNTY, NEW YORK By Captain Franklin Ellis201 1878
The town of Greenport, peculiarly situated as it is, has but little material for remarks upon this topic.
CATSKILL STATION
so called, on the Hudson River railroad, is the point where passengers from and for Catskill cross the river by the ferry. This is frequently called Oak Hill, but Oak Hill is really the old steamboat landing a little below, within the town of Livingston. Within a few years a post-office has been established at the station; until then the town of Greenport had no post-office. The vicinity of the Reformed church, in the south part of the town, is a thickly-settled neighborhood, marked on some of the maps as McKINSTRYVILLE. It is a pleasant rural place, with several fine residences.
THE ELISHA HOTEL PLACE
is a point of very early location. There has been a hotel there for eighty years or more. It is favorably situated at the intersection of several roads. There are a number of shops and residences near by. STONE MILLS
is a small hamlet on the Claverack creek, lying partly in Greenport. The post-office is on the Greenport side of the creek. The mills are very old.
elsewhere described, have been the means of creating a thickly-settled neighborhood at that point. At times, considerable business has been done in and near Becraft's mountain. Besides the tool-shops and buildings of the marble-works, there is also a chair-shop and a harness-shop. Farther south, on the Ancram road, is a glue-factory, in the Hall neighborhood. At this, a business of considerable importance has been carried on.
THE "FOUNTAIN,"
east of the city limits, is the place of the springs alluded to by ancient writers two centuries ago or more. Her is located the old Hollenbeck hotel, a very ancient tavern-stand. The hamlet around the toll-gate, still farther east, consists of twenty or thirty dwelling-houses, some of them very old. Across the fields, near the railroad track, is the ancient house alluded to elsewhere [Van Hosen house]. In the toll-gate house there is still posted a torn and wasting handbill, nearly ninety years old, giving the rates of toll. The piece of paper is worth being framed and preserved under glass by the directors of this ancient corporation. "REGULATIONS. "For a score of cattle, and in the same proportion for a greater or lesser number, West gate, nine cents; Middle gate, eighteen cents; Toll-Gate, Eighteen cents. For a score of hogs or sheep, at the same gates, in the same order, four cents, five cents, five cents. For a horse and rider, a led or driven horse or mule, two cents, four cents, four cents. For a sulkey, chair, or chaise and one horse, five cents, ten cents, ten cents; two cents for every additional horse. "For a coach, coachee, chariot, Phaeton, and other four-wheeled pleasure carriages, ten cents, eighteen cents, eighteen cents. For every stage-coach or stage-wagon, eight cents, sixteen cents, sixteen cents. For every wagon or Cart drawn by two horses or two oxen, five cents, ten cents, ten cents; and one cent more for every additional horse or ox. "for every sleigh or sled drawn by two horses or two oxen, two cents, four cents, four cents; and one cent more for every additional horse or ox. "for every other carriage, two cents, four cents, four cents."
William Carpenter is the present gate-keeper, and has held the place for the last five years. Before him, for twenty-two years, was Stephen A. Coffin, and still earlier ws John Macy. The vicinity of the springs and the beautiful Claverack valley just east, has connected with them many historic incidents.
North from Hudson city is the Higgins neighborhood, and still farther north, on the line of Stockport, is the Park Hotel.
|