Stockport Village

Stockport,

Columbia County,

New York

Capt. Franklin Ellis³⁹¹

1878   

     Two miles north from Whitlock's Corner, and about five and half miles from Hudson, at the junction of Claverack and Kinderhook creeks, is the village of Stockport.

     The place is handsomely located on both banks of the above streams, has two churches, several mills, stores, and factories, and contains about four hundred and fifty inhabitants, who are engaged principally in manufacturing.

     In 1828, Joseph and Benjamin Marshall purchased a large tract of land in this locality, including all the water-power on Claverack creek.  On the upper falls, which had been improved for a woolen-factory by the Macy family, they printed the first cotton-cloth in the county.  A company was soon after formed with title of the "Hudson Print Works" (the establishment at that time being within the corporate limits of that city), which did an extensive business.  Its growing proportions required the use of many buildings and gave employment to hundreds of men, making the place one of the busiest in the county.  The financial depression in 1837 compelled a cessation of work, which caused the removal of many of the inhabitants.  Subsequently the buildings were converted to other uses, the upper works being used as a tobacco-factory by Edward Roome, and a part of the lower for the manufacture of snuff.  For several years this formed an extensive business, but was also suspended in 1850.