Stottsville

Stockport,

Columbia County,

New York

Capt. Franklin Ellis³⁸⁸

1878

     Stottsville is a flourishing manufacturing village of half a thousand inhabitants in the southeastern part of the town, about four miles from the city of Hudson.  Claverack creek here makes a descent of fifty-three feet in three successive falls, affording excellent water-power, which is all used in operating Stotts' Woolen Mills.  These extensive mills are the result of the enterprising spirit of Jonathan Stott, an intelligent weaver of satinets in Hudson, who located here in 1828, and began the manufacture of flannels in a small factory, which employed only two sets of thirty-six-inch cards and twelve looms.  His mills soon became the controlling industry of the place, which caused his name to be bestowed upon it, in preference to Springville, its former title.  Jonathan Stott died in May, 1863, but the business has since been successfully carried on by his sons and grandsons, and at present embraces the following mills:  No. 1, which was built in 1846, destroyed by fire in 1861, and rebuilt the same year, contains eleven sets of cards; No. 2, built in 1865, on the site of Jonathan Stott's old mill, contains thirteen sets of cards; No. 3, which was erected in 1859, and is used for finishing goods made in other mills; and No. 4, erected in 1876, with a capacity for twenty sets of cards, operating at present twelve sets.  From twelve thousand to fourteen thousand yards of excellent flannels and other goods are manufactured daily, giving employment to several hundred operatives, and requiring about five thousand pounds of wool and cotton.

     Other manufacturing interests at this point were saw and grist-mills by the Van Rensselaers, who formerly owned the entire power.  Henry Van Rensselaer had a grist-mill on the east side of the creek, which was removed to Niverville.  A fulling-mill belonging to the same party was purchased by Jonathan Stott, as well as a woolen-factory which belonged to Josiah Barber.

     Stores were kept at an early day by the Van Rensselaers, succeeded by Bartholomew Vosburgh, and the present merchant, Vroman Van Rensselaer, who has been in trade the past twenty-five years.  The latter is also deputy postmaster of the Stottsville office, established in 1870, with C. H. Stott postmaster.  There is a daily mail from Hudson to points northward.  The Western Union Company opened a telegraph-office at the same place, in June, 1877.

     Stottsville contains a number of fine homes, has a neat chapel and school-house, and presents a prosperous appearance.