History of Montgomery & Fulton Counties by F. W. Beers & Co. Montgomery County, Village of St. Johnsville

THE VILLAGE OF ST. JOHNSVILLE.

The village of St. Johnsville is situated on the north bank of the Mohawk, near the mouth of Zimmerman creek, and near the center of the town, east and west. It is a station of considerable importance on the New York Central Railroad and Erie Canal. The Mohawk turnpike also runs through it.

Some authorities assert that the village derived its name " from St. John's Church, erected there at an early day." This is incorrect, as no St. John's or any other church had ever existed here at the time the name was applied to the place. The nearest was a Dutch Reformed church (never called St. John's) built about 1756, nearly a mile below, which, about 1818, was torn down, and the present Reformed church erected in its stead. (This is incorrect! Check the St. John's Reformed Church web site. The church was called St. John's in 1804, before Alexander St. John came to the area. Check here for the naming of the village. ajberry) The name originated in this wise : On the 4th of April, 1811, an act was passed to " lay out a new turnpike road from the house of Henry Gross, in Johnstown, to the house of John C. Nellis, in the town of Oppenheim," terminating in the Mohawk turnpike near St Johnsville. The commissioners named in the act were " John Mclntyre, of Broadalbin ; Alexander St. John, of Northampton ; and Wm. Newton, of Mayfield." St. John was a surveyor of good repute. He not only surveyed the road, but, as commissioner, took almost the entire charge of its construction, and being much at "Timmerman's "-as St. Johnsville was then called-he became familiarly and favorably known to the leading citizens. When, subsequently, a post office came to be established at this place, through the instrumentality of Henry Lloyd and Christian Graft, jr., then merchants here, the name of St. Johnsville was given to it, in honor of Alex. St. John, the surveyor and commissioner.

The place was incorporated as a village Aug. 1st, 1857, and its organization completed at an election of officers held at the " Franklin House "Aug. 29th, 1857, which resulted as follows : Board of trustees, Wm. Kingsbury, Elisha Fox, Absalom Thumb, Gordon Hough, and Truman Tabor ; president, Storm R. Haight ; clerk, Peter Heleger ; assessors, Daniel Yonker, Matthew F. Wilson, and George Adams ; collector, John B. Churchill ; treasurer, John B. Fisher. The whole number of inhabitants at that time within the corporate limits of the village was 720. The present population is about 1,500. St. Johnsville contains 3 churches, 3 hotels, a gristmill, a woolen and a cheese factory, a bank, 3 dry goods, 2 hardware, 2 drug, 3 furniture, 2 clothing, 2 boot and shoe, and 10 grocery stores, and a proportionate number of other stores, shops, offices, occupations and professions.

MILLS AND MANUFACTORIES.

Over one hundred years ago Jacob Zimmerman commenced the first set- tlement and laid the foundation for a village, by erecting a grist-mill near the creek which still bears his name. In 1801, George Klock built another, and David Quackenbush erected the third grist-mill in 1804 and operated it until 1832, when it was closed. Six years after, it was converted into an iron foundry by Adam Thumb and others. It was subsequently re-modeled into a saw and planing-mill by Thumb & Flanders, who own and operate it as such at present. In 1825, James Averill built a stone grist-mill and distillery. These were twice burned and rebuilt, and continued to be operated as at first by Mr. Averill and his successors for twenty-two years, after which the mill was abandoned and the whole establishment used for distilling purposes. It was thus run at irregular intervals for nineteen years, Messrs. McNeil, Nagel, D. C. Cox, and Stuart following the business in the order named. The property latterly fell into the hands of H. H. Healy, and was afterward converted into a paper-mill by D. C. Cox, who still continues the business of manufacturing board paper for boxes.

The St. Johnsville Woolen Mills are located on Zimmerman creek, in the northwest part of the village. They were erected in 1840 by Hough, Riggs & Adams, and afterward leased and operated by Winegar & Yonker. In 1857 they were purchased by Sidney Smith, the present proprietor, who is actively engaged in the manufacture of a variety of woolen goods, exclusively for the home market.

The St. Johnsville Agricultural Works are owned by M. Williams & Co., who commenced the manufacture of threshers and horse-powers in 1867. This establishment also turns out a variety of other implements useful to the farmer. M. Walrath, jr., is the business manager.

Upper St. Johnsville, situated on Klock's creek, about one mile west of St. Johnsville, contains the three-story stone flouring and custom mill of Beekman Brothers.

In 1870 Conover & Kent commenced the manufacture of fifth wheels for carriages at St. Johnsville, continuing till 1876, when Chas, W. Scudder & Co. purchased their factory and succeeded them in the business. The firm is at present manufacturing this one article to the amount of $12,000 worth annually, employing eleven men, and using seventy tons of American and Norway iron. This is the only establishment of the kind in the county, and there are but few others in the United States.

JOURNALISM- BANKING- MASONRY.

On the 14th of July, 1875, The Interior New Yorker, edited and published by Wm. L. Palmer, made its first appearance. Mr Palmer was succeeded, at the end of six months, by Wheeler & Haslett, who finished the first volume, when it was discontinued. The Weekly Portrait soon after sprung up, phoenix-like, from the ashes of the New Yorker, with Thomas J. Haslett as editor and proprietor, who still publishes it successfully.

The First National Bank of St. Johnsville was organized in June, 1864, with D. C. Cox president, and A. Zimmerman cashier. Upon the death of Mr. Zimmerman in 1873, J. W. Cronkhite became president and D. C. Cox cashier. Mr. Cox was succeeded in 1876 by N. G. Dodge.

The Masonic Lodge, No. 611, of St. Johnsville, was organized in 1866, with Charles Buckingham as master, which position he still holds. The present membership is 85. Regular meetings are held on the first and third Thursdays of each month.

CHURCHES.

The "Christian" church was organized in 1874, by the Rev. C. E. Peake, who is its present pastor. The membership, which was but thirteen originally, now numbers sixty persons. The Sunday-school connected with this church was organized in 1873 by C. M. Knox. It now has 125 scholars in regular attendance, and a library of 500 volumes. M. Williams is the superintendent.

The Union church was built in 1849, principally by the Lutheran and Methodist denominations. The grounds were generously donated by Azel Hough, with the condition that the edifice, when completed, should "be open and free to the use and occupation of all moral, Christian and religious denominations," The first trustees were Adam J. Klock, Azel Hough, Nicholas J. Smith, Leonard Winegar, Enoch Snell, Nelson Rockafeller and James H. Eagan. The dedication services took place February 7th, 1850, Rev. H. L. Dix (Lutheran) officiating.

PERSONAL SKETCH.

ALONZO A. SANDKRS was born in Minden, Montgomery county, N. Y., July 11, 1846. That town was also the natal place of his father and grandfather. In 1867 he removed to St. Johnsville, and embarked in the mercantile business with L. C. Knickerbocker. In March, 1872, the firm was dissolved, Mr. Sanders continuing the business alone. In March, 1873, he suffered almost a total loss of his stock by fire, but, nothing daunted, he immediately purchased a fresh stock and began business anew, for a time using his barn as a store. He at once began the erection of a large two-story store on Main street, which on the first of May following was ready for occupation. Here Mr. Sanders has built up an extensive grocery, crockery and lumber trade, also dealing largely in agricultural implements, and here farmers can always find a ready cash market for their butter, eggs, and other farm produce.