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Early Beekman
Settlers and Rogues
Transcribed by Debbie Axtman
The first settlements are supposed to have
been made about the year 1710: but the early records are lost. A. Delong located in 1716,
and kept an inn at an early day. Rt. Rev. Alonzo Potter, Biship of Penn, and his brother,
Rt. Rev. Horatio Potter, Bishop of the Diocese of New York, were born in this town.
Lossing, the historian, and ex-Minister DeLong, were also born there.
The Uhls came from Germany, and settled in the north part of the town. The Haxtuns and
Sweets from Long Island, and the Gardners and Reisoners from Nantucket, settled in Gardner
Hollow, but after remaining a year removed to Hudson. The Bakers settled on Pleasant
Ridge. The Cornwells came from Long Island, and the Noxons from Rhode Island.
John Brill came from Germany, soon after marriage, and purchased a large tract of fertile
land south and west of Poughquag. It is worthy of note that much of the land is still in
possession of his ancestors, the farms of the Brill family lying contiguous to each other
from Poughquag to Green Haven, a distance of two miles. The Barnards moved in at an early
date.
The old part of the upper store building at Poughquag has a history worthy of record. It
stood, at the time of the Revolution, above the present residence of E. L. Williams, and
was occupied as a Continental Store. Harness, powder, cutlasses, guns, cartridge boxes,
and other military stores were kept there. It was guarded by soldiers stationed there for
the purpose. A man named Champlain had charge of it. Among the other old buildings may be
mentioned the M. E. parsonage barn at Poughquag, which was in former times occupied as a
distillery. Henry I. Brill had a fulling mill, on the site of the saw mill now belonging
to Daniel Thomas.
There was a grist mill at Green Haven in the Revolution, kept by one Vincent. The Bogarts
from Holland settled here. Richmore Bogart was elected Justice of the Peace, of whom some
amusing anecdotes are told. Men differed in opinion then, as well as now, and had recourse
to law to settle their difficulties. Squire Bogart was soon required to sit in judment
upon several cases, and uniformly gave his decisions in favor of the plaintiff. When asked
the reason for so doing he replied, "Do you believe any man would be foolish enough
to bring suit against another, if he did not suppose he had good ground for complaint?
" However wise Squire Bogart's decisions maybe have been in the eye of the law, the
result was to put an effectual stop to all litigation in the neighborhood.
The Squire fattened considerable pork each year. He was at one time advised to feed his
hogs on what is commonly known as the "Jamestown Weed," being assured that this
would not only impart an agreeable flavor to the pork, but would cause them to fatten
sooner. Accordingly he set about raising a quantity of the weed, and when the time came
threw it to the hogs. The result was that every one of them died.
Many stories are told of the Robber Hoag, a noted Tory who infested this vicinity during
the Revolution. He carried on quite an extensive business of horse-stealing, in connection
with his toher maraudings. He and his gang were accustomed to enter dwellings, and if the
people refused to give up their valuables, or to tell where they were secreted, he would
tie them fast in a chair and build a fire under them, and keep them there until his
demands were complied with. Many were so injured by this treatment that they did not
recover in years. At one time Benj. Noxon was going out in the field, and on passing near
a clump of bushes, heard the click of a gunlock. A glance revealed the Robber Hoag,
lurking in the bushes. He pretended not to notice the robber, and gradually drew off, and
when at a safe distance ran for home with all his might. Hoag was brought up in the
neighborhood which was afterwards the scene of his robberies, and he subsequently told the
man with whom he had lived, that he had often covered him with his rifle as he was hiding
about in the woods, and bushes, but could never summon quite enough courage to shoot.
After the war, Hoag fled to Canada. A number of years after he came back to Beekman,
supposing his deeds had been forgotten, to visit the family of a relative. But he was not
forgotten; for a number of persons who had suffered from him formed a plan to kill him,
and he was forced to fly to save his life. From:
General History of Duchess County, From 1609 to 1876, Inclusive,
Philip H. Smith, Pawling, NY, Published by the Author, 1877.
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