RE: Dirck SchoutenI think Virginia meant for this to be posted to the list. Cathy ----- Original Message ----- From: Virginia Jones To: Cathyclerk@cfl.rr.com Sent: Friday, 07 February, 2003 1:48 PM Subject: RE: Dirck Schouten HISTORY OF SARATOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK. by NATHANIEL BARTLETT SYLVESTER 1878 -------------------- HISTORY OF THE VILLAGES AND TOWNS OF SARATOGA COUNTY. VILLAGE OF SARATOGA SPRINGS (Part 1). General Washington returned by way of the trail which led to the springs at Ballston Spa. At the springs of Ballston Spa, when General Washington was there in 1783, there was no human habitation, although Ballston township had been settled thirteen years before, a mile or two away. It was not till the year 1787 that Benajah Douglas, the pioneer of Ballston Spa, built the first rude log tavern there, and opened it for guests, just sixteen years after Dirck Schouten built the first log cabin near the High Rock in Saratoga. Yet, by the year 1794, Douglas and Low had built their large frame hotels at Ballston Spa, six years in advance of Gideon Putnam's enterprise of founding the Grand Union, at Saratoga. Those six years the start came near costing Saratoga its now proud position as the world's greatest watering-place The first white man who built a habitation at Saratoga Springs and attempted a settlement there was Dirck Schouten. He had been living on the bank of the Hudson a little above Waterford, and his object in becoming a temporary resident at the wilderness was to open a trade with the Indians who congregated there every summer in great numbers. So in the year 1771 this pioneer settler, Dirck Schouten, came to the springs to chop his small clearing, to plant a few potatoes, and build his humble cabin on the bluff a little west of the High Rock spring. Schouten's route to the springs was from the Hudson to the east side of Saratoga lake, thence across the lake in a bark canoe to the mouth of the Kay-ad-ros-se-ra river; thence up the river two miles to an Indian trail that led to the Springs. The way to the springs is much plainer nowadays than it was a hundred and seven years ago. The only white person whose name we know who visited the High Rock spring while Schouten was there was William Bousman. Bousman was then a boy twelve years old, whose Father the same year had settled near the south end of Saratoga lake. This lad came with Schouten to help him build his cabin, to make a little clearing, and to plant a small patch of potatoes. Schouten remained there a part of the time, till the summer of 1773, when he quarreled with the Indians, and they drove him away. {See "Mineral Waters," by Reuben Sears, page 89.} In the next summer, that of 1774, John Arnold, from Rhode Island, with his young family, tried his fortunes at Saratoga Springs. {See "Steele's Analysis," 2d edition, p. 28.} He provided himself with a few articles suitable for the Indian trade, mostly spirituous liquors, and with these and a few household goods, took the route followed by Schouten three years before to High Rock spring. Upon his arrival Arnold took possession of Schouten's deserted cabin, and, making some improvements, opened a kind of rude tavern for the visitors of the springs. FIRST PERMANENT SETTLER. Arnold kept his little forest tavern for two summers, and was succeeded by Samuel Norton. Both Schouten and Arnold had remained only during the summers at the springs. Upon the approach of winter they had shut up their house and gone over to the settlement on the east side of the lake. But Samuel Norton came to stay through the year, and he therefore was the first permanent settler of Saratoga Springs. Norton, before he came, had permission in writing from Isaac Low to occupy and improve a farm in the vicinity of the "salt spring" at Saratoga. Norton took possession of the Schouten House in the fall of 1776, the same season Arnold left it, and continued to make improvements during the next season of 1777. But at the approach of Burgoyne's army from the north Arnold became alarmed for the safety of his family, and he removed them to a place of less danger from the aggressions of the contending parties, and for six years the springs were left without a single white inhabitant. In the fall of 1787, Gideon Morgan bought the Norton place, and the same year sold it to Alexander Bryan. Bryan became a permanent settler and remained many years. Bryan in 1787 took possession of the Schouten House, which was situate on the northwest corner of Front and Rock streets, near the site of what is now called the Empire House. On the opposite corner, on the ground now occupied by the stone house still known as the Bryan House, Bryan built another log house, which he opened for the accommodation of summer visitors. Best regards, Virginia Researching surnames: BAIR, BADER, CASSATT, DEVEREAUX, DOYLE, FIES, GALLAGHER, KENNEDY, McDONOUGH, POTTER, RYAN, SCHOUTEN, SCOUT, SHAFFER, STEPHEN, UNDERKOFFLER, WALD, WALT, WHISTLER, WHITCOMB, and ZIMMERMAN. Please visit my genealogy sites: Ø Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Walt, Scout, Ryan, and McDonough Families Ø Walt Resource Center Ø Walt Family Ties