HI, Lin: This is very interesting. 340 years is a very long time for a home to survive. I sure do appreciate your offering to share about this. I will try to contact the Schodak Historian and see what they can tell me. If that family has roots that deep, there must be some family histories written. Can't tell you how much I appreciate this. Diane --- Lin <veeb@getfreeinternet.co.uk> wrote: > Hi, Diane and other STAATS researchers > > Although I live across the Atlantic from Schodack and am > probably not > the best source of information about it, I do have a copy > of Lauretta > Harris's Vital Records of Schodack. This book, amongst > other things, > lists a number of cemeteries in the Town of Schodack, > large and small, > still active and long gone to seed. On page 67, she > describes the > location of STAATS graves, and I think that this must be > what you > are referring to. Here is what she says about the > location: > > "Located on the Island Farm of the Staats Family, since > 1660, north of > Castleton on the Hudson River. The Cemetery is on the > crest of the > hill north and in back of the Philip Staats House, and > south of the > Barent Staats House." > > My guess is that it would not be active, and that there > would be no > telephone number or office address. But for a > better-informed reply, > you might ring the Schodack Town Hall and speak to the > Town > Historian. She should know. > > I'm afraid that I'm not researching the Staats surname > myself, although > I still have three major "stuck" lines in Schodack (VAN > BUREN, > WESTFALL, MORRIS), and any one of them could have a > Staats > grandmother back there somewhere for all I know. > > It is my understanding that at least one of these Staats > houses > STILL SURVIVES TODAY, and that part of it is 340 years > old. > I've seen a photograph of its stone exterior. This is > really something > quite rare and special. > > Cheers > Lin Van Buren > Saint Leonard's on Sea, England > > """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" > > At 06:58 26/07/2000 -0700, Diane Spoo <dspoo@yahoo.com> > wrote: > >Good Morning Everyone.... > >Would someone be able to tell me anything about "Staats" > >Cemetery in Schodak? Location? Address? Phone? Is it > >still active? > >Is anyone else on this list researching the Staats name > >from Rensselaer / Albany / Columbia Counties? > >Thank you Diane > > > ==== NYRENSSE Mailing List ==== > Archives: > http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl > Rensselaer County Genweb page: > http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyrensse/ > GenConnect Board: > http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/NY/Rensselaer > Listowner, Pat Connors: mailto:nymets11@pacbell.net > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from anywhere! http://mail.yahoo.com/

Hi, Diane and other STAATS researchers Although I live across the Atlantic from Schodack and am probably not the best source of information about it, I do have a copy of Lauretta Harris's Vital Records of Schodack. This book, amongst other things, lists a number of cemeteries in the Town of Schodack, large and small, still active and long gone to seed. On page 67, she describes the location of STAATS graves, and I think that this must be what you are referring to. Here is what she says about the location: "Located on the Island Farm of the Staats Family, since 1660, north of Castleton on the Hudson River. The Cemetery is on the crest of the hill north and in back of the Philip Staats House, and south of the Barent Staats House." My guess is that it would not be active, and that there would be no telephone number or office address. But for a better-informed reply, you might ring the Schodack Town Hall and speak to the Town Historian. She should know. I'm afraid that I'm not researching the Staats surname myself, although I still have three major "stuck" lines in Schodack (VAN BUREN, WESTFALL, MORRIS), and any one of them could have a Staats grandmother back there somewhere for all I know. It is my understanding that at least one of these Staats houses STILL SURVIVES TODAY, and that part of it is 340 years old. I've seen a photograph of its stone exterior. This is really something quite rare and special. Cheers Lin Van Buren Saint Leonard's on Sea, England """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" At 06:58 26/07/2000 -0700, Diane Spoo <dspoo@yahoo.com> wrote: >Good Morning Everyone.... >Would someone be able to tell me anything about "Staats" >Cemetery in Schodak? Location? Address? Phone? Is it >still active? >Is anyone else on this list researching the Staats name >from Rensselaer / Albany / Columbia Counties? >Thank you Diane

I'm searching for information regarding Hendrick Lake who was one of about 10 grantees of a 10,000 acre patent in 1762, and who drafted his final will and died in Rennselaer County in about 1799. I'm particularly interested in his son Nicholas. Is anyone researching this line? Thanks. Cheers, Mike Haynes

Good Morning Everyone.... Would someone be able to tell me anything about "Staats" Cemetery in Schodak? Location? Address? Phone? Is it still active? Is anyone else on this list researching the Staats name from Rensselaer / Albany / Columbia Counties? Thank you Diane __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get Yahoo! Mail � Free email you can access from anywhere! http://mail.yahoo.com/

Several people have sent me lists of ancestors asking if any of them were mentioned among the dead in the account of the "Great Fire" I cited in my email about the fire. Rather than respond individually, I'll post here the names listed in "Landmarks of Rensselaer County" , a history/promotional book by George Baker Anderson, published in 1897. I'm not convinced this is the definitive mortality record from this event--Anderson seems a little squishy in his facts other places in this book, and he does refer to this list as: "Several lives were lost." and...."the fatalities including:" which, to me, implies he may be leaving a few out. Here are the ones he mentions: Dr. Zenas Cary, an aged physician residing at No. 29 Grand Division St; Ransom S. Haight, who was burned almost beyond recognition on Seventh Street; Thomas O'Donnell, an aged blind man, burned to death in his home on Green St; Mary Dunlop and her child, whose bodies were discovered after the fire." Marianne Briggs mbriggs@nycap.rr.com --

While we're on the subject of fires... one of my collateral relatives was supposed to have died in the "Big Tree" fire. Is anyone familiar with this one? I can't imagine how terrified they all were. Fire scares me now! Mary Yonkers NY

Hi Listers: My g-grandmother,Charlotte E. Monroe in a letter to my grandfather Charles W. Levis and later to my father Willis S. Levis Sr.,she indicated the the fire in Troy destroyed all of any documents of the family John Wilkes Ryan m.Anna Rowley.d.Caroline Ryan. They have become a brick wall.for me.Their names have not surfaced in any reports that I'v read. Help. Good hunting. Willis S. Levis Jr.( Bill L.) -----Original Message----- From: Marianne Briggs <mbriggs@nycap.rr.com> To: NYRENSSE-L@rootsweb.com <NYRENSSE-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Sunday, July 23, 2000 9:00 AM Subject: [NYRENSSE] Great Fire of Troy >Troy actually had three "Great" fires, but the one in 1862 was the last and >the greatest as far as overall damages and area destroyed. According to >Anderson's "Landmarks of Rensselaer County", the total burned area covered >about 75 acres and encompassed about $2.6 million in property losses. >(Think of that amount in 1862!) > > He mentions "several" people who died in the fire, but the enormous >devastation to the downtown part of the city was the big story. The fire did >start on the wooden railroad bridge over the Hudson which was located where >the Green Island bridge is now. What really made the difference was a brisk >northwest wind which blew flaming pieces of the bridge far over the city, >sparking little blazes all over town which were then fanned by the wind. > >I remember reading contemporary newspaper accounts, which kind of strained >credulity, that claimed flaming embers were seen in places miles away. > >The area which was almost completely leveled was bounded by Federal St on >the north, Congress St. on the south, the river on the west and Eighth St on >the east. Curiously, given that the fire which sparked the whole thing was >right on the river, the blocks closest to the river were actually less >scorched than streets futher away, because of the southeasterly direction of >the wind gusts which blew the fire uphill, so to speak. > > I think I read somewhere that the fire was part of the impetus for the >"Institute" (RPI) starting its move out of the downtown and up onto the hill >on Eighth St. when they were re-building after the fire. > >There was a massive subscription drive to aid individuals and the city as a >whole, and that money came in from all over the world. By the following >year, most of the city was either rebuilt or in the process of being >rebuilt. It really was an extraordinary effort. > >Marianne Briggs > >mbriggs@nycap.rr.com > > > >==== NYRENSSE Mailing List ==== >Some Rensselaer Births, Marriages & Deaths: http://www.angelfire.com/fl/Sumter/Troy.html >Rensselaer County Genweb page: http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyrensse/ >GenConnect Board: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/NY/Rensselaer >Listowner: Pat Connors mailto:nymets11@pacbell.net > >

Lillee and everyone else researching Troy ancestors This is a good opportunity for me to tell you about a GREAT genealogical source which is often overlooked, because as far as I know, it has not been transcribed and put online, and in fact, as far as I know, it has never even been indexed. So, to use it, you will have to take some time and do some work. But if you have any ancestors who lived in Troy in the 19th century, your hard work is VERY LIKELY to be rewarded! Through your local LDS Family History Centre, you can order microfilms of RECORD OF DEATHS, BURIALS &C. IN THE CITY OF TROY. This is a register kept at the time; it is not the same thing as cemetery inscriptions. Many people appear in these records for whom there is no gravestone today. This might be because their gravestone was damaged or vandalised or for some other reason no longer survives; it also might be because they never had a gravestone. These records are spread over three microfilm reels: 1434103 covering 1833-1867 1434104 covering 1867-1882 1434105 covering 1882-1890 and 1919-1928 There is also an Index to Plots on Film 1434105. How much information they give varies from year to year, but for many of the years, you get the following information: Year, month and day of death; name of deceased person; residence; where died [you often get a street address in this column]; cause of death [amazing how many babies died of "teething"]; duration of disease; attending physician; informant; sex; marital status; occupation; where born; parents' names; place of interment; and age in years, months and days. Even some of you who think you have someone's whole family may find that they had other children you don't know about, whose short lives didn't span a census year. They won't have left descendants, of course, but when you study forenames with a view to finding what parents these babies' parents had, it's nice to know that there was a son or daughter older than the son or daughter you THOUGHT was the oldest! Given the tendency [not absolute, but often] to name the first couple of sons after the grandfathers and the first couple of daughters after the grandmothers, knowing about these unknown children could even point your search for these grandparents in a whole new direction. Another EXCELLENT source is Troy City Directories. The LDS Library in Salt Lake City has these on microfiche, and I think you can order them through your local LDS Family History Centre, but it's not as easy as a microfilm because (at least here in England) you have to pay for the fiche by the sheet, and you often have to pay for 7 or 8 sheets when you know you need only one. Still, beggars can't be choosers, and I don't know any OTHER way to access these directories from afar. They help tremendously in locating where people lived between censuses, and they are a particular help if you have end-of-the-[known]-line people in Troy and don't know who their parents or siblings were. These directories will tell you, if you are willing to study them, who all ELSE lived at the same address as your ancestors. Lillee, your man last seen at age 70 in Troy in 1850 is an EXCELLENT candidate to appear in these burial records! Happy hunting! Lin Van Buren Saint Leonard's on Sea, England """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" >From: Zierau <zierau@ionet.net> >To: NYRENSSE-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: [NYRENSSE] Vital Records C. 1850 Troy >Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 17:01:11 -0500 > >Can anyone help me gather more information about an ancestor: >I have not been able to find any trace of them after 1850 at which time >their age is given as 70 although they may have been 61 according to other >records. I would like to find record of death or other trace of them. >I have checked newspaper obituaries from that period. Was there a Lutheran >Church in Troy at that time? Does anyone have any suggestions at all? >Any help at all will be appreciated. Lillee Zierau

Troy actually had three "Great" fires, but the one in 1862 was the last and the greatest as far as overall damages and area destroyed. According to Anderson's "Landmarks of Rensselaer County", the total burned area covered about 75 acres and encompassed about $2.6 million in property losses. (Think of that amount in 1862!) He mentions "several" people who died in the fire, but the enormous devastation to the downtown part of the city was the big story. The fire did start on the wooden railroad bridge over the Hudson which was located where the Green Island bridge is now. What really made the difference was a brisk northwest wind which blew flaming pieces of the bridge far over the city, sparking little blazes all over town which were then fanned by the wind. I remember reading contemporary newspaper accounts, which kind of strained credulity, that claimed flaming embers were seen in places miles away. The area which was almost completely leveled was bounded by Federal St on the north, Congress St. on the south, the river on the west and Eighth St on the east. Curiously, given that the fire which sparked the whole thing was right on the river, the blocks closest to the river were actually less scorched than streets futher away, because of the southeasterly direction of the wind gusts which blew the fire uphill, so to speak. I think I read somewhere that the fire was part of the impetus for the "Institute" (RPI) starting its move out of the downtown and up onto the hill on Eighth St. when they were re-building after the fire. There was a massive subscription drive to aid individuals and the city as a whole, and that money came in from all over the world. By the following year, most of the city was either rebuilt or in the process of being rebuilt. It really was an extraordinary effort. Marianne Briggs mbriggs@nycap.rr.com

If any of you responded to my posting asking for information about the "large fire in Troy, NY" in 1862, could you please resend your responses to me privately? Right after I made that posting to this list, someone sent me an unsolicited graphic attachment that blocked up my mail queue at my server, and they had to delete all the incoming messages in my mail queue in order to get rid of the one that was blocking it up. This means that if you sent or posted any response, I have not seen it yet. I do apologise, and thank you for resending! My original posting: Can anyone out there tell us about "the large fire at Troy, NY" on 10 May 1862? This is mentioned in a Civil War widow's pension application file. Thanks! Lin Van Buren Saint Leonard's on Sea, England

This is on the county Genweb site: www.rootsweb.com/~nyrensse/troy.htm -Bryan- "Troy has several times been scourged by destructive fires. On the 20th of June, 1820, a fire broke out in a shed near First Street and consumed the wealthiest portion of the City. The buildings on both sides of River Street, from a point opposite the Troy House to a point within a hundred feet of Congress, were entirely destroyed; also the west side of First, from the third door above Congress, to River Street. The loss was estimated at $370,000. On the 25th of August, 1854, another destructive occurred, destroying property to the amount of $1,000,000. The most destructive fire occurred on the 10th of May, 1862. It occurred at mid-day and commenced in the Railroad Bridge. The wind was blowing violently from the north-west, and thousands of burning shingles and other light materials were scattered before the wind, causing the fire to spread in a fearful manner. The Fire Department were powerless to stay its progress and at one time it seemed that all the central and south-eastern portion of the City was doomed. More than one-fourth of the business portion of the City was burned and between 50 and 60 acres were covered with smoldering ruins at sunset of that memorable day. Several lives were lost and 671 buildings were burned. The loss was estimated at $3,000,000. Three churches, several hotels, the Polytechnic Institute, the Troy Academy, Orphan Asylum and the Union Depot were burned."

http://members.tripod.com/~DERBYSHIRE_2/berlin1855-2.html

Dear Lin, When I was a teen my mom had a history of the Troy fire department etc. Both my grandfathers were Troy fireman and my dad was a Troy cop. It had quite an article about this fire. It's been 30 years since I saw the article but I think the Green Island bridge caught on fire (perhaps from a train) and it burned for blocks. I've been thinking about incorporating it into my family book so if you don't get any more info before that I'll email you after my next trip to the library. Judy Spenard Pausley Researching: Spenard, Dwyer, Ryan, Doe, Bouchard, Trudell, LaFlamme, Marian, etc. etc. etc.

Hi, I am writing to my three largest lists, all near 500 subscribers, asking for help. I am going on vacation from 8/1 to 8/16 and need a person from each list to help out with some of the bounced messages. The most common thing that happens are subbers who try to post a message and include "request" in their email address and I write to them to tell them how to do it correctly. Another case, would be someone trying to post to the list and not subscribed. Sometimes people have trouble unsubbing, and I try to help them out. It really won't take that much of your time. Please let me know if you can help me out. -- Pat Connors, Sacramento CA, listowner Siochain Leat (peace be with you) Researching: Connors/O'Connor, McEntee, Campbell, Flynn/O'Flynn, Smith, Phillips, Carter, Boyle, O'Rourke, Healey, Cullinan, Hoare, Todd, Owen, Booth, Gallagher, Fahey, Ryan, Haviland http://freepages.misc.rootsweb.com/~nymets http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/c/o/n/Pat-Connors/ mailto:nymets11@pacbell.net

Can anyone out there tell us about "the large fire at Troy, NY" on 10 May 1862? This is mentioned in a Civil War widow's pension application file. Thanks! Lin Van Buren Saint Leonard's on Sea, England

Gilead Evangelical Lutheran Church was in Brunswick as early as the time of the Revolution. I have the book of baptisms and I don't see them mentioned in any context, either as parents or sponsors for children. At 05:01 PM 7/21/00 -0500, Zierau wrote: > >Can anyone help me gather more information about an ancestor: > >CONRAD DENEGAR and wife EVA HARDER. They were married at the German >Reformed Church, Germantown, Columbia Co, later called the Germantown >Lutheran Church, and several of their children were baptised there. They >appear listed in Troy in 1930, 1940, and 1950, but may have lived in >Rensselaer Co as early as 1813. > >I have not been able to find any trace of them after 1850 at which time >their age is given as 70 although they may have been 61 according to other >records. >I would like to find record of death or other trace of them. > >I have checked newspaper obituaries from that period. Was there a Lutheran >Church in Troy at that time? Does anyone have any suggestions at all? > >Any help at all will be appreciated. Lillee Zierau > > > > >==== NYRENSSE Mailing List ==== >Some Rensselaer Births, Marriages & Deaths: http://www.angelfire.com/fl/Sumter/Troy.html >Rensselaer County Genweb page: http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyrensse/ >GenConnect Board: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/NY/Rensselaer >Listowner: Pat Connors mailto:nymets11@pacbell.net > > Barb Baxter http://www.pinehurst.net/genealogy/

Can anyone help me gather more information about an ancestor: CONRAD DENEGAR and wife EVA HARDER. They were married at the German Reformed Church, Germantown, Columbia Co, later called the Germantown Lutheran Church, and several of their children were baptised there. They appear listed in Troy in 1930, 1940, and 1950, but may have lived in Rensselaer Co as early as 1813. I have not been able to find any trace of them after 1850 at which time their age is given as 70 although they may have been 61 according to other records. I would like to find record of death or other trace of them. I have checked newspaper obituaries from that period. Was there a Lutheran Church in Troy at that time? Does anyone have any suggestions at all? Any help at all will be appreciated. Lillee Zierau

I recently received an obituary for my gr-grandfather. In the obituary it mentioned he was a member of a couple of organizations. One was called the Danish Brotherhood. Does anyone know anything about this organization or who I might be able to contact. The other organization was called the local union of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. He lived in Troy, New York at the time of his death (1949). Any help would be greatly appreciated. Valerie J. Murray, Tucson, Arizona

I am looking for any information on any McConihe families that lived in Troy, NY in the 1700/1800's. Thank you in advance for anything Bob McConihe

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who might be researching the following two families. William RANDLE b 18 Nov 1888 in Sand Lake d 14 March 1937 in Troy (was a brushmaker) William was the son of Albert RANDLE who was a farmer born in Nova Scotia William married Sarah M. MARTIN 25 Nov 1920 in Troy at Saint Michael's Church. I understand that the Saint Michael's Church had a fire and the records were lost, but this information was received from the church records before the fire. Thank you, Carol Sue Gibbs cherry@alphainternet.net carolsgibbs@yahoo.com