Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-07-27
THE LAST OF THE PATRONS.

| 1dE LASI Or IhE BATHROOMS.
Sale of Manorial Property Formerly
| Owned by Stephen Van Rensselaer,.
The recent closing up in Albanf
New York, OF the estate Of the late
| Walter s. Church and the selling of
the vast amount of land by his heirs.
brings TO an end immortal control and
closes the history Of the famous pa
| tI'GonS. Walter 5. Church was an i'm
! me2se land owner. An inventory of
! his property, taken after his death.
| shows that he owned 10 farms, with
buildings thereon, in Albany and
Ren>Selaer counties, which had no
| membranes; $50 manoriaI leases.
not mOrtglged, the titles to which are
| in the hands of Henrietta Church. as
! eXecutliN. and % such leases which
had been mortgaged. Very little was
realized during the teStators lifetime.
and lawsuits We're of frequent occur
| renee.
The history of these lands is an ex-
ceedingly interesting one, dating back
to the ownership of New York state
by the Dutch. In 1929 a charter of
privileges and exemptions was passed
for the encouragement of PATRONS to
settle colonies. In the following wear
several wealthy and influential direct
OrS Of the Dutch West India company
FASTENED to avail themselves of its ad-
vantageS, and having learned that
tract of land called Sannahagos: lying
OF the west side of the North river.
extending from Beeren island by the
Indians called Passapenock, up to the
Smack islands, and in breadth two
days journey, was for sale. purchased
the same from the native prOprieto1S
for kiliaen Van Rensselaer,. pearl
merchant in Amsterdam. and one of
the directors of the West India COM
pany.
Three months afterward ellis Hoos-
EFT purchased the lands lying south
and north of Fort Orange. and extend
ing to within Il short distance Of MOei.-
mines castle. then situated on what is
now called Have island, at til mouth
of the Mohawk. AM frC,n Clc e the
chiefs called SeneSseecll. stretching
on the east side of the river from Op-
pOSite Castle island to a point facing
Fort Orange, and thence from Poet
anock, the Mill creek north of NegOg-
Gus. These cOnveyances Were suhse-
quently ratified by the respective
parties in the presence OF the director
general and council of New Netherland,
who signed the instrument to that
effect, ''Sealed with the seal of New
Netherland in red wax" on the same
day that the charter of 1929 was pro
claimed at Fort Amsterdam. Nearly
seven years nfterward- the 18th
day of April 1637-all the interven-
ing district, called Papsickenkaas, or
PapSekanea, as the name is now pro-
nOunced, lying on the east shore of
the river, and extending from opposite
Castle island south to the point OPP
pOSiVe Smack island, and including
the adjacent islands and all the lands
back into the interior belonging to
the Indian owners, was purchased for
certain quantities of duffelS, axes,
knives and wampum," also for Nh.
Van Rensselaer,, who thus became pro-
prietor of a tract of land "a miles long
and 4S miles broad which now com
poses the counties of Albany, Rens-
selaer and part of Columbia county.
Farms were laid out and We're stock
ed with cows horses, oxen, and occa-
SiOnally sheep, and furnished with
ploWS and other necessary implements,
all expenses being betrayed by the pro
prietor, SO that the farmer entered on
the property unembarraSsed. Some of
the farms We're then valued and an an
nual rent was fixed, equivalent, in
some sort to the interest on the amount
of capital expended On their improve
ment, and payable semi-annually in
grain beavers and wampuln. Other
farms were let out for one-half or one
third of their produce. The PATRON
was entitled, at the same time. to half
the increase from the stock; reserving
also to himself One-tenth of the pro-
duce of each farm, and in various in
stances STIMULATING for a yearly
acknowledgement of a few pounds of
butter. The tenant was privileged,
however, to compound by the payment
of a fixed sum annually for the tenths
Of the farms, or his halves OF thirds.
He was bound at the same time to
keep the fences, buildings and farming
implements in repair, and to deliver
them up in the same good order i'm
which he had received them, subject,
in all cases, to ordinary wear and tear.
But the PATRONS bore all risk of de-
struction to their buildings, cattle and
other property which might accrue
from war or misunderstanding with
the Indians.
When PATRON Van Rensselaer, died
this immense property descended to
his heirs. In 1882 Stephen Van Rens-
selaer was so harassed in his endeavOr
to collect the rents, the parties refus-
ing to pay on the ground that their
long possession had made them masters
and owners of the property occupied,
that he sold the land to Church for q
mere trifie. Church then began to pro-
secute the tenants and finally became
a wealthy man. This is the property
which the surrogate has granted the
heirs permission to sell in parcels
HOW MINES ARE FOUND.