[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 2363-2365]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



       COMMEMORATING THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TOWN OF HADLEY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN E. SWEENEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 27, 2001

  Mr. SWEENEY. Mr. Speaker, I wish today to commemorate the 200th 
anniversary of the town of Hadley, New York, February 27, 2001.
  I have always been proud of the heritage and physical beauty of the 
22nd Congressional district of New York which I have the privilege to 
represent. To savor the history and character of the picturesque towns 
in the Hudson Valley and Adirondack Mountains is the reason that I 
return home every weekend.
  We often forget that the real America is the small towns and villages 
that are rich in pride and culture, and not the bustle of Washington. 
It is these small towns and villages where the great traditions of this 
country were founded. I would like to talk about one of these great 
towns today.
  Mr. Speaker, the town of Hadley, New York in Saratoga County will be 
commemorating 200 years of existence since they separated from the 
nearby towns of Greenfield and Northumberland back in 1801. Hadley is 
one of the many beautiful river towns that we have in New York State. 
Located at the southern gateway to the Adirondacks and where the 
Sacandaga River meets the Hudson River, Hadley has endured many 
transformations.

[[Page 2364]]

  Like so many of the small river towns, Hadley has seen the rise and 
fall of the mills. Hadley has been transformed from a mill town to a 
power source with two dams located inside of the township providing 
electricity for many New York State residents. Even though many things 
have changed there, like everywhere else, there is something that still 
remains an unmistakable part of the town's character. That is the 
distinct small town charm and the good citizens of Hadley. This can be 
seen throughout all areas of the town, including the churches, the fire 
department, and the fields where children play and farmers work. Yes, 
Mr. Speaker, the neighborly hospitality is one thing that thankfully 
hasn't changed in Hadley. The pride and values of the citizenry is one 
of the most admired traits of small towns, not only in New York's 22nd 
district, but throughout America.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend the 1628 citizens of Hadley for their 
commitment to their values and their hard work in organizing a 
celebration of their heritage. I offer a full written history of the 
Town of Hadley that I am submitting into the Record. Therefore, Mr. 
Speaker, it is with great pride to ask all members of the House of 
Representatives to join me in paying tribute to the citizens of Hadley 
on the towns' 200th birthday and also in wishing them many more years 
of good fortune.

                                 Hadley

       The town of Hadley originated February 27, 1801 from the 
     Town of Greenfield and Northumberland. Corinth was removed in 
     1818 and a section of the Town of Day in 1819.
       This town is located in the far northeastern corner of 
     Saratoga County and is nestled in the Kayaderossera Mountains 
     at the southern gateway to the Adirondack Mountains where the 
     Sacandaga River meets the Hudson River.
       Hadley is surrounded by the Warren County Towns of Stony 
     Creek to the north and Lake Luzerne to the east. Corinth, in 
     Saratoga County is to the south and Day is to the west. We 
     have no record on how Hadley got its name.


                             EARLY SETTLERS

       First settlement was about 1788. A man by the name of 
     Richard Hilton is credited with being the first settler.
       The first Supervisor of the Town of Hadley was Benjamin 
     Cowles in 1801.
       A man named Wilson taught the first school from 1791 to 
     1820. There was a log schoolhouse in the Ellis neighborhood--
     John Johnson and Walter Knott were the teachers.
       1826--First organization of Baptist Church--Reverend 
     Chandler was Pastor, John Lovelass and John Jenkins were 
     deacons. Lynwood Cemetery is located next to the church.
       1844--Wesleyan Methodist Church--Ministers in charge were 
     the Reverends S.H. Foster, James Dayton and William Hawkins. 
     Walter Sutliff was class leader.
       The first saw mill was built in 1791 by Delane and Hazard. 
     The first grist mill was built in 1803 by Jeremy Rockwell. In 
     1807 the first store was also built by Rockwell.
       December 1, 1865 the Hadley Railroad Station was 
     constructed, and at the time the railroad was named the 
     Adirondack Railway. In 1902 the Delaware and Hudson acquired 
     the railways. This railroad station saw large amounts of 
     vacationers on their way to local resorts for the summer 
     season, until it was closed on August 5, 1958. Railroad spurs 
     served the paper mill, grist mill and wooden until it was 
     closed on August 5, 1958. Railroad spurs served the paper 
     mill, grist mill and wooden ware factory in the Town of 
     Hadley. November 17, 1989 the last freight train carrying 
     iron ore from Tahawus passed through Hadley. There are plans 
     for possible future use of the tracks for a tourist 
     attraction train ride.
       The wooden ware factory and saw mill were located near the 
     railroad station. The factory made wood items of white birch 
     from the adjacent saw mill, later the factory became a shirt 
     factory. In the early 1920s Delbert Pasco opened a feed and 
     grain business. Joseph White purchased the buildings in 1967, 
     replacing the saw mill with a garage. Both the garage and 
     former factory burned on February 3, 1969. Mr. White then 
     built the logging truck garage which now occupies the site as 
     Biondi Rigging.
       The Railroad House, built in 1866 by John Kathan of 
     Conklingville, was located on land next to the former Post 
     Office on Rockwell Street. The Railroad House, then run by 
     the Taylor family, burned in 1899. Paul King purchased the 
     property in 1900 and erected the Arlington Hotel. The hotel 
     was 3 stories high and had 30 rooms. An Arlington stage met 
     passengers at the D&H Stanton, just down the street. The King 
     family continuously operated the hotel until its destruction 
     by fire February 12, 1954.
       The Jeremy Rockwell Homestead was built in 1812. The 12 
     room home of federal style architecture had Corinthian 
     pillars topped with Grecian Urns and a central, second story 
     Palladian window. The timbers of the home were lumbered from 
     the property. Jeremy Rockwell settled on the Hudson River due 
     to the availability of water power. A grist mill and a saw 
     mill were built but washed out in 1830. Burned July 4, 1986.
       The Rockwells became prosperous and influential in the 
     Hadley-Luzerne area, being successful in several business 
     ventures. The large front portion of their home burned July 
     4, 1986 and the back portion burned several years later.
       The River Rock Hotel was located between the Jeremy 
     Rockwell home and the bridge to Luzerne. It was operated by 
     Mr. Toomey and his partner Guy Phelteplace. The hotel 
     accommodated 28 guests. Foundation ruins, which remain from 
     the hotel or a store, also in this vicinity, can be seen to 
     the left approaching the bridge.
       The Cascade House--Harmon Rockwell one of Jeremy Rockwell's 
     13 children, built the Cascade House in 1843. The hotel stood 
     on the high bank of the Hudson River below the bridge over 
     the gorge and offered a scenic view of the river and 
     mountains. In 1878 Rockwell's grandson Charles built the 
     Rockwell Falls Fiber Company beyond the Cascade House, which 
     later was used as an office for the paper mill.
       Paper Mill--Looking from the bridge to the confluence of 
     the Hudson and Sacandaga Rivers, retaining wall ruins of the 
     former George West Paper Mill may be seen on the Hadley side 
     of the river. In times of melting snow and unusually heavy 
     rainfalls, river water flows into the wall ruins. The paper 
     mill began operation in 1878 and closed about 1923. The 
     buildings were demolished in 1936 after the New York Power 
     Company purchased the property, now owned by Niagara Mohawk 
     Power Corporation.
       Jeremy Rockwell was Justice of the Peace as early as 1808 
     and continued to act as such until 1830. From 1816 to 1819 he 
     was Town Clerk, and in the spring of 1819 was elected 
     Supervisor of the town, he continued until his death in 1835. 
     Jeremy Rockwell also held offices of Associate Judge, member 
     of the Assembly and was a member of the Convention that 
     framed the Constitution of 1821 for the State. He died August 
     14, 1835 at the age of 70.
       Since October 21, 1826 there was a Hadley Post Office where 
     Jeremy Rockwell was Post-Master. The Post Office was a small 
     booth building at the entrance to the wooden plank bridge to 
     Lake Luzerne. In 1877 a new Post Office building was located 
     on the south side of Rockwell Street adjacent to the bridge. 
     The building was moved close to the four corners when the new 
     concrete bridge was built in 1932 and continued until 1991 
     when a new building was erected on Old Corinth Road, to house 
     the post office. Currently a Laundromat and dog groomer 
     occupy that building.
       Saratoga Rose--The private residence, Hill Top was built in 
     the 1880's by the Myers Van Zandt family. Myers, a New York 
     City businessman, married Catherine Rockwell, granddaughter 
     of Jeremy Rockwell. Through the years the home has been the 
     Upper Hudson Sanitarium, residence of the paper mill 
     superintendent, Rozelle's Funeral Home in the 1930's and 
     apartments in the 1940's. In 1984 it was restored and opened 
     as Highclere Inn and Restaurant by Margaret and James 
     Mandigo. Further renovations were made by Nancy and Anthony 
     Merlino and reopened as Saratoga Rose on May 31, 1988.
       The VanZandt Cottage--The Jeremy Rockwell Family lived in 
     the cottage, built in 1792 until the larger Rockwell family 
     home was completed in 1812. Jeremy Rockwell's granddaughter 
     Catherine and her husband Myers VanZandt occupied the cottage 
     until the completion of their home, Hilltop, in the 1880's. 
     The cottage was moved to the opposite side of the street when 
     Niagara Mohawk purchased the property in 1926. The cottage is 
     presently the residence of the Garofalo family.
       The Bow Bridge--The Parabolic Bridge, better known as the 
     Bow Bridge, was built in 1885 to replace an 1813 wooden 
     covered bridge, which burned. The Bow Bridge is one of the 3 
     iron lenticular truss bridges built in New York State and is 
     the only one yet standing. The Bow Bridge was placed on the 
     National Register of Historic Places on March 25, 1977.
       Henry Rockwell Home--Better known locally as the Fowler 
     Home, was built in 1817 by Jeremy Rockwell for his first born 
     son Henry. Many design elements were copied from Jeremy's own 
     home.
       The soil in the Town of Hadley is sandy and light with many 
     large boulders. In the southeastern part of the town stands 
     the iron mountain, Mount Anthony, which rises to a 
     considerable height. It is the highest peak in the 
     Kayadarossera Range. The ore is not rich enough to be mined 
     for a profitable business.
       In 1930 the Sacandaga River was made into a dam 27 miles 
     long, by flooding the river valley from Hadley to Broadalbin. 
     This is known as the Conklingville Dam. In 1953 the river 
     below the dam was flooded for a mile and a half becoming 
     Stewart Dam. There is just a short distance left of the 
     Sacandaga River until it meets the Hudson River, flowing in 
     from the north. Therefore, today we have 2 dams in the Town 
     of Hadley.
       1. The Town of Hadley installed the lighting district on 
     October 4, 1930.
       2. January 3, 1928 the Van R. Rhodes Fire Department was 
     formed and the Ladies Auxiliary was organized June of 1939.
       3. The Hadley Fire Tower, erected of wood in 1916, was 
     replaced by New York State with a steel tower in 1920.

[[Page 2365]]


       4. A High School was located on the Stony Creek Road, 
     opposite the present Town Hall. It was a 2 story wooden 
     building, which was destroyed by fire in 1910. On July 30, 
     1909, in the Town of Lake Luzerne, a replacement school was 
     accepted.
       The Town of Hadley has, in the past, had 3 doctors. Dr. 
     Thompson, Dr. Rodgers, and Dr. Leo Giordano. At present, 
     there are no doctors in town.
       Politics in the Town of Hadley. The Town Board is 
     predominantly Republican.
       Population of the Town is 1,628, according to the 1990 
     census.
       Schools--Hadley-Luzerne Central School currently serves the 
     population.
       Public Housing--Today there are several apartment buildings 
     in the town.
       Sports--We have a Park Committee that maintains and 
     improves the Sam Smead Memorial Park. There are several 
     softball teams that have league play throughout the summer, 
     and the park is also used by the school, churches, and 
     individuals for planned activities.
       Highest point of elevation is Hadley Mountain at 2,653 
     feet. The entrance is on Tower Road.
       Industrial Enterprises--Lynwood Tannery was built in 1848 
     by Gordon Conkling. The paper collar/box factory, owned by 
     James Libby, began its operations 1872.

     

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