History of Old Kinderhook [New York], From the Aboriginal days to 1914

By Edward A. Collier

The original title of this book is A History of Old Kinderhook, From the Aboriginal days to the Present Time; Including the Story of the Early Settlers, Their Home-Steads, Their Traditions, and Their descendants; with an Account of Their Civic, Social, Political, Educational and Religious Life. Descendants of both the town's United Empire Loyalists and Patriots alike will find much valuable information in the pages of this time-proven history of the town and families of Kinderhook.

After almost a century, A History of Old Kinderhook remains the definitive local history of this old town which lies in the northern portion of Columbia County, New York. Originally published in 1914, the book is filled with history of the area, beginning before European arrival, and progressing through the settlement period, the impact of various wars including the American Revolution, and development of the community up to 1914.

More than 100 illustrations and photographs provide readers with a view of individual homes, people and places of interest. The photos and illustrations are nicely reproduced in this new edition. Also included are three maps.

The author writes: " The genealogical and biographical notes are numerous and relate to nearly all the old families..." He continues: No known available source of information has been neglected. land-papers...deeds, mortgages, wills,...unrecorded papers,... treasures from great libraries,manuscripts (now largely perished) from State archivist, ....histories, alleged hsitories, gazetteers and newspaper files. Many Dutch records have been translated... records of the old Kinderhook church covering nearly two hundred years....

Contents include:

• Discovery and the Indians
• Physical features, Boudaries, Census
• Settlement, Land Grants, Devolution of Title, and Land Litigation
• Who was Who [47 pages]
• War Times: The Revolution and the Loyalists -- War of 1812 -- The civil War --- The War with Spain
• Gleanings
• Celebrations and Sundry Notable Meetings
• Churches ans Schools
• Financial, Fraternal, and Other Organizations
• Highways, Public Utilities, Industries, Cemeteries
• Old Homesteads, Inns, and the People in Them [40 pages]
• Biographical Sketches [91 pages]
• Reminiscences [50 pages]
• Appendix [includes militia lists; list of patentees; civil and judicial list; 1790 census, etc]
• Index. The author notes at the beginning of the partial index: Note. Many names and incidental recurrences of the same name are not cited in this Index; nor are many hundreds of names in the census of 1790, the assessment rolls of 1744 and 1809, military rosters and other lists. These should be consulted by those seeking fuller information. This eBook is every word searchable so you can quickly find anything or anyone in it

Details:

572 Pages, plus fold-out maps
Illustrations (100)
Maps (3)
Appendices (lists)
Originally published by The Knickerbocker Press, New York, 1914
This edition published by Global Heritage Press, Milton 2009 
ISBN 978-1-926797-06-9 (Hardcover edition temporarily out of print)