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From: "Susan Mulvey" <>
Subject: Re: [NYCOL] Green River Congregational baptisms
Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 11:11:27 -0500
References: <f9.28321c62.2b55eb36@aol.com> <000f01c2bcbf$99712620$6564a8c0@jls>


Hi Everyone,

I had a reference to the Green River Congregation church all the time! This
is from the book: "Columbia County at the End of the Century", Volume II,
published and edited under the auspices of the Hudson Gazette, The Record
Printing and Publishing Co., Hudson, New York, 1900, Pages 705 & 706:

"The Congregational church in Austerlitz dates from March 21, 1792, when
Rev. David Porter of Spencertown, and Rev. John Stevens of East Chatham,
formed the organization. The first building for the use of the society was
built in the summer of 1792 on land donated by Judah Swift. In 1828 and
again in 1873 extensive repairs and alterations were made to the structure.
The first pastor, Rev. John Morse, began his service on May 6, 1792, and was
regularly installed on November 7 of the same year. Owing to loss of
membership and non support, in 1866 the society became practically extinct,
and the church property was turned over the the Presbytery, andit is now
supplied by the pastor of the Presbyterian church at Spencertown. Its
membership does not exceed twenty.

The "First Christian Church in Green River Valley" was organized on October
30, 1851, by Revs. S. B. Hayward, G. N. Kelton and A. Hayward of the New
York Eastern Christian Conference, with about forty members. The first
house of worship was built at Green River in the town of Hillsdale in 1852,
and the second in the village of Austerlitz in the spring of 1853. For many
years the church was active in good work, was incorporated in 1852, and
maintained an excellent Sunday school. But for reasons not easily traced
interest in it has been lost, and at the present time no services are held,
nor have there been for nearly two years."

I have quoted the two paragraphs as the records published by Arthur Kelly at
Kinship start in 1792 and they are listed as Green River Congregational
Church. Just a little history on the churches in that area.

Susan
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bobbi Cesternino" <>
To: <>
Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 12:57 PM
Subject: Re: [NYCOL] Green River Congregational baptisms


> Hi:
> I'm another interested researcher. Green River was apparently part of the
> area transferred back and forth between NY and MA prior to settling the
> border line issue. My Markham, Johns and Burghardt ancestors were in
Green
> River. Any info would be so appreciated.
> Thanks
> Cissi
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <>
> To: <>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 14, 2003 2:37 PM
> Subject: [NYCOL] Green River Congregational baptisms
>
>
> > Greetings, all --
> >
> > I too am interested in the location of the Green River church. Eleven of
> the
> > 16 children of James Walling and his wife Diana Culver Walling were
listed
> in
> > the baptismal record of the Green River Congregational Church. James
was
> a
> > Revolutionary War veteran who, with Diana, was buried in Old Austerlitz
> > Cemetery, Rte. 22, 1 mile south of 203.
> >
> > NY Columbia Co. Wills, 1828-1835, p. 10, lists the will of James Walling
> of
> > Austerlitz, dated 5 May 1821, probated 18 Aug. 1829. This does not imply
> that
> > the Green River church was in Austerlitz. Perhaps a traveling minister
> > baptized the children. Of the 11 children listed in Kelly's
transcription
> of
> > the record, six were baptized on the same day in 1794, another was
> baptized
> > in 1795, another in 1797 and the three youngest on the same day in 1804.
> >
> > Two of James' sons inherited his land. I do not have the date the land
was
> > acquired. It is likely that James and Diana were buried near their home.
> The
> > tombstones on their graves are fairly new -- possibly mid-20th century.
> The
> > newer stones did however replace original broken ones found in the same
> > place.
> >
> > I don't know if this helps in answering the location of the church. I
> will
> > be interested in any additional information that comes forth. Thank
you.
> Sue
> > Soltess
> >
> > Suzanne Walling Soltess
> > Surnames: Walling, Pixley, Todd, Grosvenor, Woodin, Brown, Soltesz,
> Bonisz,
> > Sikatori.
> >
>
>

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