TULPEHOCKEN 300th ANNIVERSARY TRIP - Chapter Four - July 27, 2023

 SCHOHARIE VALLEY, NEW YORK

Schoharie Creek at Howe's Cave, New York
Google Image

Thursday, July 27

Old Stone Fort, 145 Fort Road, Schoharie NY

Thursday started bright and early with delightful breakfast company in the motel lobby. LaRita and I joined Cousin John Grimes and Ryan Strause as we downed a little food and a lot of coffee! Ryan lives in Leesport, PA, and is an enthusiastic and interesting gentleman who shares a passion for history and genealogy. It was a pleasure to make his acquaintance. 

Old Stone Fort Museum in Schoharie NY

Old Stone Fort Museum in Schoharie NY

After breakfast, we boarded our bus for the ten-mile ride to Old Stone Fort Museum in Schoharie. The museum is housed in a High Dutch [German] Reformed church built in 1772. The church, an historic graveyard, a covered bridge, and several vintage buildings serve as a living history site for visitors. The church was enclosed by a log stockade in 1777 and served as a fort during the Revolutionary War. The fort was attacked by loyalists and Indians in 1780 and a cannonball hole in a rear cornice of the church remains as proof of the assault. It remains as one of few structures in the valley that survived the raid.  

Map of the Palatine Dorfs in the Schoharie Creek Valey
Old Stone Fort was in Fox Dorf

Historic Marker for the Schoharie Dorfs
Image from HMdb.org

The fort holds special significance for me because it was in one of seven dorfs, or villages, that the 1710 Palatine immigrants settled after they fled from servitude to the British government in the Hudson Valley.  It stands where one of the central communities, Fox Dorf [also known as Fuchs Dorf], was located. My ancestors in the Fidler, Lauck, and Schauer families may have walked some of the same paths that I would walk today as I explored the grounds of the fort.

Cousin John and Our Friend Carol Who Are Members
 of the Tulpehocken 300th Anniversary Planning Committee

Our Guides at Old Stone Fort
Photo by Ryan Strause

We gathered in the church which now serves as a two-story museum of displays documenting the history of Native Americans, Dutch settlers, and their Palatine neighbors’ habitation in the Schoharie Valley. Everything from fossils to arrowheads, farm tools to quilts, and Bibles to cannons, help create a vision of our ancestors’ lives over the past three hundred years. Here we met three volunteers dressed in period costumes who would share their knowledge of the history of the fort. I decided to start my tour with volunteer, Paul Supley, who led us out to a “field” to learn about the farm practices of the Palatines.

Part of the Schoharie Valley "Bowl" of Farmland

The Old Stone Fort is in the fertile, bowl-shaped Schoharie Creek Valley which is a floodplain covered in alluvial soil surrounded by low mountains. As our group gathered around Paul, he began by informing us that we were standing in the road on which our Palatine ancestors traveled between the seven dorfs. That revelation alone made the trip worthwhile for me! 

Standing in the Palatine Path between the Seven Dorf Settlements in the Schoharie Valley

Photo by Ryan Strause 

The dorfs were small settlements scattered along the east side of Schoharie Creek over a distance of about ten miles. The northern most village, Kniskern Dorf, was located about five miles north of us at the mouth of Cobleskill Creek where it empties into Schoharie Creek. The second village, Gerlach Dorf, was located about a mile away, just south of the junction of Routes 30 and 30A. It was situated behind the “Carrot Barn” on Schoharie Farms which now sits on the west side of the highway. Fox Dorf was the third village and Smith Dorf and Brunnen Dorf were each about one mile further south, in what is now the town of Schoharie. Hartman Dorf was about two miles farther south and Weiser Dorf was located where the town of Middleburgh now stands. Each dorf was named for a man who served as the chosen leader or listmaker for a small group of the Palatines while they lived on the Hudson River. During our trip, we passed the locations where all the dorfs were located, but no trace remains of most of the settlements. The ravages of three hundred years of time, floods, fires, and Indian, British, and French battles have wiped out the original structures the Palatines built. 

Kniskern Dorf Historic Marker

Gerlach Dorf Historic Marker

Hartman Dorf Historic Marker

Weiser Dorf Historic Marker

Paul explained that this area was the “Breadbasket of the Revolution,” beginning in about 1770. The limestone soil and yearly flooding produced farm ground resembling the Rhine River Valley of the Palatine immigrant’s homeland. My ancestors had moved to Pennsylvania long before the Revolution, but they were instrumental in settling the valley and establishing fine farms in the area. Initially, they had no draft animals and did all their planting, cultivating, and harvesting by hand. They also lacked tools for farming and created wooden plows, pitch forks and other tools by taking advantage of the natural shape of tree branches or by carving the wood into farm implements.  

Handmade Wooden Farm Tools in the Museum 

Pitchfork Created from a Tree Branch

The German farmers who remained in the valley raised Indian corn, red spelt, small hard, gray peas for soup, and the best wheat in the world. Native small green apples were used to make hard cider and later they raised hemp to be used for making rope. Until gristmills were built in their valley, the Palatines carried grain on their backs to the nearest mill in Schenectady for milling into flour. Both men and women made the nearly fifty-mile round trip on foot in just a few days. 

Livestock was gradually introduced in the valley. The Palatines kept hogs that foraged for food in the forest, and slaughtered them in October. Their meat could be salted or smoked to preserve it for the winter. They also kept black cattle (angus) for beef and horned cattle (oxen) for hauling product to market. Most farmers kept a few black-faced sheep as a source of some poor-quality wool. Sheep which produced fine wool were not generally kept because of wool export restrictions passed by British Parliament. Their sheep’s coarse wool was mixed with flax fiber to produce linsey woolsey fabric and the animals could be used as a food source. The farmers used “ugly,” but powerful horses for farming. 

We soon moved over to the Ingold-Schaeffer New World Dutch Barn to learn about the importance of barn designs for specific purposes. This structure was built from chestnut wood circa 1780 and was oriented with large double doors on opposite walls to take advantage of the prevailing winds to assist in winnowing grain by hand. Wheat was stored and dried in sheaves in the upper part of the barn. The sheaves were pushed down to the threshing floor where flails were used to remove the grain from the stalks. Sometimes community threshing parties combined the work with a social gathering. The grain was then winnowed from the chaff by tossing it into the air from shallow baskets made especially for the job. Wheat was often used as currency and was measured in a container called a schepel [or skipple] which held about sixty pounds of grain. One wagon load of grain on the stem would yield about one schepel of whole grain. Barns used for other purposes, such as protection for livestock or for storage of animal feed would have been designed differently.

Paul at the 1780 Dutch Barn 

 

Side View of the Dutch Barn

Hartman Dorf House

Another volunteer talked about the Hartman Dorf House on the property which was built about 1786. It is a two-room cabin of German design which was moved to the fort from a location south of Schoharie. It was probably rebuilt in the original Palatine plan after being burned in the 1780 Johnson Raid which destroyed many structures in the valley. It is especially interesting to note that the interior door hinges bear the same design as the ones used on the front door of the Fort. The same blacksmith almost certainly made both sets of hardware. The house has a wonderful central brick fireplace with cooking hearth, lots of heavy wooden beams and a wooden floor. Restoration of the structure is ongoing, but there are a few pieces of handmade period furnishings inside, including a corner cabinet, a painted cupboard, a chest, a table and chairs, and a spinning wheel. 

Interior of the Hartman Dorf House 

Interior of the Hartman Dorf House

Interior of the Hartman Dorf House

When the lectures were complete, we had plenty of time to inspect the 1863 Oliver Schoolhouse, the 1830 Jackson Law Office, the 1860 English Lacko Barn, the outdoor bake oven and the museum. I spent most of my time in the museum which was packed with treasures from the natural world and history of the people who have lived in the valley. A stump of petrified wood from the nearby Gilboa Forest containing fossils from the oldest known trees in the history of the world was of particular interest to me. The trees lived 380 million years ago and were one of the first plants on Earth to have a tree-like form! 

1863 Oliver Schoolhouse

1860 English Lacko Barn

Outdoor Bake Oven
Photo by Ryan Strause

Grindstone, Cannon Balls and Cemetery at Old Stone Fort Museum 

Gilboa Tree Fossil 

Linen Woven by Sarah Smith Circa 1789

Close Up View of a Handmade Quilt Constructed of Tiny Pieces! 

I decided to finish my tour of the property by walking a short distance down and around the gravel path in front of the museum and the adjacent cemetery to see the daylily gardens and a modern covered bridge over Fox Creek. The daylily blooms were nearly spent, but the Fox Creek Bridge, built in 1982, was well worth the walk in the noonday sun. The interior bridge support beams formed an intricate geometric design that rivaled a work of art. Fox Creek added to the perfect setting with its crystal-clear water creating a pleasant rushing sound as it bubbled and frothed over the myriad smooth rocks in the creek bed. It was one of the prettiest sights I saw in New York.

1982 Fox Creek Covered Bridge at Old Stone Fort

 

Interior Construction of 1982 Fox Creek Covered Bridge at Old Stone Fort

Fox Creek at Old Stone Fort 

Schoharie Presbyterian Church, 314 Main Street

Palatine House 1743 Museum, 102 Warner Hill Road, Schoharie NY

Palatine House 1743 Museum 
Photo from Palatine House Museum Facebook Page

It was nearly noon, so our group did not need to be encouraged to board the bus for our one-and-a-half-mile ride to the Schoharie Presbyterian Church where our lunch was waiting. A rainstorm was brewing, so we scrambled off the bus and into the lovely church social hall. As the rain fell, we enjoyed a nice buffet of pastas, salads, wrap sandwiches, beverages, and cupcakes. 

Following lunch, we were directed to make the short walk across the adjoining cemetery, or take the bus, to the Palatine House 1743 Museum. The rain had stopped, so LaRita and I and several other adventurous souls set out on foot. We couldn’t see our destination because the trees and winding path obscured our view of the museum. After we had gone a short distance, the rain began in earnest once again! Of course, we had umbrellas and raincoats in the bus, but not with us! After a moment’s consideration, we decided to push on, thinking we didn’t have far to go. Hindsight says we should have turned around! It was much farther than we expected, and I was soaked and mud splashed by the time we arrived at the house, even though I ran most of the way. Luckily, it wasn’t cold and we were able to sit down and drip dry while Schoharie County historian, Theodore “Ted” Shuart, spoke to us.

Ted gave a comprehensive talk, accompanied by a nice PowerPoint presentation, covering the reasons the Palatines left their homeland, the hardships they faced, and the path our ancestors took from their arrival in New York City in 1710 until their settlement in Berks County, PA, in the mid-1720s. After the lecture, we were free to tour the house which is set up as a living history museum. 

It is the oldest house in Schoharie County, built by Palatine colonists in 1743 as a parsonage and meeting place for worship. The building is constructed in medieval German style with a large open-hearth fireplace in one of the two main floor rooms in the house. A huge weaver’s loom and spinning equipment also shared space in the same room. An upstairs bedroom and cellar spring room were also quite interesting. I was almost dry when my tour was complete! 

Schoharie County Historian Ted Shuart Speaks to Our Group

Palatine House Fireplace and Cooking Hearth

Palatine House Weaving Loom 

Palatine House Spinning Wheel and Accessories

 

Iroquois Museum, 324 Caverns Road, Howes Cave NY

 We once again boarded our home-away-from-home for the fifteen-minute ride to the Iroquois Museum northwest of Schoharie. The museum is a modern iteration of the ancient design of an elm bark longhouse like those used as Iroquois dwellings. As we entered the building, we passed ancient artifacts and stunning examples of Native American paintings, pottery, clothing, jewelry, and sculpture. 

Mohawk Bear Clan Mike Tarbell 

Sculptures of the "Three Sisters" - Corn, Beans and Squash
That's my elbow in the background. Haha.
Photo by Ryan Strause

Mike shared several quotes that imparted Native American wisdom. My favorite one was, “Everyone in a circle sees something in the middle of the circle in a different way.” The different viewpoints of all the people in the circle help everyone gain a deeper understanding by sharing their observations.  He also encouraged each of us to “Recognize the path that is yours.”

After Mike’s lecture, we were free to browse the two floors of exhibits in the museum until it was time to travel about a dozen miles to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Gallupville for dinner and another program. 

The Iroquois Museum 
Photo by Jeremy Lutz

Iroquois Museum Display
Photo by Jeremy Lutz

Evangelical Lutheran Church, 890 NY State Route 443, Gallupville NY

The church hall tables were set for dinner, complete with small wooden cross favors at each place setting, when we arrived. Pastor Bruce’s Aunt Linda Briggs arranged this and several other meals during our trip. We had a wonderful plated dinner served to us, followed by a fabulous presentation by author and Schoharie County history expert, Jeff O’Connor. Jeff and his wife are well known experts on New York colonial history in the Schoharie Valley. Jeff focused his lecture on many facets of the Palatine immigrants’ experiences on the Hudson, their temporary move to Schenectady, their settlement in the Schoharie Valley, and finally the exodus of most of them to the Tulpehocken and Mohawk Valleys. 

The important roles of Conrad Weiser and his son Conrad Jr. as communicators with the Mohawks and the English were explored in depth by Mr. O’Connor. He also pointed out the paths of today’s Highway 7 from Schenectady and Highway 146 as the general routes that were followed by the Palatines in their migration and later travel. Other details about the settlement of the seven dorfs along the Schoharie, and Palatine dealings with the Dutch, Mohawks, and the English were fresh observations that shed new light on the lives of our ancestors. Jeff’s lecture was a preview of his third book which will soon be published. It is titled, Skohere and the Birth of New York’s Western Frontier 1609-1731, Volume III.

After I arrived back home, I sent a message to Jeff thanking him for his presentation. He replied with this link to more information about his books. He also has a website:

https://www.turningpoint1777.com 

"I have a new facebook page "Skohere and the Birth of New York's Western Frontier book series." Find it at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095267871912 or just search for Skohere. It's a place that I will be giving periodic updates and behind the scenes type stuff about Volume III as go through the editing process. It also has some material and background stuff about Volumes I & II"

Our last trip of the day was a thirty-minute jaunt back to the Super 8 in Cobleskill. We made one stop for ice cream at The Ice Burgh in Middleburgh at sunset. Once again, I decided I had had plenty of food for one day and didn’t indulge in a frozen treat. I was ready to call it a day!

 

Sunset Stop in Middleburgh where the Palatine Village of Weiser Dorf was Located
The Peak Known as Vroman's Nose is Behind the Shrub on the Left
Photo by Ryan Strause

Thursday's Destinations

NEXT - THE HUDSON VALLEY