Berne, New York
Encyclopedia
Berne is a town
in Albany County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 2,794 at the 2010 census. The town is at the west border of Albany County.
. In 1822 the north half of Berne was spun off to form the new town of Knox
.
The earliest settlers were Palatine German refugees. Settlement began before 1750. At that time it was called Beaver Dam (also spelled Beaverdam). The settlers were actually squatters, since in the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, Berne was part of the Rensselaerswyck estate. The head of the Van Rensselaer family was the patroon
who owned all the land on which the tenants in the Hudson Valley lived, and used feudal leases to maintain control of the region. Before the Revolutionary War, the patroons acted as feudal lords, with the right to make laws.
The massacre of the Dietz family in 1781 was the only Iroquois incursion in Beaver Dam during the American Revolution
. During the War inhabitants fought on both sides of the conflict. Loyalists
who supported the British left and went to Canada. Those who stayed and fought the British expected that if they won, they would either be released from their tenancy, or at the least, be allowed to purchase the land at fair market value. Instead, the new government of New York decided to honor the lease contracts of the patroons, who contributed heavily to the politicians.
The first mass meeting of tenant farmers leading to the Anti-Rent War
was held in Berne on July 4, 1839. In January, 1845 one hundred and fifty delegates from eleven counties assembled in St. Paul's Lutheran Church to call for political action to redress their grievances.
, the town has a total area of 64.8 square miles (167.8 km²), of which, 64.1 square miles (166 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (0.99%) is water.
Here is a map of Berne. The west town line is the border of Schoharie County
, New York.
of 2010, there were 2,794 people, 1,099 households, and 805 families residing in the town. The population density
was 43.6 people per square mile (17.1/km²). There were 1,385 housing units at an average density of 21.6 per square mile (8.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.89% White, 0.39% African American, 0.39% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races
, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.77% of the population.
There were 1,099 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% were married couples
living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $47,174, and the median income for a family was $55,685. Males had a median income of $37,324 versus $29,125 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $22,095. About 3.7% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Albany County
Albany County, New York
Albany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name is from the title of the Duke of York and Albany, who became James II of England . As of the 2010 census, the population was 304,204...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 2,794 at the 2010 census. The town is at the west border of Albany County.
History
The town of Berne (originally spelled "Bern") was created in 1795 from part of the town of RensselaervilleRensselaerville, New York
Rensselaerville is a town in Albany County, New York, United States. The population was 1,843 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Stephen Van Rensselaer...
. In 1822 the north half of Berne was spun off to form the new town of Knox
Knox, New York
Knox is a town in Albany County, New York, United States. The population was 2,692 at the 2010 census.The Town is in the northwest part of Albany County and is west of Albany, the state capital.- History :...
.
The earliest settlers were Palatine German refugees. Settlement began before 1750. At that time it was called Beaver Dam (also spelled Beaverdam). The settlers were actually squatters, since in the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, Berne was part of the Rensselaerswyck estate. The head of the Van Rensselaer family was the patroon
Patroon
In the United States, a patroon was a landholder with manorial rights to large tracts of land in the 17th century Dutch colony of New Netherland in North America...
who owned all the land on which the tenants in the Hudson Valley lived, and used feudal leases to maintain control of the region. Before the Revolutionary War, the patroons acted as feudal lords, with the right to make laws.
The massacre of the Dietz family in 1781 was the only Iroquois incursion in Beaver Dam during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. During the War inhabitants fought on both sides of the conflict. Loyalists
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
who supported the British left and went to Canada. Those who stayed and fought the British expected that if they won, they would either be released from their tenancy, or at the least, be allowed to purchase the land at fair market value. Instead, the new government of New York decided to honor the lease contracts of the patroons, who contributed heavily to the politicians.
The first mass meeting of tenant farmers leading to the Anti-Rent War
Anti-Rent War
The Anti-Rent War was a tenants' revolt in upstate New York during the early 19th century, beginning with the death of Stephen Van Rensselaer III in 1839....
was held in Berne on July 4, 1839. In January, 1845 one hundred and fifty delegates from eleven counties assembled in St. Paul's Lutheran Church to call for political action to redress their grievances.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 64.8 square miles (167.8 km²), of which, 64.1 square miles (166 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (0.99%) is water.
Here is a map of Berne. The west town line is the border of Schoharie County
Schoharie County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 31,582 people, 11,991 households and 8,177 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 15,915 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
, New York.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2010, there were 2,794 people, 1,099 households, and 805 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 43.6 people per square mile (17.1/km²). There were 1,385 housing units at an average density of 21.6 per square mile (8.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.89% White, 0.39% African American, 0.39% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.77% of the population.
There were 1,099 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $47,174, and the median income for a family was $55,685. Males had a median income of $37,324 versus $29,125 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $22,095. About 3.7% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.
Natural history
- Partridge Run Wildlife Management AreaNew York State Wildlife Management AreasNew York State owns and maintains more than 85 Wildlife Management Areas , with a total area of more than .The Wildlife Management Areas Program is administered by the Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources of the Department of Environmental Conservation...
, on West Mountain, consists of 4594 acres (18.6 km²) of former abandoned upland farms. It has been improved with hiking trails, and parking lots and is available for birdwatching, cross-county skiing, snowshoeing, hunting, fishing and trapping. Partridge Run and Cole Hill State Forest are units in the HelderbergsHelderberg EscarpmentThe Helderberg Escarpment is an escarpment in eastern New York, roughly west of the city of Albany....
Management Area of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. - Cole Hill State Forest, accessed from County Routes 2 and 3, has been improved with hiking trails, and parking lots and is available for birdwatching, cross-county skiing, snowshoeing, hunting, fishing and trapping.
- Thacher State ParkJohn Boyd Thacher State ParkJohn Boyd Thacher State Park is a state park located 15 miles southwest of Albany, New York near Voorheesville, in Albany County on State Route 157...
is on the eastern town line partly in Berne but mainly in New ScotlandNew Scotland, New YorkNew Scotland is a town in Albany County, New York, United States. The population was 8,648 at the 2010 census.The town is southwest of Albany, New York, the state capital. New Scotland is centrally located in the county.-History:...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It has campgrounds. - The Long PathLong PathThe Long Path is a long-distance hiking trail beginning at the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey and currently ending at Altamont, New York, in the Albany area...
, runs from George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey to Altamont, Albany CountyAltamont, Albany County, New YorkAltamont is a village located in the town of Guilderland in Albany County, New York. The village is in the western part of the town. The population was 1,720 at the 2010 census. The name means "high mountain."- History :...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It crosses the Town of Berne, going from Cotton Hill and Cannady State Forests in Schoharie CountySchoharie County, New YorkAs of the census of 2000, there were 31,582 people, 11,991 households and 8,177 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 15,915 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to the west, across the Partridge Run Wildlife Management Area, through Cole Hill State Forest where it has 270-degree views of both the Catskills and Adirondacks from Roemer's High Point along the Helderberg Escarpment, and continues north to Thacher State ParkJohn Boyd Thacher State ParkJohn Boyd Thacher State Park is a state park located 15 miles southwest of Albany, New York near Voorheesville, in Albany County on State Route 157...
, the Indian Ladder and finally its current end at NY 146. - Thompson's Lake State ParkThompson's Lake State ParkThompson's Lake State Park is a state park located near East Berne, New York, in Albany County.The park offers a beach, a playground and playing fields, picnic tables, recreation programs, a nature trail, fishing and ice fishing, a boat launch, a dump station, campground for tents and trailers,...
is a state park at the north end of Thompson's Lake.
Prominent residents
- John Warren ButterfieldJohn Warren ButterfieldJohn Warren Butterfield was an operator of stagecoach and freight lines in the mid-19th century in the American Northeast and Southwest. He founded companies that became American Express and Wells Fargo. Butterfield also founded the Butterfield Overland Express and from 1858 to 1861 operated a...
(see also John Warren Butterfield) (Nov. 18, 1801 - Nov. 14, 1869), born in Berne, went on to found the Butterfield Overland MailButterfield Overland MailThe Butterfield Overland Mail Trail was a stagecoach route in the United States, operating from 1857 to 1861. It was a conduit for the U.S. mail from two eastern termini, Memphis, Tennessee and St. Louis, Missouri, meeting Fort Smith, Arkansas, and continuing through Indian Territory, New Mexico,...
, the stage that was an early operation of American ExpressAmerican ExpressAmerican Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
and Wells FargoWells FargoWells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...
. - Justice Joseph Philo BradleyJoseph Philo BradleyJoseph Philo Bradley was an American jurist best known for his service on the United States Supreme Court, and on the Electoral Commission that decided the disputed 1876 presidential election.-Early life:...
(Mar. 14, 1813 - Jan. 22, 1892), born on a farm on the top of Cole Hill, served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court from 1870-1892. Bradley is best remembered as being the 15th and final member of the Electoral CommissionElectoral Commission (United States)The Electoral Commission was a temporary body created by Congress to resolve the disputed United States presidential election of 1876. It consisted of 15 members. The election was contested by the Democratic ticket, Samuel J. Tilden and Thomas A. Hendricks, and the Republican ticket, Rutherford B....
that decided the disputed 1876 presidential election between Republican Rutherford B. HayesRutherford B. HayesRutherford Birchard Hayes was the 19th President of the United States . As president, he oversaw the end of Reconstruction and the United States' entry into the Second Industrial Revolution...
and Democrat Samuel J. TildenSamuel J. TildenSamuel Jones Tilden was the Democratic candidate for the U.S. presidency in the disputed election of 1876, one of the most controversial American elections of the 19th century. He was the 25th Governor of New York...
. - Corporal Harold C. Mattice (Apr. 9, 1890 - Apr. 22, 1923), born in the hamlet of Berne the son of a blacksmith, was the first NYS trooper to be shot while making an arrest.
- Capt. Adam BogardusAdam BogardusCapt. Adam Henry Bogardus, world champion and United States champion trap shooter, was born in Berne, New York. There, in 1854, he married Cordelia Dearstyne. They moved to Elkhart, Illinois where he became the wing shot champion of the world. He is credited with romanticizing trap shooting...
(Sep. 17, 1834 - Mar. 23, 1913), born on a farm on Ravine Road on West Mountain, became the World Champion and United States Champion trap shootistSkeet shootingSkeet shooting is one of the three major types of competitive shotgun target shooting sports . There are several types of skeet, including one with Olympic status , and many with only national recognition.- General principles :Skeet is a recreational and competitive activity where...
. He is credited with popularizing trap shootingTrap shootingTrap shooting is one of the three major forms of competitive clay pigeon shooting . The others are skeet shooting and sporting clays. There are many versions including Olympic trap, Double trap , Down-The-Line, and Nordic trap. American trap is most popular in the United States and Canada...
. He invented the first practical glass ball trap in 1877. He and his sons were renowned crack shots who toured with the Buffalo BillBuffalo BillWilliam Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
's Wild West Show. He is in the National Trapshooting Hall of Fame. (For a more complete biograph see Capt. Adam Henry Bogardus.) - Jeff "The Drunk" Curro (May 13, 1967 – Present), a resident of Berne, Curro is known for being a loud drunk on the Howard Stern Show. He has a dead arm in a sling and lives in a trailer.
- Bugler Seth M. Flint (Oct. 7, 1846 - Mar. 18, 1941), born in a two room cabin on Church Road in South Berne, ran away from home at 16 to join the Union Army. Flint became General Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
's personal bugler and was a witness to Confederate General Robert E. LeeRobert E. LeeRobert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
's surrender where he blew the final cease fire at the official ceremony that ended the Civil War on April 9, 1865 at the Appomattox Court HouseAppomattox Court HouseThe Appomattox Courthouse is the current courthouse in Appomattox, Virginia built in 1892. It is located in the middle of the state about three miles northwest of the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, once known as Clover Hill - home of the original Old Appomattox Court House...
. Seth M. Flint and William Rose Lee wrote about his Civil War experiences and they were published in the April 6th 1940 edition of the Saturday Evening Post in an article titled "I Saw Lee Surrender". - Albert GallupAlbert GallupAlbert Gallup was a U.S. Representative from New York.Born in East Berne, New York, Gallup received a limited schooling. In 1818 he married Eunice Smith, daughter of Capt. Amos Denison Smith and Priscilla Mitchell. He studied law, was admitted to the bar, and practiced in Albany...
(January 30, 1796 - November 5, 1851), born in Berne, was a U.S. Representative from New York from 1837 - 1839. - M. E. GrenanderM. E. GrenanderMary Elizabeth Grenander , was a professor of English and philanthropist, for whom the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections & Archives of the University Libraries of the University at Albany, the State University of New York is named. She was an authority on Ambrose...
(Mary Elizabeth Grenander) (21 November 1918 – 28 May 1998), born in Rewey, Wisconsin, was a professor of English and philanthropist, for whom the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections & Archives of the University Libraries of the University at Albany, the State University of New York is named. She and her second husband, James Corbett (a professor of physics at SUNY), prospered through the stock market. She donated $1 million to SUNY in his memory after his death in 1994. Grenander died in East Berne, New York, at 79 years of age. - Hiram WaldenHiram WaldenHiram Walden was a United States Representative from New York.Walden was born in Pawlet, Vermont on August 21, 1800, where he attended the district schools. He moved to Berne, New York in 1818 and to what became known as Waldenville, in the Town of Wright, Schoharie County, New York in 1821...
(August 21, 1800 - July 21, 1880), born in Pawlet, Vermont, lived in Berne from 1818–1821 and manufactured axes. He then moved his axe factory to the Town of Wright to what became known as Waldensville. From 1849 - 1851 he was a United States Representative from New York 21st District.
Churches
- First Reformed Church of Berne in the hamlet of Berne was founded about 1765.
- Second Reformed Church of Bern was organized in 1826 and is more commonly known as the Thompson Lake Reformed Church because of its location near the Lake.
- St. Paul's Lutheran Church in the hamlet of Berne was incorporated in 1790.
- St. Bernadette's Catholic Church in the hamlet of Berne was built in 1960 as a mission of St. Lucy's Catholic Church, Altamont, NY
- Rock Road Chapel on Rock Road, was organized in 1981
- Tenzin Gyatso Institute for Wisdom and Compassion a Buddhist retreat center operated by Rigpa.
- St. John's Lutheran Church, East Berne, was organized in 1873.
Communities and locations in Berne
- Berne – The largest hamlet in the Town, it is located at the intersection of New York State Route 443New York State Route 443New York State Route 443 is an east–west state highway in the Capital District of New York in the United States. The route begins at an intersection with NY 30 in the town of Schoharie and ends later at a junction with U.S. Route 9W and US 20 in the city of Albany...
and New York State Route 156New York State Route 156New York State Route 156 is a state highway in New York. The highway runs from the hamlet of Berne to the village of Voorheesville. A two-lane highway its entire length, NY 156 is entirely located within Albany County....
. Before the Post Office was located here in the latter half of the 19th century it was called "Bernville." In the 19th and first half of the 20th century it had a number of stores, up to three hotels, several blacksmith shops, a funeral home, cabinet makers, harness makers, etc.; now it almost entirely residential. The Town Hall is located here in a former hotel. The same building houses the Berne Public Library. Upstairs is the Berne Museum with "ten rooms of history" operated by the Berne Historical Society. The Post Office is next door. The Berne Knox Westerlo Central School is at the west end of the hamlet. Here is a "report card" on the elementary and Junior-Senior High Schools. - East Berne – A hamlet east of Berne village on New York State Route 443New York State Route 443New York State Route 443 is an east–west state highway in the Capital District of New York in the United States. The route begins at an intersection with NY 30 in the town of Schoharie and ends later at a junction with U.S. Route 9W and US 20 in the city of Albany...
. It has a gas station, a couple of restaurants, and a hardware store. - Reidsville – A hamlet in the southeast part of the town.
- South Berne – A hamlet near the south town line.
- Thompsons Lake – A small community in the northeast part of the town, south of Thompsons Lake. In the late 19th and early 20th century it was a popular summer resort. Now the big hotels are gone and most of the cottages around the lake now are lived in year around.
- Warner's Lake – A lake and surrounding community in the north central part of the town near East Berne. In the late 19th and early 20th century it was a popular summer resort. Now the public beaches are closed and the boarding houses are private residences. Many of the cottages around the lake now are lived in year around. There is one restaurant at the northeast side of the lake.
- West Berne – A hamlet near the west town line and west of Berne village on New York State Route 443New York State Route 443New York State Route 443 is an east–west state highway in the Capital District of New York in the United States. The route begins at an intersection with NY 30 in the town of Schoharie and ends later at a junction with U.S. Route 9W and US 20 in the city of Albany...
. The community was once called "Mechanicsville" and "Peoria." In the 19th and first half of the 20th century it had a number of stores and a couple of blacksmith shops; now it is strictly residential.
External links
- Town of Berne, official web page.
- Berne Historical Project, (not associated with the Berne Historical Society) collects census, cemetery, and church records to make information on local people, genealogy of area families and local history available on the Internet.
- Berne Knox Westerlo Central School District was organized in 1931. It has since been enlarged through the annexation of several common school districts and now includes the towns of Berne, most of Knox, and most of the town of Westerlo, along with small portions of the towns of New Scotland, Rensselaerville, Middleburgh and Wright.
- Berne Public Library is located in the Town Hall. Friends of the Library, raises funds for improvements to the Berne Library.
- Hilltown Ramblers, a local Blue Grass Band.
- The Hilltown Players, a local amateur theater company.
- Berne Historical Society preserves historical records and artifacts in the Berne Museum, upstairs in the Town Hall.
- Albany Hilltowns is a One-Place Study on the history of the Albany County Hilltowns of Berne, KnoxKnox, New YorkKnox is a town in Albany County, New York, United States. The population was 2,692 at the 2010 census.The Town is in the northwest part of Albany County and is west of Albany, the state capital.- History :...
, WesterloWesterlo, New YorkWesterlo is a town in Albany County, New York, United States. The population was 3,361 at the 2010 census.The town is on the south border of Albany County.- History :...
, and RensselaervilleRensselaerville, New YorkRensselaerville is a town in Albany County, New York, United States. The population was 1,843 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Stephen Van Rensselaer...
, and the families that lived there.