William Tiffany Avery was born in the town of Duanesburg on March 3, 1895.  His journey through life kept him closely tied to the land, its people and its history.  He received his early education at the Gibson Schoolhouse on the Great Western Turnpike and then traveled by train from the Esperance Depot to Altamont to complete his high school years.

Through his roles as farmer, mechanic, husband, father and then grandfather, he spent time photographing the areas of Esperance and Duanesburg.  He recorded not only the visual history of our area but researched and collected written materials, and also interviewed townspeople to tell the story of their daily lives.  Our town records have burned twice; therefore we must rely on church records, family Bibles and diaries of individuals along with the memories of “old timers”.

It was in the later years of his life, with failing eyesight and using only a one fingered pecking technique on his typewriter, that he began this written collection to leave as a legacy to his children and grandchildren.  Thanks to their generosity it now has also been left to you.

                             William Tiffany Avery – 1895-1979

This manuscript was published by the Duanesburg Historical Society in 2004 and is available from us or via mail.  It is also available at the Duanesburg Town Clerks Office.

This book of 128 pages contains 230 pictures of old Duanesburg, Delanson, Quaker Street, Creekside and Princetown.

This book is available at the office of the Town Clerk of Duanesburg and the Town clerk of Princetown. 

Mail orders to Duanesburg Historical Society, P.O. Box 421 Duanesburg, NY 12056. 

This brief history of Duanesburg has been excerpted from the History of Albany and Schenectady Counties, 1609 to 1886 by George R. Howell and Jonathan Tenney, published by W. W. Munsell & Co., New York 1886.  The reasons for extracting Duanesburg in separate copies from the main book are two-fold:  The rare Howell and Tenney book, as a primary historical resource has begun to deteriorate because of frequent handling due to numerous inquiries about Duanesburg over the years:  Copies will now be used as the central reference and thus save wear and tear on the original.  Secondly, until a comprehensive history is written on the Town, this can serve as the most accurate and thorough early history of Duanesburg now available for interested Town residents and the public at large.

 

            Arthur D. Willis

            Duanesburg Town Historian

            2003

This book is available at the Duanesburg Town Clerks Office

The Duanesburg Historical Society has republished Clarence Foot’s book in 2006.  It was first published in 1969.
This book is available via mail from the Duanesburg Historical Society or at the Duanesburg Town Clerks Office.


From my earliest memories, first in the home, then as a pupil, and later as a student in high school and college, and still latter as a teacher in the classrooms, I have found history fascinating, thru a study of persons and what they did. I am thankful both my parents and grandparents were interested enuf in their own family and local history to make those per¬sons of long ago so real that they seemed to live again.
In this book, I have included many memories of people who lived here in bygone days, with many detailed descriptions of handed down customs and ways of doing things. Duanesburg and the Schoharie Valley have had and still have many in¬teresting people whose active lives1 have been or are right now connected with stirring events.
In large part, I have used simplified spelling as suggested by Noah Webster, Benjamin Franklin, Andrew Carnegie, Sam¬uel L. Clemens, and Theodore Roosevelt. For years, in per¬sonal correspondence, I have used shortened forms of several words. I have noticed a growing shift over to the simpler spelling and I predict that very soon, most changes advocated by those men will be in general use.
I deeply appreciate all the help I have received from the many present and former residents and their relatives, as well as all others who have aided in any way to complete this book. I thank you all.