Dutch Barn Farm History

Thanks Skip

We are indebted to Willis (Skip) Barshied, a friend and local historian who encouraged us to take an interest in local history.  Skip wrote many stories about the history of Stone Arabia and other local places, including the Kilts farm timeline to the left. Skip's writings range from poems and letters to the editor to historical essays and musings on the natural environment. Many of them are collected here: Essays by Skip.

Skip died in 2020.  You can read his obituary here: Skip Obituary

Mohawk Settlement

There was a Mohawk settlement at the top of the hill just north of the farmstead.  The site, dubbed the Getman #1 site, was excavated by archaeologists in in 1957. 

According to the archaeologists, who reported their findings in Ritchie, W. A. and R. E. Funk, Aboriginal Settlement Patterns in the Northeast, New York State Museum and Science Service Memoir 20, 348, Albany, the site was probably occupied several times during the second half of the fifteenth century.

One of the periods of occupancy

Stone Arabia

Stone Arabia was established by the Stone Arabia Patent.  A map of the patent is shown below.  It extends from the north edge of the Village of Palatine Bridge to Caroga Creek through Ephrata in the north and northwest to Cayadutta Creek in Sammonsville in the east.  The patent granted land in three allotments.

Much of the material in this section is from Early Stone Arabia" a paper read before the New York State Historical Association at Canajoharie on the historical tour of September 24, 1931, by Andrew L. Dillenbeck.  This can be found online here: https://montgomery.nygenweb.net/palatine/stonearhistory.html  The paper was published in New York History, Vol. 13, No. 3 (JULY 1932), pp. 276-283

The first allotment of the Stone Arabia patent granted title to 2,550 acress of land to twenty seven immigrant families. The tract conveyed was divided into twenty-eight equal parts. and granted as follows:

The second allotment was made in 1733.  It granted 30 men title to 9,169 acres to 30 men.  Four of the 26 different titles given in the second allotment were titles in partnership. The 30 men who received title to land were as follows:

• Martynis Tillebagh,

• Johannis Lawyer,

• Andris Finck,

• Nicholas Pickard,

• Lodewyck Casselmann,

• Andreas Finck, Jr.,

• Symon Erhart,

• Jacob Snell,

• Johannis Snell,

• Adam Emge,

• Wilhelmis Casselman,

• Dierik Loucks,

• Sutferynes Teyger,

• Johannis Myderse,

• William Brower,

• Johannis Crams,

• Hanes Erhart,

• Barhanadus Van Diere,

• War(ner) Teygor,

• Johannis Miller,

• Jacob Sible,

• Jurigh Houck,

• Piter Soots,

• Johannis Schulthuys,

• Johannis Wies,

• Van Schullne,

• Hendrick Six,

• William Nellis,

• Nicolas Stensoll, and

• Robert Garther.

Fourteen of the men who took land in the first division took none in the second. Ten years had witnessed the death or removal of these or they were convinced they had enough land.  Deeds were given to all who shared in this allotment, a few of which are still in existence. Most of the new grantees were sons of the patentees, in several instances were men from Schoharie, and in some cases Dutchmen.

Dutch Barn Farm is essentially Lot 34 (XXXIV) of the second (1733) allotment of the Stone Arabia Patent.   The farm parcel is described as follows in the deed recorded in 1830:

All that certain Lot of Land lying and being at Stone Arabia in the County of Montgomery being part of a tract of Land Granted by letters pated dated the nineteenth Day of October one thousand seven hundred and twenty three unto Johannes Lawyer Ludowick Cassleman and others Known and Distinguished by the name of Lot number Thirty four and begins at the south East corner of Lot Number thirty three and Runs thence east twelve chains thence north Eighty Eight Chains thence west  Twelve Chains and thence south Eighty Eight chains to the place of beginning.  Containing one hundred acres of Land.  Also Eleven acres of Land adjoining the above Described piece of Land on the north line and is part of Lot B in Stone Arabia and also four acres of land being one half of Lot C in the third Division of Stone Arabia patent.  The above described pieces of land being the same which were Devised to the said Michael M Bauder Jr by his father Michael M Bauder Deceased.

This presents several challenges.  The preamble to the description says it is part of the initial (1723) allotment but the description itself fits with the location of Lot 34 in the second allotment.  Lot 34 in the first allotment is north of Lot 29, and not at all adjacent to Lot 33.

From Patent to Bauder Farm

We bought the Getman farm.  It was called that by everyone we met, and some called us the Getman's, in fun, mainly.  It had been the Getman farm for longer than anyone could remember, and there was enough history to register the farm on the national register of historic properties as the Caspar Getman Farmstead.  A cute Getman family tradition was to name firstborn sons alternately Caspar or George.  So the next George inherits the farm from the last Caspar, and so on.

But none of the patentees of the Stone Arabia Patent were Getmans, so some digging is needed to trace the farm's non-Getman history.  This is a period between the establishment of the Stone Arabia Patent and when the farm, Lot 34 in the Patent of 1723, was granted to William Coppernell and  when ownership was transferred from the Bauder family to the Getmans.  

The Getmans married into the farm.  Specifically, Casper Getman (1799 to 1883), the first Casper in our story, married Elizabeth Ann Bauder (May 8, 1794 to October 19, 1882).   The farm was transferred from Michael M  Bauder Jnr and his wife Bate to Caspar Getman  on July 12, 1830.

This history includes a line starting with immigration from Palatine of several families.  Hans Melchior Bader (1700 to 1763) came to Philadelphia from Palatine Germany (Rhineland Pfalz) before 1740.  The family surname got changed from Bader to Bauder and Hans  Bauder Married Anna Barbara Wanner in Schoharie in 1740.

Melchior Bauder Sr (1741 to 1813), first son of Hans Melchior Bader, was born in Schoharie in 1741. His death was recorded in Canajoharie in 1813, but we don't know where he was buried.   Melchior served in the Revolutionary War as a Private and fought in the Battle of Oriskany, New York.  His sons, Johannes and Michael, served with him. His daughter Elizabeth was captured by Indians and later released.

Michael M Bauder  (1762 to 1822) was the first son of Melchior Bauder Sr .   Michael M was born  in 1762 in Stone Arabia and died in Stone Arabia in 1822.  He was the father of Elizabeth Ann Bauder, who married Casper Getman (1799 to 1883) on February 16, 1823 in Fort Plain.

Michael M Bauder Jr (1789 to 1860) was the second son of Michael M Bauder.  He was born in Stone Arabia in 1789 and was buried in Watertown, NY.  Michael M Bauder Jr inherited the farm from his father and in turn, in 1830, conveyed it to Casper Getman, his sister's husband.

Casper Getman (1799 to 1883) was the first son of George Thomas Getman II (1774 to 1834) who was born in Ephratah, now in Fulton County, NY.  He was a captain in the war of 1812, and was a farmer all his life.  He married Catherine Cook, and had six sons.  He was buried in the Getman family cemetery.

So Michael M Bauder Sr owned the farm before he died in 1822.  How did he get it?

William Claessen Van Coppernoll was born March 1687 or 1688 at the Willows?, Schenectady, New York. He was christened on May 22, 1691,  in Albany ,  New York4, and died on December 24, 1787 in Stone Arabia, New York - aged 99 yrs. 9 mos.3.  On June 5, 1714 he married Angelica Lantgraef (1691 to 1716) in New York.  Angelica was the daughter of George Lantgraef and Elizabeth Catherina.

William not a Palatine but a cousin of Harmanus Van Slyk who had originally owned through inheritance a large tract containing the Stone Arabia land. This land had been deeded to the Van Slyk's by the Mohawks. It is possible that his position among the Palatines was that of an advisor and negotiator with the Indians, and also with his cousin Harmanus. He was granted lot # 20 (the lot later sold for the building of a church) Lot #59 and Great lot #10 which was held by the family four or five generations, and is located on a crossroad running from the road known as the "new Turnpike", (from Johnstown - Ephratah road to N.Y. route 5.) to the one known as the Indian Road in Stone Arabia. On this farm an old family cemetary is located. The tombstone records appear in "NYS Cemetary, Church and Town Records", prepared by the DAR. (Coppernoll Family Genealogy) 1730; Warner Dygert purchased more land of William Coppernoll. (Stone Arabia, NY) May 9, 1732; obligated himself under a penalty of 100 pounds, to convey a desired lot of 50 acres for the church, to Andreas Fink, Werner Diegert and Johannes Schnell by this date. This present churches currently occupy this same lot. The price was 20 pounds New York currency. Military Service: Tryon Co. militia5 Town Offices: 1715, Indian War - two foot company of Schenectady. Residence: 1727, lived on Green Street, Schenectady.

In 1729, of William Coppernoll sold Lot 20 of the Patent.   The lot of 50 acres formed part of the original Stone Arabia patent of 1723, and was bought for for 100.   by Andrew Fink, Warner Diegert, Johannes Schell and "all the rest of the proprietors and owners of the Stone Raby patent."

The genealogical information above is from the  Find a Grave  web site  here: https://www.findagrave.com/.

Getman Farm

Getman ownership of the farm can be summarized as follows:

Caspar Getman1830 to 1863

George Getman1863 to 1911

George Russell Getman1916 to 1970

Nellie, Elanor and Florence Getman1970 to 2009

In the spirit of collecting the whole set, here is a summary of the Getman line back to their immigration to America.  

George Thomas Getman II was the first son of Thomas Getman (1752 to 1820), who was born in Stone Arabia, died in Palatine, NY and buried in the Getman family cemetery in Ephratah.  Thomas Getman was the second son of George Getman Sr (1723 to 1789) .  He was born in Ephratah, died in Stone Arabia, and buried in the family cemetery in Ephratah.  George Getman Sr was a Revolutionary War veteran and was in the battle of Stone Arabia in 1780 in Colonel Jacob Klock's Regiment.  George Getman Sr was the first son of Johannes Frederick Getman (1693 to 1781), the "founding father" of the New York State Getman lines.  Johannes Frederick was born in Germany, emigrated to West Camp and then to Schoharie Valley, NY, where they settled at Hartman's Dorf at the approximate age of 17.  He married Mary Bierman, also born in Germany.  He was approximately 32 years of age at the time his father-in-law was issued a land patent at Burnetsfield.  Recently found records indicate he went to Burnetsfield and then to Stone Arabia after purchasing land there in 1743.

Historical References and Bibliography

Beers, F. W., History of Montgomery and Fulton Counties, NY (F. W. Beers & Co: New York, 1878).

History of the Mohawk Valley: Gateway to the West 1614-1925, edited by Nelson Greene (Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1925)

Vol. I, p. 497 of History of the Mohawk Valley: Gateway to the West 1614-1925, edited by Nelson Greene (Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1925