Honor Esperance’s 200th Anniversary

Assembly Resolution No. 1364 BY: M. of A. Tague COMMEMORATING the 200th Anniversary of the Village of Esperance to be celebrated on July 14, 2018 WHEREAS, It is the intent of this Legislative Body to honor and commemorate the proud and distinguished histories of the towns and villages which comprise the noble body of this great Empire State; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the Village of Esperance to be celebrated on Saturday, July 14, 2018; and WHEREAS, The Village of Esperance was originally part of the Ten Eyck Patent granted in 1769 to Jacob H. Ten Eyck; the future village bordered the Schoharie Creek, the importance of which was realized by the State of New York when the laws of 1792 directed a bridge be built across it; and WHEREAS, William North, an Assemblyman from Duanesburg, was appointed Road Commissioner for the Western District of New York and was instrumental in the completion of the state highway and bridge in 1793; however, the bridge was destroyed by the flood of 1798, which also impacted the early homes along the creek; and WHEREAS, In 1799, the Great Western Turnpike Company was formed and the state road and bridge site became a toll road; a temporary bridge was built to replace the state bridge, and the Village was known as State Bridge and later Schoharie Bridge when the first post office was established in 1805; and WHEREAS, William North purchased the Village lots from Harmonous Ten Eyck, heir of Jacob Ten Eyck, one year later; he was active in managing his father-in-law's land in Duanesburg, but viewed the location along the Schoharie Creek as a much better location for a village; and WHEREAS, Furthermore, he advertised the rising Village of Esperance in Albany and New York newspapers, and it is said his daughter Mary chose the name Esperance, the French word for Hope; and WHEREAS, A native of New England, William North drew a large number of New England Yankees to his new village; during this time, a large paper mill was erected as well as a Congregational Church, saw mills, grist mills and cloth dressing mills; and WHEREAS, Theodore Burr, under contract with the Great Western Turnpike Company, constructed a two lane three hundred foot long wooden covered toll bridge in 1812; more than 700 teams a day crossed the covered bridge which remained until it was dismantled by the State of New York in 1930; and WHEREAS, The immense traffic created a great business climate for those serving the traveling public and eventually five stores and five hotels were built; and WHEREAS, On April 21, 1818, the Village of Esperance was officially incorporated, making it the first incorporated village in Schoharie County; and WHEREAS, The growth of the Village slowed when the Erie Canal took heavy traffic off the Turnpike and the Albany and Susquehanna Railroad completion removed more freight from the road; in 1926, the highway became part of US Route 20, the longest highway in the United States; and WHEREAS, Tourism increased for a time as the nearby George Landis Arboretum, as well as antique and specialty shops such as Eastman's Cheese House made Esperance a destination; and WHEREAS, The first schoolhouse was located west of the Village and the second was erected around 1814; a new schoolhouse was built in 1878, and served for 90 years before opening as the Esperance Historical Museum; and WHEREAS, Today, the Village of Esperance has two active churches, the Old Stone Presbyterian Church and the United Methodist Church; there is also an active Elks Lodge No. 2507 known as the Farmer's Lodge; and WHEREAS, Under the able leadership of Mayor Charles Johnston, the Village of Esperance completed the renovation of the Village Offices in

2018, along with erecting a new firehouse on Church Street; and WHEREAS, Of historic origin, and remaining fruitful over the ebb and flow of decades of growth and change, the Village of Esperance continues to provide the quintessential quality of life for its residents; and WHEREAS, In recognition of the Village of Esperance's rich history and enduring contribution to the State of New York, this Legislative Body is proud to pay tribute to this spirited village upon the occasion of its 200th Anniversary; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the Village of Esperance to be celebrated on July 14, 2018; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Charles Johnston, Mayor of the Village of Esperance.