A Brief History of the Town of Sand Lake

Sand Lake had settlers as early as 1747 and was formed in 1812. Early development of the town was aided by the offer of the Patroon Stephen Van Rensselaer to lease farms of approximately 120 acres. By 1875, the population had grown to 2572.

The premier physical feature that contributed to the settlement and prosperity of Sand Lake is the Wynants Kill Creek. The waters flow from Crooked Lake in the southern part of town, thence to Glass Lake; Sand Lake -- now Crystal Lake -- joins and the flow continues on to Burden Lake from the headwaters of Wynants Kill. It continues northwesterly to the Hudson River. Controlling the flow of this stream from lake to lake afforded a source of waterpower for the factories along the Wynants Kill.

In 1798, Jeremiah Van Rensselaer and others, who had been associated with Hamilton Manufacturing of Sloansville in Albany County, purchased 5000 acres from John Glenn near Glass Lake. Production of glass began about 1804. The owners imported glass blowers from Scotland. The factories were destroyed by fire in 1812 and again in 1816 and were rebuilt in 1819 by Crandall, Fox & Co.

The Wynants Kill Association, an association of mill owners along the Wynants Kill was formed in 1829. Their purpose was to gain control of the lakes that feed into the Wynants Kill and regulate the creek's flow to increase its energy for use as a source of power. By damming up the lakes, the flow could now be regulated to increase the power of the stream for milling purposes. The Wynantskill Association created Burden Lakes and in the process doubled the size of Glass Lake.

In 1825, Richard J. Knowlson, bought the Glass Factory and the Glass Factory Farm. He worked with the Wynantskill Association to build a dam at his site and control the water flow to the downstream mills. Mr. Knowlson had many famous houseguests, including the Marquis de Lafayette. The factories were destroyed by fire on December 25, 1852 and were never rebuilt. The factories produced some wonderful pieces, including a glass cane now in the possession of the Society. The factories employed over 100 workers.

The Wynants Kill Creek provided not only for the Glass Works but also for a forge, a steam sawmill, a tannery, a grist mill, a plaster mill, a cotton mill, a furnace for iron castings, a paper mill and several textile mills. The textile mills produced a varied line of goods including woolens, hosiery, cotton batting and yarn. For a short time one Sand Lake mill owner manufactured work garb that was sold to southern plantation owners to clothe their slaves. All together, these enterprises employed several hundred people and made Sand Lake an important manufacturing site.

In 1866 the Wynantskill Improvement Association had 12 members. The Tompkins Factory, Arnolds Cotton Factory, Knowlson Wool Factory, and James Aken's Knitting Mill were upstream of the diverting dam. The downstream members, all of which contributed to the cost of the project, were: Kidder and Akin in West Sand Lake, Troy Woolen Company in Albia; The Smart Paper Mills off Campbell's Highway; H. Burden & Son; Corning & Winslow; and Winslow, Griswold, & Holley, all of Troy.
There were also several local industries including maple sugaring, ice harvesting, apple orchards, charcoal burning and lumbering.

Sand Lake was represented in the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Civil War, the War of 1898, World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, Vietnam, Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 1823, Richard Knowlson was appointed colonel of the local Militia regiment. During the Civil War, his son Andrew Knowlson, rose to the rank of colonel.

The Anti-Slavery feeling among residents of Sand Lake was evident in that many of its citizens actively participated in the Underground Railroad. This secret and dangerous pursuit of assisting runaway slaves reach freedom, required the defiance of the Fugitive Slave Law.

The Fugitive Slave Law made it a federal crime to assist runaway slaves. Those persons who harbored runaways were subject to fine and/or imprisonment. "Hidden" rooms were constructed in homes to conceal the slaves on their trek to freedom. The Knowlson mansion has a stone "hidden room", with a vaulted ceiling and an air hole concealed in the kitchen fireplace where slaves were sheltered.

It is interesting to note that at one time slavery existed in Sand Lake. On February 2, 1824, Sand Lake resident Andrew Weatherwax, signed legal papers necessary to give freedom to his 21 year old slave, Jacob Brown, Jr.

Sand Lake's religious history began with a log cabin Lutheran Church erected in 1776. It was rebuilt in West Sand Lake in 1816 to accommodate the growing congregation. The First Presbyterian Church of Sand Lake was founded in 1805. The Sand Lake Baptist Church was organized in 1831. The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized sometime before 1834. St. Henry's Roman Catholic Church was organized in 1868.

The Troy & New England Railway operated an electric trolley line from Averill Park to Troy from 1895 until 1925.

The Crooked Lake House was a stagecoach stop in 1870 on what was the Albany-Sand Lake Plank Road. Famous guests included Gov. Theodore Roosevelt and gangster "Legs" Diamond. In 1938 the Art Deco ballroom was built to accommodate the Big Band circuit. Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman and the Dorsey Brothers appeared on stage regularly, and NBC broadcast the performances live every Saturday night from 1941 to 1943.

The Glass Lake Hotel was a public house about 1820. It served as a Stagecoach stop for the Troy, Sand Lake and Stephentown stage line. In 1845 the present building was erected as Mechanics Hall which served as a residence for workmen who had no permanent home. The Hall was later divided into a private residence and the other part was operated as the Glass Lake Hotel. Joseph Hidley's famous painting of the Inn and Glass Lake was painted from an overlooking window in the Knowlson mansion.

Revised April 2011 Compiled by Ron Berti
 

Sand Lake Historical Society
PO Box 492
West Sand Lake, NY 12196