Visions of America: The Stephen White Collection

42pp manuscript journal, approx. 6 1/2 x 7 3/4 in., detailing a journey from the region near Sharon, New York, to Ballston Spa, New York, and describing the author's time partaking of the mineral spring waters at Ballston Spa. Unsigned, with a modern typed label adhered to paper cover identifying the manuscript and the presumed author: "Notes of a journey, form [sic] Sharon, N.Y. To Ballston Sps [sic], by Mathew Prendergast 1805." Daily entries record "Date," "Miscellaneous Particulars," "Miles" traveled, and "Expenditures" incurred along the route from 30 August 1805 - 25 October 1805.

The likely author of this journal, Matthew Prendergast (1756-1838) of Dutchess County, New York, was a man of roughly fifty years at the time of this journey to Ballston Spa. The initial portion of the journal describes the author's journey to Ballston Spa, identifying roads, travel conditions, and the locations of taverns and boarding houses as well as their operators. Prendergast records each stop with prices paid for lodging and food for himself as well as his horse. Landmarks along the way such as the Albany Ferry and the Mohawk Bridge are noted. Of Troy, New York, situated just north of Albany, the author records on September 2 his astonishment at the growth of the town since he had last worked there in 1794. He writes the following day of the Mohawk Bridge over the Mohawk River, describing it as "fast decaying and I think in a short time will want a good deal of Repairing the plank and timbers sum [are] considerably Rotten...." By September 4th Prendergast commenced boarding at David Cory's boarding house in Ballston Springs, and records his first visit to the springs. On the 5th he "gave $1 for the use of what they call the pump Room, a long and commodious building over the Spring to drink the waters and to walk in and a desent upper Room to sit in and are supplied with the Earliest Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Albany Papers in the bargain...."

During his stay at Ballston Springs the author records in his journal conversations with fellow travelers, relaying interesting anecdotes including details of several frontier murders. One encounter launches Prendergast into a discussion of the infamous 1805 murder of the young Betsey Van Amburgh in Oswego County, New York. Amburgh was whipped to death by her guardian Stephen Arnold, who was later hung for his crime. On September 10 Prendergast writes: "Saw a man from the northward Joining the county in which Arnold whipd the Child to death that a Number of his Neighbors want to see him executed...." Prendergast then continued that the neighbors were supposedly disappointed that a group of citizens were petitioning for Arnold's "respite" from hanging. This same fellow traveler then shared a detailed account with Prendergast of another frontier murder, an anecdote titled in the margins by Prendergast as the "Extraordinary Murder of a Child" and recounted over nearly 4pp of journal entries. A third murder was relayed to Prendergast by a man from Essex County, near Plattsburgh. In this instance the "horrid murder by a British Officer" was conducted using a tomahawk concealed under a coat. Less gruesome frontier tales were also recorded in the journal, such as on October 10th when Prendergast describes being informed "by a man about 5 Miles from Saratoga Springs [that] there was a physician by the name of Pitkin who lived with Doctor Bull that had cured two old men of of blindness after they had been blind seven years...."

Prendergast's journal records several excursions in addition to his time at Ballston Spa. On September16th Prendergast departs from Cory's boarding house for an excursion to Schenectady and the "Albany Glass Works." Upon arrival at the Albany Glass Works on the 17th, the glassmakers showed him "the whole operations." Prendergast describes the process by which glass is made at the Glass Works, and writes of the nearby community that "The Houses belonging to the Company for accommodating the workman and their families' makes the appearance of a considerable little town in which there are 4 or 5 houses of entertainment...." Schenectady he describes less favorably, as an "Insignificant City very few Elegant buildings principally oldish wooden houses built after the ancient Dutch fashion[.] they have a magnificent college...their streets are generally dirty and without pavements...." A separate excursion to Saratoga Springs leads to Prendergast's assessment of their mineral waters which he describes as "pretty much the same quality as the Ballston Springs...."

In addition to occasional anecdotes and details of regional excursions, Prendergast's diary contains weather observations and extracts from newspaper articles. Articles recorded in the journal range from a yellow fever outbreak in New York to "a free Negro man" working as a sailmaker who was attacked by a shark while bathing near Nantucket Wharf. Prendergast departs October 17th from Ballston Springs and his final dated journal entry is recorded on October 25th. The last page of the journal lists a dozen "Fellow boarders at David Corys Ballston Springs" and the town from which they hailed.

An engaging and unique piece of early Americana.

[With:] A group of 4 photographs of the town of Ballston Springs in the village of Ballston Spa, New York, taken in October 2001.

Prendergast removed in 1807 to Chautauqua, New York, where he would reside until his death in 1838. David Cory, operator of the boarding house at which Prendergast stayed during his time in Ballston Spa, was a New Jersey native and Revolutionary War veteran.