From a scrapbook kept by Canterbury Shakers, now at Shaker Museum
Old Chatham. (newspaper source < date unknown)

PLAN TO RAZE SHAKER VILLAGE IS BLOCKED BY
SURVIVORS OF CHURCH FAMILY WHO REFUSE TO VACATE
Not Informed When Farm Was Sold and Got No Part of
1(60,000 Paid by Bergan, Who Sold to County for $160,000

Plans made by the Democratic administation of Albany County to dispose of
most of the ancient buildings on the Shaker farm in the town of Colonie are
all ata sea because the survivors of the Shaker family over whose heads the -
farm was sold without their knowledge or consent, refuse to vacate. Not only will
they not vacate the farm, but they will not give their consent to the county's
plan to raze such of the buildings as the Democratic officials have decided upon
eliminating in their scheme to transform the property into an alms house.
When Thomas B. Bergan,of Utica, Union college classmate of Edward J.
O'Connell, Democratic county leader, secured a title to the Shaker farm of some
780 acres, for $60,000 paid in 60 crisp new thousand dollar bills, and in turn
sold it to the county of Albany for $160,000, a clear, cool profit of $100,000.
the occupants of the farm, sole survivors of the Church Family, had no know-
ledge of the transaction. They were not informed that the farm had been sold
over their heads and they dey deprived of their home, until some months after
the Bergan deal had been consummated. Bergan did business in the first instance
with Elder Walter Shepherd of Lebanon, representing the ministry of the Shaker
sect.
They maintain that, inasmuch as they were not consulted about the trans-
action and have not received any of the proceeds of the alleged sale, they are
victims of an attempt to deprive them of property of which they are the sole
rightful heirs. They insist upon fair treatment, and although the Demoncratic
county officials have repeatedly offered them a "home" in a small cottage back
in the orchard, they refuse- to vacate what they hold to be their rightful
property. They do not intend to allow themselves to become county dependents,
when they are entitled, as they believe, to whatever money was received for the
farm, as well as some $16,000 which the old North Family farm, owned by the
Church Family, was sold for.
Survivors of Family-
Present survivors of the Church Family are Elder Sister Julia McNallen,
Harriet Jones, Josephine Hewitt, Elizabeth DeLong, Adelaide Ingham, Barbara
Hooper and Abbey Bartlett.
Elder Sister McNallen, who is 80 years of age, has been a member of the
Church Family since she was nine years old. Since she joined the family she has
never known any other home than the Church Family farm from which the Democratic
county officials now are trying to oust her.
Sister Jones, who is colored, is 80 years of age, and has lived on the
farm the greater part of her life.. Sisters DeLong and Hewitt are younger mem-
bers of the family. Elder Sister McNallen and Sisters Jones, DeLong and
Hewitt remain on the farm,, and continue to live in the ancient home of the
Church Family. Sister Ingham, '-wjaa,.is94 years of age and very feeble, joined
the South Family when persuaded *sb would receive better care there. Sister