American Masala Farm
Located in historical Washington County, in upstate New York, bordering Vermont, American Masala Farm stands on land that has been farmed since 1771. Please read below for the long history of the farm, as told by its longest-lived resident, Caroline Cleveland McMillan Wilson, a descendant of the farm's first owner.
American Masala brings forward the traditions of its early heritage as a nineteeth century farm. Nestled on nearly seventy acres of rolling green fields, bordered by sharp, forested hills, the farmhouse sits alongside eight outbuildings: a guest cottage, horse barn, sheep barn, corn crib, granary, carriage barn, smokehouse, and well house. There are two spring-fed ponds and an often briskly meandering trout stream, coveted for its bounty of brook and brown trout.
Though history would dictate that we raise
dairy cattle— we are breaking tradition in raising
sheep and goats. There will be no shortage of life on the
farm, as we seek to populate the land with heritage breeds
of poultry (chickens and geese), goats, cattle, and other
livestock. In our dedication to our mission, we are following
the recommendations of the American
Livestock Breed Conservancy (ALBC) for help in finding
the breeds that are in the greatest need for preservation.
You can find photographs of Hebron at the website of Richard Clayton Photography.
You can read more about this history of Hebron and Washington County online at The History of New York State,
Book III, Chapter III,
Part I.
Visit our American
Masala Farm Gallery. Updates and new photos
can be at Suvir's
weblog.
We welcome your interest in American Masala
Farm.
Suvir Saran and Charlie Burd
Owners, American Masala Farm
• • • • • • •
The History of the Farm
Here is the history of the farm, as handwritten by Caroline Cleveland McMillan Wilson, at age 86 (eight years before her death). She is pictured here in her garden.
1949. The Wilson Farm, Hebron, NY
The Wilson Farm was originally a part of the two thousand acres of land granted to Lt. Mc Culough by the British Government for military services during the French and Indian War. At that time, commissioned officers received two thousand acres, non-commissioned officers received two hundred acres, and privates received 50 acres.
Lt. McCulough sold his two thousand acres to Col. Duncan Campbell.
In 1771 Capt. John Hamilton and Robert Wilson rode horseback from Little Nine Partners, Dutchess County, to inspect the land in the Campbell Patent as it was then called. A family tradition says that Hamilton and Wilson were brothers-in-law. They found the land fertile and well watered by brooks running through the land. They bought 1000 acres for 400 pounds. The following year they brought their families and five other families to take possession of the land. Of the seven families, four were Wilsons, two were Hamiltons, and one was a Hopkins.
The land was laid out into seven one-hundred acre farms. The remaining three hundred acres were owned in common.
Capt. Hamilton and Robert Wilson were given first choice of the farms. I am living on the farm that was Robert Wilson’s choice.
Robert Wilson built his log cabin not far from the brook that ran through his farm, for, excepting the rain barrel, it was the only supply of water until a well was dug several yards south west of the cabin. When the cabin was replaced by a farm house, the house was built between the well and the road running east and west that had been built south of the house.
Robert Wilson had four sons and one daughter. Archibald died in his youth. The eldest son Thomas, married and, I think went later to St. Lawrence County to live. Robert Jr. bought a near by farm, and James R. married Olivia Hopkins and remained on the home farm. He had three sons, Eli and the twins Charles and Chester. Charles and Chester went on a hike one Sunday and brought home two small fine trees. Fearing what their father might think if he saw the trees, that they had desecrated the Sabbath, they hid the trees behind a stone wall. Monday afternoon, they brought the trees out and planted one on each side of the wide front gate. One of these trees is still standing. The other went down during a hurricane a few years ago.
In 1849 Charles Wilson was married to Aurilla Ann Frasier and the present house was built. The bride set the stake to mark where the house was to be built. Aurilla Ann was a capable young woman. She was a school teacher and a tailoress. When they bought a farm three years later she had enough money saved from her sewing, since their marriage, to pay for ten cows.
When Chester Wilson was married, in 1853, to Elizabeth Kinne who also was a school teacher, they began housekeeping in the present house and occupied it during their lives. It was a six room, story and a half cottage, when built, but Chester had a three room wing added to the cottage, later, to make more room for his family which then consisted of his wife, two sons and some hired help.
Up to 1853, when Chester Wilson and Elizabeth were married, the well and the rain barrels had furnished the water for the two houses. The supply was inadequate and, later, Chester had the water from a spring in the field across the road piped to a tank a few feet from the present house. Later it was piped into the kitchen. For years the spring supplied the house with water. When a bath room was considered a well was drilled and a hall bed room was sacrificed for the bath room.
In 1883, when Chester Wilson’s son Henry Robert and I were married, the house was raised to two stories and was lengthened to add four more rooms. It was made into two apartments – one for the father and mother and one for my husband and myself.
The old farmhouse is gone. After James R. Wilson’s death in 1869, the timbers from the old house were used in building a barn.
My oldest son, Ernest M. Wilson, and his wife now live in one of the apartments in the house, a part of which is a century old, on the farm that has been in the Wilson family, through the male line for 177 years. I am living in the other apartment.
Caroline C. Wilson
Caroline Cleveland McMillan Wilson
1861-1957
The original letter
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