Victory Mills, Saratoga County, New York
The village of Victory adjoins Schuylerville in the Town of Saratoga, New
York. Victory is located on Fish Creek, a tributary to the historic Hudson
River. In 2000, the village of Victory had a population of 665.Victory was
incorporated in 1849 and has historical significance in that the Saratoga Battle
Monument is within the Village and the General Phillip Schuyler House and the
Saratoga National Historical Park and National Cemetery are nearby.
The village is the product of the industrial revolution. The number of textile
mills, which required abundant waterpower, grew rapidly during the mid-1800s.
Three wealthy Bostonians, Enoch Mudge, David Nevins, and Jared Coffin learned of
the potential of waterpower on Fish Creek in the Town of Saratoga. They sent
Benjamin Losee and Pickham Green to investigate the potential and by 1846 the
men had incorporated “The Saratoga Victory Manufacturing Company” and built a
three-story cotton cloth manufacturing plant costing $425,000. The company
flourished and the number of employees living near the mill increased.
As a result the Village of Victory was incorporated under the general laws on
April 16, 1849, with William E. Miner, Patrick Cooney, George McCreedy, Russell
Carr and Benjamin Kelsey elected as trustees, William E. Miner, president and
James Cavanaugh, clerk.
In 1850, the cotton mill employed 160 men, 209 women, working at 12,500 spindles
and 309 looms and produced over 1,800,000 yards of cotton cloth. By 1877, the
company employed 700 and had a capacity of 26,000 spindles with annual
production of 819,988 pounds, or 4,487,190 of yards of goods.
The development and expansion of Victory Mill coincided with the Potato Famine
in Ireland. As a result, many Irish Catholic immigrants found work at the mills
and as early as 1847, there was already a significant number of Irish families
settled there. Early settlers included John Lynch, Michael and John Kelley,
Patrick, James, and Lawrence Cooney, Wm. Carroll, Charles and Andrew Farley,
Hugh and John Quinn, Hugh T. White, Hugh Temple, John Cavanaugh, James and
Thomas Mulvihill, Patrick Lennon, Peter Garrihan, Patrick Airn, Patrick, James,
and Mathew Gearatty, Wm. Fitzsimmons, Hugh Geary and Peter Bannon.
Note that several of these men were likely natives of County Longford including
Bannon, Gearatty, Geary and Mulvilhil. While settlers in Victory Mills came from
various places in Ireland, it is noteworthy that the largest number of headstone
inscriptions in Victory Cemetery list the County Longford parishes of Cashel and
Shrule as the origin of the settler.
No regular or permanent Catholic services were available to serve the spiritual
needs of this rapidly expanding Irish Catholic population. The only Catholic
churches within a circuit of thirty miles were at Lansingburg, Whitehall, and
Sandy Hill. Considerable commitment and self-sacrifice and a strong love for
their faith were required to attend services at these distant places, oftentimes
traveling on foot. Many would set out together on foot the previous night in
order to arrive in time for early Sunday morning or holy day services.
The first Catholic Masses at Victory Mills were held at the houses of different
members, conducted at irregular intervals by visiting priests. Sunday school was
generally held at the house of William Carroll. Catholic services were also held
in the old Schuylerville Academy, and in the schoolhouse east of the well-known
“Mansion House.” Ground was broken for a church in 1845. This was on a lot
nearly opposite the Reformed Protestant church. A plain wooden structure was
erected at an expense of about $700, and consecrated in 1847 by Bishop
McCloskey. This work was executed under the labors of Father Daly who was
succeeded in the missionary work by Father Cull. The first resident priest was
Rev. Father Roach, who was succeeded in a short time by Rev. H.B. Finnegan who
was serving in 1878.
The church together with early records, was burned to the ground on Sunday
morning, June 22, 1871. Catholics parishioners then worshiped for a time in the
public hall at Victory Mills. Bishop Conroy of Albany, laid the cornerstone of
the new church, which was completed during 1873 and dedicated by Bishop
McNierney on October 21st. The impressive structure was considered second to
none in the upper Hudson Valley. The cost of $40,000 required heavy financial
sacrifice for the mainly working class parishioners. It occupied a commanding
position, convenient for the two villages and overlooking the surrounding
country for many miles.
The Catholic population included within the parish, which extended somewhat
beyond the borders of Schuylerville, by 1878 numbered twelve hundred. It had a
Sunday school of two hundred pupils, superintended by Mr. John Carlin.