Jacob VanWormer

Ancestor Number

A119305 »

Date of Birth

February 28, 1749

Place of Birth

Albany County, New York

Date of Death

August 1829

Place of Death

Ellisburgh, Jefferson County, New York

Spouse(s)

Polly Oller

Children

Abram, Henry, Lanie, Sarah, Jacob Jr., Betsy

American Revolution Service

2nd Lieutenant, 14th Regiment, Albany Co Militia

State of Service

New York

Donor

Dennis VanWormer, Kelly VanWormer, & Jeffrey VanWormer

Jacob VanWormer Sr. was born in the area of Schaghticoke and Hoosick, Albany County, New York, on February 28, 1749. He married Polly Oller on June 15, 1768, in Schaghticoke.

Their children included Abram, Henry, Lanie, Sarah, Jacob Jr., and Betsy. After the Revolutionary War, they moved up the Hudson River to the town of Kingsbury in Washington County and later to the town of Fort Ann, where Jacob VanWormer built the first sawmill on Podunk Creek. The settlement that built up there was at various times called VanWormer Village, Johnny Cake Corners and later West Fort Ann. Located nearby in Lake George is a bay called VanWormer’s Bay.

Around 1815, VanWormer moved to the west side of the state of New York to Ellisburgh in Jefferson County, where several of his children had previously moved.

He and his wife spent their remaining years there. She died in 1825, and he died in August 1829. Family history records indicate they both were buried in the Woodville Cemetery in Jefferson County, but there are no readable headstones left there to indicate the actual burial locations.

The story of Jacob VanWormer’s service has been handed down from generation to generation in the VanWormer family. Jacob VanWormer was firmly of the opinion that he fired the first gun at Bennington and killed a British officer. He participated in the battles of Bemus Heights, fought September 19, and October 7, 1777, and the engagement 10 days later which resulted in the surrender of Burgoyne. Much of his service was rendered in his capacity as minuteman, ranger and scout.

In 1778, a year after the adoption of the Constitution of the State of New York, the military forces of the state were reorganized. Jacob VanWormer was mustered as a private in the third (Hoosick) Company, in the Fourteenth Regiment, Albany County Militia, which was commanded in succession by Colonels Knickerbacker, Rensselaer, Gates and VanWess. He later became an ensign and second lieutenant in the company and regiment. His military service continued until the declaration of peace.