Chasing the “Poker Debt Myth” - Why did Wing’s Falls Change to Glens Falls?

By Cathy Kusnier

When my daughter Julia and her husband bought a house in Glens Falls, New York, several years ago, Elizabeth Fulford told me that it used to be called Wing’s Falls, and that it was settled by Abraham Wing in the 1700s. I immediately opened the WFA Ancestry Tree on my computer (genealogy is one of my favorite hobbies), to determine how Julia and Abraham are related. I called Julia up, told her that she and Abraham Wing, the founder of her new town, are second cousins eight times removed and she should run for mayor!

I promptly forgot about the name change until recently, when someone suggested that we write an article about it for the Window on the Wings newsletter. There are differing stories that have been perpetuated over the years about how the name change occurred including poker debts and fancy wine parties, but they don’t really square with the fact that Abraham Wing was a Quaker and a shrewd businessman!

Abraham Wing (1721-1795) was born in Dartmouth, Massachusetts (Province of Massachusetts Bay at that time) on August 4, 1721, to Edward and Sarah (Tucker) Wing.   

He married Anstis Wood (who was the daughter of his stepmother’s husband).  On May 29, 1762, a patent was granted by the Provincial Council of New York to twenty-three persons for one thousand acres to each, in a tract embracing territory six miles square in Warren County, NY.  It was then called Queensbury.  Within a month, only four of the original patentees remained in possession, and on July 10, 1762, at a meeting held at the blacksmith shop of Abraham’s son-in-law, Nehemiah Merritt, at Quaker Hill, the grant was divided by lot and Abraham was fortunate enough to draw three of the lots upon which was situated the romantic, as well as valuable waterfall. He erected a grist mill and sawmill there, and in 1766 moved with his family and some of his neighbors to the locality. At the first town meeting, held the following May, Abraham was elected supervisor, an office he held for twenty years, during which time he was the minister, the lawyer, the merchant, and the inn-keeper of the settlement, then called Wing’s Falls.

The map below shows locations of Abraham Wing and his family properties.

Abraham and the Wing family had considerable influence on the area as it developed from wilderness to the city of today.  Abraham built the first buildings, mills, meeting house, and even setting aside land for the Quaker’s Burying Ground.  He served as town supervisor, moderator and overseer of the poor.  In Glens Falls, there is a street named Wing and one of the elementary schools is named after him.

Abraham Wing died in 1795 and is buried in the Old Quaker Burying Ground. Wing

descendants erected this memorial at the Burying Grounds honoring Abraham and Edward Wing.

In 1788 Wing’s Falls became Glen’s Falls for reasons that are debated to the present day. 

The quote five paragraphs below is by A.W. Holden, author of History of the Town of Queensbury, is a description of how that change happened. First though, I need to introduce John Glen,Jr. (1735-1828), who lived in various places in New York during his lifetime (Albany, Schenectady, Wing’s Falls).  He was a merchant but also acquired investment land and became known as a real estate trader.  During the Revolutionary War he served as quartermaster (provider of supplies to the army) but was fondly known by some as Colonel Glen.  He was known to maintain a state and style of opulence and splendor, superior to any in all the vicinity. 

Continuing my investigation, I reviewed photographs on The Chapman Museum website (the museum is located in Glens Falls) and found a picture of the grist mill built by Abraham Wing and his family at the falls on the Hudson River.

Then fortunately, Julia discovered that the SUNY Adirondack Library in Queensbury, NY has a special collection, titled the Wing Roberts Collection, containing Abraham’s papers that were donated by his family in 2015.  An article in the Glens Falls Chronicle about that collection stated that there was documentation about the name change. Now we were getting closer….

After I explained what I was looking for, the librarians reviewed the archives and found a letter written by one of Abraham’s fourth great granddaughters. Based on handwriting, the letter is attributed to Katharine McKie Wing (1883-1955). It was likely written in the 1930s or 1940s. The letter refers to a document about the name change but staff could not find the actual document (perhaps a letter that A.W. Holden wrote about and mentioned below?). Below is a transcribed version of the original document.

“Regarding Abraham Wing the founder of Wing’s (now Glens) Falls I find that there is every evidence that he was wealthy (for his times) a highly respected and very methodical, thorough businessman. He was a member of the Society of Friends (known by some as Quakers). He left a parcel of land near Halfway Brook (north of Glens Falls) as a cemetery for Wings. He was a leader in the community – his advice was sought by men of prominence at distant points. There is the tradition that when he sold out his mills and the waterpower at Wing’s Falls to Glen, that at a banquet or ‘wine supper’ on this occasion he, for the price of it, also turned over the name to Glen. That he did sell out to Glen, and that the name went with it, there is no doubt. That Glen was particularly anxious regarding the name is shown by a letter we have from him to Abraham Wing asking permission to publish the change in name along the road running north from Albany. In view of the facts that Abraham Wing belonged to the Society of Friends and his indicated character, I am inclined to doubt that the price of a wine supper, or the name of a small settlement, meant anything to him. Rather it would seem to me, this was, to him, simply one of his many businesses….” [boldface added]

The following is from A.W. Holden’s History of the Town of Queensbury, mentioned above. The visitation refers to when John would spend summers in Wing’s Falls:

“It was during one of these visitations, that in a convivial moment, it was proposed by him [Col. Glen] to pay the expenses of a wine supper for the entertainment of a party of mutual friends if Mr. Wing would consent to transfer his claim and title to the name of the falls.”

Whether the old quaker pioneer thought the project visionary, and impracticable, or whatever motive may have actuated him, it is clear that assent was given, the “wine supper” was held, and the name of Glen’s Falls was inaugurated (the apostrophe in Glen’s Falls was later dropped).

Mr. Glen hastened to Schenectady, where he lived, and ordered some hand bills printed, announcing the change of name. These were posted in all the taverns, along the highway, and bridle paths from Queensbury to Albany, and the change of name was effected, with a promptitude that must have been bewildering to the easy-going farmers of the town in those days. The following letter, written in elegant running hand, and still existing among the Wing MSS., is believed to determine the date of this enterprise.

“Mr. Glen’s compliments to Mr. Wing, and requests the favor of him to send the advertisement accompanying this by the first conveyance to his friends at Quaker Hill.

“Mr. Glen hopes Mr. and Mrs. Wing and the family are all well. Glen’s falls, April 29th, 1788.”

“Superscribed ‘Mr. Wing, Queensbury’.”

In summary, I have come to believe that the name change was likely just a transaction between two successful businessmen, Abraham Wing and Col. John Glen - Abraham Wing, a Quaker who didn’t care about naming a town after himself, and John Glen who wanted to post his name anywhere he could.  The solid proof I was hoping to uncover was not found but I made progress and believe I am closer to the answer.  I plan to restart my search in the near future, as I will be traveling to Glens Falls in March and April.  

Abraham Wing’s Lineage:  Abraham, Edward, Daniel, Daniel, Rev. John

Julia’s Lineage:  Julia Kusnier Martini, Cathy Callies Kusnier, Carol Meinhardt Callies, Mabel Wing Meinhardt, Warren Wing, Solomon, Jabez, Joseph, Jabez, John II, John, Daniel, Rev. John