Chambers planted between 20,000 and 30,000 trees on his 800 acre estate as an inveterate forester. He could call most kinds of birds, had made a extensive study of Indian languages. Looking about the rooms of Broadalbin House filled with beautiful furnishing, rich Colonial pieces, and painting (One of Sir William Johnson 1756) glimpsing the library, which seems to be entirely surrounded by books, shelves reaching from floor to ceiling and yet with wide windows on two sides, or looking through the oak room, of splendid beams, and paneling designed by Mr. Chambers’ brother Walter Boughton Chambers the architect, and out over the trim spacious lawn, and gardens, one may feel that Robert W. Chambers had found much joy in life, enriched by the variety of his interests, and the productivity of his mind.
He has in a sense found his fortune in the Sacandaga Valley,
In the introduction to Cardigan Mr. Chambers wrote, "There are still
trout in the Kennyetto, the wild ducks still splash on the Vlaie where
Sir William Johnson awoke the echoes with his flintlock, the spot where
his hunting box stood is still called Summer House Point, the huge pike
in gold green chain mail still haunt the dark depths of the Vlaie water,
even on this fair April day in the year of our Lord 1900".
But in June, 1930, this is all different, The Vlaie The
These parts of the great treasure house of the Sacandaga Valley are gone.
But strangely, or not, Mr. Chambers wasted no time in regretting the
change. The new lake, he said will be beautiful, specially at the lower
end, where the mountains come down. Those who have a feeling for the
thrill of adventure will find satisfaction in the knowledge that Robert
W. Chambers has recorded the landmarks, and has painted the romance of
the ancient valley and so has preserved both, through the water of
Sacandaga lake, ride ever so high, and the tufted ridges of Summer House
Point lie deep beneath the surface.
Mr. Chambers loved the great out doors - could often be
He enjoyed strolling about his grounds, talking with his employees, he was
courteous, and considerate to those in his employ.
Robert William Chambers died age 68.
Robert W. Chambers was the son of William P. Chambers a well known lawyer,
William P. Chambers lived on the estate in his days of retirement later
rebuilt into Broadalbin House by his son the author, Robert W. Chambers.
Novelist died age 68.
Born, and [wrong, he was not born in Broadalin] brought up in Broadalbin
amid scenes colored by the romantic, and bloody county of the five nations,
and revolutionary War Campaigns, the young Chambers sought out, with the
avidity of historian, the tales with which the vicinity abounded. As a
youngster he roamed the scenes that later were to thrill his readers with
the stirring exploits of Cardigan,
But painting was not to be his means of expression, and his fertile
imagination demanded the wider scope of the printed page as an outlet.
So, in 1893 [rightly 1894] he published "In The Quarter" the first of a
long, and popular series of novels, and works of fiction that brought him
considerable fortune. Despite the literary success of his works based on
the history of Fulton, or old Tryon County, the monetary reward was
comparatively small, and he turned his pen to popular romance with even
greater success.
In later years Chambers spent most of his time in Broadalbin, near
Albany where he was completing a series of historical novels dealing
with America. At the time of his death, he had brought the series up to
the Civil War, with his last novel "Operator 13".
Chambers power of graphic visionalization, together with his instinct for
motion, and action, make his narrative works move with a rush and dash. He
was an authority on Japanese art, and his collection of North American
butterflies was one of the most complete in the Country. I do not believe
there are more than two specimen of butterflies I lack he once said. I am
not an entomologist but I have bred , and cross bred butterflies.
Broadalbin House was his 800 acre estate in the beautiful Sacandaga Valley,
is one of the show places in Northern New York. The land was inherited from
his grandfather. The house a colonial structure with Corinthian pillared
portico, was designed by the novelist’s architect brother, Walter Boughton
Chambers. He was shy, and retiring in his habits, did not engage in
community affairs. He lived in the Broadalbin Colonial structure Spring,
Summers and Falls but spent most of his time during the winter months in
New York City.
The estate included a heavily wooded game preserve of
several acres in
Chambers was a member of the National Institute of Arts, and Letters, and
belonged to numerous clubs, including the Century, Metropolitan, Authors,
Triple Island, Broadalbin Game, Union, Saratoga Gulf [Golf?], and Rockwood
Hall.
Survived by his widow, Mrs. Elsie Chambers, one son Robert Edward Stuart
Chambers, [AKA Robert Husted Chambers] one brother Walter. Buried in the
Broadalbin Cemetery. [first under an oak tree on his estate by his request,
then moved to Broadalbin Cemetery by his widow]
Mr. Chambers’ grandfather a physician, Dr. William Chambers owned the
estate on which later Broadalbin House was built, Broadalbin House was
built around part of the old home. Mr. Chambers grandfather (Dr. William
Chambers) was born in Galway 1798, Scotch, English ancestry. Studied in
Boston, distinguished for brilliant scholarship, died in Broadalbin, New
York, August 26, 1874.
The founder of the Chambers family in the Sacandaga Valley, Robert W.
Chambers’ great grandfather was Lieutenant Chambers of the British Royal
Navy.
While I was calling at a home in Broadalbin, a young lad removed a
Chamber’s book from a shelf, turned to the fly leaf and read for my
benefit as follows:
Greensleete was one of the Broadalbin village blacksmiths. His grandson
stated that Mr. Chambers presented his grandfather with an autographed
copy upon publication of each of his books.
I often fished in the Kenneyetto Creek.
During the latter years of his life, Mr. Chambers fished and hunted
Mr. Chambers kept as a secret the location of his New York City office.
Mr. Crannel left him at a club each morning, from where he walked to his
office. He was then picked up at the club following the day’s work.
John Philip Sousa, Director of the famous Sousa Band was a friend of Mr.
Chambers. When presenting concerts in this area he always visited Mr.
Chambers.
Major Bowes who for years broadcast a radio program similar to one now
MC’ed by Ted Mack was a close friend of Mr. Chambers and occasionally
visited the Chambers family in Broadalbin.
Robert W. Chambers letter
Dear Mr. Morrison;
The site of the Mayfield (or so called Sacandaga) block House, as pointed
out to me years ago was about 100 yards from the east bank of Mayfield
Creek, and about 300 yards down stream, and to the northward of where the
old Broadalbin Munsonville Road crossed the bridge of the F.J.C. Railroad
as it entered the Village of Mayfield.
There were the remains of a mill, there or near the site of the Block House.
Probably, Simms pointed it out to my Grandfather, Dr. William Chambers,
and his daughter showed it to me.
Somewhere I have the original M.S.S. of Joseph Simms account of the
If you care to mark another site, I can show you exactly where the house
stood which was defended by old man Stoner, and by Nick his brother when
the British, and Indians wiped out Broadalbin. It was I understand, the
only house left unburned, the cellar (earth) and the apple trees were
visible when I was a boy, I think the apple trees are gone, but the
remains of the cellar are visible.
It seems to me that Nick Stoner is rather a romantic, and interesting figure. I think the spot should be marked.
Very truly yours.
Robert W. Chambers
To John T. Morrison, Esq.
[NOTE: RWC died 7 months after this letter]
Inscribed on vault door, Chambers 1861.
Elder members of the Chambers family, including the Grandfather, and Great
Grandfather of the author Robert W. Chambers, and immediate families buried in vault as recorded in early Broadalbin history.
Buried in front center of vault Robert William Chambers, the author
(1865 - 1933) born May 26, 1895.
Left in front of vault William P. Chambers (1827 - 1911) (father of the
author) (a lawyer practiced in New York City)
In front right his [William P.’s] wife Caroline Boughton Chambers
(1842 -1913)
In center, outer part of lot, Elsie Vaughn Moller Chambers (1882 -1939)
[wife of the author, some sources say 1938]
Right front of lot Margaret Gale Chambers (1941) [who, sister, aunt, daughter? RWC dedicates The Firing Line (1908) to Margery Chambers, is this the same person?]
Left front of lot, infant son of Robert Edward Stuart and
Buried on plot, right above is stone reading Robert Husted Chambers, Captain United States Army (1889 - 1955) Robert a veteran of World Wars I and II.
Some records of the author’s son Robert, reveal that fact he used two
names from time of confirmation to date of death, as follows, Robert
Edward Stuart Chambers, and Robert Husted Chambers.
Noted Author Buried Under Old Oak Tree, Robert W. Chambers Funeral Marked
by Simple Rites.
Robert W. Chambers, noted author and artist, was buried yesterday under
an old oak tree in the woods on his estate where many of his stories were
created. His body was borne by Broadalbin villagers with whom he had
become friends during the years he had resided at Broadalbin House. They
carried the casket through the Italian garden where he was accustomed to
taking his daily walk.
Directly behind the bearers was Chambers constant companion, his dog
"Sandy", a bird dog, led by former Sergeant George Avery of the New York
State police. Mrs. Chambers, Robert W. Chambers Jr. [Robert Husted
Chambers?] and other immediate relatives and friends followed.
A simple funeral service was conducted at the home of the Rev.
The floral pieces were but a few of the expressions of sympathy and love Mrs. Chambers and her son received. They also received numerous telegrams of condolence and sympathy from friends in all part of the country.
The bearers, both active and honorary, were residents of Broadalbin and friends of the author. The active bearers were Dr. B. E. Chapman, Gerald Sanford, Samuel Sanford, Samuel Jacobsin, John Anderson, Cecil C. Finch, T. E. Lee, and Alan Belding.
Jay Nellis
Any newcomer to the Mohawk Valley, seeking an introduction to its history, has a rich store of local books to draw on. Because historical fiction is the easy way to begin, he could do worse than to beg, borrow, or steal the five novels, written early in this century, by Robert W. Chambers of Broadalbin. Granted, historical criticism has since corrected some of his facts and questioned his conclusions. But, beyond question, he was by far the most accomplished writer who has treated the Revolutionary period of our region. Not for nothing was he, reputedly, the highest paid author of fiction in the heyday of popular magazines.
Five classics. The books, in order of their stories, not the writing, are "Cardigan," "The Little Red Foot," "The Maid at Arms," "The Hidden Children," and "The Reckoning." A complete set, especially of first editions, is a good investment at any reasonable price. And an omnibus edition of the five, illustrated with photographs of the places mentioned, might find a buying public which still relished old-fashioned romance in a setting which can still be visited.
Chambers lived and died in nearby Broadalbin, and in some of his stories he has woven tales learned from his own family. He also had a deep feeling for his home terrain - for the forests, hills, and streams which can still be found on back roads and up abandoned lanes and trout streams within an hour’s drive of Schenectady, from Lake Desolation to Sprakers and from Middleburgh to the north shore of Sacanadaga Reservoir. One can read the books with a U.S. topographical man in hand. [manual?]
The scents of Home. Probably "The Maid at Arms," written in 1902, has most sensitively expressed the nostalgic feel of this our own countryside. In the spring of 1777 a young man from Florida has ridden north to seek out his kinfolk on the eastern edge of what is now Sacandaga Reservoir, just north of Broadalbin. Here, selected at random, are some of his impressions, which could still ring true in any precocious May.
"There were pines, these feathery, dark stemmed trees"
Vlaie and Trail, The Great Vlaie is now buried under the Sacandaga Reservoir, but some can remember it a generation ago: "...north where glittering under the eastern sun, the sunny waters of the Vlaie sparkled between green reeds and rushes." ... "The Vlaie - lake and marsh and forest which is wedged in just south of the mountain gap where the last of the Adirondacks split into the Mayfield hills and the long low spurs rolling away to the southeast," ... "A well defined trail crossed this road at right angles ... the Iroquois trail ... nearly 10 inches deep --- where the Five Nations have trodden it for centuries, ... It runs from the Kennietto to the Sacandaga and north over the hills to Canadas."
Dr. William Chambers
William Chambers was born in Galway, N.Y., Saratoga County, in 1798, and
died at his residence in Broadalbin, August 26, 1894. [should be 1874]
His paternal ancestors were Scotch, but on the maternal side he was
descended from old English stock, long settled in Rhode Island. He began
his education at the district school, but completed it at the private
academy, kept by Rev. Robert Proudlit, pastor of the Scotch Presbyterian
Church in Perth, N.Y.
Pastor Proudlit, was ordained and installed over that congregation,
Oct. 1, 1804, and remained in service until Oct. 18, 1818, when he
resigned in order to accept the professorship of Latin and Greek in
Union College. At this later date, William Chambers, though only
twenty years old, had not only made commendable progress in technical
Dr. Chambers, [was] a charter member of the Broadalbin Methodist Church.
He was the father of William Chambers, a New York City attorney, and a
resident of New York and Broadalbin. Dr. Chambers, a grandfather of Robert
W. Chambers, the Broadalbin author.
Dr. Chambers a member of the Broadalbin - Mayfield Cemetery Association.
Lewis H. Cornell,
which gave him his exceptional background for a career as a romanticist.
After all it is a beautiful place, in a beautiful Valley were the Vlaie
spreads out, and the hills weave away where the Sacandaga curveted, and
sparkled for the Indians, for the redcoats, including famous old Sir
William, and for the generations ever since. It is well known that a
change has come in the Sacandaga Valley. A lake has risen over the many
places that Chambers had made famous.
great Marshlands of the Kennyetto, and the Sacandaga, is gone, buried deep
under a fathom of water, no longer to be seen, unless some day the
reservoir is drawn far down. The pike it is said still remain in "Chain
Mail" but they haunt a lake 27 miles long, blocked up by an earthen dam
at Conklinville.
seen on his estate, with his dogs or with a net, capturing butterflies to
add to his massive collection. He loved to hunt birds, so made good use of
his bird dogs. He loved to fish the brooks with which his town abounded. He
could often be seen fishing for pickerel on the upper Kennyetto Creek, when
the water was held to pond capacity by a dam in the village by Denton
Smith’s saw mill. When fish were biting, he with a companion LeGrande Beers
would often stay on into the evening hours.
and Caroline Boughton Chambers. Mr. Chambers (R.W.) the novelist was born
in Brooklyn on May 26, 1865. He was a descendant of Roger Williams. Since
youth he was successful.
Obituaryand Maid at Arms, and other novels of
the Mohawk Valley and Kennyetto. Where tribal conferences were held by the
Mohawk, and other tribes, he pondered on the grim savage tribes, where Sir
William Johnson fished, and rode the abundant trout streams. He carried
his rod, and tried his luck. Here his first great books were born. Chambers
started to be a painter, studying at the Julien Academy, and L’. Ecole
Beaux Arts in Paris. After returning to the United States, he did
illustrations for periodicals, including Life, Vogue and Truth.
[events are a bit out of order, Chambers started with
horror and moved on to romance and historical, not as stated here] The
titles of his works exceed three score, marking him not alone as one of
the outstanding American novelists, but one of the most prolific. His
works include fiction, historical adventure, sociological novels, verse,
plays and children’s books of the outdoors in the later year of his life,
[let us not forget horror as it seems everybody else tried to] his
historical novels were widely printed by American periodicals, and were
those which brought him most note. The early Chambers novels were those
constructed with a Fulton County background. His characters roamed through
the Mohawk Valley, from Fonda to Broadalbin and beyond as far afield as
Albany, and Boston, Both Cardigan and Maid At Arms center in Johnstown,
with Sir William Johnson as a chief character.
extent, where birds, and animals enjoyed almost complete immunity, for
seldom was a gun fired within its’ confines.
Robert W. Chambers - Recollections of Lewis N. Cornell
To My Dear Friend Edgar Greensleete,
Robert W. Chambers
Occasionally, Robert W. Chambers
and LaGrande Beers would spend part of the afternoon fishing from a boat
in the pond. One afternoon I arrived to fish and discovered Beers and
Chambers fishing. I soon hooked a pickerel, threw it on the bank only to
have it flop back into the pond. Mr. Chambers turned to Mr. Beers, after
which the boat headed in my direction. Mr. Chambers said, "A nice fish,
boy! Tough luck to lose it, Here is a larger pickerel to replace the one
that got away." [Some sources say that RWC was not well liked in Broadalbin.
This does not sound like the actions of a man disliked. Maybe it was envy
because RWC had money when everyone else was without because of the depression.
RWC kept to himself and did not give money to charity like the Husted family,
the other family of means in the valley. Then too, no one knows how badly RWC
was hurt by the stock crash]
only occasionally. He found rest and relaxation with his chauffeur, Leon Crannell, roaring through his woodlot, over paths outlined with stones and wild flowers leading to his cabin, the lake, and other points of interest.
Broadalbin House
Broadalbin, New Yorkattack,
and defense of the Block House, I’ll look it up. [might this be the item
from 1700’s found in the attic as reported by Mr. Decker when playing in
the abandon mansion as a boy?]
Johnstown, New York
May 28, 1933
Data as regards burial plot of Chambers’ family in Broadalbin - Mayfield
Cemetery
Berendina
Chambers (1938) [I know from other sources that Broadalbin House was left
abandon with all of RWC’s papers, books, and paintings. Also have rumours
that RWC’s son was in an institution at one time. The death of an infant
son in the same year as the death of the author’s wife, Robert Husted's
mother, may have had something to do with this abandonment]
From a Newspaper Clipping dated Dec. 19, 1933
Edward T. Carrol, D.D. rector of St. Anns Episcopal Church of Amsterdam. Although the service was to have been private, there was no large attendance, and among those who visited the bier on the famous author were many distinguished men of art, letters and business from New York City and other places. Mingled with the elite were residents from the village.
The honorary bearers were Rev. B. L. Crapo, Wilbur Hathaway, H. Floyd Barker, John Harris, James Bartlett, Richard H. Lee, Herbert Sawyer, Marvin Borst and Ray Vail.
Historian
Nov. 29, 1980
Raw Materials of History
Chosen from sources in the Schenectady County Historical Society
By Neil B. Reynolds
"The east wind brought rain ... the northwest winds that we dread turn these northern skies to sapphire, and set bees a-humming on every bud." ..."But in the heat a heavy, sweetish odor hung; balsam it is called, and mingled, too with a faint scent like our bay, which comes from a woody bush called sweet fern."
studies, but had acquired a taste for general literature. He early
chose medicine as a profession, and completed his professional studies
in Boston in 1819. He then opened an office in Broadalbin, and continued
to practice there until his death, a period of nearly fifty-five years.
His services covered an extensive territory, as he was especially popular
with his own nationality, the Scotch, who formed a leading element in the
population. His genial social nature secured him friends wherever he was
known, and no friends were truer to him than his patients, whose mental
and moral maladies were included in his treatments. He was an honored
member of the County Medical Society, holding the office of president for
several successive years until his death in 1874.
Historian