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History of the Beekman Family
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HENDRICK BEEKMAN
Henry was a judge and a member of the first assembly under authority of the British King which met in New York City on April 9, 1691. The delegates from Ulster and Dutchess Counties were Henry Beekman and Thomas Garton. In 1697, Judge Beekman obtained a Royal Patent for the lands adjacent to Ryn Beck (Rhinebeck, New York) and by 1713, there was a mill, a church, a blacksmith shop, and William Traphagen's tavern. In 1766, Traphagen's Tavern was established as Beekman Arms, known as "America's Oldest Inn." The Beekman Arms is credited by the historians and the American Hotel Association as being the "Oldest Hotel in America" in continuous operation. The Inn was built at the intersection of the Sepasco Indian trail to the river and Post Road, the road from New York to Albany (Fort Orange), now Rhinebeck's West Market Street and Oak Street, Route 9. In its beginning, the Beekman Arms was a one-story stone building constructed with a dual purpose in mind; to provide bed and board for the traveler, and to serve as a shelter for the local residents against Indian attack. Later, during the Revolutionary War, General Washington often watched his troops drilling in the square from a corner window while he awaited for his couriers to arrive with news. Many other famous persons of past and present have also visited the old Inn, including General Montgomery, Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, DeWitt Clinton, Benedict Arnold, Martin Van Buren, Vice President Levi P. Morton and of more recent times, Franklin D. Roosevelt (a direct descendent of Wilhelmus Beekman through Gerardus Beekman.) Astronaut James Lovell, Gov. Nelson Rockefeller, as well as many present personalities from the stage and screen. The restaurant in the Beekman Arms is one of the finest. The historic Rhinebeck (named by our ancestor, Wilhelmus) contains much of the Beekman history and the largest district of homes on the National Historic Register. Children of HENDRICK BEEKMAN and JOHANNA LOPERS are:
1. WILLIAM BEEKMAN, b. Abt. 1682; d. Abt. 1700, Holland. 2. CATHARINE BEEKMAN, b. September 16, 1683; d. 1745; m. (1) CORNELIUS EXVEEN, Bet. 1711-1738; b. Bet. 1666-1686; d. Bet. 1711-1772; m. (2) ALBERT PAWLING, Bet. 1711-1738; b. Bet. 1666-1686; d. Bet. 1711-1772; m. (3) JOHN RUTSEN, December 12, 1712; b. 1690, Kingston NY; d. Bet. 1718-1781. 3. CORNELIA BEEKMAN, b. 1686; d. Bet. 1714-1780; m. GILBERT LIVINGSTON, Bet. 1710-1720; b. Bet. 1669-1689; d. Bet. 1714-1775. 4. COL. HENRY BEEKMAN, B. 1688; d. Bet. 1731-1779.
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