LISTENER OF HISTORY

Helen Nellis, our Historian and expert in the lineage and history of the Nellis Families, refers to herself as a Listener of History.  That’s probably why she knows so much about our family.  From time to time, this section will present some anecdote or interesting historical story.  This first piece is from Helen,

“HOW DID STONE ARABIA GET ITS NAME?” by Helen A. Nellis

     “The above question is asked often by visitors to our area, to my knowledge I do not know anyone who really knows where the name came from.  I’ve been told there was an early Stone Arabia down along the Hudson River – another Stone Arabia was located where Lansingburgh, NY is now situated. The name first appears fifty years before the Stone Arabia Patent was granted by the King in 1722. Under a patent dated Oct. 19, 1669, Robert Sanders and Harmon Vedder bought land from the Mohican Indians near Schenectady.  In 1670 Harmon Vedder conveyed his interest to Robert Sanders.  In 1680 Robert Sanders sells his farm which was commonly called ‘Steen Arabia’.  Robert Sanders was an interpreter for the Indians and probably acted as such with the Stone Arabia patentees.  In some way the name of his Hudson Valley farm came to be the name of the Stone Arabia Patent. There is an old tradition that the name is a Dutch way of saying ‘pitching’ or ‘throwing stone’ – with the variations of spellings this does not shed much light on this theory – and we know the name appears down along the Hudson earlier than our Stone Arabia, our Stone Arabia is not especially stony. Variations of spelling are Steen Arabia, Steen Rabbi, Stein Raby, Steinrepi, Stonraby, probably others can be found. Some think the name has Biblical connotations, perhaps in research someday someone will find it is a name the Palatines brought from the Palatinate. Stone Arabia is one of the jewels of the Mohawk Valley with its rich farmland, scenery, views of the distant hills, elegant church buildings, certainly a heritage worth preserving

Contact Person: Richard Hayes

This page was last revised on February 22, 2006