 He spent the summer of 1824 exploring the surrounding counties with his dog for the best place for his planned operations.He decided on a region in the very western part of Windham, in what is current day Prattsville, for its large forests of hemlock, which was necessary for tanning at the time, as well as its proximity to the Schoharie Creek.The Prattsville Commercial Building, built about 1824, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.