The History of Orange County New York (2024)

PREFACE

In presenting this new History of Orange County to the public, we doso in the earnest hope that it will prove to be the most completecompilation of local chronicles that has up to this time been offeredto our citizens. The authenticity of the facts contained in thevarious articles is as absolute as the utmost care could make it. Thedata have been procured from the best known authorities, and thesketches, when completed, have been subjected to the most searchingexamination for verification and correction. That no errors will bediscovered in this production, is too much to hope for; but we domost certainly trust, that if any such errors there be, neither innumber nor by their nature, will they be found to be sufficientlyimportant to detract from that character for reliability, which ithas been our constant aim and endeavor to impart to this history.

In this new work the design has been, to make clear the developmentof ideas and institutions from epoch to epoch; the social andeconomic conditions of the people have been preserved in thenarrative, and much attention has been paid to describing the civilcharacteristics of the several towns and cities, both in the conductof their local affairs and also in relation to each other and thecounty at large.

It is a well-known fact that considerable prejudice exists among agreat body of the people toward county histories in general, for thereason that some such compilations in the past, have been composed offact and fiction so intermingled, as to render it a difficult matterto know what was true and what was false. It has been our object inthis work to hew straight to the line, satisfied to simply furnishsuch information as we were able to gather concerning each importantmatter or interesting event; and where the desired materials werelacking, we have not attempted to supply that lack, by filling in thevacant niches with products of the imagination. We have not strivenfor effect, but our object is merely to give an authentic account offacts recent and remote, so disposed in a proper and orderly manner,as to enable our readers to clearly understand the history of theircounty from its origin down to the present day.

It is the limitation attached to all works devoted to generalhistory, that from their very character only a superficial knowledgeof the men and their times can be derived from them, while on theother hand, that which they lack is supplied by local histories ofthis nature, whose great value in adding to the fund of humanknowledge cannot be overestimated; for they are the only mediumsthrough which we can get the whole story of the economy of life,practiced by those men and women in every county in our broad land,which eventually resulted in transforming a wilderness into a garden,and from a weak and needy folk, creating a rich and mighty nation. Ithas long been recognized by every scholar, that the knowledge of suchhumble elements is absolutely essential, in order that the mind mayintelligently grasp the potent factors which go to make up history.Hence, our correct understanding of the advancement and growth of apeople varies in just such proportion as the narrative of their dailylives is full or incomplete.

The history of our own county cannot be studied too often; for it isone of great interest, and the record revealed is a proud one. Thereis no section of the country possessing more of historic interest,nor does one exist, as closely identified with those crucial eventsconnected with the formative period of the Republic. In this countywas held the last cantonment of the Revolutionary army, hereWashington passed a large portion of his time, and within our bordershe rendered his greatest service to our country.

At the time the army went into winter quarters at Little Britain in1782, although peace was not declared until the following year, yetit was well understood that the long war was over and the States wereat last independent of Great Britain. The knowledge of this factnaturally inclined the minds of men to a consideration of the form ofgovernment to be adopted for the infant commonwealth, and nowhere didthe matter receive more attention than in that encampment, and fromthose soldiers whose deeds in arms had made the happy consummationpossible.

The leisure entailed from the long relief from active duty whichensued after going into camp, afforded ample opportunity for both theofficers and men of the army to discuss this question in all itsbearings. It must be borne in mind that republics were not much infavor at that period, while the incompetent and discreditable mannerin which Congress had conducted the national affairs for years, hadcreated profound distrust and widespread discontent. Under thecirc*mstances it is not so surprising that, believing nothing butchaos and ruin would be the lot of the country should the form ofgovernment then in force be continued, the army should have finallydeclared for a limited monarchy, and desired Washington as king.

The deputation of Colonel Nicola to present the subject to Washingtondoes not require repetition here, nor the details of the manner inwhich that great man resolutely put aside all feelings of personalambition, and so sternly repressed the movement for all time, thatour present form of free government became an assured fact. Theseevents are merely mentioned to bring vividly to the mind therecollection of the important connection our county sustained towardthat great drama, and also to bring clearly home the fact, that eventhough the sun of liberty rose first from the green at Lexington orthe bridge at Concord, the gestation of the Republic occurred on thebanks of the Hudson in the old county of Orange.

Some criticism of this work has been occasioned through the inclusiontherein of biographical sketches; but we are certain that upon calmreflection it will be seen that such objections rest upon nosubstantial foundation. The narratives of the lives of men and theiracts constitute all there is of history. If it be true that all thatour county shows in the way of growth and development, is entirelydue to the men and women who originally peopled this region, andworthily performed those parts allotted to them in the general schemeof life, during their existence here, it is equally true that theirsuccessors who still abide with us, took up the burden where it fellfrom the hands of the fathers, and most signally continued the work,and carried it forward to success. If the works themselves aredeserving of commendation, surely the workers and finishers thereofare entitled to the honor of some mention.

In sending forth this volume, we trust that in addition to its valueas a depository of accurate information and useful knowledge, it willalso prove an effective instrument in creating a more active publicsentiment regarding historical subjects, and especially foster aninterest in the annals of our own county.

The editor would be wanting in gratitude did he fail to acknowledgehis obligations to the well-known writer, the late Mr. Edward M.Ruttenber. The whole historical field comprising that period prior tothe Revolutionary era, has been so carefully gleaned over by thatindefatigable and accurate historiographer, that there remains littleor nothing that is new, to reward any subsequent investigator intothe history of that era, and therefore all who include that epoch inany sketch, must perforce draw largely from the store of valuablematerials gathered by him. The editor also desires to return hissincere thanks to our numerous contributors, for their cheerfulassistance, and especially for the painstaking care exhibited by themin the preparation of those articles which appear herein, and whoseexcellence constitutes the chief merit of this work.

That the efforts of myself and associates have fallen short of thehigh standard we had set up for ourselves at the inception of ourlabors, we are well aware; but we do at least claim, that we have insome material degree, contributed in this volume to the "rescuingfrom oblivion and preserving the services which others have performedfor God and country and fellow men." If the public by its verdictallows this claim to stand, our reward will be ample and we shallrest well content.

Russel Headley.

Dated, July 14, 1908.

CONTENTS

Part I

CHAPTER I-X.

The County of Orange

{Chapter I: County, Precincts And Towns.

Chapter II: Early Indian Character And Conduct.

Chapter III: First Settlements And Settlers.

Chapter IV: Topography And Geology.

Chapter V: Early Government.

Chapter VI: Early Military Organizations.

Chapter VII: French And Indian War.

Chapter VIII: War of The Revolution.

Chapter IX: The War of 1812.

Chapter X: The Civil War.

—added by transcriber}

CHAPTER XI.

The Town of Blooming Grove . . . . . . By Benjamin C. Sears

CHAPTER XII.

The Town of Chester . . . . . . . . . By Frank Durland

CHAPTER XIII.

The Town of Cornwall . . . . . . . . . By E. M. V. McClean

CHAPTER XIV.

The Town of Crawford . . . . . . . . . By J. Erskine Ward

CHAPTER XV.

The Town of Deer Park . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER XVI.

The Town of Goshen . . . . . . . . . . By George F. Gregg

CHAPTER XVII.

The Town of Greenville . . . . . . . . By Charles E. Stickney

CHAPTER XVIII.

The Town of Hamptonburgh . . . . .By Margaret Crawford Jackson

CHAPTER XIX.

The Town of Highlands . . . . . . . . By Captain Theodore Faurot

CHAPTER XX.

The Town of Minisink . . . . . . . . By Charles E. Stickney

CHAPTER XXI.

The Town of Monroe . . . . . . . . . By M. N. Kane

CHAPTER XXII.

The Town of Montgomery . . . . . By David A. Morrison

CHAPTER XXIII.

The Town of Mount Hope . . . . . . By Wickham T. Shaw

CHAPTER XXIV.

The Town of Newburgh . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER XXV.

The City of Newburgh . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER XXVI.

The Town of New Windsor . . . . . . . By Dr. C. A. Gorse

CHAPTER XXVII.

The Town of Tuxedo . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER XXVIII.

The Town of Wallkill . . . . . . . . . By William B. Royce

CHAPTER XXIX.

The Town of Warwick . . . . . . . . By Ferdinand V. Sanford

CHAPTER XXX.

The Town of Wawayanda . . . . . . By Charles E. Stickney

CHAPTER XXXI.

The Town of Woodbury . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER XXXII.

The Bench and Bar . . . . . . . . . . . By William Vanamee

CHAPTER XXXIII.

The Medical Profession . . . . . . . By John T. Howell, M.D.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

The Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . By John M. Dolph

CHAPTER XXXV.

The Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Rev. Francis Washburn

CHAPTER XXXVI.

Agriculture . . . . . . . . . . . . . By David A. Morrison

CHAPTER XXXVII.

Journalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By W. T. Doty

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

Freemasonry . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Charles H. Halstead

CHAPTER XXXIX.

Horse Breeding . . . . . . . . . . . . By Guy Miller

CHAPTER XL.

Dairying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PART II.

Biographical Sketches

[Adams, Bailey, Caldwell, Dales, Eager, Fabrikoid, Gaffney, Hadden, Iseman,Jackson, Kells, Lain, McCarty, Neafie, O'Connor,Paddleford, Quaid, Ramage, Sanford, Taft,Vail, Wade, Yagel, Zint—added by Transcriber]

THE COUNTY OF ORANGE

CHAPTER I.

COUNTY, PRECINCTS AND TOWNS.

Orange was one of the earliest counties of the State, dating back to1683. when it was organized by a colony law. It was also one of thoseformed by a general act of organization in 1788, when it included thepresent county of Rockland, and was described as extending from thelimits of East and West Jersey on the west side of the Hudson Riveralong the river to Murderer's Creek, or the bounds of Ulster County,and westward into the woods as far as Delaware River—that is, allthat part of the state south of an easterly and westerly line fromthe mouth of Murderer's Creek to the Delaware River or northerly lineof Pennsylvania. In 1797 Rockland county was set off from it, andfive towns from Ulster were added. Its boundaries were definitelyfixed by an act of the New York legislature adopted April 3rd, 1801.The previous act of April 5th, 1797, provided that five towns, then apart of the County of Ulster, should be annexed to the county ofOrange, and that the courts should hold their sessions alternately atNewburgh and Goshen. Two days afterward another act was passeddefining the boundary lines of the towns composing the newlyconstructed county, and naming them as follows: Blooming Grove,Chesekook, Deer Park, Goshen, Minisink, Montgomery, New Windsor,Newburgh, Wallkill and Warwick. There were subsequent changes, andthe following is a list of the present towns, with the years of theirerection, and the territories from which they were taken:

Blooming Grove, 1799, taken from Cornwall; Cornwall, 1788, as NewCornwall, and changed to Cornwall in 1797; Chester, 1845, taken fromGoshen, Warwick, Monroe and Blooming Grove; Crawford, 1823, takenfrom Montgomery; Deer Park, 1798, as a part of Ulster County andtaken from Mamakating; Goshen, 1788; Hamptonburgh, 1830, taken fromWallkill, Goshen, Montgomery, Blooming Grove and New Windsor; Monroe,1799, taken from Cornwall, original name Chesekook, changed toSouthfield in 1802, and to Monroe in 1808, and divided in 1890 intoWoodbury and Tuxedo; Montgomery, 1788; Mount Hope, 1825, taken fromWallkill, Deer Park and Minisink, original name Calhoun; Newburgh,1788; New Windsor, 1788; Wallkill, 1788; Minisink, 1788.

There are three cities in Orange County, Newburgh in the town ofNewburgh; Middletown, in the town of Wallkill, and Port Jervis, inthe town of Deer Park. Newburgh was chartered as a city in 1865,Middletown in 1888, and Port Jervis in 1907.

The irregular county thus constituted is bounded on the northwest andnorth by Sullivan and Ulster Counties, on the east and southeast bythe Hudson River and Rockland County, on the southwest and west byNew Jersey, Pennsylvania and Sullivan County. It has nearly half amillion square miles.

The towns along the northwestern and northern border are Deer Park,Mount Hope, Wallkill, Crawford, Montgomery and Newburgh.

Along the Hudson are Newburgh, New Windsor, Cornwall and Highlands.

Next to Rockland County are Highlands, Woodbury and Tuxedo.

On the New Jersey line are the point of Tuxedo, Warwick, Minisink,Greenville, and a section of Deer Park.

The most western town is Deer Park which lies along New Jersey, theDelaware River and Pennsylvania on the southwest and Sullivan Countyon the north.

In the interior are the towns of Wawayanda, Goshen, Hamptonburgh,Blooming Grove, Chester and Monroe.

The post offices of the county as distributed in the several townsare named as follows:

Blooming Grove: Salisbury's Mills, Washingtonville, Blooming Grove,Oxford Depot, Craigsville.

Chester: Chester, Greycourt, Sugar Loaf.

Cornwall: Cornwall, Cornwall-on-Hudson, Cornwall Landing, Idlewild,Mountainville, Orrs Mills, Meadowbrook, Firthcliffe.

Crawford: Bullville, Pine Bush, Thompson Ridge.

Deer Park: Cuddebackville, Godeffroy, Huguenot, Port Jervis, Rio,Sparrowbush.

Goshen: Goshen.

Greenville: Greenville.

Hamptonburgh: Campbell Hall, Burnside.

Highlands: Highland Falls, Fort Montgomery, West Point.

Middletown: Middletown.

Minisink: Minisink, Johnson, Westtown, Unionville.

Monroe: Monroe, Turner.

Montgomery: Walden, Montgomery, Maybrook.

Mount Hope: Otisville, Guymard.

Newburgh: Newburgh, Middle Hope, Liptondale. Cedarcliff, CronomerValley, Savilton, Orange Lake, Roseton.

New Windsor: Little Britain, Rocklet, Vail's Gate, Moodna.

Tuxedo: Arden, Southfields, Tuxedo Park.

Wallkill: Middletown, Circleville, Stony Ford, Howells, Crystalrun,Fair Oaks.

Warwick: Edenville, Warwick, Florida, Pine Island, New Milford,Wisner Lake, Bellvale, Greenwood Lake, Amity.

Wawayanda: New Hampton, Ridgebury, Slate Hill, South Centreville.

Woodbury: Woodbury Falls, Highland Mills, Central Valley.

To go back and particularize more fully: In 1686 the town of Orangewas organized, and soon afterward adjoining patents were attached toit for jurisdiction and assessment. In 1719 the northern settlementswere separated into the precinct of Orange, with Tappan as itscenter, and the precinct of Haverstraw, with "the Christian patentedlands of Haverstraw" as its center. In 1714 the precinct of Goshenwas organized, and included the entire county except the Orangetownand Haverstraw districts. In 1764 it was divided by a straight line,all the lands west of the line constituting the precinct of Goshenand all the lands east, the precinct of New Cornwall. The fourprecincts named were the political divisions of the county untilafter the Revolution. In 1788 the towns of Warwick and Minisink wereerected from Goshen, and in 1791 the towns of Clarkstown and Ramapowere erected from Haverstraw. In 1797 the name of the town of NewCornwall was changed to Cornwall.

In the southern towns of the County of Ulster, afterward transferredto Orange, changes were made in 1709. The precincts of Highlands andShawangunk were attached to New Paltz, and the present Orange Countytowns of Montgomery, Crawford and Wallkill were then embraced withinits limits. These divisions continued until 1743, when they werechanged to three precincts—Wallkill, Shawangunk and Highlands. Therewas also the precinct of Mamakating west of the precincts of Wallkilland Shawangunk, the northern part of which was made a part of DeerPark in 1798 by the law annexing the Ulster County towns. In 1762 theprecinct of Highlands was divided into the precincts of Newburgh andNew Windsor, and in 1772 the precinct of Newburgh was divided so asto form another precinct on the north, named New Marlborough. Thesame law divided the precinct of Wallkill so that its northernsection became the precinct of Hanover. In 1782 the name of thisprecinct was changed to Montgomery by permission of the ProvincialConvention of the State. By the general act of 1788 the Ulster Countyprecincts which have been named were erected into the towns ofNewburgh, New Windsor, New Marlborough, Shawangunk and Montgomery.

In the winter of 1797, after much opposition to plans for changingthe boundaries of Orange and Ulster Counties, two bills were agreedupon by a Convention of Delegates from the several towns interested,and these were presented to the Legislature and passed. One of themset off from Orange the present County of Rockland, and the otherannexed to Orange County the towns of New Windsor, Newburgh,Wallkill, Montgomery and Deer Park, then the southern section of thecounty of Ulster.

In 1801 a general law dividing the State into counties fixed thethen somewhat undefined boundaries of Orange, and another law adoptedthe same year fixed the boundaries of its towns as they now are, withthe exception of Woodbury and Tuxedo, into which Monroe was separatedin 1890.

The first Board of Supervisors of the present county, which met inGoshen in 1798, was composed as follows: John Vail, Goshen; FrancisCrawford, New Windsor; Reuben Tooker, Newburgh; Anselem Helme,Cornwall; Jacob Post, Warwick; Nathan Arnont, Minisink; James Finch,Deer Park; David Gallatin, Montgomery; Andrew McCord, Wallkill.

Since that time the three towns of Greenville, Wawayanda andHighlands have been erected.

CHAPTER II.

EARLY INDIAN CHARACTER AND CONDUCT.

Among the surprises experienced by Columbus and the explorers whosailed up and down the coast of North America soon after his greatdiscovery, were the characteristics of the newly-found race of nativeIndians. Their tribal differences were comparatively slight, andalthough uncivilized, many of them exhibited traits which indicated aremote ancestry above savagery, and caused speculation which has notyet ceased.

Hendrick Hudson, from whom the magnificent Hudson River takes itsname, has given us in his journal the first information about thetribes at its mouth and along its shores. Sailing from Amsterdam inthe ship Half-Moon in 1609, he first landed near Portland, [fn]Me., on July 19th. Thence he sailed south to Chesapeake Bay, thence north toDelaware Bay, and thence to Sandy Hook, anchoring, probably off ConeyIsland, September 3d. Here and on the New Jersey coast Indians cameto the ship in canoes, and bartered green corn and dried currants forknives, beads and articles of clothing. He wrote that they behavedwell, but when he sent out a boat on the 6th to explore the Narrows,his men were attacked by twenty-six natives in two canoes, who killedone of his crew with an arrow and wounded two others. On September11th he sailed through the Narrows and found a good protected harbor.Here his ship was again visited by many natives, who brought Indiancorn, tobacco and oysters for barter, and displayed copper pipes,copper ornaments, and earthen pots for cooking.

[fn] To avoid circumlocution present names will be generally used to indicate localities.

Hudson started on his voyage up the river September 12th, and beganhis return September 22d. His ship stopped near the present city ofHudson, but he proceeded much farther in a small boat—as far, it issupposed, as Albany. About 25 miles below Albany an aged chiefentertained him hospitablv, and the Indians offered in barter tobaccoand beaver skins. Here the Indians of the Hudson, and probably of allNorth America, first tested the white man's liquor. Hudson gave themsome to see how they would act under its influence. Only one drankenough to become intoxicated, and when he fell down in a stupor theothers were alarmed, but after he became sober the next day theiralarm ceased, and they manifested a friendly spirit. This was on theeast side of the river. Below the Highlands on the west side thenatives were of a different disposition, and shot arrows at the crewfrom points of land. For this they were punished by Hudson's men, whor*turned their fire and killed about a dozen of them. Hudson'sjournal says that above the Highlands "they found a very lovingpeople and very old men, and were well used." One of his anchoringplaces had been the bay at Newburgh, and here he wrote prophetically:"This is a very pleasant place to build a town on," and the handsomeand prosperous City of Newburgh shows that he judged well. At thispoint many more Indians boarded the ship, and did a brisk business inexchanging skins for knives and ornamental trifles.

At several anchorages the Indians brought green corn to Hudson'sship, and it was one of the agreeable surprises of the crew at theirmeals. Corn was generally cultivated by the Hudson River tribes, andgrew luxuriantly. Ruttenber says it was long supposed to be native,but investigation shows it was transplanted from a foreign shore. Itis certain that the early explorers knew nothing of it until it wasbrought to them by the Indians, and that it had been cultivated bythe latter from immemorial times.

Hudson wrote that some of the Indians whom he met along the riverwore mantles of feathers and good furs, and that women came to theship with hemp, having red copper tobacco pipes and copper neckornaments. Verrazano, who sailed along the North American coast 33years after Hudson's expedition, said the Indians were dressed out infeathers of birds of various colors. He mentioned "two kings" whocame aboard his ship in Narragansett Bay as "more beautiful instature than can possibly be described," and characterized them astypes of their race. One wore a deerskin around his body artificiallywrought in damask colors. His hair was tied back in knots, and aroundhis neck was a chain with stones of different colors. The natives whoaccompanied the chiefs were of middle stature, broad across thebreast, strong in the arms and well formed. A little later RogerWilliams was welcomed as a friend by an old chief, Canonnieus, andhis nephew, and he described the Indians who accompanied them as oflarger size than the whites, with tawny complexions, sharp faces,black hair, and mild, pleasant expressions. The women were gracefuland beautiful, with fine countenances, and of modest appearance andmanner. They wore no clothing, except ornamental deer skins, likethose of the men, but some had rich lynx skins on their arms, andvarious ornaments on their heads composed of braids of hair whichhung upon their breasts. These Indians were generous in theirdisposition, "giving away whatever they had."

Later the Indians were classed from language into two generaldivisions—the Algonquins and the Iroquois—terms given them by theJesuit missionaries. The Iroquois occupied central and western NewYork, including the Mohawk River, the headwaters of the Delaware, theGreat Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. The Algonquins included allthe Indians of Eastern New York, Eastern Canada, New England, NewJersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, and Eastern Virginia. Several tribes inthe west Hudson River counties constituted the Lenni-Lenape nation,which held its council fires on the site of Philadelphia. Some oftheir names were Waoranecks, Haverstroos, Minisinks andWaranawonkongs. When Hudson came the Lenapes were the head of theAlgonquin nations, but wars with the Iroquois and the whites soweakened them that they became the subjects of the Iroquoisconfederacy for eighty years previous to 1755. Then they rebelled,allied themselves with other tribes, became the head of the westernnations and successfully contested nearly all the territory west ofthe Mississippi. During the period of their subservience they wereknown as the Delawares. The Mohawks were the most eastern nation ofthe Iroquois, and were called Maquas by the Dutch, and a branch onthe Delaware, Minquas. The Iroquois, first known as the Five Nations,later received the Tuscaroras of North Carolina, who removed to NewYork, and with the Cherokees and other southern Indians became thesixth nation of that great Indian confederacy, to which they alsowere related by language.

Both the Algonquin and Iroquois confederacies were divided intotribes and sub-tribes of families, each with a head who was thefather or founder. These combined for mutual defense and the headselected one of their number chief sachem, regarding themselves as anation to make laws, negotiate treaties, and engage in wars, the warsbeing mostly between the Algonquins and Iroquois.

The Esopus Indians occupied parts of Orange and Ulster Counties, andtheir war dances were held on the Dans Kamer, a high promontorynorth of Newburgh. Their rule extended to other families east andwest of the Hudson, but their territory cannot be clearly defined.

Regarding Indian character, there have been presented by ourhistorians some contrasting but not wholly irreconcilable views.E. M. Ruttenber, in his valuable contribution to the History ofUlster County, edited by Hon. A. T. Clearwater, says:

"When they were discovered the race had wrought out unaided adevelopment far in advance of any of the old barbaric races ofEurope. They were still in the age of stone, but entering upon theage of iron. Their implements were mainly of stone and flint andbone, yet they had learned the art of making copper pipes andornaments. This would rank their civilization about with that of theGermans in the days of Tacitus (about the year 200 A.D.). They had,unaided by the civilization of Europe, made great progress. They hadlearned to weave cloth out of wild hemp and other grasses, and toextract dyes from vegetable substances; how to make earthen pots andkettles; how to make large water casks from the bark of trees, aswell as the lightest and fleetest canoes; had passed from the caveto the dwelling house; had established the family relation anddemocratic forms of government; their wives were the most faithful,their young women the most brilliant in paint and garments and robesof furs; they carved figures on stone, and wrote the story of theirlives in hieroglyphics, of which some of the finest specimens inAmerica are preserved in the senate house in Kingston; and mostremarkable of all, and that which carries back their chronology to aperiod that cannot be defined, they had developed spoken languagesthat were rich in grammatical forms, differing radically from any ofthe ancient and modern languages of the old hemisphere, languageswhich were surely ingenious, and of which it was said by the mostexpert philologists of Europe that they were among 'the mostexpressive languages, dead or living.' . . . They were savages orbarbarians, as you may please to call them, men who wrote theirvengeance in many scenes of blood, the recital of which around thefiresides of the pioneers became more terrifying by repetition;nevertheless they were representatives of a race whose civilization,though it was 1200 years behind our own, had no faults greater thanwere found in the races from which we boast our lineage."

In Samuel Eager's "History of Orange County," published in 1846-7,are found statements presenting a different conception of Indianqualities. It says:

"The Indian character in this State is well known, and we have noreason to believe that the character of the Indians of Orange wasmaterially different. If you know one you know the general characterof those who compose his wigwam, and knowing this you know that ofhis tribe. They are all alike—dirty, slothful and indolent,trustworthy and confiding in their friendships, while fierce andrevengeful under other circ*mstances. Their good will and enmity arealike easily purchased. All have the war dance before starting uponand after returning from the warpath, and bury the dead standing,with their instruments. Their known rule of warfare is anindiscriminate massacre of men, women and children, and they arecruel to their captives, whom they usually slay with the tomahawk orburn up at the stake. They believe in a future state of rewards andpunishments, and sacrifice to a Good Spirit—an unknown god. We havethe testimony of Hendrick Hudson that the Indians above the Highlandswere kind and friendly to him and his crew, and the more so thefurther they proceeded up the river. This, we presume, related tothose on both sides of the river, though below the Highlands theywere of a more hostile character. We have understood, as coming fromthe early settlers, who first located in Westchester and Dutchess andafterwards removed here, as many of them did, that the impression wasvery general that the Indians on that side of the river were lesshostile and more friendly to the white settlers than those on thewest; and this was given as a reason for settling there, whichaccounts in some measure for the earlier settlement of that side ofthe river. We infer, from the absence of written accounts ofanything very peculiar or different in the habits and customs of theIndians of the county from others in the State, and from the povertyof tradition in this respect that there were no such peculiardifferences, but they were similar and identical with those of theheathen Indians at Onondaga and Buffalo before modified and changedby white association."

These somewhat contradictory views of the Indian race seem to bea little too sweeping on both sides, they being neither so good norso bad as represented. The native Indians have been both kind andcruel to one another and the whites. Their instincts are not unlikethose of civilized peoples, but there are less control and restraintin savagery than civilization. Their tribal differences of conducttowards the whites depended less upon natural disposition thanleadership and provocations. Vindictiveness towards real or fanciedenemies seems to have prevailed everywhere among the North Americantribes, and this was undoubtedly increased towards the whites by thelatter's aggressions and by the former's indulgence in theintoxicants furnished them by their white neighbors. But cruelty isingrained in the barbarian character almost everywhere, and often ismanifested in communities called civilized. The tortures of themiddle ages in the name of religion were as painful as thoseinflicted in the eighteenth century by our Indians, and both seemalmost impossible to the philanthropist of to-day. Not until mindshave been softened by such teachings as those of the Founder ofChristianity, and extremes of bigotry have given place to toleranceand charity, is the natural disposition of the average man to givepain to antagonists dissipated.

There has been no more intellectual nation among the aborigines ofAmerica than the Senecas of Western New York—the most original anddetermined of the confederated Iroquois—but its warriors were cruellike the others, and their squaws often assisted the men in torturingtheir captives. When Boyd and Parker were captured in the GeneseeValley in the Sullivan campaign of 1779, Brant, the famous half-breedchief, assured them that they would not be injured, yet left them inthe hands of Little Beard, another chief, to do with as he would, andthe prolonged tortures to which he and his savage companionssubjected them were horrible. After they had been stripped and tiedto trees, and tomahawks were thrown so as to just graze their heads,Parker was unintentionally hit so that his head was severed from hisbody, but Boyd was made to suffer lingering miseries. His ears werecut off, his mouth enlarged with knives and his severed nose thrustinto it, pieces of flesh were cut from his shoulders and other partsof his body, an incision was made in his abdomen and an intestinefastened to the tree, when he was scourged to make him move aroundit, and finally as he neared death, was decapitated, and his headraised on a pole.

Similar tortures were not uncommon among both the Iroquois andAlgonquins when they made captives of the whites.

Returning to the Lenni-Lenape of the Hudson River's western lands,there is in Eager's history an account by a Delaware Indian of thereception and welcome by the Indians of the first Europeans who cameto their country—on York Island—which is here condensed.

Some Indians out fishing at a place where the sea widens sawsomething remarkably large floating on the water at a great distance,which caused much wondering speculation among them. The sight causedgreat excitement, and as it approached news was sent to scatteredchiefs. They fancied that it was a great house in which the Mannitto(Great Spirit) was coming to visit them. Meat for sacrifices andvictuals were prepared. Conjurors were set to work, and runners weresent out. The latter soon reported that it was a great house full ofhuman beings. When it came near it stopped, and a canoe came from itcontaining men, one elegantly dressed in red. This man saluted themwith a friendly countenance, and, lost in admiration, the Indiansreturned his salute. They saw that he glittered with gold lace andhad a white skin. He poured something from a gourd into a cup, drankfrom it, filled it again, and handed it to a chief. It is passedaround, and the chiefs smell of it, but do not drink. At last aresolute chief jumps up and harangues the others, saying that theyought to drink, as the Mannitto had done, and he would dare to drink,although it might kill him, as it was better that one man should bedestroyed than that a whole nation should die. Then he drank, soonbegan to stagger, and finally fell to the ground. He fell asleep, andhis companions thinking that he was dead, began to bemoan his fate.But he awoke, and declared that he had never before felt so happy aswhen he drank from the white man's cup. He asked for more, which wasgiven him, and the whole assembly imitated him and becameintoxicated. After they became sober they were given presents ofbeads, axes, hoes and stockings. Then the Dutch made them understandthat they would not stay, but would come again in a year, bring morepresents, and would then want a little land. They returned the nextseason, began cultivating the grounds and kept bargaining for moreland until the Indians began to believe that they would soon want allthe country.

The scenes thus described by the Delaware Indian were probably soonafter the voyage of discovery by Hendrick Hudson.

The Esopus Indians, according to early records, represented foursub-tribes—the Amangaricken, Kettyspowy, Mahon and Katatawis. In1677 their chief deeded a large tract of land lying along the Hudsonin Ulster and Orange Counties and extending back to the Rochesterhills, to the English Government. The tract cannot be clearlydefined. Previous negotiations and fighting led to this transfer. In1663 Wildwijk (Kingston), where an infant colony had been started,was set on fire, and the colonists were attacked and murdered intheir homes with axes, tomahawks and guns. They finally rallied anddrove the Indians away, but not until twenty-five of them had beenkilled and forty-five made prisoners. The New Village, as it wascalled, was annihilated, and of the Old Village twelve houses wereburned. When Peter Stuyvesant heard of the calamity he sent a companyof soldiers from New Amsterdam to assist the settlers. They werecommanded by Captain Martin Kregier, arrived at Wildwijk July 4, anda few days afterward Kregier had a conference with five Mohawk andMohican chiefs who came from Fort Orange. He induced them to releasesome of their captives, but his negotiations with the Warranawonkongswere less successful. They were the proprietors of lands in thevicinity of Newburgh, and for some distance above and below theLenni-Lenape confederacy. They would not agree to terms of peaceunless the Dutch would pay for the land called the Groot Plat orGreat Plot and add presents within ten days. Kregier would not agreeto this, and on July 25th followed them to their castle. Theyabandoned it, and fled to the Shawangunk Mountains, taking theircaptives with them. They were followed, and again retreated. Kregierburned their palisaded castle, cut down their cornfields anddestroyed about a hundred pits full of corn and beans which were apart of the harvest of the previous year. Then Kregier returned toWildwijk and guarded the settlers while they harvested their grain.He resumed offensive operations in September, sending out about fiftymen to reduce a new castle which the Indians were building "aboutfour hours beyond the one burned." The Indians were surprised, butfought fiercely as they retreated, killing and wounding three of theDutch soldiers. Thirteen Indians were taken prisoners andtwenty-three Dutch captives released. The Indians fled to themountains, the uncompleted fort was destroyed, and the soldierscarried away much spoil. Another force was sent to the same placeOctober 1st, when the Indians retreated southward, and the Dutchcompleted the work of destruction, including crops and wigwams aroundthe fort. Later the Indians solicited peace and an armistice wasgranted. They had suffered severely, and felt crushed, and theirallies, the Waoranecks, were also subdued, although their territoryhad not been invaded. "The embers of their forest worship, which hadfor ages been lighted on the Dans Kamer, were extinguished forever."In the following May of 1664 they sought and executed a treaty withthe Dutch at Fort Amsterdam, whereby the lands claimed and conqueredby the Dutch were to remain the property of the conquerors, and theIndians were not to approach the Dutch settlements with arms. Theratification of the treaty was celebrated, and thus was closed thestruggle of the Indians for the possession of their lands on thewestern slope of the Hudson from the Catskills to the ocean. TheMinsis remained in the western part of Orange and some adjoiningterritory, and in 1692 and 1694 were strengthened by additions oflarge colonies of Shawanoes. For nearly a hundred years after thetreaty there was but little trouble between the Indians and thesettlers of Orange County.

The incursions during the French and Indian and the RevolutionaryWars properly belong to the military chapter of this history.

CHAPTER III.

FIRST SETTLEMENTS AND SETTLERS.

There is a tradition, supported by some evidence, that the firstsettlement of Orange County was in the old Minisink territory alongthe Delaware River. Although the supposed settlement was mostly inPennsylvania, the reported excavations, roads and other work of thesettlers were mostly in Orange County. The story of the tradition,and evidence that it has a basis of fact, are given in a letter bySamuel Preston, Esq., dated Stockport, June 6, 1828, which ispublished in Samuel W. Eager's county history of 1846-7, andreproduced in Charles E. Stickney's history of the Minisink region of1867. Eager says the letter "will throw light upon the point of earlysettlement in the Minisink country," and Stickney assumes that itssecond-hand statements are substantially true. But Ruttenber andClark's more complete history of the county, published in 1881,discredits them. The essential parts of Preston's letter are herecondensed.

He was deputed by John Lukens, surveyor general, to go intoNorthampton County on his first surveying tour, and received fromhim, by way of instruction, a narrative respecting the settlements ofMinisink on the Delaware above the Kittany and Blue Mountain. Thisstated that John Lukens and Nicholas Scull—the latter a famoussurveyor, and the former his apprentice—were sent to the Minisinkregion in 1730 for the government of Philadelphia; that the Minisinkflats were then all settled by Hollanders; that they found there agrove of apple trees much larger than any near Philadelphia, and thatthey came to the conclusion that the first settlement of Hollandersin Minisink was many years older than William Penn's charter. SamuelDepuis, who was living there, told them that there was a good road toEsopus, near Kingston, about a hundred miles from the Mine holes,which was called the Mine road. Preston was charged by Lukens tolearn more particulars about this Mine road, and obtained some fromNicholas Depuis, son of Samuel, who was living in great affluence ina spacious stone house. He had known the Mine road well, and before aboat channel was opened to Foul Rift, used to drive on it severaltimes every winter with loads of wheat and cider to buy salt andother necessaries, as did also his neighbors. He repeated storieswithout dates that he had heard from older people. They said that insome former age a company of miners came there from Holland; thatthey worked two mines, and were very rich; that they built the Mineroad with great labor, and hauled their ore over it; that they boughtthe improvements of the native Indians, the most of whom moved to theSusquehanna.

In 1789 Preston began to build a house in the Minisink and obtainedmore evidence from Gen. James Clinton, the father of Gov. DewittClinton, and Christopher Tappan, Recorder of Ulster County, who camethere on a surveying expedition. They both knew the Mine holes and theMine road, and were of the opinion that they were worked while NewYork belonged to Holland, which was previous to 1664. Preston did notlearn what kind of ore the mines produced, but concluded that it wassilver. He went to the Paaquarry Mine holes, and found the mouths cavedfull and overgrown with bushes, but giving evidence of a great dealof labor done there in some former time.

Ruttenber and Clark's history, as stated, discredit the traditionregarding the early settlement of the Minisink by Hollanders, asaccepted by Clinton, Tappan, Depuis, Preston and others. Itrepresents the Mine road to be simply an enlargement of an old Indiantrail, and the mines to have been of copper and located in what isnow the town of Warren, Sussex County, N.J. It says that the Dutch atEsopus during the war of 1660-63 had little knowledge of the country,even east of the Shawangunk, and that if the Minisink was penetratedat a much earlier period it was by way of the Delaware River. Thehistorian discusses the subject further, and concludes that the firstsettler of the Minisink was William Tietsort, a blacksmith fromSchenectady, who barely escaped the slaughter at that place in 1689,and went to the Minisink country from Esopus, by invitation offriendly Indians, and purchased lands of them in October, 1689."There is little doubt that he was the first settler on the westernborder," says the history.

But Stickney, after recapitulating the traditions and evidence of theearly settlement of the region, says: "Here generations lived thefleeting span of life in blissful ignorance of any outer or happierworld beside, and were alike unknown outside the boundaries of theirown domain until some wanderer chanced to come across theirsettlement, and went on his way, thereafter to remember withgratitude and envy the affluence and comfort that marked their roughbut happy homes."

If Tietsort was the first white settler of the Minisink, ArentSchuyler was probably the second, as he settled there in 1697, havingbeen granted a patent of 1,000 acres of its lands by GovernorFletcher. The governor had sent him there three years before toascertain whether the French in Canada had been trying to bribe theIndians to engage in a war of extermination against the New Yorkersfrom their fastnesses in the Shawangunk Mountains.

The earliest land transfers and titles were so thoroughlyinvestigated by Ruttenber and Clark that we cannot do better,perhaps, than condense mostly from their history.

Warranawonkong chiefs transferred to Governor Stuyvesant the GrootPlat or Great Plot, as it was called, in which Kingston is nowsituated. These lands are said to be the first for which Europeansreceived a title from the Indians, and are somewhat indefinitelydescribed in the treaty with them of 1665 to which reference has beenmade. They were conquered by Captain Kreiger in 1663, and embracedthree townships in southwestern Ulster. Chronology next takes us tothe extreme south of Orange County. Here Balthazar De Hart and hisbrother Jacob, purchased of the Indians "the Christian patent landsof Haverstraw." They were on the south side of the Highlands andextended from the Hudson westward to the mountains. On thepresumption that they were included in the boundaries of New Jersey,the Harts soon transferred them to Nicholas Depues and Peter JacobsMarius, and purchased another tract north of them in 1671, which wasbounded by the Hudson River on the east and the mountains onthe south. This became the property of Jacobs. They also purchased atract north of the previous purchase, and including a part of it,which was called Abequerenoy, and passed from them to Hendrick Ryker.

On the north a Huguenot, Louis Du Bois, with some friends who hadbeen driven from France by religious persecution, located first atEsopus in 1660; and in September, 1667, after purchase from theIndians, twelve of them became patentees of a tract of 36,000 acreslying north of the Redonte Creek, as the Warranawonkong was thencalled. The patent was obtained from Governor Andros in the names ofLouis Du Bois, Christian Doyan, Abraham Hasbroucq, Andre Le Febvre,Jean Hasbroucq, Pierre Doyan, Louis Beviere, Anthony Crespel, AbrahamDu Bois, Hayne Frere, Isaac Du Bois and Simon Le Febvre, "their heirsand others." Nine families immediately settled on the land andfounded New Paltz.

Between Haverstraw and New Paltz Patrick Mac Gregorie, DavidFosbruck, his brother-in-law, and twenty-five others, who were mostlyScotch Presbyterians, occupied lands at the mouth of the Waoraneck,and Mac Gregorie purchased for them 4,000 acres on both sides ofMurderer's Creek, on which they settled. Mac Gregorie built his cabinon Plum Point, then called Conwanham's Hill, and the cabins of hisassociates were in the vicinity, and on the south side of the creekDavid Toshuck, the brother-in-law, who subscribed himself "Laird ofMinivard," established a trading post. "Within the bounds of thepresent county of Orange this was the first European settlement,"says the historian, but the precise date is not given. Stickneythinks the year was 1684, but it was probably a little earlier, asabout that time Mac Gregorie entered into the military service of theState without perfecting his patent, mistakenly trusting GovernorDongan to protect his interests, who, in 1684, obtained from threeIndian owners their title to a tract extending from New Paltz alongthe Hudson to Murderer's Kill, thence westward to the foot of thehigh hills, and thence southwesterly along the hills and the riverPeakadasank to a pond; and the same year added by deed from severalIndians another large tract of the land called Haverstraw. Theselands included a part of those which the Indians had previously soldto Mac Gregorie, and others which they had sold to Stephanus VanCortlandt. The latter had preserved his deed, and succeeded inobtaining a patent attaching them to his manor across the river.Mac Gregorie was killed in the Leslie revolution of 1691. GovernorDongan sold his two purchases to John Evans in 1694, and the latterthen proceeded to dispossess Mac Gregorie's widow and her family oftheir home, when he granted only leases to them and the other Scotchsettlers. After some years, however, the Mac Gregorie heirs, inconsideration of their original claim, obtained a patent of the PlumPoint farm and a mountain tract.

The fourth and largest settlement was made adjoining "the Christianpatented lands of Haverstraw" by emigrants from Holland, mostly ofthe Reformed Dutch Church. They were granted a township patent inMarch, 1686, under the name of the town of Orange. There were sixteentrustees of this grant, which began at the mouth of the Tappan Creek,extended north to Greenbush, and thence easterly and southerly backto Tappan Creek. The center of the township was Tappan, where achurch was organized. The trustees of the grant were Claessen Cuyper,Daniel De Clercke, Peter Harnich, Gerritt Stenmetts, John De Kries,Sr., John De Kries, Jr., Claes Maunde, John Stratemaker, Staaes DeGroot, Aream Lammatees, Lamont Ariannius, Huybert Gerryts, JohannesGerryts, Ede Van Vorst, Cornelius Lammerts.

A vast tract of land immediately west of Haverstraw was conveyed toDaniel Honan and Michael Hawdon, January 25, 1696. Adjoining this onthe south were certain tracts containing 2,000 acres which weregranted to Samuel Bayard. The Indian deed for this and otherpurchases was covered by Lucas Tenhoven and embraced 100,000 acres,for which no patent was issued.

Between the Haverstraw lands and the township of Orange was the rockybluff known as Verdrietig Hook, including Rockland Lake, which becamethe subject of controversy between the John Hutchins Company andJarvis Marshal & Company, both parties having obtained deeds, butthat of the latter proved to be of prior date (Sept. 27, 1694). Afew years later, in 1708, a patent was issued to Lancaster Syrus,Robert Walters and Hendrick Ten Eyck, covering the vacant riverpoint described as beginning at the south bounds of Haverstraw,extending west to Welch's island, thence southerly to the lower endof the island, thence east to the creek running from the pond ofVerdrietig Hook, and thence north to the place of beginning, "exceptthe grant of Honan & Hawdon."

Ruttenber and Clark's history states that the indicated foregoingpatents covered the entire district from the New Jersey line to NewPaltz and west to the line of the Shawangunk Mountains.

Here is the proper place for some statements made by David Barclayin his paper on Balmville read before the Newburgh HistoricalSociety in 1899. He said that Captain John Evans in 1694 obtainedfrom Colonel Fletcher, then Governor of New York, a patent for atract of land on the west shore of the Hudson, extending from StonyPoint to the south line of New Paltz, and westward to the ShawangunkMountains, including two-thirds of Orange County and parts of Ulsterand Rockland Counties, and estimated to contain 650,000 acres. Theonly settlement thereon at that time was that of Major Gregorie'sheirs and followers at Murderer's Creek in the present towns ofCornwall and New Windsor. The patent was afterward annulled by anact of the assembly, which was confirmed, and the title reverted tothe crown. Included in these lands must have been those unjustlytransferred to Evans in 1694 by Governor Dongan "under the title ofthe lordship of the manor of Fletcherdom." Ruttenber says that theEvans patents, with others, were for a long time a disturbingelement, and were entirely undefined except in general terms.

Near the close of the 17th century there was active competition inthe extinguishment {sic} of the Indian titles and obtaining patents, andseveral patents were granted. Three of them, to associations, wereissued at the following dates: Chesekook, December 30, 1702;Wawayanda, March 5, 1703; Minisink, August 28, 1704.

The Chesekook patent was included in a purchase from five Indianproprietors to Dr. John Bridges, Henry Ten Eyck, Derick Vandenburgh,John Cholwell, Christopher Dean, Lancaster Syms and John Merritt.The Wawayanda patent was a purchase from twelve Indians by the sameparties, and five more, namely, Daniel Honan, Philip Rokeby,Benjamin Aske, Peter Mathews and Cornelius Christianse. TheMinisink patent was to Mathew Ling, Ebenezer Wilson, Philip French,Derick Vandenburgh, Stephen De Lancey, Philip Rokeby, John Corbett,Daniel Honan, Caleb Cooper, William Sharpass, Robert Milward, ThomasWearham, Lancaster Syms, John Pearson, Benjamin Aske, Petrus Bayard,John Cholwell, Peter Fanconier, Henry Swift, Hendrick Ten Eyck,Jarvis Marshall, Ann Bridges, George Clark.

This last purchase was of parts of Orange and Ulster Counties,beginning in Ulster at Hunting House, on the northeast of Bashe'sland, running thence north to the Fishkill River, thence southerlyto the south end of Great Minisink Island, thence south to the landgranted John Bridges & Company (Wawayanda), and along that patentnorthward and along the patent of John Evans to the place ofbeginning. There is no record that the purchasers received a deedfrom the Indians, and it was reported, probably correctly, that whenDepuis obtained the Minisink lands from the Indians, he got themdrunk and never paid them the money agreed upon—treatment whichthey resented for a long time afterward in hostility to the whitesettlers.

The Chesekook patent was bounded north by the patent line of Evans,west by Highland Hills, south by Honan and Hawdon's patent, and eastby "the lands of the bounds of Haverstraw and the Hudson."

The Wawayanda patent was bounded eastward by "the high hills of theHighlands" and the Evans patent, north by the division line of thecounties of Orange and Ulster, westward by "the high hills eastwardof Minisink" and south by the division line of New York and NewJersey.

The boundary lines of the three patents were defined in such generalterms that for a long time they caused trouble as to titles, and inthe final adjustment the territory claimed by the Wawayandapatentees was cut off, while on the west a tract called the Minisinkangle, embracing 130,000 acres, was formed.

The English government began investigating the patents of suchimmense tracts in 1698, and the next year caused the Evans patentto be annulled, after which the territory covered by it was conveyedin small tracts issued at different times up to 1775. Theseconveyances, exclusive of those outside of the present county, wereas follows:

1. Roger and Pinhorne Mompesson, 1000 acres, March 4th, 1709.

2. Ebenezer Wilson and Benjamin Aske, 2000 acres, March 7th, 1709.

3. Rip Van Dam, Adolph Phillipse, David Provost, Jr., Lancaster Symes and Thomas Jones, 3000 acres, March 23, 1709.

4. Gerardus Beekman, Rip Van Dam, Adolph Phillipse, Garrett Brass, Servas Vleerborne, and Daniel Van Vore, 3000 acres, March 24th, 1709.

5. Peter Matthews, William Sharpas, and William Davis, 2000 acres, Sept. 8th, 1709.

6. William Chambers and William Southerland, 1000 acres, Sept. 22, 1709.

7. Samuel Staats, June 5th, 1712.

8. Henry Wileman and Henry Van Bael, 3000 acres, June 30th, 1712.

9. Archibald Kennedy, 1200 acres, Aug. 11th, 1715.

10. Alexander Baird, Abner Van Vlacque, and Hermanus Johnson, 6000 acres, Feb. 28th, 1716.

11. Jeremiah Schuyler, Jacobus Van Courlandt, Frederick Phillipse, William Sharpas, and Isaac Bobbin, 10000 acres, Jan. 22d, 1719.

12. Edward Gatehouse, 1000 acres, Jan. 22, 1719.

13. Cornelius Low, Gerard Schuyler, and John Schuyler, 3292 acres, March 17th, 1719.

14. Thomas Brazier, 2000 acres, March 17th, 1719.

15. Phineas McIntosh, 2000 acres, April 9th, 1719.

16. John Lawrence, 2772 acres, April 9th, 1719.

17. John Haskell, 2000 acres, April 9th, 1719.

18. James Alexander, 2000 acres, April 9th, 1719.

19. Cadwallader Colden, 2000 acres, April 9th, 1719.

20. David Galatian, 1000 acres, June 4th, 1719.

21. Patrick McKnight, 2000 acres, July 7th, 1719.

22. Andrew Johnston, 2000 acres, July 7th, 1719.

23. Melchoir Gilles, 300 acres, Oct. 8th, 1719.

24. German Patent, 2190 acres, Dec. 18th, 1719.

25. John Johnston, Jr., two tracts, Feb. 3d, 1720.

26. Thomas Noxon, 2000 acres, May 25th, 1720.

27. William Huddleston, 2000 acres, June 2d, 1720.

28. Vincent Matthews, 800 acres, June 17th, 1720.

29. Richard Van Dam, 1000 acres, June 30th, 1720.

30. Francis Harrison, Oliver Schuyler, and Allen Jarratt, 5000 acres, July 7th, 1720.

31. Phillip Schuyler, Johannes Lansing, Jr., Henry Wileman, and Jacobus Bruyn, 8000 acres, July 7th, 1720.

32. Patrick Mac Gregorie, two tracts, 660 acres, Aug. 6th, 1720.

33. Mary Ingoldsby and her daughter, Mary Pinhorne, and Mary Pinhorne and Wm. Pinhorne, her children, two tracts, 5360 acres, Aug. 11th, 1720.

34. Jacobus Kipp, John Cruger, Phillip Cortland, David Provost, Oliver Schuyler, and John Schuyler, 7000 acres, Oct. 17th, 1720.

35. Lewis Morris and Vincent Pearce, two tracts, 1000 acres each, July 21st, 1721.

36. John Haskell, 2000 acres, August 24th, 1721.

37. Patrick Hume, 2000 acres, Nov. 29th, 1721.

38. James Henderson, two tracts, one not located, 1600 acres, Feb. 12th, 1722.

39. Jacobus Bruyn and Henry Wileman, 2500 acres, April 25th, 1722.

40. James Smith, 2000 acres, Dec. 15th, 1722.

41. Charles Congreve, 800 acres. May 17th, 1722.

42. Ann Hoaglandt, 2000 acres. May 24th, 1723.

43. Francis Harrison, Mary Tathani, Thomas Brazier, James Graham, and John Haskell, 5600 acres, July 10th, 1714.

44. William Bull and Richard Gerrard, 2600 acres, Aug. 10th, 1723.

45. William Bull and Richard Gerrard, two tracts, 1500 acres, Dec. 14th, 1724.

46. Isaac Bobbin, 600 acres, March 28th, 1726.

47. Edward Blagg and Johannes Hey, two tracts, 2000 acres each, March 28th, 1726.

48. Nathaniel Hazard and Joseph Sackett, two tracts, 4000 acres, Jan. 11th, 1727.

49. William Bradford, 2000 acres, Sept. 1st, 1727.

50. John Spratt and Andries Marschalk, 2000 acres, April 12th, 1728.

51. James Wallace, 2000 acres, March 2d, 1731.

52. Gabriel and William Ludlow, six tracts, 4000 acres, Oct. 18th, 1731.

53. Thomas Smith, 1000 acres. May 8th, 1732.

54. Daniel Everett and James Stringhani, 3850 acres, Jan. 17th, 1736.

55. Elizabeth Denne, 1140 acres, Dec. 12th, 1734.

56. Joseph Sackett and Joseph Sackett, Jr., two tracts, 2000 acres, July 7th, 1736.

57. Nathaniel Hazard, Jr., 2000 acres, Aug. 12th, 1736.

58. Thomas Ellison, three tracts, 2000 acres. May 13th, 1737.

59. Joseph Sackett, five tracts, 2000 acres, Sept. 1st, 1737.

60. Ann, Sarah, Catherine, George, Elizabeth, and Mary Bradley, two tracts, 4690 acres, Oct. 14th, 1749.

61. Cornelius Dubois, two tracts, one not located, July 2d, 1739.

62. Richard Bradley, 800 acres. May 17th, 1743.

63. Jane and Alice Colden, two tracts, 4000 acres, Oct. 30th, 1749.

64. John Moore, 280 acres, Oct. 30th, 1749.

65. Peter Van Burgh Livingston and John Provost, 3000 acres. May 26th, 1750.

66. George Harrison, three tracts, 2000 acres, July 20th, 1750.

67. Jacobus Bruyn and George Murray, 4000 acres, Sept. 26th, 1750.

68. Thomas Ellison and Lawrence Roome, six tracts, 4000 acres, Nov. 12th, 1750.

69. Alexander Phoenix and Abraham Bockel, 1000 acres, July 13th, 1751.

70. Thomas Ellison, 1080 acres, Dec. 1st, 1753.

71. John Nelson, 550 acres, Oct. 4th, 1754.

72. James Crawford, Jr., Samuel Crawford, James White, and David Crawford, 4000 acres, May 17th, 1761.

73. Cadwallader Colden. Jr., and Daniel Colden, 720 acres, June 20th, 1761.

74. Vincent and David Matthews, 1800 acres, Nov. 26th, 1761.

75. John Nelson, 1265 acres, Oct. 4th, 1762.

76. Thomas Moore and Lewis Pintard, 2000 acres, Dec. 23rd, 1762.

77. Peter Hassenclever, March 25th, 1767.

78. William Smith and Edward Wilkin, 2000 acres, April 17th, 1768.

79. William Arisen and Archibald Breckenridge, 400 acres, 1770.

80. Daniel Horsemanden, Miles Sherbrook, Samuel Camfield, and William Sidney, 3210 acres, 1772.

81. Thomas Moore and John Osborne, 2000 acres, March 14th, 1775.

82. Henry Townsend, 2000 acres.

Only a small part of the Minisink patent was in the present countyof Orange, but the Wawayanda and Chesekook patents were whollywithin its limits, and covered its most fertile sections. TheWawayanda patent caused much trouble, and was unoccupied by settlersuntil 1712, when the surviving shareholders—Christopher Denne,Daniel Cromeline and Benjamin Aske—determined to make settlementsthereon, and to facilitate their ends were made justices of thepeace. Parties were sent out by each of them, and these began thesettlements of Goshen, Warwick and Chester, where houses were sooncompleted and occupied. The agent who preceded Denne into thewilderness was his adopted daughter, Sarah Wells, then only 16 yearsold, who was accompanied only by friendly Indian guides. She marriedWilliam Bull, the builder of Cromeline's house, and lived to thegreat age of 102 years and 15 days.

Soon after the settlement thus started in 1712 John Everett andSamuel Clowes, of Jamaica, L.I., took charge of the patent, andproved to be enterprising and efficient agents. Recorded sales tosettlers and others prior to 1721, as well as to Everett and Clowes,were as follows:

1. Philip Rokeby sold his undivided twelfth part to DanielCromeline, John Merritt, and Elias Boudinot, June 10th, 1704.Merritt sold his third to Cromeline in 1705. Boudinot sold his thirdto George McNish, who sold to Clowes, Feb. 5th, 1714, for 150 pounds.

2. Cornelius Christianse sold to Derrick Vandenburgh, Sept. 8th,1704, all his twelfth part. Vandenburgh sold to Elias Boudinot, andthe latter sold one-sixth of same to Everett and Clowes, July 20th,1714, for 66L 13S. Boudinot's heirs subsequently sold five-sixths toEverett and Clowes for 41L 13S 4D. This tract embraced New Milford,in the present town of Warwick.

3. Hendrick Ten Eyck sold his twelfth part to Daniel Cromeline, Dec.8th, 1704. Cromeline, who also owned two-thirds of the Rokeby share,sold to Everett and Clowes, Jan. 1st, 1714, the sixth part of hisinterest for 83L 6S, excepting two tracts, one of which containedthree thousand seven hundred and six acres. This tract wasprincipally in the present town of Chester, and embraced the siteon which he had made settlement and erected a stone dwelling, and towhich he had given the name of "Gray Court."

4. Ann Bridges sold to John Van Horne, merchant, of New York, July4th, 1705, all the equal undivided twelfth part held by her husband,Dr. John Bridges for the sum of 250 pounds. Van Horne was also thepurchaser of a part or the whole of another share and sold to Everettand Clowes one-sixth part of one-sixth of one-thirteenth part for58L 6S 8D. Amity was in Bridges's parcel.

5. Daniel Honan sold to John Merritt, 1705, all his twelfth part.Margery Merritt widow, and John Merritt, son, sold to AdrianHoaglandt one-half and to Anthony Rutgers one-half. Rutgers sold toEverett and Clowes one-twelfth of his half, and Anna, widow ofHoaglandt, sold to the same parties one-twelfth, the latter, April12, 1714, for 75 pounds.

6. Derrick Vandenburgh died holding his original share, and his wife,Rymerich and his son Henry, his heirs, sold the same to EliasBoudinot, Aug. 8, 1707. Boudinot sold his entire share to Clowes,Oct. 27th, 1713, for 355 pounds. This parcel embraced what is calledin the old deeds the "Florida tract;" the name "Florida" is stillretained.

7. John Cholwell sold his twelfth part to Adrian Hoaglandt, Oct. 5th,1706 for 350 pounds. Anna Hoaglandt, his widow, sold to Everett andClowes one-sixth of the share, and the remainder descended toChristopher Banker and Elizabeth his wife, James Renant and Bertilje,his wife, Petrus Rutgers and Helena his wife, her heirs.

8. John Merritt held his share at the time of his death, and hisheirs, Margery Meritt, widow, and John Merritt, eldest son, soldone-half to Adrian Hoaglandt. John (then a resident of New London)sold to John Everett, Feb. 25th, 1714, the remaining half for 120pounds.

9. Benjamin Aske sold to Everett and Clowes, July 20th, 1714,one-sixth of his thirteenth part for 50 pounds. He subsequently solda portion to Lawrence Decker, Feb 28th, 1719, another to ThomasBlain, May 20th, 1721; and another to Thomas DeKay, Dec. 8th 1724.In all cases the land conveyed is described as part of his farm,called Warwick and in all cases the parties to whom the deeds weremade were described as residents of the county and upon the landconveyed.

10. Lancaster Symes sold to Everett and Clowes, July 20th, 1714,one-sixth of his thirteenth part for 50 pounds.

11. Peter Matthews, then living in Albany, sold all his thirteenthpart to Clowes Feb. 11th, 1713, for 200 pounds.

12. Christopher Denne sold, July 20th, 1714, to Clowes and Everettone-sixth of his share for 50 pounds. He also sold to Robert Brownthree hundred and ten acres Sept. 3rd, 1721. Elizabeth Denne sold toWilliam Mapes, Joseph Allison, John Yelverton, Ebenezer Holley,Joseph Sears, John Green, and John Worley, the Mapes deed bearingdate March 1st, 1729. The remainder of her interest in the patentpassed by her will to Sarah Jones, spinster, of New York, andVincent Matthews. Sarah Jones afterwards married Thomas Brown.

13. Dr. Samuel Staat's thirteenth part descended to his children,Gerturv wife of Andries Codymus; Sarah, wife of Isaac Gouverneur;Catalyria wife of Stevanus Van Cortlandt; Anna, wife of PhilipSchuyler; Johanna White, widow; and Tryntie Staats, who sold toClowes and Everett one-sixth of said part for 50 pounds, Sept. 2,1720.

By these conveyances Everett and Clowes came into possession of landsequaling four of the thirteen parts, and, as required by the terms oftheir deeds, laid out the township of Goshen in 1714, dividing itinto farms and opening roads, and assigned 200 acres of land for thesupport of a minister.

Some of the first settlers—those of 1714—were: Michael DunningJohannes Wesner, Solomon Carpenter, Abraham Finch, Samuel Seeley andJohn Holley.

The most prolonged and bitter contest of titles was between settlersof Orange County, mostly in the original Minisink region, andsettlers of Northern New Jersey. This was continued for sixty-sevenyears with occasional border frays. The dispute had reference to theboundary line between New York and New Jersey. King Charles II ofEngland in March, 1663, gave to his brother, the Duke of York,a patent of all lands "from the west side of the Connecticut Riverto the east side of Delaware Bay." The following year in June theDuke of York granted release of all the territory now known as NewJersey to Lord Berkley and Sir George Carteret. The northern line asdescribed in this grant extended from "the northwardmost branch" ofthe Delaware River, "which is in latitude 41 degrees 40 minutes andcrosseth over thence in a straight line to the latitude 41 degreeson Hudson's River." Sir Carteret took the east half of the provinceand Lord Berkley the west half. In 1673 the Dutch reconquered NewYork from the English, but on February 9, 1674, in a treaty of peacebetween the two nations, it was restored to England. Sir Carteretimmediately took the precaution to have a new patent made out, whichdefined the boundaries in about the same general terms as before.Then came controversies as to which should be called "thenorthwardmost branch" of the Delaware. The point of 41 degrees onthe Hudson was agreed to, but the New Yorkers insisted that the lineshould touch the Delaware at the southern extremity of Big Minisinkisland, and the Jerseymen {sic} that the point should be a little south ofthe present Cochecton. This difference made the disputed triangularterritory several miles wide at the west end. Under the New Jerseygovernment the land was parceled out in tracts to various persons,and when these came to take possession the men who had settled uponthem long before, resolutely maintained their claims. In the borderwar that resulted numbers of the Minisink people were captured andconfined in New Jersey prisons. The first series of engagementsresulted from efforts to obtain possession of the lands of a Mr.Swartwout, who was a major in the militia of Orange County. One daythe Jerseymen {sic} surprised him and put his family and household goodsout doors. He went to Goshen for help, and a formidable companyreturning back with him, they in turn put the New Jersey occupantsand their goods out of the house, and restored it to the major.

Then a spy was employed to watch the Jerseymen, and through theinformation which he continually furnished, their future operationswere generally frustrated. About 1740 the "Jersey lines" madeanother attempt upon the major and his possessions, but they wereanticipated and driven or frightened back, no one, however, beingkilled. In 1753 a Jersey raid was made to get possession of thelands of Thomas De Key, colonel of the Orange County militia and ajustice of the peace. He tried to negotiate with them, and inducethem to wait until the boundary question was determined, but theyrefused, and he then barricaded himself in his house, and threatenedto shoot the first man who tried to enter, and they finally retiredvowing that they would bring a larger force. The last important raidwas in 1765, on a Sunday, when the Jerseymen came in considerableforce resolved to capture Major and Captain Westbrook. Theysurrounded the church where the Westbrooks were worshiping, and whenthe service was over there was a fight, amid the screams and sobs ofwomen, with fists and feet, in which the Jerseymen, being the morenumerous, conquered and captured the Westbrooks. They were confinedin the Jersey colony prison awhile, and then released.

In 1767 hostilities were suspended, and commissioners were appointedto run a boundary line, and soon afterward the territory wassurveyed, and about equally divided between the claimants, and peacethenceforth was established between the two sections.

In 1683, when the county was organized, it did not contain more thantwenty families. In 1698 a first census was ordered by GovernorBellmont, and it showed the population to consist of 20 men, 31women, 140 children and 19 negro slaves. In 1860 the population hadincreased to 63,812; in 1880, it was 88,220; in 1900, 103,850; andaccording to the last census of 1905, our population was 108,267.

CHAPTER IV.

TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY.

Orange County is unsurpassed by any other in the Empire State invariety of surface features and picturesque beauty of scenery. It hasmountain ranges and extended ridges, streams with wide and narrowvalleys, and is dotted with lakes and ponds. Along the mountain linesare a few lofty peaks, and there are many isolated hills and rockyprecipices. Parts of its boundaries are the Hudson River on thenortheast, the Delaware and Mongaup Rivers on the west, and theShawangunk Kill on the northwest. Near the center the Wallkill windsalong its rich valley into Ulster County, and thence into the Hudson.Its principal tributary on the northwest is Rutgers Creek—which alsohas several tributaries—and others are Monhagen Creek, MechanicstownCreek and Shawangunk Kill. On the southwest it gathers in the watersof Warwick Creek—which is swollen by smaller streams in itscourse—and also Quaker, Rio Grande, and Tin Brook Creeks. The OtterKill flows easterly from Chester into the Hudson. The Neversink flowsfrom Sullivan County through the town of Deer Park, and becomes atributary of the Hudson. The course of the Ramapo is southerly fromRound Pond in Monroe to Rockland County, and it is fed by severalother ponds. Other streams, large and small, are numerous.

The central portion of the county consists of rolling uplands brokenby deep valleys. The most prominent of the mountain ranges are theHighlands along its eastern border. Their loftiest peak, Butter Hill,is 1,524 feet high, precipitous on the river side, and sloping on thenorth. Another name given to it is Storm King, because cloudsoccasionally gather there from different directions and concentratein storms of rain and lightning. Cro'-nest {sic} adjoins it on the south,and is 1,418 feet above the Hudson. Bare Mountain is next, with aheight of 1,350 feet. Mount Independence, with Fort Putnam on itssummit, is the background of the West Point plateau. Other well knownhills are in this broken range, where Arnold, the traitor, conferredwith Andre, the spy, and is more intimately identified with themilitary history of the country than any other mountain region. Ithas been written of Butter Hill and Cro'-nest that "they have a charmwhich might induce a man to live in their shadow for no other purposethan to have them always before him, day and night, to study theirever-changing beauty."

The Shawangunk Mountains are a spur of the Alleghenies stretchingnortheast across the western angle of the county. They are lessbroken than the Highlands, and not so high as the Catskills, but ofthe same general formation. The western side is precipitous, but theeastern is sloping, and some of its lands are very fertile, producingsweet grasses from which much of the famous Orange County butter hasbeen made. The peaks rise from 1,400 to 1,800 feet above tide water.This range was the original dividing line between the Wawayanda andChesekook patents.

The Schunnemunk range is on the dividing line of the towns of Monroeand Blooming Grove and a part of that of Blooming Grove and Cornwall.An accepted descriptive phrase for the range is, "the high hills westof the Highlands." North of it, in New Windsor and Newburgh, isMuchattoes hill, west of it Woodco*ck hill, and southwest of thelatter are Round, Mosquito, Rainer's and Peddler's hills; also TornRocks, which rise in two rocky peaks 200 feet high. To the southwest,in the town of Warwick, are the Bellvale Mountains, and south ofthese the Sterling Mountains. Several other mountainous elevationsin Warwick and Woodbury punctuate this part of the county and alsothe border country on the west. The feet of Pochuck Mountain are inthe Drowned Lands, and northerly in Warwick are Mounts Adam and Eve,with Adam looking down from his superior height upon the longer Eve.Easterly, in Chester, is Sugar Loaf Mountain, and west of this isMount Lookout, the principal elevation of Goshen. With the furthermention of Mount William and Point Peter, looking down upon PortJervis, let us clip the long list of Orange County elevations.

Valleys connect mountains and hills. That of the Delaware River,along the border of Deer Park, is narrow and irregular, being muchbroken by tributaries and mountains. The most of the cultivatedlands of Deer Park are along the Neversink valley. The valley of theWallkill is wide, fertile and beautiful its bottom lands are amongthe best in the State, and its farmers are prosperous and thrifty.Wide flats, gradual slopes and steep declivities give variety of soiland scenery to the Otterkill valley, and much of its scenery ischarming. The same may be said of its tributary, Cromeline Creek.Sugar Loaf valley extends from Sugar Loaf Mountain to the village ofWarwick, taking in Wickham Pond in its course, and extending intoNew Jersey. Smith's Clove, extending from Highland Mills to theRamapo valley, should be mentioned because it was the birthplace ofChief Justice William Smith, his brother, John Hett Smith, and thenotorious Tories, Claudius Smith and his two sons.

One cannot travel far in Orange County in most directions withoutcoming upon a lake or a pond, and there are dozens of them in thesoutheastern section. These feed its many streams, and when Eagerwrote his history he said there was not one town in the county thathad not water power to some extent. Beginning in the northern part ofthe Highlands in Cornwall the lake-and-pond system extends throughthe towns of Highland and Monroe to Greenwood Lake, thence west andnorth to Big Meadow Pond in the Highlands. Greenwood Lake, inWarwick, is the largest body of water in the county. It is about ninemiles long and one wide, is partly in New Jersey, and is a feeder forthe Morris Canal. Sutherland's Pond, half a mile long, southeast fromCro'-nest Mountain, has an outlet which runs into Murderer's Creek.Big Meadow Pond, in Highlands, covers about 300 acres, and its outletpours over the rocks of Buttermilk Falls. The waters of Round Pondflow into Long Pond under a natural bridge about 80 feet wide, butthe stream is lost sight of until it emerges on the other side. Thisis similar to the outlet of Washington Lake in New Windsor, whichemerges at Trout-hole and there becomes a fall of forty feet.Sterling Lake, at the beginning of the Warwick series, covers aboutsixty acres, and in 1751 iron works were established at its outlet.Round Pond, in Wawayanda, is in shape what its name implies, has novisible outlet, its water is clear, pure and deep, and it is about amile in circumference. Thompson's Pond, in the northwestern part ofWarwick, covers about 100 acres, feeds Quaker's Creek, and thisoutlet furnishes power for mills. Orange Lake, in Newburgh, coversabout 100 acres. But all the lakes and ponds of Orange are too manyto be named. They are almost as interesting a feature of the countyas its streams.

Orange County is richer in alluviums than any other in the State,as they cover about 40,000 acres. The "Drowned Lands," as they wereformerly called, include about forty square miles, and are partly inNew Jersey, but mostly in New York, extending in Orange from CheeunkOutlet in Goshen through Wawayanda and Minisink to the New Jerseyline, and covering about 17,000 acres. They contain a number offertile islands, and thousands of acres of the waste lands have beenrecovered by means of an artificial outlet, which, at first a mereditch, has been deepened and widened by the flowing water until theprincipal flow is through it. These recovered lands are rich andproductive. They are belted by the Wallkill and three creeks, and theWallkill's course through them is long because so crooked. The GrayCourt meadows extend from near Craigville in Blooming Grove into thenorthern part of Chester, and embrace about 500 acres, which arenearly all under cultivation and very productive. They are drained byCromeline Creek. The Black Meadows, in Chester and Warwick, are about1,000 acres in extent, and Black Meadow Creek flows through them.Long Swamp, in Warwick, also contains about 1,000 acres, and isdrained into New Jersey. Great Pine Swamp extends northward fromHowells on the Erie railroad seven miles in the town of Wallkill, andembraces many oases and cultivated farms. There are several otherscattered areas of swamp lands. In the marl and peat beds in severallocalities many bones of the extinct mastodon have been found,including two complete skeletons. One of the latter was taken from abed near Coldenham in 1845, and weighed 1,995 pounds, and the otherfrom a bed in the town of Mt. Hope, and weighed 1,700 pounds.

The topography of the county has been changed somewhat by itsrailroads, of which there are 250 miles, not including doubletrackage or trolley roads. The following places in towns extendingacross the county have each direct railroad communication north,east, south and west: Port Jervis, Middletown, Campbell Hall, Goshen,Chester and Newburgh. The wagon roads are numerous, generally good,and are charming arteries for carriages and automobiles.

The geology of Orange County is as varied as its topography. Alongthe eastern feet of the Shawangunk Mountains are Heidelberglimestones, gray and Medina sandstones, shales and grits, and themountain rocks are mostly sandstones, shales and grits. The gritsextend along the top of the range through the county and are from 60to 150 feet thick. Heidelberg limestone extends from the Mamakatingvalley to the Delaware River. Grit and red rocks are on the west sideof Greenwood Lake, and grit of various colors extends from Round Hillto Woodco*ck Mountain, and is also found in the southwest base of theSchunnemunk range and in Pine Hill. Grawacke is the rock on thesoutheast side of the Bellvale range in Warwick, and is found in thetown of Blooming Grove in the Schunnemunk range. The Hudson Rivergroup occupies a large part of the surface of the county, andconsists of slates, shales, grits, limestones, breccias andconglomerates. It extends from the Hudson River through Warwick tothe Jersey line, and from the Hudson at Cornwall Landing to fourmiles above Newburgh. It is stratified with grawacke and grawackeslate. It forms the surface rock of the most of Goshen and BloomingGrove, and parts of Cornwall, New Windsor, Newburgh, Montgomery,Hamptonburgh, Crawford, Wallkill, Mt. Hope and Minisink. Dark Uticaslate is found on the banks of the Hudson near Newburgh. Trentonlimestone appears in Hamptonburgh near Mount Lookout, and thismountain is composed of Black River limestone, which is also found onBig Island in the Drowned Lands and in Minisink. There is a bed ofblue limestone about a mile wide extending from the Hudson atHampton southeasterly through Newburgh into New Windsor. It is alsofound in the towns of Cornwall, Blooming Grove, Warwick, Monroe andGoshen. Oolitic limestone is on Big Island, near New Milford, and onPochunck Neck.

Slate rocks of the Taconic system are above Newburgh, and itslimestone between the Highlands and Grove Pond Mountain. Its whitelimestone appears in Warwick, where it is in narrow ridges separatedby other rocks. It is also found along the shore of the Drowned Landsat Amity, and near Fort Montgomery in the Highlands, from which itmay be traced by way of Little Pond across the Ramapo. In somelocalities it is so white as to be translucent. Many differentminerals are found in it.

The primary rocks of the county consist of gneiss, hornblende,granite, sienite, limestone, serpentine, angite and trappeau. Theyextend over parts of several towns, and several mountains and hillsare composed of them. Granite is found at the foot of Butter Hill,sienite at Butter Hill and on the east side of Bare Mountain at WestPoint, gneiss along the Highlands, mica and slate north of FortMontgomery, angite rock between West Point and Round Pond and atseveral points in Monroe, greenstone trap at Tuxedo Pond, granularlimestone at Cro'-nest and Butter Hill. Quartz rock and hornblendeare all along the Highlands and in Monroe and Warwick. Crystallineserpentine is in the white limestone in Warwick, serpolite at Amity,yellow garnet at Edenville, soapstone in Monroe. Large sheets ofmica are found southwest of the Forshee iron mine in Monroe, and inthis mine, which embraces an entire hill, are red garnet, browntremoline, carbonate of copper, serpentine, cocolite and umber. Inthe O'Neil mine, half a mile northeast of the Forshee mine, arecrystallized magnetic ore, magnetic and copper pyrites, carbonate ofcopper, serpentine, amianthus, asbestos, brown and rhombic spars,angite, cocolite, feldspar and mica.

There are beds of arsenical and titanium ores in Warwick and a bed ofhemolite ore near Canterbury village. Magnetic oxide of iron aboundsin the primitive rocks of the Highlands, and at West Point isassociated with hornblende. Beds of lead have been opened atEdenville and in the towns of Mt. Hope and Deer Park, and zinc andcopper ores have been found in small quantities. The Sterling ironbed in Monroe, which was opened in 1781, extends over about thirtyacres, and has produced so strong an ore that it has been much usedin the manufacture of cannon. There are a number of other iron mines.Searches for the traditional silver, gold, lead and tin mines havebeen without satisfactory results.

Many evidences of glacial action in Orange County include masses ofboulders scattered in places throughout the county. These are mostlyof granite and gneiss, and there is occasionally one of grawacke. Theeastern slope of the Shawangunk Mountains gives evidence of thepassage there of an enormous glacier, which ground the rocks into therich soil that has been cultivated there for 200 years. Some of thecounty's drift deposits are valuable for casting, brick and potterymaking, lithographic stones and glass.

The soil of the semicircular plateau from the Highlands of the Hudsonto the Dans Kamer is mostly a mixture of gravel, sand and clay, whichform a warm and fertile loam. That of the wide Wallkill valley isalluvium mixed with clay, sand and gravel and is easily worked andrichly productive. So is the soil brought down from the hills in thetown of Deer Park. The lands on the islands of the Drowned Lands areamong the richest in the county. The alluvium of the Otterkill is asandy and gravelly loam. In other sections of the county there is analternating variety of soils, rich, medium and poor.

CHAPTER V.

EARLY GOVERNMENT

Until after the conquest of New York by the English in 1664 Hollandmethods of government, with a local government for each town,prevailed. The next year the English introduced courts and sheriffs.In 1682 Thomas Dongan was appointed governor, with directions toorganize a council of not more than ten "eminent inhabitants," andissue writs for the election by freeholders of a general assembly,the members of which should consult with the governor and hiscouncil as to what laws were necessary for the good government ofthe province. The first meeting of the first general assembly was inNew York in 1683, and it passed fourteen acts, which were assented toby the governor and his council. One of them established twelvecounties, as follows: New York, Kings, Queens, Suffolk, Richmond,Westchester, Albany, Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, Duke's and Cornwall.

Except Orange, to be in the care of New York, and Ulster, to be inthe care of Dutchess, the counties were to be entitled torepresentation in future general assemblies. Another act establishedtown courts to be held for the trial of minor cases each month;county courts and courts of sessions, to be held quarterly orhalf-yearly; a general court of oyer and terminer, with originaland appellate power, to be held twice a year in each county; and acourt of chancery, or supreme court, composed of the governor andhis council, for which the governor was empowered to deputize achancellor to act in his place.

This was the system of administering justice eight years. Then, in1691, Courts of Justices of Peace were organized in each town, andCourts of Common Pleas for each county. In 1701 an act was passedrequiring justices of the peace in each county to meet once a yearat a Court of Sessions, to examine and allow necessary chargesagainst the county and its towns.

There were supervisors, assessors and collectors in each town fromthe first, and in 1691 the freeholders of each town were empowered tochoose three surveyors to lay out and look after highways and fences,and also to ordain laws and rules for the improvement of village,pasturage and other lands.

Such were the laws which directed the early administration ofgovernment in Orange County.

For many years previous to 1701 Orange County shared in seriouscorruptions and frauds which were prevalent in the province. TheAssembly which convened in 1698 was so turbulent and brought so muchconfusion into its councils that Governor Bellomont, who succeededGovernor Fletcher that year, dissolved it and ordered a new election,taking care that the untrustworthy sheriffs of his predecessor wereretired from the management. Protests were made to the King, butwithout avail. The Governor had been clothed with power to correctabuses, to veto any law, and "to adjourn, prorogue and dissolve theAssembly." The new Assembly, which consisted of seven Englishmen andfourteen Dutchmen, instituted some important reforms. It nullifiedgrants to large tracts of lands, regulated election methods, andprovided punishments for frauds. Unfortunately Governor Bellomontdied in 1701, before some of his plans could be carried into effect,and Lord Cornbury was appointed as his successor, and acquired thedistinction of being "the worst of all the Governors under theEnglish crown." He was notoriously ill-mannered, dishonest,rapacious, and openly vicious. The Assembly refused grants of moneywhich he asked for, and asserted the rights of the people, declaringthat they could not "be justly divested of their property withouttheir consent." Thus began in New York the preliminary struggle whichbrought on the Revolution, ending in the establishment of theRepublic, in which the representatives of Orange earnestly assisted.

The first sessions of the Court of Common Pleas and of justices ofthe peace as a Board of Supervisors were held in Orangetown in April,1703. The court justices were William Merritt and John Merritt. Thesupervisors were William and John Merritt, Cornelius Cypher, TunisVan Ronton, Thomas Burroughs and Michael Hawdon. The sheriff was JohnPerry, the clerk was William Haddleston, and the constable wasConradt Hanson. Orange and Ulster County people were then required todo their surrogate business in New York. This was continued until1751, when the Court of Common Pleas of the county was empowered totake proof of wills and grant letters of administration. The Court ofCommon Pleas was an institution of the county until 1847, when theCounty Court was substituted. The Supreme Court began holdingsessions in Orange in 1704, and was succeeded by Circuit Courtsestablished under the Constitution of 1821, as these were by thejudicial system of 1846, consisting of a Supreme Court, CircuitCourt, and Court of Oyer and Terminer. Surrogate's Courts were notestablished until 1854. In 1727 the original county was divided intotwo court districts, and the sessions were held alternately inOrangetown and Goshen, the former being the shire town. Not until1798 was Goshen made the shire town, when the sessions alternatedbetween Goshen and Newburgh, an arrangement which still continues.

The first public buildings for the original county were constructedat Orangetown in 1703. In 1740 a building of wood and stone forcourt house and jail was erected in Goshen, at a cost of 100 pounds,and was torn down about 1776. a new stone court-house having beenerected in 1773 to take its place, at a cost of 1,400 pounds. The oldOrange court-house had been replaced by a new structure in 1704, andsome years afterward was destroyed by fire. The Goshen building cameinto the present county when it was reorganized under the Act of1775. It was two stories high, with a court-room on the second floor,and on the first a sheriff's office and dwelling, and a dungeon forprisoners. During the Revolution Tories and war prisoners wereconfined in it, one of them being John Hett Smith, arrested forcomplicity in Arnold's treason, and who managed to escape. A thirdstory was added to this building about 1800, and on the new floorwere a main jail room, a dungeon with one grated window which couldbe completely darkened, and three other rooms for the county clerk,surrogate and jailer respectively. Above were a cupola and bell.Court-houses were erected in Goshen and Newburgh in 1842, byauthority of an act of the Legislature, the Newburgh building at acost of $17,000 and the Goshen building at a cost of $13,000. Thelatter structure has been completely remodeled lately, and is now afine, up-to-date building. The county clerk's office in Goshen—aone-story brick building—was constructed in 1851. and the buildingthere for the surrogate and supervisors in 1874, at a cost of $7,400.

The county house for the poor, four miles south of Goshen, was builtin 1830 at a cost of $11,000 for the building and $1,000 for 128acres of land. The building has since been improved and is now 50 by100 feet and 3-1/2 stories high. In 1848 a building for the insanewas added, which is 30 by 50 feet, and in 1865 a separate buildingfor colored people was erected. In 1875 another building for thechronic insane was erected, the cost of which was $20,000, and itsdimensions 80 by 40 feet and 4-1/2 stories high. The farm has beenincreased to 263 acres, 200 of which are tillable, and has beenprovided with the requisite outbuildings.

CHAPTER VI.

EARLY MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS.

In the section of Orange County taken from Ulster the first twocompanies of militia were organized before 1738. The regiment towhich they were attached consisted of nine companies, located asfollows: Kingston 3, Marbletown 1, Wallkill 1, Hurley 1, Rochester 1,New Paltz 1, Highlands 1.

The regimental officers were: Colonel, A. Gaasbeck Chambers;lieutenant-colonel, Wessel Ten Broeck; major, Coenradt F. Elmendorf;quartermaster, Cornelius Elmendorf.

The following lists give the names of the officers and privates inthe territory which is now a part of Orange County:

Foot Company of the Highlands.

Officers: Captain, Thomas Ellison; ensign, John Young; sergeants,David Davids, Moses Gariston, P. McCloghery; corporals, JacobusBruyn, James Stringham; Jonah Hazard; clerk, Charles Clinton.

The names of the privates were as follows:

Total, 85.

Company of the Wallkill.

Officers: Captain, John Bayard; lieutenant, William Borland; ensign,William Kelso; sergeant, John Newkirk; corporal, John Miller.

The names of the privates were as follows:

Total, 114.

The following, found in the records of the original County of Orange,is entitled "A List of Officers Belonging to the Regiment of FootMilitia in the County of Orange, in the Province of New York," and isdated June 20, 1738:

Officers of Foot Militia.

Colonel, Vincent Mathews; lieutenant-colonel, Solomon Carpenter;major, George Remsen; adjutant, Michael Jackson; quartermaster, JamesThompson.

First Company: Captain, Ram. Remsen; lieutenant, Cornelius Smith;ensign, Ebenezer Smith. Three sergeants, three corporals, onedrummer, sixty-three private men. In all, 73.

Second Company: Captain, Samuel Odell; lieutenant, Henry Cuyper;ensign, Benjamin Allison. Three sergeants, three corporals, onedrummer, fifty-eight private men. In all, 68.

Third Company: Captain, John Holly; lieutenant, Michael Dunning;ensign, Sol. Carpenter, Jr. Three sergeants, three corporals,one drummer, one hundred and eleven private men. In all, 121.

Fourth Company: Captain, Jacobus Swartwout; lieutenant, JohannesWestbrook; ensign, Johannes Westbrook, Jr. Three sergeants,three corporals, one drummer, fifty-five private men. In all, 65.

Fifth Company: Captain, Nathaniel Du Bois: lieutenant, DavidSoutherland; ensign, Isaac Hennion. Three sergeants, three corporals,one drummer, sixty-three private men. In all, 73.

Sixth Company: Captain, Abraham Haring, Jr.; lieutenant, GarretBeanvelt; ensign, John Haring. Three sergeants, three corporals, onedrummer, sixty-two private men. In all, 72.

Seventh Company: Captain, Jacob Vanderbilt; lieutenant, AndrewOnderdonk; ensign, Aaron Smith. Three sergeants, three corporals, onedrummer, fifty private men. In all, 60.

Troop of Horse: Captain, Henry Youngs; lieutenant, William Mapes;cornet, Michael Jackson. Two sergeants, two corporals, one trumpeter,fifty-two private men. In all, 60.

Total officers and soldiers, 595; sub-officers, 56 foot.

In 1756 the Ulster regiment was divided into two regiments. Kingstonwas included in the northern one, and the southern was embraced inthe precincts of Highlands, Wallkill and Shawangunk. These regimentstook part in the French and Indian War.

In September, 1773, the officers of the Southern Regiment were:Colonel, Thomas Ellison; lieutenant-colonel, Charles Clinton; major,Cadwallader Colden, Jr.; adjutant, Johannes Jansen.

In 1775 the New York Provincial Congress passed a law for organizingmilitia which provided that counties, cities and precincts should bedivided, so that a company might be formed in each district toconsist of about 85 men, including officers, between the ages of 16and 50 years; that these should be formed into regiments of from fiveto ten companies each; that the regiments should be classed in sixbrigades, under a brigadier-general and brigade major, and theentire force should be commanded by a major-general.

The Fourth Brigade when formed consisted of five Orange Countyregiments, the colonels of which were William Allison of Goshen,Jesse Woodhull of Cornwall, John Hathorn of Warwick, A. Hawkes Hay ofOrangetown, and Abraham Lent of Haverstraw. The four Ulster Countyregiments were commanded by Johannes Hardenberg of Kingston, JamesClinton of New Windsor, Lee Pawling of Marbletown, and JonathanHasbrouck of Newburgh.

Colonel Allison's regimental district consisted of Goshen and thewestern part of Orange County. Colonel Hathorn's of Warwick and thesouthern section, Colonel Woodhulls of Cornwall (then includingMonroe and Blooming Grove), Colonel Hasbrouck's of Newburgh,Marlborough and Shawangunk, and Colonel Clinton's of Windsor,Montgomery, Crawford and Wallkill. The other four regiments belongedto territory now outside of the county.

Colonel Allison's Regiment.

William Allison, colonel; Benjamin Tusten, lieutenant-colonel.

Goshen Company, 1775: George Thompson, captain; Joseph Wood and CoeGale, lieutenants; Daniel Everett, Jr., ensign. In 1776 LieutenantCoe and Ensign Everett were transferred to a minute company, and intheir places William Thompson was appointed second lieutenant andPhineas Case, ensign.

Wawayanda Company, 1775: William Blair, captain; Thomas Wisner andThomas Sayne, Jr., lieutenants; Richard Johnson, ensign.

Drowned Lands Company, 1775: Samuel Jones, Jr., captain; Peter Galeand Jacob Dunning, lieutenants; Samuel Webb, ensign.

Chester Company, 1775: John Jackson, captain; John Wood and JamesMiller, lieutenants; James Parshal, ensign.

Pochuck Company, 1775: Ebenezer Owen, captain; Increase Holly andJohn Bronson, lieutenants; David Rogers, ensign. In 1776: IncreaseHolly, captain; David Rogers and James Wright, lieutenants; CharlesKnapp, ensign.

Wallkill Company, 1775: Gilbert Bradner, captain; Joshua Davis andJames Dolson, lieutenants; Daniel Finch, ensign.

Minisink Company, 1775: Moses Kortright, captain: Jolin Van Tileand Johannes Decker, lieutenants; Ephraim Medaugh, ensign. In 1777Martinus Decker became second lieutenant vice Johannes Decker.

Colonel Hathorn's Regiment.

John Hathorn, colonel.

Warwick Company, 1775: Charles Beardsley, captain; Richard Wellingand Samuel Lobdell, lieutenants; John Price, ensign. In 1776 JohnMinthorn became captain in place of Beardsley, deceased; NathanielKetcham and George Vance, lieutenants; John Benedict, ensign.

Pond Company, 1775: Henry Wisner, Jr., captain; Abraham Dolson, Jr.,and Peter Bartholf, lieutenants; Matthew Dolson, ensign. In 1776:Abraham Dolson, Jr., captain; Peter Bartholf and John Hopper,lieutenants; Mathias Dolson, ensign. In 1777: Peter Bartholf,captain; John De Bow and Anthony Finn, lieutenants; Joseph Jewell,ensign.

Sterling Company, 1776: John Norman, captain; Solomon Finch andWilliam Fitzgerald, lieutenants; Elisha Bennett, ensign. In 1777:Henry Townsend, captain; William Fitzgerald and Elisha Bennett,lieutenants; Joseph Conkling, ensign.

Florida Company, 1775: Nathaniel Elmer, captain; John Popino, Jr.,and John Sayre, lieutenants; Richard Bailey, ensign. In 1776: JohnKennedy, lieutenant, vice Popino. In 1777: John Sayre, captain;John Kennedy and Richard Bailey, lieutenants; John Wood, ensign.

Wantage Company, 1775: Daniel Rosekrans, captain; Janus Clark andJacob Gale, lieutenants; Samuel Cole, ensign.

Colonel Wooodhull's Regiment.

Jesse Woodhull, colonel; Elihu Marvin, lieutenant-colonel; NathanielStrong and Zachariah Du Bois, majors: William Moffat, adjutant;Nathaniel Satterly, quartermaster.

Oxford Company, 1775: Archibald Little, captain; Birdseye Youngs andThomas Horton, lieutenants; Nathan Marvin, ensign. In 1777: ThomasHorton, captain; Josiah Seeley, first lieutenant; Nathan Marvin,second lieutenant; Barnabas Horton, Jr., ensign.

Clove Company, 1775: Jonathan Tuthill, captain; John Brewster, Jr.,and Samuel Strong, lieutenants; Francis Brewster, ensign.

Bethlehem Company, 1775: Christopher Van Duzer, captain; William Roeand Obadiah Smith, lieutenants; Isaac Tobias, ensign. In 1776:Gilbert Weeks, ensign.

Upper Clove Company, 1775: Garrett Miller, captain; Asa Buck andWilliam Horton, lieutenants; Aaron Miller, ensign.

Woodbury Clove Company, 1775: Francis Smith, captain; Thomas Smithand Alexander Galloway, lieutenants; John McManus, ensign. In 1776:John McManus, second lieutenant; Thomas Lammoreux, ensign.

Southwest Company, 1775: Stephen Slote, captain; George Galloway andJohn Brown, lieutenants; David Rogers, ensign.

Blooming Grove Company, 1775: Silas Pierson, captain; Joshua Brownand David Reeve, lieutenants; Phineas Heard, ensign.

Light Horse Company, 1776: Ebenezer Woodhull, captain; James Sayre,lieutenant; William Heard, cornet; Azariah Martin, second master.

Colonel Hasbrouck's Regiment.

Jonathan Hasbrouck, colonel; Johannes Hardenburgh, Jr.,lieutenant-colonel; Johannes Jansen, Jr., and Lewis Du Bois, majors;Abraham Schoonmaker, adjutant; Isaac Belknap, quartermaster.

Clark's Newburgh Company, June 8, 1788: Samuel Clark, captain; JamesDenton and Martin Wygant, lieutenants; Munson Ward, ensign; WilliamAlbertson, Isaac Brown, Ebenezer Gidney and Hope Mills, sergeants;Hugh Stevenson, Isaac Demott, John Simson and William Palmer,corporals; Sol Buckingham, drummer.

Conklin's Newburgh Company, May 4, 1778: Jacob Conklin, captain;Jacob Lawrence and David Guion, lieutenants; John Crowell, ensign;Robert Erwin, Robert Ross, John Lawrence and Abraham Strickland,sergeants; Jacob Strickland, corporal; Abraham Smith, drummer.

Smith's Newburgh Company, April 24, 1779: Arthur Smith, captain;Isaac Fowler and John Foster, lieutenants; William Conklin, JohnKniffin, James Clark and Reuben Holmes, sergeants; William Smith,William Michael and Samuel Griggs, corporals.

Colonel Clinton's Regiment.

James Clinton, colonel; James McClaughry, lieutenant-colonel; JacobNewkirk and Moses Phillips, majors; George Denniston, adjutant;Alexander Trimble, quartermaster.

Eastern New Windsor Company, 1775: John Belknap, captain; Silas Woodand Edward Falls, lieutenants; James Stickney, ensign.

Western New Windsor Company, 1776: James Humphrey, captain; JamesKarnaghan, second lieutenant; Richard Wood, ensign.

New Windsor Village Company, 1775: John Nicoll, captain; FrancisMandeville and Hezekiah White, lieutenants; Leonard D. Nicoll,ensign.

First Hanover Company, 1775: Matthew Felter, captain; Henry Smith andJohannes Newkirk, Jr., lieutenants; William Crist, ensign.

Second Hanover Company, 1775: William Jackson, captain; Arthur Parksand James McBride, lieutenants; Andrew Neeley, ensign.

Third Hanover Company, 1775: Cadwallader C. Colden, captain; JamesMilligan and John Hunter, lieutenants; Matthew Hunter, ensign.

Fourth Hanover Company, 1775: John J. Graham, captain; Samuel Barkleyand Joseph Crawford, lieutenants; James McCurdy, ensign.

Fifth Hanover Company, 1775: John Gillespie, captain; Jason Wilkinsand Robert Hunter, Jr., lieutenants; Samuel Gillespie, ensign.

First Wallkill Company, 1775: Samuel Watkins, captain; David Crawfordand Stephen Harlow, lieutenants; Henry Smith, ensign.

Second Wallkill Company, 1775: William Faulkner, Jr., captain; EdwardMcNeal and John Wilkins, lieutenants; John Faulkner, ensign.

Third Wallkill Company, 1775: Isaiah Velie, captain; Israel Wickhamand John Dunning, lieutenants; Jonathan Owen, ensign.

Fourth Wallkill Company, 1775: William Denniston, captain; BenjaminVelie and Joseph Gillet, lieutenants; David Corwin, Jr., ensign.

Of the Hanover companies the First had been known as CaptainNewkirk's Company, the Second as Captain Goldsmith's, the Third asCaptain Colden's, the Fourth as Captain Crage's, and the Fifth asCaptain Galatian's.

Of Wallkill companies the First was located on the east side of theWallkill, the Second on the west side, between the Wallkill andLittle Shawangunk Kill, the Third south of the Second, between theWallkill and the Little Shawangunk, and the fourth northwest ofLittle Shawangunk Kill.

During the service of these organizations in the War of theRevolution there were many changes in the commands. They were homeguards. In case of alarm, invasion or insurrection, the companieswere instructed to march and oppose the enemy, and immediately sendan express to the commander of the regiment or brigade, who was tocontrol their movements.

Under a law passed by the Continental Congress in May, 1775, threecompanies of minute men were raised in the southern district ofUlster, with the following officers:

Newburgh Minute Company: Uriah Drake, captain; Jacob Lawrence andWilliam Ervin, lieutenants; Thomas Dunn, ensign.

New Windsor Minute Company: Samuel Logan, captain; John Robinson,ensign; David Mandeville and John Scofield, sergeants.

Hanover Minute Company: Peter Hill, captain; James Latta andNathaniel Hill, lieutenants; William Goodyear, ensign.

These companies and one organized in Marlborough formed a regimentwhich was officered as follows:

Thomas Palmer, colonel; Thomas Johnston, Jr., lieutenant-colonel;Arthur Parks, first major; Samuel Logan, second major; Isaac Belknap,quartermaster.

Another regiment was formed from two companies organized in Goshenand Cornwall, with the following officers:

Cornwall Minute Company: Thomas Moffat, captain; Seth Marvin andJames Little, lieutenants; Nathan Strong, ensign, who was succeededby William Bradley.

Goshen Minute Company: Moses Hetfield, captain; Cole Gale and DanielEverett, lieutenants. Later James Butler and William Barker werechosen lieutenants and William Carpenter ensign.

The officers of the regiment were:

Isaac Nicoll, colonel; Gilbert Cooper, lieutenant-colonel; Henry V.Verbeyck, first major; Hezekiah Howell, Jr., second major; EbenezerWoodhull, adjutant; Nehemiah Carpenter, quartermaster.

Both of these regiments of minute men were on duty in the Highlandsin 1775-6; but the system did not work satisfactorily, and in June,1776, Congress repealed the law.

Three drafts were made in 1776 to reinforce the army—in June, Julyand September. Under the first draft Orange County sent threecompanies and Ulster four to the vicinity of New York City, as a partof General John Morin Scott's Brigade. The second draft tookone-fourth of the militia under Colonels Nicoll and Pauling,constituting a brigade under General George Clinton. By the thirdsixty-two men were drawn from Colonel Hasbrouck's Regiment, and werea part of 600 men which reinforced the garrisons at Forts Clinton andMontgomery.

In July, 1776, companies of rangers were organized for the protectionof the frontiers, and three of them were raised in Ulster County,under Captains Isaac Belknap of Newburgh, Jacob De Witt of Deer Park,and Elias Hasbrouck of Kingston.

Of the four "Continental" Regiments organized in 1775 to serve sixmonths, the one commanded by Colonel James Clinton was largelycomposed of Orange and Ulster County men. Orange furnished twocompanies—Captain Daniel Denton's of Goshen and Captain JohnNicholson's of New Windsor. The four regiments were in the expeditionto Canada in 1775.

Under a call by Congress of January 8, 1776, for troops to reinforcethe army in Canada, New York furnished one battalion. A second callwas made on January 19, under which New York was required to furnishfour.

CHAPTER VII.

FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.

The French and Indian War was the result of rivalry between Franceand England for the possession of disputed territories in NorthAmerica, and the Indians along the Delaware and other frontiersbecame allies of the French because they believed they had beencheated by the English and Dutch colonists, and were stimulated tohostility against them by French agents.

In 1754 England directed her colonies to oppose with arms theencroachments of the French, although the two nations were then atpeace, and obedience to this command from the crown brought on thecruel war of 1755. In February of that year New York voted 40,000pounds sterling to defray war expenses, and ordered a levy of 800 mento co-operate with troops of other colonies in the impendingstruggle. The law also declared that slaves were liable to militaryduty, and if over 14 years of age they were forbidden to be foundmore than a mile from their master's residence without hiscertificate of permission, and "if one of them were so found anywhite person might kill him without being liable to prosecution."

Along the Delaware River the Indians had been complaining that thewhites appropriated lands which they had not bought, and by gettingthem drunk had defrauded them of the purchase money for their landsand their furs. These complaints led the Pennsylvania proprietariesto call a council, with the head chiefs of the Six Nations asarbitrators, and by bribing these chiefs with presents they obtainedfrom them a decision which obliged the Delawares, then wards of theSenecas, to give up their lands and move to Wyoming. Soon whitesfollowed them and bought in fraudulent ways their Wyoming lands. Thisangered the Senecas, and they drove away their chief who had aidedthe whites, and bade the Delawares defend their homes. The easternand western chiefs met at Allegheny, rehearsed their grievances, andresolved on vengeance. The bloody scenes that followed have seldombeen surpassed in barbarous cruelty and cunning, and the ravages ofthe Minsis were mostly confined to the western frontiers of Orangeand Ulster Counties within the limits of the original Minisinkpatent.

The settlers of the Minisink observed that the Indians there,including squads who had been friendly, had suddenly disappeared, andthe few that remained said they had gone west to join hostile tribes.Foreseeing trouble, some of the settlers sent their wives andchildren to places of comparative safety, and a well-settled regionon the west side of the Wallkill, eight by fifteen miles in extent,was abandoned, some of the residents moving to the east side andothers far away. Before they moved seven men and one woman had beenkilled by the Indians. In 1756, pending negotiations for peace, fourmen and two women were killed in the Minisink. Three of the men wentinto the harvest field with their guns and laid them down, whenconcealed Indians seized them, shot the men dead and scalped them.At Fort Westfall, which the Indians tried to capture by surprise,there was a fight in which several Indians and seven soldiers werekilled. A large party of Indians attacked the upper fort atNeversink, which was well garrisoned, but the fort took fire from aburning barn near it, and its inmates had to leave. Only one of themescaped the Indian bullets and tomahawks, and among the killed wasthe wife of the captain, who was absent. Only a colored woman, hiddenfrom view by the smoke, escaped. The captain returned a day or twoafterwards, and took an oath of vengeance by the grave of his wife.A man named Owen was killed by strolling Indians in Asa Dolsen'smeadow in the northwestern part of present Wawayanda, and Dolsenimmediately moved to Goshen. David Cooley lived near him, and hiswife was shot dead as she was walking from her house to an outdooroven. In 1758, on the New Jersey frontier, one day, when NicholasCole was absent from home, thirteen Indians rushed in, tomahawkedand scalped his two daughters and a son-in-law, and carried off hiswife and a young son. When Cole returned the Indians were followedand frightened, and allowed the wife and boy to escape. In June ofthe same year a sergeant and several men went from Wawarsingblock-house to Minisink, and not returning, a large party went insearch of them and found seven killed and scalped, and three wounded,and that a woman and four children had been carried off. About thistime a house containing seventeen persons was beset by Indians andall of them were killed. They carried off a little son of Mr.Westfall in Minisink, and he never saw his father again, but whenthe latter died, he came back with an interpreter after hisinheritance. The persuasions and pecuniary offers of his mothercould not induce him to abandon his life in the wilderness.

It was in 1758 that Governor Hardy caused a series of block-housesto be erected along the western frontier, which were a protectionfor the whites and a restraint to the Indians. In the latter part ofthat year negotiations with the head chief of the Delawares,Teedyusking, stopped hostilities for a time. The Minsis were paid fortheir lands in the Minisink, and the titles of the proprietarieswere referred to the Government for adjustment. But subsequently"the Indian allies of the French" held the frontier in terror untilafter the fall of Montreal and Quebec, when all of French Canada wastransferred to British authority.

In an address before the Newburgh Historical Society in 1885, E. M.Ruttenber said:

"In common with its associate regiments in Orange and Ulster,Colonel Ellison's Regiment had no little service in the French andIndian War of 1756, on the western frontier of the county, where theMinsis were scattering firebrands and death in their rebellionagainst the domination of the Six Nations, and for the recovery ofthe lands in the Minisink patent, of which they had been defrauded,and in 1757 marched to Fort Edward to aid Sir William Johnston. Howgreat was the service performed or by whom personally we may neverknow. The depredations of the Minsis were terrible; the settlementswest of the Wallkill were perpetually harassed, and many of thembroken up; men were killed in the fields and in their houses; womenand children became the victims of the scalping knife."

Colonel Ellison wrote in 1757:

"It is but too well known by the late numerous murders committed onour borders that the County of Ulster and the north end of Orangehave become the only frontier part of the province left unguarded andexposed to the cruel incursions of the Indian enemy, and theinhabitants of these parts have been obliged to perform very hardmilitary duty for these two years past, in ranging the woods andguarding the frontiers, these two counties keeping out almostconstantly from fifty to one hundred men—sometimes by falsedetachments of the militia, and at other times by voluntarysubscriptions—nay, often two hundred men, which has been aninsupportable burden on the people, and yet all the militia ofthese parts are ordered to march to Fort Edward, while the officershad no orders to guard the frontier."

Mention may be made here of a famous character of the Minisink.whose unequaled career of revenge against Indians began during theFrench and Indian War. His name was Thomas Quick. His father waskind and hospitable to the Indians, and was shot dead while at workin his field by some of them whom he had entertained. Thomas, who wasnear him, and was then almost a youth, managed to escape. Over hisfather's grave he took an oath to avenge his death, and afterward tokill Indians became the passion of his life. It was said that he shoteighty-seven of them, the last one being the chief murderer of hisfather. He went by the name of "the Indian slayer." He wasmarvelously alert and cunning, escaped all of the many efforts ofIndians to kill him, and finally died of old age. A monument has beenerected to his memory in Milford, Pa.

CHAPTER VIII.

WAR OF THE REVOLUTION.

The most interesting period of our national history was itsbeginnings in protests against oppressive demands and acts by themother country, followed by a revolutionary resort to arms, and inthese beginnings Orange County took a conspicuous part.

The non-importation resolutions adopted by the Continental Congressin 1774 drew the line of issue between Great Britain and her NorthAmerican colonies, which started the war for independence. Perhapstheir most significant feature was a call for the organization ofcommittees of safety in every city, county, precinct and town. In theoriginal County of Orange the people had held a convention in Goshen,which sent a delegate, Henry Wisner, to Congress, who voted for andsigned the non-importation resolutions; and in the towns of Newburgh,New Windsor, Hanover, Wallkill and Goshen an opposition pamphletwhich had been scattered broadcast was publicly burned and thedesired committees of safety promptly selected. On April 29, 1774,the committee in New York drew up a pledge and sent it to all thecounties and towns for signatures. The pledge was as follows:

"Persuaded that the salvation of the rights and liberties of Americadepend, under God, on the firm union of its inhabitants in avigorous prosecution of the measures necessary for its safety; andconvinced of the necessity of preventing anarchy and confusion whichattend the dissolution of the powers of government, we, the freemen,freeholders and inhabitants of ____ do, in the most solemn manner,resolve never to become slaves; and do associate, under all the tiesof religion, honor, and love of our country, to adopt and endeavor tocarry into execution whatever measures are recommended by theContinental Congress, or resolved upon by our Provincial Convention,for the purpose of preserving our Constitution, and opposing theexecution of the several arbitrary acts of the British Parliament,until a reconciliation between Great Britain and America, onconstitutional principles (which we most ardently desire) can beobtained; and that we will in all things follow the advice of ourGeneral Committee respecting the purposes aforesaid, the preservationof peace and good order, and the safety of individuals and property."

When the signed pledges were returned to the Provincial Convention inNew York it invested the committees of safety with power to appointassessors and collectors, and these, with the committees, weredirected to assess, raise and collect the quotas required for thesupport of the home government, and empowered to enforce collectionfrom defaulters by "distress upon their goods and chattels." Theymight also arrest persons inimical to the measures which had been ormight be taken. These powers were afterward enlarged by Congress, andthe committees empowered to suppress the enemies of the revolutionarygovernment. Legislative duties devolved upon the ProvincialConvention until 1777, when the first Constitution of New York wasadopted, and meanwhile the committees of safety attended to theexecution of its laws. Methods differed somewhat in differentcounties. In Orange the precincts chose committees, and theseconstituted the county committee. A signature to the pledgeformulated by Congress was regarded as evidence of loyalty to therevolutionary cause.

In the precinct lists of the Orange County signers of the pledge thesignatures in Goshen embraced the present towns of Goshen, Chester,Warwick, Wawayanda, Greenville, and a part of Blooming Grove; inMamakating those of Mt. Hope and Deer Park; Cornwall and Highlandswere included in Cornwall; in Monroe parts of Blooming Grove and thepresent county of Rockland; in Newburgh, New Windsor and Wallkillwith Newburgh. The signatures by precincts were as follows:

Precinct of Newburgh.

Precinct of New Windsor.

Precinct of Mamakating

Precinct of Goshen.

Minisink District.

Blooming Grove District

Precinct of Cornwall.

In Newburgh precinct the "Committee of Safety and Observation,"appointed January 27, 1775, consisted of Wolvert Acker, JonathanHasbrouck, Thomas Palmer, John Belknap, Joseph Coleman, Moses Higby,Samuel Sands, Stephen Case, Isaac Belknap, Benjamin Birdsall and JohnRobinson.

In New Windsor precinct the committee appointed May 6, 1775,consisted of Col. James Clinton, Capt. James McClaughry, John Nicoll,John Nicholson, Nathan Smith, Robert Boyd, Jr., Samuel Brewster,Samuel Sly, Samuel Logan. In May, 1776, the committee became: SamuelBrewster, chairman; Robert Boyd, Jr., Nathan Smith, Hugh Humphrey,George Denniston, John Nicholl, Col. James McClaughry, Samuel Arthur.

In the precinct of Mamakating, John Young, chairman of committee,certified that the pledge was signed by all the freeholders andinhabitants of the precinct, June 26, 1775.

In the precinct of Goshen the committee appointed September 14, 1775,consisted in part of Isaac Nicoll, Benjamin Gale, Moses Hetfield,Daniel Everett, James Little, Joshua Davis, with Daniel Everett asChairman. Later the names of John Hathorn, John Jackson, HenryWisner, John Minthornes and Nathaniel Ketchum were chairman atdifferent times.

In the Cornwall precinct, 1775, the committee consisted of HezekiahHowell, Archibald Little, Elihu Marvin, Nathaniel Satterly, NathanielStrong, Jonathan Brooks, Stephen Gilbert, Zachariah Du Bois, withThomas Moffat as chairman.

In the precinct of Hanover no names of pledge-signers were reported,but the committee, appointed May 8, 1775, consisted of Dr. CharlesClinton, chairman; Alexander Trimble, Arthur Parks, William Jackson,Henry Smith, Jacob Newkirk, James Latta, Philip Mole, John Wilkin,James McBride, James Milliken, Samuel Barkley.

In the precinct of Wallkill there was no return of pledge-signers,but the committee, Jan. 30, 1775, consisted of Abimael Youngs,chairman; James Wilkins, Hezekiah Gale, Moses Phillips, Henry Wisner,Jr.

The county committee of Orange in 1776 had Elihu Marvin, of Cornwall,for chairman, and David Pye was deputy chairman for Haverstraw andOrangetown. Robert Boyd, of New Windsor, was chairman for UlsterCounty.

The Committees of Safety and Observation began immediately to gatherarms, and later to arrest inimical or suspected persons and bringthem to trial.

With few exceptions the inhabitants of Orange and Ulster Countieswere loyal, earnest and active for the cause of Independence. In theearly years of the war the militia was efficient in guarding thefrontiers, constructing Highland forts and placing obstructions tonavigation in the Hudson River; and two of the companies took partin the expedition to Canada of 1775. In 1776 one-fourth of themilitia of the two counties was "drawn out for the defense of theState" and stationed along the Highlands. They consisted of tworegiments from Orange commanded by Colonel Isaac Nicoll, and onefrom Ulster commanded by Colonel Levi Paulding. In December, afterthe British had captured New York, a more general requisition wasmade, and men were obliged to leave their families and stockunprovided for, which caused great disaffection for a time; butafter General Washington's victory at Trenton they were permitted toreturn home.

In 1777 George and James Clinton were in command on the west side ofthe Hudson, and General Putnam on the east side. Burgoyne, with anarmy of 3,000 men, marching down from Canada, had reached Saratoga,and Howe, with another army, was marching to capture Philadelphia,when, about September 20, 3,000 British and Hessian soldiers arrivedin New York and joined the army of Sir Henry Clinton. Thus reinforcedClinton soon started to force his way up the Hudson, and on October6, approached Forts Montgomery and Clinton, defended by some 400 ofColonel Du Bois's Regiment and Lamb's Artillery, and about 200militia, mostly from Orange and Ulster Counties. They made a gallantdefense, but finally overwhelmed by superior numbers, were obliged toretreat, leaving behind them 300 in killed, wounded and prisoners. InGovernor Clinton's report to General Washington of the fight at FortMontgomery he said that Sir Henry Clinton commanded in person; thatthe enemy was repeatedly driven back by grape shot from a field-pieceand the well-directed fire of musketry during their approach; thatthe militia retreated to the fort, when a demand to surrender wasrefused; and that the enemy's superior numbers finally forced theworks on all sides. If expected reinforcements had reached the fortit was believed that the enemy would have been defeated. Manymilitiamen were in the mountains, but their communications had beencut off. There were not more than 600 men in both the forts, whilethe attacking army numbered 3,000. Governor Clinton escaped acrossthe Hudson, and many of his men were bayoneted after the works weretaken. Du Bois's Continental Regiment and Lamb's Artillery bore thebrunt of the fight. The following other regiments were represented insmall numbers; Colonel Allison's from Goshen, commanded by himself;Colonel James Clinton's from New Windsor, commanded by LieutenantColonel James McClaughry; Colonel Harbourg's from Newburgh, commandedby Colonel Masten; Colonel Jesse Woodhull's from Cornwall, commandedby Colonel Du bois.

Sir Henry Clinton's ships moved on up the Hudson, and Putnam's andClinton's troops followed. The British Commander caused Kingston tobe burned, and here, receiving the news of Burgoyne's surrender,turned back. His army tarried a few days in the Highlands tocomplete the destruction of the forts, and then sailed to New York,and the militia returned home.

The Indians on the western frontier of Orange and beyond were stillnursing grievances against the colonists, and were easily won over tothe British side by diplomatic agents. Their depredations began againin 1777, when the family of a Mr. Sprague in the northern part of theMinisink was attacked and some of them taken prisoners. Next theykilled some of the family of a Mr. Brooks, and took the restprisoners. In 1778 the upper Minisink was invaded by about 100Indians, under the famous warrior chief, Brandt, and on Oct. 13 theyattacked two dwellings, killed three persons and destroyed much grainand stock. The settlers repaired to the forts of Gumaer's andDe Witt's, and the Indians after following and firing a few times atthem from a distance, went away.

The Committee of Safety for Minisink in 1778 consisted of BenjaminDePuy, Philip Swartout and Ezekiel Gumaer, and they ordered theerection of five forts, three in the upper neighborhood, and two inthe lower. These could not accommodate all of the fifty families inwhat is now Deer Park, and many women and children were sent to theolder settlements. Scouting parties were sent out under command ofCaptain Bezaliel Tyler, and persons suspected of aiding the Indianswere imprisoned or banished. Small companies of nine months militiawere obtained to garrison the forts.

The massacre of Wyoming in July, and the horrible cruelties practicedupon some of the prisoners, had caused grave apprehensions, and thesewere increased by the coming of Brandt and his Indians in October.Count Pulaski and his cavalry legion were sent to Minisink, andremained there during the winter of 1778-9, and Colonel VanCortlandt's Regiment was sent to Wawarsing. In the spring CountPulaski and his legion were ordered to South Carolina, and on July19 Brandt, aware of the poorly defended Minisink, came withsixty-five Indian warriors and twenty-seven Tories disguised asIndians, to the lower section, now Deer Park, south of the Neversinkand while the settlers were asleep set fire to several dwellings.Some of the inmates were killed as they were fleeing and others weretaken prisoners. The cattle were driven off, and much booty carriedto Brandt's headquarters, Grassy Brook, on the Delaware. When news ofthe murderous raid was received by the militia, a council was held byLieutenant-Colonel Tusten of Colonel Allison's Goshen Regiment,Colonel John Hathorn of the Warwick Regiment, and Captain Meeker ofthe New Jersey militia, and contrary to Tusten's advice, it wasdecided to march against the Indians with such numbers of men ascould be quickly brought together. Meanwhile Brandt's force had beenincreased to about 300 Indians, and 200 Tories painted to resembleIndians. The small band of militiamen, commanded by Colonel Hathorn,marched to the hills overlooking the Delaware near the mouth of theLackawaxen, and then discovered Brandt and his warriorsthree-fourths of a mile away. Colonel Hathorn prepared to attackthem, but Brandt outmaneuvered him, and cut off fifty of his men,leaving only ninety in the fight that followed. Brandt got in theirrear, and hemmed them in on a rocky slope, with the advantages ofposition and more than five times as many men. When their ammunitionwas exhausted they formed in a hollow square to fight with clubbedmuskets, but the square was soon broken and the men sought safety inflight. Tusten was killed by the Indians while dressing wounds of hismen behind a rock, as were also seventeen wounded men with him.Others were shot or drowned in trying to swim across the Delaware.Only about thirty survived.

In Colonel Hathorn's report of the fight to Governor Clinton he saysthat "the enemy repeatedly advanced to from forty to one hundredyards distance and was as repeatedly repulsed"; that his men"defended the ground nearly three hours and a half and during thewhole time one blaze without intermission was kept up on both sides."This was at the last stand on the slope. Hathorn's men had beenfiring for five hours, when, ammunition being almost exhausted, heordered that no one fire "without having his object sure." Soon theywere forced to retreat down the hill towards the river, andscattered, every man for himself. Colonel Hathorn further says:

"The Indians were under the command of Brandt, who was either killedor wounded in the action. They burnt Major Decker's house, barn andmill, James Van Vlock's house and barn, Daniel Vanoker's barn (herewere two Indians killed from a little fort around the house, whichwas saved). Esquire Cuykindall's house and barn, Simon Westfall'shouse and barn, the church, Peter Cuykindall's house and barn;Martinus Decker's fort, house, barn and saw-mills, and NehemiahPatterson's saw-mill; killed and scalped, Jeremiah Vanoker, DanielCole, Ephriam Ferguson and one Tavern, and took with them severalprisoners, mostly children, with a great number of horses, cattleand valuable plunder. Some of the cattle we rescued and returned tothe owners."

A list of the names of the killed has been preserved, and is asfollows:

Killed in Minisink Fight.

There is a tradition that Joseph Brandt secretly visited the Minisinksome time before his second invasion, and was cared for by a Tory,and thus became well informed of the condition of the region. Brandtwas supposed to be a half-breed, with a German father, but later hewas believed to be a pure Mohawk Indian. He was educated at DartmouthCollege, and at the commencement of the Revolution received a Britishappointment as Colonel of the Six Nations. He was a Free Mason, butneither this nor a good education tamed his savage nature. Dr. Wilsonsaid of him: "He was more cunning than the fox and fiercer than thetiger."

Detachments from Woodhull's, Allison's and Hathorn's Regiments weresent to guard the frontier, but Sullivan's expedition up theSusquehanna and to the Genesee Valley drew the attention of Brandt,and he and his Indians did not return.

The jails at Goshen and Kingston were filled with prisoners, but thelocal Tories continued to be troublesome, and some of them joined theBritish Army, while others made predatory excursions from retreats inthe lower Highlands, covered by the British works at Stony Point andFort Lee, and became a terror to the inhabitants.

The residents of this portion of the country and on down the RamapoValley were mostly Tories, and in this defile in that region known asthe "Clove," the Tory Moody intercepted an express from Washington toCongress regarding an interview about the land and naval forces ofFrance. This messenger was intended by Washington to be captured,and the news thus obtained caused the withdrawal of a portion of theforces under Cornwallis, rendering easier the capture of the latterat Yorktown. Claudius Smith and his sons, who had their headquartersin the Clove, were the boldest and most successful of its Tories.Smith was a large, powerful and shrewd man and while he committedmany crimes and did many hazardous things, yet for a long timemanaged to escape capture. In October, 1778, Governor Clinton,enraged at Smith's depredations, offered a reward for his arrest andthat of his two sons, Richard and James. Alarmed by this, Smith fledto Long Island, was recognized there, and seized in the night in bed.He was tried for one of his crimes at Goshen in January, 1779, andexecuted on the 22nd of the same month. Five of his associates wereexecuted with him—Matthew Dolson, John Ryan, Thomas Delamar, JohnGordon and Amy Angor. Retribution followed soon on all Smith's band.His son William was shot in the mountains, and his son James wasprobably executed in Goshen soon after his father, with JamesFlewelling and William Cole. Silas Gardner, however, who was triedand sentenced as a Tory, was pardoned, but the rest were slain ordriven from the country. Claudius Smith commenced his depredations inthe interest of the British in 1776, and first appeared on thepublic records, charged with stealing, in 1777. He was confined inthe Kingston jail, and transferred from there to the Goshen jail,from which he escaped. He was said to be the friend of the poor,giving liberally to them of what he stole from the rich. Manyexciting stories were told of his doings.

One of the most brilliant exploits of the war was the night assaulton Stony Point, twelve miles below West Point, and now a Statereservation in Rockland County. This was on July 16-17, 1779. It hadbeen occupied by British troops since Clinton's expedition up theHudson in 1777, and was regarded as almost impregnable. "Mad" AnthonyWayne headed the enterprise, and it was carried out in substantialaccordance with a general plan which had been suggested by GeneralWashington. The fort was garrisoned by 700 men, who had fifteenpieces of artillery on the heights. Their surprise was complete, andthe capture quickly accomplished. The American loss was 15 killed and83 wounded; that of the British 63 killed, 61 wounded and 575 madeprisoners, only one of the garrison managing to escape. The workswere destroyed and the place evacuated. In July, 1779, the Britishreoccupied it, and began to build defenses, but were soon withdrawnbecause of the coming of the French fleet, and the Americans tookpossession and began restoring the fortifications.

Arnold's treason was discovered Sept. 23d, 1780, and Stony Point wasincluded in the fortifications which he intended to betray. Histreason, his conference with Major Andre below Stony Point, Andre'sstay at Hett Smith's house, his capture at Tarrytown and briefconfinement at West Point, Arnold's flight and Andre's trial andexecution, are too familiar to the readers of American history torequire recapitulation here.

CHAPTER IX.

THE WAR OF 1812.

Notwithstanding other ostensible causes, it was really necessary tocomplete the independence of the United States, only partly effectedby the War of the Revolution, that the War of 1812 should be begunand fought out. Great Britain claimed the right to search Americanships, impress American seamen into her service, and make prizes ofall American vessels going to or from France or her allies which didnot clear from or touch English ports. France issued retaliatorydecrees which were more damaging to America than England. Theydeclared that its vessels which had touched English ports orsubmitted to be searched by an English ship should be the propertyof France, and that English goods, wherever found, should be subjectto confiscation. Thus endangered by the policy of both nations,Congress in 1809 declared an embargo prohibiting American vesselsfrom sailing from foreign ports, and foreign ships from carrying awayAmerican cargoes—a law which virtually suspended our commerce andexposed our merchants to the risks of bankruptcy. England gave noticeto the President that her claims before stated would be adhered to,and Congress, seeing no other means of redress, formally declared waron June 18, 1812.

Orange County citizens had given expression to their views on theembargo act in March, 1800. A Republican county convention held atGoshen selected General Hathorn as its chairman, and a committee onresolutions was appointed consisting of Jonathan Fisk, Colonel JohnNicholson, General Reuben Hopkins and Judge Nathan White. Theresolutions reported and adopted asserted that the American embargowas "a wise and patriotic measure, imperiously demanded by the exposedcondition of our seamen, shipping and trade to the audacious outragesof foreign powers." In the Federal party's county convention, heldlater, Daniel Niven was chairman, and its committee on resolutionsconsisted of John Barber, Alexander R. Thompson, Alanson Austin, JohnBradner, J. N. Phillips, John Morrison, John Duer, Samuel Saver, JamesStorey, Solomon Sleight, John Decker and Samuel B. Stickney. Theresolutions protested against the enforcement of the embargo, as"unjust, illegal and oppressive, subversive of the rights anddangerous to the liberties of the people."

But when the war came the views of many of the Federalists hadchanged, and they sustained the Government.

The first call for troops was made April 21, 1812, when the militiawas arranged in two divisions and eight brigades, and the brigadeswere divided into twenty regiments. The second brigade of the firstdivision, embracing the militia of Orange and Ulster, under BrigadierGeneral Hopkins of Goshen, was organized as the Fourth Regiment, andits Commander was Lieutenant Colonel Andrew J. Hardenburgh ofShawangunk. In 1813 and 1814, Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Belknap tookthe place of Lieutenant Colonel Hardenburgh. The cavalry andartillery were similarly organized.

The second call was made in July, 1813, and the third in July, 1814,when the places of rendezvous were Newburgh and New Windsor, and fromthese the men were moved on sloops to New York and assigned to theneighboring fortifications. They embarked Aug. 28, and returned Dec.4, having been absent only a little more than three months.

Among the uniformed companies at that time were the following: OrangeHussars of Montgomery, Captain William Trimble (succeeded by CaptainMilliken); Captain Van Orsdal's and Captain Dorcas's companies ofinfantry of Montgomery; Captain Kerr's company of artillery of NewWindsor; Captain Butterworth's company of artillery of Newburgh;Captain Westcott's company of cavalry of Goshen; Captain Acker'scompany of cavalry of Newburgh and Marlborough; Captain Denniston andCaptain Birdsall's companies of infantry of Newburgh.

It appears that Captain Westcott was afterwards appointed Major ofthe first regiment of cavalry, when Charles Lindsay was made captainof his company; Joseph H. Jackson, first lieutenant; Daniel McNeal,second lieutenant, and Stephen P. Rockefellow, cornet, all beingresidents of Montgomery except Major Westcott.

In the fall of 1812, Captain Denniston of the "Republican Blues"enlisted about fifty volunteers to serve one year or during the war,and they elected Jonathan Gidney captain. They formed part of adetached regiment of riflemen of which Captain Denniston becamemajor and afterwards colonel.

A part of a company from Wallkill was included in ColonelHardenburgh's Ulster regiment, which went to Plattsburgh and thenceto Fort Hamilton, near the Canada line, for guard duty.

The following roll of a detached company in Colonel Michael Smith'sregiment of infantry, mustered in in September, 1814, embraces menfrom both Orange and Ulster Counties:

Roll of Detached Company.

Orange County was represented in the Navy by Silas H. Stringham,Charles Ludlow and Robert C. Ludlow, among others. Robert Ludlow wason the "Constitution" when she captured the "Java," and Augustus C.Ludlow as a lieutenant distinguished himself as a hero in the actionof the "Chesapeake" with the "Shannon."

After the British captured Washington in 1814, a public meeting washeld in Goshen, August 30, to consider the propriety of repairing thefortifications at West Point or erecting new ones for public defense.General James W. Wilson was chairman of the meeting, and a committeeto devise and report plans was composed of John Duer, Jonathan Fisk,William Ross, John W. Wilkin, George D. Wickham, James Finch, Jr.,and Nathan H. White. They reported at an adjourned meeting, andrecommended the following committee of defense, which was appointed:

For Minisink, John Bradner, Nathan Arnot; Deer Park, John Finch, Jr.,Joseph Baird; Wallkill, Henry B. Wisner, Benjamin Woodward; Goshen,John Duer, Freegift Tuthill; Warwick, Dr. Samuel S. Seward, JeffreyWisner; Monroe, James D. Secor, Benjamin Cunningham; Cornwall,William A. Clark, Joseph Chandler, Jr.; Blooming Grove, Col. SelahStrong, Jeremiah Horton; Montgomery, John Blake, Jr., JohannesMiller; Newburgh, John D. Lawson, Jacob Powell; New Windsor, JosephMorton, David Hill.

This Committee of Defense met September 7, and made Selah Strong itschairman and John Duer its secretary. It passed resolutions inharmony with those of the public meeting, and appointed the chairman,the secretary, William A. Clark, Joseph Morell and Johannes Miller acommittee to tender the services of citizens in repairing the WestPoint fortifications. At another meeting, September 17, the committeeinstructed the town committees immediately to collect subscriptionsof money and labor, and report them to the General Committee, andalso inquire into and report the quantity of arms and ammunitionwhich the respective towns might need.

October 25 it was reported from the Secretary of War that he wouldsend a skillful engineer to West Point "to superintend the works andpoint out the sites most eligible for defense."

Little was done, however, at West Point, but military companies ofexempts were organized in several towns.

The glad news of the treaty of peace, concluded in December, 1814,was celebrated in every town of the county with great enthusiasm, andincluded illuminations, cannon firing, speeches, toasts, andthanksgiving services in the churches.

Peace with other nations continued from the close of the War of 1812until the war with Mexico, 1846-8. For this war New York Cityregiments drew a number of volunteers from Orange, but only onecompany was recruited in the county, and this was in Goshen, and itbecame Co. K of the 10th Regiment U. S. Infantry. Its captain wasAlexander Wilkin and its lieutenant, Francis M. Cummins. CaptainWilkin resigned in April, 1848, and Lieutenant Cummins was promotedto the captaincy. The regiment with this company was attached to theArmy of the Rio Grande under General Taylor.

CHAPTER X.

THE CIVIL WAR.

The patriotic services of the people of Orange County in thefour-years' Civil War of 1861-5 were as praiseworthy as those oftheir ancestors in the two wars with Great Britain, which founded theRepublic upon a lasting basis of unparalleled prosperity andprogress. It was as necessary for the continuance of that prosperity,and as a lesson of our republican experiment to the world, to defeatthe efforts of the slave-holding States to rend the Union in twain,as it had been to compel the kingly power across the ocean to let usestablish it. This Orange County was quick to perceive and act upon.

Its Co. B, Third Regiment of Infantry, was the first companyrecruited and ready for muster in the State. Recruiting for it wascommenced in Newburgh immediately after the passage by theLegislature, April 16, 1861, of an act to authorize the equipment ofvolunteer militia for the public safety, the movement being startedby Hon. Stephen W. Fullerton, Member of Assembly, and placed incharge of James A. Ramney. There were seventy-seven men enrolled whenthe company was mustered in for two years, May 14, 1861—less thanone month from the day the first man enlisted, and it had then beenready several days for mustering in.

The following regiments and companies were recruited in Orange forthe Civil War, and there were many other enlistments from the countyin other regiments and in the Navy:

Infantry: Third Regiment, Co. B, 1861; 18th, Co. D and Co. H, inpart, 1861; 36th, Co. B, 1861; 56th, Cos. A, B, D and E, 1861; 63dRegiment, 1864; 70th, Co. F, 1861; 87th, Co. C, 1861; 98th, Co. C,1864; 124th Regiment, 1,047 men in 1862 and one company in 1864;168th, 335 men, 1862; 176th, 272 men, 1862.

Mounted Rifles: First Regiment, Co. C, 1861.

Cavalry: Second Regiment, Co. B, 1861; 15th, Co. I, 146 men, 1864.

Artillery: Fifteenth Regiment, Co. M, 82 men, 1864; 7th, 70 men,1864; 7th Independent Battery, 1861.

Militia: Nineteenth and 71st, 517 men, 1861-62.

The following are the aggregates by towns of the men furnished andaccepted in the county:

April, 1861, to July, 1862.

In addition to the numbers tabulated there were in the 71st Militiafour hundred and twenty-nine from Newburgh, seventy-nine from MountHope, five from Deer Park, two from Chester and two from Southfield.

The totals tell their own story of patriotic zeal.

Company B, Third Regiment, before referred to as the first to berecruited and ready for muster in the State, was mustered out at theend of its two years' service, but reorganized and was mustered outthe second time after the close of the war, on August 28, 1865. Itwas in many fights, including those of Big Bethel, Fort Wagner,Bermuda Hundred, Petersburg, Fort Gilmer, Chapin's Farm, Fort Fisherand Wilmington. Its first captain, Stephen W. Fullerton, appointedApril 20, 1861, died in Newburgh, September 11, 1861, and wassucceeded by Ervine A. Jones, first lieutenant, September 25, 1861,who was dismissed August 16, 1862. Alexander Mann, second and thenfirst lieutenant, was promoted to captain, June 10, 1861, anddischarged August 31, 1864. Jeremiah D. Mabie, who was promoted fromfirst sergeant to second lieutenant, and then to first lieutenant ofCo. B, was made captain of Co. F, June 15, 1863, and dischargedSeptember 18, 1864. James H. Reeve was advanced from fourth sergeantto first sergeant and then to second lieutenant of Co. B, was madecaptain of Co. I, October 3, 1864, lost a leg at Fort Fisher, and wasdischarged June 26, 1865.

The Eighteenth Regiment was recruited in several counties inresponse to the call of President Lincoln for 75,000 volunteers. Itwas mustered in for two years May 17, 1861, and mustered out May 28,1863. Co. D was recruited from Orange County and organized atMiddletown, with John C. McGinnis, captain, George Barry, firstlieutenant and Roswell M. Sayre, second lieutenant. The commissionsof these officers date back into April. The enlistments were so manythat thirty men of the company were separated to form a part of Co.H. The regiment supported a battery in the first battle of Bull Run,but was not brought into action. It was stationed and remained nearAlexandria the most of the time until McClellan's Army went to thePeninsula, and took part there in the seven days' fighting. Afterwardit did guard duty at various points until it was mustered out.

The following promotions of Orange County men in the 18th Regimentare on record, the dates being those of rank, some of which precededdates of commission:

Thomas S. Lane, 2d Lieut., Nov. 6, 1861; 1st Lieut., Nov. 10, 1862;mustered out with regiment.

W. E. Carmichael, 2d Lieut., May 7, 1861; 1st Lieut., Dec. 2, 1861;resigned May 16, 1862.

Robert A. Malone, 2d Lieut., Nov. 11, 1861; Capt., Sept. 8, 1862;mustered out with regiment.

Roswell M. Sayre, 2d Lieut., April 30, 1861; 1st Lieut., Dec. 21,1862; Capt., June 26, 1862; mustered out with regiment.

John S. King, 1st Lieut., June 26, 1862; mustered out with regiment.

George Barry, 1st Lieut., April 30, 1861; killed at Gaines Mills, June27, 1862.

John C. McGinnis, Capt., April 30, 1861; Major, Dec. 2, 1861; Lieut.Col., Oct. 14, 1862; mustered out with regiment.

The 36th Regiment was organized in New York, and its Co. B wasrecruited in Orange County by John Raney of Newburgh, captain of Co.F, 19th Militia, assisted by Timothy Donoghue of the same company.The enlistments were for two years. Between May 13 and June 17, 1861,they enlisted seventy-seven men. The regiment arrived in Washington,July 14, 1861, and remained in camp until March, 1862. It wasbrigaded under General Couch, and attached to General Buell'sDivision, afterward commanded by General Keyes. It went with GeneralMcClellan's Army to the Peninsula and was in the fights at SevenPines, Gaines Mills and Malvern Hill. Afterward it saw much activeand perilous service in Virginia and Maryland. At Fredericksburg itwas in General Deven's Brigade, which was the first of the leftgrand division to cross the Rappahannock, December 11, 1862, andcovered the retreat of the army, December 15, Co. B being detailed tocollect stragglers under the enemy's fire. May 3, Co. B, at Marye'sHeights, captured a battery from a Mississippi brigade, and was thefirst to raise the colors on the heights. The regiment was a part ofSedgwick's Corps in the attack on Salem Heights. The last activeservice of the regiment and Co. B was in Hooker's campaign. Theofficers of the company were:

John A. Raney, Capt., June 15, 1861; Major, Dec. 21, 1861; resignedOct. 15, 1862.

Timothy Donoghue, 1st Lieut., June 15, 1861; Capt., Nov. 12, 1861;mustered out with regiment, July 15, 1863.

John M. Lewis, 2d Lieut., June 15, 1864; 1st Lieut., Dec. 2, 1861;mustered out with regiment.

Charles B. Lewis, 1st Sergt., Oct. 1, 1861; 2d Lieut., Nov. 12, 1861;1st Lieut, Aug. 20, 1862; mustered out with regiment.

FIFTY-SIXTH REGIMENT.

The 56th Regiment was formed of companies from Orange, Ulster,Sullivan and Delaware Counties, Companies A, B, D and E beingrecruited from Orange, as were also the 7th Battery and Co. C ofMounted Rifles, afterward detached. It was a three-years' regiment,but was continued by re-enlistment, and although the companies wereall mustered in between July 31st and December 10th, 1861, theregiment was not mustered out until October 17th, 1865. Its servicesin the army were varied and creditable throughout, and at timesbrilliant, and deserved the detailed record of its movements,hardships, perils and achievements in the history by John C. Fiskand William H. D. Blake, members of the regiment, which was publishedin 1906. It is this well-written history herein epitomized.

The 56th Regiment, first known as the Tenth Legion, was organized inJuly, 1861, by Charles H. Van Wyck, with headquarters at Newburgh. Itconsisted of ten companies of infantry, one of sharpshooters, two ofartillery and two of cavalry, when it went away, but in Washingtonthe four latter companies were detached and placed in the artillerydivision and cavalry corps. Its camp of rendezvous and instructionuntil November 6th was on a sandy plateau by the Hudson River, nearNew Windsor. In Washington it was made a part of the ProvisionalBrigade, including also the 52nd and 104th Pennsylvania, the 11thMaine and the 100th New York Regiments. The 56th New York wascommanded by Colonel Charles H. Van Wyck until he was brevetted aBrigadier General. Companies A, B and E were recruited in Newburghby Recruiting Officers Thomas S. Marvel, Charles T. Thayer andWilliam J. Williams, respectively; Co. C of mounted rifles inMontgomery by Frederick Decker, and Co. D in Warwick by John J.Wheeler.

The instructing officer at the New Windsor camp was Charles A. VanHorne Ellis, of the 71st New York Militia, and he proved to be anefficient drill-master in regimental and company movements and themanual of arms, in which officers and men made rapid progress andbecame expert before leaving for the seat of war. When the regimentreached New York General Stuart L. Woodford presented to it a whitesilk banner in behalf of a patriotic society called "The Sons ofOrange and Sullivan," and this was carried through the whole war. Onarriving in Washington in November the regiment was sent to KaloramaHeights, near Georgetown, and tented there about two weeks. Theweather was severe, and many of the men contracted colds, pneumoniaand rheumatism from unaccustomed exposures, which also proved fatalto some of them. Afterward they camped a few weeks by Rock Creek, inthe suburbs of Georgetown, and in January, 1862, went into theCarver barracks on Meridian Hill. The brigade, under General Naglee,had then become one of the best-drilled in the army, and PresidentLincoln and family and General Scott and daughter repeatedly came toMeridian Hill to witness its parade. It was in the grand review of140,000 men under General McClellan which preceded the movement tothe Peninsula, and on March 26th crossed the Long Bridge in Casey'sdivision of four brigades, which marched thence to Alexandria, whereon April 1st they started down the Potomac on the steamer"Constitution" for the Peninsula, reached Hampton Roads in theevening of April 2nd, and proceeded to Newport News April 3d. Onthis last trip the men had their first experience under fire, but theshells which the rebels shot at them from Sewell's Point fell short.

At Newport News they went into camp on a large plantation, waited forthe rest of the army a few days, and marched with it to Yorktown.Here the men on picket line were almost constantly under fire, andall were kept in a fever of excitement by the roar of cannon andcracks of rifles along the whole line from river to river, day andnight.

The first real baptism of fire experienced by the 56th was on April16th, when a large force of the enemy came out and fell on the leftof the division near Lee's Mills. The rebels were repulsed, and theofficers commended the men of the regiment for their courage andsteadiness under fire. May 5th they had more fighting experienceafter a swift march of the day before to the front of Fort McGruderin the suburbs of Williamsburgh. Here they took part in a charge ontheir enemies with fixed bayonets, which caused the latter to flee inconfusion leaving many dead and wounded and about 600 prisoners. Theyremained in line of battle all night, standing in deep mud, anddrenched by a drizzling rain. When, the next afternoon, they wereeach given three biscuits of hardtack it was the first food they hadeaten in two days, and ended the first experience of intense gnawinghunger with the most of them. May 9th they followed the retreatingrebels over roads deep with mud, exchanging shots with them day afterday, sleeping on the ground at night, wading streams waist-deepsometimes, with little to eat, and much of the time only what theycould jayhawk. May 19th they drove the enemy across the Chickahominyat a point opposite Richmond, and as all the bridges had beendestroyed, waded the next day across the Oozy river without muchopposition, and waited for the rest of the corps, which followed inthree days, and crossed the river on a bridge which had meanwhilebeen constructed for them. During the next three days the regimentwas kept on the move making reconnaissances and scouting, andscouted to within four miles of the city of Richmond.

May 28th the 56th found itself assigned with Casey's division to aposition on the right of the Williamsburgh turnpike, remained onpicket till sometime after the attack of the 31st and captured anumber of the enemy's skirmishers. Later, when the two lines ofbattle were formed, it was placed to support Spratt's battery, butthe battery's captain relieved it and left the division lying on theground exposed to the plunging fire of the enemy's artillery, whichkilled the men "at a fearful rate." They then formed in the edge ofthe woods, and there fought two hours, and Colonel Van Wyck waswounded in the leg by a piece of shell. The division that day opposeda force of 30,000, and held the line. Three times the enemy chargedto within reach of their bayonets, and each time was driven back. Thedivision made one of the most bloody and obstinate fights of the war,and lost nearly half of its men, but, it was believed, saved the armyof the Potomac from great disaster.

Then to Malvern Hill. On July 1 the division, after a tedious march,lay down on the hill near a large house, and there all day witnessedthe cannonading of 160 Union guns, expecting every moment to beordered to assist in the frequent fierce assaults made by the Army ofVirginia in three divisions, "only to be torn in pieces and hurledback again to the cover of the woods by the awful storm of shot andshell and volleys of the infantry supports." But the brigade was notmoved from its reserved position until late in the afternoon, when itwas sent to the southern slope of the hill, and on the 2nd acted asrear guard of the whole retreating army, being in charge of theartillery and wagon trains. The enemy's advance attacked it atCarter's Hill, but was repulsed. The next day breastworks were thrownup, and the army rested. On July 7th the men were cheered by a visitand praise from President Lincoln. It was thought that the army wouldmove forward and capture Richmond, but General McClellan receivedorders to withdraw by way of Aquia Creek and attack Richmond from theRappahannock. The Chickahominy was crossed October 16 in weather sohot that large numbers of the officers and men dropped by the waysideexhausted, and that night when the regiment bivouacked not more than100 men stacked arms, and hardly an officer except the mounted oneswas with them. Key's corps, including the 56th Regiment, was left atYorktown to cover the embarkation. The Peninsula campaign was ended.

General Naglee's brigade remained in and about Yorktown for sometime,doing picket duty and demolishing earthworks. On December 11 it wenton a raid into Gloucester, Kings and Queens Counties, and broughtback horses, mules, cattle, sheep and fowls. The brigade marched allnight closely followed by the enemy, the 56th doing excellent serviceas the rear guard. On December 29th the brigade embarked on steamerfor Morehead City, N. C., and went from there to Newbern, near whichit remained two weeks. On January 8, 1863, orders were read informingthe men of the 56th that their regiment had been attached to the 18thCorps, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, with General Naglee as divisioncommander, and Colonel Davis of the 104th Pa. as the brigadecommander. General Naglee, on taking leave, issued an order namingthe important events in the history of the brigade in which it acteda conspicuous part, and which should be inscribed upon the regimentalbanners. The 56th was included in all of them.

General Naglee also characterized the work and behavior of thebrigade in each of the events.

In connection with the preparations to attack Charleston the brigadewent to St. Helena Island and waited there until about April 1st.Thence to woods near the shore of Edisto Harbor, where monitors andgunboats lay at anchor, and covered its landing by shelling thewoods. After landing it followed the retreating enemy, and some ofthe men were wounded. While in camp here it was several timesattacked in night forays and some of its picket men captured. Herethe 56th was temporarily brigaded with that of General Howell inGeneral Terry's division, under General Gilmore of the Tenth Corps.On July 16th, this division, 4,000 strong, was attacked by asuperior force of Georgia troops, but with the aid of the gunboatsthey were driven off with a loss of 200 prisoners. Soon afterward thedivision went to Folly Island, and here, while the bombardment ofForts Wagner and Gregg was in progress, the men were engaged inarduous duties and got but little rest. August 16 they sailed toBeaufort, S. C., and went into camp, with the regiment sadly reducedin numbers and many sick. They remained there till September 3, 1864,with the exception of an expedition to John's Island in July.

In February, 1864, the regiment veteranized,{sic} the most of the menre-enlisting, and was mustered in as a veteran regiment February 29.In March it went north on a furlough and returned May 18, commandedby Colonel Tyler. During its stay at Beaufort about 400 new men hadbeen recruited for it by officers sent north. The regiment went fromBeaufort to John's Island, near Charleston, July 1st, and here becamea part of J. P. Hatch's division. On July 4th it had the most tryingmarch of the year on account of the extreme heat and the soft sand.Many of the men were sun-struck, and some of them died. The march wascontinued the next morning to within seven miles of Charleston, when,hearing that rebel cavalry were in their rear, they were orderedback. The next day they started again for the front, and had to dosome fighting. July 9th they were attacked by the rebels in force ina dense fog. A surprise was intended, but the rebels were met withvolleys of grape and canister, and were twice repulsed. On July 10th,the regiment went back to Beaufort, and the St. John's expeditionpassed into history. It was regarded as the most exciting andperilous scouting expedition the regiment was ever engaged in, butit* object was accomplished. It remained at Beaufort until September3, when it moved over to Morris Island and assisted in the siege ofCharleston. Here the men could see every shot from their batteriesthat struck Fort Sumter, and the firing was kept up night and day.The heat was extreme, the whole island was covered with shiftingsand, which filled eyes, ears and hair, the heavy fogs at night werelike a drenching rain, and all the while they were under the fire ofthe rebel forts and batteries, shells from which burst over theirheads; but they had the compensation of seeing their own shells burstin the city of Charleston.

Many of the men became afflicted with scurvy, and the effective forceof the regiment was reduced to 600 men, one-half of whom weredetailed each day and night for field duty. Otherwise their dutieswere severe, and in October the nights became very cold, and, beingwithout fuel, caused them much suffering. They remained there untilNovember 27, when they were taken to Boyd's Point, and the nextmorning were marched by General Potter toward Honey Hill, where theywere surprised by a concealed rebel battery, and there was a bloodyfight in which the 56th lost fifty men in killed and wounded, and thedivision 746, and they were obliged to fall back. On December 3d thebrigade, after a lively skirmish, returned to its old camp, and threedays later went up Broad River to Deveaux Neck, near which it hadmany of its men killed and wounded in a severe fight. The next day itwas attacked by a large force, and there was a bloody fight in whicheach man fired sixty rounds and the rebels were repulsed, butresisted stubbornly and retired slowly. In this battle the 56thencountered the 5th Georgia Regiment, drove it from its position,captured its colors, and lost twenty-four men in killed and wounded.

The camp was thirty-six miles north of Savannah and seventy fromCharleston. December 23d the news came that General Sherman hadoccupied Savannah. On the 29th Colonel Tyler was put in command ofthree regiments, including the 56th, and they advanced to ascertainthe strength of the enemy. They encountered his picket line whichresisted but fell back, and killed and wounded seventeen of Tyler'smen. The camp was undisturbed until January 7th, when a rifled gunbegan shelling them and kept it up for a week, night and day. Thiswas not restful, but the camp was so sandy that not more than halfthe percussion shells burst, and not a man was injured by them.January 15th it was discovered that the rebels had left, and our menpushed on and took possession of Fort Coosawhatchie. Here the rationswere greatly improved by foraging expeditions. On the 17th they werevisited by Generals Sherman and Howard. On the 29th the 56th remainedat the fort while the rest of the brigade left to relieve GeneralSherman's forces at Poctaligo. The 56th did not join it untilFebruary 16, and afterward the brigade made a slow march to AshleyRiver, across which lay Charleston, arriving there February 28. Thecity had been evacuated after the cotton warehouses, quartermasters'stores, bridges, vessels, etc., had been burnt by order of GeneralHardie. March 1st the division started to pursue him, and if possibleprevent him from joining General Johnston's army. It marched severaldays without finding any rebels, then was ordered to return and wasback in Charleston on the 9th. This expedition, composed of GeneralPotter's entire division, had marched ninety miles. It went on March11th to the village of Mt. Pleasant, near Charleston, and remainedthere until April 2nd, when it went to Georgetown. Major EliphasSmith being in command of companies A, B, C, D and E of the 56th. Aand B remained in Georgetown as a part of the garrison. C was sent asguard of a transport up the Santee River, and E and D were attachedto the 157th regiment, and went with it on the "Kingsvilleexpedition." Kingsville was about 135 miles from Georgetown, and therebels had run in there from points on Sherman's march as many as 25locomotives and 200 cars, with large quantities of stores andammunition. After a troublesome march, with some hard fighting, theexpedition reached Kingsville April 10. On the 9th companies B and Dof the 56th had gallantly charged a rebel battery, in the face of afusillade, and captured it, but with a loss in killed and wounded offifteen men.

The next day news was received of the fall of Petersburgh and thesurrender of General Lee's army. In General Potter's order announcingit he returned "special thanks to Lieutenant-Colonel Carmichael ofthe 157th New York and detachment of the 56th New York for theskillful and gallant manner in which they carried the enemy's batteryand drove him in confusion from the field."

The locomotives and cars at Kingsville were destroyed, and theexpedition marched back happy to their old camp at Mt. Pleasant. Thefightings and severe hardships were ended at last.

April 14 the men witnessed the raising of the Union flag at FortSumter on the 4th anniversary of its surrender. Soon the regiment wasunited again at Summerville, and remained near there until the menwere paid up. It started homeward October 6th, and was disbanded andmustered out on Hart's Island, New York Harbor, November 10th, but anumber of the men whose terms had expired had been discharged on July5th.

During its last campaign in South Carolina the distances the regimenthad traversed were about as follows: Beaufort to Morris Island,seventy miles; to Coosawatchie by way of Honey Hill and Deveaux Neck,ninety miles; to Charleston, seventy miles; to Santee River andreturn, eighty miles; Kingsville raid, 390 miles; to Newberry by wayof Orangeburg and Columbia, 166 miles; to Chester, forty-five miles;to Charleston by way of Winsboro, Columbia and Florence, 205miles—all during the regiment's last year of service.

The regiment arrived in New York City October 20, 1865, was quarteredin the Battery barracks until November 9, was paid up and dischargedNovember 10.

From first to last there were 2,176 men and boys enlisted andassigned to the 56th regiment.

The incomplete record shows the names of forty-one killed in battle,twenty-three died of wounds; 216 died of disease; 170 wounded andrecovered; 415 discharged for disability and wounds; sixty-seventransferred to other commands; five captured and paroled.

Following is a list of the engagements in which the regiment tookpart:

Engagements of the Fifty-sixth.

1. Siege of Yorktown, Va., April 15 to May 4, 1862.
2. Lee's Mills, Va., April 28, 1862.
3. Williamsburgh, Va., May 5, 1862.
4. Bottoms and Turkey Island Bridge, Va., May 23, 1862.
5. Savage Station, Va., May 25, 1862.
6. Fair Oaks, Va., May 31, 1862.
7. Seven Days' Battle, June 25 to July 2, 1862.
8. Railroad and Bottoms Bridge, Va., June 28 and 29, 1862.
9. White Oak Swamp Bridge, Va., June 30, 1862.
10. Malvern Hill, Va., July 1, 1862.
11. Carter's Hill, Va., July 2, 1862.
12. Woods' Cross Roads, Va., Dec. 14, 1862.
13. Seabrook Island, S. C., June 18, 1863.
14. Grimball's Landing, S. C., July 16, 1863.
15. Siege of Fort Wagner, S. C., July 18, 1863.
16. Siege of Charleston, S. C., August and September, 1863.
17. Johns Island, S. C., July 1 to 10, 1864.
18. Honey Hill, S. C., Nov. 30, 1864.
19. Coosawhatchie, S. C., Dec. 3, 1864.
20. Boyd's Point, S. C., Dec. 5, 1864.
21. Deveaux Neck, S. C., Dec. 6, 1864.
22. Deveaux Neck, S. C., Dec. 7, 1864.
23. Deveaux Neck, S. C., Dec. 9, 1864.
24. Deveaux Neck, S. C., Dec. 19, 1864.
25. Deveaux Neck, S. C., Dec. 29, 1864.
26. Manningsville, S. C., April 8, 1865.
27. Dingle's Mills, S. C., April 9, 1865.

REGIMENTAL AND COMPANY OFFICERS.

COLONELS.

Charles H. Van Wyck, and Brig. Gen., U. S. V.
Rockwell Tyler, not mustered.

LIEUTENANT-COLONELS.

James Jordan, to August S, 1862.
Frederick Decker, not mustered.
John J. Wheeler, to Feb. 11, 1864.
Rockwell Tyler, to muster out and Brevet Colonel.
Eliphas Smith, not mustered.

MAJORS.

Jacob Sharpe, to Aug. 5, 1862.
John J. Wheeler, to Dec. 15, 1862.
Rockwell Tyler, to Feb. 27, 1864.
Eliphas Smith, to Oct. 17, 1865.
James Du Bois, not mustered.

ADJUTANTS.

Eli H. Evans, to Oct. 25, 1863.
Henri B. Loomis, to muster out of regiment.

QUARTERMASTERS.

John B. Gerard, to Sept. 5, 1862.
Jesse F. Schafer. to Oct. 15, 1864, from Co. K.
Addison J. Clements, to muster out of regiment, from Co. F.

SURGEONS.

Solomon Van Etten, to Sept. 28, 1864.
George H. Fossard, Oct. 7, 1864, to July 5, 1865.
Ira S. Bradner, Sept. 19, 1865; not mustered.

ASSISTANT SURGEONS.

O. A. Carrol, Sept. 2, 1861, to May 13, 1863.
Albert S. Turner, Aug. 9, 1862, to Nov. 18, 1863.
Daniel S. Hardenburgh, Nov. 11, 1863, to April 1, 1865.
Ira S. Bradner, April 25, 1863, to muster out of regiment.
George K. Sayer, Brevet 1st Lieut., and Asst. Surg.

HOSPITAL STEWARD.

George K. Sayer, from Oct. 20, 1861, to muster out of regiment.

CHAPLAINS.

Charles Shelling, to Dec. 23, 1862.
George P. Van Wyck, Dec. 30, 1862, to muster out of regiment.

SERGEANT MAJORS.

William N. Phillips, to Jan. 18, 1862.
Demmon S. Decker, Co. F, to Feb. 9, 1862.
Francis Hines, Co. E, to Aug. 8, 1862.
John Metcalf, Co. A, to Dec. 23, 1863.
Francis Might, Co. G, to July 1, 1864.
Robert C. Roper, Co. H, to Jan. 1, 1865.
James Gowdy, Co. C, to May 18, 1865.
Frank Hotchkin, Co. F, to muster out of regiment.

QUARTERMASTER SERGEANTS.

Jesse F. Schafer, original, to Feb. 27, 1862.
Noah D. Smith, Co. H, to muster out of regiment.

COMMISSARY SERGEANTS.

Isaac Rosa, original, to April 12, 1862.
William H. Merphy, Co. K, to Nov. 20, 1864.
William H. D. Blake, Co. C, Nov. 22, 1864, to muster out of regiment.

REGIMENTAL BAND.

MUSICIANS—DRUM AND FIFE CORPS.

RECORD OF FIELD AND STAFF OFFICERS—ORIGINAL

Van Wyck, Charles—Age, 37 years. Enrolled at Newburgh, to serve 3years, and mustered in as Colonel, Sept. 4, 1861; mustered out withregiment, Oct. 17, 1865, at Charleston, S. C. Commissioned Colonel,Nov. 13, 1862, with rank from Sept. 4, 1861. Original. Brevet Brig.General, U. S. V. Brigadier General from Sept. 27, 1865; mustered outJan. 15, 1866.

Jourdan, James—Age, 29 years. Enrolled at Brooklyn to serve 3years, and mustered in as Lieutenant Colonel, Dec. 19, 1861;discharged, Aug. 5, 1862; prior service as Major 84th Infantry.Commissioned Lieutenant Colonel, Dec. 20, 1861, with rank from Dec.19, 1861. Original.

Sharpe, Jacob—Age, 27 years. Enrolled at Newburgh, to serve 3years, and mustered in as Major, Sept. 3, 1861; discharged Aug. 5,1862. Commissioned Major, June 28, 1862, with rank from Sept. 6,1861. Original. Subsequent service in the 156th Regiment, N.Y.Infantry Vols., as Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel.

Evans, Eli H.—Age, 25 years. Enrolled, July 31, 1861, at Newburgh,to serve 3 years: mustered in as Adjutant, Sept. 1, 1861;dishonorably discharged, Oct. 1, 1863; also borne as First Lieutenanton rolls of Company A. Commissioned First Lieutenant and Adjutant,Aug. 1, 1862, with rank from Sept. 1, 1861. Original.

Gerard, John C.—Age, 32 years. Enrolled, July 21, 1861, at Newburgh,to serve 3 years; mustered in as Quartermaster, July 31, 1861;discharged Sept. 4, 1862. Commissioned First Lieutenant andQuartermaster, Aug. 7, 1862, with rank from July 31, 1861. Original.

Shelling, Charles—Age, 35 years. Enrolled at Newburgh to serve 3years, and mustered in as Chaplain, Sept. 16, 1861; discharged, Dec.23, 1862. Commissioned Chaplain, Aug. 7, 1862, with rank from Sept.16, 1861. Original.

Van Wyck, George P.—Age, 35 years. Enrolled at Seabrook Island, S. C.to serve 3 years; mustered in as Chaplain, April 8, 1863; musteredout, Oct. 17, 1865, while absent with leave. Commissioned Chaplain,Dec. 30, 1862, with rank from same date, vice Charles Shelling,resigned.

Phillips, William N.—Age, 30 years. Enlisted. Sept. 19, 1861, atNewburgh, to serve 3 years; mustered in as Sergeant Major. Oct. 1,1861; died of typhoid fever, Jan. 4, 1862, at Warren Hospital,Washington, D. C.

DISCHARGED.

James Jourdan, Aug. 5, 1862, Lieutenant Colonel.
Jacob Sharpe, Aug. 5, 1862, Major.
Eli H. Evans, Oct. 1, 1863, Adjutant.
John C. Gerard, Sept. 4, 1862, Quartermaster.
Charles Shelling, Dec. 23, 1862, Chaplain.
Frederick Decker, Nov. 23, 1862, Lieutenant Colonel.
John J. Wheeler, Feb. 11, 1864, Lieutenant Colonel.

SURGEONS, ASSISTANT SURGEONS AND HOSPITAL STEWARDS.

Bradner, Ira S.—Enrolled, April 25, 1863, at Hilton Head, S. C, toserve 3 years; mustered in as Assistant Surgeon, May 12, 1863;commissioned as Surgeon, Sept. 19, 1865; mustered out with regiment,Oct. 17, 1865, at Charleston, S. C. Commissioned Assistant Surgeon,May 4, 1863, with rank from April 25, 1863, vice O. A. Carroll,promoted in 143d Infantry; Surgeon, Sept. 19, 1865, with rank fromSept. 19, 1865, vice G. W. Fossard, resigned.

Carroll, Oscar A.—Age, 34 years. Enrolled, Sept. 2, 1861, atNewburgh, to serve 3 years; mustered in as Assistant Surgeon, Sept.23, 1861; mustered out May 13, 1863, for promotion to Surgeon, 143dInfantry. Commissioned Assistant Surgeon, Aug. 7, 1862, with rankfrom Sept. 23, 1861. Original.

Fossard, George H.—Age, 25 years. Enrolled, Oct. 7, 1864, at MorrisIsland, S. C., to serve 3 years; mustered in as Surgeon, Nov. 5, 1864;discharged July 5, 1865; prior service as Assistant Surgeon, 146thInfantry. Commissioned Surgeon, Oct. 7, 1864, with rank from Oct. 7,1864, vice S. Van Etten, mustered out.

Hardenberg, Daniel S.—Age, 23 years. Enrolled, Nov. 11, 1863, atBeaufort, S. C, to serve 3 years; mustered in as Assistant Surgeon,Dec. 11, 1863; discharged, April 1, 1865. Commissioned AssistantSurgeon, Nov. 13, 1863, with rank from Nov. 11, 1863, vice A. L.Turner, promoted.

Sayre, George K.—Age, 22 years. Enlisted at Newburgh, to serve 3years, and mustered in as Hospital Steward, Oct. 20, 1861;re-enlisted as a veteran, Feb. 24, 1864; mustered out with regiment,Oct. 17, 1865, at Charleston, S. C.; also borne as Sayer. BrevettedFirst Lieutenant and Assistant Surgeon.

Turner, Albert S.—Age, 35 years. Enrolled at Yorktown, Va., to serve3 years, and mustered in as Assistant Surgeon, Aug. 9, 1862;discharged, June 30, 1863, for promotion to Surgeon, 103d Infantry.Commissioned Assistant Surgeon, Aug. 29, 1862, with rank from Aug.19, 1862.

Van Etten, Solomon—Age, 32 years. Enrolled at Newburgh, to serve 3years, and mustered in as Surgeon, Sept. 23, 1861; mustered out, Oct.7, 1864; also borne as Fetterman Van Etten. Commissioned Surgeon,Sept. 23, 1861, with rank from Aug. 7, 1861. Original.

MEMBERS OF BAND.

Biddle, John—Age, 23 years. Enlisted at Middletown, to serve 3years, and mustered in as musician in band, Sept. 21, 1861; musteredout, March 1, 1862, at Washington, D. C.

Canfield, George—Age, 15 years. Enlisted at Middletown, to serve 3years, and mustered in as musician in band, Sept. 21, 1861; musteredout, March 1, 1862, at Washington, D. C.

Count, Thomas H.—Age, 35 years. Enlisted at Ellenville, to serve 3years, and mustered in as musician in band, Sept. 21, 1861; musteredout, March 1, 1862, at Washington, D. C.

Cromwell, Charles—Age, 27 years. Enlisted at Middletown, to serve 3years, and mustered in as musician in band, Sept. 21, 1861; musteredout, March 1, 1862, at Washington, D. C.

Depuy, George—Age, 29 years. Was enrolled Sept. 10, 1861, to serve 3years, and mustered in as musician in band; discharged, Dec. 6, 1861,at Washington, D. C., by General Order, No. 91, War Department.

Harding, Elislia C.—Age, 26 years. Enlisted at Middletown, to serve3 years, and mustered in as band leader, Sept. 21, 1861; musteredout, March 1, 1862, at Washington, D. C.

King, George J.—Age, 31 years. Enlisted at Middletown, to serve 3years, and mustered in as musician in band, Sept. 21, 1861; musteredout, March 1, 1862, at Washington, D. C.

King, Hiram T.—Age, 27 years. Enlisted at Middletown, to serve 3years, and mustered in as musician in band, Sept. 21, 1861; musteredout, March 1, 1862, at Washington, D. C.

Kirkpatrick, Joseph—Age, 25 years. Enlisted at Middletown, to serve3 years, and mustered in as musician in band, Sept. 21, 1861;mustered out, March 1, 1862, at Washington, D. C. Subsequent servicein the Cavalry.

Little, James, Jr.—Age 24 years. Enlisted at Middletown, to serve 3years, and mustered in as musician in band, Sept. 21, 1861; musteredout, March 1, 1862, at Washington, D. C.

Stewart, William H—Age, 24 years. Enlisted at Middletown, to serve3 years, and mustered in as musician in band, Nov. 1, 1861; musteredout, March 1, 1862, at Washington, D. C. Subsequent service in theEngineer Corps, and Captain in the Regular Army.

Tuthill, Charles—Age, 24 years. Enlisted at Middletown, to serve 3years, and mustered in as musician in band, Sept. 21, 1861; musteredout, March 1, 1862, at Washington, D. C.

Van Cleft, Theodore H.—Age, 24 years. Enlisted at Middletown, toserve 3 years, and mustered in as musician in band, Sept. 21, 1861;mustered out, March 1, 1862, at Washington, D. C.

Way, Richard D.—Age, 24 years. Enlisted at Middletown, to serve 3years, and mustered in as musician in band, Sept. 21, 1861;mustered out, March 1, 1862, at Washington, D. C.

Welch, Theodore H.—Age, 23 years. Enlisted at Middletown, to serve 3years, and mustered in as musician in band, Sept. 21, 1861; musteredout, March 1, 1862, at Washington, D. C.

Wheat, Robert A.—Age, 25 years. Enlisted at Middletown, to serve 3years, and mustered in as musician in band, Sept. 21, 1861; musteredout, March 1, 1862, at Washington, D. C.

Company A.

Captains—Thomas S. Marvel, Jr., James H. F. Milton, John Metcalf.

First Lieutenants—Thomas B. Pope, Thomas Atwood, John Metcalf,Robert C. Roper.

Second Lieutenants—Peter B. Steele, Wilbur F. Still, Robert C.Roper, George R. Black, Daniel R. Franklin, Wilbur F. Still.

Company B.

Captains—Charles F. Thayer, James H. Smith, Norman Perkins, AlfredW. Loomis, Melville Sears.

First Lieutenants—Effingham Vanderburgh, Alfred W. Lomas, James J.Cox, Alphonse Richter, Edward H. Lomas, Jeremiah Strickland.

Second Lieutenants—Alfred W. Lomas, James J. Cox, Isaac Roosa,Alphonse Richter, Algernon Rose, Jesse L. Stivers, Calvin Lambert.

Company D.

Captains—John J. Wheeler, Edward Wheeler, John Connell.

First Lieutenants—Edward Wheeler, Isaac Beckett, William J. Sayre.

Second Lieutenants—Isaac Beckett, John Connell, Robert E. Halstead,Benjamin F. Clark, William J. Sayre.

Company E.

Captains—William J. Williams, Daniel D. Elting, James J. Cox.

First Lieutenants—Edgar E. Morse, Joseph A. Holmes, John L.Thompkins, Francis Hines, Meeker G. Bell.

Second Lieutenants—Meeker G. Bell, Francis Hines, Edward J.Scranton, Clement B. Newkirk.

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FOURTH REGIMENT.

The following brief story of the organization and military career ofthe 124th N.Y. V. is condensed from the history of the regimentprepared by Colonel Charles H. Weygant and published in 1877.

The 124th was distinctively an Orange County regiment, as all itscompanies were recruited in the county under President Lincoln's callof July 1, 1862, for 300,000 three years' men. The day after thiscall was issued Governor Morgan made an appeal to the people of NewYork urging them to respond promptly to the President's wish and thecountry's needs. The State was immediately divided into militarydistricts and a committee of prominent citizens was appointed foreach, to superintend the work of enlistment and recommend suitablepersons for the officers of the regiments to be raised. Orange andSullivan Counties constituted one of these districts, and itsmilitary committee was composed as follows:

Hon. Robert Denniston, Blooming Grove; Hon. Andrew S. Murray, Goshen;Hugh S. Bull, Montgomery; Albert Post, Newburgh; James M. Barrett,Cornwall; Alexander Moore, Washingtonville; Morgan Shint, Monroe.

A little later the following were added to the committee: E. A.Brewster and William Fullerton, Newburgh; C. H. Winfield, ThomasEdsall and Silas Horton, Goshen; James Cromwell and William Avery,Cornwall; C. C. McQuoid, Halstead Sweet, John G. Walkin and JohnCummings, Wallkill; Charles J. St. John, John Conkling, Orville J.Brown and C. M. Lawrence, Port Jervis; C. B. Newkirk, Monroe; A. S.Dodge, Mount Hope; Dorastus Brown, Greenville; A. F. Schofield,Montgomery; A. G. Owen, Blooming Grove; John Cowdrey and ThomasWelling, Warwick.

The committee recommended A. Van Home Ellis, of New Windsor, then acaptain in the service, for colonel of the regiment which it wasproposed to raise in Orange, and to have general charge of therecruiting. The gloomy conditions at the seat of war made enlistmentsslow throughout the State. Colonel Ellis, after his selection by thecommittee at its first meeting on June 11th, had gone to workimmediately, and opened recruiting offices in every town, yet onlyeight men in all were enlisted in the county during the month. Then,when it was seen that the national capital was again in danger ofcapture, public meetings were held, private bounties were offered,money for the support of the families of volunteers were raised, andthere was a general revival of patriotic enthusiasm. Although up toAugust 8th not more than a score of volunteers had reported atColonel Ellis's headquarters, fifteen days later the regiment wasfully organized and ready to march to the front.

The regimental officers then were: A. Van Horne Ellis, colonel; F.M. Cummins, lieutenant colonel; James Cromwell, major; John H.Thompson, surgeon; T. Scott Bradner, chaplain; Augustus Denniston,quartermaster; De Peyster Arden, adjutant; Edward Marshall,assistant surgeon; R. V. K. Montfort, 2nd assistant surgeon.

These field officers had all served honorably in the Union army, andLieutenant-Colonel Cummins had been a commissioned officer in theMexican War.

The members of the regiment's band were: Drum Major, ____ Hart;buglers, Wm. B. Wood, Moses P. Ross; fifes, John G. Buckley, CharlesWhitehead, Arthur Haigh, Geo. W. Dimick, Henry C. Payne; drums,Robert L. Travis, A. J. Millspaugh, Geo. W. Canfield, John N. Cole,R. D. Stephens, Charles W. Bodle, Henry U. Cannon, Wm. Hamilton,Henry Hoofman, C. Van Gordon, Jehue Price, J. M. Merritt, W.Johnston, James McElroy, Samuel W. Weeden.

The captains of the several companies were: A. Charles H. Weygant;B. Henry S. Murray: C. Wm. Silliman; D. James W. Benedict: E. Wm. A.McBirney; F. Ira S. Bush; G. Isaac Nicoll; H. David Crist; I. LeanderClark; K. Wm. A. Jackson.

Delay in obtaining guns postponed the mustering in of the regimentuntil September 5th, and the next day it broke camp at Goshen andstarted for Washington. Meanwhile it had been presented by Charles H.Winfield, in behalf of the ladies of Orange, with a stand of colors.Its fine appearance in New York inspired a paragraph of praise fromthe Tribune, which said that the most influential families of OrangeCounty were represented in its ranks, and that it contained "the verycream of the regimental district."

Three days afterward they were in Washington, and the first nightthere slept on the ground and stone block in front of the Capitol.The next day they marched to Camp Chase on Arlington Heights, and twoor three days later moved to a spot which they christened Camp Ellis.Here they were attached to Platt's brigade of Whipple's division ofHeintzleman's corps. The other regiments in the brigade were the122nd Pa. (a nine months regiment), the 86th N.Y., and the 1st Ohiobattery. The 124th and 86th regiments remained together during thewar. The latter and the Ohio battery were already veterans.

The 124th broke camp again September 25th, went to Miners' Hill, andhere the men became experienced in picket duties. Tents were struckOctober 16th, and the next day they started in a drizzling rain withtheir division to join the main army on the Maryland side of thePotomac in the vicinity of Harper's Ferry. A freight train carriedthem in great discomfort from Washington to Knoxville, eight milesfrom Harper's Ferry, and they became a part of the Army of thePotomac. October 25th they again received marching orders, and werein motion from supper time till midnight, when they bivouacked nearBerlin, where a pontoon bridge was being laid. Across this they wentwith the entire army of 100,000 men, and were afterward halted in amuddy cornfield near Lovettsville, where they had to stay all nightin rain, a cold wind and mud, and had their first realization of thesufferings of army life. The next morning thirty of the men wereunfit for duty. Short marches were continued, with stops of two orthree days, they being in the advance with the rest of Whippledivision a part of the time, and then they looked from a peak of theBlue Ridge upon some white tents of the enemy. The object of themovement had been to cut off a force of his infantry, but it was toolate and the division was ordered to retrace its steps.

At Orleans they learned that McClellan had been succeeded byBurnside as commander of the Army of the Potomac. November 11th theymarched to Waterloo, and here some of the men of Co. B, commanded byLieutenant W. E. Weygant, were part of a detail which had a fightwith the enemy's pickets and captured two prisoners. November 16ththey marched to Warrenton and here became a part of General Hooker'sgrand division. There were now daily marches, some of the timethrough heavy rains and in deep mud. November 23rd, four miles fromFredericksburg, they went into camp for the first time since leavingMiner's Hill. The army waited in that vicinity for the pontoontrains, which did not arrive until December 10. Then, in pushing apontoon bridge across the Rappahannock, many of the builders werekilled by Mississippi sharpshooters. To stop this 120 cannon wereplaced on Stafford Heights overlooking Fredericksburg, and beganfiring shells into the city and among the sharpshooters. When thefiring ceased two bridges spanned the river, and Union troops hurriedacross and soon drove the enemy out of Fredericksburg. But the greatbattle was yet to come, when the Confederates forced Burnside's armyto withdraw to Falmouth after losing 13,000 men. Platt's brigadeformed the extreme right of the line, and the 124th was one of thelast regiments to recross the bridges. The next morning about half ofthe men answered to the surgeon's call, and nearly a hundred wereplaced on the sick list. General Platt resigned about Christmas time,and there was a period of drilling and picket duty by brigades.January 5th the corps was reviewed by General Burnside. January 10thnew Enfield rifles came and were substituted for the old Belgians.Then, after three or four orders to march had been countermanded, astart was made through pelting rain and sleet and deepening mud. Therain and sleet froze as it fell, and the men were chilled, andexperienced two nights of great suffering. General Burnside abandonedthe attempt to advance. On January 26th General Hooker supersededhim. The division moved a little way, and cut down trees andconstructed log cabins. During February the weather was severe, butthe log cabins, which had fire places, though smoky at times, madethem tolerably comfortable. February 25th the 124th drove off a bodyof Confederate cavalry which made a dash on their picket line. Therewas a monotonous interval, enlivened April 7th by a grand reviewbefore President Lincoln and Generals Hooker and Sickles. Thedivision and brigade were then attached to General Sickles's corps.Orders to march came April 28th, and the entire army was soon inmotion, and the next day halted in sight of the enemy's picketsacross the Rappahannock. The 124th crossed the river on a pontoonbridge with an army of 65,000 men, thirteen miles from Fredericksburg.Then came the disastrous battle of Chancellorsville, during which the124th got into the thickest of the fight, had a fierce encounter withIverson's brigade, and "not a man faltered," although raked by adeadly fire in which many men and a number of officers fell. Once theymade a charge and retook works from which one of our batteries hadbeen driven. The battle ended with the day, and Hooker was whipped.The Third corps lost in killed and wounded 4,000 men. It capturedseven battle flags and over 1,000 prisoners. The losses of the 124thwere fifty-five killed, 150 wounded and six missing. Colonel Ellis, inhis official report said: "Our men fought like tigers, cheeringloudly, but falling fast, the officers without exception standing upto their duty and encouraging their commands."

After Chancellorsville the 122nd Pa., having completed its ninemonths of service, returned home, and the brigade collapsed tobetween 500 and 600 men of the 86th and 124th. Colonel Ellis was nowin command of the brigade, and it was selected as one of threebrigades of picked regiments to accompany a large body of cavalry ona secret expedition. They Started May 6th through a thunderstorm toBeverly's Ford, where they crossed the Rappahannock. There had been aclash of cavalry, and Colonel Ellis's regiments were the first in thefield. Batteries on both sides opened fire, and there were chargesand counter charges, in which bullets flew thick. A body of rebels gotin the rear of the 124th, but they were repulsed after a hot contestin which Co.'s A, F and D lost two killed and twenty wounded. Thetroops were ordered to recross the river.

The 124th did such splendid service at Chancellorsville that it wastransferred to the roll of "first class, tried and to be trusted,veteran battalions," although only six weeks before it had beenclassed among the "untried recruits." June 9th it was part of anexpedition of these veteran regiments which recrossed theRappahannock, did some more fighting, under General Buford, andcaptured some of the enemy's pickets. General Pleasanton accompaniedGeneral Buford and ordered an advance in force, but he found theenemy reinforced and the troops were withdrawn after a loss of about800 on each side. The 124th and 86th were commended as "reliableregiments" in the day's doings.

About this time the old Whipple division ceased to exist inconsequence of the losses at Chancellorsville and mustering-out ofseveral regiments. Berdan's sharpshooters and the 124th and 86thwere assigned to General J. H. H. Ward's brigade of General D. B.Birney's division.

On June 14th they started on one of their longest and severestmarches northward, and on June 25th crossed the Potomac at Edward'sFerry near Ball's Bluff. Just before it was ordered Milner Brown wasassigned to the command of the regiment. They proceeded throughFredericksburg to Emmetsburg, and here on June 30th the 124th hadbut 264 rifles in line, so great had been the losses in battle andfrom disease. They were informed that General Hooker had beensucceeded by General Meade. The Confederates had invaded Pennsylvaniaand a great battle was anticipated. A forced march was made toGettysburg through such intense heat that many were prostrated, andwhen the regiment reached the high ground south of Gettysburg notmore than 100 men and five or six officers appeared in the regimentalline, but the next morning it was 240 strong. It was placed in theright center of the brigade, and in that decisive battle of the wardistinguished itself by its steadiness and daring. For forty minutesWard's and De Trobriand's brigades of about 3,000 men held theirground against Longstreet's entire corps. By a mere chance the wholeregiment escaped capture. General Ward harangued its men on thebattlefield, and said the heroic resistance they had made "was beyondanything he had ever dared to hope for." Its active part in thegreat three days' battle was finished on the second day, as it wasnot called upon to participate in the fighting of the third day,which brought defeat to Lee's army. The 124th had lost thirty-threekilled, including Colonel Ellis, Major James Cromwell and CaptainIsaac Nicoll, and fifty-nine wounded, including Lieutenant ColonelCummins. A number of the severely wounded remained in the hands ofthe enemy several days. The regiment was now reduced to 150 men withmuskets and nine commissioned officers. Some had been sent to thecorps hospital. They were now temporarily commanded by CaptainCharles A. Weygant of Co. A.

The pursuit of Lee began, but he was too swift for Meade, and escapedacross the Potomac. After various movements on both sides of thePotomac, which was crossed July 17th, the 124th bivouacked atManassas Gap July 22nd, in sight of the place of its first skirmish.Then the regiment had 700 rank and file, a full field staff andtwenty-five line officers. Now, although about thirty convalescentshad returned, it had less than 200 men in all. The corps, commandedby Major General French had been strengthened since Gettysburg byabout 8,000 new troops. General Ward still commanded the division.

There were some undecisive {sic} movements and skirmishing in which the124th participated. Lieutenant Colonel Cummins, having recovered,returned and took command of the regiment July 28th. It was soonestablished in camp near Sulphur Springs and remained there sixweeks. September 10th, in consequence of the backward movement ofLee's army, General Meade pushed a heavy cavalry force across theRapidan, and soon the entire army was transferred to the regionbetween the Rapidan and Rappahannock. The 124th broke camp September15th, and next encamped near Culpepper. October 2nd LieutenantColonel Cummins was given a leave of absence for five days, and leftCaptain Weygant in command. There were some uncertain movements, oneof which followed a retrograde movement of Lee, October 19th, but hewas found to be out of reach and General Meade gave up the pursuituntil twenty miles of railroad could be re-built. Next came the fightat Kelly's Ford of November 7th, in which the 124th supported the10th Massachusetts Battery, and the Confederates were defeated.Ward's division took possession of the ford and captured over 500prisoners. The Union loss was only about fifty. Sedgwick's right wingattacked works on the bank of the Rappahannock, carried them bya brilliant coup de main, and captured 1,500 prisoners, his lossbeing about 300. In the march next day toward Beverly Station, withWard's division in front, the 124th was deployed as flankers and wasunder fire for some time. There was no more fighting until November27th, when the fight at Locust Grove took place, followed by thatat Mine Run. The 124th took part in both, and lost one killed, eightwounded and three captured. December 1st Meade ordered a retrogrademovement, and the regiment settled down to a long stay at BrandyStation and Culpepper. March 17 General Birney sent an order toColonel Cummins stating that to equalize the brigades the 124th wouldbe transferred to the Third Brigade. This was so displeasing thatfourteen officers of the regiment petitioned General Birney to allowthem to remain under Brigadier General Ward. Major General Birneyreplied that "the request of the officers of this gallant regimentwould be fully considered," and he would try to grant it. This wasdone, and the 124th remained in Ward's Brigade. Meanwhile it hadreceived considerable additions in volunteers from Orange County,although not half as many as had been mustered out and transferred tothe veteran reserve corps in consequence of physical disability.

Early in March U. S. Grant had been made Lieutenant General andinvested by the President with the chief command of all the armiesof the United States. In the latter part of March and the month ofApril he caused a radical reorganization of the Army of the Potomac,and the "Old Third" became a part of the Second Corps.

An advance was ordered May 3d, and that night Birney's divisionstruck tents and began its march. Two days afterward the memorableBattle of the Wilderness was begun. Ward's command in this battleconsisted of eight infantry regiments, including the 124th and theSecond U. S. Sharpshooters, constituting one of the largest brigadesin the army. The leading officers of the 124th were now ColonelCummins, Lieutenant-Colonel Weygant and Acting Major H. S. Murray.The brigade and regiment did their allotted share in the two-days'battle, but the regiment was less exposed than at Chancellorsvilleand Gettysburg, and came out with a loss of three killed andfifty-seven wounded, Colonel Cummins being among the wounded.

The battle of Spottsylvania Court House came a week later. On the 9ththe 124th N.Y. and 20th Ind. Regiments were thrown out asskirmishers for General Birney's division as it marched forward.Near Po River a Confederate battery opened on them, but fired toohigh, and soon had to flee. In the battle the next day for a whilethe 124th supported a battery on the extreme right of Hanco*ck's line,and then marched with the division towards the left, where it wassoon engaged, and assisted in an unsuccessful charge on the rebelline. It was in General Hanco*ck's famous charge of May 12th. Birney'sdivision was in four lines, with Ward's Brigade in front, the 124thcomposing the right center of the first line, Lieutenant ColonelWeygant in command. When the clash came there were hand-to-handencounters so fierce and desperate as to defy description. There wasan "unparalleled struggle of eighteen hours' duration." Hanco*ck's mencaptured the enemy's works, and he finally abandoned his efforts toretake them. The 124th had been so actively engaged or under fire somuch that the men writing home as late as May 18th spoke of thebattle as having been raging since May 4th. Its losses were fifteenkilled, fifty-two wounded and two captured. Colonel Weygant was oneof the wounded. After the battle the regiment was so small that itwas found necessary to consolidate it into five and then into threecompanies, and the 124th and 86th acted together, first underLieutenant Colonel Lansing and then Major Stafford, both of the 86th.This union lasted until they settled down in front of Petersburg.

On the evening of May 20th the movement of the army fromSpottsylvania Court House began in earnest. The 124th was in variousmovements, and on June 1st seven of its men on picket duty werecaptured. In the bloody battle of Cold Harbor, June 3d, Birney'scommand was in reserve, and the men of the 124th were lookers-on.

Offensive operations were suspended for a time, and General Grantdecided to transfer his army to the James River. On the evening ofJune 12th, after a march of fifty-five miles, Hanco*ck's corps reachedWilcox Landing and was transferred to waiting steamboats. On June15th the advance of the rest of the army was resumed, Birney'scommand leading the column down the Prince George Court House roadtowards Petersburg. The brigade encamped in a grove of pines on CityPoint. There were only about 100 men left in the 124th. Between May18th and June 22nd it lost three killed, twenty-four wounded andeight captured. Every third day from the 4th to the 24th of July theremnant was on the picket line. There were no engagements, but someskirmishing.

General Birney had been assigned to the command of the Tenth Corps,and the veterans of the "Old Third" were consolidated into onedivision under General Mott, and General De Trobriand becamecommander of the brigade, which included the 124th, now commanded byLieutenant Colonel Weygant. When offensive operations were resumed onthe last day of September, the regiment could muster sixteen officersand 230 fighting men, and two months later had been reinforced sothat it numbered nineteen officers and 362 enlisted men, a few ofwhom were raw recruits. It had some active and hazardous work duringthe fall, before the army settled down in winter quarters. October26 Hanco*ck's command moved to the Weldon road, and the next dayDe Trobriand's brigade marched with Mott's division to Hatcher's Run,where General Eagan was having a skirmish, and preparing to force thepassage of the stream. This was done, and presently De Trobriand'sbrigade was ordered to the front to relieve the brigade on the leftof Eagan's line. In the afternoon the enemy advanced in force, andthere was some furious fighting, in which the 124th brought to a halta flanking force of dismounted cavalry with a battery of rifled gunsand sent them into the edge of a neighboring wood. The battlecontinued, and a bullet struck Colonel Weygant in the side, so thathe had to leave the field. Finally the Confederates fled. This wascalled the Battle of Boydton road. Three of the 124th were killed,fourteen wounded and six captured including two of the wounded. Theregiment also took part in the raid of a week, beginning November6th, to destroy the Weldon railroad, when its loss was only onekilled and one wounded.

During the winter the Union lines tightened around Richmond, butapart from preparations for the spring campaign not much was done oneither side. In February however, De Trobriand's brigade was in ashort fight at Hatcher's Run, across which the Union line waspermanently extended.

Confederate leaders did not allow Grant to open the spring campaign,and on March 26th attacked his lines, east of Petersburg, but wererepulsed. The previous day the 124th was in an engagement with 500Confederates, and in a gallant charge captured six officers and 164men. Private George W. Tompkins shot the Confederate Commander,Colonel Troy, and carried off the battle flag of his regiment whichhe bore. Not a man of the 124th was injured. Private Tompkins wasgiven a medal of honor from the Secretary of War, the thanks ofCongress and a brevet commission.

The storming of Petersburg began April 2nd with all the artillery.That night the 124th and two other regiments were ordered to advance,and got into a fight in which several men were seriously wounded. Theobject of this move was to delay the return of some of Lee's troops,and was successful. The grand assault on the Confederate lines wasmade at the appointed time, and a part of De Trobriand's brigade ledby the 124th moved at double-quick over one of the main roads leadinginto Petersburg, the Confederates fleeing before them, but wheelingand firing as they ran. Lee was quick to see the inevitable result ofthe assault, and ordered the evacuation of Richmond. During April 3dthe 124th, which had the advance of the Second Corps, marched twentymiles, and gathered in 200 dismounted Confederate cavalrymen. On the6th it came up with Lee's rear guard, and in the fighting of themarch along Sailor's Creek up to this date the regiment lost fourkilled, seventeen wounded and one missing. The pursuit was resumed onthe 7th, and on the 9th came the great surrender of Lee to Grant,when our "men shouted until they could shout no longer."

After the momentous event at Appomattox the 124th encamped atBurkesville Junction. In the night the men were awakened andhorrified by the news that President Lincoln and Secretary Sewardhad been assassinated. On May 1st Meade's army took up its line ofmarch for Washington, and came in sight of it about the middle ofMay. On June 5th, after participating in the grand review of thewhole Union army, the 124th received its last marching orders. Itreached home June 13th, and received a wonderful welcome fromassembled thousands at Newburgh.

The Newburgh Daily Union published the truth when it said the nextday that it "had made as noble a record as any regiment in thefield." It praised Colonels Ellis, Cummins and Weygant, and said ofthe regiment: "Slowly they filed past; and now the people'senthusiasm burst out over all bounds. Our scanty police and watchforce were swallowed up and overwhelmed, and the eager multitudesseemed as if they would throw themselves upon the soldiers. On theymarched with steady and resistless step, their paces and uniformstelling of the fearful scenes they had passed through. Their battleflag, as it was borne aloft, awakened intense emotion; hardly astrip of its frayed and bullet-torn silk was left; yet it was moreprecious to the men and to the people than if it were made of clothof gold."

Judge Taylor made the address of welcome, in which he said: "You arethe life-guards of the nation, and we look upon you with something ofthe same reverence which we feel toward the fathers of our country.And we cherish the memory of those who fought, bled and died, and ofthose who survived the carnage of Fredericksburg, of Chancellorsville,of Beverly's Ford, of Gettysburg, of the Wilderness, of Spottsylvania,of Boydton Road, of Sailor's Creek and the many battlefields aroundRichmond."

The following is the official record of the commissioned officers ofthe 124th, in which the date of commission is followed by the date ofrank:

REGIMENTAL AND COMPANY OFFICERS.

Colonels.

A. Van Horn Ellis, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 23, 1862; killed in actionat Gettysburg, Pa., July 2, 1863.

Francis M. Cummins, Oct. 10, 1863; July 2, 1863; discharged, Sept.19, 1864.

Charles H. Weygant, Jan. 11, 1865; Sept. 19, 1864; not mustered.

Lieutenant Colonels.

Francis M. Cummins, Sept. 10, 1863; Aug. 16, 1862; promoted toColonel, Oct. 10, 1863.

Charles H. Weygant, Oct. 10, 1863; July 2, 1863; mustered out withregiment, June 3, 1865 (Brevet Colonel, U. S. V.)

Henry S. Murray, Jan. 11, 1865; Sept. 19, 1864; not mustered.

Majors.

James Cromwell, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 20, 1862; killed in action atGettysburg, Pa., July 2, 1863.

Charles H. Weygant, Sept. 14, 1863; July 2, 1863; promoted toLieutenant Colonel, Oct. 10, 1863.

Henry S. Murray, Oct. 10, 1863; July 2, 1863; mustered out withregiment, June 3, 1865.

James W. Benedict, Jan. 11, 1865: Sept. 19, 1864; not mustered.

Adjutants.

William Silliman, Sept. 10, 1862; July 16, 1862; promoted toCaptain, Oct. 3, 1862.

C. Depeyster Arden, Oct. 3, 1862; Aug. 20, 1862; discharged, Jan. 14,1863.

William Brownson, Feb. 20, 1863; Dec. 31, 1863; resigned, Sept. 17,1863.

William B. Van Houten, Oct. 10, 1863; Sept. 17, 1863; discharged,Jan. 23, 1865.

Wines E. Weygant, Jan. 31, 1865; Jan. 31, 1865; not mustered.

Quartermasters.

Augustus Denniston, Sept. 10, 1862; July 15, 1862; resigned, Jan. 14,1863.

Henry F. Travis, Feb. 27, 1863; Jan. 14, 1863; promoted to Captain,Aug. 20, 1863.

Ellis Post, Aug. 20, 1863; April 21, 1863; mustered out withregiment, June 3, 1865.

Surgeons.

John H. Thompson, Sept. 10, 1862; July 26, 1862; dismissed Nov. 25,1864; disability removed by order of the President, Jan. 14, 1865.

John H. Thompson, Feb. 15, 1865; Feb. 15, 1865; failed to muster.

Robert V. K. Montfort, March 22, 1865; March 22, 1865; mustered outwith regiment, June 3, 1865.

Assistant Surgeons.

Edward G. Marshall, Sept. 10, 1862; Sept. 5, 1862; dismissed, Aug.7, 1863.

Robert V. K. Montfort, Sept. 10, 1862; Sept. 10, 1862: promoted tosurgeon, March 22, 1865.

Edward C. Fox, April 6, 1865; April 7, 1865; mustered out withregiment, June 3, 1865.

Chaplain.

Thomas Scott Bradner, Oct. 21, 1862; Aug. 23, 1862; mustered outwith regiment, June 3, 1865.

Captains.

Charles H. Weygant, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 12, 1862; promoted to major,Sept. 14, 1863.

Charles B. Wood, Oct. 10, 1863; July 2, 1863; discharged, Sept. 21,1864.

Thomas Taft, Nov. 15, 1864; Sept. 21, 1864; mustered out withregiment, June 3, 1865.

Henry S. Murray, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 14, 1862; promoted to major,Oct. 10, 1863.

William E. Mapes, Dec. 17, 1863; July 2, 1863; discharged, Dec. 15,1864.

Robert J. Malone, Dec. 17, 1864; Sept. is, 1864; mustered out withregiment, June 3. 1865.

James Cromwell, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 15, 1862; promoted to major,Sept. 10, 1862.

William Silliman, Oct. 3, 1862; Aug. 20, 1862; promoted to colonel,26th U. S. C. T., Feb. 1, 1864.

James Finnegan, Feb. 9, 1864; Feb. 1, 1864; died of wounds, Oct. 28,1864.

James A. Grier, Nov. 15, 1864; Oct. 27, 1864; not mustered.

James W. Benedict, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 16, 1862; mustered out withregiment, June 3, 1865.

John C. Wood, Feb. 18, 1865; Jan. 1, 1865; mustered out withregiment, June 3, 1865.

William A. McBurney, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 19, 1862; resigned, March9, 1863.

Daniel Sayer, Dec. 17, 1863; March 6, 1863; mustered out withregiment, June 3, 1865.

Isaac Nicoll Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 20, 1862; killed in action atGettysburg, Pa., July 2, 1863.

James O. Denniston, Aug. 20, 1863; July 2, 1862; not mustered.

Henry P. Ramsdell, Dec. 12, 1863; Oct. 7, 1863; not mustered.

Thomas J. Quick, Dec. 17, 1863; Dec. 10, 1863; mustered out withregiment, June 3, 1865.

Ira S. Bush, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 20, 1862; resigned, June 21, 1864.

John W. Houston, July 15, 1864; June 21, 1864; not mustered.

Edward J. Cormick, Nov. 15, 1864; Aug. 10, 1864; killed in actionnear Petersburg, Va., April 1, 1865.

Lander Clark, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 20, 1862; resigned, May 13, 1863.

Henry F. Travis, Aug. 20, 1863; April 21, 1863; mustered out withregiment, June 3, 1865.

William A. Jackson, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 23, 1862; killed in actionnear Petersburg, Va., June 18, 1864.

Lewis M. Wisner, July 15, 1864; July 14, 1864; not mustered ascaptain.

Thomas Bradley, Nov. 15, 1864; Aug. 2, 1864; mustered out withregiment, June 3, 1865.

David Crist, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 23, 1862; killed in action. May30, 1864.

Theodore M. Roberson, Feb. 18, 1865; Jan. 1, 1865; mustered out withregiment, June 3, 1865.

First Lieutenants.

Charles B. Wood, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 12, 1862; promoted to captain,Oct. 10, 1863.

Charles T. Cressy, April 19, 1864; May 1, 1864; not mustered.

Thomas Taft, Aug. 2, 1864; July 20, 1864; promoted to captain, Nov.15, 1864.

David U. Quick, Feb. 18, 1865; Jan. 1, 1865; mustered out withregiment, June 3, 1865.

Wines E. Weygant, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 14, 1862; resigned, Feb. 8,1863.

William E. Mapes, Feb. 27, 1863; Feb. 8, 1863; promoted to captain,Feb. 27, 1863.

Edward J. Cormick, March 23, 1864; March 17, 1864; promoted tocaptain, Nov. 15, 1864.

Abram P. Francisco, Feb. 18, 1865; Jan. 1, 1865; mustered out withregiment, June 3, 1865.

William Brownson, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 15, 1862; promoted toadjutant, Feb. 20, 1863.

Henry P. Ramsdell, Feb. 20, 1863; Dec. 31, 1862; discharged, Dec. 13,1863.

Daniel Sayer, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 16, 1862; promoted to captain,Dec. 17, 1863.

John W. Houston, Dec. 17, 1862; March 6, 1863; discharged, Dec. 13,1863.

Ebenezer Holbert, July 15, 1864; June 21, 1864; mustered out withregiment, June 3, 1865.

Wm. A. Verplanck, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 10, 1862; discharged, Sept.23, 1863.

Theodore M. Roberson, Dec. 17, 1863; Sept. 25, 1863; promoted tocaptain, Feb. 18, 1865.

Woodward T. Ogden, Feb. 18, 1865; Jan. 1, 1865; not mustered.

James O. Denniston, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 20, 1862; discharged, Oct.17, 1863.

William H. Benjamin, Feb. 18, 1865; Jan. 1, 1865; mustered out withregiment, June 3, 1865.

Thomas J. Quick, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 20, 1862; promoted to captain,Dec. 17, 1863.

James A. Grier, Dec. 24, 1863; Dec. 10, 1863; not mustered.

John B. Stanbrough, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 20, 1862; resigned, Nov.12, 1862.

Isaac M. Martin, Dec. 30, 1862; Nov. 12, 1862; dismissed, May 15,1863.

Wm. B. Van Houten, Aug. 20, 1863; May 15, 1863; promoted toadjutant, Oct. 10, 1863.

Charles Stuart, Oct. 10, 1863; Sept. 17, 1863; discharged, May 15,1865.

James H. Roosa, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 23, 1862; resigned, March 7,1863.

James Finnegan, May 26, 1863; March 7, 1863; promoted to captain,Feb. 9, 1864.

Lewis M. Wisner, Feb. 23, 1864: Feb. 1, 1864; discharged, Aug. 5,1864.

John C. Wood, Nov. 15, 1864; Aug. 1, 1864; promoted to captain, Feb.18, 1865.

Thomas Hart, Feb. 18, 1865; Jan. 1, 1865; mustered out with regiment,June 3, 1865.

Henry Gowdy, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 22, 1863; died, May 11, 1864, ofwounds.

John R. Hayes, Dec. 17, 1863; May 10, 1863; not mustered.

Thomas Bradley, Sept. 27, 1864; Aug. 1, 1864; promoted to captain,Nov. 15, 1864.

John S. King, Dec. 17, 1864; Sept. 15, 1864; mustered out withregiment, June 3, 1865.

Second Lieutenants.

Charles T. Cressy, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 12, 1862; promoted to firstlieutenant, April 19, 1864.

Jonathan Birdsall, Aug. 2, 1864; July 20, 1864; killed in actionnear Petersburg, Va., Oct. 22, 1864.

Gabriel Tuthill, Feb. 27, 1863; Feb. 8, 1863; discharged, Feb. 23,1864.

Henry P. Ramsdell, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 15, 1862: promoted to firstlieutenant, Feb. 27, 1863.

James A. Grier, Feb. 20, 1863; Dec. 31, 1862; promoted to firstlieutenant, Dec. 24, 1863.

Thomas Hart, Nov. 15, 1864; July 21, 1864; promoted to firstlieutenant, Feb. 18, 1865.

John W. Houston, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 16, 1862; promoted to firstlieutenant, Dec. 17, 1863.

Ebenezer Holbert, April 2, 1864; July 20, 1864: promoted to firstlieutenant, July 15, 1864.

Thomas G. Mabie, Nov. 15, 1864; July 26, 1864; mustered out withregiment, June 3, 1865.

Adolphus Wittenbeecher, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 19, 1862; dismissed,March 19, 1863.

Theodore M. Roberson, May 26, 1863; March 6, 1863; promoted to firstlieutenant, Dec. 17, 1863.

Woodward T. Ogden, Nov. 15, 1864; July 21, 1864; mustered out withregiment, June 3, 1865.

Sylvester Lawson, March 14, 1865; March 3, 1865; mustered out withregiment, June 3, 1865.

David Gibbs, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 20, 1862; resigned, Feb. 25, 1863.

Wm. H. Benjamin, May 26, 1863; Feb. 25. 1863; promoted to firstlieutenant, Feb. 18, 1865.

Joshua V. Cole, Feb. 18. 1865; Jan. 1, 1865; not mustered.

Samuel W. Hotchkiss, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 20, 1862; resigned, April2, 1864.

David U. Quick, Nov. 15, 1864; July 21, 1864; promoted to firstlieutenant, Feb. 18, 1865.

Lewis T. Schultz, Feb. 18, 1865; Jan. 1, 1865; mustered out withregiment, June 3, 1865.

Isaac M. Martin, Sept. 10. 1862; Aug. 20, 1862; promoted to firstlieutenant, Dec. 20, 1862.

Milnor Brown, Dec. 30, 1862; Dec. 30, 1862; killed in action atGettysburg, Pa., July 2, 1863.

Charles Stuart, Aug. 20, 1863; July 2, 1863; promoted to firstlieutenant, Oct. 10, 1863.

William W. Smith, April 19, 1864; Sept. 17, 1863; not mustered.

James Finnegan, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 23, 1862; promoted to firstlieutenant, May 26, 1863.

Jacob Denton, May 26, 1863; March 7, 1863; not mustered; killed inaction, May 3, 1863.

Lewis M. Wisner, Aug. 20, 1863; May 3, 1863; promoted to firstlieutenant, Feb. 23, 1864.

John R. Hayes, Sept. 10, 1862; Aug. 22, 1862; discharged, April 8,1864.

OTHER MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS.

Company I, 71st Regiment, N. G. S. N.Y., was recruited in Newburgh,mostly from Co. L, 19th Regiment, N. G. S. N.Y., between May 20 and31, 1861, by Captain A. Van Horne Ellis. Governor Morgan refused topermit the company to leave the State, and thereupon Captain Ellistook it to New York on his own responsibility. It was furnished withtransportation to Washington, was accepted through the influence ofSecretary Seward, and mustered in for three months. It was stationedat the Washington Navy Yard, sent to Chapel Point and Point Tobacco,June 28, returned, and on July 16 was brigaded with Rhode Island andNew Hampshire regiments under Colonel Burnside. It went to the BullRun battlefield dragging two twelve-pound boat howitzers on July 4th,and returned with them. Soon it went back, arriving on the Bull Runbattlefield July 21st, and in the battle fired 232 shots of shrapneland canister. It drew out of the conflict by order at 3 P. M. withthe loss of one killed and two wounded, and returned to Washington.It was soon back in Newburgh, where it was mustered out July 30th.The officers during this service were:

A. Van Horne Ellis, captain; George W. Hawkins, second lieutenant;Wm. H. Garrison, second sergeant; John McMeekin, third sergeant;James D. Hamilton, fourth sergeant; Charles Decker, first corporal;Marshal M. Van Zile, second corporal; Henry T. Travis, thirdsergeant; Thomas Riley, fourth sergeant.

May 28th, 1862, within seven hours, the company was again recruitedfor three months, and during that period was on guard duty in andaround Washington. The officers were:

A. Van Horne Ellis, captain; Wm. H. Garrison, first lieutenant; JamesC. Taggart, second lieutenant; John W. Forsyth, first sergeant;Henry F. Travis, second sergeant; John McMeekin, third sergeant;James B. Montgomery, fourth sergeant; Thomas Riley, fifth sergeant;Robert Acheson, David M. De Witt, Wm. M. Verplanck and Edward J. Hall,corporals.

Captain Ellis afterward became colonel of the 124th, and severalother members of the company became captains and lieutenants in the124th, 56th and other regiments.

In May, 1862, the 19th regiment of militia, commanded by Colonel Wm. R.Brown, was ordered to Washington, and after recruiting its ranks,which had been depleted by volunteer enlistments, left Newburgh June4. Arriving in Baltimore, it was ordered to Stuart Hill, and remainedthere until July 2nd, when two of its companies were ordered to FortMcHenrv and the rest of the regiment to Fort Marshall. On July 14four companies were ordered to Fort Delaware, and remained thereuntil August 10th, when they were sent to Havre de Grace to guard therailroad between there and Baltimore. The whole regiment went back toNewburgh the last of August, and was mustered out of the U. S.service September 6.

Officers during this expedition were: William J. Brown, colonel;James Low, lieutenant colonel; David Jagger, major; George Weller,quartermaster; William J. Hathaway, adjutant.

In August Colonel Brown twice offered the services of the regimentfor nine months, but the offers were refused by Governor Morgan. Heoffered them again September 17, when they were accepted. Recruitingfor it was complicated by the efforts of Colonel Isaac Wood to raisean authorized regiment of three years' men in the county at the sametime, but he stopped after enlisting 272 men, who were consolidatedwith the 176th N.Y.V. and mustered in November 20th.

Colonel Brown continued to enroll volunteers until February 2nd, whenhis regiment, known as the 168th, left Newburgh with 750 men, andNew York City eleven days later with 835 men. It went to Yorktown,and remained there on garrison duty during nearly its whole term ofservice. Once a detachment of 140 men under Captain Daniel Torbushwas sent with detachments from other regiments up York and MattaponyRivers, and the Torbush detachment was placed to guard the Richmondroad. Here it was attacked by a force of Confederate cavalry, andrepulsed them, killing fourteen, and losing one killed, five woundedand two captured. September 16th the regiment was sent to Bridgeport,Ala., and remained there on guard duty until October 14th, when itwent back to Newburgh, and was mustered out October 31st. During itsnine months of service it lost one killed, eighteen died, thirteencaptured and 184 deserters. Its commissioned officers were:

Colonel: William R. Brown.

Lieutenant-Colonels: James Low, James C. Rennison.

Majors: George Waller (dismissed), James C. Rennison, Daniel Torbush.

Adjutant: Wm. R. Hathway.

Quartermasters: James H. Anderson, George C. Spencer.

Surgeon: Jacob M. Leighton.

Assistant Surgeon: Edward B. Root.

Chaplain: R. Howard Wallace.

Captains: Wm. H. Terwilliger, Daniel Torbush, James H. Anderson, Isaac Jenkinson, Bennett Gilbert, George McCleary, Samuel Hunter, John D. Wood, James C. Rennison, Myron A. Tappan, Marshal Van Zile.

First Lieutenants: Nathan Hubbard, Oliver Taylor, Jacob K. R. Oakley, Archibald Ferguson, James H. Searles, Lawrence Brennan, James T. Chase, De Witt C. Wilkin, Wm. D. Dickey, Marshal Van Tile, George R. Brainsted.

Second Lieutenants: Thomas P. Terwilliger, Isaac N. Morehouse, James H. Anderson, Geo. C. Marvin, Andrew J. Gilbert, Samuel C. Wilson, Paul Terwilliger, Geo. W. Hennion, Daniel Low, Jr., Geo. R. Brainsted, Bartley Brown, Lester Genung.

The 176th regiment, with which Colonel Wood's 272 recruits wereconsolidated, was sent to the Department of the Gulf as a part of theNineteenth Corps, and was in the Red River campaign in 1864, inGeneral Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley campaign the same year, and inGeorgia and North Carolina in the early months of 1865. In the RedRiver campaign it did some fighting and lost many men in killed,wounded and prisoners. Of its Orange County officers, T. HenryEdsall was adjutant, Sprague K. Wood rose from sergeant to captain,and Joseph Goodsell from second lieutenant to captain.

The company of cavalry recruited in the fall of 1861 by Morris I.McCormal as a part of Colonel Van Wyck's "Tenth Legion," when it wasdetached from this regiment was mustered in as Co. C, First MountedRifles, and had ninety-five men. The company served three years.Officers were: Morris I. McCormal, captain; Charles F. Allen, firstlieutenant; Arthur Hagen, second lieutenant; Ardice Robbins, orderlysergeant; C. R. Smith, quartermaster sergeant. Captain McCormalresigned in 1862, but re-entered the service in the FifteenthCavalry in 1863. Quartermaster Smith and Sergeants James Eaton,Frank Mills and Fred Penney were promoted to lieutenants.

Orange County was represented in the Seventh, afterward Second,regiment of Cavalry, its volunteers being mostly in Co. B, underCaptain Charles E. Morton of New Windsor. Alanson Randall, U. S. A.,a native of Newburgh, was colonel of the regiment from November,1864, to the muster out, June 5, 1865. The regiment was also known asthe Harris Light Cavalry.

Recruits were obtained in Orange County for the Fifteenth Cavalry inthe winter of 1863-4 by Captain Morris I. McCormal of Middletown, andLieutenant Charles H. Lyon of Newburgh.

The Fifteenth Heavy Artillery's Co. M was mostly recruited in OrangeCounty in the winter of 1863-4. The regiment was mustered in at FortLyon, Va., February 3, 1864, remained there until March 27th, whenit went to Beverly Station and was assigned to duty in the ArtilleryReserve of the Army of the Potomac, and did creditable service inseveral bloody battles. When Co. M was organized its officers were:Wm. D. Dickey of Newburgh, captain; Alfred Newbatt and JuliusNiebergall, first lieutenants; John Ritchie and Robert B. Keeler,second lieutenants. August 15th Captain Dickey was placed in commandof the Third Battalion and Lieutenant Ritchie took command of thecompany, leading it through the engagements in the struggle for theWeldon railroad, in one of which it lost in killed and wounded athird of its men. For the regiment's good work here and in aprevious fight at Haines' Tavern it was complimented in the generalorders of Meade. Co. M was mustered out in July, 1865. It lost duringits year of service three officers and ninety-five privates. Thepromotions were: Captain Dickey to major, Second Lieutenants Keelerand Ritchie to first lieutenants, and Sergeants Joseph M. Dickey andRiemann to second lieutenants.

This Seventeenth Independent Battery was recruited in Orange to be apart of Colonel Van Wyck's "Tenth Legion" or 56th Regiment. Itarrived in Washington November 11, 1861, and was organized as anindependent battery January 10, 1862. It was first assigned toCasey's, afterwards Peek's division. It also served in the SeventhCorps, then in the Second division of the Eighteenth Corps, atBermuda Hundred a short time in the Tenth Corps, and when musteredout formed a part of the artillery brigade of the Twenty-fourthCorps. It was in the siege of Yorktown, the battles of Williamsburg,Savage's Station, Fair Oaks, Malvern Hill, the siege of Suffolk, andwas in action at Petersburg, Dutch Gap, Fort Harrison, Hatcher's Runand Port Walthal. It was in the investment of Petersburg andRichmond. It suffered most severely at Fair Oaks. Its record was goodthroughout. Its commissioned officers were:

Captain: Peter C. Regan.

First Lieutenants: Eugene Scheibner, Abram Kniffin, Martin V. McIntyre, John S. Bennett.

Second Lieutenants: Abram Kniffin, Charles S. Harvell, Abram Smith, Wm. H. Lee, Edward Kelly, John B. Brosen, Jr.

The First Regiment of Engineers, known as Serrell's, had in itsranks, it was said, 300 or 400 men from Orange County. Itsdetachments were mustered in between September 10, 1861, and February12, 1862. The regiment retained its organization until June 30, 1865,when it was mustered out, but there were various changes in itscomposition. It was an important regiment in the engineering part ofthe service.

Company C of the 98th N.Y. S. V., was mostly recruited in Newburghin the winter of 1863-4 by Captain James H. Anderson and LieutenantJ. K. R. Oakley, who had been in the 168th Regiment. They went toRiker's Island in February, 1864, and here consolidation requirementscaused Co. C to consist of ninety-five Orange County men underCaptain Anderson and Lieutenants Oakley and Sneed, and twenty-fourwere assigned to Co. I under Captain E. M. Allen. The record of theregiment was one of the best. It fought at Drury's Bluff, Cold Harborand Petersburg. At Drury's Bluff it saved General Buller's army froma flank attack: at Cold Harbor it lost in killed and wounded 100 men;at Petersburg it charged the outer line of the enemy's works and wasalmost constantly under fire. Its colors were the first to be plantedat Fort Harrison on September 29, 1864, and it was the first regimentto enter Richmond after the evacuation. After the surrender of Leeit was on post and garrison duty in several places, and was musteredout at Richmond August 31, 1865. Of the men who went out with CaptainAnderson, thirteen were killed or died of wounds, twenty-threewounded, and five died of disease.

MONEY RAISED FOR THE WAR.

The following totals were raised by official action from town taxes,loans, state cash and bonds, for the towns named for war purposes:

Blooming Grove, $60,900; Chester, $54,192.67; Cornwall, $69,200;Crawford, $84,187.12; Deer Park, $242,981.83; Goshen, $83,233.05;Greenville, $54,016.45; Hamptonburgh, $21,000; Minisink, $57,271.62;Monroe, $160,968.65; Montgomery, $57,250; Mount Hope, $62,888.24;Newburgh, $455,637; New Windsor, $48,715,55; Wallkill, $95,100;Warwick, $201,070; Wawayanda, $51,750.

By the County: From taxes, 1864, $1,800; 1865, $90,649.50; fromloans, 1864, $421,000; total, $513,449.50.

Towns and County: From taxes, 1862, $31,931; 1863, $2,000; 1864,$350,434.95; 1865, $257,581.82; from loans, 1862, $31,950; 1863,$35,318.70; 1864, $1,113,761.82; 1865, $229,278.41.

From State: Cash, $76,000; bonds, $252,000.53; interest on bonds,$3,473.51; other sources, $105.

Full total: $2,384,801.74.

The donations, cash subscriptions and draft exemption moneys,amounting to a very large sum, are not included in the foregoingfigures.

CHAPTER XI.

TOWN OF BLOOMING GROVE

By Benjamin C. Sears.

This is one of the older towns of Orange County, lying somewhatnorthwest of the geographical center. The towns of Hamptonburgh andNew Windsor are on the north, Cornwall on the east, Monroe andWoodbury on the south and Goshen and Chester on the west. It coversan area of 21,759 acres.

The title to all the territory of this town conveyed by the variousoriginal patents, upon which rests the deed of every property-holderto-day has been carefully preserved. The names and dates of the firstsettlers are also pretty fully recorded.

The oldest grant of land seems to be the Mompesson Patent, which isdated March 4, 1709, and confirmed May 31, 1712. This covered 1,000acres. The next grant in order of time is that known as the Rip VanDam patent, which is dated March 23, 1907 {sic} and covered some 3,000acres. This was granted to Rip Van Dam, Adolph Phillips, DavidProvost, Jr., Lancaster Symes and Thomas Jones, each having an equalshare in the tract. This is described as "beginning at a stationbearing west 24 degrees north, and 85 chains from the wigwam of theIndian Maringamus," which was on the southwest bank of Murderer'sCreek just across the railroad track from the Catholic Church of St.Mary. The present village of Salisbury Mills is on the east end ofthis patent so far as the village lies in the town. In the northeastcorner of the town on the old county line is the 1,000 acre tract ofRoger Van Dam which is dated June 30, 1720, although a portion ofthis tract extends over into the present town of New Windsor. Thenext patent was granted to Ann Hoagland, May 24, 1723, and itcontained 2,000 acres in the western part of the town. In thesoutheastern part of the town, adjoining the Rip Van Dam patent, andwest of the Schunnemunk Mountains was the 2,000 acre grant of EdwardBlagg and Johannes Hey, dated March 28, 1726. This valley has beenknown ever since as Blagg's Clove. West of this was the irregulartract of 2,440 acres granted to Nathaniel Hazzard January 11, 1727.This was south of Washingtonville. Still further west was the JosephSackett 2,000-acre tract, to which 222 acres were afterward added onthe south. This patent was dated July 7, 1736, and the tract adjoinsthe present village of Oxford. Sackett got another grant of 149 acresSeptember 1, 1737, on the west.

On August 10, 1723 a patent covering 2,600 acres was granted toRichard Gerard and William Bull.

PHYSICAL FEATURES.

The surface of this town is varied by the long range of SchunnemunkMountains, forming the eastern boundary, with its level ridgesreaching to the height of about 1,600 feet, and the beautifulfoothills of Woodco*ck, Round Hill, Mosquito, Raynor and Peddler. Thelast two have deposits of magnetic iron ore, which mixed with theores from other parts of the county was used in making the Parottguns during the War of the Rebellion. The cultivated land is alsobroken and rolling, some upon quite high hills, whose sides were notcultivated, and are covered with luxuriant blue grass pastures, andalong the streams and the lower lands are beautiful natural meadows,which bring their annual tribute of hay into the barns, and add verymuch to the beauty of the scenery.

The Greycourt or Cromeline Creek runs from Walton Lake by the base ofGoose Pond Mountain, through the Greycourt meadows and thepicturesque falls at Craigville, through Farmingdale and Hulsetown,and is joined near the Hamptonburgh line by the Otterkill; nearWashingtonville by the Tappan or Schunnemunk Creek, flowing fromSattterly's Mills; also by the Silver stream draining a portion ofBlagg's Clove, and furnishing at the old Coleman Mills, the excellentwater supply of Washingtonville. The united stream is calledMurdner's or Murderer's Creek, to which N. P. Willis gave the morepoetical name of "Moodna," where it entered the Hudson near Idlewild.These streams have along their bank beautiful natural meadows dottedwith fine old trees, and the hill-tops are covered in places withsugar maple and chestnut trees, making in the early spring time abeautiful picture of varied green, and in the autumn a gloriousvariety of colors, which, together with the fine apple orchardscrowning the hillsides, justifies the name of Blooming Grove.

EARLY SETTLERS.

Vincent Mathews seems to have been the first settler according to therecord. He bought the Rip Van Dam Patent, August 22, 1721, and builta grist mill at the place since known as Salisbury. He named thisestate "Mathewsfield." Thomas Goldsmith came next, about ten yearslater, and he took the Mompesson Patent. He built a house on thenorth bank of the Otterkill, now known as the "Walnut Grove Farm,"near the present Washingtonville. Edward Blagg also settled uponthis tract, known as "Blagg's Clove" about this time. Mathews soldhis mill to John J. Carpenter, which was turned into a powder millunder a State contract in 1776, when under the kindling fires ofpatriotism the demand for powder became very active.

In 1753 Jesse Woodhull settled in Blagg's Clove, although he seems tohave purchased the Richard Van Dam Patent upon which the Moffattfamily afterward settled. Mr. Mathews, the original settler, was anattorney, and took an active part in the early history of the town.He sold 1,500 of his acres to Louis Du Bois, of New Paltz, who builta tavern upon it which was kept by Zachariah Du Bois in Revolutionarytimes.

Prior to 1764 the territory of this town was a part of the Goshenprecinct. From that time to 1799 it formed a part of the town ofCornwall. The other prominent settlers of the town are believed to beincluded in the following list:

John Brewster, Edward, Francis, Isaac, Jesse and Nathan Brewster,Daniel Brewster, George Duryea, Richard Goldsmith, Benjamin Gregory,John Hudson, Henry Hudson, William Hudson, Archibald Little, Timothy,James and Solomon Little; James Mapes, and his sons Wines, Jesse,Robert, James, Barney, David, William and Thomas; Elihu Marvin, amember of the Committee of Safety in 1775, also judge of the countyin 1778; Seth, Nathan, James, Jesse and John Marvin; Samuel Moffatt;James and Fletcher Mathews, sons of Vincent Mathews, who was acolonel in the Revolution and a leading citizen; Thomas Moffatt,member of the Committee of Safety from 1778 to 1794; Josiah, Samuel,Jacob, Stephen and Peter Reeder; Israel, Thaddeus, John, Jesse,Josiah and Samuel Seely; Bezaliel Seeley; Selah Strong, the firstsupervisor of the town; Major Samuel and Captain Nathan Strong;Nathaniel Satterly, member of Committee of Safety in 1775, andproprietor of Satterly's Mills in 1765; John and Selah Satterly;James, Nathaniel and John Sayer; Nathaniel Strong, member ofCommittee of Safety, who was shot at his door by Claudius Smith,October 6, 1778; Captain Jesse Woodhull, delegate to the firstProvincial Convention, and member of the State Convention thatrevised the federal constitution in 1778; Abner Woodhull, George andBenjamin Whittaker; Silas, Reuben and Birdseye Young; StephenMathews, Gilbert, Zachariah and John Du Bois; Hezekiah, Isaiah,Stephen, Isaac, Paul, Zepheniah, Charles, Aaron, Silas and JeremiahHowell; Benjamin and Thomas Goldsmith; David Coleman, Caleb, Joab,Asahel, Micah, Silas, Richard and Jeremiah Coleman; Thomas, John,Francis and Richard Drake; Nathaniel Coleman; Daniel Curtis; JohnChandler; Henry and Oliver Davenport.

Among other family names recorded are those of Carpenter, Moffatt,Owens, Gregg and Wooley. It is said of the Woodhull family that itsancestry is distinctly traced to the individual who came to Englandfrom Normandy with William the Conqueror in 1066.

CIVIL ORGANIZATIONS.

The town of Blooming Grove was organized March 23, 1799, theterritory being taken from the more ancient Cornwall township. Thename Blooming Grove had long been in use for this part of Cornwall,being the name of the old village which was given to distinguish itfrom Hunting Grove, a locality then in New Windsor.

The first town meeting was held at the house of John Chandler, thefirst Tuesday of April, 1799. Selah Strong was then electedsupervisor and Daniel Brewster town clerk. Two hundred dollars wereraised for the support of the poor that year, and a $10 bounty wasvoted for each wolf killed within the town. Mr. Brewster served astown clerk for thirty-seven years without intermission. There waslittle personal politics in those times, and public office wasprobably regarded as a public trust.

In April, 1830, a part of the town was taken off in the formation ofHamptonburgh. In March, 1845, another small portion was set off tothe town of Chester.

Charles W. Hull has been town clerk since 1874, and has just beenreelected, so that his term will be nearly as long as JohnBrewster's.

The house of John Brewster, at which the town meetings were held,1765 to 1799, was kept as a hotel and was said to be the homestead ofthe Cooper family, upon which is now situated the Blooming Grovestation and post-office.

When the present town of Blooming Grove was formed, the principalcenter was at Blooming Grove, where the old church was erected, 1759.The first town meeting was held in the spring of 1759, at the houseof John Chandler, who kept a general country store here several yearsprevious to this, also at Edenville, near Warwick, taking in wheatand other grain which was carted to New Windsor, ground at the oldmill on Quassaic Creek, and shipped to the West Indies and exchangedfor sugar, molasses and other products of the tropics, which werebrought back to Orange County by the Hudson River to New Windsor,and exchanged again for grain and other farm products. John Chandlerpurchased in 1793 a small farm, upon which his great-grandson, B. C.Sears, now resides. He was president of the Newburgh and New WindsorTurnpike Co., and of the Blooming Grove and Greycourt Turnpike Co.,built by his son-in-law, Hector Craig. He was an elder in theBlooming Grove Church and a large land owner in this part of thecounty.

The village of Blooming Grove then consisted of the old church andthe old Blooming Grove academy, built about 1810, to which many ofthe students came from the neighboring towns, boarding with theneighbors about. A part of it was used as a district school until1857, when the present building was built upon the old academy site.A blacksmith-shop, kept later by Pierson Genung, a drug store, acooper shop, the old toll-gate, the country store, and the hotel keptby Benjamin Thompson, where were held the town meetings, generaltrainings, etc., and the public were entertained, were on this themain thoroughfare from Warwick to New Windsor and later Newburgh.This property was conveyed to Samuel Moffatt, Jr., merchant, by theexecutors of Rev. Benoni Bradner, and by him to Seth Marvin in 1810,who built a store-house on a lot purchased of Charles Howell, 1810.Blooming Grove now consists only of the old church, the parsonage andthe schoolhouse, and half a mile away the station, store andpost-office, kept by C. C. Gerow, and the creamery owned by theSheffield, Slawson, Decker Co.

VARIOUS RESIDENTS

In 1810, Samuel Moffatt, Jr., having sold his place in BloomingGrove, moved to a new settlement at Washingtonville, building the oldcorner store, now owned by George A. Owen. Across the highway MosesEly, the father of the late Dr. Ely, of Newburgh, had a tannery, andJohn Jaques, then a young man, opened here a shoe-shop. The oldcorner store, built in the woods almost, there being only two otherdwellings, (a log house owned by James Giles and the private schoolof Jane Sweezey), was carried on by Samuel Moffatt and his son David,either alone or as members of the firm, from 1812 to 1832; then JohnS. Bull, 1832-1839; Walter Halsey and Apollis Halsey, 1839-1850; andthe Warners and Williams Howell, 1850 to 1890, and George A. Owen,1890, to this date. This store has always been, and is still, aprominent landmark in Washingtonville. In 1813, Jedediah Breed cameto Washingtonville from Dutchess County, and built a harness shopadjoining the dwelling house now owned by his grandson, George A.Owen, and which has been occupied as a harness shop for nearly 100years. Here Henry F. Breed kept the Blooming Grove post-office forforty years, nearly continuously; after his death the post-office wasremoved to the building of Alexander Moore, where, in 1872, the namewas changed from Blooming Grove to Washingtonville.

Alexander Moore and his brother-in-law, Albert G. Owen, the father ofGeorge A. Owen, carried on a furniture and paint business here from1830 to 1850, Moore being the postmaster and Owen, supervisor andjustice for many years, and a member of the Assembly, 1849-1850. Thisvillage soon grew to be important, and is now one of the finestvillages of its size in Orange County, having a beautiful shadedavenue of maples and many handsome residences. There are thePresbyterian and Methodist churches, Catholic Church of St. Mary, andthe beautiful Moffatt Library, given to the village by David H.Moffatt, of Denver, and erected under the careful supervision ofJohn Newton Moffatt, having a fine collection of books and abeautiful hall which is the convenient center for much socialenjoyment; the large feed mill, originally built by David H. Moffatt,the father of David H., and now carried on by the Thomas Fulton Co.,together with a large coal and lumber business; a similarestablishment carried on by Hector Moffatt & Son, and the very largewine vaults of the Brotherhood Wine Co., successors to the Jamesbrothers' vineyard established in 1838. The Bordens also have here alarge creamery, and there is also the Farmers' Creamery, now operatedby the Mutual Milk and Cream Co., making this the most importantstation upon the Newburgh Branch of the Erie Railroad. It issurrounded by beautiful homes and thrifty farms. Within thecorporation line are the home and farm of William H. Hallock, whoowns several of the old ancestral homes throughout the town, which hehas improved, and still runs with great business ability; also theancestral homes of the Brooks family, descendants of FletcherMathews, one of the original settlers, and also the old Nicollhomestead, now occupied by Charles Nicoll.

Northwest of Washingtonville is the old Joseph Moffatt homestead, nowheld by his grandsons, C. R. Shons and S. L. Moffatt, who havebeautiful orchards, which, with that of Jesse Hulse, crown thebeautiful hilltop and have made "Blooming Grove apples" famous bothat home and abroad; also the Walnut Grove farm, upon which the firstGoldsmiths settled, and made famous by Alden Goldsmith and his sons,James and John A., now in the hands of the widow of John A. and herhusband, Mr. O. B. Stillman; also the home of the late Captain ThomasN. Hulse, so long and so favorably known years ago to all travelersupon the Hudson River, now the home of his niece, Mrs. James A.Knapp, daughter of Benjamin Moffatt. Two and a half miles east of thevillage of Washingtonville is the village of Salisbury Mills, theoldest settlement of the town, where, on the falls of Murderer'sCreek, Vincent Mathews built his mill, which later was owned byCaptain Richard Caldwell, by Peter Van Allen, by Isaac Oakly, and isnow the Arlington paper mills, owned and operated on a very largescale by Henry Ramsdell. Here in 1803 came John Caldwell, and withhim his three sons, John, Andrew J. and Richard. Richard, then amere lad, had been at the head of a company in the Emmet Rebellion,and through the clemency of Lord Cornwallis his sentence of death wascommuted to banishment for himself and his father's family. He cameto Salisbury with his father, and in 1808 married a daughter of JohnChandler. He had the mill and a store at Salisbury. When the war withEngland in 1812 became a certainty, Richard Caldwell raised the 25thCo. Infantry of soldiers, was elected their captain, and led themtoward Canada, crossing Lake Champlain in open boats, in a severestorm. He divided his extra clothing with his soldiers, andcontracted a severe cold, resulting in pneumonia, and he diedDecember 11, 1812, and is buried at Champlain, near Plattsburgh. Hisname is perpetuated by the beautiful monument erected in SalisburyMills by his nephew, Richard Caldwell, to his memory and the memoryof those who perished with him in that ill-advised and ill-equippedexpedition; also to the memory of Captain Isaac Nicoll and those whodied with him, in the War of the Rebellion. Captain Richard Caldwellleft two children, John R. Caldwell, long well known as a prominentcitizen of New Windsor, and Mary, the wife of Marcus Sears, M.D. Theold house erected by John Caldwell in 1803 is still standing, longknown as the home of Andrew J. Caldwell and his son, RichardCaldwell, both of whom stood firm for righteousness and temperance.In a part of the same grounds was the home of a sister, Mrs.Chambers, now occupied by the widow of Richard Caldwell, and fromwhich still emanates a powerful influence for good to the wholevillage. Also the old home of the oldest son, John Caldwell, who wasa merchant in New York, and on retiring came to live with his kindredin Salisbury, was the first president of the Orange CountyAgricultural Society, and was much interested in keeping silk wormsand actually produced silk from the mulberry trees growing on hisgrounds in Salisbury.

Near the village stands a part of the old stone house, the home ofMajor Du Bois, who was a prominent man in the War of the Revolution,as major in Colonel Woodhull's regiment, who was a prisoner for tenmonths in the hands of the British, and who lost his extensive landsby the depreciation of the Colonial money and his enforced absencefrom home; also the beautiful home of the family of Hon. RobertDenniston. The ancestor of the Denniston family was AlexanderDenniston, the brother-in-law of Charles Clinton, who with many ofhis friends and neighbors, all being Scotch Presbyterians, and tiredof the exactions and demands of the crown, emigrated from the town ofEdgeworth, county of Longford, Ireland, in the early summer of 1729.After a long, tedious voyage of nearly five months, they landed onCape Cod; thence two years later they came to Little Britain. Afamily legend is, that these pioneers stood upon a hilltop about twomiles northeast of Washingtonville and called the land in sight tothe north, Little Britain, and there they settled. Alexander had sixsons, James, George, Alexander, William, John, Charles, and fourdaughters. They were all stern patriots devoted to their country. Thefather was a member of Colonel Ellison's New Windsor regiment in1738, and on frontier service in 1755. The six sons were all membersof the Third Ulster County regiment, which was called out many timesduring the dark days of the Revolution. Two were members of theCommittee of Safety and one served in the line during the whole war.Of these sons James was the only one that settled in the town ofBlooming Grove, the others settling elsewhere, New Windsor, Cornwall,etc. He purchased, in 1790, the farm one mile east of Washingtonville,which still remains in the family. He had three sons, James,Alexander, Abraham, and two daughters. He died in 1805, leaving thehomestead to his son James. The latter had one son, Robert, and fourdaughters. Dying in 1825, the homestead was inherited by his sonRobert. The latter served as an officer of the militia, was justice ofthe peace in his native town, judge of the Court of Common Pleas inOrange County, was elected member of the New York State Assembly in1835, and again in 1839 and 1840, and was State senator from 1841-1847and State comptroller in 1860 and 1861. He was very active andenergetic in his endeavors to maintain the Union during the War of theRebellion, and was chairman of the military commission in the Orangeand Sullivan Counties district. He had five sons, William Scott, JamesOtis, Robert, Henry Martyn, Augustus, and six daughters. These sons,like their ancestors, were all interested in the war for thepreservation of the Union, and served either in the army or navy.William Scott was a surgeon in the volunteer army and died of fever,July, 1862. James Otis was first lieutenant and captain, Company G,124th N.Y. State Volunteers, July 2, 1862, to September 3, 1863,when, on account of wounds, he was mustered out. He afterwards studiedtheology and retired from active church work in 1905. Augustus wasfirst lieutenant and quartermaster in the same regiment from July 15,1862, to February 3, 1863, resigning on account of physical debility.Henry Martyn entered the pay corps of the U. S. Navy in September,1861, and after serving over forty years, on reaching the age ofsixty-two years was placed on the retired list with the rank of rearadmiral. Robert served as his assistant from March, 1863, to October,1863, resigning on account of ill health, and died August, 1864.Augustus was a member of the New York State Assembly in 1874-1875, andpresident of Orange County Agricultural Society, 1879, to date; alsopresident of Highland National Bank, and resides on the old homestead,which he owns.

West of Blooming Grove about two miles is located the village ofCraigville, upon the falls of the Greycourt Creek, which formerlyallowed three dams, all now gone, the combined power of which,together with the fact that the stream may be replenished from WaltonLake, or Long Pond, will at some future date be of value, as it wasin the past. On the upper fall was located in the early days a forge,and some of the old slag is still in evidence. In later years asaw-mill and grist-mill were erected by Hector Craig, used afterwardas the first manufactory of Hornby's Oats—H. O. The machinery hasbeen removed since to Buffalo. The second fall was utilized by JamesCraig and his son, Hector Craig, for a paper mill in 1790.

After the death of Hector Craig, Barrett Ames, a son-in-law ofHector Craig, who had been a cotton merchant in Mobile, and hisson-in-law, E. Peet, erected here a cotton factory, which wasoperated successfully for a number of years, but after the death ofMr. Ames, the property passed into other hands, and the cottonfactory was burned down. Later the high dam was swept away andnothing remains but the ruins and the old house, which was oncesurrounded by beautiful gardens and was the scene of much social lifewhen the home of Hector Craig, Barrett Ames and Irving Van Wart, whowas a son-in-law of Mr. Ames. At this home Washington Irving, anuncle of Irving Van Wart, made one of his last visits, if not hislast visit, far away from Sunnyside. To this old home came JamesCraig, in 1790, from Paisley, Scotland, bringing with him his family.His son, Hector Craig, born in Scotland, 1775, married a daughter ofJohn Chandler, 1796. He was a member of Congress, 1823-1825 and1829-1830. He was a strong supporter of Andrew Jackson, is said tohave cast the first vote in Congress for Andrew Jackson forPresident, and was by him appointed surveyor of the port in 1830, andU. S. commissioner of bankruptcy in 1832. Hector Craig carried on thepaper mill during his life, and also for a time the manufacture ofhemp from the Chester meadows, which had been drained by act ofLegislature in 1790. The old storehouse built by him is still carriedon by Edwin Duryea, and the old hotel is still standing, a part ofthe Hornby property. The third fall, much lower, turned the mill ofUncle Silas Seaman and his son, Valentine Seaman, but is now out ofuse, and the property of H. S. Ramsdell. Just beyond the terminus ofthe Blooming Grove and Greycourt turnpike is the old GreycourtCemetery, the burial place of many respected citizens of this andadjoining towns.

Two miles south of Craigville is situated Oxford Depot, on the ErieRailroad, with a general country store, kept formerly by Peter B.Taylor, but for many years the store and post-office have been incharge of S. C. Van Vliet, who has also served the town assupervisor, justice, etc. Here is also a creamery run by theAlexander Campbell Co. The old settlement of Satterly's Mills and theadjacent Campbell Tillotson property are now the beautiful countryresidence of William Crawford, a well-known New York merchant, who isdoing much to improve that part of the town. Near Oxford Depot is thebeautiful home of Judge Charles R. Bull, supervisor from 1899 to1903, and associate judge of County Court, and a lineal descendant ofSarah Wells. The old-time homes of the Seelys and Marvins and theFletcher Woodhull families, for a long time famous for theirwell-tilled farms, and in the old times well finished fat cattle,have passed from their hands, with the single exception of that ofCourtland Marvin, still in the hands of his grand-daughter, FannieMarvin, regent of Blooming Grove Chapter, D. A. R., andgranddaughter of Fannie Woodhull Marvin, mentioned by Eager in hissketch of Claudius Smith as being used by her mother, wife of CaptainWoodhull, in saving the family silver. The stone house built underthe supervision of William S. Woodhull is still the property of thewidow of his son, Jesse Woodhull, who was a daughter of Marcus Searsand Mary Caldwell. And the Youngs homesteads are still held by theirdescendants, Joseph W. Young, Mrs. Durland and the family of WilliamB. Hunter. The Bulls in the southern part of the town near Monroe,still dwell upon the old homestead. John Brewster, the town clerk ofCornwall, 1765-1799, lived near Blooming Grove, and a part of his oldhomestead remains in the hands of his descendants, Thomas C. andWalter H. Brewster, who have both been supervisors of the town, andwhose beautiful homes are beside the Tappan on Satterly's Creek, andnear the ancestral home of Selah E. Strong, supervisor of BloomingGrove, 1875-1882, and sheriff of Orange County, 1888-1889-1890, andis now the home of his widow and their son, Sherwood Strong. Thisfine, old home was built by his grandfather, Selah Strong, the firstsupervisor of the new town of Blooming Grove, having been justice ofthe peace for the town of Cornwall for ten years. His father, MajorNathaniel Strong, came to this farm with the Howells and Woodhullsfrom Long Island, and married Hannah, daughter of Major NathanielWoodhull. He was a prominent citizen, a major in the ContinentalArmy, and was murdered in his home on his farm, by the notoriousClaudius Smith, October 6, 1778. This homestead adjoins that of theStrong family, now occupied by Charles F. Bull, from which came:Major Samuel Strong and Captain Nathan Strong, who was at ValleyForge with the Continental Army. The descendants of Samuel Strong nowlive in Blooming Grove on the Benjamin Strong farm, near theBlooming Grove church, and Charles Strong in Blagg's Clove. Thishomestead adjoins that of Colonel Jesse Woodhull, who settled here on500 acres of land in 1753, aged eighteen years, a part of which stillremains in the family of N. D. Woodhull. The Woodhull family weredescendants from Richard Woodhull, born in North Hampton, England,1620. Zealous for English liberty during the Protectorate, he soughtfreedom here. His grandson, Nathaniel, married into the Smith family,who were large proprietors of St. George's Manor, L. I. His daughter,Hannah, married Major Nathaniel Strong. His son, General NathanielWoodhull, remained upon the old homestead at Mastic, Long Island, andtook an active part in opposing British oppression, and was killed bya British officer, September 2, 1776, tradition says because he wouldnot say, "God save the King." Jesse settled in Blagg's Clove, and hisson Richard married Hannah, daughter of Judge William Smith, of LongIsland, and was the father of William Smith and Nathaniel Du Bois.William Smith was the father of William Henry Howell and JesseWoodhull, and Nathaniel was the father of Richard and FrancisMandeville and grandfather of Nathaniel D. Woodhull, well known inOrange County as a leader of the New York milk business. Adjoiningthe Woodhull tract is the old Howell homestead to which HezekiahHowell came from Long Island about 1730, and tradition says that asthey came over Schunnemunk Mountain they were obliged to stand bytheir horses to prevent the wild turkeys from eating up their oats.He with Sylvanus White and others took up the patent of 2,000 acrescalled Blagg's Clove, and he married a daughter of Job Sayre in 1735.His son, Hezekiah 2d, was born here, 1741, and married Juliana,daughter of Nathaniel Woodhull, of Mastic, L. I. His son, CharlesHowell, was born in 1752, married a daughter of Major NathanielStrong, and after her death, Elizabeth, daughter of Charles Board,and, settled near the Blooming Grove church, upon a farm of 150acres, which still remains in the hands of the family of his son,Edmund S. Howell. He served in the Independent Corps under GeneralGeorge Clinton in building Fort Putnam, and was on guard after theburning of Kingston. Hezekiah Howell was the first supervisor of theold town of Cornwall, and was sheriff of Orange County during theRevolution. His son, Hezekiah 3d, married Frances, daughter of MajorTuthill, of Orange County. His grandson, Nathaniel W., graduated fromWilliams in the year 1853, was supervisor of Blooming Grove, 1871 and1872, and a member of Assembly, 1863-1864. He has lived upon the oldHowell homestead, and also inherited his father's farm, and has justconveyed the whole Howell tract of 700 acres to C. T. Purdy, who isas closely connected with Sheriff Howell as Nathaniel W. SylvanusWhite, Jr., was born on Long Island, Southampton, and was son ofSylvanus and Phoebe Howell. They came with the Howells and Woodhullsand Strongs and Moffatts, to Blagg's Clove, and settled upon 300acres of land. His daughter married Anselm Helme, and the familystill retain the old Helme homestead, near Coleman's Mills. His son,Nathan H. White, was born in 1770, entered Columbia College at theage of eighteen, and graduated in 1781 in the same class as JohnRandolph of Roanoke. He taught a classical school in Montgomery forsix years, and was principal of the Newburgh Academy two years.Returning to the old home in 1802, he married Frances, daughter ofHezekiah and Juliana Woodhull Howell and added 200 acres to the oldhomestead. He was elected first judge of Orange County, and was thefriend and associate of Judges Kent, Van Ness, Platt and others; in1806 was commissioned by Governor Morgan Lewis, captain of an OrangeCounty Company of Militia. His son, Albert S. White, went to Indianaabout 1825, was a member of Congress from Indiana two terms, andU. S. Senator contemporary with Clay, Calhoun and Webster. Onedaughter married Harvey Denniston, and after his death, John Nicoll,of Washingtonville, and the old White homestead is still held by herson, Charles Nicoll; and from this union of the Woodhulls with theStrongs and the Howells and from the Woodhull family came thenumerous descendants who, together with the Seelys, Tuthills andMoffatts, Hulses, Hudsons, Duryeas, etc., have combined to make theold town well known, both at home and in very many distant States,as one after another has left his ancestral acres to seek a home, ifnot a fortune, in other parts of our native land. Those who remainedat home have kept the ancestral acres up to the standard ofproductiveness set by their fathers, have been the supporters of theold church and of the schools, and have erected beautiful homes.

Instead of the droves of fatted cattle which slowly wended their waythrough the Ramapo Valley to the Christmas market in the city, andthe county butter, now the Erie Railroad carries its daily freight ofmilk, and the accustomed leisure, the good old-fashioned all-dayvisits, and early teas, have given way to the daily rush to thetrains, or creameries, and the more elaborate, though no moreenjoyable festal occasions, with formal invitations and greatpreparations.

Who shall succeed these old families who have so loyally supportedthe Church, the State and the School? Shall their fine residences,which now crown the hilltops, with their beautiful views, and thevalleys with their peaceful streams, attract the residents of thenearby cities, as the neighboring town of Monroe is doing? Or willthese homes pass into the hands of those who have to labor for theirdaily bread, day by day, and neither the one nor the other caring forthe traditions of the past, caring not for the old churches, the oldburial grounds, nor anything of the past.

This question comes home to many of us, as we see the changes goingon about us, and we cannot answer.

CHURCHES AND PASTORS.

The first house of worship was erected in Blooming Grove, 1759. Theold church stood until 1823, when the present building was erected.The first pastor was Rev. Enos Ayres, who stood first on the roll ofthe first class graduated at Princeton College. He died in 1762 andwas buried in the old burial ground, a part of which, including hisgrave and the graves of Rev. Samuel Parkhurst and Rev. BenoniBradner, was covered by the new church building. In 1764 he wassucceeded by Rev. Abner Reeve, father of the celebrated Judge Reeve,who founded the law school at Litchfield, Conn. Rev. Abner Reeveresigned about 1786. In 1786, Rev. Samuel Parkhurst came as a supplyand soon died here, and his grave is also under the present church.Then followed, in 1770, Rev. Anasiah Lewis, Rev. Case, Rev. Greenand Rev. Silas Constant, as stated supplies for a time. Rev. BenoniBradner filled the pulpit from 1786 until 1892, dying in 1804. He wasburied here, his stone still standing erect under the church. Afterhis retirement Rev. Joel T. Benedict preached a few months, Rev. NoahCrane, 1803 to 1811. He was succeeded by Rev. William Rafferty, whomarried a daughter of John Chandler and resigned in 1815, to becomepresident of St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland. Returning on avisit in 1830, he died here, and is buried in the old Chandler familyburial ground on the old homestead now occupied by B. C. Sears.August 7, 1816, Rev. Luther Halsey was installed as pastor. Thechurch was admitted under the care of the Presbytery, with thereservation of its form of government, and remained in thePresbytery of Hudson until 1833, but has always been in factCongregational. Rev. Luther Halsey served the church with greatacceptance. Great revivals blessed his ministry, at one time nearlyone hundred being added to the church. The present church buildingwas erected under his ministry, and frequently filled. He resignedin 1824 to accept a professorship in Nassau Hall; later becameprofessor of theology in Allegheny, in Auburn, and in UnionSeminaries. He died in Pittsburgh on November 2, 1880, agedeighty-seven years. He was succeeded at Blooming Grove by JamesArbuckle, then pastor of the Eighth Presbyterian Church ofPhiladelphia, who was pastor of the church until his death, July,1847. In 1847, Rev. Ebenezer Mason, son of the celebrated John M.Mason, D.D., of New York City, became pastor, who died here the nextyear. After his death the pulpit was supplied until April, 1851, whenRev. Austin Craig was called, and served this church for fourteenyears, when he resigned to accept the presidency of Antioch College,Ohio, and later was president of the Biblical School atStanfordville, Dutchess County, N.Y., where he died, but is stillheld in loving remembrance by many of the congregation and in thetown. He was succeeded in April, 1866, by Rev. Warren Hathaway, D.D.,who still occupies the pulpit. Although he has had frequent calls towhat seems to have been more attractive fields of labor, he stillremains loyal to his old congregation and they to him. Both Eager andRuttenber, to whom we are indebted for part of the facts hereinstated, excuse a lengthy report of this old church, because of itsbeing one of the landmarks of the town, and it still stands forrighteousness, temperance, and charity toward all those laboring forthe good of their fellowmen, but the congregation is greatly changed.In the place of the Marvins, and Seelys, Moffatts and Roes, who camein large loads containing the whole families, come very few of thosestill left of the Woodhulls and Marvins. Although the Tuthills andthe Shons, who represent the old Moffatt family, the Hulses andHudsons, Gerows and Sears, and Howells and Brewsters, stillcontribute their quotas toward the congregation, there are manyvacant pews, and very many who trooped up the long aisles, andlistened attentively to the instructive and eloquent sermons, andvisited upon the old door stones, are seen there no more. In place ofthe tall form of David H. Moffatt, Jr., who used to lead the choir inthe old gallery, stands the handsome pipe organ erected to hisfather's memory by David H. Moffatt, of Denver. And the church has afund in memory of David Wright, given by his daughter Susan Wright.

In 1830, an effort was made to start an Episcopal church inWashingtonville, but met with no success. August 21, 1851, under theleadership of Rev. Henry Belden, a Congregational church wasorganized, and a building erected, which was afterward sold to theMethodist congregation, incorporated 1855. The First PresbyterianChurch of Washingtonville was organized 1841. Connected with theHudson Presbytery under the charge of Rev. Henry Belden the churchgrew to a membership of 121, when Rev. Henry Belden was succeeded byRev. Phineas Robinson. A church building was erected in 1847, andRev. Luther Halsey was called to succeed him and occupied the pulpituntil October, 1856. Rev. Daniel Higbee served the church fromAugust, 1858, until his death, October, 1867. He was succeeded byJohn Griswold, who served until April, 1871, when he was succeeded byRev. James B. Beaumont, 1871 to 1881, George W. Morrill from 1882 to1884, when an effort to unite the congregations of the First andSecond Churches was made, but failed. In 1886, Rev. Joseph Greenleafwas called, and died in 1888. William M. Yeoman was pastor from 1898to October, 1902. John A. McCallum, installed 1903, resigned June 20,1907, leaving the church without a pastor at this date. Their churchproperty has been increased by a new parsonage, 1872, and a handsomechapel and Sunday schoolroom, to the memory of Mary Scott Denniston,the widow of Hon. Robert Denniston, erected by her children.

In 1855, Dr. Luther Halsey, having a matter of difference with theNew School Assembly, did not feel he could any longer remain underits care, and many of his congregation joining with him, they formedthe Old School Presbyterian Church of Washingtonville. The church wasorganized in 1857, a house of worship built in 1858, and a parsonageadded in 1871. Dr. Luther Halsey occupied the pulpit until April,1862, when Rev. Arthur Harlow was called and ordained and installed,September, 1863; resigned in October, 1871, and died June 19, 1883.In 1872, B. G. Benedict became stated supply until 1875, when onaccount of ill health he resigned and was succeeded by Rev. N. M.Sherwood, who served the church ten years, resigning in 1885 inorder that his occupying the pulpit might not embarrass the effortto unite the two Presbyterian churches. This effort failing, Rev.Eugene L. Mapes was called, April, 1886; installed 1887, and resigneda year later, having received a call to the Presbyterian church ofCarlisle, Pa. The church was then supplied for some time, and thensold its property, and divided the proceeds between the Foreign andHome Mission Boards of the Presbyterian Church, part of thecongregation giving to the First Presbyterian Church and part to theold Blooming Grove Church, and part to Bethlehem and Little Britain.

The Blooming Grove Methodist Episcopal Church was incorporatedDecember 3, 1855. This is now the Washingtonville Methodist Church.It was for a long time on the circuit of Monroe, Oxford, Craigvilleand Highland Mills, but now is associated with the church atSalisbury Mills, has a fine church property, kept in very goodrepair, and has recently installed electric lights in connection withother improvements.

The Catholic Church of St. Mary is near Washingtonville on theState road, the first building erected in 1872, has been of late muchenlarged and beautified under the direction and by the effort of Rev.Father Tetrau, and now has a fine property consisting of the enlargedchurch and rectory.

The Methodist Church of Salisbury Mills was incorporated in 1854,was connected with the New Windsor circuit until 1898, when it wasconnected with Washingtonville. It has a convenient and finelylocated building.

In Salisbury, largely through the efforts of Richard Caldwell and hiswife, Sarah Beattie Caldwell, the Hope Chapel, connected with theBethlehem Presbyterian Congregation, was built, and has been anactive organization ever since, and its Sunday school, supported byits founders, is large and active, and Sunday evening and otherservices well attended.

The Satterly Town Methodist Church was organized in 1855, a housebuilt and services held for some time, but its supporters,withdrawing or moving from the neighborhood, the building wasremoved. Also about 1850 a church was erected at Craigville, for theuse of that village and neighborhood, which soon passed into thehands of the Methodist organization, and was on the circuit withWashingtonville for many years, but service has for a long time beendiscontinued, though the building still stands in fair repair and isbeautifully situated. Still another Methodist church was built aboutone mile south of Oxford Depot and used for the purpose of worship,but now has been turned to secular use; also near this was theFriends meeting house, now used as a dwelling.

CHAPTER XII.

TOWN OF CHESTER.

By Frank Durland.

Chester is one of the interior towns of Orange County, situated onthe main line Erie Railroad, which together with the Newburgh branch,Lehigh and Hudson and Orange County Railroads, make up the chiefcommercial outlets to the ports on the Hudson and Delaware Rivers.

It consists of over sixteen thousand acres of fine farming land andis a noted dairy and stock farming section of the Empire State.Considerable enterprise has been shown in recent years in theculture of onions, celery and lettuce on the Greycourt meadows, whichare among the most fertile of all the alluvial deposits of thecountry.

The title of most of the land of the township is from the famousWawayanda patent, which covered the land deeded by the twelve nativeIndian proprietors, who signed a deed, March 5, 1703, for all theland from the high hills of the Hudson to the Shawangunk Mountainsand the Jersey line. The highest points of vantage in Chestertownship, from which magnificent views may be obtained of the wholeWawayanda country, are Sugar Loaf Mountain, 1,220 feet elevation, andGoose Pond Mountain, 826 feet above the sea level. From thesepinnacles may be seen the Catskills, which are much higher andfurther removed than the Shawangunk range of mountains.

The elevation in Chester village at Durland Square is 485 feet, andon the ridge back of the Presbyterian Church, extending towardCraigville, may be obtained extended views of a large portion ofOrange County, spread out in every direction.

The H. W. Wood hills at East Chester, the T. S. Durland ridge atGreycourt, and the Guy Miller gravel hill, each have a magnificentoutlook over a large scope of the country from Schunnemunk toShawangunk. In the valleys between these ridges are the old highwaysfollowing in some instances, Indian trails. It is but natural thatalong these roads the present village should have grown up.

The road from Newburgh through Chester to Trenton and Morristown,N.J., is often spoken of in the Clinton papers and in more recentyears it has been known as the King's Highway. It has been a notedroad since Colonial days, having often been used by GeneralWashington during the Revolutionary War. It is the natural avenue forintercourse between Newburgh and New Jersey. Crossing this road atDurland's Square is the old Albany and New York stage road, whichenters the town of Chester at the Goshen line and to the metropoliscontinues its course southward near Greycourt. Leaving this old stageroad at Nanowitt Park, which has been recently donated to the town ofChester by Rev. E. T. Sanford, pastor of the North Baptist Church ofNew York City, is the old Indian trail, which became a popular roadduring the Colonial days and leads to Greenwood Lake and to theancient Sterling Iron Works. This road was traveled by PeterTownsend, one of the owners of the Sterling Iron Works, who lived inChester during the Revolution, and whose descendants continued toreside here for many years.

There is also the new State road, No. 600, following quite closelythe old Albany and New York road, excepting the course from Monroeto Chester is changed from the east to the west side of the ErieRailroad. The famous Glenmere Lake, formerly known as Thompson'sPond, is partly in the town of Chester, and is noted for its pickereland bass fishing. Its area is about 400 acres.

The streams of the town are known as the Otter Kill, which flowsthrough West Chester and is joined at Lincolndale by the CromelineCreek, which was known in Colonial days as the "River."

The Cromeline has its sources of supply near the northern headwatersof Greenwood Lake in the watershed known as "Dutch Hollow;" also fromthe outlet of Walton Lake, known in Colonial days as the "LittleLong Pond" to distinguish it from Greenwood Lake, which in the earlyperiod of our history was known as Long Pond. Along the CromelineCreek are the fertile meadows formerly known as the Great Beavermeadows.

Since the erection of the Cromeline house in the year 1716, whichstood on the south side of the road opposite the present home ofW. R. Conklin, the meadows have been known as the Greycourt meadows,from the fact that this Cromeline house was known as the GreycourtInn. This name was also given to the cemetery, near this old inn, and whenthe Erie Railroad was built in 1841, this name was applied to thejunction of the Erie Railroad with the Newburgh branch and theWarwick Valley, first called East and West Junction, afterwardsChesterville, and finally the euphonious name of Greycourt wasdecided upon as the name appropriate for the station adjoining thesefamous Greycourt meadows.

COLONIAL AND REVOLUTIONARY HISTORY.

On the 22nd of August, 1775, the Provincial Congress of New Yorkpassed a law under which the militia of the Revolution was organized.

The several companies so formed were directed to be joined intoregiments to consist of not less than five nor more than tencompanies. When the organization was perfected, the companies ofOrange formed the Fourth Brigade under Brigadier General GeorgeClinton. This brigade was composed of four companies of Ulster andfive of Orange County, commanded respectively by Colonel Allison,whose regimental district included Goshen, of which Chester was thena part, and the western part of the county. There were ColonelHathorn, whose district embraced Warwick and the settlements; ColonelWoodhull, the district which is now Monroe and Blooming Grove;Colonel Hasbrouck's district, embracing Newburgh and vicinity;Colonel Clinton's of New Windsor, Montgomery and Wallkill.

During the early years of the war our people (located, as they were,not far removed from the Hudson) were almost constantly under armsor engaged in the construction of the forts of the Highlands, orpreparing the obstructions to navigation through these Highlands.

The contract for the making of the last chain drawn across theHudson at West Point, on April 30, 1778, was awarded at the home ofMr. Peter Townsend, who resided at this time in the old homesteadopposite the Presbyterian Church, in Chester village, by Secretaryof War, Mr. Pickering. Mr. Townsend, of the firm of Townsend & Noble,at this time was one of the owners of the Sterling furnace, where thechain was made.

During the years 1776 to 1779 our troops were very active and werekept informed by the aid of cannon firing by day and beacon fires bynight. From December, 1776, to April, 1778, our militia was calledout no less than twelve times and spent 292 days in the field.

At a meeting of the County Delegates called to meet at the YelvertonInn (still standing in Chester), on September 17, 1774, Henry Wisnerwas elected and sent as a delegate to the Continental Congress atPhiladelphia, "to protest against the unjust taxation." On December9, 1776, General Clinton was ordered to co-operate with GeneralsLee and Gates to harass the enemy, who had then entered northernNew Jersey. The resolution read as follows: "That all the militia ofOrange and Ulster Counties be forthwith ordered to march properlyarmed and accoutered with four days' provision to Chester, OrangeCounty, N.Y."

This fixes the date of the encampment of these troops on the hillwhere the present new modern school-house is being erected, as beingabout the latter part of December, 1776, or January, 1777. Theencampment probably consisted of part of the four regiments, underColonels Allison, Hathorn, Woodhull and Clinton. An order was issuedon January 4, 1777, dismissing part of these troops, leaving about300 men in the above camp for the winter.

One of the first engagements in which our Chester patriots took part,occurred at Suffern, October 3, 1777, when Major Thomas Moffattordered Captain Wood and twenty men to cover the pass through themountains at this point, where they intercepted a band of Tories,with the result of one robber killed and three wounded.

Our company was engaged under Colonel Allison later on at FortsMontgomery and Clinton. While these events were transpiring on theHudson, the western frontier was harassed by the incursions of theIndians and Tories under the leadership of the educated half-breedBrant, together with Butler the Tory. Our troops becoming alarmed bythe fugitives' accounts of the massacres and burnings taking place onthe frontier, Colonel Hathorn, together with Lieutenant ColonelTusten, of Colonel Allison's Goshen Regiment, and with such numbersof the commands as could be brought together in so brief a time,proceeded at once to Minisink, on July 22, 1779, to take part in thatbloody battle on this date. Several of our Chester Company wereamong the brave troops.

SUBSEQUENT HISTORICAL INCIDENTS.

After the Revolutionary War and until 1845, the village of Chesterwas a part of the township of Goshen, and had become quite animportant trading center, being at the junction of the two leadingState roads. Up to the time of the building of the Warwick Valleyroad, in 1863, now the Lehigh and Hudson, the pig iron from WawayandaLake forge was carted to Chester for shipment on the Erie, the butterand other farm produce from the Vernon Valley, extending as far asNewton, N.J., was also brought to this point for shipment. It wasbut natural that the trial to decide the boundaries of the Chesekookand Wawayanda Indian patents should have been held at this place. Inthe year 1785, in the barn connected with the Yelverton Inn, erectedin the year 1765, still standing, in good state of preservation, andowned by Joseph Durland, some of the older inhabitants and pioneersof Orange County met with the nation's most famous lawyers,Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. The Wawayanda patentees werefortunate in securing these men during this trial, and manyhistorical facts were brought out, through the witnesses sworn atthis trial. In their testimony concerning what they knew about theearly settlement of the country and the relations of the whites tothe native Indians, the evidence was set forth. The burden of thetestimony seemed to prove that Schunnemunk was not considered by thepioneers as the high hills of the Hudson. On this trial, Judge ElihuMarvin stated "that he was born in 1719 and moved in what is nowknown as the town of Chester in 1742. Whenever he visited Haverstrawand returned as far as the Ramapo River, it was always called beyondthe High Hills of the Hudson."

Hugh Dobbin, aged seventy-six, stated "that he lived near Sugar LoafMountain since 1738."

Deliverance Conkling, who lived near Wickham's Pond, stated "that hewas 71 years old, and has known personally Lancaster Symes, one ofthe Wawayanda patentees, and the pond at Goose Pond Mountain used tobe called Cromeline Pond, and abounded in wild geese."

Samuel Gale was born in 1737, and testified "that the Chesekooksline had always been disputed."

William Thompson was born in 1723, was chain bearer for ColonelClinton and usually stopped, when surveying the Chesekook patent,at Perry's near Wickham's Pond. He had talked with the Indians andremained at times in their wigwams.

Ebenezer Holly, born 1698, stated that he knew Captain Symes,Captain Aske, Christopher Denn and Daniel Cromeline. In dispute withthe Indians, Governor Burnet had decided that the Indians must moveoff the land; among the Indians who still claimed land were Rondout,Hons and Romer. He stated that Cromeline made his first improvementat Greycourt.

John Kinner, a Chester resident, held land in this disputed tractunder Mr. Wisner, Dr. Baird and Mr. Scott.

James Board, aged sixty-five, born in England in 1720, came to thiscountry with his father, Cornelius, and brother, David, in 1730;sent by Alexander, Lord Sterling, to discover copper mines;discovered iron ore deposits at Sterling, built there a forge in1735, and in the year of 1740 removed to Ringwood. The mountains westtoward Warwick were called by that name. The Sugar Loaf Mountain wascalled by that name as long as he remembered.

Soon after the forge was going it was sold by Cornelius Board & Sonsto Coldon & Ward.

During this trial Burr and Hamilton were guests at the old YelvertonInn. The court adjourned to meet again at Chester, in Yelverton barn,in October, 1785, at which session it was decided that Chesekookpatent should comprise all the land east of Goose Pond Mountain andthe great Beaver Meadows, to the western line of Evans patent and theHudson River.

In the early part of the nineteenth century, living in and about WestChester, were Joseph Durland, born in 1762, Benjamin Dunning, DanielDenton, James Roe and Michael Renton. On the Florida road livedThaddeus Seely and Major Holbert. At Chester lived Asa Vail oppositethe second academy, Edmund Seely, Seth Satterly and Dr. TownsendSeely. Peter Townsend lived opposite the Presbyterian church. Isaacand William Townsend on the C. B. Wood ridge, Elmer Cooper and Dr.Dodd, Aaron Cox, the hatter, and Stephen Cooper, born in 1788; DavidG. Drake, born in 1760. The old Samuel Satterly house stood on thebrow of the hill, nearly opposite the joining of Old New York road,near the new State road; from this point at the bridge, which wascalled in these early days the "Purgatory Bridge," the most popularamusem*nt was running races. The course lay from this bridge to theoak tree, which is still standing near H. W. Wood's residence. Onspecial days, July 4, and in the autumn, the people from miles aroundfairly lined the short course in numbers from three to four hundredpeople. In fact, nearly double the number of our whole population atthat period. Purses were usually made up at such times at the course,and great horses contested. Among them were Webber's "Kentucky Whip,"a great running sire from Kentucky; Tom Thumb and Saltrum. Thevisitation of such noted running stock to Chester was the beginningof an improvement in the racing stock of this section. Thisdevelopment found its climax in the birth of Hambletonian, theprogenitor of the American trotter.

When the old "Hero of Chester" died in 1876, he was buried on thehill on the W. M. Rysdyck place. Since that time a granite shaftcosting $3,000, has been erected, to mark the resting place of thisnotable sire.

About 100 years ago Isaac Kinner and Daniel Cooley lived on thewestern foothills of the Goose Pond Mountains.

On the Craigville road lived Dr. John Boulton, Birdseye Young,Albert Seely, Samuel Denton, Hezekiah Moffatt and Jesse Carpenter.

THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

About 1721, we find John Yelverton, of New Windsor, in this section.The deed recorded, 1765, by his grandson and executor, AbijahYelverton, who kept the Yelverton Inn, in old Chester village,conveys three parcels of land in 1721 in Goshen to John Yelverton,in trust "for a parsonage, minister's house and burying place; alsoto build a meeting house thereon or a public edifice for the worshipof God in the way and manner of those of the Presbyterianpersuasion," signed by twenty-four land owners in the different partsof the Wawayanda patent. This has reference to the GoshenPresbyterian church. During this period Chester, with the rest of thispart of the county, was included in the precinct of Goshen.

Richard Edsall's survey, made in 1741, mentions William Seely andRulof Swartwout as living in this neighborhood.

The township of Chester is well arranged for the transaction ofpublic business, and is the practical outcome of the ambitions of aprogressive century. In 1845 from the towns of Goshen, Warwick,Blooming Grove and Monroe, the township was organized with JamesGray as its first supervisor, 1845.

The first deed that we find made mention of was John Beers as owning120 acres of the Cromeline patent; he sold the same June 16, 1751, toJohn Ensign, who in turn sold 42-3/4 acres of the tract, on May 19,1755, to John Yelverton, gentleman, for the sum of 97L. and 4S.current money. Upon this land the village of Chester is located.

Many familiar names of the families living in our township to-day arefound on the assessment rolls of dist. No. 4, town of Goshen, ofSeptember, 1775, signed by Nathaniel Roe.

This district may be described as running from Greycourt toSatterlytown, Sugar Loaf to Summerville, to Fort Hill, with no lessthan 119 land owners with an assessed valuation of 370L. 8S. 17D.

Abijah Yelverton, in the year of 1783, gave an acre of ground forchurch purposes. The year 1797 saw the beginning of the first meetinghouse. In 1708 the first minister began his labors in thePresbyterian church at $75 per annum, "with the privilege of teachingto piece out his support." This meeting house stood on the highground in the rear of the residence of Dr. S. G. Carpenter, in theold village of Chester. It was commodious for the time, with squarepews, but was used without being heated. The next church was builtin 1829, and was located about the center of the present cemetery atEast Chester.

Our earliest district school-house stood opposite the Dr. Edmonstonhome in the old village. It was erected during the latter part of1700. Another was located on the Goshen road near Dr. A. T. Sanden'sresidence. Long before the noise of railroads disturbed the quiet ofour hamlet, the mails were brought by the old stage coach.

Chester was favorably situated for the exchange of mails, the Goshenstage running through here to meet the Newburgh and New York stageline at Southfield and the Warwick stage line, using our road toconnect with the same line at Washingtonville.

The first post-office was established in Chester in 1794. JosephWickham being the first postmaster located at West Chester, then andnow a part of Chester village, afterward it was moved to the oldvillage and in 1842 was removed to the building opposite the presentErie Railroad tower at Chester Station. The idea of offering freshmilk from the country to the distant consumer in the city originatedwith a road contractor named Selleck who interested some of ourleading farmers in the project and succeeded in getting a supplysent by the Erie in the spring of 1842. It was shipped in the bluepyramid churns of that day. The first shipment were about six cansper day and freight charges were by weight, twenty cents per hundredpounds. The price paid the producer was two cents per quart, placedon the cars at Chester. The farmers soon finding that there was moremoney to be made from milk at two cents per quart than butter atfifteen cents per pound, began sending milk to Selleck. Thus themilk business of the county was born, and in spite of the manydifficulties, this business has alone been the means of building fourrailroads in Orange County and returned to it over $100,000,000.

In 1784 mention is made of a saw-mill on the trout brook, on theSterling road. These mills are now known as Bull's Mills. Agrist-mill was then operated on the opposite side of the stream. Theold flouring mill at West Chester was established soon after thesettlement was made. As late as the year 1820, an old mill stood uponthe ground just above the present Chester mills. During these timesthey used two run of stone and never were compelled to shut down forlack of water.

Chester's first library was incorporated November 17, 1779, withseven trustees, and was verified before Judge Wickham and recordedthe same year. Abijah Yelverton was the first librarian.

The war of 1861 occasioned a great demand for onions and our onionculture on the black meadows began about that time. Our averageyearly production has been about 60,000 bushels. During revolutionarytimes a part of these meadows were cultivated for raising hemp;later on, potatoes and corn.

INCORPORATION.

The movement for both our present water supply and for theincorporation of the village first took effective shape in the year1891, when a few public-spirited citizens of the village subscribedto a fund to be expended in a survey to determine whether the waterof Little Long Pond, now known as "Walton Lake," could be brought tothe village under such pressure as would make it available for fireprotection. The preliminary survey was made under the direction ofJoseph Board and George M. Roe. The facts were convincing that thiswas a most favorable project for a water supply. First, theorganization of a private company was proposed, and from thisdeveloped the incorporation of our village, the citizens realizingthat if we were to have a water supply it must be owned by thevillage. Accordingly this was done with the happy result that hasmade us the envy of our neighboring villages.

On October 17, 1892, Mr. Joseph Board was appointed as residentsuperintendent in the construction of the water works, and when thewater was turned on, in exactly a year, October 17, 1893, theinhabitants of our village had the satisfaction of knowing that eachlength of pipe so laid had been under the inspection of oursuperintendent.

The village of Chester was incorporated June 23, 1892. having apopulation of 1,400; 125 voters favored the incorporation and onlythe small number of thirteen opposed the proposition. At the firstcaucus, held July 12, 1892, were nominated W. A. Lawrence aspresident; Joseph Durland, George M. Roe and Thad. S. Durland,trustees. At the first election, held July 20, 1892, the abovecitizens were elected to their respective offices. The village boardwas organized on the same date, naming Joseph Board as village clerk.

The board of water commissioners was organized August 15, 1892, withMessrs. W. A. Lawrence, Joseph Durland, George M. Roe and T. S.Durland as commissioners, and Joseph Board, clerk. A taxpayers'meeting was called September 2, 1892, to vote on the question ofassessment for water-works, with the following results: Sixty-eightin favor, against seven. Contract was executed at a total cost of$53,000 at their final completion.

This water supply for the village of Chester is one of the best inthe State. The source is Walton Lake, formerly known as Little LongPond, a beautiful sheet of spring water, covering an area of 127acres, with a storage capacity of 3-1/2 feet, each foot of watergiving a supply of over 40,000,000 gallons. This supply is a gravitysystem. From this lake, at an elevation of 250 feet above the levelof Main street, at Chester Station, giving a working pressure of 80to 90 pounds, there was laid for water-mains, 8,197 feet of 12-in.pipe, 6,978 feet of 19-in. pipe, 14,820 feet of 8-in. pipe, 5,748feet of 6-in. pipe, 6,312 feet of 4-in. pipe.

Since the introduction of Walton Lake water, both the Walton HoseCompany and Hook and Ladder Company have been organized.

After the incorporation the present municipal brick building waserected at a cost of $5,000. In this building rooms for villageofficers and parlors used by the fire department are located. Inconnection with our fire department, there is an annual inspection atwhich time the Chester military band of twenty-five members, underthe leadership of George W. Ball, adds greatly to the village life.

In the year 1905, the Orange and Rockland Electric Company wasorganized, with R. W. Smith as president, and G. M. Roe asvice-president; Zael Paddleford, secretary; Frank Durland, treasurer.This company was organized and stock subscribed for by the citizensof Chester and Monroe.

The streets of the village, which were formerly lighted by kerosene,are now illuminated by electric current, generated by this company.Our Telford streets were laid in the year 1901, at a cost of $17,000.A distance of two and one-quarter miles were constructed through themain streets of the village.

CHURCHES.

The Presbyterian Church of Chester, while it had been ministeringto the spiritual needs of the community for more than a quarter of acentury, effected its legal organization December 26, 1826, withDavid Roe, Henry Seely, James Holbert, Elnathan Satterly, JosephSherwood and Townsend Seely as trustees.

The present house of worship, being the third erected by thiscongregation, was dedicated January 4, 1854. The present chapel wasadded in the year 1884. The church was remodeled and memorial windowsadded in the year 1898. In the year 1898 the church celebrated thecentennial of its existence with impressive services and thepublication of an interesting history of its century of church life.

The commodious parsonage adjoining the church was erected in 1895 ata cost of about $8,000.

Methodist Episcopal Church, Sugar Loaf.—Rev. Isaac Condee was thefirst Methodist preacher to visit Sugar Loaf, which he did in theyear 1803 or 1804, and first preached in the home of John D. Conklin.

In the fall of 1804 he organized the first class and appointed JohnD. Conklin, leader. It is the mother of all the Methodist churcheswithin a radius of ten or twelve miles.

The certificate of incorporation was executed on August 6, 1809. Thetrustees then chosen were Henry Wisner, Jr., Joseph Beach, AndrewCunningham, Benjamin Wells, Richard Wisner, Horace Ketchem, ElijahStevens, John D. Conklin and Benjamin Horton.

A subscription was taken and the first church was built in year 1810.Ten years later, in the year 1820, the Sunday school was established.The parsonage was erected in the year 1832. The second church, thepresent building, was built in 1852, and at three separate times ithas undergone repairs. Rev. J. B. Wakeley, D.D., preached the sermonat the dedication of the church in the year 1852, and following theextensive repairs to the church, made in 1872, Bishop Cyrus D. Fosspreached the dedication sermon. The church celebrated the centennialof its existence in the fall of 1904, at which time many of theformer pastors were present to participate in the services, whenBishop Foss was again present.

A long list of worthy men have served this church as pastors. Rev.P. N. Chase, Ph.D., is at present in charge; M. D. Stevens,superintendent of the Sunday school; Miss Alice Turfler, president ofthe Epworth league.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Chester was organized in the year1837, and for some time used the academy for worship; afterwards usedthe "Ball Room" of Yelverton Inn. In the year 1852 the presentproperty was purchased and the church, edifice erected in charge ofthe following trustees:

C. B. Wood, W. L. Foster, Daniel Conklin, S. R. Banker, John T.Johnson, William Masterson, G. B. McCabe.

In 1867 the church was enlarged and in 1878 the present parsonage waspurchased. In the year 1879 the sum of $3,000 was expended inbeautifying the church building.

St. Paul's Episcopal Church.—The organization of St. Paul'sEpiscopal Mission was effected on May 25, 1897, at which time SamuelWilkins and James A. Parkin were elected trustees. Services were heldin various places until the summer of 1898, when land was purchasedand the present church edifice on Main street was erected. The churchwas dedicated by Archdeacon William R. Thomas, D.D., on August 6,1898. The church was consecrated by Bishop Henry Cadman Potter onJuly 25, 1899. Prior to this, the usual organization of theEpiscopal Church was effected. Mr. Samuel Wilkin and R. W.Chamberlain, wardens, were elected. J. A. Parkin, E. T. Jackson andW. F. Depew, vestrymen. Articles of incorporation were filed onFebruary 27, 1899.

The clergyman, Rev. J. Holmes McGuinness, D.D., at this time waselected.

St. John's African Union Chapel.—This church was organized on June22, 1904, under the auspices of the African Union First ColoredMethodist Protestant Church in America and Canada, with five membersand Rev. Edward Nicholas as pastor. The church and Sunday School hasat present a total membership of eighty-eight.

Rev. Mr. Nicholas was assigned to this field of labor by theninetieth annual conference of the above named denomination, held atthe mother church in Wilmington, Delaware County, May 18, 1904.

The citizens of the place have done much to encourage this wellbegun work.

ORGANIZATIONS.

Chester Lodge No. 363, Knights of Pythias, was organized in the year1894, and the lodge charter is dated July 25 of that year. The lodgewas started with a membership of twenty-one, which has increased toforty Knights. The lodge conventions are held every Thursday eveningat Castle Hall, in the Wilkin building. The sums paid to members insick benefits since the organization amount to $1,000.

Standard Lodge No. 711, F. & A. M., was instituted July 27, 1871, andcontinued to meet in this place, where many of its members resideduntil a few years ago, when a majority decided to change its place ofmeeting to Monroe.

The Chester National Bank was organized in the year 1845 as a Statebank, and became a national bank on June 6, 1865.

The bank occupies the up-to-date quarters in its new building,erected in 1896, on Main street. The building is of brick, withQuincy granite facing, built at a cost of $10,000, its fire andburglar-proof vault containing 100 safe-deposit boxes, at an addedcost of $8,000.

Chester free library, organized through the effort of Chester Libraryand Social Club, was chartered by the University of the State of NewYork, December 19, 1901. The original trustees were Hiram Tuthill,president; Charles W. Kerner, secretary and treasurer; Joseph Board,Joseph Durland and Roswell W. Chamberlain, trustees. Mrs. AbbieMasters is librarian. The library owns about 800 volumes, and in 1907circulated 3,543 books. It is supported by voluntary contributionsand entertainments. The reading room, which is well supplied withperiodicals and the library, are open to the public on Tuesday,Thursday and Saturday evening's and Saturday afternoons.

The Young Men's Christian Association was organized March 1, 1907,with 110 members. The members occupy the rooms in the Lawrencebuilding. The society started in a very flourishing condition.

There have been various organizations from time to time in Chesterto advance its interests. The Board of Trade was organized October 1,1900, with Frank Durland, president; W. A. Lawrence, vice-president;Charles W. Kerner, secretary; Hiram Tuthill, treasurer. Directors,Joseph Board, William Osborne, George Vail, G. M. Roe.

The Board of Trade represents the spirit that has effectedco-operation in many ways for advancing the interests of the town.Among them are the incorporation of our village and the securing ofthe water supply from Walton Lake, and the Telford streets. Atpresent the officers are looking forward to the development of thesuburban idea on the beautiful site that our village affords, andwill welcome desirable manufacturing interests.

From a small beginning in the year 1874, the manufacture ofNeufchatel and square cream cheese has grown until at the presenttime the Lawrence & Son's cheese factory is using over 300 cans or12,000 quarts of milk daily, employing a daily average of twenty-fivemen. This factory, consuming such a large amount of milk, togetherwith Borden's large receiving station, with a receiving average of100 cans daily, proves the high productiveness of the land in thissection.

The Sugar Milk factory is located adjoining this cheese plant for themanufacture of milk sugar.

This sugar is made from the whey, a by-product delivered by thecheese factory.

MILITARY.

The military record of Chester is a worthy one. Quite a number ofChester residents made up a company during the Revolutionary War,under Colonel Allison, and were attached to the Goshen regiment.

In the second war with England there was a representation of hardymen of this town to endure the hardships of the war. Some of themsurvived until the year 1880.

During the general training days that followed the second war withEngland, Captain John Yelverton, whose sword is still prized as arelic of those days of patriotic zeal, led the men of the town toDurland's Square, where the volunteer militia were inspected.

During the Civil War nearly 200 men represented this town indefending the Union. Many of them suffered upon the battlefield. Afew citizens from the young men of the town enlisted in the SpanishAmerican War.

SUGAR LOAF.

Sugar Loaf is one of the oldest communities of Orange County and asa trading center was established shortly after the settlement ofGoshen.

It is one of the villages of Chester township to which we may lookwith interest in these early times. It was named by these pioneersettlers from the cone-like mountain which towers above the quietvillage to an elevation of 1,226 feet above sea level. The mountain,which consists mostly of greywacke slate, resembles in appearance, asviewed from the village, a loaf of sugar, such as was used in thehomes of the early settlers before the day of granulated sugar as anarticle of commerce. This sublime eminence, the highest in thecounty, affords from its summit one of the most commanding views inthe county. This view is best secured by entering the field nearGeorge H. Mapes's place on the road to Sugar Loaf Valley and walking,as it were, from the tail to the head of the lion-like mountain, forthis is the shape of the mountain as viewed from Chester depot.

N. P. Willis, the American poet and literary genius, who loved oldOrange County's hills from Butler Hill on the Hudson, which herenamed Storm King, to Adam and Eve in the drowned lands, speaks ofSugar Loaf Mountain when viewed from the Chester Hills as being likea crouching lion ready to spring upon its prey.

The earliest record of inhabitants includes Hugh Dobbin, who livednear Sugar Loaf Mountain in 1738. Mr. Perry lived near the pond,which bore his name and later was called Wickham Pond. This wasprior to the middle of the eighteenth century, when Clinton, thesurveyor, marked the Chesekook claim line, which extended from thebase of Goose Pond Mountain to Bellevale and thence to the Jerseyline.

Stephen W. Perry, who lived in the Sugar Loaf Valley a century ago,was probably related to the Perry with whom the surveyors stopped inthose Colonial days when the Indians still lived in the mountains andthe surveyors were accustomed to use the Indian wigwams for shelterduring their journey, blazing the trees on the Chesekook linethrough the trackless forest.

Nathaniel Knapp lived for a time on the Levi Geer place, and aheadstone with the date 1804, the initials N. K., aged sixty-fouryears, marks the place of his burial. For some sentimental reason hewas buried under a great oak on the farm upon which Hugh Dobbinprobably lived in the year 1738. According to tradition the old loghouse of this early pioneer was at the curve of the road near theentrance to the meadow. Among other men that have been prominentabout Sugar Loaf were Henry Wisner, Horace Ketchum, Squire JamesHallock, Jesse H. Knapp, Vincent Wood, who lived on the Asa Dolsonfarm, and John Holbert, born 1773, who lived on the farm nowoccupied by his grandson, Samuel Holbert.

The Knapp family came from Connecticut, and settled on threedifferent farms. Some of the family emigrated later through atrackless forest to the Butternut Creek in Otsego County.

The Nicholas Demerest family, of Chester, descended from JamesDemerest's family, who came from Bergen County, New Jersey, andsettled on the ridge near Sugar Loaf, occupying a farm of fivehundred acres. John Bigger is mentioned by John Wood, the assessor,in 1775, as a taxpayer, together with David Rumsey, Samuel Wickham,Jacobus Bertholf and Barnabas Horton.

In Sugar Loaf Valley, east of the mountain, John King settled soonafter his marriage in 1784, upon a farm of two hundred acres. Amonghis neighbors were Cornelius Board and George Davis. ThomasFitzgerald lived near the line of the town of Warwick. More recentlyin the community life of Sugar Loaf the following men may bementioned: Joseph Cooper, Crinis Laroe, David Dyer, Lewis Rhodes,Jesse Wood, John D. Conklin, John Bertholf, Silas Rose, David W.Stevens, Charles Fitzgerald and Elisha Stevens.

Miss Martha Odell, of Chester, now ninety-four years of age,remembers the visits of "Frank Forrester" and his companion, "TomDraw," passing through the village and over the hills to the valleyand beyond for game and fish.

The school of Sugar Loaf village in the past century has educatedmany bright boys and girls. The old school-house stood on the roadthat leads from the village to the northwest. The house was on thewesterly side of the road. Reeder Feagles and Lieutenant Wood wereamong the teachers in the early part of the nineteenth century.

The fact that men with patriotic zeal have been identified withSugar Loaf may be summarized by the statement that in the home ofMrs. H. C. Baker are mementos of her husband's service in the CivilWar, Jesse H. Knapp, who was an officer in the second war withEngland, and Caleb Knapp, who served in the American Revolution.

The Committee of Safety during the Revolutionary War included otherpatriots like Jacobus and Gillion Bertholf, David Rumsey, father ofRoyal Rumsey, and Captain Henry Wisner. Jacob, John and JosiahFeagles were patriotic citizens of this section during these times.

The interesting story is told of Hugh Dobbin, the pioneer of SugarLoaf, that during the Revolution he was exempt from service, butpointed with pride to the fact that in 1757, in the struggle withthe French and Indians, he assisted the Government by pasturing onehundred and fifteen horses belonging to Captain John Wisner'scompany.

We cannot turn from the story of this section without alluding tothe loss of one of its interesting objects, now only a tradition. Mr.Thomas Burt, of Warwick, at the age of eighty-seven, remembers thetime when on the side of Sugar Loaf Mountain there was an eminenceupon which was the profile of a man with broad shoulders, narrow neckand enlarged head with hat on. This was called the "Old Giant," andnear it was a fissure in the rock called the "Giant's Cellar."Tradition says that Claudius Smith, after his depredations throughthe county, hid in this cleft of the rock.

CHAPTER XIII.

TOWN OF CORNWALL.

By E. M. V. McClean.

The first view of Cornwall is not attractive. Two rugged hills risebefore us, their sides not even clothed with virgin soil, for theloose soil sends down sand and boulders to the street below. They areseparated by a rocky ravine, at the bottom of which runs a brook,scarcely visible in summer's drought, but fed in the spring by themelting snow from the hills, becomes a torrent that sweeps awaybridges and roads that form its banks. A narrow highway has been cutat the base of each hill, but merges into one road just where thestream is spanned by a pretty stone bridge.

The landing itself is simply a business place without any pretense ofbeauty. Nathan Clark's store stands as it did in 1824. Some smallhouses shelter a few families, storehouses line the docks. Taft,Howell & Company's mill has only the attractiveness of utility if weexcept the emerald velvet robe of Ampelopsis, which almost covers theentire front. The West Shore depot is a more modern structure andpast this the black rails sweep north and south.

We will take the right hand road past the post-office, presided overby Miss Young, and ascend a rather steep hill. After we leave thelittle bridge we are shut out from the sight of civilization. At ourright rises an almost perpendicular hill darkly clothed in fir, pineand hemlock. On the left is a substantial hand rail protecting usfrom the rocky gorge below. It is cool and dark here and we will staylong enough to review a little of Cornwall's early history.

As the Half Moon anchored in the broad bay south of Newburgh, theswift canoes of the Indians shot out from the shore to investigatewhat kind of a bird their white winged visitors might be. They wereof the tribe Warwaronecks, afterwards known as the Murderer's KillIndians.

On April 15, 1685, Governor Dongan purchased the tract claimed bythis tribe, extending from Murderer's Creek to Stony Point, the riverforming the eastern boundary. A year previous to this a Scotchmannamed McGregorie had brought his own and several families to settlehere. A document is extant in which Margaret McGregorie states:

"They were not only the first Christians that had settled thereon butalso peaceably and quietly and enjoyed their land during the term oftheir natural lives."

McGregorie was placed in command of the militia and marched with hismen to fight the Indians. Before he left he was assured by GovernorDongan the patent for his land should be issued. It never was. He waskilled in 1691 and during the trouble with the Leisler government andthat of Governor Fletcher his property was sold to Captain Evans.After a great deal of trouble in getting back to his family, who heldit until 1727, it was sold to Thomas Ellison.

There is no record of the names of any of his family after his deathexcept his and that of his wife's brother Tosusk, the Laird ofMinnevard. The boundaries of this tract were very indefinite until in1799 when Monroe and Blooming Grove were erected into separate towns.Buttermilk Falls still formed part of our territory, but the mountainmade business intercourse so very inconvenient that in 1872 apetition was granted by the Legislature severing this connection,the new village taking the name of Highland Falls.

FREIGHTING.

There were still many hundred acres and those were divided into largefarms where cattle, horses and small stock were raised in greatquantities. Orange County milk and butter had become famous andCornwall contributed her full share. Not only the products of ourown neighborhood but those of the other counties reached New York bythe way of Cornwall landing. A friend recently gone from us, MissMaria Conser, who was a child at that time, gives the followinggraphic description: "How we children liked to stop on our way to theold schoolhouse to watch the loaded wagons drawn by three mulesabreast lumbering over the rough roads. We were frightened when wemet the droves of cattle. The tossing of their wild horns sent usscrambling upon the stone wall until they had passed. Hours wouldelapse while tubs of butter, forests of hoop-poles, cows, calves,sheep and lambs were placed on board of the night boat. Thepassengers went to their berths but alas, for their hope of rest; thelowing of cattle, the bleating of lambs and the noise of the crewforbade sleep. About midnight a lull would come; the boat glidingthrough the softly murmuring water made sleep possible."

In 1805 Isaac Tobias constructed a dock at New Windsor where he builtthe sloop Hector and sailed it from the landing. A few years laterCaptain Nathaniel Ketchum ran the Revenge between here and thecity. In 1828 the Experiment, the first steamboat that sailed fromthe landing, was built by Silas Corwin of New Windsor and commandedby Captain Isaac Vanduzer. She had four smokestacks and was butlittle more speedy than the sloops. After a few years she was sold toWeeks & Griffin who in turn disposed of her to Bertholf & Co. She wasfinally converted into a barge. Two others, the Wave and GeneralJackson, were put on, and in 1855 Captain Joseph Ketchum and HenryM. Clark purchased the Orange County and ran her between here andNew York. The building of the Erie Railroad to Piermont sent a largepart of the freight by that route and we have never recovered ourlost prestige. But just about this time a new industry sprang upwhich partially made up for the freight that had been carriedelsewhere. The land was found to be especially adapted to theraising of small fruits—the Hudson River Antwerp raspberries andstrawberries being the most successful, and thousands were shippedevery night during the fruit season. This too fell off when it wasdiscovered that we had a home market for all we could raise. Thiswas due to the personality of one man, N. P. Willis.

IDLEWILD.

Those who visit Idlewild today and note the miles of gravel walksweeping where the vista that opens is most beautiful: the rare treesbrought from many lands—the acres of lawn, smooth as velvet—theprofusion of flowers that meets one at every turn—the luxuriousmansion crowned to its eaves with blossoms and vines, can hardlyrealize the wild grandeur of the scene that appealed to the poet soulof N. P. Willis, and drew from the owner, Mr. Daniel Ward, thequestion, "What do you want with such an idle wild?"

An unbroken woodland lying about the bank of the river, whoseromantic beauty was as yet unappreciated; bisected by a dark ravineat the bottom of which ran a brook only revealed by the music of itswaters and thrown into spray by huge boulders obstructing its course.Pines, hemlocks and forest trees centuries old sprang towards thesunlight but at their base grew impenetrable underbrush.

The name has become a household word not only among our own people,but in the lands beyond the sea, and thousands of readers followedwith delight every step that was taken to change the scene frombarbarism to civilization. "A letter from Idlewild" was publishedevery week in the Home Journal of which Willis and George P.Morris were editors.

While still a boy in college the publication of his Scriptural poemsattracted much attention. These were followed by "Pencilings by theWay," a brilliant record of a trip through Europe.

In 1851 he was sent to Cornwall by his physician in hopes ofprolonging his life. He was threatened with consumption and hadalready been warned by the danger signal of several hemorrhages. Themedicine prescribed was rest, nourishment and every hour possiblespent out of doors. He boarded with a gentle Quaker lady, Mrs.Southerland, over whose home the dove of Peace was brooding. Slowlybut sometimes almost imperceptibly came returning strength, but tomake it permanent he must remain here and so came the purchase of ahome. The Civil War brought financial reverses, for a majority of hissubscribers were in The South, but he turned again to work in orderto recoup some of his losses, but his health again broke down and hedied on his 60th birthday, 1867, in the home he loved so well.

Mr. Willis was twice married—first to a sweet-faced English girl,who only lived for a few years. His second wife was Miss CorneliaGrinnell, daughter of one of our merchant princes. She sold theestate, which passed into the hands of Judge George, a gentleman ofculture and refined taste, who carried out many of the improvementsplanned by his predecessor. He sold it to the late Mr. Courtney, whowas then President of the West Shore Railroad. After Mr. Courtney'sdeath it passed into the hands of Mr. Charles Curie, the presentowner.

In Mr. Willis's "letters from an invalid," he described the beautifulwalks and drives in the neighborhood where he spent his days and thedescription brought summer visitors seeking for board. Every room wasoccupied and hundreds went away for lack of accommodation. The nextseason saw new houses built and others were enlarged, and thereseemed no limit to our prosperity. A paper published here in 1874contained the advertisem*nts of twenty-five houses that were publicboarding-houses, besides all that were accommodated in privatefamilies. Many who came as visitors purchased building sites anderected summer homes. One of these was Mr. Harvey, of Brooklyn, whobuilt Homeland, adjoining Idlewild. Mr. E. A. Mattheissen secured thenext site where Mattheissen Park is now. Mr. Solomon, of New York,chose Land's End for his beautiful home. Mr. Bellows's residence wason Bayview Avenue. Mr. James Stillman and his mother each have asummer cottage here.

BOARDING-HOUSES.

Among all the houses opened for guests the Mountain House stoodfirst, from the fact of its position twelve hundred feet abovetide-water in the heart of pine woods, where the visitors foundhealth as well as recreation. The building itself was alsoattractive. In the early sixties Dr. Champlin, who had been travelingin the East, saw some marvelous cures performed on consumptivepatients by the use of kourmis.

Property on the mountain was at this time nearly all held by twofamilies—John Losee Wood and Christian Vought; so when the doctorerected two houses as a sanitarium, no one objected. The architecturewas oriental—windows and doors were surmounted by round arches, andthe second story was built over the broad piazza which surrounded iton three sides. A number of goats were installed in what is now theChalet across the road, and two physicians, Doctors Pellatier andBoyd, had charge of the houses, but the enterprise was a failure andit became a boarding-house, numbering among its patrons some of themost exclusive families of New York and Philadelphia.

Many of the wealthier guests who saw that there was a possibility offorming a colony similar to that of Tuxedo, joined in a syndicate topurchase land, to lay out roads and develop its resources. Later itwas found desirable to have a place of meeting for themselves, andthe clubhouse was built. It was incorporated under the title of theDeer Hill Company in 1890. Besides being able to accommodate manyguests cottages were built in the grounds and the Mountain Housefound its days of prosperity gone. Mr. J. W. Meagher surrendered hislease and fire destroyed two-thirds of the building, when it passedinto the hands of Mr. James Stillman. One of the next houses inpoint of numbers was Mr. James G. Roe's. It has sheltered threehundred guests. The Elmer, had nearly two hundred; the Smith wasalmost the length of a city block. The Wiley House had ninety feet ofbroad piazzas. Grand View, owned by Mrs. Alott, is the only one atpresent that is still in the business. There were many others, andnearly every private family was willing to accommodate city guests.Recently the club has surrendered its charter, and it has passed intoprivate hands.

ROUND TOP.

While we are in the mountain we will stand for a few minutes onRound Top, the home of the late Miss Hussey. Near us is a smallchalet, consisting of three rooms with a cedar rail portico in front.Here for sixty years a woman, refined, cultured, and of markedliterary ability, dwelt alone. There came a break in her seclusion,when in 1861 she entered the army as a nurse, where she remaineduntil the close of the war. She was a fine raconteur, and many astory of those days entertained her visitors, and she had many, forshe and her romantic home attracted nearly everyone who came toCornwall. She kept a visitors' book, and there were 5,000 names in itbefore mine. In 1876 she, with two other ladies, Miss McClean andMiss Hayes, edited the first newspaper printed in the town, but itwas not a success after the first year, when she abandoned it. Shereceived a pension from the Government, and died about four yearsago.

E. P. ROE.

As we have been dealing with personal history, a modest residencewith large grounds suggests another name, that of E. P. Roe, thenovelist. His childhood was passed in Moodna and the home andsurrounding scenery in the background of the picture drawn in"Nature's Serial Story." He studied in Williams College and thenentered a theological seminary, but in 1862 resigned to becomechaplain in the Harris Light Cavalry. He participated in severalengagements, but on being appointed Hospital Chaplain, was granted afurlough, came home and was married to Miss Sands, who accompaniedhim back to the seat of war. He retained his position until the closeof hostilities, when he took charge of the Presbyterian Church atHighland Falls. He visited Chicago after the fire, and that suggestedthe plot of "Barriers Burned Away." The success of this wasphenomenal, several editions following in quick succession. Feelinghe could reach a larger congregation by his pen than by his voice,he resigned his charge and came to Cornwall. His mornings were spentin his garden, where his success in fruit raising equaled that inliterary work. The afternoons in his study resulted in volume aftervolume being given to the public in quick succession. His books soldwell and his royalties were large, but through the misfortunes ofothers he became financially embarrassed and sold the royalties ofhis then published novels for $30,000. He still found ready sale forall he produced, which soon enabled him to liquidate his obligation,and the "children of his fancy were his own again." But the straintold on him, and in 1887 he went to Santa Barbara for rest andrecuperation. There he wrote "The Earth Trembled," a story of theCharleston earthquake. He returned in 1887 and began his last work,"Miss Lou," which was never finished. In August, 1888, he wasreading aloud in his library, when he was seized with sharp pains inhis heart. Two physicians were summoned, but failed to give reliefand half an hour after his first attack, E. P. Roe was no more. Afterhis death several gentlemen, among others Mr. Thomas Taft, Mr.Valentine and the Rev. Lyman Abbott, consulted as to what shape apermanent memorial to him would take. A Roe Memorial Park was decidedupon, the location being near his home on the side of Round Top,bounded by the Boulevard. It consists of a little more than two acresand is heavily wooded. None of the trees have been disturbed, onlythe underbrush cleared up and paths made through the grounds. At thetop is a large boulder and on top of this was placed a bronze tablet,on which was engraved two branches of chestnuts with their foliageand burrs, some open. Above this is inscribed: "In Memory of EdwardPayson Roe," and under this, "Near to Nature's Heart." The tablet wasunveiled on May 30, 1894, with very impressive ceremonies and waspresented to the village.

COLONEL DUNCAN.

Another name very dear to Cornwall, but one almost forgotten by thepresent generation, was that of Colonel James Duncan. He was born atCold Springs, but his parents moved here when he was a small boy, andsettled on a farm a little out of the village. He graduated from WestPoint in 1835, and was appointed Lieutenant of the Fourth Cavalry. In1838 he perfected an arm of the service called "The flyingartillery," and this first brought him into notice. During theMexican War he rose from the rank of Lieutenant to that of Colonel.He received the appointment of Inspector General of the United StatesArmy, and during one of his visitations at Mobile he contracted theyellow fever and died there in 1849. His body was brought on andburied near his home, but some years later it was removed to thecemetery at West Point.

CANTERBURY.

That part of the town known as Canterbury was probably the firstportion settled. Old records give names of path masters who residedhere previous to the Revolutionary War, but seemed to have left nodescendants. As far back as 1820 we have the name of John Chadeayne,one of whose sons, Mr. Henry F. Chadeayne, was the father of ourpresent supervisor. The early physicians all located in that end ofthe town. Dr. Tobias was the first one of which we have any record.Dr. Clinton came next, and then Dr. Elisha Hedges, dying a young manin 1824. The house where he lived was occupied until recently by hisdaughter. His successors were Dr. Heaton and his son-in-law, Dr.Gough, and they cared for all the sick in the radius of many miles.But as the population increased there was found work for others, andDr. Beattie came to us and died among us in his eightieth year. Dr.Thomas Heaton also lies in one of our cemeteries, one of the mostbeloved and trusted of doctors. He was a grandson of the first oneof that name. Dr. Hotchkiss represented homeopathy, and at his deathwas succeeded by Dr. Bergen, to be followed by Dr. Chandler of thatcult. Beside the latter we have Drs. Winter and Bowdish, of theupper village, and Drs. Shirk and Bayard, of the lower one, atpresent with us.

CHURCHES.

Presbyterian.—The earliest record of religious worship came fromBethlehem, which was at first the name of the church, and thenextended to the neighborhood. It was Presbyterian in form andministered to by the Rev. Mr. Challoner, who had charge also inCornwall, New Windsor and Blooming Grove. The building was erected in1730. In point of seniority it was the third oldest congregation westof the Hudson and north of the Highlands. The second incumbent wasthe Rev. Enos Ayres, who was followed by Mr. Close in 1764. Heremained for forty years, and was chaplain during the RevolutionaryWar to soldiers stationed in the vicinity. The Rev. Artemus Dean wasinstalled in 1813 and served for twenty-nine years. During hispastorate the church that had stood for ninety-six years was torndown and replaced by the present edifice. In 1872 the Rev. Mr.Atwater was appointed. In 1827 the Rev. James Thorn, of Canterbury,gathered some members of other churches together and, obtainingletters of dismissal from their several organizations, formed theminto a congregation. A small church was erected, and in 1828 he wasinstalled by the Presbytery of the North River as pastor for NewWindsor and Canterbury. He was succeeded in 1835 by JonathanSilliman, who remained pastor for twenty-six years. The Rev. Messrs.Baker, Eddy and Clarke succeeded each other for short terms, but in1872 the Rev. Lyman Abbott took charge. He labored faithfully formany years, and only severed his connection when the call came fromPlymouth Church, Brooklyn. His place was filled by Mr. Egbert, whoproved to be a thoroughly live man, leaving the impress of hispersonality not only on his church but the whole neighborhood. A callto a larger field took him away, and his mantle fell on the Rev. Mr.Beattie, who had been taught in that Sunday School. He too gave upand was succeeded by Rev. Mr. Allen.

Cornwall-on-Hudson Presbyterian Church.—As early as 1855 somefamilies residing in what is now known as Cornwall-on-Hudson, feltthe need of a church at this place. They held their first meeting inthe school-room of Alfred C. Roe, in the building now occupied by theGold Cure, and "depending on divine aid resolved to erect a house ofWorship," and one year later the present building was dedicated.There were only seventeen members and eight of them belonged to theRoe family. Their names were Peter Roe, Mrs. Susan Roe, Alfred C.Roe, Mrs. Caroline Roe, James G. Roe and wife, Mrs. Roe Caldwell,Milton Wiley and wife, Mrs. Mary Jackson, Miss Amanda Adams, Mrs.Mary A. Clark, Mrs. Rachael Bruen, Phebe Greegs, Mary Johnson,Angeline Clark, and John P. Roe. In 1899 there were four survivors,but Mrs. Sarah Wiley died that year, Mr. Milton Wiley following threeyears later. In 1906 Mrs. Mary Jackson passed away, but was able tobe present part of the time in the church at the celebration of itsfiftieth anniversary. Her sister, Miss Amanda Adams, still survives.

The first elders chosen were Milton Wiley and James G. Roe, James O.Adams was elected later. The first stated supply was the Rev. Dr.Deyo, who was succeeded by the Rev. Joseph Robinson, who died in1858. Dr. Ledoux followed, who resigned when Mr. Teal was appointed.He was called to a larger field and the Rev. George P. Noble came. In1891 he dissolved his connection with the church and Mr. HughFrasier, the present incumbent, was installed.

The next church in point of age is the plain Quaker meeting house inCanterbury. Previous to its erection, service was held in the houseoccupied by David Sands, who was a noted Friend preacher, but as thecongregation grew it was found a place of worship was needed. About1790 the present edifice was built and Catherine Sands, a girl oftwelve years old, carried the nails for the workmen from New Windsoron horseback.

A division in doctrine caused a separation in the society in 1827.The part retaining the buildings was called the orthodox and theseceders Hicksites, from a member called Elias Hicks, who hadpromulgated the new belief. These held meetings in private houses forsome months, when a brick building was erected in the rear of what isnow John Chatfield's stable. Both Mr. Beach and Mr. Ruttenber mentiona coincidence in the two buildings. The first marriage in the firsthouse was Catherine Sands to Squire Ring, and the first one in thenew building was that of her son, Robert Ring, nearly forty yearslater.

Methodist.—The early Methodists held their meetings in aschool-house, which stood for many years at the Corners, but in 1830erected the present building on a knoll in Canterbury. It has beenalmost rebuilt and modernized, and now is a very handsome church. Thefirst pastor was the Rev. Phineas Rice, who had charge in NewWindsor, and what is now Vails Gate, Salisbury and Mountainville. In1863 it became self-supporting, and was detached from the othermissions, and the Rev. J. H. Gregory was appointed by the Conference.It has always since had a resident pastor and the present incumbent,Rev. Angelo Ostrander is justly popular and has been returned by theunanimous request of the congregation three successive terms.

Episcopal.—Previous to 1858 there was no separate organization ofthe Episcopal Church in Cornwall. Those who could do so drove to NewWindsor, and those who were unable, joined in the worship with otherreligious bodies. Many of the strangers coming here at that time wereof that faith, and in conjunction with some of the residents took thenecessary steps for the incorporation of a parish. On July 17th,1858, a meeting was held and officers were elected to serve until thefollowing Easter. Alonzo Alvord and William Bayard were chosenwardens, and N. P. Willis, Thos. Cummings, Daniel Birdsall, JamesCrissey, Nicholas Chatfield, Jr., Francis Barton, Chas. H. Mead andJohn Chatfield were elected vestrymen. A lot was purchased and acontract for the building made with Messrs. Shaw & Sons, of Newburgh,and on May 10th, 1829, the corner-stone was laid by the Right Rev.Dr. Potter. By the 20th of November of the same year it was openedfor divine service. Until 1864, the services were conducted by theresident minister at New Windsor, but in November of that year theRev. John Webster was installed, who was succeeded in January, 1866,by the Rev. W. G. French. In 1869. the tower and spire was completed,one of our wealthy residents who was a vestryman, Mr. Sherwood,contributing $2,000. The ladies' auxiliary, an organization that hasshown the greatest success in collecting funds for church purposes,contributed the clock. Mr. Snowden was the next minister, who died inoffice. The Rev, Mr. Huntington succeeded him, and was succeeded byMr. Cleveling, who gave place to Dr. Page, who has charge at present.

The Catholic.—Previous to 1857 the members of the Catholic Churchmet for service in the home of Mrs. McQuade, in Canterbury, and atthe corners in what was then known as the Weaver house. Threegentlemen, John Diffendale, Daniel O. Callahan and John McCleanstarted a building fund, each contributing one hundred dollars. Thenext on the list was a non-Catholic, Mr. Henry F. Chadeayne withfifty dollars. Mr. Stephen Gillis gave 50,000 bricks from his yard.But a few weeks elapsed before there was money enough to justifytheir purpose of building a church, and a lot was purchased at thetop of River avenue, which commanded a magnificent view of mountainsand river. The building was erected by Messrs. Little Brothers & Co.,of Newburgh, and would seat about 150. About twenty familiesrepresented the entire congregation. But only a few years elapsedwhen it was found wholly inadequate to accommodate the residentpopulation, and the summer visitors would have filled one three timesas large. It was supplied from St. Patrick's, Newburgh, a priestdriving down on Sunday morning, and returning after service. AfterA. E. Mattheissen and the Harvey and Sherwood families settled here,steps were taken to build a larger edifice. The present lot waspurchased for $1,000 and nearly $2,000 more was in the savings bank,when an application was made for a resident clergyman, and in 1870Father Ambrose Keogh was sent by the Archbishop of New York. Hishealth was very delicate, and at first it seemed a task beyond hisstrength to attempt to erect a church, but the present fine buildingis a monument of his perseverance and energy. The corner-stone waslaid in 1871 by Bishop McQuade, of Rochester, and the following yearservices were held in the basem*nt. A handsome rectory was built andfurnished at the same time. It was connected with a mission atWashingtonville. After five years' service Father Keogh wastransferred to Tuckahoe, and was succeeded by Father Mackin. Therewas a mortgage of $13,000 on the property and Cornwall prosperity hadbegun to wane, and the churches were among the first to feel it.Meeting the annual interest and current expenses were nearly allthat was attempted at that time, with the exception of the purchaseof a cemetery for $2,000. At the end of five years Father Wardsucceeded to the pastorate, and immediately took steps to completethe upper part. This he did, at a cost of about $8,000, withoutincreasing the mortgage. He was succeeded by Father Gordon, who paid$8,000 of the debt during the five years of his incumbency. Hispromotion to a large city parish was followed by the Rev. PhillipAhearn, who was in turn succeeded by the Rev. James Curry. A heatingplant, electric light and village water were installed at this timeinto both church and rectory. Two handsome side altars were builtwith three costly statues. In 1901 he was appointed to St. James'Parish, New York, and was succeeded by the Rev. James S. Fenton.Under his management the remainder of the mortgage has been paid andplans drawn for a parochial school to be erected on the grounds inthe rear of the church. A large Sunday school has always been animportant part of the work. In 1907 Father Fenton went abroad for hishealth, and the Rev. Father Brosan has charge.

FIRE PROTECTION.

As early as 1830 means were taken for fire protection in Canterbury,and each man who contributed $2.50 could become a member. The namesof the first trustees were Nathan Westcott, Elias Hand, W. T. co*cks,Geo. Marriott and John M Gough. Soon others joined it, and it wascreated a body corporate under the name of the Canterbury FireCompany. A hand engine was purchased at an expense of $125. About1836 a second-hand suction engine was purchased in New York, but asthe population increased they realized how important it would be tocheck any serious conflagration, so in October, 1869, a meeting ofproperty owners was held, which made arrangements for purchasing alot and engine house. A committee was appointed who finally boughtthe premises where Hunter & McClean had their market for $2,000. Anew engine was bought and called Highland Engine No. 1. During 1905 avery tasteful brick building costing $5,000 was erected. There weresixty members in good standing and many applications for membershipwhen a vacancy occurs. The same year, 1869, that the engine waspurchased in Canterbury, a similar project was started at theCorners, and a subscription paper was sent out, but failed to getany definite pledges, each person approached being unwilling to bethe first to sign. A public meeting was called, and thirty-fiveyoung men responded, each promising to give five dollars. In a fewdays nearly $700 was secured, and Messrs. Titus, Wiley and JohnMcClean went to New York to see what could be obtained for theirmoney. Steamers had been introduced into the New York and Brooklyndistricts, so they found an article that suited them in EngineGoodwill 4 of Brooklyn and it was bought and shipped on the OrangeCounty for Cornwall. They had no house, but procured the use ofCarswell's barn. A company had been organized with Wm. J. Quigley,foreman, John K. Oliver, assistant and John McClean, Jr., secretary.A charter was procured in 1870, March 30th, in which A. E.Mattheissen, Stephen Gillis, Hamilton Salmon, David Clark, Jas.Hitchco*ck and E. H. Champlin, constituting themselves a bodycorporate, under the name of the Storm King Engine No. 2. Anothersubscription was solicited, which met with such a generous responsethat a lot was purchased and a two-story building erected on Duncanavenue. The dues of members supplemented by entertainments, furnishedtheir rooms and met their expenses, but in 1900 they surrenderedtheir charter to the village corporation and were henceforth a publiccharge. A lot was bought on Main street and a handsome buildingcosting $6,000 was erected. They have a reception room, pool room,and public meeting room, and a large space down stairs for theirengine house. Their charter allows only sixty members, and there arealways candidates waiting for any vacancy. A company was organized atthe Landing and some hundred feet of hose purchased, but it soondisbanded. Last year a hose company was formed on the heights forfire protection.

SCHOOLS.

Public schools were established soon after the Revolutionary War, andeach village had its schoolhouse and teacher, for at least the wintermonths, and as the instruction was confined to the three R's severalprivate schools were started, but were only moderately successful.The earliest of these was that of Madame Rutkai, the sister of thefamous Hungarian, Louis Kossuth. Mr. Alfred Roe taught one inCanterbury for a time and in the spring of 1853 purchased the FowlerGriggs property, where he conducted a boarding and day school foryoung men. It was very successful, but in 1863 he gave it up,entered the ministry and joined the army as the chaplain of theEighty-third Volunteers. In 1877 he again came to Cornwall and openeda school for young ladies, following the Harvard standard, but thepatronage did not warrant its continuance and it was closed in thethird year. Dr. Ledoux succeeded in founding a permanent institution.While he was pastor of the Presbyterian Church, he was taken verysick with typhoid fever, and at times was delirious, and then spokeonly French, it being his native language. Mr. McCreery, the New Yorkmerchant, who was boarding in the neighborhood, was looking for aschool for his sons, and after the Doctor's recovery arranged withhim to receive his boys into his family. He soon had as many as hecould teach, resigned his living, purchased a tract of land on theHeights, and began a most successful career. He sold out to Mr. Cobb,who after a few years sold in turn to the present proprietor, Rev.Charles Stone.

Down to 1869 our public school was taught just long enough every yearto obtain the public money, and then some one would continue it as aprivate enterprise for three or four months. But in that year, someof our summer residents, including E. A. Mattheissen, Chas. Bellows,Mr. Solomon, Stephen C. Gillis, James Dunn, Mr. Hitchco*ck, JamesCouser, John McKibben and Dr. Vail, formed a board of education. Alot was purchased from Mr. Hitchco*ck near the Corners, and asubstantial building erected. The school was opened on May 24th,1869, with Mr. Williamson as principal, Miss McClean and Miss FrancesMarvel as assistants. There were then about 80 pupils. In 1896 it wasfound an addition was needed and a large building was erected acrossthe front at a cost of $8,000. There are fourteen teachers in thebuilding now, and one in the annex on the Heights, and the census ofthis year shows 500 children of school age. The training school underMr. Aldrich, turns out wonderful work for boys and girls, and thesewing class in charge of Miss Murray, which has only beenestablished a year, shows how little hands can be trained. Thepresent board of education consists of Mr. Townsend D. Wood,president; Mr. P. Bevins, J. J. Hall, Louis Velton, Carlos H.Stone, George Mailler, Jas. H. Ward, John Noe, and Harris Cox.

VILLAGE OF CORNWALL-ON-HUDSON.

The village of Cornwall-on-Hudson was incorporated in March, 1885,the first officers being: Thos. Taft, president; trustees: Wm.Fogarty, Charles W. Clark and Oren Cobb; treasurer, H. N. Clark;collector, Charles E. co*cks, and clerk, Daniel E. Pope.

In 1891 an excise board was elected, that refused to grant licenses,and since then the town has remained dry. Two reservoirs were builton the mountain, and the pure spring water carried through the town.The outlay was $67,000, but at present the water rents defray allexpenses for interest. In 1906 a proposition was made to unite thetwo villages of Canterbury and Cornwall, but was defeated. Thepresent board of trustees are: John Clarkson, president; LouisVelton, Charles Smith, Norman Chatfield and Ralph Quackenbush; clerk,James H. Ward; collector, John Noe.

CANTERBURY SCHOOLS.

A small building on one of the side roads was used for many years,after it was evident the days of its usefulness as a schoolhouse wasover. In 1905 the people voted to raise $30,000 for a newschoolhouse. A lot on Willow avenue was purchased, and a building,complete in all modern appliances has been the result. There aretwelve teachers under a most efficient principal, Mr. Woodworth.Both this and the one at the Corners, are high schools under theregents.

VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY.

The Village Improvement Society was organized in 1900, when a publicmeeting was called in Mattheissen Hall. Dr. Harrison was chairman,and introduced the Rev. Lyman Abbott, who explained the object of theassociation, which was that each one should pledge themselves to takecare of their premises, and use their influence to abate anythingthat would detract from the beauty and order of the village. Nearlyeveryone present agreed to become a member. The following day ameeting was held and officers elected. Mrs. Lyman Abbott was chosenpresident; Mrs. Seaman, first vice-president; Mrs. Hunter, secondvice-president; Mrs. Furey, secretary; Miss Laura Currie,corresponding secretary, and Mrs. Dr. Harrison, treasurer. A handsomeloving cup was purchased to be given to the person who, in theestimation of the judges, should show the best kept garden for theyear. Anyone who should win it three years in succession would ownit. Mrs. John Noe held it the first year, Mrs. Milton Couser thesecond, but the three following seasons it was held by Mrs. John Noe,who then became its permanent possessor. Almost the first work doneby the society was offering ten cents a hundred for the nests of thetent worm. Seventy-two thousand were brought in by the schoolchildren, with the result that while the neighboring villages losthundreds of trees the place was free from the pests. Trash cans wereplaced in different parts of the village, and thirteen hundredposters were removed from trees, fences and telegraph poles.

Many friends have made generous donations; among others Mr. Weekswho, during the past four years, has offered $50 each year asdoor-yard prizes. A boys' horticultural club has been formed, landrented and a portion assigned to each boy who owns all he raises.The two most successful receive prizes. Enough money has beensubscribed to meet the expenses of this work for five years. Thesecond year of the organization, it lost by death the efficienttreasurer, Mrs. Dr. Harrison, and last summer the loved president,Mrs. Lyman Abbott, died beyond the ocean and sleeps in a littleGerman graveyard. The present officers are: Mrs. Ernest Abbott,president; Miss co*cks, vice-president; Mrs. Seaman, secondvice-president; Mrs. Fleming, secretary; Miss Josephine Youngs,treasurer, and Miss E. M. V. McClean, corresponding secretary.

PAPERS.

In 1877 Mr. John Lee, author of stories of the Hudson, started theCornwall Mirror, but he died within the year. He was succeeded by Mr.Snelling, who changed the name to the Cornwall Reflector. Mr. Pendellsucceeded him as editor, when the title was changed to CornwallLocal, the name which it retained when it passed into the hands ofthe present proprietor, Mr. Goodenough. Three or four efforts havebeen made to run a second village paper, but they have all proved afailure. Mr. Morehouse started the Courier, which passed into thehands of Creswell McLaughlin but it came to grief. It wasresuscitated in 1905, but only lived a year.

INDUSTRIES.

With the introduction of the mountain water into the village, it washoped that with the fine freighting facilities, manufacturers mightbe induced to settle here, but such has not been the case. Severalapplications have been received from outsiders, but when negotiationsreached a certain point, they have been quietly withdrawn, and it hasbeen surmised that some of the wealthier neighbors object to theclass such work would bring among them. The stream known asMurderer's Creek, and later on as the Moodna, at one time had severalfactories along its banks. The late John Orr's flour mill is still inbusiness, and abogh"> mile from Canterbury is a settlement known asFirthcliff. In 1869 Mr. Broadhead had a large woolen mill there whichafter a few years, passed into the hands of an English carpetcompany. These brought many of their skilled employees with them, andthey in turn induced friends and neighbors to come out, so that onecorner of the town is an English village. The home works are inEngland, but the proprietors frequently cross the Atlantic to visittheir factory here. Still farther down the stream are the mills ofJohn Orr, at a railroad station that bears his name. A piano factory,owned by John E. Ryder has disappeared, and as the brook nears theHudson, it passes through a valley which was once filled with homesof the work people employed in the Valley Forge paper mill, owned byCarson & Ide, and the Leonard linen mill. The latter stopped duringthe war, but the former under different owners produced somematerial, until a freshet tore away bridge, dam and race and forcedthe stream into another channel that left the building practicallywithout water.

VOLUNTEERS.

Mr. Ruttenber gives a list of 172 volunteers who went from hereduring the Civil War, but he has omitted three names, Frederick Lamb,Wm. Couser and George Chatfield. Emslie Post contains the names ofsome of the surviving on its roster, and on Memorial Day theydecorate eighty graves of comrades who have passed over to the greatmajority. But there are others who sleep on Southern battlefields,and still others who passed from the weary anguish of the hospitalsto the "low green tent, whose curtain never outward swings." CaptainThomas Taft is probably the youngest surviving veteran; and among therevered names of those "who came not back" stand Captain Silliman,Major Cromwell and William Emslie, who died in Andersonville. Throughthe efforts of Mr. Charles Curie, of Idlewild, a soldiers' monumenthas been erected in the village.

NEW YORK MILITARY ACADEMY.

One of the institutions of Cornwall is the New York Military Academy.In the '70s it was a large boarding house, capable of accommodatingtwo hundred guests. The grounds cover a large plateau, skirting aravine, and was called Glen Ridge. It was owned by Mr. James G. Roe,brother of the novelist, who when the boarding business failed inCornwall, sold to Colonel Wright, who opened a boys' school. He wassucceeded by Mr. Jones, who has enlarged the already capaciousbuildings. There are always over 100 young men and boys in theinstitution, and a large corps of capable teachers. The disciplineis secured more by rewards than punishments. The pupils, whenvisiting the village, are always quiet and gentlemanly. Officers fromWest Point train them in military tactics, and it is marvelous what aproficiency they attain in a few months.

CHAPTER XIV.

TOWN OF CRAWFORD.

By J. Erskine Ward.

This triangular township, some eighteen or twenty miles west of theHudson River, is in the northwest corner of Orange County, borderingupon the counties of Sullivan and Ulster. It carries a point ofOrange County land well up into old Ulster County and contains thenorthernmost soil of the county.

It is bounded on the north by Sullivan and Ulster, on the east byUlster and the town of Montgomery, south by Montgomery and Wallkill,and on the west by the town of Wallkill and Sullivan County.

The area of the town, as given in the last report of the OrangeSupervisors, is 24,769 acres. Upon this land the Crawford assessorsfor 1906 placed a valuation of $664,531, and returned personalproperty of its residents to the value of $15,300. The total taxraised in the town that year was $8,617.89. This amount was made upas follows: General fund, $2,668.14; poor fund, $600; town audits,$2,287.12; roads and bridges, $400; railroad purposes, $2,107.50;temporary relief, $250; sworn off taxes, $185.45; treasurer'scredits, $115.33.

The name Crawford came from a numerous and respectable family ofIrish descent who were among the first settlers of the locality. Theland was a part of the original John Evans patent referred to inother parts of this work. When this great tract was set aside theterritory of this section was disposed of in many smaller grants toPhilip Schuyler and others. Among the many other tracts mentioned inthe Crawford titles were the 8,000-acre tract which now includes thevillage of Pine Bush, and the 10,000-acre tract next on the south.The following separate patents were included in the Crawfordtownship; Thomas Ellison and Lawrence Roome, November 12, 1750;Frederick Morris and Samuel Heath, January 24, 1736; Jacobus Bruynand Henry Wileman, April 25, 1722; Philip Schuyler and others, 8,000acres, July 7, 1720; part of the patent to Jeremiah Schuyler andothers, January 22, 1719; part of Thomas Noxon's patent February 21,1737.

NATURAL FEATURES OF THE TOWN.

The general altitude of the town is somewhat higher than that ofMontgomery. The general surface is a hilly upland broken by highridges, which extend northeast and southwest. It is in fact separatedfrom Montgomery by one of these elevated ridges known as theCollaburgh and Comfort Hills, which at times rise 200 feet above thevalley. While the land is somewhat more difficult to cultivatebecause of the stony hills and undulating surface, the soil is verystrong and productive, yielding fine crops of grass, grain and fruitsand responding well to tillage. These slopes and elevations have beenfound particularly well adapted to the growth of fruit of a superiorquality. The proximity of the mountain range is said to have afavorable influence upon the general rainfall of the region. Showersare frequent in summer and the effects of drought are less severe thanin other sections not so favored.

The Shawangunk Kill or river is the principal stream, and it formsthe western boundary of the town between it and Sullivan County, andafterward it also separates the town from Ulster County until thenorthern limit of the town is reached. This is a rapid flowing streamand affords much valuable water power at different points, which hasbeen utilized to some extent in a variety of ways. The early settlerswere quick to see the value and importance of these privileges, andthey began to make use of them in their primitive manner at once.

Among the numerous tributaries to the Shawangunk in the town is thePaughcaughnaughsinque. The name is of Indian origin. There are infact two of these subsidiary streams, the Big and the LittlePaughcaughnaughsinque. They flow northward and afford additionalwater power at different points.

In the eastern portion of the town is a more important stream knownnow as the Dwaarskill. This, too, has enjoyed a great variety oforthographic nomenclature, such as "Dwaaskill," "Dwarf'skill," etc.Of course the original was bestowed by the Indians, and, it is said,was given in honor of a Chief of a small tribe which dwelt upon itsbanks. One of the old settlers in that region is credited with havingseen this Indian Chief, who was called "Dwaase," and who had hiswigwam near the old turnpike gate No. 3. Others claim, however, thatthe name is clearly Low or Holland Dutch, and signifies perverse orcontrary because it flows north. The stream begins somewhere near thecenter of the town of Wallkill, not far from the Crawford Railwayjunction, flows through the valley parallel to that of theShawangunk Kill, and finally leaves the town at the northeast corner.

This town also has its share of swamps, of which the historianRuttenber says Orange County has over 40,000 acres. One of theseswamps is northwest of the Sinsabaugh neighborhood, and another issouthwest of Searsburgh.

EARLY SETTLEMENT AND SETTLERS.

This being among the newer towns of the county, the specific detailsof its settlement are so blended with the early history of the oldWallkill precinct and that of the town of Montgomery, from whichCrawford was set off, that it is quite impossible to separate themfor this place.

The Weller settlement was partly upon this territory. JohannesSnyder started a small settlement in the vicinity of Searsville,where he bought a large tract of land on both sides of theDwaarskill. He built a primitive log mill there at once, and this isdown in the records of 1768 as Snyder's Mill. He seems to have beena man of means and influence, as he also built a log church soonafter settling there, which was known as Snyder's Church. ThisSnyder family was Dutch and made the first settlement here in 1740,if not earlier. All the services in this little church was in theDutch language, and it is recorded that the church was worn out oroutgrown even before the Revolution.

Somewhere about the same time Robert Milliken built a saw mill onthe Shawangunk Kill. This is referred to as Milliken's mill in therecords of 1768, and this is the earliest mention of a saw mill onthat stream in the records. Other mills were built there, however,in later years. First was the old flour mill of Pat. Boice, nextbelow the Milliken mill was the Sear's grist mill, then AbrahamBruyn's flour mill, and finally Cornelius Slott's saw and grist millcombined. The latter was continued by Arthur Slott after the death ofhis father, and he soon built a small collection of houses there forhis employees. This Slott ancestry were among the oldest settlers inthe State. The family came from Holland in 1670, as the familyrecord shows. They located first at Hackensack, N.J., and after afew years there they removed to Rockland County, and soon after thatthey came to Montgomery and settled on the Tinn Brook at a pointafterward known as Slott Tow. Cornelius Slott engaged in farming. In1777, while serving as an orderly sergeant with his military company,in the active defense of Fort Montgomery, he was taken prisoner andconfined in the old Sugar House, New York, by the British forces forten months. In 1785, on regaining his liberty, he sold his farm andlived in New York for the next five years. Then he bought the millsite in Pine Bush and erected his saw mill just below the mouth ofthe Paughcaughnaughsinque stream. The next year he also built agrist mill. There was no public road leading to his mill at the time,but he soon secured one from Hopewell.

A small early settlement near Graham's Church was made by AbrahamDickerson, an Irishman, John Robinson and Philip Decker. PhilipDecker's ancestors came from Holland. When sixteen years old hedrove a team from Ward's Bridge to Valley Forge with a load of cornfor Washington's army. Dickerson built a saw mill on a small streamnear there which was operated successfully for a time and then fellinto decay. The portion of the Wallkill valley in this town was thesite of the earliest settlement. These old pioneers consisted ofGermans, Hollanders and Huguenots. Many of them came from the oldersettlements in Ulster County, and others were directly from theirnative land.

Robert Jordan came here from Ireland in 1771. About 1784 he settledat Bullville in this town. His brother John seems to have settledthere in 1767, having arrived in this country some years ahead ofRobert. Among his neighbors there about that time or a few yearslater, were Joseph Elder, James Barclay, Samuel Barclay, John Martinand Daniel Bull. Thomas Turner was also a land owner in the Bullvillesettlement to the extent of 300 acres.

In the Searsville neighborhood William Snider was among the pioneers.He purchased a large tract of land there upon which he lived manyyears before the Revolution. He seems to have been a man of somewealth, for at the outbreak of hostilities with Great Britain heburied a considerable sum of money in a secret place upon hisproperty, the location of which was known only to a faithful Negroslave. After the war this Negro was awarded by his master with hispersonal freedom because of his loyalty and faithfulness.

An old apple orchard planted before the Revolution near Bullville,died out long years since. Nathan Johnson was the village shoemaker,going around from house to house with his kit of tools strapped uponhis back. This occupation was then known as "whipping the cat" forsome reason not very clear at this time. Johnson was an oldshoemaker who had been employed making army shoes during the war. Itwas the custom at that period for those cobblers to go about atstated periods and do the family cobbling and shoe-making for theyear.

William Jordan, son of Robert, became colonel of the Shawangunkregiment of militia, and he lived under every President of the UnitedStates until his death, having voted the Democratic ticket for 66years.

Benjamin Sears is mentioned in the records as a remarkable man inmany respects among the settlers in that region. Coupled with rarenative talent he had a most remarkable memory of details. Nothingever escaped him when once his mind grasped it. All his accounts wereaccurately kept in his mind. But his education is said to have beenvery limited. He served as constable in the town of Montgomery duringhis early life, where he had five brothers from whom there has been along line of descendants. He also served as sheriff of Orange Countyfor a time. And the small hamlet of Searsburgh, near the center ofthe town, on the Dwaarskill stream, was named for him. He establisheda flour and saw mill there at an early date.

Joseph Elder was of Irish descent and came into this region someyears before the Revolution. He lived upon a very stony farm, and itis recorded of him that being a man of giant frame, robust andvigorous, he would gather up these stones in a leathern apron girdedabout his loins and carry them to the place where they were used forfence walls, instead of carting them in a wagon. Though also scantilyeducated, he served some years as magistrate of his town with muchsatisfaction, being a man of strong common sense and good judgment.He seems also to have been a pioneer pedestrian, the originalWeston, apparently; for it is recorded that on a certain occasion,missing his sloop at Newburgh, which was already out of sight abovethe Danskammer Point, running with a fair wind, on the Hudson, on itsway to Albany, young Elder started off at a rattling pace, with hismusket and knapsack, to join his military company at the Capital intime or be denounced as a traitor. It is said he beat the sloop byseveral hours, though the precise time made is not given.

Dr. Joseph Whalen, another well known Irish pioneer, was among theearly physicians practicing his profession in this region. He came atthe close of the war, settled in this town for a few years, andafterward practiced in Montgomery for over fifty years. It is worthyof note in this connection that in those days no doctor ever expectedto collect for his services from his patient in person. The doctor'sclaim was always presented to the executor or administrator, as thecase might he, after the patient's death. There were obvious reasonsfor this custom then, as there often are even in these later times,but the reader must be left to draw his own conclusions. This noteddoctor had a most extensive practice, and he was also a famoushorseman and equestrian, owning much fine horseflesh. He even rivaledthe celebrated Count Pulaski, the Polish general in the Revolution,who would throw his hat before him on the road while under full speedon his horse and so far dismount as to take it up. Dr. Whalen couldtake a glass of liquid in his hand, mount his horse, ride away aquarter of a mile and return without spilling a drop.

Daniel Bull was another prominent settler of this region. He camesome years before the Revolution and settled upon an extensive tractof newly cleared land which was rough and stony and had been owned byhis father, Thomas Bull, who lived in the old stone house inHamptonburgh. This land was then valued at $2.50 per acre. In 1780 hemarried Miss Miller at Goshen, where the bride and groom weresnowbound for two weeks of their honeymoon. They had thirteenchildren and the family became one of the most prominent and numerousin the town. Mr. Bull was a most successful farmer, and he reclaimeda vast acreage of wild land and brought it under good and profitabletillage. He amassed wealth and became a valued citizen, being longregarded as a patriarch of the town. In 1821, the record shows, thatfifty-two grandchildren had been born of this parentage, making afamily total of seventy-six. All were then alive except two who diedin infancy, and on a certain day in June of that year seventy-fourmembers of this noted family were gathered in the family homesteadnear Bullville for a grand reunion. The farm is now owned byTheodore Roberson.

The Crawford family, after which the town was named, were descendantsof John Crawford, who settled in New Windsor in 1737. The names ofJohn, William, James and Samuel are found upon the old military rollof 1738 for the Wallkill. Robert I. Crawford was a prominent citizenhere early in the last century, and he lived near the old Hopewellchurch.

The Thompson brothers, Alexander, Andrew, and Robert, came fromIreland about 1770. They bought 500 acres of land on what becameafterward known as Thompson's Ridge, and divided the plot equallyamong themselves. One of these farms then included the site of theHopewell church, and all this property has been kept in the Thompsonfamily.

David Rainey was another ante-revolutionary settler in this locality,and he established what was afterward known as the "brick-housefarm," near Pine Bush. He erected the first brick house betweenNewburgh and Ellenville. Although only a boy during the Revolution,he served for a short time in the Continental Army under Clinton.The ancestor of Jacob Whitten was also among the pioneers there.

Among the early physicians of the town were Dr. Crosby, who livednear the Hopewell church and practiced during the early part of thelast century; Dr. Charles Winfield, who lived near Pine Bush; Dr.Hunter, of Searsville, who later served as school inspector for thattime; Dr. Griffith, also of Pine Bush, who died in 1855, and Dr.Durkee, who lived a mile south of Pine Bush.

TOWN ORGANIZATION.

The town of Crawford was formed from the town of Montgomery, March 4,1823. That older town covered such a large extent of territory thatit was found inconvenient and expensive to conduct the publicbusiness to advantage. A convenient and practicable arrangement ofboundary lines for a division of the town was found possible wherebythere might be a central point convenient of access for the citizensof each town. The name Crawford was given in honor of that pioneerfamily, as before stated, many of its descendants having become soclosely identified with the local interests of the region.

The first town meeting was held at the house of Edward Schoonmaker,April 1, 1823. William W. Crawford was then chosen the firstsupervisor; Oliver Mills, town clerk, and a full list of officialswas selected. Every man was authorized to act as his own pound-master,and every farm was regarded as a pound. A bounty of $25 was voted forevery wolf killed in the town, which shows that these hungry animalswere still roaming through the forests at that time. At a specialmeeting held later in the month, $460 was voted to be raised for thesupport of the poor for that year. There were then thirty-nine roaddistricts in that little town, and each district had its accreditedroad-master. But the records are not clear as to the character orextent of the road work done in that early period. Of course everymale citizen was required to appear for service upon the road at suchtime or times as the master of his district would designate, and putin such number of days' work as his property possessions called forunder the prevailing provisions of the State road laws. Theroad-master was the boss, and if he said the roadway must be highlyrounded in the center, a plow was run deeply along each side of thetrack and the loose mud or dirt was scraped up into the road withhoes or shovels. Then the wagon wheels would throw out this mudduring the rest of the year when it was not frozen, where the workersof the succeeding year would find it again, waiting to be scrapedback into the roadway. This was the old process of road repair fortwo hundred years, and there seems to have been general satisfactionwith the curious method as far as the records disclose. In fact, thepublic highways were not regarded of great importance in those daysin spite of the fact that they were the leading if not the onlyarteries of transportation throughout the country before the adventof railways and cheap water-line shipment. These observations aremade in this connection because of the recent dawn of a new era inroads and road work, when the great importance of public roads andtheir proper repair and maintenance has at last been more nearlyrecognized. Very soon these antiquated methods will be among thecurious events in history.

When the Middletown and Crawford Railway was projected through thistown the sum of $80,000 was raised by the town authorities in aid ofits construction. This was in July, 1868. The interest upon thisdebt has been paid annually since that time, but in 1880 no part ofthis principal sum had yet been paid. This was a severe tax upon thetown which bore rather heavily upon the farmers especially, a classthat rarely escapes the lion's share of these burdens of moderncivilization. But the railway has been of great value to everyresident as a developing factor of that entire region and none nowregrets its cost.

VILLAGES OF THE TOWN.

Hopewell.—This village is in the western portion of the town, notfar from the Shawangunk River. The name was taken from the oldHopewell church, which was an offshoot from the Goodwill Presbyteriancongregation at Montgomery, where the Congregational section had beensqueezed out, as it were. They were thus in need of hope at the time,and thus the name "Hopewell" was suggested by some of the morethoughtful members, and it was very promptly adopted for the churchname, as it afterward was also for the little village which gatheredabout it. It does not appear that any important business ormercantile trade was ever conducted there, however. It is merely afertile farm section where the residents have gathered to make theirhomes. The postal facilities for these people are at Thompson'sRidge, a station on the Crawford branch of the Erie Railway.

Bullville.—This is in the southwestern portion of the town nearthe Wallkill line. It was named in honor of Thomas Bull, who livedthere many years and engaged in various business enterprises, and infact founded the place. While the name of the hamlet is notespecially felicitous, nor even euphonious, the location isattractive and pleasing, it being upon high ground with a fine viewof the surrounding landscape. A fine commodious Methodist church wasbuilt there many years ago and there is a most attractive cluster offine dwellings. In 1880 a hotel was conducted by Silas Dickerson anda general store by Charles Roe. There were also a creamery, twoblacksmith shops, a flour and feed store, a coal yard and even adistillery. The place is seven miles west of Montgomery village.

Searsville.—This was formerly known as Searsburgh. It is anothersmall village, near the center of the town, on the Dwaarskill. It wasnamed for, and practically founded by, Benjamin Sears, alreadymentioned at some length. He built the mills there at an early date,and his more distant neighbors soon gathered about him and builttheir homes there. It was formerly a trading point of someimportance, but the advent of the railway brought other neighboringhamlets into greater prominence and left this place somewhatisolated. But in 1880 there were a hotel, two blacksmith and wagonshops, a grist mill and a saw mill still in operation. There is alsoa post-office. The location being central, the town meetings wereusually held there in past years, and the general official businesswas transacted there.

Thompson's Ridge.—A short distance west of Searsville, on theCrawford Branch Railway, is this hamlet, as before stated. In formeryears it was mainly composed of the Thompson family, for which it wasoriginally named. Daniel Thompson, the railway superintendent, livednear there. The station is quite an important one both for itspassenger business and the large shipments of milk which are madefrom it. A small store, the post-office, and the various railwaystructures make up the business part of the hamlet. It is in themidst of the finest farming section of Orange County, the farms ofthe Thompson family and others in that neighborhood being the mostproductive in the county.

Collaburg.—This is in the southern section of the town, and thename is now printed "Collabar" on the modern map of the county. Thelocality is somewhat thickly settled. It was formerly an importantpoint on the Newburgh and Cochecton turnpike, with a hotel and manyother buildings of a varied character. But the new railway did nottouch the place and travel was soon diverted to other points, whichstopped all further development there.

Pine Bush.—This is located near the Shawangunk River, in thenorthern part of the town, near the Ulster County line, and it is athriving business village, the most important in the town. It is thenorthern terminus of the Crawford Branch Railway, and its post-officeserves a large section of country on both sides of the river in thatregion. The village site is generally level and attractive, upon thehigh bank of the stream at that point, and the land environmentcomprises a most fertile farming section. The old grist mill therebelongs to the Revolutionary period, and the Shawangunk Mountainsrise in rugged, frowning peaks which overlook the valley and form abackground of rare beauty. The heights of the Hudson River are seenin the distant horizon toward the east and north, and there is a rarecombination of upland, valley, mountain and stream, forest slopes andwell tilled farms which charms the beholder and forms a mostattractive and beautiful landscape. Summer visitors are attractedhere in large numbers, and they find much to admire and enjoy.

Among the early tradesmen here was James Thompson, who opened a storein 1824. He was succeeded by Hezekiah Watkins, Tarbosch & Weller,Louis Wisner, Elijah Smith and George Oakley. Dr. Ewan came in 1830,and built a hotel and also conducted a drug store. Abraham Mouldbegan a tannery plant in 1825, but after a few years he was killed byJames Mitchell in a violent personal quarrel, for which Mitchell wasfinally acquitted on the ground of self defense.

The old Ellenville and Newburgh plank road—a wicked production of abenighted period—passed through Pine Bush. This, however, marked thebeginning of the modern growth of the place. There were then onlythree or four dwelling houses. In 1880 there were in addition to thevarious railway structures, two hotels, several stores, many shops ofvarious kinds, a restaurant, grist mill and saw mill, meat market,photograph gallery, livery stable, distillery, marble works, and agreat variety of other business enterprises. The post-office wasoriginally known as Crawford, and Arthur Slott was probably thefirst postmaster. The name of the village was bestowed on account ofthe dense growth of pine trees which formerly covered that entiretract of land. The opening of the railway was of course a greatevent for Pine Bush and had much to do with its subsequentdevelopment and progress. Mr. A. R. Taylor, a leading business man,came from Ulsterville in 1848 and proved a most progressive citizen,opening many new stores and taking an active part in all villageimprovements. He was a civil engineer and was credited with havingdriven the first stake in Chicago during an engagement in the westmany years ago, which if true is a well merited distinction.

SCHOOLS OF THE TOWN.

Oliver Mills, Alexander Thompson and Hieromous Weller were the firstschool commissioners chosen at the formation of the town. From 1843to 1856 the public schools were under the control of townsuperintendents chosen at each annual election. There were ten schooldistricts in 1823, and 655 children between the ages of five andfifteen in the town, small portions of the towns of Wallkill andMontgomery being then included in this enumeration. The amount ofpublic money received was $264.44. Among the early school teachers ofthis town were John Hardcastle, William Brown, Mr. Reed and Mr.Crosby. And they are said to have been firm believers in the freeuse of the rod in the inculcation of a thorough knowledge of thethree "Rs" and the maintenance of proper discipline.

THE CRAWFORD CHURCHES.

The first effort to build a church in Hopewell was made in 1779 bythe Presbyterian association. But they succeeded only in completingthe exterior of the building and very little was done towardfinishing the inside of the structure. And yet for the next threeyears those devoted Christian people were content to worship in thisunfinished building with all its discomforts. They went to churchfaithfully and regularly. In 1792 they united in a corporate body andselected a full board of trustees, as follows: William Cross, RobertMilliken, Jonathan Crawford, Daniel Bull, Andrew Thompson, NathanCrawford, Abraham Caldwell, Robert Thompson and Robert McCreery. Soonafter this they finished their church and called the Rev. JonathanFreeman as their pastor, who was installed August 28, 1793. This maybe regarded therefore as the date of the organization of this church,which began with twenty-one members. Mr. Freeman multiplied thisnumber by five during the next five years and then resigned foranother field of labor. The next five years this little pulpitremained vacant. Rev. Isaac Van Doren took up the work there in 1803and labored most successfully for 21 years, adding some 152 membersto the little flock of worshipers during that period. Then, afterfurther changes in the pastorate, a new and more commodious churchbuilding was built of stone on another site, which was completed in1832. Rev. John H. Leggett was then the pastor for the nexttwenty-three years, when he went to Middletown. His ministerial workin this Hopewell church is highly spoken of in the records, he beinga powerful preacher and a man of great activity and influence.

What was known as Graham's Church, associated Reformed, wasestablished by Robert Graham in 1799. A house of worship was erectedat once and it was opened for use in August of the same year. Mr.Graham died a few weeks later, but he devised 100 acres of land tothis church organization for its pastor. This church was merely abranch of the older organization at Neeleytown until 1802, when itbecame independent, with Samuel Gillespie and Andrew Thompson aselders. There were then only 28 regular members, and the Rev. JohnMcJimsey still served both this and the Neeleytown church. He left in1809 but returned ten years later and remained until his death in1854. Robert Graham, the founder of this church, was a staunchScotch-Irish Presbyterian, and he left a lasting impress for goodupon this people.

The Crawford Methodist Church is located at Bullville and it wasincorporated April 20, 1859. The trustees named were Jacob M.Shorter, Robert Hill and Herman S. Shorter. The original churchstructure was completed in the summer of 1861 at a cost of $8,000,which was donated by Mrs. Mary Shorter. Rev. John Wardle was thefirst pastor, being assigned there in response to a request of Mrs.Shorter.

The Methodist Church of Pine Bush was incorporated November 28,1870. with the following trustees: William B. Barnes, John Walker,Samuel Armstrong, William H. Cowley and Francis M. Bodine. But therehad been religious services there many years before this, especiallyin the school house. The old Reformed Church over the river atShawangunk, in Ulster County, had many members in the Pine Bushvillage, and there was preaching in the little school house nearlyevery Sunday, either by the pastor of that church or by the Methodistpreacher from Bullville. But the Methodist people were not satisfiedwith this arrangement and they finally built a church for themselves,completing it in the spring of 1871 at a total cost of $8,000, ofwhich only half had been paid. But the balance was pledged at thededication ceremonies held on the night of April 24, 1871. Thisbuilding was repaired and improved some ten years later.

HISTORIC POINTS OF INTEREST.

Near the site of the old Slott grist mill on the bank of the river isan old log hut which is said to date back to the ante-Revolutionaryperiod. During that war this hut was on the Van Amburg property, andthat family was somewhat closely connected with the noted AnnekeJans, who once owned the ground now covered by the vast estates ofTrinity Church in New York City, in which her myriad heirs, scatteredall over America to-day, still claim an equitable share, and justlyso, perhaps. In this old log structure once lived a stalwart femalemember of the Van Amburg family, and the story is that during theRevolution a big reward was offered by the British officers for hercapture. "Shanks Ben," a noted Ulster County Tory, like ClaudiusSmith of Orange County, being attracted by this rich reward, plannedher capture. He concealed himself in one of the farm haystacks wherehe knew she would come to feed her cattle at a certain time. But whenhe saw the huge old-fashioned hay-fork in her hand, he concluded thatdiscretion was the better part of valor, and was in fact glad toescape with his own life, fearing she might chance to puncture hisbrave anatomy in reaching for the required hay-fodder. If thissomewhat noted woman was ever captured by the redcoats the recordsfail to disclose it.

Aside from the pursuit of farming and lumbering, this town has neverbeen able to boast of any very important industries. Nearly everycitizen was engaged in the cultivation of the soil during its earlyhistory at least. As already noted, the town was famed for itsproduction of the choicest grade of Orange County butter. In lateryears, under the changed condition of transportation facilities, themanufactured products of the dairy were almost entirely discontinuedand gave way to the natural product of milk, which was shipped to theNew York markets in large quantities.

The growth of apples, peaches and other fruits, for which the land isso well adapted, has meanwhile increased in extent and importance,and many of the Crawford orchards that were properly cultivated andcared for have become sources of large profit to their owners.

While many of the more ancient grist and saw mills of the town havenow disappeared, some have been greatly improved and modernized andnew ones have been built.

MILITARY HISTORY.

On this topic little can be said with reference to the early historyof this separate section, as the town came into existence some timeafter the close of the wars with foreign nations. All such data ishopelessly buried in the ancient annals of Wallkill and Montgomeryso far as the Crawford chronicler is concerned. There were doubtlesspatriots of this section who served in the Continental army ofWashington, and others who went out in the military company duringthe second outbreak in 1812. But the records contain no separatelists of these and this roll of honor cannot therefore be presentedhere. Philip Decker, David Rainey and Joseph Elder, the only nameswe can positively identify as being residents of what is now the townof Crawford, who served in the Revolution.

But in the War of the Rebellion the record is more complete. While,like most other towns in nearly every county in the northern States,there were misguided men in Crawford, partisans, politicians andabject followers of that class, servile men with little principle andless brains, who opposed the war on political principle, or throughignorance of the situation, without regard to the safety of theAmerican Union of States, the great majority of the citizens, here aselsewhere, were loyal Union men. And when the first secession gunbelched forth on Fort Sumter the old spirit of patriotism which hadanimated their ancestors was fired anew. The town furnished 188 menfor the Union army and navy under the various calls of PresidentLincoln and the draft. Sixty-nine men went forward at once underCaptain Samuel Hunter, who organized a company of volunteers in thetown known as Co. H, which was attached to the 124th Regiment. Thesum of $525 was raised by subscription in 1862 for bounties paid to21 volunteers who enlisted in the 168th Regiment, and $50 was raisedfor a like purpose in connection with the regiment first named. In1863 $3,000 was raised and $27,610 the following year. Then, underthe last call, $16,500 was added to these cash contributions fromthis town, making the total sum $47,685. On the final settlement withthe State after the war, $11,700 of this amount was returned to thetown for excess of years and bounties. A tax of $30,000 wasauthorized in January, 1865, but as is seen above only a portion ofthis amount was required.

The record contains a detailed list of the men furnished by the townfrom which it appears that ten enlisted in the 56th Regiment in 1861,one in the 18th, five in the 19th, and twelve in other regimentsduring the first year. Then in 1862, twenty-one went out in the124th, and thirty in the 168th. Twenty-nine enlisted in various otherorganizations in 1863 and 1864, and twenty-nine others were draftedinto the service, most of whom furnished substitutes.

As showing who were among the leading farmers in this town in theearly part of the 19th century, it will be of interest perhaps toquote a few items from an old list of agricultural premiums awardedat the county fairs held in that period. In 1820 Daniel Bull wasawarded $20, for the best farm of 100 acres in the town. He also hadthe second best fat oxen. The next year Henry Bull got $10 for thesecond best farm, and Daniel Bull $15 for the best working oxen. In1822 Henry Bull had the best three acres of winter wheat, for whichhe was awarded a prize of $10. Moses Crawford then received a likeaward for 2,051 pounds of butter from twenty cows. In 1823 MosesCrawford received a four-dollar prize for the third best piece ofdressed woolen cloth, also various other prizes for white flannel,linen, etc. William Gillespie then had a fine exhibit of sewing-silk,for which he received a prize. These items are taken at random froman old record which, strangely enough, does not contain the firstawards in many cases.

The population of Crawford, according to the national census of 1880,was 1,951, which was a decrease from that of 1870 of seventy-three.

The Pine Bush Library Association was organized November 10, 1899, ata meeting held in Wallace Hall for the purpose of considering thepracticability of establishing a public library in the village. H. J.McKinney, Mrs. Joel Whitten, J. E. Ward, Mrs. J. L. Acheson, D. T.Bowen, Miss Emma B. Shaper, S. K. Seybolt and Mrs. Nelson Van Keurenwere chosen trustees. H. J. McKinney was elected president, retainingthe office until his death, September 24, 1907. While ablydischarging the duties of the position, he was a liberal contributorto the support of the library. He supervised the construction of thebuilding it now occupies.

The library was incorporated December 21, 1899, receiving from theState University a provisional charter. December 1, 1904, a permanentcharter was granted.

Through the kindness of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union ofPine Bush the library was kept in the rooms of that organization withoutcost to the association, until the summer of 1907, when it wasremoved to its present home. This was remodeled from a buildingpresented to the Library Association by H. P. Taylor, a resident ofthe village, and is a substantial edifice with an attractiveinterior, admirably arranged for library purposes.

The library, which is free, now numbers more than 2,000 well selectedbooks. The funds for its support are derived from the membershipdues, contributions, lectures or entertainments, and the Stateappropriation.

CHAPTER XV.

TOWN OF DEER PARK.

LOCATION, AREA AND TITLE.

This town is located in the extreme western angle of Orange County.In outline the territory forms nearly a perfect triangle. It is oneof the larger towns in the county, having an area of 37,020 acres,according to the latest tax tables of the Orange supervisors, beingexceeded only in extent by the town of Warwick. It is also next tothe largest in population, having 11,562 inhabitants, according tothe State census of 1905. It is also a most important town inseveral other respects, as will be seen from the comprehensiveoutline presented in the succeeding pages.

It contains the point of land where three States intersect—New York,New Jersey and Pennsylvania. This precise point is known as the"Tri-States Rock." This solid rock is at the extreme point of thetongue of land lying at the mouth of the Neversink River and betweenthat stream and the Delaware River. A copper bolt has been sunk inthis rock to mark the spot which has been agreed upon by theauthorities of these States. By standing over this bolt one istherefore in three different States at the same time.

Whether or not the full legal import of this strategic point ofvantage has been well understood by certain classes, or made use ofin critical emergencies, is not definitely known. It is, however, oneof the show places of Port Jervis, and visitors may easily find it bya short walk through Laurel Grove Cemetery.

In 1880 the town assessors reported a total value of taxable propertyof $2,431,680, upon which a tax of $37,374.27 was levied. Theseamounts have been increased to $2,509,003, and $41,378.65respectively, the valuation of the two banks not included, $379,706,on which their tax is levied.

With the exception of the small tracts known as the Arent Schuylerpatent, the Tietsort 400 acre patent, and the Cuddeback patent, thetitle to all the land of Deer Park comes from the Minisink patent.This name was originally spelled "Minnisink." The tribal Indianoccupants were first known as the Minquas, and subsequently as theMinsis, from which the present name seems to have been evolved.

Captain Arent Schuyler visited this region in 1694, during thatturbulent period of war with the savages, in order to determine howfar the influence of the French had effected the aborigines.

The town is bounded on the north by Sullivan County, on the southeastby Mount Hope and Cornwall, {sic} and on the southwest by New Jersey,Pennsylvania, and the County of Sullivan.

NATURAL FEATURES.

The topographical features of Deer Park are peculiarly marked. Thereis the broad valley of the Neversink on the east, reaching fromnortheast to southwest. This soil is exceptionally fertile, and hereit was that the early settlers began to build their cabins and blazetheir way into the thick forests.

A short, distance from the Neversink stream the old Delaware & HudsonCanal was constructed and operated for many years, the line beingnearly parallel to the river. This great coal artery from the minesto the Hudson was, however, abandoned in 1898 after seventy years ofsuccessful operation, and the new Ellenville & Kingston Railway tookits place.

The Neversink stream has no important tributaries from the east. Onthe west the Old Dam Kill comes into the main stream at Huguenot.This drains a large portion of the central territory and gives somevaluable water power. Basha's Kill is the largest branch enteringfrom the east near Cuddebackville.

The Delaware River separates the town from Pennsylvania on thesouthwest, and the Mongaup branch of the Delaware divides the townfrom Sullivan County. Tributaries of this Mongaup stream drain thehigher central portions of the town. Still other tributaries of theDelaware flow through the Honesdale region.

The general surface of the town is a mountainous upland broken bymany small streams which often flow through rocky ravines. There aresteep declivities along the Delaware, Mount William and Point Peterbeing the most attractive features near Port Jervis. Along Basha'sKill the bottoms are known as the Mamakating valley. Those along theNeversink constitute the Suckapack valley, until the junction withBasha's Kill is reached, when it is called the Neversink valleyproper, although also known as the Peenpack. This valley extends tothe mouth of the Neversink at Carpenter's Point. If space permittedit would be interesting to trace the origin and significance of thesequaint names.

EARLY SETTLEMENT

In 1689 the old town of Schenectady in New York State was captured bythe Indians after a bloody fight. Among the residents there who fledfrom the place was one William Tietsort (now written tit*worth), whocame to the land of Esopus first, but soon afterward went to thisMinisink region and settled in these forests. After a residence thereof some years he sought the right to purchase a tract of land there.This was in 1698, and he succeeded in obtaining the land. His titleto this tract, though in dispute for a time, was finally confirmed,and it was excepted from the Minisink patent. This tract wasafterward sold to John Decker, and the location is thought to havebeen near Port Jervis. Thus the honor of being the first settlerseems to belong to this William Tietsort.

Other pioneer settlers came into the Peenpack valley and also inMamakating Hollow. Most of these old pioneers seem to have taken suchlands as suited their fancy with very little regard to who the ownermight be. Many of these came in from the famous Esopus region, andthese were mostly of that thrifty Dutch stock which made thatancient region so famous and important in the formative period of theState and national history. Nearly all settled along the streamswhere the advantages of fertile soil and level land seemed mostattractive and important.

In 1697 Arent Schuyler received his patent, which covered a largetract in the Minisink country called by the natives Sankheheneck,otherwise Mayhawaem, also another tract called "Warinsayskmeck,upon the river Mennessincks before an island called Menagnock, whichwas near the Maghaghkemek tract and contained 1,000 acres and nomore." About the same time another grant of land containing 1200acres was given to Jacob Codebeck, Thomas Swartwout, AnthonySwartwout, Bernardus Swartwout, Jan Tys, Peter Gimar and DavidJamison.

Both these patents were in the Peenpack valley, and they were soimperfectly described in the titles that it was impossible to fixtheir precise location or boundaries. They were therefore regarded as"floating" patents or tracts, and the grantees were inclined to takepossession of most any unappropriated lands in that valley and settlewhere they saw fit. This led to much difficulty in the succeedingyears, and when it became necessary to divide this Minisink patentthe commissioners found no end of trouble.

The patentees Codebeck and Gimar were French and came here after abrief sojourn in Maryland. They married into the Swartwout family,which was a sturdy, vigorous stock, well able to cope with thewarlike natives and ferocious wild animals and dense forests aspioneers.

The seven joint owners of this patent are said to have come into thisregion in 1690, although there is no authentic record of any whitepeople there until 1694. The land covered by this patent laid alongthe Neversink River and Basha's Kill. Mamakating Hollow was then thenearest settlement, some twenty-five or thirty miles north.

In those days the settlement of a new country was indeed a herculeantask with the meager facilities then existing. And this waspreeminently true of this town, which was still slumbering in adense primeval forest. Plows and all other implements were of thecrudest description. What little grain was grown by these ancientfarmers had to be cut with a knife or rude sickle, and then the grainwas separated from the straw by the tramp of horses upon thethreshing floor. It was afterward winnowed from the chaff byhand-fans made of willow rods. This was the universal practice inthis region down to 1760. The first fanning mill was brought in herejust previous to this by Peter Gumaer. The wagons were made almostentirely of wood and the harness of flax and tow. During the longwinter evenings while the men were making these things the womenwere spinning and reeling yarn. Not the yarn of the idle gossiper,as now, but the fiber and fabric of utility which went into theirclothing.

The old Esopus region was some fifty or sixty miles north and theroads were left to the vagaries of Dame Nature. But these pioneershad to cart their corn and other produce there for sale. Wheat wasthe staple crop, and Jacob Codebeck of this town was the first toattempt grinding it in a small mill. One of these millstones, abouttwo feet in diameter and three inches thick, is still in the Gumaercellar near where the old mill stood. This was afterward followed bytwo other grist mills on the "Old Dam Brook." Then came the De Wittmill in 1770, on the Neversink River near Cuddebackville, and othersin later years. These ancient mills had no devices for bolting theflour as now; thus after the grinding process, the whole had to besifted by hand in order to secure the fine flour for bread-making andother culinary uses.

One of the earliest saw mills was erected in this town soon after1760.

It should be said in this connection that there is some traditionary{_sic_} evidence of a still earlier settlement in this Minisink region whichtakes the date back even to 1650. Most of these claims, however, seembased upon certain letters written by Samuel Preston of Stockport,Penn., in 1828. In these letters he gave the recollections of JohnLukens, Surveyor General of Pennsylvania, as to this very ancientsettlement. His memory extended back to 1730. On this rather hazyauthority it is claimed that the first settlement was prior to 1664,when the region was still in the possession of the Dutch, and thatthe settlement was abandoned at the English conquest. But there areno existing documents to substantiate any such claim, and the entireweight of evidence seems to clearly disprove it.

The records show that in 1714 the only freeholders in Maghaghkemekwere Thomas Swartwout, Harmon Barentsen, Jacob Cuddeback, PeterGumaer and Jacobus Swartwout. To these were added, fourteen yearslater, the names of John Van Vliet, Jr., Samuel Swartwout andBernardus Swartwout, Jr. This would show a very small increase in 38years, assuming that the settlement began in 1690.

This town became important also because of the long dispute over theboundary line between the States of New York and New Jersey. Thevariance of this line over which the conflict arose was in thistownship. The owners of the Minisink and the 1,200 acre patents weremuch disturbed for years by the New Jersey State authorities, whoclaimed the line ran considerably farther north of the Delaware Riverthan the Deer Park people had established it. The New Jersey peopleclaimed a large portion of this 1,200 acre patent through which theyinsisted the line ran, they procured a colony title to this disputedportion of that patent. The precise location of the line being vagueand uncertain, no action at law could be maintained by either side,but a bitter struggle ensued and lasted for many years. The troubleseems to have arisen over the meaning of the phrase "the northernmostbranch of the Delaware River," which was the language used in thedescription of title. There was a big triangular gore of land indispute. This conflict lasted nearly seventy-five years, and then itwas finally settled by an equitable division of the land in question.

Among the residents on this disputed land was Major Swartwout, andthe Jersey claimants planned to oust him from the property by force.He was prepared for such an attack, but in spite of all his loadedguns it seems that about 1730 the Jerseyites routed him from thehouse and threw out all his goods. But with the assistance of friendsin Goshen the major was reinstated, and he afterward successfullyrepelled another attack made about ten years later. He was, however,captured and imprisoned, together with Johannes Westbrook, anotherresident of the battleground, some time between 1764 and 1767, by astrong force of Jersey men who surrounded his church on the Sabbath,and seized the two men at the close of the service, after a fiercestruggle.

Soon after this a new line was agreed upon and the fight ended by thepassage of a royal edict at the Court of St. James in September,1773. Commissioners of the two States afterward ran the line inaccordance with that agreement.

In 1874, one hundred years later, commissioners representing the twoStates made a resurvey with the assistance of the United StatesCoast Survey officials, which finally settled the great controversyfor all time.

In 1775, an old assessment roll of district No. 3, which was thesouthern portion of Deer Park, comprising the present territory ofPort Jervis and vicinity, contained forty-eight names of propertyholders. The largest of these was Johannes Decker, who was assessedfor 17 pounds 8 shillings and 7 pence. Next in order was AnthonyVan Etten, John Wells, Abraham Van Auken and Johannes Decker, Jr.

The De Witt family of this town were descendants of Tjerck ClaussonDe Witt, who came from Holland and settled in Wiltwyck, now Kingston,at a very early date. It was a very prominent family here and many ofits members achieved distinction.

Among other prominent settlers in this region were Peter Gumaer, JanTyse, Bernardus Swartwout, Jacob Cuddeback, Anthony Swartwout, DavidJameson, and Hermanns Van Inwegen.

The very earliest physician in this region was Doctor Chattle, and hesettled near Carpenter's Point and practiced there until his death,many years later. He came in at the opening of the nineteenthcentury.

CIVIL ORGANIZATION.

Just when the civil organization of Deer Park was formed is notdefinitely known. The Legislative act of October 18, 1701, providedthat the "people of Maghachemeck, the Great and Little Minisink,should vote in the County of Ulster." This would imply that they wereoutside of that county. This territory covered what is since known asCuddebackville and vicinity. Eight years later the boundary betweenthe counties was more definitely fixed by the Legislature. Soon afterthis the territory went under the name of Maghachemeck, remainingunder this jaw-breaking title until 1743, when the precinct ofMamakating was erected, which was at least a slight improvement uponthe old name.

This continued until 1798 when the town of Deer Park was organized.The first Mamakating precinct meeting was held at the house of SamuelSwartwout. This territory then included "all the land to thesouthward of the town of Rochester as far as the County of Ulsterextends, and to the westward to the precincts of Wallkill andShawangunk."

While the name Minisink was applied to the territory above named, ithas been contended by some writers that there was in addition aprecinct of Minisink, and there are documents which seem, toestablish this fact even as early as 1739. But this precinct seemsto have been erected along the Delaware River below what afterwardbecame Carpenter's Point.

The territory now in Deer Park south of the old county linecomprising Port Jervis and vicinity was a part of the town ofMinisink from 1789 to 1825.

The first supervisor of the Mamakating precinct elected in April,1774, was Benjamin Dupuy. The first supervisor of Deer Park electedin April, 1798, was James Finch, and he remained in that office bysuccessive elections until 1810, when Peter E. Gumaer succeeded him.But Mr. Finch was again selected to serve the town in that capacityon three different occasions.

The earliest assessment roll of the town now preserved in the townclerk's office, which was the first roll of Deer Park after thedivision of the territory, is that of 1825. This shows a totalvaluation of $114,820, and there were fifteen persons on the listfor over $2,000, the highest being Peter E. Gumaer at $6,230.

CENTERS.

With the exception of Port Jervis the centers of population in thetown are small and unimportant. Among them may be mentionedWestbrookville on the line of the old canal, northeast ofCuddebackville; Port Orange, a short distance south on the canalline; Cuddebackville, in the northeastern part of the town, named inhonor of the pioneer settler, Jacob Cuddeback; Rose Point, a stationon the Monticello Railway; Port Clinton, still further down thevalley; Gumaers, also on the old canal line, and Huguenot, betweenthis and Port Jervis. Near this point are valuable mineral springs,discovered in 1860. In 1880 a pipe line for the transmission ofpetroleum oil to tide water was constructed through this section,with stationary engines and a power plant for forcing this oil tomarket.

Carpenter's Point is a very old locality, named for an early settler,who established a ferry across the Delaware River there at a veryearly period. It is near Port Jervis on the south and the famous"Tri-States rock" is located here at the extreme point. This rockmarks the junction of the States of New York, New Jersey andPennsylvania. There are several stores, an old grist mill, and manydwellings. A bridge here spans the Neversink River which was built in1868.

Sparrowbush is another hamlet and post-office on the old canal line.Bushkill is in the western part of the town, and Quarryhill is alocal mining district still farther west. Shin Hollow is aneighborhood on the slope of the Shawangunk Mountain where the ErieRailway crosses the town line into Mount Hope. Paradise is a smallhamlet on the Sullivan border northeast of Cuddebackville, andHonesville and Bolton are other small hamlets born of the canalenterprise.

CEMETERIES.

The Gumaer graveyard is believed to be the oldest burial place in thetown. Some of the old stones have inscriptions which show thatburials were made there very early in the eighteenth century.

The old Maghachemeck graveyard is in the southern section of thetown at Port Jervis. Previous to 1907 this ground was much neglected,and its condition was anything but creditable to the citizens of thatgrowing village. Interments were made there long prior to theRevolution.

The Laurel Grove cemetery is situated in the extreme southeasternpart of Port Jervis. This was established in 1856 by John Conklin,who owned the site, and it is the modern cemetery now in use. Itcontains many fine monuments and the lots and drives are well kept.The name Laurel Grove was most appropriately bestowed because of thethick natural growth of the American laurel on the ground. In 1857the Weeping Willow cemetery was begun in Port Jervis. This is St.John's burial ground next the Reformed church. Among other cemeteriesare that of the Reformed church, started in 1833, the Catholiccemetery, also in Port Jervis, and the Rural Valley cemetery inCuddebackville, opened in 1867. In the early eighties the WeepingWillow cemetery was purchased by the village of Port Jervis andconverted into a site for a school building, the bodies being removedto other cemeteries.

MILITARY HISTORY.

At the beginning of the French war of 1775 there were only aboutthirty families within the present limits of Deer Park township. Itwas then divided into upper and lower neighborhoods. In the upper ornorthern part, near the old county line, three small forts werebuilt; one on the Neversink, another at the house of Peter Gumaer,and the third near the home of Peter Swartwout. There were also threeforts in the lower neighborhood on the south.

It is believed, however, that most of the Indian occupants of thisregion had left before the opening of this French war. But theyreturned in force when the Revolution began and attacked some of theearly settlers in 1777. These attacks soon became more frequent andalarming, and the Committee of Safety was obliged to resort to veryvigilant methods in repelling the ferocious savages. Three otherforts were built in the Peenpack section, and these were manned bysoldiers known as the nine-months' men. Many of the women andchildren were sent out of the town to more safe quarters. About thistime there were some fifty families in the town and they moved intothe forts for protection. But the settlement was attacked by a forceof Indians and Tories about that time and afterward, and many werekilled in the conflicts. Many of the houses and barns were burned andmuch of the crops were destroyed during these Indian raids.

Many stirring incidents of those days are recorded, but much of thisrecord is merely traditional and lacks authentic documentary evidencein its support.

At the close of the war the people were practically in a destitutecondition, and it took them a long time, with the very meagerfacilities at hand, to reinstate themselves. Even the Continentalpaper currency had greatly depreciated in value, and it was necessaryto build mills to make material for rebuilding their homes and barns.

At the opening of the Revolution Major John Decker was one of themost prominent citizens in the Minisink valley, and it is said thatone of the objects of these Indian raids was to secure the scalp ofMajor Decker. They succeeded in burning his house to the ground anddestroyed all his property during his absence from home at night,driving out his family to sleep on the banks of the Neversink River,but they didn't get the Major's scalp, though he was wounded whileriding his horse homeward, and barely escaped with his life by hidingin a cave.

The Brandt raid of what was known as the lower neighborhood occurredin July, 1779. News of the atrocities perpetrated by the Mohawk chiefand his savage followers was conveyed to Goshen, where a pursuingforce of militia was organized by Colonels Tusten and Hathorn. Theyovertook Brandt at the ford of the Delaware at Lackawaxen, Pa., andin the sanguinary struggle which took place on the heights aboveLackawaxen on the New York side of the river, the Indians werecompletely victorious. The force under Hathorn and Tusten was almostannihilated, but few escaping to tell the tale of the disaster. Ofthese men were Captain Abraham Cuddeback of Deer Park, and DanielMeyers of Minisink, who is said to have killed more Indians than anyother man during the engagement.

The town took its full patriotic share in the struggle to save theUnion of States. Dr. John Conklin presided at the first meeting ofcitizens, April 18, 1861, and prompt measures were adopted. Nearly$1,000 was raised, and there were many donations for the soldiers andtheir families. The Ladies' Aid Society was formed with Mrs. H. H.Farnum as president, in September, 1862, and this association ofpatriotic women forwarded supplies to the front amounting to $843.63.Under the call of President Lincoln for 500,000 men in 1864 a tax of$48,600 was raised by the town to pay bounties for soldiers of $300each. An additional tax of $155,300 was afterwards raised for a likepurpose.

The Deer Park roll of honor in that war numbers 428. Of these someforty-five lost their lives in the service of their country.

In the Spanish-American war of 1898 eighty-two volunteers forservice in Cuba were recruited in Port Jervis by Captain Benham andothers under the auspices of Lafayette Post, G. A. R., of the city ofNew York. Of these, forty-four were attached to Company I of theSecond U. S. Infantry; thirty-five to the 42d U. S. Infantry, and theremainder entered the Artillery and Cavalry arms of the service. Therecruits for this war came mainly from Port Jervis, but a few camefrom surrounding districts.

BONDED DEBT.

Under the act of May 4, 1868, the town of Deer Park was bonded forthe sum of $200,000 to aid in the construction of the Monticello andPort Jervis Railroad. These bonds drew 7% and ran thirty years totheir maturity. In 1898 they were refunded at 4% and provision madefor the gradual payment of the principal. There is now (1908)outstanding in these bonds $161,000.

THE MONTICELLO R. R.

The Monticello and Port Jervis Railroad Company was incorporatedSept. 3, 1868. It ran between Port Jervis and Monticello and openedfor traffic January 3, 1871. It was sold in foreclosure July 8, 1875,and subsequently reorganized as the Port Jervis and MonticelloRailroad Co. Its history has been a checkered one. It is now operatedby the Ontario & Western Railroad as a part of its system.

THE CITY OF PORT JERVIS.

Port Jervis had its beginning in 1826 when the building of theD. & H. Canal became a certainty. It was named in honor of John B.Jervis, of Rome, N.Y.. a distinguished civil engineer, whosuperintended the construction of the canal. As late as 1846 awriter thus describes Port Jervis:

"It is a small village on the canal where it first approaches theDelaware. It is just above Carpenter's Point (Tri-States) and thejunction of the Neversink and Delaware Rivers. It owes its populationand its importance to its position about midway between Honesdale,Pa., and Kingston, N.Y., the two terminals of the D. & H. Canal.There are five stores in the village; three taverns in spaciousbuildings; one three-story grist mill, built by Dr. Ball, ofBrooklyn, N.Y., being a stone building with five run of stone in it;three churches, a Dutch Reformed, Baptist, and Methodist, and onelarge school house. Coal and lumber are sold in considerablequantities. A mail route from Kingston, N.Y., to Milford, Pa., andthence to Philadelphia, passes through the village."

At this time the population of the village was small, and Port Jerviswas equaled if not exceeded in importance by the neighboring hamletof Carpenter's Point, where the post-office was located and courtswere held.

The completion of the Erie Railroad to Port Jervis, January 1, 1848,gave a wonderful impetus to its growth. The directors of the companycelebrated the event by an official trip over the road from Piermonton the Hudson River, its eastern terminus, to Port Jervis, where theentire population of the surrounding country were gathered tocelebrate their arrival. Cannon boomed and flags and bunting floatedfrom every house top. A banquet was served at the hotel of SamuelTruex on the southwestern corner of Pike and Main streets, duringwhich the president of the road, Benjamin Loder, made an addresscongratulating all concerned in the successful completion of thegreat enterprise as far as Port Jervis. The subsequent growth of theplace was rapid. Its position as the headquarters of the Delawaredivision of the road and the terminus of its eastern division and thelocation here of extensive machine and car shops gave it a largerailroad population, which has been and still is the principalcontributing element to its prosperity.

In 1853 the village was incorporated and the first charter electionwas held in August following. The total village expenses for thefirst year was $1,350. Samuel Fowler was the first president.

Port Jervis became a city by an act of the Legislature of the date ofJune 26, 1907, and at the first election under the city charter, heldin the ensuing November, the following city officials were elected:Mayor, Dr. H. B. Swartwout; aldermen, Joseph Johnson (at large),F. N. Mason, Andrew Hensel, A. F. Brown. P. C. Rutan, C. F. VanInwegen, Thomas Mulhearn, James Howell and James I. Delaney. Thefirst five named are republicans, the others democrats. The followingappointments were made by the Common Council: City clerk, A. P.Altemeier; city engineer, Irving Righter; commissioner of charters,John M. Snook; superintendent of streets and sewers, TheodoreLudlum; chief of police, William Wilkin. Supervisors from the fourwards were elected as follows: First Ward, S. S. Garriss, dem.;Second Ward, Henry Farnum, rep.; Third Ward, J. J. Toth, rep.;Fourth Ward, J. P. Gillen, dem.

The population of Port Jervis in 1907, according to the census of theState excise department, taken in that year for the purpose offurnishing a basis upon which to adjust license rates, was 10,035.But as the census was not intended to be exhaustive and practicallystopped when the 10,000 limit was reached, leaving certain sectionsuncounted, it is fair to presume that the actual population wasconsiderably in excess of the figure named.

The assessed valuation of the city of Port Jervis for the year 1907was $2,000,000; for the town of Deer Park about $500,000.

The city has eighty-two industrial establishments including the carand machine shops of the Erie Railroad, employing over 1,000operatives. The principal manufactured commodities are saws,glassware, silk, gloves and mittens, shirt and ladies' collars. Theseindustries give employment to many skilled operatives who receivegood wages. The city has three hardware stores and two ironfoundries.

Among the important industries of Port Jervis is the Deer ParkBrewery Co., located on Reservoir avenue. The company was organizedin 1902 with George F. Ott, of Philadelphia, as president. The plantof the insolvent Deer Park Brewery Co. was purchased and greatlyimproved and enlarged.

STREET RAILROAD.

The Port Jervis Electric Street Railway Company was organized in1895 with Hon. W. C. Richardson, of Goshen, as the first president.The work of construction began November 15, 1897, and the road wentinto operation January 15, 1898. The road is now known as the PortJervis Electric Railroad Co. It has about 4 1/3 miles of track andruns three cars.

BANKS.

The oldest of the two banking establishments of this place, theNational Bank of Port Jervis, was organized under the State law asthe Bank of Port Jervis, in March, 1853. Business was opened in theDelaware House. The original capital was $120,000, afterwardsincreased to $130,000. Its first president was Thomas King, whoserved until his death in 1857, when he was succeeded by H. H.Farnum, who served until his death in 1879. The late Charles St.John succeeded him and the late Francis Marvin became president in1892 on the death of Mr. St. John. The present incumbent of theoffice is W. L. Cuddeback.

The heavy defalcation of the assistant cashier led to areorganization of the institution in 1899 with Dr. W. L. Cuddebackas president. The last annual report, December 5, 1907, showeddeposits amounting to $550,738.04. The present dividend rate is 7-1/2per cent, per annum.

The First National Bank was organized in 1870 with a capital of$100,000. Jacob Hornbeck was the first president. The late MartinC. Everett succeeded him. The present head of this prosperousinstitution is Chas. F. Van Inwegen. Its last report, on December 3,1907, showed total deposits of $1,001,621.46. The stock pays 16 percent. dividends to stockholders.

The Port Jervis Savings Bank, organized under the State law, beganbusiness in March, 1870, with Eli Van Inwegen as president. Itdiscontinued business in the later seventies.

THE POST-OFFICE.

The post-office was removed from Carpenter's Point to Port Jervis in1829, and John Slauson was the postmaster. He was succeeded by Dr.John Conklin in 1833, followed by Dr. Charles Hardenburgh in 1845,who was soon displaced by Thomas J. Lyon. Then came Dr. Conklin againin 1849, Francis Marvin in 1851, Thomas J. Lyon again in 1853, JamesVan Fleet in 1855, George Brodhead in 1857, Augustus E. Goodale in1861, Charles St. John, Jr., in 1879, Benjamin Ryall in 1885,Stephen St. John in 1889; George A. Elston in 1893; S. D. Boyce in1897. Mr. Boyce still (in 1908) continues in office.

THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

The Port Jervis fire department was long regarded among the best inthe State outside the large cities, and few destructive fires wereever allowed to gain much headway. The introduction of thewater-works system gave ample hydrant pressure to cope with anyconflagration, and the old hand engines were long since abandoned.There are seven different fire companies with a force of considerablyover 200 effective fire fighters. The equipment included a steamerand hook and ladder apparatus. P. C. Rutan is chief engineer of thedepartment.

PORT JERVIS FREE LIBRARY.

In 1892 was organized the Port Jervis Free Library, with W. L.Cuddeback, W. H. Nearpass, Maria B. Van Etten, Minnie C. Broxand E. H. Gordon, trustees. This board has continued in charge of thelibrary until the present time except that, in 1896, Mrs. Broxresigned and was succeeded by Mrs. M. I. Coonrod. In 1901 a gift of$20,000 was received from Mr. Carnegie for the construction of alibrary building, which was subsequently increased to $30,000, andwith this fund a large, handsome, commodious building was constructedon Pike street hill on a site given by Peter E. Farnum. The buildingis constructed of light colored pressed brick with native blue stonetrimmings. It will house 40,000 volumes. The number at present onthe shelves is 15,000; added during the year 1907 by purchase, 1,062;the number lent for home use during the current year, 33,706. It isrich in encyclopedias and valuable works of reference, including theCongressional Record and Globe, and reports of the departments of theFederal and State governments. The valuable collection of books anddocuments of the Minisink Valley Historical Society is also housed inthis building, a separate room on the second floor having been setapart for the accommodation thereof. This building contains twospacious, well equipped reading rooms, in which may be found all theleading reviews, magazines, and weekly periodicals, with completefiles of many of them handsomely bound and ranged about the walls forconvenient reference.

The present librarian is Miss Elizabeth G. Thorne; assistants, MissCharlotte Nearpass and Miss Anna G. Wells.

SEWERS.

Port Jervis has an excellent system of public sewers, established in1891 at a cost of about $85,000, for which the bonds of the villagewere issued. The original sewer commissioners were Francis Marvin,L. E. Carr, George Schoonover, W. A. Drake, M. D. Graham, with Ed.Whitner, clerk. Its establishment has resulted in a lowering of thedeath rate and a notable diminution in zymotic diseases within thecity limits.

CHURCHES.

Port Jervis has eight churches, which in the order of theirestablishment are as follows: The Reformed Church of Deer Park,founded August 23, 1737, under the name of the Reformed DutchChurch of Machackemech; Drew Methodist Episcopal Church and theBaptist Church, both founded in 1838; First Presbyterian,incorporated July 15, 1851; Grace Episcopal Church, incorporatedSeptember 3, 1853; the Church of the Immaculate Conception,incorporated January 10, 1860; German Lutheran Protestant, PortJervis, incorporated January 1, 1861; the Second Reformed Church,whose house of worship on West Main street (in Germantown), wasdedicated November 29, 1896, with Rev. David T. Harris as pastor;the Church of Sacred Heart (in Germantown), whose handsome churchedifice of brick was dedicated in November, 1899, with Rev. B. J.Duffy, ordained in Rome, as first pastor.

The colored people also have a church organization known as theWickham A. U. M. P. Church, in honor of the late Dr. D. T. Wickham,the principal contributor to their church building.

ST. MARY'S HOME.

A religious, educational and charitable institution of great meritand usefulness is St. Mary's Home, founded in 1871 by the late Rev.Father Nelan, its object being to provide a home for orphan childrenand to train and instruct them for a useful place in society. Forover twenty years this institution has been in charge of SisterTheophelia, a woman whose motherly instincts and markedadministrative abilities peculiarly fit her for this highlyimportant work.

MINISINK VALLEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

An event of great importance to the residents of this town was theorganization of the Minisink Valley Historical Society in 1888. Amongthe active promoters of this undertaking were Rev. Dr. S. W.Mills, Francis Marvin, Dr. John Conkling, O. P. Howell, Dr. Sol VanEtten, C. E. and W. L. Cuddeback, W. H. Nearpass and C. F. VanInwegen. Its collection of relics and manuscripts is large and ofgreat value to the genealogist and historian. Its library numbersmore than 1,500 volumes of books and pamphlets. Its manuscriptsexceed 1,000 in number. With the facilities offered by its new homein the Carnegie Library building and protection and safety providedby its fireproof vaults, it will in time become the repository ofall valuable documents and manuscripts in this vicinity.

OLD BURYING GROUND RESTORED.

During the summer of 1907 a notable work was accomplished by theMachackemech Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, ofwhich Mrs. Charles F. Van Inwegen is the president, in clearing andbeautifying the grounds of the old historic Machackcmech cemetery onEast Main street next to the Catholic cemetery. Through long neglectthe cemetery had fallen into a condition of utter decay and ruin. Theground was covered with a dense growth of weeds, briars andunderbrush, and the memorial stones, some of them dating back to aperiod anterior to the Revolution, were for the most part so weatherbeaten and moss-grown that their inscription was difficult todecipher, in some cases were totally illegible. All this has beenchanged, and now this hallowed ground "Where the rude forefathers ofthe hamlet sleep" has been restored to order and beauty and no longeroffends by its wild and neglected appearance.

SOLDIERS MONUMENT.

A conspicuous ornament to the public square of the city (OrangeSquare) is the soldiers' monument, erected in 1886 through theliberality and public spirit of Diana Farnum, widow of H. H. Farnum,whose gift of $10,000 defrayed the cost thereof. It commemorates thevalor and patriotism of the soldiers from Deer Park who took part inthe great struggle for the preservation of the Union in 1861-5. Itwas unveiled to the public on July 4, 1886, in the presence of avast multitude of spectators. L. F. Carr, Esq., of Port Jervis, andGeneral Stewart L. Woodford, of Brooklyn, N.Y. were the orators ofthe occasion. The ceremonies were in charge of Carroll Post,G. A. R., of Port Jervis.

FLOODS IN PORT JERVIS.

The situation of Port Jervis near the confluence of the Delaware andNeversink Rivers exposes its low-lying parts to occasional overflowsof these streams in times of heavy rainfall and more especiallyduring the break-up of ice at the end of the winter season.

The channel of the Delaware at this place is shallow and obstructedby rapids and islands against which descending masses of ice becomelodged, damming back the water and producing what is known as anice-gorge. Such an event occurred in the latter part of February,1875, when the channel of the river for several miles in extent wasfilled with a gigantic accumulation of broken ice. For several weeksthe village was threatened with inundation and various unsuccessfulexpedients were resorted to to start the ice moving. The excitementculminated on March 17, when the "gorge" gave way, carrying with itthe iron railroad bridge across the Delaware above Sparrowbush, whichin descending the stream on top of the moving ice, struck and sweptaway the Barrett suspension bridge at Port Jervis. For a short timejust before the break-up of the "gorge" the lower part of the villageas far as the Erie tracks was flooded with water.

On October 10, 1903, a ten-inch rainfall in forty hours caused bothrivers to overflow their banks, submerging the low-lying parts of thetown. Barrett bridge across the Delaware was again carried away, andfive persons who were on it at the time lost their lives.

On March 8, 1904, a flood caused by an ice gorge destroyed the ironrailroad bridge across the Delaware at this place and the suspensionbridge across the Neversink. The lower section, of the village wassubmerged to a depth of three feet and the portion across the Erietracks to a depth of from seven to ten feet.

This succession of disasters emphasized the necessity for protectivemeasures of some kind, and the matter was taken in hand by thevillage Board of Trade, as a result of whose deliberations a billwas presented and passed at the ensuing session of the Legislature,appropriating the sum of $35,000 for diking the Delaware at PortJervis. This money was used to excellent purpose and a substantialdike was built under the direction of the State engineer, extendingfrom the upper part of Germantown to Barrett bridge. To afford theneeded protection, however, this work should be extended down theriver bank to Laurel Grove cemetery. Bills for the necessaryappropriation have been introduced at the successive sessions of theLegislature, but for various reasons have failed to pass. A morefortunate issue is expected from the one introduced by SenatorTaylor at the present session. Another State appropriation of$10,000 was spent in strengthening and clearing the channel of theClove Brook at Tri-States and a pumping station has been establishedat the foot of Wagner Place, by means of which accumulated surfacewater is drained off in times of flood. An effort is also being madethrough Representative Thos. W. Bradley to secure the aid of theFederal government in clearing and deepening the channel of theDelaware and removing obstructions from Storm Island, about a milebelow the city.

CANAL ABANDONED.

The canal of the Delaware & Hudson Company was abandoned in 1878.Samuel D. Coykendall, of Kingston, purchased the right of way, andsold it to the Pennsylvania Coal Company, by whom a coal carryingroad from the anthracite field to tide water along the old canalroute was projected. The enterprise was defeated by the purchase bythe Erie Railroad Company of the stock of the Pennsylvania CoalCompany, which carried with it ownership and control of the oldright of way and blocked threatened competition in the carriage ofcoal to tide water.

ERIE CHANGES.

In the spring of 1890 the Erie removed its passenger station fromthe foot of Pike street to the Brown building in Jersey avenue,near its junction with Fowler street. This building was remodeled andenlarged and made over into one of the finest depots along the lineof the Erie road. It was destroyed by fire on Christmas night of thesame year and the present handsome structure erected on its site.

On Easter Sunday, 1905, the company transferred the headquarters ofthe principal Delaware division official from Port Jervis toSusquehanna. This involved the removal of thirty officials andassistants, including the superintendent, train master, divisionengineer, division plumber, and division carpenter.

GOOD ROADS.

This section will benefit by the good roads movement lately adoptedby the State, and Port Jervis may naturally expect considerableincrease of trade and perhaps of population from the three Stateroads now in process of construction which converge in this city. Oneof these begins in Middletown, passes through Wawayanda andGreenville and comes out upon the road leading from Tappentown toTri-States. Another starts from Middletown and passes throughOtisville and Cuddebackville, taking at the last named place the oldroad pronounced by the State inspector to be one of the finest in theState. A third leads from the Sullivan County line at Rio on the westto Port Jervis.

CITY IMPROVEMENTS.

The year just passed has witnessed the organization of a CityImprovement Association composed of ladies, the object of which issufficiently indicated by its name. It has an active corps ofofficers and members animated by a praiseworthy spirit of civicpride. Mrs. Maria B. Van Etten is the president.

PLACES OF SPECIAL NOTE.

Tri-States Rock, situated at the confluence of the Delaware andNeversink Rivers, at which the boundary lines of three States—NewYork, Pennsylvania and New Jersey—intersect, is one of the showplaces of the town. The rock is at the extreme point of the narrowtongue of land lying between the two rivers and at the mouth of theNeversink. The geological formation is rocky and will stand the wearof the floods for centuries to come as it has for centuries past. Asmall monument now marks the spot.

The site of the old Dutch church on the Van Inwegen land directlyopposite the old Machackemech cemetery on Main street is suggestiveof historic memories. Here assembled for worship in the old log"meeting house" of 1743 the pioneer families of this section. Thehouse was burned by Brandt and his savages in the historic raid ofJuly, 1779.

The Van Etten schoolhouse, from which the teacher, Jeremiah VanAuken, was taken out and cruelly murdered in the same raid, waslocated on the old Levi Van Etten farm, afterwards owned by MarkVan Etten, on the east side of the Neversink River about one-fourthof a mile north of Black Rock cut on the Erie.

The forts mentioned in the early annals gather about themselves mostof the traditions of Indian attack. In the upper neighborhood therewas one at the house of Jacob Rutsen De Witt. This was nearCuddebackville, on the west side of the Neversink. Another fort wasat the Gumaer place, now the Godeffroy estate. The old stonebuilding is still standing and in excellent preservation.

In the accounts of incidents occurring during the old French War, itis stated that on one occasion the Indians lay in ambush "to take thelower fort at Mr. Westfall's." This was probably the old stone houseat Germantown. A local writer says: "The present structure, rebuiltin 1793, occupied the site of a fort or blockhouse built anterior tothe Revolution and occupied as a dwelling and trading post by afamily of the name of Haynes, who carried on a thriving trade withthe Indians for many years." Captain Westfall, who married one of Mr.Haynes's daughters, lived in the house during the Brandt invasion of1779. He was away on a scouting expedition at the time, and a trustyNegro buried the valuables and assisted the escape of the captain'swife to the high hills of the Jersey shore near Carpenter's point.

It is said that Brandt's expedition first attacked "the fort atMajor Decker's." This was on the old George Cuddeback place on theeast side of the Neversink River, about three miles from Port Jervis.Another fort was near the residence of the late James D. Swartwout.Still another is mentioned by Peter E. Gumaer "at the house of PeterCoykendall, in the present village of Port Jervis."

CHAPTER XVI.

TOWN OF GOSHEN.

By George F. Gregg.

Northwest, sixty miles by rail from New York City, sixteen miles inan air line west from the Hudson River, lies Goshen, the county seatof Orange County, located in the geographical center of that civicsub-division. The town derives its name from the Goshen of Biblicalmemory. Almost two centuries ago the first of the settlers came. Thenative beauty of the place appealed to the calm and dauntless spiritsof these men, who had plunged boldly into a benighted and unknowncountry. They stood upon the wooded hills and looked with glad eyesupon the fertile, fruitful valley. All around about them lay the landof their desire, and they called it Goshen, the "promised land" ofthe Scriptures.

The town, which was first known by this name in 1714, was originallymuch larger than at present. Its boundaries were defined by law in1788. A part of Hamptonburgh was taken from it in 1830, and a part ofChester in 1845. Other changes of boundaries were made at differenttimes, as recited elsewhere in this article. It has a populationto-day in town and village slightly in excess of 5,000.

The section is known for the great fertility of its soil. It is inthe heart of a noted dairying country, and as long ago asRevolutionary days Goshen butter was widely famed. Butter making haspractically ceased now, but the milk production is large. The townis also noted for the onions and celery raised on its black dirtmeadows, as well as for the grass crops grown on its fertile farms.

The village is located on the main line of the Erie Railroad, and hasdirect connection with New England cities by way of the N.Y.,N. H. & H. R. R. It is also the terminus of the Montgomery & Erie,the Goshen & Deckertown, and the Lehigh & New England Railroads.It is handsomely laid out with broad, well-kept and well-shadedstreets of smooth macadam. It has three public school buildings, andGarr Institute, a parochial school, conducted under the direction ofSt. John's Church. It has six churches: The First Presbyterian,organized in 1720; St. James's Episcopal, dating back to 1796;St. John the Evangelist, Roman Catholic, founded in 1820; theMethodist Episcopal, organized in 1847; the A. U. M. P. Church, andOlivet Chapel, a Presbyterian colored mission. It has two nationalbanks and a savings bank, two newspapers, gas and electric lightingcompanies, a waterworks system, and first-class hotels and clubs. Itsfire department is made up of three volunteer companies, CataractEngine and Hose, organized in 1843; Dikeman Hose, organized in 1872,and Minisink Hook and Ladder, organized in 1906, upon the disbandingof Elliott H. and L., which was organized in 1871. Leading to thevillage from almost every direction are improved roads, maintainedunder State supervision.

No mention of the town, past or present, would be complete, withoutreference to the trotting-horse industry. It began in 1803, whenImp. Messenger, acknowledged head of the trotting family, stood atGoshen Down through all the years trotting horses were bred andraised there, and even in this day and generation the horseinterests are chief among the interests of the town. In the center ofthe village is located the finest half-mile track in the country andmany famous horses are trained there.

Every foot of its ground is historic. In the far-gone years red menroamed its landscape and predatory beasts lurked in the shadows ofits primeval timber lands. It was one of the early settlements madeon that vast tract to which Governor Nicolls referred when he wrotein 1664: "The lands which I intend shall be first planted are thoseupon the west bank of Hudson's River." Shortly after the firstsettlement a bounty was placed on wolves and the Governor recommendedits payment to the House of Lords. Chapter 302 of the laws of 1715,was an act for the destroying of wolves in this section. This actexpired July 21, 1717, and on October 29, 1742, the General Assemblyfound it necessary to pass a law placing a bounty of a shilling andsixpence on "wolves, whelps and panthers."

Noah Webster, of dictionary renown, taught the first academy inGoshen. Dewitt Clinton attended school there, and William H. Sewardstudied law in the office of Judge Duer. The first newspaper of thecounty, The Goshen Repository, was published at Goshen in 1788, byDavid Mandeville.

In the article which follows, the writer has endeavored to furnish aconcise history in limited space. As nearly as possible, events areset down in chronological order. Much of interest concerning the townthat is based only upon tradition is left out and the space devotedto historical facts that can be authenticated and verified byrecords, maps, parchments and the writings of earlier and wiser men.

The County of Orange dates its existence by legal enactment fromOctober 1, 1691, in the third year of the reign of King William andQueen Mary, and in the administration of Henry Sloughter, Esq.,Governor. The First Assembly convened the 9th of April that year. OnOctober 1 it passed an act, Chapter 17, entitled "An Act to dividethe province and dependencies into shires and counties." Section VIIof this act provided: "The County of Orange to begin from the limitsor bounds of East and West Jersey, on the west side of Hudson'sRiver, along the said river to the Murderer's Creek, or bounds of theCounty of Ulster; and westward into the woods as far as the DelawareRiver."

Chapter 94, which became a law October 18, 1701, added to the landsembraced in the county those of "Magachemeck and Great and LittleMinisinck."

On November 12, 1709, during the administration of RichardIngoldsby, Esq., Lieutenant-Governor, the Eighth Assembly passed anact, Chapter, 202, "to determine, settle and ascertain the bounds andlimits of the County of Orange." This act repealed the clause addedby Chapter 94, and fixed the bounds as follows: "That the County ofOrange shall extend from the limits and confines of the Province ofNew Jersey on the west side of Hudson's River, along the said riverto the line of the County of Ulster, and westward so far as theDelaware River."

The county derives its name from the Prince of Orange, who marriedMary, and came to the throne in 1689, under the name of King William.

Goshen is a part of the tract known as the Wawayanda Patent, acquiredof the red men by John Bridges & Company, on March 5, 1703, andconfirmed by royal decree of Queen Anne. Twelve Indian sachemsconveyed the land. They were Rapingonick, Wawastawa, Moghopuck,Comelawaw, Nanawitt, Arawinack, Rombout, Claus, Chouckhass,Chingapaw, Oshasquememus and Quilapaw. The patent was granted April29. There were twelve patentees, namely, John Bridges, LL.D.,Hendrick Tenyck, Derrick Vanderburgh, John Chotwell, ChristopherDenn, Lancaster Syms, Daniel Herran, Philip Rockeby, John Meredith,Benjamin Aske, Peter Matthews, and Christian Christianse. The grantwas supposed to contain 60,000 acres, but surveys later showed thatit contained nearly 160,000. These twelve patentees held the land incommon until 1706, when it was divided into twelve parts. Only eightof the original shareholders retained their interests at that time,Bridges having died in 1704, and others having transferred theirholdings.

The tract was unoccupied until 1712, when Christopher Denn madesettlement upon it, to be followed shortly by Benjamin Aske; DanielCromline, who became a shareholder in 1704; Christian Snedeker, ofLong Island; Samuel Staats, who came into record as a thirteenthshareholder in 1713; and John Everett and Samuel Clowes, who in 1714,acquired a tract equal to four of the thirteen shares. The townshipof Goshen came that year, and the precinct of Goshen, comprising theoutlying settlements came later, and remained until 1788 when thetownship was expanded to take its place.

In 1712, Christopher Denn, a carpenter by trade and resident of NewYork City, paid a visit to the patent and determined to make asettlement upon it. He and his wife, Elizabeth, were childless, buthad adopted an orphan girl, Sarah Wells.

Denn selected a spot along the Otterkill, as it is now known, abouttwo miles or more from the present village. He returned to New York,equipped an expedition, which he sent up the Hudson River in chargeof his adopted daughter, accompanied by two white men and someIndians whom he had taken to New York when returning from his firstvisit. A raft was used for the voyage and a landing safely made nearCornwall. The journey to the spot selected by Denn was through atrackless forest, but was made without mishap and a rough cabin wasbuilt. After the starting of the expedition Denn was remorsefulbecause he sent the girl into unknown dangers, and within a shorttime he started for the new settlement, with his wife. The journeywas made on horseback. They arrived safely and took up permanentresidence there.

It appears from an old map that Denn's share of the patent was atriangular tract, containing about 2,000 acres. The presence of thisfamily soon brought other settlers and the woodman's axe resoundedfar and near. The merciless push of immigration began and the nativered men were driven further into the wilderness. In the course of afew years Sarah Wells became the wife of William Bull, ofWolverhampton, England, who came to this country and was employed byDaniel Cromline in 1716 to build the masonry of a dwelling, laterknown to fame for nearly a century as the Greycourt House. Historyrecords this as the first marriage within the limits of the town ofGoshen.

The lands in the vicinity of the present village were settled tosome extent soon after Denn's arrival. There were on record deedsshowing the conveyance of lots in the village in 1714. On July 10,1721, a deed in trust was made to John Yelverton by John Everett,John Carpenter, John Gale, William Ludlum, Nathaniel Higby, JohnCarpenter, Jr., G. McNish, James Sandys, Thomas Watson, Hope Rodes,John Holly, James Jackson, Isaac Finch, Solomon Carpenter, JohnBeers, Michael Dunning, Samuel Seely, John Nichols, William Jackson,Alexander Moore, John Knapp, Samuel Webb, John Alsop and RichardHalsted, setting forth that a conveyance had been "lately" made toJohn Everett and Samuel Clowes, giving them one-sixth part of all thelands for the purpose of laying out a township, establishing a churchand settling a minister.

The Goshen Presbyterian Church was organized in 1720, and Rev. JohnBradner, to whom more extended reference is made later in thisarticle, became its pastor in 1721. Two hundred acres of land weredeeded to him on April 17, 1722, and recorded at the request of hiswidow on April 8, 1742. In 1724 the erection of a house of worshipwas begun on the spot where now stands the court house. The firstcourt was convened in Goshen in 1727, and on December 16, of thatyear an act was passed providing for the building of a court houseand jail, which were erected and completed in 1740, on the site ofthe present Orange Hotel. On October 24, 1754, the General Assemblyappropriated 100 pounds for an addition to it, and in 1775 it wasdemolished and a new one built at a point where now stands thecounty clerk's office. The arms of King George III were placed uponits front, but were torn down by indignant citizens.

A schoolhouse was built in 1801 on the church plot, the same spotwhere the public school building on Greenwich street now stands. HereNoah Webster taught for a time before he published his firstdictionary in 1806.

Goshen, after its original settlement, soon became the most importantand populous district of the county, and a census taken in 1738showed a total of 319 males above the age of ten. These werestirring times for the people and most of the affairs were of awarlike nature. There was frequent trouble with the Indians. Thefrontier was only four miles away. Block houses were built atDolsontown and Scotchtown, and tradition has it that a block houseonce stood back of the present race course on the property knownto-day as the Parkway Farm. In those days the settlers west of theWallkill made Goshen their rendezvous when Indian raids were feared.

In the reign of George II, when Hon. George Clinton was Governor, theGeneral Assembly passed an act to enable the inhabitants of Goshen inthe County of Orange to elect two additional constables. This actexplained that the inhabitants of the Precinct of Goshen had libertyto elect only one constable and as the precinct had considerablyincreased in numbers of inhabitants and settlements, it wasnecessary that an increased number be elected. The act was passedDecember 17, 1743, and provided that one of the constables "beelected and chosen from and out of such of the inhabitants as havehabitations in the south part of Goshen, commonly called Wawayanda,and the other from and out of such of the inhabitants as havehabitations northward near the meeting house, commonly called theWater-Side Meeting House."

On September 21, 1744, the General Assembly passed an act toauthorize justices of the peace in the counties of Dutchess andOrange to "direct so many constables and overseers of the highways tobe chosen, in the several precincts as to them shall seem meet." Onthe same day an act was passed for the relief of the poor in thecounties of Orange and Suffolk.

Covenant Chain Treaty.

During these years the settlers had as allies two tribes of Indians,sometimes known as the Cashigton Indians, whose principal lodges werelocated near where now stands the village of Cochecton in SullivanCounty, They formed a part of the Lenni Lenape, or DelawareConfederacy, once powerful, but at that time reduced in numbers. Fromtime immemorial Western Orange had been their hunting ground, butlate in the year 1744 they showed signs of distrust and retired totheir lodges on the upper Delaware. The colonists were loath to losethese faithful allies, for their withdrawal left the outlyingsettlements on the frontiers exposed to attack of hostile savages,incited to rapine and murder by the French.

The attention of the Colonial Government was called to this matterand Colonel DeKay was ordered to take a party and visit the Indiansin the hope that friendly relations might be restored and the red meninduced to return to their old hunting grounds. As a result of thisvisit the Indian Treaty of Orange County was enacted and the ceremonyof the Covenant Chain performed at Goshen. Colonel Thomas De Kay tookwith him, upon this expedition, Major Swartwout, Ensign Coleman, AdamWeisner, who acted as interpreter, Benjamin Thompson, and twoMinisink Indians as guides. The pilgrimage was made in the depth ofwinter. The Indians were found and agreed to come back, claiming thatthey left because they were afraid of the people of Orange County,who were always under arms. When it was explained that this was byorder of the Governor and for protection against the French and theirallies, the Indians rejoiced. They explained that they were of twotribes, using for totems the signs of Minsi, or Wolf, and Uralachtgo,or Turkey, and that their sachem had recently died. They were aboutto choose a new sachem to govern all, and they promised that when hehad been chosen they would send representatives to make a treaty.New Year's Day was fixed upon as the date.

On January 3, 1745, two days late, the Wolves and Turkeys, a dozen ofthe head men in all, led by the new sachem, came into the village ofGoshen and marched in savage bravery up its main street. Just wherethe ceremony took place is unknown, but the old manuscript recordsays that the weather was severe, and it is probable that the meetingwas held in the rude court house. The Indians by their spokesmanexplained that they had brought a Belt of Wampum that friendship andbrotherhood might be restored. They asked that some one be appointedto enact with them the ceremony of the Covenant Chain.

Colonel De Kay informed them that the Governor alone had power to makesuch an appointment and that as there was not time to communicatewith him, it would be best for the Indians to select a man. Theychose the colonel and he was then chained to them for an hour or moreas a token of their being united again in the bonds of friendship.Speeches were made by the Indians and they solemnly pledgedthemselves to be true "as long as the sun and moon endured," andpromised to send in runners at once if they learned of any plotsagainst the English. They also agreed to join in fighting the enemyand asked that aid be given them in case of attack by the French.This was freely promised and while the Colonel was still chained tothe Indians they gave him the Belt of Wampum to be sent to theGovernor. The Indians, according to the record, "again rejoiced withthree huzzahs and departed very much pleased." The Belt of Wampum, sostates the books of the Lords of Trade and Plantations in London, wastaken to the Colonial Council in New York by Colonel DeKay afortnight later and delivered to the Council, which in turn sent itto the Governor, who recommended that one be given in return to theIndians. This was the only occasion on record when the ceremony ofthe Covenant Chain was enacted in Orange County.

On April 18, 1748, an act was passed by the General Assemblyproviding that "for the time to come, all elections of representativesof the County of Orange to serve in the present or any future GeneralAssembly shall begin and be first opened at the court house in OrangeTown, or at the court house or some other convenient place in the townof Goshen."

About this time settlers who had dealings with the sheriff began tofind considerable fault with the manner in which mileage chargeswere computed. On April 8, 1748, an act was passed providing that forall writs and process papers served on inhabitants on the north sideof the mountain range called the Highlands, mileage should becomputed by the sheriff from the court house in Goshen, and for allpapers served on the south side from the court house in Orange Town.The preamble to this act fully explained the situation. It stated:"Whereas the County of Orange is very extensive in length, and byreason of a ridge of mountains across the same, and for the betteraccommodation of inhabitants, it was found necessary to have twocourt houses, the one at Goshen on the north, and the other atOrange Town on the south thereof; yet by the sheriff having hisresidence sometimes at the one and sometimes at the other extreme ofthe said county, the computation of his fees for mileage in theservice of writs hath hitherto been made from the place of thesheriff's abode, which has been found to be very inconvenient andburdensome to the parties concerned."

Military Matters.

When the French and Indian War began in 1756 the men of Goshen werecontinually under arms. The old Journal of the Assembly relates theservices of Captain George De Kay as express between Goshen andMinisink. It mentions as his guards Peter Carter, David Benjamin,Philip Reid and Francis Armstrong. It tells also of the payment ofnearly 100 pounds to Colonel Vincent Mathews for furnishing guides toregulars posted at Goshen from October, 1757, to February, 1758, andrefers to the work of Colonels Clinton and De Kay in laying out blockhouses for the settlers' defense. Mention is also made of the paymentof 56 pounds to Samuel Gale for provisions furnished troops on thefrontiers near Goshen; and of reimbursing Colonel Benj. Tusten,Captain Daniel Case and Captain J. Bull for money advanced inbuilding block houses Nos. 1 and 2 on the western frontier inJanuary, 1757.

In 1763, Lieutenant-Governor Cadwallader Colden appealed to theGeneral Assembly for troops to relieve the militia on the borders ofOrange and Ulster which were infested by the enemy. At this time thetown of Goshen extended from the Hudson to New Jersey. In 1764 a billwas passed dividing the precinct of Goshen into two precincts, to becalled Goshen and Cornwall. After this division Cornwall embraced thepresent towns of Cornwall, Monroe and Blooming Grove, while Goshenincluded the present town of Warwick.

During the years prior to the Revolution when the colonists weregrowing desperate under the exactions of King George, patriotism andvalor were manifested to a marked degree in Goshen. On June 8, 1775,over 360 men signed the Revolutionary pledge at Goshen and the nameof Henry Wisner headed the list. The Reverend Nathan Ker, an ardentpatriot, and the fourth pastor of the Goshen Presbyterian Church, whocame to Goshen in the fall of 1766, and remained until his death,December 14, 1804, on one occasion is said to have dismissed hiscongregation in the midst of a Sunday service to prepare food for atroop of horse that had halted on the way to Philadelphia. OnceGeneral George Washington, riding eastward on the Florida roadtowards his headquarters at Newburgh, stopped with his staff to chatawhile with the children at the old school house near the stonequarry.

NOTABLE EARLY RESIDENTS.

Many of the old families of Goshen to-day are descendants of thepatriots who fought in the colonial service and whose names appear onthe roster of the Goshen regiment at the battles of Long Island andWhite Plains, at the struggle in the Highlands, and the capture ofFort Montgomery, as well as in the memorable slaughter of Minisink.

The highway between Goshen and Florida, over which Washington rode,is a historic thoroughfare and in Revolutionary days was lined withthe homes of famous men. Goshen was then the stronghold of the Whigs.In a stone house nearly opposite the present Sayer homestead, livedMoses Hatfield, a captain, afterwards a major, in the Goshenregiment, who was taken prisoner at a night assault on what is nowRandall's Island, on September 23, 1776, and was kept a captive until1778.

A little further along the way lived Henry Wisner, the elder. He andhis son of the same name were makers of powder for the ContinentalArmy at Phillipsburg, between the highway as it now stands and thegrist mill near by. Traces of the old raceway and mill can still beseen. Another on the opposite side of the stream, and one atCraigville, operated in conjunction with John Carpenter, were alsoerected by Henry Wisner. The Sons of the Revolution arranged someyears ago to mark the site of the Phillipsburg powder mill by anhistorical tablet.

Henry Wisner stood foremost among those who advocated theindependence of the colonies. He represented Orange County in theContinental Congress which declared that "these States are, and ofright ought to be, free." His son Gabriel, hardly past his majority,was slain in the slaughter of Minisink. On the 16th of August, 1774,Henry Wisner was chosen as one of the delegates to represent OrangeCounty in the Continental Congress held in Philadelphia in Septemberof that year. The election was by the committee of the county held atthe house of Stephen Slot and the purpose was for the delegate toattend at Philadelphia "to consult on proper measures to be taken forprocuring the redress of our grievances."

A question was raised as to the regularity of this election and ameeting of the inhabitants of the precincts of Goshen and Cornwallwas held at Chester on September 3, 1774, at which Henry Wisner waschosen to go to Philadelphia "in order to meet the rest of thedelegates and consult on proper measures to be taken with respect tothe claims made by the British Parliament of taxing America in allcases whatsoever."

William Wickham was a prominent citizen of Goshen, and his attitudewas one of extreme loyalty to the crown. With other adherents of theking he attempted to set aside the election of Wisner. Thecorrespondence, which still exists, shows that political feeling wasvery bitter. The scheme came to naught and Wisner took his seat. InApril, 1776, he was elected by a convention held at New York City, asa delegate to the Second Continental Congress in which he took part,leaving it for the purpose of manufacturing powder for Washington'stattered army.

Mr. Wisner's signature may still be found in the list at Carpenter'sHall in Philadelphia. He continued in Congress until the memorable2nd of July, 1776, when the "Resolution of Independency" {sic} was passed.He was heartily in favor of the measure and remained for the purposeof casting his vote for its final passage, had the Provincial Congressof New York given such instructions to its delegates. Traditionaffirms that he actually did vote for the "independency" that day. Hewas not present to sign the Declaration. He had proposed in Congress"a method for the manufacture of saltpeter and gunpowder" which hadbeen approved, and in agreement with which he was requested orappointed to build works and prepare powder for the "Army of theNorth." To do this he left Philadelphia on the third of July andapplied himself to the making of powder. For three years, and untilhis mill was burned and his fortune exhausted, he continued to supplypowder to the American forts and thus beyond any man in theContinental Congress of 1776 contributed to his country's triumph.

On the square at St. James' Place in the village of Goshen stands amonument of native Pochuck granite erected to the memory of HenryWisner by his great granddaughter, Mrs. Frances Wisner Murray, widowof Ambrose Spencer Murray, of Goshen. The monument was dedicated onJuly 22, 1897, by Dr. John H. Thompson, who presided and Harrison W.Nenny, Esq., who made the dedicatory address.

Adjoining the residence of Henry Wisner, and separated from it bywhat is now known as Steward's lane, was the home of John Steward,an ardent patriot. He was one of two brothers, John and WalterStewart, or Steward, the name having been spelled both ways, who camefrom Ireland to New England about 1740. Walter settled in RhodeIsland, where he started a snuff-mill and became the father ofGilbert Stuart, the noted portrait painter, whose unfinished pictureof Washington is the likeness that the world knows best to-day.Gilbert after reaching manhood, wrote his name Stuart, because byreason of the fact that his ancestry was by tradition connected withthe Jacobite cause, he had a great admiration for "Bonny PrinceCharlie."

The tradition was that, at the time of one of the early Jacobiterisings, a nurse in charge of two young children appeared in Belfast,Ireland. They came from Scotland and the woman immediately onarriving fell ill of small-pox and died refusing to tell anythingabout the children except that their names were John and WalterStewart, and that they were the sons of a man of rank who would sooncome for them. She had with her no money but some fine jewels, no oneever came to claim the children, but as it is recorded in historythat some Jacobite families are known to have been exterminated intheir bloody and unfortunate battles, this may have been the fate ofthe relatives of these boys, too young to tell anything aboutthemselves. They were brought up by a man, appointed their guardian.He treated them harshly and as soon as grown they left him and cameto try their fortune in a new land. John first acquired some propertyin Boston, which he left in his will to his son Nathan, but soon cameto Goshen and settled there, buying in 1744 eighty acres of land,"and the houses thereon" from William Jayne. From this it appearsthat the Steward house may have been erected previous to 1744, but"houses thereon" may have been a mere legal term, and the house wasprobably built by John Steward. It is certain, however, that it hasbeen standing since 1744. He bought more land, about 120 acres inall, at a later date. To farming John Steward joined the occupationof blacksmith, erecting a little to the left of his house a forge,which was in operation as early as 1758, the family having still intheir possession, a deed of sale bearing that date of a slave namedTite, warranted to be a good blacksmith. Later at this forge, JohnSteward II, during the Revolutionary war made sabers and bayonets forthe Continental Army.

John Steward I, married Elizabeth Bradner, the daughter of Rev. JohnBradner, first settled clergyman in Goshen. As John Bradner was thefather of nine children, viz., Calvin, John, Benoni, Gilbert,Susanna, Mary, Sarah, Christian and Elizabeth, and to him manyfamilies in Orange County trace their descent, the following may bethought worthy of record. When a young divinity student in Edinburgh,Scotland, John Bradner was employed by a gentleman called Colvill, aHuguenot refugee, as a tutor to his sons. His daughter Christianashared her brothers' studies and she and the tutor fell in love witheach other, but Colvill thought the tutor no match for his daughter,and told her if she married him he would never speak to her again.She put love before duty and having married John Bradner they sailedfor America. The voyage occupied six months. Violent storms in whichthe ship nearly foundered were encountered. These Mrs. Bradnerthought were sent by Heaven to punish her for her disregard of herfather's wishes. Rev. John Bradner received the degree M.A. fromthe University of Edinburgh, February 23rd, 1712, was licensed topreach March, 1714, ordained May 6, 1715, pastor of Cold SpringPresbyterian Church, Cape May, N.J., before being called to thechurch in Goshen, 1721. He died 1732. His widow died 1759. She waswell educated in the classics and assisted in preparing her son, Rev.Benoni, for Princeton College. He graduated 1755, was settled inJamaica, L. I., 1760, and two years after was called to Church NinePartners, Dutchess County. There is now in the possession of Mrs.M. H. C. Gardner, of Middletown, a piece of a quilt brought fromScotland by Mrs. John Bradner. The colors of the design, birds,fruit and flowers, are as bright as though it was new. JohnSteward I had eight children and their mother used to relate withpride that never once during their infancy or childhood was sheobliged by reason of the illness of one of them to strike a lightduring the night. John Steward I died in 1770, of a fever thenepidemic. In his will he left to his widow, as long as she remainedhis widow, the use of the best room and the "salon" room. The smalladjoining room, now a store closet, was her prayer closet, where sheused to retire to pray, as was the good custom of those times.

Her eldest son, John Steward II, although holding no commission inthe Continental Army was an ardent patriot, mention being made inRivington's New York Gazette, the Tory organ, that "rebellion inOrange County was continually fomented by those two firebrands,Squire Steward and Old Wisner," the latter being Henry Wisner, memberof the Continental Congress and John Steward's friend and neighbor.

John Steward II, who was thirty years younger than Henry Wisner, wasa justice of the peace, and a number of Hessian prisoners passingsouthward through Goshen, probably after the battle of Saratoga,were quartered over night at his house. The common soldiers slept inthe barn, but the officers, of whom there were several, wereaccommodated in the house and on leaving the next morning told Mrs.Steward that the coffee made by her black cook was the best they hadtasted since leaving Germany.

In a house that stood about 100 feet east of the present residence ofCampbell Steward, Esq., lived General Reuben Hopkins, whose son,Hanibal, married Elizabeth Steward, daughter of John Steward II.General Hopkins's portrait and his appointment as attorney-at-lawdated 1771 and signed by Lord Dunmore, now hang on the walls of theSteward house, which contains other objects of interest, among whichmay be mentioned an original broadside of the Declaration ofIndependence addressed to John Steward, Esq., his commission asMajor No. 1 of the regiment of militia in the County of Orange,signed by Geo. Clinton in 1798, and a bag of old counterfeit silverSpanish dollars. A band of counterfeiters was arrested in OrangeCounty about the time of the Revolution and they were tried atGoshen, their judges, among whom was Judge Steward, keeping some ofthe coins as curiosities. In the house can also be seen a small stonehammer presented to the wife of John Steward I, as a token offriendship by a member of a band of Indians who, at the time Stewardsettled in Goshen, and for some years after, lived in a hickory groveat the rear of his house. His family always made a point ofmaintaining friendly relations with their savage neighbors, and werenever troubled by them, although once during the French and IndianWar on an alarm being given that Indians on the war path wereapproaching Goshen, the family fled to the cedar swamp. It is saidthat on leaving they looked back for what they feared might be alast look at their house, but the alarm proved a false one. Goshenwas spared an Indian massacre and they returned to find their housestill standing. The main body of the house, with some minoralterations, is the same to-day as it was in those old Indian days,its cedar shingles, oak beams and large stone chimneys seeming stillsound and strong. The house being too small for modern requirements,two wings have been added at different times and the chimney topsrebuilt, but care has been taken to preserve as far as possible everyantique feature of the house in its original condition.

During Revolutionary days the inhabitants of Orange County wereterrorized by the depredations of Claudius Smith, a notorious outlaw,and his gang of ruffians, who were known as cowboys. Smith wasindicted on three charges, one of which was the murder of MajorStrong. Rewards were offered by Governor Clinton, and Smith was takencaptive at Smithtown, L. I., by Major Brush. He was given into thecustody of Colonel Isaac Nichol, sheriff of Orange County, and onJanuary 22, 1779, was publicly executed at the west corner of churchpark in Goshen, with two other criminals, De La Alar, a burglar, andGordon, a horse thief. On the gallows near the same spot forty yearslater two others were publicly put to death for murder.

BATTLE OF MINISINK.

On July 22, 1779, occurred the battle of Minisink, in which theGoshen regiment, under Colonel Tusten, met almost completeannihilation at the hands of nearly 500 Indians and Tories underJoseph Brant, the half-breed chieftain, who was known asThayendanegea, the Scourge, and held a colonel's commission fromGeorge III. The Goshen regiment marched against Brant's forces toavenge a raid made by Brant upon the settlers near Minisink on the20th of the month. They were joined by a small reinforcement, underColonel Hathorn, of the Warwick regiment, and the latter assumedcommand. While marching along the west bank of the Delaware at nineo'clock on the morning of July 22, the Indians were discovered aboutthree-quarters of a mile away and Colonel Hathorn hastened hiscommand in pursuit. Brant, taking advantage of intervening woods andhills made a detour which enabled him to gain the rear of theattacking party, and in the battle which followed the savagescompletely routed the small force that opposed them. The colonistshad little ammunition and this was soon exhausted. A part of themfled, and more were killed in flight than in battle. Colonel Tusten,who was a skillful surgeon, dressed the wounds of his men, and refusedto abandon them, staying on the field until he fell. Of the eightymen in the engagement, 44 were killed outright and others died laterof their wounds.

Colonel Benjamin Tusten, who was a physician and surgeon byprofession, came originally from Southold, L. I., in 1746, at the ageof three years. His parents located on the banks of the Otterkill onthe patent granted to Elizabeth Denn. His father, Benjamin Tusten,was appointed one of the judges of the courts of the county and alsoa colonel in the Orange County regiment of militia. The son,Benjamin, was sent to an academy at Jamaica, L. I., and at the age ofnineteen returned to Goshen and studied medicine with Doctor ThomasWiskham. He afterwards studied in Newark, N.J., and New York City,returning in 1769 to practice medicine in Goshen, where two otherphysicians, Doctor John Gale and Doctor Pierson, had already located.He was very successful and was widely known as a surgeon. He marriedMiss Brown, by whom he had two sons and three daughters. In 1777 hewas appointed lieutenant colonel of the Goshen regiment of militiaunder General Allison, and in 1778 was appointed surrogate of OrangeCounty, which office he held when he lost his life at Minisink.

Captain John Wood, of Colonel Tusten's regiment, was captured in thebattle of Minisink, his life being spared by Brant, who in the thickof the battle, thought he saw Wood give a masonic sign. Wood wastaken captive and transported to Canada. He left a journal of eventsfollowing the battle which throws considerable light on the life andcharacter of Brant.

On July 22, 1822, by the influence of Dr. David R. Arnell of Goshen,a monument was erected in the village to the memory of the men whofell at Minisink. It was set up over the bones of the patriots whichhad been gathered from the battlefield forty-three years after themassacre. On July 22, 1862. a more pretentious monument was dedicatedand unveiled, provision for the cost of the same having been made inthe will of Dr. Merritt H. Cash, of Minisink.

Goshen village was originally laid out in four lots of eighty acreseach. Its original boundaries are not definitely known, as adisastrous fire in 1843 destroyed the town clerk's office, burning upthe map of the town and village lots, together with deeds dating from1714. After these records had been destroyed a new charter wasgranted on April 18, 1843, fixing the boundaries of the village,which remained under this charter until 1878, when it was abandonedand the village reorganized under the general act. Goshen wasincorporated a town on March 28, 1809.

At one time Orange County embraced nearly all the southern part ofNew York, bordering on the Hudson River. Courts were then held atOrange Town, now in Rockland County. In 1827 they were removed toGoshen. In 1839 the board of supervisors made application to theLegislature to erect a new court house at Goshen. There wasconsiderable opposition from the southern end of the county, whichwas anxious to secure increased judicial conveniences. As a result,the Legislature effected a compromise, making Goshen and Newburghjoint capitals, and in April, 1841, passed an act authorizing thebuilding of a court house and jail at Goshen and a court house andcells at Newburgh.

IN THE CIVIL WAR.

On July 1, 1862, President Lincoln issued a call for 300,000volunteers, and Governor Morgan appointed a military committee forOrange County. Hon. Ambrose S. Murray was the Goshen member. As aresult of this call the 124th Regiment, afterwards famed as the"Orange Blossoms" was organized. During the period of organization itwas encamped at Goshen, where Murray avenue is now located.Enlistments came rapidly and by August 23 it was ready for the field.

The military committee recommended A. Van Home Ellis, of New Windsor,for colonel of the regiment and he accepted the commission. Henry S.Murray was made captain of Co. B, which was composed of Goshen men.On August 26, 1862, the regiment was presented with a stand ofcolors by the women of Orange County. Hon. Charles H. Winfield madethe presentation speech. Afterwards, on behalf of the women ofWawayanda, Miss Charlotte E. Coulter presented the regiment with apair of embroidered silk guidons.

On-Friday, September 5, the regiment was mustered in and on thefollowing day departed for the front. It fought in many engagementsfrom Manassas Gap to Lee's surrender at Appomattox, and was disbandedat Washington's headquarters in Newburgh, June 16, 1865, leaving arecord of 208 service dead and 609 casualties in action.

When the Civil War was at its height and drafts were necessary tosupply the depleted ranks of the Union Army, one interestingincident took place at Goshen. The provost marshal general hadordered a draft for the Eleventh District, comprising the counties ofOrange and Sullivan, calling for 1,932 men, with 50% added, making atotal of 2,898. This draft was to begin at Goshen on Wednesdaymorning, October 7, 1863. Trouble was feared by certain of theleading citizens, and they asked that troops be sent to the villageto prevent rioting. Accordingly on Tuesday evening, October 6, theFifth Wisconsin Volunteers, under Colonel Allen, arrived in town. Theregiment, which originally numbered 1,300, had been reduced by hardservice to 450 men. They made their camp on the elevation which isnow Prospect avenue, and during the night, trained their cannon tocover the points where crowds would gather in case of rioting. Thedrawing began on Wednesday and lasted until Saturday and there was noserious disorder. The names were drawn from the wheel by GabrielColeman, an aged blind man of the village. Orange County's quota was2,131, and Sullivan's 767. Goshen furnished 62, of whom three werecolored men.

A table of military statistics compiled just before the close of thewar showed that Goshen had furnished men as follows at theGovernment's call: 30 men in 1861; 113 men in 1862; 104 men in 1863;51 men in 1864.

On Thursday, September 5, 1907, there was dedicated at Goshen amonument to the service dead of the 124th Regiment. The monument,which weighs nineteen tons, is a bronze figure, "The StandardBearer," designed by Theo. Alice Ruggles Kitson, a noted sculptress.The figure, eighteen feet in height, stands upon a pedestal of StonyCreek granite, fourteen feet high. The monument was presented to thepeople of Orange County by Hon. Thomas W. Bradley, of Walden, N.Y.,Member of Congress from the Twentieth New York District, in memory ofhis comrades who died in the service of their country. Mr. Bradleyenlisted as a private in the "Orange Blossoms," was promoted tocaptain, and brevetted major for meritorious service, and was awardedthe Congressional Medal of Honor for gallantry at Chancellorsville,May 3, 1863, when he volunteered in response to a call, and alone,in the face of a heavy fire of musketry and canister, went across thefield of battle and procured ammunition for his comrades.

The presentation was made by Colonel Charles H. Weygant, whocommanded the regiment after the commander, Colonel F. M. Cummins,fell wounded. It was accepted for the people by Mr. John J. E.Harrison, chairman of the board of supervisors, a veteran of Co. B,56th Regiment, U. S. V., who was wounded at Devon's Neck, S. C.,December 7, 1864, and who rendered before and after that time valiantservice in the Union's cause. It was accepted also by Captain RobertB. Hock, who was the village president, and was then serving hiseighteenth consecutive term in that office. He also had been asoldier with a long and honorable record. He enlisted in the regulararmy as a bugler, some years before the war, and was assigned to theTenth U. S. Infantry, and sent to Fort Snelling, Minn. He took partin many expeditions against the Mormons, under General Albert SidneyJohnson, afterwards the confederate general killed at Shiloh. Mr.Hock was later sent to the scene of the Mount Meadow massacre andfought in the battle of Ash Hollow under General Hardy. In 1860 hewas a pony express rider when Denver was only a tented village. AfterFort Sumter was fired on, his old commander General Tracy, asked himto drill recruits at Staten Island. He did this and later performedthe same service at Washington. In 1861 he was commissionedlieutenant of Co. E, 12th New York Cavalry, and in 1863 was madecaptain of Co. F. He was on the Burnside expedition, at Ball's Bluffand in the second battle of Bull Run. On April 17, 1864, he was takenprisoner at Plymouth, N. C., and confined for three weeks inAndersonville, four months at Macon, one month at Savannah, and onemonth at Charleston. With six brother officers he escaped from prisonat Columbia, S. C, and was tracked by bloodhounds. All the otherswere recaptured, but he, after suffering terribly by privation andexposure, reached the Union lines and was cared for by the ThirdTennessee, until able to report to General Dix in New York. In 1865in a skirmish with General Bragg's troops his horse was shot fromunder him, and he was caught by Bragg's men and sent to Danville, Va.He made a break for liberty and escaped to the brush, rejoining theUnion forces just before Lee's surrender. At Bentonville, in acavalry charge, his horse was killed and he was thrown among therebel infantry and captured. The same night he escaped, coveringhimself with dead leaves, and reporting at his company headquartersin the morning. His comrade in rebel prisons, Lieutenant A. Cooper,dedicated a book of his experiences to Captain Hock.

CHAPTER XVII.

TOWN OF GREENVILLE.

By Charles E. Stickney.

The number of acres of land in the town assessed in 1865, was 18,287,at a valuation of $385,600. Personal property $49,850. The number ofacres assessed in 1907 is 17,829 at a valuation of $269,485. Personalproperty, $19,850. A loss in 42 years of 458 acres of land, $116,115in assessed valuation of real estate, and of $30,000 assessedpersonal property. The town expenses (town audits) were $619.37,besides $807 for roads and bridges.

In 1855 the town had a population of 1,218. Ten years later it had apopulation of 1,147; while in 1905 it had only 672 inhabitants,a loss of nearly half compared with its first-named census.

The name was undoubtedly suggested by the beautiful green summerverdure the eastern part of the town exhibits, lying to the sun onthe eastern declivity of Shawangunk mountain.

Its boundaries are: Beginning at the corner of the town of Wawayandaline with that of Mount Hope, thence almost due west along the MountHope line to that of the town of Deer Park; thence along the DeerPark town line southwest to the New Jersey State line; thenceeasterly along the said State line to the corner of the Minisinktown line; thence northeasterly along the Minisink town line to apoint on Castle High Hill near South Centerville; thencenorthwesterly along the town of Wawayanda town line to a corner;thence northeasterly by north along the said line to the place ofbeginning.

The first town meeting was held at the house of Jonathan Wood, inBushville, March 28th, 1854. Bushville then was a village of someimportance, but since the near advent of railroads its trade has goneto other places.

PHYSICAL FEATURES.

The oldest village in the town is no doubt the settlement at Smith'sCorners. It was situated on the road which leads along the easternslope of the Shawangunk mountain from Coleville, N.J., to Otisville,and in early times was a place of some business. Elijah Smith wasits founder about the close of the Revolution. Joseph Smith, justiceof the peace (see Minisink civil list), in 1813 was a noted man inhis day. After the Goshen and Minisink turnpike road was built, andlater when (about 1820) a mail route was established through there,the post-office was located at a store which stood where the villageof Greenville now is. The post-office was named Minisink, becausethere was somewhere in the State a post-office already known asGreenville, and this was the nearest post-office to the realMinisink west of the mountain. Two churches, a store and a hotel arelocated there. The village of Smith's Corner has this year of 1907been made convenient to travel on account of the new macadam roadjust built throughout it from Slate Hill to Carpenter's Point.

Lake Maretange, upon which one of the great land patents (Evans)cornered in Colonial days, is now known as Binnewater Pond. It coversabout twenty acres of land, and is now so filled with aquaticgrowths and mud that it has less than half of its original extent. Itwas once reported to be of great depth. It in early times was famousfor its excellent fishing. Its original name was undoubtedly anIndian one. The name Binnewater is a corruption of the GermanBeninwasser (Inland water). Boudinot creek is its outlet.

The great swamps which once stretched north and east of Smith'sCorners were known to early records as "Pakadasink Swamp." They havebeen largely cleared, drained, and are coming rapidly undercultivation. The Shawangunk Kill whose Indian name was the same asthat of the swamp, "Pakadasink" or "Peakadasink," originates fromsprings in the swamps, and flows northward along the base of theShawangunk mountain toward Ulster County.

Rutger's creek originates in the watershed south of Greenvillevillage.

EARLY SETTLERS.

Jonathan Wood, justice of the peace as early as 1796, and TimothyWood (see civil list) resided in Bushville in this town.

John W. Eaton (see civil list) is a descendant of Robert, who came tothe town, shortly after the Revolution. Robert had sons, John,William, Robert, and Samuel. There was also an Alexander in the townof about the same generation as Robert's sons, who had a son Thomas.John, the eldest son of Robert, had two sons, Gabriel and Daniel H.The latter during the later years of his life, owned the former DavidMoore farm now owned by William Creeden, in Wawayanda, where he died.Gabriel, during the later years of his life retired from active lifeto Unionville, where he owned property and where he died. There seemsto have been a James Eaton in the town contemporary with Robert.Their farms constituted what was called Eatontown.

Charles Durland of Long Island settled near Bushville in this townprior to 1800, and it is probable that Moses came into the town soonafter he did. Moses lived and died in the town, but Charles boughtland, about a mile and a half south of Ridgeberry, where he made apermanent settlement and died there. Thomas T., Steward T., Danieland Addison were sons of Charles. Steward T. and Daniel becameresidents of Greenville (see civil list). Garret, John and George A.Durland, descendants of Moses, also resided in Greenville. George A.and Steward T. were justices of the peace for many terms in the town(see civil list). Addison settled near Westtown where he died.Thomas T. Durland succeeded to the old homestead near Ridgeberry, andlater in life bought the former Phineas Howell farm near Slate Hill,where he died. His widow (whose father, George Jackson, in hislifetime owned the farms now owned by William Ralston, of the lowerroad) and son George, and daughters Alice L. and Etta H., now resideon the Slate Hill homestead; while a son, Charles, resides inMiddletown and a daughter, Elizabeth Van Orden, lives in PomptonLakes.

John, Joseph and Hiram Manning were early settlers in the town.Joseph's children were Joseph, Jr., John, Isaac, Richard, Walter,Benjamin, Mrs. Isaac Finch, Mrs. E. Hurlbut, Mrs. John Ferguson.Hiram Manning at one time owned the grist, saw and cider mills atMillsburg. His son, John R. Manning, resides in Gardnersville inWawayanda, and the latter's son, Hiram, Jr., is in business inJohnsons.

Abraham Elston was a very early settler in the town and many of hisdescendants are still in it.

Harvey H., Alfred, W. L. and W. W. Clark (see civil list) weredescendants of the David Clark mentioned in a sketch of the family inthe town of Minisink.

Under an old school law teachers were formerly licensed by townsuperintendents which prevailed up to 1856. Geo. A. Durland held theoffice of superintendent for some time. Samuel S. Graham was electedto the position in 1856, but the law was repealed that year and hewas never sworn into office.

CHURCHES.

The Baptist Church of Greenville was incorporated January 27th,1816, and was supplied by the pastors of Brookfield church until July31st, 1822, when the church was dedicated as a separate one. It wasconstituted by thirty-one members. Elder Zelotes Grenell preached thesermon, August 3d. That year twenty-three more members were set offfrom the Brookfield church to it. Elder Henry Ball was pastor foreleven years. Elder D. Bennet supplied it from Unionville for fouryears. W. H. Jurton, D. Benett, C. Brinkerhoff and Joseph Haughwoutsupplied it to 1848. Rev. Stephen Case became pastor of it in May,1848, and continued there to his death in 1895. It was said of himthat he married and buried probably more Orange and Sussex Countypeople than any other minister has. He was a son of John and Mary(Mead) Case. The father is alleged to have come from New England,while his mother was a daughter of Ebenezer Mead of near WaterlooMills in Minisink. John and Mary (Mead) Case had four sons, JosephM., E. Inman, John B. and Stephen.

Joseph M. was justice of the peace from 1850 to 1874 in Minisink andheld other offices (see civil list). The Case homestead was on theridge west of Westtown where John died in 1844 and Rev. Ralph Bullpreached the funeral sermon. His wife died in 1847. Joseph M. wasunmarried. E. Inman died in 1888. He had five sons and one daughter,John, Jr., Joseph, Ira L., Jefferson, Anson and Amelia. Ira L.,became a resident of Middletown and was elected school commissionerof the second district of Orange County for a term. John B. studiedfor the ministry and became a clergyman of much influence. He died in1886. He had seven children: John B., Jr., Stephen J., Joseph M.,Tisdale, Joshua I., Sarah and Flora.

Stephen, son of John, after his primary studies were over, attendedand graduated at Madison University in 1840. He began preaching thenext year, and supplied the pulpit of the Orange Baptist Church sixmonths. Then he preached for three years in what was called theBroadway Baptist Church, which we incline to think was located nearWykertown in Wantage township, N.J., probably the one built by JobCosad. In May, 1848, he became pastor of the Mount Salem andGreenville churches. He was then about thirty years old, and helabored there for over sixty years until his death. He was survivedby three sons: John E., Joshua, Jr. and Joseph M. Joshua, Jr., is afamous auctioneer residing in Unionville.

The Methodist Church of Greenville was incorporated December 23rd,1850. There had been preaching for about twenty years before that byministers of the M. E. denomination. The church edifice was builtbefore the church was incorporated. Rev. Henry Litts, who died a fewyears ago in Deckertown, was pastor there for some time, succeedingRevs. Andrews, Grace and Rusling.

Besides the cemeteries connected with the churches, there are anumber of family burial places in the town; notably those of theManning, Seybolt, Seeley, Courtright, Vanbuskirk, Mulock, Remey andJenks families.

MISCELLANEOUS.

During the Civil War the town issued in August, 1864, bonds for$25,159; they were all paid by February 11th, 1871.

Its officials have from the formation of the town proved worthy men.It has been universally Democratic by a small majority.

Nathaniel Reeves Quick, justice of the peace from 1868 to 1873, wasa tall pleasant man, a descendant of the Quick family ofPennsylvania. He was well posted on the history of the famous TomQuick, who was a member of the same family. The traditions which Mr.Quick, of Greenville, had instilled into his mind from accountshanded down to him by his grandfather, no doubt truthful, were notaltogether complimentary to the old Indian hunter. His grandfathersaid (told by Nathaniel R. himself), that Tom, when hard pressed forsomething to eat, would come to his house and stay till the goodhousewife would absolutely refuse to cook for him any longer, and hisgrandfather would inform Tom that he must either go to work or leave.That, he said, always started him, for if there was anything in thisworld that Tom hated it was to work. Then he would shoulder his gunand tramp off in the forest for two or three months before heventured to show himself again at the house. In truth, hisgrandfather did not put much dependence on the stories told by Tomof his adventures, because he thought Tom was merely whiling the timeaway with something to wheedle him with, in fact, a sort of "standoff" for lodging.

The old Goshen and Minisink turnpike road of the last century,crossing Shawangunk Mountain just west of Greenville village, waschanged by the State to a macadam road constructed or, nearly so, in1907. It takes a new route across the mountain and has greatlyreduced the grade. The Goshen end of the road to Dolsentown wascompleted a few years ago, and the one from Dolsentown throughWawayanda and Minisink to the State line about two years ago. The newroad through Greenville connects with the Wawayanda line at SlateHill.

Of the Tory element in the town during the Revolution, it istraditionally remembered that Brant is said to have, after his firstraid in 1778, contemplated a more extensive one. For that purpose hecame to Greenville secretly to get information of the surroundings.He hid himself in the Pakadasink swamp below Smith's Corners, andexplored the vicinity by night. Certain Tories of the neighborhoodwere suspected at the time of furnishing food to some tramp in theswamp, and one of them was caught returning from the swamp where hehad been to take a portion of a sheep which he had killed, as it waslater found out. Excitement ran high at once and a party visited hispremises and found that he had slaughtered a sheep and had taken apart of it to the swamp to feed a hidden Tory as was supposed. Acommittee improvised a fife and drum corps, wrapped the bloodysheepskin about him, and marched him at the point of a bayonet onfoot to Goshen followed by the music of the fife and drum.

This was on a broiling hot day in summer, and, as may well besupposed, that march of sixteen miles, bothered as he was by theflies and the jokes of the people they met, made the victim veryuncomfortable. Later when Brant swooped down on Minisink in 1779, hedid not cross the mountain into the Greenville neighborhood as thesettlers then thought he intended to do at first. Then theyascertained the kind of a tramp that the Tory had been furnishingwith mutton in Pakadasink swamp, and rejoiced to think that theirprompt action in treating their Tory neighbor to that arrest probablysaved their homes from the invasion planned.

Before the days of railroads the people who lived in theseneighborhoods generally went to Newburgh, and if they desired to goto New York took from thence passage on a sailing vessel for thatplace. Sometimes the passage occupied three or four days betweenthose two cities, dependent on the weather. In windy weather thesloops often had to anchor under some protecting high shore, and indark nights they generally anchored until daylight. A disaster whichmade a great sensation throughout the county and elsewhere, happenedNovember 24th, 1824, to a sloop of this kind, near Pollopel's Island,in lower Newburgh bay. The sloop Neptune was on its way up theriver under command of its first deck hand, John Decker, the captain(Halstead) having been left in New York sick. About twenty tons ofplaster were in its hold and about twenty more tons piled on deck,together with eight or ten tons of other goods. There was a strongwind prevailing and the boat was coming up near the island with adouble reef in the mainsail and all precautions taken for safety,when there came a sudden blast of wind which caused the sloop to dipand the plaster on deck to shift its weight. This shifting of thedeck plaster caused the sloop to dip so violently that the water camepouring into the scuttle of the forecastle, and into the cabin wheresome ten or twelve women and a number of children were gathered.Besides the crew about twenty-six male passengers were on the deck.Instead of righting, the boat went right down without furtherwarning. All in the cabin were drowned. It was about noon, andseveral boats that saw the sloop go down hurried to the scene, andwere so successful as to rescue seventeen of the passengers.

Joshua Mulock, of Minisink (now Greenville) was one of the men ondeck, and he said that when he first heard the women and childrenscream in the cabin, he tried to break a grating in the deck to letthem out and the boat went down so quick that it carried a part ofhis vest with it which caught fast. That held him and he went downunder the boat. Luckily his vest tore loose, and he floated out fromunder the boat and came to the surface, where he was rescued. JesseGreen from present Greenville, and a man named Carey from presentWawayanda neighborhood, were also saved. Among those drowned wereJohn Greenleaf, George Evertson, Matilda Helms and William Kelly andchild from Minisink. The next year the bodies of Matilda Helms andMr. Greenleaf were found among others at Cold Spring some distancedown the river. They were buried by the coroner of Putnam County. Thesloop was afterwards raised by its owners.

Next to the battle of Minisink this disaster furnished the greatestsensation of those early times. Mr. Mulock was a great humorist. Onone occasion, a Mr. and Mrs. Lee, of Greenville, made Mr. and Mrs.Mulock an evening visit. When the visitors were seated in their wagonready to start for home, one of them said to their host and hostess,"Now you must come and see us as soon as you can." "We'll promise todo so, sure!" said Mr. Mulock.

When Mr. and Mrs. Lee had arrived home, and she was in the house witha lighted candle looking at the clock and wondering how they came tostay until after midnight, and he was returning from the stableswhere he had placed the horse, they were surprised to hear a wagondriving up to the door. How much greater was their surprise when theyboth went to the gate to see who it was, and saw there Mr. and Mrs.Mulock. "You told us," said the former, "that we must come and seeyou as soon as we could, and here we are." Then after a laugh at Mr.and Mrs. Lee's apparent discomfiture, they went home, and told thejoke round about to their friends. We give it to illustrate thejollity of those times.

From the years 1836 to 1854 the post office regulations for thethree towns, under the name of Minisink, were a mail deliveryTuesdays and Fridays of each week. The mail was carried by acontractor, who left Goshen on those days in the morning in a onehorse sulky or gig which easily carried the driver and mail bags. Hecame across the Wallkill at Pellet's Island to Ridgeberry; thence toWesttown, Unionville, Minisink (Greenville) and back throughBushville, South Centerville, Brookfield, Slate Hill, Denton and toGoshen. The trip was made in one day. Sometimes the carrier wouldhave a young woman on the seat with him which invariably made himlate and caused lots of grumbling among the people waiting for themail. Few letters were received, and the only newspapers takengenerally were the Goshen Democrat and Independent Republican, ofGoshen. Not a daily paper then found its way in this region exceptat intervals. The rates of postage were, up to 1845, for a letter ofa single sheet, not exceeding thirty miles, six cents; over thirtyand not exceeding eighty miles, ten cents; over eighty and not over150, twelve and one-half cents; over 150 and not over 400 miles,eighteen and three-quarter cents; over 400 miles, twenty-five cents.If the letter had two sheets of paper it was charged double, and ifthree sheets, triple rates; for each newspaper carried not over 100miles, one cent; to any office in the State where printed, one cent;otherwise over 100 miles, one and a half cents. Pamphlets 100 miles,one and a half cents a sheet; over 100 miles, two and a half cents asheet; if not published periodically, four and six cents a sheet, asto distance. Everything else was paid at letter postage at a quarterounce rate. The letters then were sent without envelopes, folded soas to conceal the writing, and sealed with wax usually. The postagewas collected on delivery. In 1854 the rates were reducedconsiderably, but all other features retained. In 1855, the writer,then a boy, was left temporarily in charge of the post-office atSlate Hill, which then paid the postmaster, a storekeeper, about $10a year percentage. He then kept a store and the keeper of the officewas considered a help to the store trade. A woman came in and askedif there was a letter for her. There was. She asked how much postagewas due on it. There was eighteen cents. Then she asked to look atit. The verdant young man handed it to her. She opened it, glancedover the contents, then handed it back, saying, "I won't take it.There's nothing in it worth the money." The postmaster when informedof the incident later, said, "Boy, next time don't you hand out theletter till they hand over the money."

In 1852 the postage was reduced and a little later envelopes came infashion. The Middletown, Unionville and Watergap Railroad wascompleted from Middletown to Unionville, June 2nd, 1868. That changedmail arrangements throughout the three towns. Slate Hill, Johnsons,Westtown and Unionville got a daily mail. Waterloo Mills, Denton andBushville were abandoned, and Ridgeberry and South Centerville weresupplied from Slate Hill. The railroad is now known as the New York,Susquehanna & Western, under control of the Erie. The increase inthe amount of mail matter handled has been wonderful, and the officeswhich once had their mail matter carried on a two-wheel sulky twice aweek easily, would now require a team of horses and a big wagon tomove it every day.

The 4th and 5th days of January, 1835, were remarkably cold days andthat winter was a terribly severe one. We have no thermometer recordsfor our three towns of those days, but in New York City it was 5degrees, in Newark 13 and Elizabethtown 18 degrees below zero forboth days. In 1857 the 23rd of January was a remarkably cold day, thethermometer standing at 23 below in the early morning, 17 at noon,and 12 at night, when it began to snow and a deep snow came.

Orange County gave 3,541 votes for Van Buren and 2,242 for Harrisonfor President in 1836.

The local option law in our three towns has resulted in a continualno-license majority for about twenty-five years in Wawayanda;occasional no-license in Greenville and Minisink. The result of theelection in 1907 gave no-license a majority in Minisink.

In ancient times elections were held in the spring for localofficers, and in the fall for county, State and national officers.All the officers in the State are now elected in November on one day.In 1837, the States held election: Maine, 2nd Monday of September;Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, 1stMonday in August; Delaware, 1st Tuesday of October; Louisiana, 1stMonday of July; Tennessee and North Carolina, 1st Thursday in August;Vermont, 1st Tuesday in September; Georgia and Maryland, 1st Mondayin October; New York, 1st Monday in November; Massachusetts, 2ndMonday in November; New Hampshire, 2nd Tuesday in March; Virginia andConnecticut in April; Rhode Island in August; South Carolina, 2ndMonday in October.

During the first early years of our history, where farmers kept largedairies, they made butter, which was the mainstay of their farming.They used a tread-wheel about twelve feet in diameter set at a steepincline, on one side of which a horse or bull climbed to furnish thepower for churning. Similar dairies used sheep or calves. About 1834to 1840 (tradition) George F. Reeve, of near Middletown, invented anendless chain-power on which a good-sized dog would furnish as muchpower as an animal twice as large.

Lights for many years were furnished of dip tallow candles. Thesewere made by melting a wash boiler full of tallow, into which sixcandle-wicks hung on a stick were dipped and hung on a rack to cool.Enough sticks were used so that by the time the last one was dippedthe first one was cool enough to dip again, and so the process wascontinued until the candles had accumulated enough tallow to be ofthe right size. Whenever the tallow in the boiler began to get lowhot water was added to make the tallow float to the top of theboiler. When beeves were killed in the fall the good housewives werecareful to dip candles for a whole year's supply. About 1852camphene began to be used for lights, and in some instances alcoholand some other dangerous compounds. About 1860 the use of kerosenecame into family and public lighting, and is still the greatilluminant.

In 1777 a real estate ownership of one hundred pounds value was anecessary qualification for a voter who desired to vote for aGovernor, Senator and Assemblyman, while only twenty pounds worth ofreal estate was requisite in order to qualify a person to vote for arepresentative in Congress. For town officials and resolutions allmale citizens were allowed to vote, and this was generally done attown meetings viva voce, or by division to the right and left. AGovernor then held office three years and had to be a real estateowner. Senators held office four years and had to be owners of onehundred pounds worth of real estate. Judges were appointed by theGovernor and council and held office during good behavior, but weredisqualified when sixty years old. They could be removed by theGovernor when requested by a two-thirds vote of the legislature.Clergymen were then excluded from holding office, and from thelegislature. In 1821 a new State constitution was framed and theproperty qualifications removed. Ballots were then introducedgenerally in town elections.

CHAPTER XVIII.

TOWN OF HAMPTONBURGH.

By Margaret Crawford Jackson.

On March 5, 1703, in the reign of Queen Anne, the Wawayanda patentwas signed. The grantors were twelve Indians named Rapingonick,Wawastawa, Moghopuck, Comelawaw, Manawitt, Ariwimack, Rumbout,Clauss, Chonckhass, Chingapaw, Oshaquemonus and Quiliapaw, and amongthe twelve patentees was Christofer Denn. He was a Frenchman and acarpenter, then living on the eastern shore of Staten Island with hiswife, Elizabeth, and a young girl sixteen years of age, Sarah Wells,who had been taken by them as an infant and brought up as their own,although she did not receive their name, nor at their deaths did theymention her in their wills, probably because she had received onehundred acres after her marriage.

Christofer Denn, as his name is spelled by Mr. Eager in his history,or "Denne," as spelled by Mr. Ruttenber, the latter says, was aresident of New York in 1701, and one of the signers of the"Protestant Petition" to William III, in that year. In 1702 his nameappears appended to the congratulatory address to Lord Cornbury asone "of the chiefest inhabitants of the City and County on New York."And in 1705 he was one of the signers of a petition by the merchantsof that city. He was still a resident of New York in 1722-1723, andit was in that city his wife Elizabeth died. It should be noticedthat it is said Denn was a resident of the county of New York, evenwhen not living in the city.

SARAH WELLS.

Around Sarah Wells much of the history of Hamptonburgh is woven. Shewas born in New Jersey, opposite Staten Island, April 6, 1694, anddied April 21, 1796, aged 102 years, leaving 355 living descendants.Her husband was William Bull, an Englishman from Wolverhampton. Thefamily left there for Dublin in February, 1689. At Wolverhampton thechurch register shows the records of the family back to 900 A. D. Thelate claim is that William Bull, son of John Bull, and grandson ofJosias Bull, of Kingshurst Hall, who emigrated in 1715, settling atHamptonburgh, Orange County, New York, is identical with the husbandof Sarah Wells. But whether Kingshurst Hall is in Wolverhampton wecannot say at this moment. However, the coat-of-arms belonging to theBulls of Kingshurst Hall has been engraved and virtually accepted byMr. Ebenezer Bull, of Hamptonburgh, as that of his ancestors.

Christofer Denn's share of 2,000 acres in the Wawayanda patent havingbeen set apart, he visited the location and made friends with theIndians living there. The claim was surveyed by Peter Berian and laytouching the northeasterly bounds of the town lots of the village ofGoshen. Its bounds run thus: "Beginning at a stake and stones abouteast of and ten chains from the dwelling-house of General AbrahamVail in East Division; thence northwesterly along the northeasterlybounds of the Goshen town lots, and until it meets with a linesupposed to divide the old counties of Ulster and Orange; thence eastalong the same to a stake and stones known to be standing near thetop of the highland, or mountain above Charles Heard's inHamptonburgh; thence on a course about thirty-six degrees west to theplace of beginning."

Some difficulty arose later in running the survey of other lineswhich interfered with Denn's claim.

To settle it a grant was made after his death in the name of hiswife, Elizabeth "Denne," of 1,140 acres, December 12, 1734. Althoughthe patent had been signed there was a condition that unless asettlement was made on the Wawayanda patent by the end of May, 1712,the title was to lapse. Add to this that six hundred acres were to begiven to the first settler and we may find a sufficient motive forChristofer Denn to become the needed pioneer.

His affairs were embarrassed at the time, and this change from thecity to the wilderness probably offered a much needed retreat for atime at least. He took with him on his return to the city after hisinspection of the land, three young Indians, sons of those whom hehad visited and of the tribe which had parted with their land to thepatentees. They had befriended the surveyors while running out thepatent and had kindly volunteered their services to help him removefrom the city to the patent. All accounts say that three youngIndians went with him to the city and helped to direct the party.

It was Sarah Wells, this slender, dark-eyed little girl of sixteen,whom Denn chose to go forth alone with the men to conquer thewilderness. When he told her, she was sick with terror at thethought that in the latter part of her journey her only companionswould be the carpenters and half-naked savages, who might attack herat any moment.

The carpenters sent to build the log house, of whom there were two,knew nothing of the country, and had treachery been intended thewhites must have been defenseless.

Denn, being in straitened circ*mstances at the time, the otherpatentees came to his assistance and supplied the sloop and crew andcows and horses to assist in the settlement which, according toEager, was to hold the Wawayanda Patent.

The present family believe him to have been correct in regard totheir history, for he was a descendant on his mother's side. He givesa full and romantic account of this journey, from which we can onlygive extracts.

He says: "As this portion of our narrative was derived from Sarah inafter life, we purpose to place an inventory of the various articlesof outfit before the reader, that he may judge of its nature, extentand value, which are as follows: Two pack horses with bells on, twomilk cows with bells, two dogs, two Irish Brahmas, one spade, twopails, two beds and bedding, one small and one large kettle, woodtrenchers and bowls, candlesticks and candles, a pair of trammels, afrying pan, small tin plates for saucers, coffee pot with coffee,teapot, chocolate, tin canister with tea, silver teaspoons and sugartongs, small china teacups and saucers, bundle of cloths, saddlebags,pillow saddles, knives and forks, some potatoes, wallets, medicalcordials in vials, refined sugar in small pieces, brown sugar inrolls, flour, biscuit, ham in small sacks, some trinkets, ribbons andsmall knives for the Indians."

There may have been other articles not enumerated. As Denn bade Sarahgood-bye in a subdued voice and tones of affectionate regard, hesaid: "Sarah, you have been kind and dutiful to us thus far, and yourpresent conduct confirms us in your kindness. The duty you have toperform is new and may be fatiguing, but must if possible beaccomplished now or the season may be lost. The workmen will takecare of you while on the boat and afterwards, while the Indians, ofwhose friendship I have no doubt, will guide you through the woodsto the place selected for our dwelling. This work is very importantand what you do for Madam Denn and me is also done for the benefit ofthe company." He ended thus: "God save and bless you, Sarah."

The Indians faithfully performed their part and the one who was givenespecial charge over Sarah's horse (after the party landed on thebanks of the Hudson near Cornwall), although half-naked, as were theother two, watched carefully her comfort. Their eyes were piercing,their voices harsh and grating, yet Sarah's attendant showed adeference; and gentle anxiety to please that many white men of to-daymight envy.

Sarah mounted on the second horse, sat upon beds and bedding withmany small articles around her and managed her horse with greatdifficulty. The Indian marched close by her side, helped her on andoff her horse, and pointed out many things in the woods calculatedto interest her attention and draw her out in conversation. Notinfrequently he plucked an early flower as it sprang up by thewayside, and calling her attention to it, tasted its leaves and thenpresented it for acceptance.

They arrived on the bank of the stream, now the Otterkill, oppositethe spot which Christofer Denn had selected as the place of hisresidence. Thus the journey in full twenty miles of pathless forest,with occasional thick underwood, was performed in a single day.

They built a fire beneath a tree whose branches guarded them fromdampness. They put boughs of trees upon forked sticks driven into theground and laid the beds there to escape the snakes, and thecarpenters lay down and slept well till morning, but Sarah dreamedand slept fitfully, while the Indians threw themselves on the groundwith their feet to the fire and slept all night. Whenever Sarahroused herself to look about, "her Indian" made signs to her that allwas well and he was guarding her. The next day the carpenters built awigwam of split logs resting on end against a frame of poles 16 by 18feet with a ditch about it to carry off rain. It had a slanting roofwith a hole three feet square in the peak for the escape of smoke,the fireplace being below it.

The goods were first unpacked and plates set on the table for supperthe second evening of their arrival, when one of the Indians saw twopeople at a distance, and going to reconnoiter, found Madam Denn andher husband. They had been so overcome by the parting from Sarah andthe enormity of their conduct in sending her on such a perilousadventure, that they had followed her on horseback up through NewJersey as fast as they could, and arrived in time for the first mealin the new wigwam. On seeing them at the door she fainted at theirfeet.

It is only just to say that the friendship thus begun between Sarahand the Indians continued to the end.

When the Indians were most hostile to others in the neighborhood thefamily could always give a safe refuge to the many who sought ashelter under their roof when night came.

WILLIAM BULL.

In 1716 William Bull entered on the scene. Born in Wolverhampton,England, February, 1689, his youth was, however, passed in Dublin,where his father moved when he was small.

He was apprenticed to learn the trade of a mason and stone cutter.When his apprenticeship ended he and a young friend took thecontract to build a large arch for a bridge being constructed nearDublin. Tradition says: One Saturday night the work was nearly doneand the arch finished but for the keystone. He begged the men toremain and put it in place, so completing the work, but they refused.On going down to see it on the next morning he found it fallen andhis fortunes with it. It had carried with it his all andimprisonment for debt—as far as he knew it might be for life—staredhim in the face.

There was a ship lying at the dock which he knew was sailing that dayfor New York. He searched his pockets and discovered five guineaswith which and a few books he boarded the vessel. The captain onbeing asked if that much money would take him to America, answered itwould. On reaching New York the captain told him the money hadbrought him, but had not paid his full passage and he must be soldfor the balance. Bull was highly indignant and refused to leave theship. He replied that he would return to Ireland and face his debts.Daniel Cromline, who also had a share in the Wawayanda patent, heardthat an Irish ship was in dock, and hoping to procure some workmenhad it proclaimed on board the ship. Bull felt that Providence andstrangers would help him, and on telling his story to Mr. Cromlinethe money was advanced and they traveled together as far asGreycourt. Here he did the mason work on the old stone Greycourthouse in 1716.

This was long a public inn on the way from the Hudson to New Jersey,and was a famous resort for the people around.

William Bull lived in the Cromline family, whose patent was not farfrom that part of the Wawayanda patent on which Mr. Denn had settled.They were in fact neighboring families, and so William Bull metSarah Wells. They loved each other and were married in 1718.

The ceremony took place in the new double log house of ChristoferDenn, and as Bull was an Episcopalian and desired to be married bythe rites of his church they did not know how to proceed. There wasno church nor a clergyman who could proclaim the banns three weeks,but courts of justice had been established and a magistrate was inthe neighborhood.

They decided that circ*mstances alter cases and summoned theirguests. All being assembled the magistrate carrying the prayer bookproceeded first to the front door and proclaimed the banns to thetrees of the forest, then through the hall to the back door where heproclaimed it to the cattle and the outbuildings. He madeproclamation then once more from the front door to the wilderness atlarge and then performed the marriage ceremony. The wedding dress wasof homespun linen delicately embroidered by the bride, and is now inthe possession of one of her descendants, who has exhibited it at thefamily picnic held each year on the last Wednesday in August in thegrove at Campbell Hall.

Later Sarah Wells Bull asked for and received the promised reward of100 acres from Christofer Denn for having gone alone at his biddingto settle his claim and save his title.

William Bull and Richard Gerard received a grant joining Denn's of2,600 acres, August 10, 1723.

On the 100 acres given to Sarah, Bull built a barn of hand-sawedplanks. These were of ash, rived, and the shingles of split pine andput on each with two pegs. This barn is still in use and never hasbeen painted. Afterwards he built the stone house in 1727 on his ownland near by, and it is still occupied by the family and probablywill stand for generations to come. It is built on a rock, with aspring in the cellar, and before the house was quite finished inSeptember, 1727, an earthquake which was felt for 1,500 miles,cracked the east side of the house and the crack can still be seen.The lightning struck it in 1767-8, but only slight damage was done toits thick stone walls. The house has two stories of eleven feet each,with basem*nt and a good-sized garret. It is a truly fine house forthose times. Mr. Bull called his place Hamptonburgh, fromWolverhampton where he was born. There were eight children born tohim.

FEATURES AND SETTLERS.

Stephen Jayne.

Daniel Jayne.

Joseph Hildreth.

Adam Miller.

Isaac Tobias.

David Bloomfield.

Gilbert Roberts.

Lawrence Ferguson.

Daniel Harrison.

Daniel Miller.

Joseph Gold.

Henry Davenport.

Israel Osmun.

Ezekiel Osmun.

Henry Hall.

William Cooper.

Samuel Lows.

Jacob Lows.

Hamptonburgh township as it now stands was set apart in 1830 from thetowns bounding it. It is in the form of an irregular hexagon, itsnorthern extremity a point and Montgomery bounding it on thenortheast and northwest, with the Wallkill river running betweenWallkill township on the west and Montgomery on the northwest, whileGoshen is on the southwest, Blooming Grove the southeast and NewWindsor on the east.

The Otterkill circles through the town adding picturesqueness to thefields it waters, while high ridges and fertile valleys vary thescene. The Goshen and Montgomery State road runs northeast throughthe western part of the town and the Little Britain State road joinsit at Clark's Crossing. Mr. Clark's farm, once the Denniston Bullfarm, is now in the hands of the New York and New Jersey Railroad,and the road is being constructed. It is claimed that this will putCampbell Hall within one hour of New York City, instead of the threedays' journey by sloop and horseback which Sarah Wells had toundergo.

At Campbell Hall Junction four railroads center, the Ontario andWestern, the Central New England, the Wallkill Valley Division of theN.Y. C. & H. R. and the Erie, while the Lehigh and New England runsthrough the eastern part of the town from north to south, withstations at Hamptonburgh, Girard and Burnside, thus making thissmall town of more than proportionate interest in the county.

There are six rural schools and one church now in the town. This isthe Presbyterian church at Campbell Hall, where also are the storesof Alexander Brothers and C. B. Howell, a meat market, a creamery anda blacksmith's shop, and the surrounding houses with neat lawns makean attractive hamlet.

The two-room schoolhouse stands in a grove of oaks on a hilloverlooking the Otterkill where the old church stood before it wasmoved to Hamptonburgh proper. Now that building stands empty and onlythe graveyard tells the old story. The name Campbell Hall came from aColonel Campbell who lived there. His house was back of what is nowthe Bertholf house. "Col. Campbell was a Scotchman, the father ofMrs. Margaret Eustace, who was the mother of Gen. Eustace of theRevolutionary army of France, both of whom, we believe, died in thevicinity of Newburgh thirty or thirty-five years since." (Eager in1846-7.) In speaking of Mrs. Eustace he notes her dignity of mannerwhen she resided at Campbell Hall; also of her husband, DoctorEustace, who was from the South, he says there was a secret not fullyunderstood which embittered the last years of her life and herfather's.

Campbell Hall owes much to Mrs. Matilda Booth Gouge. Her husband,Mr. George Gouge, conducted a large creamery business there foryears, and on his death he left his widow more than comfortablyprovided for. There were no children and Mrs. Gouge did many kindthings for her neighbors before her death. She gave the ground onwhich the church was built and a large house for a parsonage close tothe church. She also educated a colored man for the ministry. On herdeath she willed her large residence with its furniture for a morecomfortable home for the pastor and her farm of 100 acres to thechurch with $5,000 in bonds. Most of the buildings in the village arebuilt on land purchased from her. Her birthplace was near and is nowowned by Mr. C. B. Howell.

Burnside has a sawmill, a store and a Borden's creamery. Post officesare in each place and the R. F. D. comes out from Montgomery. Thiscloses the helpful public activities of the town, but fine hotels,with bars, make an addition not to be omitted. It is impossible tofollow closely all the different family fortunes of those who makethe records of to-day; our allotted space is too small.

There are two of the original grants on which the descendants of thepatentees are still living. These are the Richard Gerard and WilliamBull grants.

The one of 2,600 acres was dated August 10, 1723, on which, by amistake of calculation, the carpenters erected the first wigwam in1712, followed by the William Bull stone house.

The second grant lay partly in Wallkill, partly in Hamptonburgh,divided unevenly by the Wallkill River, William Bull, Esq., thegreat-great-grandson of the first one of the name here, lives uponthe western portion, and the stone house known as Hill-Hold on theeastern part, belongs to the descendants of the third son of WilliamBull—Thomas Bull, Robert McLeod Jackson and Margaret Eleanor Jacksonand their mother, Margaret Crawford Jackson, wife of Robert McDowellJackson, son of William Wickham Jackson.

The stones in the house were cut in the fields by the builder, ThomasBull, as he had time for the work between planting and reaping. Itwas years before he was ready to build. Paneling was brought fromEngland for the east and west sides of the two large first-floorrooms. Also solid mahogany balls for the newels and mahoganybalusters. The walls are two feet thick, with open fireplacesthroughout the house and massive chimney stacks on the east and west.This house also stands on a rock, is in good repair and has abeautiful situation on a hill.

Thirty years ago Mr. Charles Backman bought the road house by StonyFord bridge, known as the Sutton House, with race track, and began toimprove Orange County's fine trotting stock. Little by little hebought the adjoining farm land until he owned 640 acres and remadethe mile of road from Stony Ford to La Grange into as fine a highwayas are the best State roads to-day.

His house was visited by many noted people, among them General Grantwhen President, and General Benjamin F. Tracy, now ex-Secretary ofthe Navy. Mr. J. Howard Force now owns the place. General Tracy ownedfor a few years a farm in Goosetown or LaGrange, which he namedMarshland and greatly improved. This also was a stock farm for finehorses; it is now in other hands. Mr. Backman bought part of theValentine Hill farm originally belonging to Andrew Wilson, who was aprivate in Colonel James McClaughrey's regiment of Little Britain. InOctober, 1777, he was one of the hundred men sent out from FortMontgomery to intercept the British, who were 5,000 strong andcommanded by Sir Henry Clinton in person.

Here is a dispatch from Governor Clinton, dated October 7, 1777, theday after the fort was taken: "We received intelligence that theenemy were advancing on the west side of the mountain with design toattack us in the rear. Upon this ordered out Colonels Bruyer andMcClaughrey with upwards of 100 men towards Doodletown with a brassfield piece, with a detachment of sixty men on every advantageouspost on the road to the furnace. They were not long out before theywere attacked by the enemy with their whole force; our people behavedwith spirit and must have made great slaughter of the enemy."

Andrew Wilson was here taken prisoner and when an English soldierordered him to take off his silver shoe buckles he refused and wasknocked down by the butt of a musket and his buckles taken. He layon the sugar hulk for two years and believed he was treated withgreater indignity than others because of his refusal.

After his release he lived on the farm mentioned on the east bank ofthe Wallkill. His son James died first, he himself in 1804. He lefttwo sons and a daughter. John lived and died in Goshen. His son,Andrew, raised two companies in 1812, the first he turned over to hisintimate friend, Burnett of Little Britain, that they might not beseparated; the second gave him a commission as lieutenant in theregular army. Afterwards he became captain and was in charge atGovernor's Island. He married a daughter of William Bull, ofWallkill, Milinda Ann, and made a home in Goshen. He was sent to theLegislature from there in 1819. He was prominent in the temperancemovement, also the Bible society and the church life of Hamptonburgh.

The first pastor settled at Hamptonburgh was the Rev. James R.Johnson, formerly of Goshen. The tide of prosperity in the town wasexpected to set to the east, about the new church, but the hopes werenot fulfilled, and little by little Campbell Hall became theestablished center. The Rev. Slater C. Hepburn was called after Mr.Johnson and was installed July 2, 1850, and died in Campbell Hallafter serving his people forty-five years.

Able B. Watkins was an early settler near the Denns and had a familyof ten children.

In 1749 Silas Pierson came from Long Island and took possession ofwhat long was known as the old shingle house on the Pierson farm,a mile northeast of Hamptonburgh church. This house was burned thisspring of 1907, April 13th. The eastern half was built of squaredlogs up to the eaves.

On the 8th day of July, 1760, James De Laney, Esq., his Majesty'slieutenant-governor and commander-in-chief in and over the provinceof New York and the territories depending thereon, signed acommission appointing Silas Pierson to be captain of the company ofmilitia foot lately commanded by John Bull, Esq. This was near theclose of the French and Indian War, when England had determined todestroy the power of France in America. The militia was liable to becalled out at any time to defend the settlements against the attacksof the Indians and to avenge their wrongs.

In 1775 Silas Pierson was captain in Jesse Woodhull's regiment; laterhe was captain of a light horse company in the Revolution. SilasPierson and Silas Pierson, Jr., were among the many signers of thepledge in the Cornwall precincts, in which they declared that theywould never become slaves and would aid the Continental Congress inopposing the arbitrary acts of the British Parliament. JoshuaPierson, grandfather of George Pierson, Sr., was a private in Col.Jesse Woodhull's regiment in 1777 at the age of sixteen, and wentwith the regiment under the command of Major Zachariah Du Bois toassist in the defense of Fort Montgomery.

The family of Mr. William Henry Pierson still resides on the oldfarm. His wife was Miss Elizabeth Bull of the "stone house." Hisdaughter Lucile married Harry Bull, of Wallkill, who, like hisfather, is justice of the peace. It thus appears that in a largedegree the history of Hamptonburgh township is the history of theBulls, for marriage has linked the family with so many otherwell-known names.

We would like to give a list of the men who have served assupervisors and also as elders of the church. Indeed our story couldwell lengthen itself into a small volume were all to be told whichis of interest in our little town. We have tried to keep a class offacts which hold more than a passing and local interest.

We have drawn for our material upon such published records as havebeen within our reach, and have consulted with persons who haveknowledge of such points as may have been in dispute.

Let us hope we have wronged no one in anything said or left unsaid,and have disseminated no more false facts than are unavoidable withthe most conscientious historians.

CHAPTER XIX.

TOWN OF HIGHLANDS.

By Captain Theodore Faurot.

This is one of the younger towns of Orange County, only those ofTuxedo and Woodbury having been born later. It is, in fact, onlyabout thirty-five years old. But for scenic beauty and native charmit easily outranks every other town in this county, if not allothers on the Hudson River. The fame of the Hudson River Highlandsis worldwide, and it is in this little town that the culmination ofthis native grandeur and picturesque beauty is reached. No one whohas ever sailed up or down the Hudson, and who has not, will spend amoment wondering why this township was thus named.

The general shape or contour of the town, laterally, may be roughlyclassed as triangular. But the topographical surface is far moredifficult to classify. It has the most extended river frontage of anytown in the country, it being some nine or ten miles, beginning atCro' Nest, in the town of Cornwall on the north, and reaching belowFort Montgomery, to the Rockland County line.

It is bounded on the north by the town of Cornwall, on the east bythe Hudson River, on the south by Rockland county and the town ofWoodbury, and on the west by Woodbury.

The area of this young town, as now estimated by the Orangesupervisors, is 15,514 acres. In 1879 it was placed at 9,324-1/2acres. This fractional total would seem to indicate that a verycareful survey had been made previous to that time. But nobody hasbeen quite able to explain just how this unique engineering feat wasaccomplished. Looking at the town from the river, the task presentsmany features of serious import, even to the mountain engineer.

The whole thing was valued at $330,600 by the assessors of 1879. Butof course there was nothing allowed for sentiment or native grandeurin that cold, business estimate. Perhaps such things really had nocash value at that time, if indeed they have now. The tax of the townthat year amounted to $2,896.67. In 1906 the total value of this realestate was placed at $857,112. Upon this amount a tax of $8,610.67was levied. This was made up as follows: $3,474.20, general fund;$4,423.37, town audits; $250.02, sworn off taxes; and $0.33,treasurer's credits.

TITLE TO THE LANDS.

Concerning these, previous to the Revolution, little is definitelyknown. The lands around the Point, from which West Point takes itsname, and to the north and west thereof, were originally granted bythe British Crown to Captain John Evans. In 1723 these lands, havingbeen re-assumed by the Crown, the larger portion was granted toCharles Congreve upon condition that he, or his heirs and assigns,should settle there and cultivate at least three acres out of everyfifty acres of land conveyed to him in the grant. The inference is,therefore, that the first buildings at West Point were erected aboutthat time.

This Congreve tract comprised some 1,463 acres, which included thenorthern portion of the Point. But the records do not give the namesof these early white settlers. In March, 1747, another portion ofthis John Evans tract, covering 332 acres, was granted to John Moore,on the same conditions contained in the first grant to Congreve. Thistract adjoined the southwest corner of the Congreve Patent. JohnMoore afterward purchased the Congreve tract and thus became theowner of 1,790 acres in the vicinity of the Point. This hesubsequently devised to his son, Stephen Moore, a merchant ofCaswell, N. C. Then after a forty-year tenure of this land by theMoore family it was finally sold to the United States Government,pursuant to an act of Congress passed July 5, 1790. The deed oftransfer was executed by Moore, December 10, of the same year. Theprice paid was $11,085. The necessity of this purchase was urged uponCongress by Alexander Hamilton, as Secretary of the Treasury, andalso by Henry Knox, who was then Secretary of War, who finallyconducted the negotiations for the purchase for the Government.

Captain John Evans obtained his original grant on petition, March,1694, from Governor Dongan, who had purchased the land from theEsopus Indians. It was described as extending "from Murderer's Creekback," This stream finds the Hudson at Cornwall. Captain Gee, of theancient sloop Federal, who brought stores to West Point between 1790and 1810, seems to have owned a dwelling house near the Point aboutthat time, when it was known as Gee's Point.

Adjoining the Congreve Patent on the south was one of the six tractsoriginally granted to Gabriel and William Ludlow, October 18, 1731,under the conditions of settlement already named. This tract seems tohave passed to many successive owners, as follows:

Richard Williams, of Cornwall; Robert Armstrong, of Sussex County,N.J.; Benjamin Rose, December 1, 1785; John Dunlap, of UlsterCounty, September 6, 1788; and Thomas North, of Cornwall, November22, 1704. North also purchased an adjoining tract on the south fromIsaiah Smith, June 3, 1790, and he held the whole tract for nearlythirty years. Then it passed to Oliver Gridley, of Bergen County,N.J., December 28, 1819. who deeded the same to the United States,May 13, 1824, in accordance with the act of Congress, approved March10, of that year.

At the time of the purchase of the Congreve and Moore grants by theGovernment, Hugh McClellan, a Revolutionary soldier, occupied a smallhouse on the property. In recognition of his patriotic services inthat war he was permitted to remain and cultivate his garden bySecretary of War John Knox. The old soldier spent the rest of hislife there, leaving a wife and a daughter on the premises. Theyfinally claimed the domicile by right of undisputed possession underthe laws of the State. But they were finally dispossessed by theNational Government in 1830, in an action for ejectment. {sic}

In addition to the patents already named the following list ofgrants, covering other parts of this town of Highlands, are found onthe record: Gabriel and William Ludlow, 991 acres, October 13, 1731;Alexander Phoenix, 1,000 acres, July 13, 1750; Thomas Moore and LewisPintard, 1,100 acres, December 27, 1762; Samuel Staats, 400 acres,June 5, 1712; Thomas Ellison, 770 acres, November 12, 1750; RichardBradley, 800 acres, July 30, 1743; Gabriel and William Ludlow, 407acres, October 18, 1731; Vincent and David Matthews, 1,000 acres,November 26, 1761; Gabriel and William Ludlow, 1,437 acres, October18, 1731; Bradley children, 4,290 acres, October 30, 1749; Vincentand David Matthews, 800 acres, November 26, 1768; William and EdwardWilkin, 1,305 acres, April 15, 1768; John Osborne, 1,850 acres, March14, 1775; Thomas Moore and Lewis Pintard 2,900 acres, December 23,1762; Smith and Wilkin 100 acres, April 15, 1768; Moore and Osborne,150 acres, March 14, 1775; Smith and Wilkin, 190 acres, April 15,1768; John Nelson, 550 acres, October 4, 1752; Henry Townsend, 2,000acres; Thomas Smith, 250 acres, June 14, 1750; the Hassenclever &Co.'s tract, 1,000 acres, 1705.

Captain Horace M. Reeve, of the general staff of the United StatesArmy, in his history of West Point during the Revolution, says:"Until the American troops began to cut timber for military purposes,and to crown the surrounding hills with forts and redoubts, WestPoint and the neighboring Highlands were little else than awilderness of rugged hills and virgin forests, presenting about thesame appearance as first greeted Hendrik Hudson when, in 1609, hesailed up the river which now bears his name."

Hudson anchored near West Point September 14, 1609, and he wasprobably the first European that ever saw that section.

Continuing, Captain Reeve says: "Although this tract of country couldnever lend itself kindly to the agriculturist, yet before the adventof the American soldier there were several houses standing at or nearWest Point, which were subsequently used for purposes very foreignto the peaceful intentions of their builders. Two of these becamenoted. One was 'Moore's House' at West Point, used by Washington ashis headquarters during the whole, or a part, of the time he wasstationed at West Point—from July 21, 1779, until November 28. Theother was the 'Robinson House,' and was situated on the eastern shoreof the Hudson, about two miles below West Point. It was used as amilitary hospital and afterward as the headquarters of severalsuccessive general officers, among whom was Benedict Arnold, who wasin this house when apprised of Andre's capture. It was from thishouse that Arnold made his escape."

The Moore house stood in Washington Valley, near the river, a shortdistance from the northeast corner of the present cemetery. It wasbuilt prior to 1749, and was a pretentious structure for that period,being known as "Moore's Folly."

Every foot of land in these Highlands has its memories of theRevolutionary War, and this town contains the culminating features ofnative grandeur not only, but also the vital strategic point on thefamous river which figured so conspicuously in the war forindependence, and will continue to fill so many important pages ofour national history for all time to come.

These great hills of grandeur and beauty extend along the entireriver front from Stony Point on the south to old Storm King on thenorth. Scientists tell us that these vast mountains of primitive rockare composed of granite, gneiss and syenite, with veins of trap. Butregarding the formation of these towering masses of rock bothgeologists and laymen have only speculated and guessed for more thana century, as their descendants and successors will continue to dofor ages to come, and leave the maze of mystery as dark and deep asever. We can only wonder and admire, while scientists wrestle withthe mighty problem of creation here presented.

Just now, as the writer is gathering these data for this connectedrecord, he finds that the great mystery concerning the formation ofthis particular region has become even more obscure than ever throughthe developments of the vast engineering project now under way offStorm King Mountain. In the effort to find a solid rock bottombeneath the Hudson at this gate of the Highlands, through which toconstruct the great aqueduct which is to convey the Catskill Mountainwater to New York City, the engineers have bored the river bottom toa depth of 700 feet, and are still baffled. Geologists predicted thatthis rock would be found at least at 500 feet. But now they are allat sea and frankly admit that their supposed knowledge as to the bedof the Hudson at this point was totally wrong. Some expected thatrock would be reached even at 100 feet. But now the engineers saythey may have to go down 4,000 feet before they can find proper rockthrough which to build their aqueduct which is to carry 800,000,000gallons of water daily at a pressure of 200 feet per square inch. {sic} Theold bed of the river is evidently covered with the drift and silt ofa*ges. And who will say when and how this vast body of water brokethrough these adamantine hills, or by what Cyclopean process ofupheaval they were formed?

There are several small streams that flow into the Hudson atdifferent points in this town; one just south of Cro' Nest, others atHighland Falls and Fort Montgomery. The pretty cataract, called"Buttermilk Falls," from its characteristic resemblance to thatacidulous fluid, as it tumbles over the rocky shelves in fantasticglee in its haste to reach the river, is admired by every tourist.There are also other streams which become tributaries of Popolopen'sCreek, which finds the Hudson at Fort Montgomery.

The town also contains many inland ponds or small lakes, such as BogMeadow Pond, Round Pond, Long Pond, Cranberry Pond, Mine Pond,Popolopen Lake and Highland Lake. Strangely enough, many of theseponds have been left without more appropriate names. This HighlandLake, just south of Fort Montgomery, is about 150 feet above theHudson, and about half a mile long by one-eighth of a mile wide, andis fed by its own springs. "Blood Lake" and "Hessian Lake" are someof its more ancient appellations, bestowed, according toRevolutionary tradition, because of a company of Hessians who wereslain there when Sir Henry Clinton captured Fort Montgomery.

It is now proposed by the New York authorities to locate a new StatePrison in the vicinity of this lake, which is northwest of IonaIsland in the Hudson. Most of the region in that immediate section isa wild rocky forest, and sparsely populated. Half a mile or more westof the river, however, there is a comparatively level plateau, some200 acres in extent, from which a fine view of both reaches of theHudson is obtained. This is included in the site which has beenselected for the prison. Part of it, however, extends over intoRockland County.

This property, which consists of some 500 acres, was purchased by theState for this prison site, in December, 1907, at a cost of $75,000.It is about six miles below Highland Falls, and it includes HighlandLake and its entire watershed. Whether the name of this new prisonwill be selected from the classic nomenclature which prevails in thatlocality, such as "Doodletown," or "Popolopen," remains to be seen.

"Doodletown Bight," is the classic name handed down from theColonial period, which is here applied to a small bay in the Hudsonwhere small water craft find a safe and pleasant harbor. The newState road which is to run from the New Jersey line to Albany, willpass through the eastern side of this new prison tract. BearMountain, on the west, has an inexhaustible supply of granite wellsuited for building purposes.

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

As before stated, the ancient records are almost devoid of names ofearly settlers in this immediate region, and the presumption is thatthese settlers were comparatively few. Major Boynton, in his historyof West point says: "The interval between the granting of the patentsand the transfer of the titles, down to the period at which theAmerican Revolution commenced, are blanks in historical literature.No traditions even of early settlers are extant, and theprobabilities are that, beyond a settlement made to secure a site orgrant, West Point, being in a region of stratified rocks, heavilycovered with drift deposits, and without a suitable soil forcultivation, remained a mere woodland tract, possessing no highervalue than attaches to similar adjoining points in the Highlandswhich have remained unsettled and uncultivated to this day."

It seems well settled, however, that John Moore, the patentee, reallylocated upon his purchase about 1725. This homestead stood in whathas since been known as Washington Valley, from the fact thatWashington once occupied the same dwelling for a time. The originalhouse, and even the second one, which replaced it, have long sincedisappeared, but the remains of the old cellar were visible for manyyears afterward. This, then, may be regarded as the first point ofsettlement in the town of Highlands. The Moore descendants, thoughinclined toward loyalism, at the outbreak of the war, could not havebeen outspoken or turbulent in their opposition to the Americancause, as their lands were not confiscated. They, however, soon fledto Nova Scotia, but afterward returned to the State of NorthCarolina, where some of them became prominent, one being electedGovernor of the State; and Stephen Moore sold the West Pointreservation to the Government, as already stated. A daughter of JohnMoore married Hugh McClellan about the time the war broke out.Although not in the army, as a soldier, McClellan seems to havefought bravely against the invaders on his own hook, as it were, forthe records contain many instances of his personal prowess. He wasemployed in hauling stone for the erection of Fort Putnam, and on oneoccasion he crossed the river alone and brought powder for theContinental Army at West Point at the risk of his life or capture.

James Denton, who came from Newburgh, seems to have settled at thePoint some time afterward. He had married into the McClellan familyand became active in pressing the claim against the Government forthe title to the old homestead there by reason of possession. Thesedescendants also claimed certain rights which came from the Moorefamily direct and were not reserved in the deed to the Government,although antedating that transaction, as they contended. Then, too,it may be added in their behalf, the suit for ejectment wasterminated by a compromise, the widow of McClellan being paid acertain sum to surrender her claim.

In the vicinity of Highland Falls Cornelius Swim seems to have beenthe pioneer settler. This family originally came from England about1686 and settled on the east side of the Hudson opposite West Point,forming part of a colony there. They were offered an extensive tractof land there at that time for ten cents an acre. But not beingpossessed even of this modest amount of money, they were afterwardobliged to leave when a more fortunate immigrant took the tract atfifteen cents per acre. The Swims, Faurots and Roses came toHighlands in 1725. Cornelius Swim had six sons and six daughters,most of whom settled in the vicinity. He was finally killed by aBritish scout for refusing to tell where certain army supplies werehidden.

Cornelius Gee was another ante-Revolutionary settler at West Point,who came from the Colony opposite. He afterward established a ferryfrom West Point, then known as "Gee's Point," to Constitution Islandopposite, being associated with Jacob Nelson in the enterprise. Thiswas called "Nelson's Ferry." Nelson also lived in the colony on theeast shore of the river opposite the Point and he had seven children.Only one of these, however, seems to have settled on the west side ofthe river. This ancient ferry is frequently mentioned in theRevolutionary annals; and Nelson's Point opposite Fort Arnold,afterward Fort Clinton, was regarded as a most important strategicpoint by Washington, which he carefully guarded.

Tradition has a pleasant little Highland "tea story" connected withthis Gee family which may as well be perpetuated here. "Aunt SallyGee" was the happy possessor of half-a-pound of this most delectableand very scarce beverage that caused so much trouble between themother country and her dependent Colonies on this side of theAtlantic, at the outbreak of hostilities. It is said that while theflames that were destroying Fort Montgomery illuminated this entireregion, announcing the triumph of the British forces, "Aunt Sally",giving up all as lost, resolved upon having a final cup of tea toassuage her grief before fleeing for her life. Grabbing the oldteapot from the shelf, she tossed the entire, half-pound of tea intoit in her haste, determined that none should be left for theredcoats. But the decoction proved all too strong and bitter even forher tea-stained palate.

An early pioneer in the West Grove section was John Kronkhite, whocame, about the opening of the war, from Westchester County, N.Y.Some of his descendants are still in that region. Moses Clark wasanother early settler there, whose name appears in the Cornwallrecords between 1765 and 1775, which would indicate that he arrivedsome years before the war. Tobias Weygant is also mentioned as anearly West Grove settler. Among other early settlers in the town wereThomas and Joseph Collins, William Cooper, who lived near FortMontgomery, Thomas Cooper, Isaac Garrison, who lived in the MiddleHighlands section, Jonas Garrison, William Horton, Zaccheus Horton,Maurice Havens, David June, who lived near the Rockland county line,D. Lancaster, John Parker, Israel Rose, Samuel Rockwell, S. Sheldon,Birdseye Young and James Stout. Isaac Faurot was also an ancientresident in the Highland Falls section, who was a deckhand on thefirst steamboat "Cleremont" that went up the Hudson under CaptainWiswell in 1807. Captain Faurot, a descendant, is still a resident ofHighland Falls.

ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWN.

Like several other of the younger towns in Orange county, Highlandswas the offspring of convenience and expediency. Its formation becamein fact almost a matter of public necessity owing to the peculiarconditions prevailing. The old town of Cornwall consisted of athickly settled region north of the mountains, and the widelyseparated localities of Highland Falls and Fort Montgomery far to thesouth. Communication between these two ends of the township was inthose days very slow and inconvenient. The transaction of officialbusiness of the town was very expensive and almost impracticable.Boats had to be chartered to carry voters to the town meetings. Thusthe division of the town, which was authorized by the countysupervisors in 1872, met with little opposition.

The first town meeting of the new town was held at the house ofCharles Engleskircher, March 4, 1873. William Avery was then chosenthe first Supervisor, and a full list of town officials was selected.Avery was succeeded by Jeremiah Drew in 1874, who continued in theoffice several years. John A. Cook held the office one term and wasfollowed by Hon. Louis F. Goodsell, who was supervisor eighteenyears. Jacob L. Hicks was elected in 1905 and was succeeded by JohnF. Pierce in the closely contested election of 1907.

VILLAGES OF THE TOWN.

Of these, West Point, if it can be called a village, is the moreimportant. A post-office was established here at an early period ofthe nation's history. Major Roger Alden was the postmaster for someyears, and was followed by Mr. Hoh. In 1835 Prof. Claudius Berardsucceeded to the office and held it until his death in 1848. Hiswidow was then appointed and remained in office until 1870 when shewas succeeded by A. B. Berard, who was still there in 1880.

The place is composed almost entirely of the great Military Schoolof the nation in all its varied departments and imposing structures.Aside from this there is very little business, except that arisingfrom the extensive improvements now in progress by the government.The noted old West Point hotel is still standing, and in operation,although even this is soon to be demolished under the plans for themodern reconstruction of the post, which are being carried out on avast scale and at great expense.

The importance of West Point during the Revolutionary period is toowell understood by every student of our national history to need anyfurther emphasis or exemplification in this connection. It is visitedby thousands from every land annually as the great show-place of thenation and river. And the rare native charm of its location enshrinesit as the beauty spot of America.

Busy Highland Falls, adjoining West Point on the south, wasincorporated in 1907. It is located on the Big Meadow Brook whichtumbles over the rocks into the Hudson at this point in a mostattractive cataract, which gave the village its name. It was firstknown as "Buttermilk Falls," under which name the post-office wasestablished there July 14, 1849. Cornelius Nelson was the firstpostmaster, but President Buchanan removed him and appointed TimothyO'Leary in his place. He was reinstated, however, at the close ofBuchanan's term, and held the office in all about thirty years.Joseph F. Stephens, the present postmaster was appointed in 1901.Although still invested with much historic charm because of its 200years' existence, the village now presents a pleasing modern aspect.There are many business houses, stores and shops. There are twonational banks, both organized in 1907. A library and reading room,and a village improvement society. A weekly newspaper was establishedin 1891. South of the village overlooking the Hudson are somecharming private residences including those of John Bigelow, MajorGeneral Roe, ex-Senator Goodsell and J. Pierpont Morgan. The place isa favored summer region because of its picturesque naturalenvironment. The most imposing structure in the village isLadycliff Academy conducted by the Franciscan Sisters. This propertywas originally Cozzen's and later Cranston's Hotel, and was purchasedand opened for its present purpose in 1900. Extensive additions andimprovements have since been made. The enclosed grounds cover an areaof twenty-two acres. There is an average attendance of one hundredand ninety pupils, and the regular courses give the educationacquired in advanced high schools.

The old Revolutionary Fort Montgomery, which stood on Popolopen'sCreek, where the stream empties into the Hudson, is perpetuated by asmall hamlet with the same name. It makes no boast of its businessimportance and points only to its patriotic history. It is, however,the shipping point of large quantities of iron ore from the Forest ofDean Mines some six miles west of this point.

West Grove is a pretty hamlet in the mountain section northwest ofHighland Falls. It was settled at an early date and the environmentis among some of the attractive lakes and ponds of the town.

SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES.

For the school records pertaining to this specific region between1813 and 1856, the reader is referred to the parent town of Cornwall.There are three common school districts in the present town, inaddition to the Post school at West Point which is maintained for thechildren of the soldiers and officers of the post. District No. 2comprises the Highland Falls and Fort Montgomery schools. GeorgeW. Flood, school commissioner for the eastern district of OrangeCounty, is a resident of Highland Falls.

The First Presbyterian Society was incorporated October 12, 1830,with William Howe, of Buttermilk Falls, Samuel Spencer of West Pointand Peter Meeks of West Grove as trustees. It was decided to erecttwo churches for the better convenience of the separate settlements,one near Buttermilk Falls, and the other in the Fort Montgomerysection. These churches were open to other denominations undercertain regulations. In 1850 the society was reorganized under thename of "The First Presbyterian Church of the Highlands." Thefollowing trustees were then chosen: David Parry, Cornelius Nelson,Charles P. Smith, Alexander Mearns, and John M. Hall. The Rev. E. P.Roe, the famous novelist, who then lived on his fruit farm inCornwall, was the pastor of this church for several years, beingsucceeded by Rev. Mr. Williams.

The First Methodist Church at Fort Montgomery was incorporatedJanuary 11, 1831, with the following trustees: Thomas Potter, Ebenezer Bull, Michael Jaquish, Hiram Tyler and Silas Rockwell. Acomfortable house of worship was built soon afterward.

The First Methodist Church at Buttermilk Falls began its careerMarch 4, 1845, with Andrew Swim, David Parry, James Thackara,Charles P. Smith and Wright Dusenbury as trustees. But for somereason the society disbanded soon afterward and the members unitedwith other churches.

The present Methodist Church at the Falls came into existence someyears later, and it continues in a flourishing condition.

The Church of the Holy Innocents (Episcopal), at Highland Falls,was incorporated September 13, 1850, Robert W. Weir and Thomas Webbbeing chosen wardens, and Dennis M. Mahar, W. H. C. Bartlett, A. E.Church, Francis Rider, R. S. Agnew, Thomas Corris, B. R. Alden andR. S. Smith, vestrymen. The church building, which was erectedlargely through the liberality of Prof. Weir of the Military Academy,was completed in July, 1847, being constructed of the native granite.

The Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart was erected opposite theold Cozzens Hotel, at the Falls, in 1875, at a cost of $19,000. Rev.T. J. Early became the first settled pastor.

"MOLLY PITCHER."

The oft-told story of this stout, freckle-faced young Irish patriotof the Revolution is so closely identified with the ancient historyof this locality, where she lived and died, that its omission here,even in this modern history, would be noted with regret.

At the capture of Fort Clinton by the British in October, 1777,"Molly" was "in at the finish." When the enemy scaled the parapet,her husband, an artilleryman, dropped his portfire and fled. ButMolly caught it up and discharged the last gun fired. Nine monthslater, at the Monmouth battle, while she was devotedly bringingwater to her husband, who was serving a gun, he fell dead at her feetfrom a British shot. Although the officer in command ordered thepiece withdrawn, Molly dropped her water-bucket, seized the rammer,and vowed she would fill her husband's place at the gun and thusavenge his death. Next morning, covered with dirt and blood, she waspresented to Washington by General Greene, and was appointed asergeant and placed upon the half-pay list for life. She became auniversal favorite with the army and usually appeared in artillerydress, with a co*cked hat. She was afterward provided for at thePoint by the Government authorities and died in that vicinity aboutthe age of thirty-three.

WEST POINT MILITARY ACADEMY.

Colonel Henry Knox, who was appointed chief of artillery byWashington in November, 1775, was the first to propose theestablishment of a military academy, of the Woolwich type, in thiscountry. In a letter to his wife, dated September 5, 1776, he said:"We must have a standing army. The militia get sick, or thinkthemselves so, and run home." Later in the same month, in a letterto Adams, he wrote: "Military academies must be instituted at anyexpense. We are fighting against a people well acquainted with thetheory and practice of war, and brave by discipline and habit."

Here was the germ of the Military Academy of this nation. In thefollowing October a committee was appointed to "prepare and bring ina plan of a military academy at the army." The Post of West Pointreceived its first garrison January 20, 1778, and work on FortClinton was begun at once. There seems no room for doubt that in thevery midst of the Revolutionary War, at least as early as 1780, andpossibly two years before, an engineer school was in operation atWest Point. There were also a laboratory and library, which was theparent of the present Academy Library, the oldest Government libraryin the United States. It is clear that military instruction of somesort had then begun. Early in 1783, when the success of the AmericanRevolution was apparent, the necessity for this permanent school ofmilitary education was still recognized. General Washington and hisofficers were agreed upon the importance of some such school, andWest Point was generally regarded as the "key to the United States."In 1783 the necessity of retaining West Point for this purpose wasurged upon Congress. General Knox, Secretary of War in 1790, againadvocated the scheme in his report, which was approved by Washington.But it was not until March 16, 1802, that the organic act for theestablishment of the United States Military Academy was finallypassed. This authorized the President to organize and establish acorps of engineers at West Point which should constitute a MilitaryAcademy.

Thus in 1802 ten Cadets of engineers were stationed at West Pointwith their officers, which constituted the Military Academy thereuntil 1812. This force was increased from time to time, and the sumof $25,000 was finally appropriated for the erection of suitablebuildings, and the provision of the library, apparatus and necessaryinstruments for the use of the school.

Previous to this, however, while Washington, Randolph, Knox andHamilton strongly favored the West Point Academy plan, Jeffersondoubted the constitutionality of the scheme. But Washington wasinclined to take the risk, and at his recommendation the West PointSchool was practically started in 1794, it being then held in the oldprovost prison building, which was burned in April, 1796. The schoolseems to have begun in earnest, however, in February of that year.The fire, which had destroyed all the books and apparatus, wasthought to have been of incendiary origin, induced perhaps byopposition to the school. In the following May a parapet for thepractice of field pieces, and some of the early wooden fortificationswere constructed.

In September, 1799, the superintendency of this academy, whichhowever had not yet been legally established, was offered byPresident Adams to Count Rumford, the founder of the Royal MilitaryAcademy of Munich. But nothing came of this ill-advised proposition.For nearly 25 years Washington had labored to establish a NationalMilitary Academy, which he considered of primary importance.

On December 14, 1801, Major Williams, a grand-nephew of BenjaminFranklin, took charge of the school as superintendent. Cadet JohnLillie, writing of his life there from 1801 to 1805, said: "Allorder and regulation, either moral or religious, gave way toidleness, dissipation and irreligion. No control over the conduct ofthe officers and cadets was exercised."

As already stated the academy was legally instituted March 16, 1802,and the school went into full operation on the 4th of the followingJuly. But its ancient history really dates from 1776. The act of 1812established its present form, the main features of which have beenpractically adhered to to this day. Washington is still regarded asits founder, while Knox first proposed and strongly advocated amilitary school of this very type, and Hamilton outlined thewell-considered plan of military education that was finally adoptedand has been pursued ever since.

CHAPTER XX.

TOWN OF MINISINK.

By Charles E. Stickney.

DERIVATION OF THE NAME.

The derivation of the name Minisink is undoubtedly from the Delawarevalley, which was the "Minisink" country of its Indian owners. Theyhad a large village and castle on the Jersey side of the DelawareRiver, opposite a large island in the river, both that and thevillage being known to them and to the early white settlers by thename "Minisink." They were a sub-division of the Lenni-Lenape tribethat somehow became known later by the name of Delaware, from anEnglish lord, who visited the mouth of the river about five minutesonce, and left his unmerited name to the river and its valley as wellas to the tribe of Indians about it. In truth a most foolish freakupon the part of the white people, who had far more deserving namesto give, if they wished to observe and reward more daring explorers.Foolish, too, because the Indian names were just as beautiful, evenmore so than that of the old lord.

This sub-division of the Lenni-Lenape Indians was called the Minsi(wolf), and they were easily recognized from other tribes by thewhite people. In 1663 when Wiltwyck (now Esopus or Rondout) wasattacked, its white settlers declared that they saw the Munsey(Minsi) Indians among their assailants.

In front of their village on the river flats south of the island laytheir great national cemetery covering acres of ground, where manygenerations of their nation lay entombed. Some of them were buried soclose to the river that the sweep of its current often washed awaythe dirt and exposed their bones as the writer saw them. The earlywhite people in the valley, all German, at first assumed that thename Minsi, pronounced by them "munsey," was derived from the factthat the water had at some time been drained by the Water Gap fromthe lands in the valley and that the name was derived from "the wateris gone." We have never found any corroboration of that theory. Thevillage was the source of the name, but what is meant in theLenni-Lenape language we probably shall never know. From theirvillage the white settlers applied it to the whole valley.

William Tietsort, whom they induced to settle among them near presentPort Jervis, and do their blacksmithing, in 1690, found the namethere. Arent Schuyler, who has left on record his diary of the visithe made there to find whether the French spies had been there fromCanada, said of it: "1694 ye 6th, Tuesday, I continued my journey toMaghackemeck (Indian name for the neighborhood of the junction of theNeversink with the Delaware) and from thence to within half-a-day'sjourney of the Minisink." A half-day's journey would about representthe distance to the village and castle of the tribe mentioned, andwhere he was bound.

The Indians who occupied the territory in these three towns were oneof the three divisions of the Lenni-Lenapes. On the first map of thecountry made they were called Maquas, which was later corrected toMunseys and by the English to Minsies. The name of theirheadquarters, Minisink, has come down to us from all the variouslanguages spoken by white settlers as Minisink. That corroborates itas an original Indian word. Every clan or sub-division of the tribesused an accent of their own, so that they were easily distinguished,but the difference was not so radical but that the whole Lenni-Lenapepeople could understand each other. Therefore the name Minisink was aname known over a vast region before the white people came here. Itsmeaning is a mystery which all linguists can guess at with someprobability of nearness.

ORGANIZATION AND BOUNDARIES.

June 23rd, 1664, this region belonged to Holland, at least thatcountry claimed it; but Charles, then King of England, deeded thatday, to his brother, James, Duke of York, a tract "to the northwardas far as the northernmost branch of the Delaware River in 41degrees and 40 minutes north latitude, thence in a straight line toHudson's River, to be called 'Nova Cesaria' or New Jersey." Englandsent over a fleet and captured the whole country in this vicinity alittle later the same year, and that made the Duke's patent valid.

The region under consideration was then a dreary forest, but landspeculators soon began to deal in tracts of it, and New York Provinceclaimed that the line, 41.40 latitude north to the northernmostbranch of the Delaware River, ran from its beginning on Hudson'sRiver to the mouth of the Lehigh River (which they asserted was thebranch of the Delaware referred to in the deed) where is now Easton,Pa.

On the other side the owners of New Jersey claimed that the branchreferred to in the deed was a tributary of the Delaware River at whatis now Cochecton, N.Y. It will be seen that this disputed territorywas of great extent, the apex of the triangle on the Hudson Riverwidening out to a base of near 50 miles from present Easton topresent Cochecton. In this triangle was comprised nearly all of whatwe now call Sussex County, N.J., and, according to the New Jerseyclaim, taking in the present city of Port Jervis and about all of thepresent towns of Greenville and Minisink. The great dispute as to theownership of this triangle lasted for a hundred years and its talesof warfare and contests in courts are of great interest, but notaltogether pertinent to our subject. The start upon Hudson's River isthus mentioned in N.J. Archives, Vol. I, page 531, in 1685-6:"Gawen Lawrie of New Jersey, Governor Dongan of New York and others"fixed at a point nigh Colonel William Merrit's house (see mention infirst census of Orange County) on the west side of the Hudson Riverand "marked with a penknife on a beech tree standing by a small run."How different surveyors could locate the degree of latitude fromthence to such widely different points was explained in old documentsto be the fault of the crude quadrants then used.

In 1704 Queen Anne of England granted 23 persons a patent (deed), fora tract of land which was named "Minisink," because it embraced theland in Minisink along the Delaware River down as far as Big Minisinkisland, and as far north as Peenpack (a nickname for the Gumaersettlement on the Neversink). March 20th, 1765, Alexander Colden, ofNew York, said of this patent, Vol. III, p. 988, Documentary Historyof New York: "It contains not less than 250,000 acres, under the verysmall Quit-rent of nine pounds current money of this Province."

The Wawayanda patent had been granted the previous year (1703) to 12men and the Minisink patent lapped upon it, hence we may wellconclude that the quarrel between the Provinces of New York, NewJersey, the owners of the Minisink patent and those of the Wawayandapatent made a very mixed question of title. There does not appear tohave been any severe contests in the three towns of which we writebetween individual land owners, except those of the large patents. In1767 the Provinces of New York and New Jersey appointed commissionersto run out a compromise line settled upon to run from the apex of thetriangle on Hudson River to the present station at Tri-states, whichwas done and that line has since remained as the boundary between thetwo States. Titles derived from the Minisink patent south of thatline were void, but the titles of landholders in the three towns wereall derived from the New York patentees, hence there followed noconfusion.

During the Revolution there were few changes in county matters, butMarch 7th, 1788, the legislature of the State enacted thatsubdivisions of counties should be called towns instead of precincts.By that act Orange County was divided into the towns of Haverstraw,Orangetown, Goshen, New Cornwall, Warwick and Minisink. The southernboundary of the latter was the State line of New York and New Jersey.

The town of Minisink under that formation was bounded on the east bythe Wallkill River, northeast and north by the town of Wallkill andthe Ulster County line around on the northwest to the Delaware River,and the State line.

In 1798 the town of Deer Park was created and it cut off fromMinisink its over-mountain lands, which had belonged to oldMinisink and thus cut off the base whence the name had been derived.Since then the town has held to the name, a reminder of its oldassociations and of being once the home of a part of the Minsi Indiantribe.

In 1825 the town of Calhoun was formed principally from Deer Park andWallkill, and formed part of the boundary of Minisink on the north.In 1833 the name of Calhoun was changed to Mount Hope.

In 1840 the town of Wawayanda was erected from the northeasternportion of Minisink, and took the place of Wallkill in the boundaryof the former.

In 1853 the town of Greenville was taken from the westerly portion ofMinisink, and fixed the boundaries of the latter as they now are.

GEOGRAPHICAL.

The line between the States previously referred to on a westerlycourse has set-offs to avoid great obstacles in some places, butwhere it bounds Minisink it is a straight line. It crosses theWallkill a short distance south of Unionville.

Millsburg, is a small village, named from the large mills oncelocated on Bodinot's Creek at that place. Extensive saw-mills,grist, cider, and plaster mills, were for a long time kept there byJohn Racine, and did a very large business for years after his death.They are now gone. Down stream a short distance were other grist andsaw mills, of which one, a grist mill, is still in existence andmanaged by Frank Mead. A little farther down the stream were oncevery large woolen carding and fulling mills, where cloth was made ofthe finest quality. These are now in ruins.

Boudinot's Creek has gone by various names, such as Indegot andBandegot, but antiquarians have now settled upon the derivation ofthe name from Elias Boudinot, and the probabilities are that they areright. Elias was a merchant in New York City, and speculated in thelands out in the wilderness, as many others were doing in thosetimes. The records show that he bought, June 10th, 1704, of PhilipRokeby, one-third of his share in the Wawayanda patent; also, August8th, 1707, a twelfth part of the patent. He soon sold out hisinterests in the patent and so far as we have been able to find,never saw the creek in question, and he certainly never made asettlement in this county.

Rutger's Creek was undoubtedly named from the circ*mstance of AnthonyRutger's buying of the widow and son of John Merrit, one-half of theone-twelfth of the Wawayanda patent allotted to Daniel Honan, who hadin 1705 sold it to Merrit.

The creek in question rises in the town of Greenville and flowseastward near Unionville, where it takes a northeasterly coursethrough Waterloo Mills, Westtown, Johnson's, and then southerlythrough Gardnersville to the Wallkill. Its Indian name is not known.

Tunkamoose Creek, a small tributary of the Wallkill near Unionville,has what is claimed to be an Indian name, but we cannot verify it.

The Wallkill is said by Haines to have drawn its name from somefamilies of Walloons who settled by it, and it has also had variousother derivations alleged. Its Indian name is well known. In the veryearly surveys about Franklin Furnace, N.J., in 1712-15, thesurveyors have written the name plainly, Twischsawkin. That this namewas not of a mere local application is shown by the fact that on amap accompanying Smith's History of New Jersey, made and published inLondon, Charing Cross, by Wilham Faden, December 1st, 1777, fromsurveys made in 1769 by the commissioners who ran the State line, thename Twischsawkin is applied to the stream. On that map there is nota settlement marked from Goshen to Mackhackemeck in this county. InSussex County the settlement of the Walling brothers, where JosephWalling kept an inn, now Hamburg, N.J., is marked "Wallins." Theywere located there somewhere about 1725-1730, and a brother settledin this town of Minisink at about the same time, by the river. Wetake him to have been the first settler in the town, and mention ismade of him later. The true derivation of the name Wallkill is due totheir settlements. The name "Wallins" was known far and wide to thestragglers who first came into the neighborhood and the river thatran by their locations, first called by visitors, Wallinskill, about1750 got abbreviated to "Wallkill." The Walloons spoken of by Haineswere undoubtedly "Wallins." The Indian name Twischsawkin has beeninterpreted to mean "abundance of wild plums." A land abounding insnakes comes nearer its true meaning in our study of the Minsilanguage.

Unionville village, assumed to be derived from the union of goodfeelings following the settlement of the line between the States ofNew York and New Jersey, is near that line, and is believed to havebeen settled about 1738. It now has three stores, two hotels, coaland feed stores, a system of waterworks owned by a private company,three churches, and other places of business. It was incorporated asa village in 1871, September 26th. Isaac Swift was the firstpresident.

Westtown, a village so named because it was situated at the westernlimit of the settlements when Goshen was headquarters of civilizationin the county, has three stores, two churches, one hotel.

Johnsons, so-named after William Johnson who gave the land for theMiddletown, Unionville & Water Gap Railroad when it passed throughthe town where the depot is now located, has three good stores, twofeed and coal stores, one hotel, and Borden's large milk and creamplant, and is a place of considerable business.

Gardnersville, on Rutger's Creek, about two and a half milessoutheast of Johnsons, is mostly in the town of Wawayanda, andderived its name from the Gardner family who once owned extensivegrist, saw and cider mills there. It is now mainly known from thefeed mills of John R. Manning, at present its principal industry. Inthe early settlement of the country there was a defensive place near,known as Fort Gardner. Its location is not precisely known. In somerecords it is spoken of as being southward from where Westtown nowis. It was most probably at Gardnersville. An old stone building onthe late Lain farm is the "Fort Gardner," says one tradition.

Waterloo Mills (derivation of name unknown) since the decline of themilling industry has nothing now to show of its former importantgrist mills but the ruins.

FIRST SETTLEMENT AND POPULATION.

Of the first settler in the present territory of this county, PatrickMac Gregorie, whose brother-in-law, David Toshuck, is spoken of inRuttenber & Clark's History of Orange County (p. 13) as having"closed his earthly career in the bosom of his family at Plum Point,"we desire to mention. In New Jersey Archives, Vol. I, p. 460, itsays: "David Toshuck, of Moneyweard, partner with James, Earl ofPerth, Captain Patrick Mac Gregorie, all sharers in Proprieties," wereso mentioned in 1864. In a note on Vol. IX, p. 337, mention is madeof the will of Edward Antill proven in New York, April 7th, 1725,wherein he gives his wife all his interest in a "certainproprietorship formerly purchased of David Toshuck, laird ofMinnevarre." On p. 338 it is stated that "Edward Antill, Jr., cameinto the possession of the laird of Minnevarre's broad acres atRaritan landing in Middlesex County where he spent the most of hislife." Donald Macquirrish, of Murderer's Creek, is mentioned withDavid Toshuck, of Minnevarre, Scotland, in a deed dated March 13th,1687. From all which we have doubts as to the death of the aforesaidDavid Toshuck at Plum Point.

Governor Dongan bought, October 25, 1684, of three Indians, one ofwhom was Joghem or Keghgekapowell, for ninety pounds and elevenshillings in goods, all the land from the mouth of Murderer's Creekon the Hudson, to a "water pond upon the said hills calledMeretange." The latter is the present Binnewater pond in Greenville.This purchase embraced about thirty by forty miles of the territoryof Orange precinct, and a part of the lands in three towns. It lappedon other grants also. September 12, 1694, he sold it to Captain JohnEvans. In the latter sale went a house on Plum Point, which CaptainMac Gregorie had built there on his land by advice of that veryGovernor, who also sold the land without any scruple.

Lord Bellomont, in reviewing the transaction afterwards in writingJanuary 2, 1701, to the Lords of Trade, said:

"Capt. Evans's great grant of 40 miles one way and 30 another, hasbut one house on it, or rather a hut, where a poor man lives, builtby Patrick Mac Gregorie, a Scotchman, who was killed at the time ofthe Revolution here, and his widow compelled to sell her house andland to Capt. Evans for 30 or 35 pounds."

The foregoing was not only a concise history of the first settlementin this county, but it was in reality the first census, and showsthat then, 1701, there was not a single person in the limits of ourthree towns as a permanent settler. It may be said in apparentcontradiction that a census taken by Bellomont in 1698 showed thiscounty to have in it 29 men, 31 women, 140 children and 19 Negroes.They were all located along the Hudson River, in what is now RocklandCounty. Yet there was at that time a blacksmith, William Tietsort(tit*worth), in Minisink, near where Port Jervis now stands, who hadsettled there in 1698 at the request of the Indians to work at histrade for them. In 1703, the county had 268 people in it; in 1712,439. The Gumaer patent was settled on in the Neversink valley by thistime, but there is no record of any settler in our three towns atthat time. In 1723 the census showed 1,097 white and 147 coloredpeople in the county. The owners of the big patents used greatinducements to get settlers to locate on their land, and it isprobable that some were in our territory but not of record. In 1737there were 2,840; and in 1746, 3,268 people in the county.

Inman Walling was a settler, probably 1725-1730, by the Wallkill,east of present Westtown, and John Whitaker died in 1742 near whereUnionville now is, and had been a resident there, no one knows howlong. His will on record in the surrogate's office in Goshen, liberA. page 221, mentions his wife Eve, sons Richard, Peter and John,and daughters Jean and Elizabeth. Their descendants are yetresidents of the town and of Sussex County adjoining. Those twofamilies were probably the first permanent ones in this town ofMinisink. There were others in the limits of what is now Wawayandaat or about the same time.

There were two Smith families early in the precinct of Minisink. Oneof them, Benjamin, settled near the present Slate Hill village, andthe other on the farm now owned by J. Cadigan near Johnsons, where hekept an inn, the place being known as Smith's Village for at leastseventy-five years.

Other settlers came in rapidly. William Stenard in 1749; Captain JohnWisner from Warwick in 1776; George Kimber in 1750; Caleb Clark in1800; William Lane in 1760. In an assessment roll made for Goshenprecinct in 1775 Godfrey Lutes, Peter Middagh, Daniel Rosencrans,Inman Walling, Peter Walling, Increase Mather, John Whitaker, Jr.,and Ebenezer Beers were shown to reside in this town besides theother first settlers mentioned.

The census of the county in 1756 showed it to have a population of4,446 whites and 430 slaves. In 1771 there were 9,430 whites and 662Negroes.

The Horton family were early residents of this territory, but we haveno positive data of their first advent. October 20, 1764, a line runto divide the county into two precincts was described as "beginningnear the new dwelling house of John Manno, and thence on a coursewhich will leave the house of Barnabus Horton, Jr., ten chains to thewestward." His house we do not think was in this town. A BarnabusHorton in 1813 lived near what is now South Centerville in Wawayanda.Gabriel Horton, justice of the peace, 1839-1843, lived about a mileand a half west of present Slate Hill in Wawayanda. William Horton inthis town was a holder of important local offices, and his sonCharles W. Horton, former supervisor, is now one of the leadingcitizens, as is also his neighbor, Reeves Horton.

In 1835, ten years after the town of Calhoun (Mount Hope) had beenset off, the remainder of the territory in old Minisink had 4,439inhabitants, and the present limits of this town about 1,000.

In 1850 the town of Wawayanda was taken off, and in 1853 the town ofGreenville. In 1855, by the first census after their elimination,this town had a population of 1,295.

Since then its limits have remained unchanged. In 1860 its populationwas 1,266; in 1865, 1,209, a decrease owing to the civil war; in1880, 1,360, including the incorporated village of Unionville, whichhad 316; in 1905, the last census taken, 1,354, includingUnionville—a gain in 50 years of 59, which may be mainly said to bein Unionville.

The first incorporated company to do business in the town was theGoshen and Westtown Turnpike Company, chartered June 1, 1812,consisting of Reuben Hopkins, Freegift Tuthill, Benjamin Strong,Stephen Jackson, James Carpenter, D. M. Westcott, "and such otherpersons as they shall associate with them." The purpose was to builda turnpike road from the State line to Rutger's Kill near the mill ofJones & Vancleft (at Gardnersville). Thence it ran to Pellet's roundhill and the Goshen and Minisink turnpike.

The Middletown, Unionville & Watergap Railroad Company wasincorporated and completed ready for business by June 10, 1868, fromUnionville to Middletown. Later it was leased to the Oswego MidlandRailway, and still later its 13.30 miles of track were leased by theNew York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad Company, by which it is nowoperated, under Erie Railroad supervision.

MILITARY.

There appear to have been no conflicts with the Indian owners of theterritory of the three towns under consideration, and its whitesettlers, previous to the Minisink war, or as some historians callit, "The French and Indian War" of 1754-1758. We call it the Minisinkwar, because the Minsi tribe, at the outset of the war between Franceand England, which led to the great struggle between Canada forFrance and the colonies of our country for England, got permission totake up the hatchet against the settlers in Pennsylvania Minisinkfrom their (the Minsis') masters, the Six Nations, to avenge theirwrongs in that region. The wrongs were alleged to be that theproprietors of Pennsylvania had cheated the Indian owners of thelands there, and there is now no doubt that the allegation was true.There was no redress to be had for an Indian wrong in those years.Teedyuscung and the leaders of the Indians issued imperative ordersthat the war should be confined to Pennsylvania and they were prettygenerally obeyed. Occasional straggling parties of them, however, insmall numbers, disobeyed orders in order to avenge some injury tosome person or clan, and passed through east of Shawangunk Mountainson marauding expeditions. They were vagrant Indians who had nostanding as warriors in their tribe and they perpetrated wantonmurders without the knowledge or sanction of their leaders. Of thisclass no doubt were the ones who surprised a man named Owens at workin Dolsen's meadow, in what was then Dolsentown, now in Wawayanda,near Middletown, in 1756, and shot him. David Cooley, who is believedthen to have had a settlement at what is now the Charles O.Carpenter farm near Pine Hill cemetery, about a mile south of whereDolsen was located, alarmed at the murder of Owens, moved his familyto Goshen. The next spring he moved back. That summer a party ofIndians, in passing by his place, shot a woman of his household whoat the time was passing from the outdoor oven to the house.

A company of militia had been organized in 1738 in the county calledthe "Company of the Wallakill (Willinskill)"; but none of the 144names of its members appear to belong to our territory, except it maybe those of John Monell, Lieutenant William Borland, Benjamin Haines,James Monell, Johannis Crane and James Davis. John Bayard was itscaptain.

The murder of the widow Walling in 1758 was mentioned in thePhiladelphia Gazette and in New York papers in that year and madea profound impression throughout the colonies.

In the Revolutionary War, Colonel Allison's Goshen regiment containedsome names belonging to this territory. The officers of its Wawayandacompany were: Captain, William Blair; lieutenants, Thomas Wisner andThomas Sayre, Jr.; ensign, Richard Johnson; of the Drowned Landscompany—captain, Samuel Jones; lieutenants, Peter Gale and JacobDunning; ensign, Samuel Webb; of the Pochuck company—captain,Ebenezer Owen; lieutenants, Increase Holley and John Bronson; ensign,David Rogers; of Minisink company—captain, Moses Courtright;lieutenants, John Van Tile and Johannes Decker; ensign, EphraimMiddaugh. The latter lived in the township of Wantage in 1764, wherehe was commissioned as an ensign of Captain Kirkendal's company byGovernor William Franklin. The late S. M. Stoddard of that townshiphad and exhibited to the writer the last named commission. Middaughwent with General Hathorn to the battle of Minisink, where he waskilled.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The town of Minisink was bonded in 1869, for $75,000 to aid inextending the New York Midland Railroad from Unionville farthersouth. This has not been paid in full yet. The sum of $3,280 wasordered to be raised by tax on the town of Minisink by the board ofsupervisors on the 22nd of November, 1907, to pay principal andinterest on those bonds.

The first town meeting after the town of Minisink was organized, tookplace at the house of John Van Tuyl, April 1, 1789. Its territorythen covered the three towns, and that house supposed to be the oldstone house now in Greenville, on the former Jonathan Van Tuyl farm,later the Hallock house, was a convenient place for the gathering.

August 11, 1864, the present town was bonded for $25,000 to paybounties for volunteers in the Civil War. It was paid off, principaland interest, in eight equal installments as they fell due.

Hulet Clark bought land in Minisink in 1828 in the present town ofMinisink, where he died March 31, 1857. His son, William HarveyClark, early gave evidence of the good judgment and business abilitywhich his future life carried out. He married Emily Robertson ofWawayanda and they lived on the old homestead near Westtown, where hedied in 1907. His son, Robert H. Clark, is the present supervisor ofthis town, resides on the old homestead, and is establishing abusiness reputation as popular and able as that which distinguishedhis father and which will make his name long remembered in localannals.

In March, 1799, the Legislature of the State passed an act for thegradual abolition of slavery. All slaves were to become free at acertain age. As an instance of its working, there was Frank Bounty,a colored man, for whom Joseph Davis of Wawayanda had traded a pairof oxen when Frank was a young man. When the time arrived at whichthe law gave Frank his liberty he was called up by Mr. Davis and toldthat he was then a free man. Frank asked him if he could not stay onwith him, but Mr. Davis said he could not, for the reason that peoplewould then say that he was being coerced. Mr. Davis gave him somemoney and told him he must go and do for himself, and Frank told theWriter that was one of the saddest days of his life.

Mr. Davis also gave him the use of a house and lot in Brookfield orSlate Hill which he might, and did, enjoy for life by paying thetaxes on it. It was the last house on the west side of the street inthe west end of the village at that time. There he raised a largefamily.

Not all Negroes were so lucky. Some of them were old and worn out andtheir masters were glad to get rid of caring for them.

In the early history of the town in all its farming communities, thefarmers raised sheep, and made a double use of them. The rams wereused to churn with on the big wheel and on endless chain churningmachines then used, and the wool sheared from all the sheep wascarded, sometimes by hand, at other times in factories, and woven orspun into stockings, mittens, and cloth, to furnish wearing apparel.Up to 1850, butter was the chief product of the dairies in the town.Then selling milk came into general practice, and making butter,milling flour for home use, and traveling on horseback went out offashion.

The farmers universally kept sheep, raised the wool to make theclothes for the members of the family, and at the same time used thelarge sheep to churn with upon a tread or sweep power. Up to 1850butter and hogs were the chief products. It is less than 200 yearssince the first squatters settled in the limits of the three towns ofwhich we write. The first customs to pass away were their friendlyassociations with the few Indians who clung to their old huntinggrounds with death-like tenacity. Then the hostilities engendered bythe helplessness of the Indians and the consequent overbearingattitude of the settlers passed by, leaving a trail of traditions andsavage memories. Then followed the old logging, stone picking,mowing, husking and quilting bees or frolics in which whiskey wasused as a general beverage. Then came the passing of the use ofwhiskey for the universal medicine and social welcome. Next passedthe days when women carded the wool and spun and wove it, and kniteverywhere, knit, knit, knit. Next passed the days when the youngladies worked samplers, and helped in the harvest and hay fields,and grew up vigorous, stout and healthy. Next passed the fishing withfikes {sic} and racks and the hunting for wolves and foxes. Now havearrived the days when fish and game are about extinct.

Now are the days when the farmers sell their milk and buy theirbutter; when they sell little else than milk and have become a greatgeneration of buyers; when social visits are about unknown; when theold time good-natured sports and merriment are frowned upon; when menno longer meet on the streets and argue politics, but bury themselvesin a newspaper on the trains or in any resting place and read, read,read; when women no longer knit and spin; when the girls no longerwill do outdoor work and dreadfully dislike to do indoor work; when,instead of the big boys and girls going to school a few months in thewinter season, they all go away to boarding school. In noting theseand other changes which have taken place in the towns as the yearshave fled, it is noticeable that the people generally live better,even luxuriously, compared with former years, but are their publicand domestic relations happier?

CHAPTER XXI.

TOWN OF MONROE.

By M. N. Kane.

The territory comprising the present town of Monroe is part of theChesekook Patent granted by Queen Anne, March 25, 1707. TheChesekook tract was surveyed by Charles Clinton, father of Georgeand James Clinton, and grandfather of Dewitt Clinton. His field book,the original of which is in the possession of Hon. MacGrane Cox, ofSouthfield, N.Y. (Mr. Fred J. Knight, Civil Engineer, of Monroe,N.Y., having a copy), contains much information and many interestingincidents of the early history of this section.

The town was set off from the precinct of Goshen in 1764 and namedChesekook. This name continued until 1801, when it was changed toSouthfield. On April 6th, 1808, it took the present name Monroe, inhonor of James Monroe, the fifth President of the United States.

In 1863, the town (like ancient Gaul), was divided into three partsby the erection of the three towns of Monroe, Highland andSouthfield, which division was the same as the present towns ofMonroe, Woodbury and Tuxedo, except that the then town of Monroeembraced a small portion of the present town of Woodbury.

In 1865 the three towns were dissolved and the whole originalterritory restored to the town of Monroe. In 1889 it again underwentthe Gaelic operation resulting in the creation of the present townsof Monroe, Woodbury and Tuxedo. Monroe contains an area of 11,500acres, Woodbury 23,000 acres and Tuxedo 50,000 acres.

The history of this town was written by Rev. Daniel Niles Freeland,who was the beloved and scholarly pastor of the Presbyterian Churchfrom 1847 to 1881, and his volume of two hundred and fifty pages,entitled "Chronicles of Monroe in the Olden Times," is a history ofthe town up to 1898.

LAKES AND MOUNTAINS.

Monroe has in recent years, because of its rugged beauties, itsbeautiful lakes and mountain scenery, its high altitude, pure waterand healthfulness, and its proximity to the Metropolitan district,become a favorite resort for the people of New York and nearbycities, and has made very rapid growth. It is the lake region of thecounty and located on the crest of the mountain divide, the villagebeing the highest station except Otisville on the Erie Railroadbetween Jersey City and Port Jervis. There are four beautiful naturallakes, located from one to three miles from the village, namely,Mombasha, having an area of 340 acres and an elevation of 860 feet,from which Monroe village gets it water supply; Walton Lake, havingan area of 125 acres and an elevation of 720 feet, from which Chesterobtains its water supply; Round Island Lake, ninety acres in area and660 feet elevation, upon the eastern bluff of which Mr. W. M.Haight's beautiful Cedar Cliff Inn is located, and Cromwell Lake withan area of fifty-three acres and an elevation of 740 feet. There area number of smaller lakes which add to the beauty of this region.Among them should be mentioned, the Mountain Lake recently built tothe east of the village, with an area of twenty acres and anelevation of 550 feet, and Lake Winape, a most charming mountain lakenear Mombasha Lake, with an area of eleven acres and an elevation of760 feet, just completed by Mr. George R. Conklin. The constructionof other lakes is contemplated.

The village of Monroe is in the pass on the mountain crest, thewaters from the northern part of the village flowing northeast intothe Hudson near Newburgh, and from the southern part of the villageflowing southeast through the Ramapo, which rises in Round IslandLake, into the Passaic River.

Eager, in his early history of Orange County, with prophetic vision,saw the beauties of this section. He wrote as follows: "These are theGrampian hills of Orange. While this elevated range is severed bymany deep glens and valleys, the Alpine heights hold within theirrocky crests, ponds and lakes of pure water, which glitter likediamonds in the noontide sun. Rude and forbidding as this region ofhills and rocks and mountain crags may at first sight appear to theeye of a superficial observer, yet, to the true lover of nature inthe exhibition of her noblest works, and to the practical mind of thereally utilitarian, for a thousand purposes, the whole is wellarranged and unsurpassed by anything of the kind in the county. Hereare found without stint or measure, granite, mica or isinglass stone,and every quality of iron ore, with other minerals, treasures ofpresent and future wealth to the nation. As early as 1778, during thewar of the Revolution, the great chain passed across the Hudson atWest Point, was made from the mineral of this region. In thisrespect as regards quality and quantity, the county of Orange standsunrivaled by any other in the State.

"The time will come when these hills, mountains, deep glens andsparkling lakes, shall be the descriptive themes of some native bard,who like Scott or Burns, caught up in spirit and wrapped in poeticfire, will harmoniously weave them, one and all, into the thrillinglays of the lowland and mountain muse. The time will come, when theseelevated heights of dreary aspect, these hills overhung and darkenedwith vines and forest trees, and these lakes of picturesque beauty,unknown to the common mind, decorated with the wildest garniture ofnature, and visited by the wing of the wild bird, shall be associatedin the minds of our children's children with all that is pastoral,pleasing and heroic. True, Monroe cannot be made equal inagricultural beauty to other more charming localities, and wave witha golden harvest; for though her hills and mountains may be denudedof their vegetable ornaments, they cannot be leveled down nor drivenover by the plough-share; yet the time will come, when every nook andcorner throughout the broad and variegated mass shall hold afreeman's cottage, teeming with life and highland cheer, whosetenants, honest and hardy, will sleep amidst the thunders which rockthem to rest, and the lightnings that play around and gleam up theirmountain dwellings."

The Rev. Mr. Freeland in writing of its mountains says: "As themountains were round about Jerusalem," so are the mountains roundabout Monroe. On the east are the Highlands, like the mountains ofMoab, seen whenever its citizens look toward sunrise. Ten miles ofrock ridges, with many a peak, defend them on that side. Only one ortwo passes give access in that direction—one over Bull Hill, theother up to the Stockbridge Hotel. Either of these could easily bedefended against an enemy. On the south are Forshee Hill and theSouthfield Mountains. On the west, the Bellvale Mountains andSugar Loaf, standing like a sentinel, overlooking the valley below.Schunnemunk guards the northwest. It has a bastion on the easterncorner. High Point is a weather signal-tower to the observing. Whenit wears its night-cap late in the morning, it indicates fallingweather; when the cap is early doffed, it betokens a serene day. Theblack rocks loom up from the mountain-top, and from their summit awonderful scene presents itself. The eye sweeps the entire horizon,taking in the Catskills, Butter Hill, the Fishkill Hills, Bull andPine Hills, Mount Bashan, Sugar Loaf, Bellvale and Goose PondMountains, with lakes, farms, mines, mills and villages galore. TheDevil's Racecourse lies on the northern slope of old Schunnemunk, butthe visitor needs none of his counsel or company, for he who climbsthese steeps can find sweeter communion nearer to the heart ofnature.

"One other landmark is Bald Hill, very dear to us because at its footwe first hung the crane. Here we toiled and studied, and here thesunshine lingers in our memory longest and our children fell asleep.It is the Acropolis of the village."

And in writing of its valleys he says: "Soils of great fertilitywere laid down here; yes, brought from distant hills to furnish slopeand meadow. Here are alluvions of great depth and good grain lands;but the town is best adapted to grazing. The grasses, like those ofthe Blue Grass region of Kentucky, contain just those elements whichyield fattening and milk-producing qualities. Had the mountains ofMonroe been only a mass of rock, like some parts of Scotland, theymight have been abandoned to the heather and become great solitarysheep-walks; or if they had been only picturesque vales and quietnooks, there would have been a temptation to some lord of the manorto make it his park and country-seat. Heaven had a better destiny instore for it, hence mingled rocks and soils so as to invite the plow,scooped out the water courses to attract the loom and forge, hid awaysuch materials as would bring hither the herd-man and artisan, theabhorrence of lordly pretension and elegant leisure. Monroe, from itsvery physical constitution, was predestined to be the home of honesttoil and frugal industry. In the vicinity of what was to be thegreatest city of the New World, and on the route of its bestapproaches from west to north, wealth and prosperity ought to be itssure reward, and doubtless will when the wisdom of men is able tomaster the situation."

MONROE VILLAGE.

But the growth and development of Monroe depends not alone upon itspicturesque mountains, beautiful valleys and charming lakes, whichattract so many city people, who are fast dotting the available lakeand mountain sites with charming villas and country homes, beautifulinns, hotels and boarding houses, for the village itself is becomingone of the most progressive and bustling of modern towns. Its growthduring the past five years being much more rapid than any othervillage of the county.

Monroe village, incorporated in 1894, with a population of 781, nowhas about 1,200. The incorporation was due in a large degree to adisastrous fire occurring in November, 1892, which showed thenecessity of fire protection.

On July 31, 1894, a vote on the question of incorporation was taken,resulting in favor of incorporation 111 for, and 45 against. OnAugust 21, 1894, an election for officers was held. Henry Mapes waselected president; George R. Conklin, Gilbert Carpenter and HenryMorehouse, trustees, and J. Lester Gregory, treasurer. On August28th the Board organized as a board of water commissioners withGilbert Carpenter, president. At the election held November 10, 1894,to vote for waterworks, there were fifty-eight for and fifteenagainst the proposition. The board of water commissioners took thenecessary steps to acquire water for the village, and the village ofMonroe is largely indebted to this first board of water commissionersfor its splendid water plant which is contributing so largely to itsdevelopment.

The village purchased from the Sterling Iron & Railway Company theright to raise the dam and store additional water at Mombasha Lake.This lake affords one of the purest and finest water supplies to befound in the State. About one mile of 14 inch pipe and two miles of10 inch pipe bring the water to the center of the village with a headof about 250 feet, and distribution is made with 8, 6 and 4 inchpipes. The water was turned on October 10, 1895. No fire has sinceextended beyond the building in which it originated. The cost of theworks was about $46,000, which is probably about two-thirds of whatit would cost at present, owing to the increased cost of labor andmaterial. The works are now not only self-sustaining but areproducing a comfortable surplus, and it is estimated that in not manyyears the plant will pay for itself and will then produce sufficientrevenue to light and keep in repair the village streets—a splendidexample of municipal ownership of public utilities.

The town of Monroe has no bonded indebtedness and the village noneother than its water bonds, except that Union Free School DistrictNo. 1, which includes the village, has issued $4,375, on account ofthe purchase of a seven acre school site on a commanding heightoverlooking the village.

The Warwick, Monroe and Chester Building and Loan Association hasbeen a potent factor in Monroe's development. It was organized inApril, 1890.

Standard Lodge No. 711 F. & A. M., instituted at Chester, N.Y.,June 30, 1871, was, with consent of the Grand Lodge, moved to Monroein 1884, and has a membership of 180.

The Monroe National Bank, U. S. No. 7,563, although in its infancy,is a flourishing institution. It was chartered by the TreasuryDepartment January 18th, 1905 and it was opened for business, March1st, 1905.

Monroe has a very excellent fire department. The Mombasha HoseCompany was organized July 24th, 1895, and the Mombasha Fire Company,April 5th, 1898.

The Orange and Rockland Electric Light and Power Company, whichfurnishes light and power to the villages and communities in theeastern end of the county, is located at Monroe and is now erectinga very large plant. The Newbury Foundry Company is also located here.

Monroe has a fine telephone system, an athletic association, and isnow putting down cement walks in the village, and it is confidentlypredicted that it will be the leading center of the eastern end ofthe county within a short period.

A Methodist society existed in the neighborhood of Monroe prior to1839, the M. E. Church at Oxford (near Quaker Hill) having been builtsome time before, but in the year above mentioned Matthew B. Sweezydeeded to the Trustees of the recently organized M. E. Church ofMonroe the land upon which the church now stands. In the followingyear, 1840, the church was built. The first board of trustees was thefollowing: Stephen Post, Isaac Compton, Jeremiah Knight, Thomas D.Tannery, John King, Samuel Smith and Peter Ball. Others who servedthe church in its early history as trustees were Jonathan Mapes,John S. Gregory, Matthew B. Sweezy, Solomon W. Esray, Townsend Mapes,Job Mapes, William Hudson, George K. Smith, William Johnston, MartinKonnight, Daniel Secord, Nathan Strong and Walter Roberts. John S.Gregory was elected trustee in 1843 and served in this capacity untilhis death in 1905, a period of sixty-two years.

The Rev. Mr. Bancroft is said to have been the first minister. Otherswho followed him were the Rev. William Van Duzen, Rev. A. C. Fields,Rev. Mr. Newmans, Rev. J. H. Hawkshurst, Rev. Mr. Blake, Rev. Mr.Croft, Rev. N. Messiter, Rev. D. D. Gillespie.

Matthew B. Sweezy was chorister for a time. There was no organ in theearly days of the church, but the congregation was frequently led insinging by the violin and the violoncello, though there were some whoobjected to the use of so ungodly a thing as the "fiddle."

At first the Monroe church was a part of the circuit under the chargeof a pastor and his assistants. This circuit in the early dayscomprised, besides Monroe, the churches at Highland Mills,Washingtonville, Craigville and Turner. Finally, Monroe and Turnercomprised the charge, and this relationship was dissolved in 1895.

In 1875 it was voted to enlarge and repair the church, and thepastor, Rev. David McCartney, and Mr. H. H. Lawrence, were appointeda committee to solicit subscriptions for this purpose. Their effortswere successful and the church was remodeled, and stands to-daypractically the same as they left it.

The church has reason to hold the memory of Mr. James Smith, Mrs.James Smith and Sara Smith, their daughter, in lasting remembrance,as they respectively left substantial legacies to the trustees of thechurch, to the Ladies' Aid Society, and to the Sunday school, saidlegacies to be held in trust for their use.

The church has a Sunday school and Epworth league. Thesuperintendents of the Sunday school during the last twenty-fiveyears or more have been Franklin Bull and Orville Eichenberg, thelatter having held the position for the last nineteen years.

The first available records of the schools of the town of Monroe aredated January 7, 1819. These are receipts given by the trustees ofseveral of the school districts for State moneys received from thecommissioners of common schools. These moneys were for the benefit oftheir respective districts and were in all cases small, theapportionments ranging from eight to twenty-five dollars. At thistime the town's educational interests were in the hands of threecommissioners of common schools. The incumbents of these offices inthe town of Monroe in 1819 were Israel Green, Lewis H. Roe and GeorgeWilks.

In 1843 the office of town superintendent was instituted, thus doingaway with the board of three commissioners of common schools. Theduties of this officer were probably the same as those exercised bythe board which he had taken the place of. The first person to holdthis new town office was Joseph R. Andrews, who had been a member ofthe last board of commissioners of common schools. The office of townsuperintendent ceased to exist in 1857, when the office of schoolcommissioner was created. The new official assumed the powers oflicensing teachers, altering school district boundaries, etc., whilethe care of the school moneys from the State was given to thesupervisor of the town. The office of town superintendent was heldfor a short time by Morgan Shuit, and afterward for a period ofabout ten years by Archibald Campbell, whose term was concluded in1857, when the office was abolished.

In 1819, as they did in subsequent years, the commissioners reportedthe text-books in use. This list varied little for many years and wasgiven in the following order: Webster's Spelling Book, Murray'sGrammar, Johnson's Dictionary, Scott's Lessons, English Reader,American Selections, American Reader, Columbian Orator, Daball's andDilworth's Arithmetic. Later on a new and inexperienced board ofcommissioners enumerates the above list with one exception, andconcludes with the information, "all of which are Americanselections."

The commissioners of common schools in 1819 rearranged the boundariesof the school districts of the town, and recorded these boundariessomewhat definitely. The number at that time was thirteen, but sincethat date the number has been changed many times and their boundarieshave frequently been altered.

Of the schools of the former town of Monroe four have become unionschools, having high school departments, viz: Central Valley, inFebruary, 1895; Monroe, in December, 1896; Turner, in May, 1902, andTuxedo, in December, 1902.

District No. 1 is the district that includes the village of Monroe.Though it contains practically the territory of District No. 1, asrecorded in 1819, its boundaries have been materially changed. TheRev. D. N. Freeland says, in his history of the town of Monroe, thatthe first mention of a school in this neighborhood is of one held inthe Presbyterian church building at Seamanville. After that a logschool-house was built just west of the church. The old stoneschool-house on the road to Mombasha followed, and this in turn gaveway to another built a few rods further south. In 1857 a two-storybuilding near the Presbyterian church was constructed and this wasmade to answer the purpose until 1884, when the building now in use(1907) was erected at a cost of $10,000. This building has now becometoo small and the people of the district have purchased, during thepast year, a new site just north of the Episcopal chapel, containingnearly seven acres, at a cost of $5,000. They have also appropriatedthe sum of $40,000 for the erection of a suitable building, thefoundations of which are at this time completed.

Of the persons serving the district in an official relation thefollowing have rendered the longest continuous service; Henry Mapes,as clerk, thirty-four years; George R. Conklin, trustee, twentyyears; A. B. Hulse, trustee, fifteen years.

The school of District No. 1 was admitted as a member of theUniversity of the State of New York December 17, 1896, having beencreated a union school the preceding year. The following are thenames of the trustees appearing upon the certificate of admission aspetitioners: Eugene McGarrah, George R. Conklin, L. H. Marvin,Solomon Fairchild.

The present board of education is: Fletcher B. Brooks, SolomonFairchild, Millard Mapes, Frank F. Griffin, and Clarence S. Knight.In addition to the usual work of a board of education, this board hasthe additional responsibility of building a modern school-house.

TURNER VILLAGE.

Many changes have to be recorded in the thriving village of Turner,in the eastern part of the town of Monroe. By common consent the namehas been changed from "Turners" to "Turner," and this seems to be amost reasonable change.

No longer do the trains of the Erie Railroad Company sweepmajestically into the depot, there to stand impatiently while itshungry passengers regale themselves in that famous restaurant foundedby Peter Turner. The now common, every-day dining-car attached tonearly every train, has crowded out that famous business. The largebrick building was destroyed by fire and the restaurant moved to thewooden building on the opposite side of the track. This property isnow owned by the Ramapo Mountain Realty Company, but is fast fallinginto decay. One end alone is used as a depot. Below the hill standsthe famous grist mill which receives its power from the village pondnear by. Across the street from the mill stands the old hotel ofstage coach days, now renovated into a modern hotel, known as"Silver Fox Inn." This property and the farm connected therewith areowned by the Ramapo Mountain Realty Company.

The old smithy, where Cortland Rumsey's hammer caused the anvil toring, has long since become a business house. The village blacksmith,J. B. Hallock, has built a modern shop near by and causes the sameold anvils to ring as hearty and strong as ever.

The little old stone school-house where our fathers learned their"three R's," is now a dwelling and a magnificent school-house standson a hill overlooking the entire village. There, four learnedinstructors hold forth, where a few short years ago one wassufficient.

The few rambling houses that constituted the little village of a fewyears ago have given way to modern dwellings and business places,constituting a thriving village of some eight hundred people, allbusy and prosperous.

Surrounding the village on every hillside stand the beautiful summerhomes of some wealthy New Yorkers. Among these are the homes of W. R.Barr, "Stony Wolde"; Mrs. John Brower, "Blythlea"; and the homes ofE. H. Harriman, Ward Brower, Farrand Brower, Max Jagerhuber, OrrinS. Wood and William L. Strout. Where once our farmers tilled the soilbeautiful lawns appear. To the east, where once hunters and trappersalone journeyed, on the highest peak of the Ramapo Mountains, risesthe mansion of E. H. Harriman. Inch by inch and foot by foot thisgreat stone structure rises into view above the trees that surroundit. A railway has been hewn out of the side of the mountain and acable railroad operates cars that hoist workmen and materials to thesummit.

The village maintains two churches—a Methodist Episcopal and aCatholic. Both have excellent sanctuaries and congregations ofearnest, sincere, right-living people. They have done yeoman work intheir territory and their influence has been widespread. Connectedwith the Methodist Church is a Sunday school and Epworth league.

The famous old store of Thomas Earl has been torn down and thevillage now has five stores. The old "Bombeetel" house still standsat the cross-roads in the center of the village and now contains thevillage market run by J. R. Brooks.

Time has indeed dealt kindly with Turner. The latest item to beaccredited her is electricity. Nightly the village streets arebrilliantly lighted and business goes on as busily as by daylight.The magic current is introduced to the houses and brings light andcheerfulness to the homes.

The old village of Centerville would scarcely recognize the villageof Turner, which is but the village of Centerville under a new name.

CHAPTER XXII.

TOWN OF MONTGOMERY.

By David A. Morrison.

This important town is in the northern part of Orange County,bordering upon Ulster. It lies between the towns of Newburgh on theeast, and Crawford on the west. Each of these towns has a largetongue of land that extends much further toward the north than theterritory of Montgomery, the northern bounds of which form nearly astraight line. On the south are the towns of New Windsor,Hamptonburgh and Wallkill, from which it is separated by ratherirregular rectangular lines. The area of the town as shown by thelast Supervisors' report, is 30,578 acres. The assessed valuation ofproperty taxable in the town and found by the Assessors in 1906aggregated $2,094,640. The total taxes for that year amounted to$23,953.01.

TITLES.

The territory of Montgomery is a part of the original John EvansPatent, which seems to have been set aside subsequently for variousreasons. In 1714 it was in the precinct of Shawangunk, in UlsterCounty, where it remained until 1743. when it became part of theWallkill precinct. At that time it embraced the following patents:

In 1772 Wallkill Precinct was divided and the eastern part named theprecinct of Hanover. In 1782 this name was changed to the precinctof Montgomery, which was erected as the town of Montgomery in 1788.Ten years afterwards it was, with other towns, taken from UlsterCounty and annexed to Orange County. In 1823 the town of Montgomerywas divided and the western part containing about 25,000 acresconstituted and named the town of Crawford. In 1830 the southernpart of Montgomery was detached to form (in part) the town ofHamptonburgh. The last alteration in its boundaries was made in 1842,when four farms containing nearly 600 acres were taken from the townof New Windsor and annexed to Montgomery.

NATURAL FEATURES."

The fertile valley of the Wallkill, which extends through the town ona northeasterly course, dividing it nearly into equal parts, is adistinguishing characteristic. For nearly a third of the way, wherethe stream enters Ulster County, it flows very nearly north in astraight line. Then it deflects toward the southwest to the villageof Montgomery, when there is a sharp bend, which afterward turnsnearly at right angles toward the east and finally leaves the town innearly a straight course again, forming a part of the easternboundary of the town and dividing it from Hamptonburgh. The mostimportant tributary of the Wallkill is the Tinn Brook, which beginsin the town of New Windsor, pursues a sinuous career, and finallytumbles into the Wallkill near the village of Walden. The Beaver Damstream rises in the southeastern part of the town and flows nearlysouth into the Otterkill, in the town of Hamptonburgh. The source ofthis stream is a large spring of great depth. McKnight's Kill alsorises in the southeasterly part of the town, and flows southerly intothe Otterkill near Burnside. The Muddy Kill rises in the westernpart of the town, drains that section in a sluggish way, and endsnear the village of Montgomery. The surface of the town isdiversified with hills, rolling and meadow land. Comfort's Hills onthe west rise from 600 to 800 feet above tide and are much thehighest elevation. For adaptation to varied agriculture the town isnot excelled by any other town in the county. The uplands are warm,fertile, and comparatively easy to cultivate. The meadows generallyproduce large crops of grass, and afford excellent pasturage.Numerous springs and small streams furnish an abundant supply of purewater. Dairying is the predominant agricultural industry.

EARLY SETTLEMENTS.

On the east bank of the Wallkill, on the old Rogers farm, there wasan old Indian settlement. The red men had made a goodly clearing inthe forest here and, tradition says, had planted fruit trees, andwhen the white man first set foot in this region he found full-grownbearing apple trees on this ancient clearing. An Indian settlementwas found on the flat above the bridge over the Wallkill, near theold Miller stone house. Another had its wigwams on the oldChristoffel (or Stuffell) Moul (Mould) farm about two miles north ofMontgomery on the main highway afterwards known as the stage roadfrom Goshen to Albany. These left for more remote regions in 1775.

Near the present village of Walden the settlement of Henry Wilemanwas made. His patent contained 3,000 acres, and he settled upon itvery soon after its purchase in 1712. What was known as the HarrisonPatent was granted May 25, 1721. This was given to the followingpersons: Francis Harrison, Allan Jarrat, Adolphus Phillips, GeorgeClarke, Johanes Lansing, Henry Wileman, Jacobus Bruyn and WilliamSharpas. This entire tract was surveyed and a large village laid out,and deeds were given to all actual settlers. Among these thefollowing were named: Hans Newkirk, Hendrick Newkirk, MatthiasSlimmer, Peter Kvsler, ____ Kraus, ____ Brandos. These ancientsettlers upon this land were Palatines, and after a few years theyerected a small log church within the village, the site of which isstill fairly indicated by the old graveyard on the east side of theGoshen road, a short distance south of Montgomery. This old villagewas known as Germantown.

About a mile farther south on this patent Johannes Miller, a German,made a settlement in 1727. The next year he built a stone house whereMr. Elmer Miller afterwards lived. His grandson, Johannes Miller, wasa leading citizen of the town in later years—a progressive man,prominent in promoting several important public enterprises, andespecially active in the construction of the Newburgh and CochectonTurnpike Road. His services towards establishing and maintaining theMontgomery Academy have always been held in grateful remembrance.

The 5,000-acre tract granted to Schuyler & Co., was first settled byJeronimous Weller & Co., in 1721. Another grant of 10,000 acres wassettled by a company consisting of Johannes Mingus, his sonJeronimous, Mattias Miltzbagh, and others whose names are notdefinitely known. It was agreed by this company that a tract of 100acres would be granted to each family that would locate permanentlyupon it. Mingus built a mill, around which the old village of Ward'sBridge soon clustered. But Mingus lost his life in this mill byaccident soon afterward, which resulted in considerable dispute overthe property.

The Wallkill or Goodwill settlement is supposed to date from 1724-25.John Mackneel and Adam Graham were among the first settlers. Whenthey came into the Precinct is not definitely known. The former owneda part of what is now known as the Downs farm; the latter settled onwhat is now the Parsonage farm. In 1727 Archibald, James and RobertHunter purchased 200 acres of land, on which a house had then beenbuilt, from James Alexander, the patentee; this purchase included theHenry Suydam farm. In 1731 James Munnel settled on, or near, theCharles Miller farm, now owned by Mr. William Y. Dennison. AlexanderKidd settled on what is still known as the Kidd Homestead, about2-1/2 miles north of the Church in 1736. Benjamin Haines came intothe neighborhood in 1739, and the Rev. Joseph Houston was installedpastor of the Goodwill Church in 1740. Other early settlers wereJames Barkley, on the James W. Bowne farm; the Rev. Joseph Moffat,1758; John Blake who bought 475 acres of land in 1761, part of whichis owned and occupied by his great grandson, Mr. John P. M. Blake,and whose son, John Blake, Jr., was in after years, a prominent man,being supervisor sixteen years, and a member of assembly severalterms, sheriff and congressman; Samuel Miller, who came from Canadaprevious to 1764; Peter Hill in 1767; Captain Hendrichs Van Keurenin 1768; Colonel John Nicholson; John Morrison; Gideon Pelton, andTunis Van Arsdale, whose blacksmith shop is mentioned in the earlyrecords of the town.

Adjoining the Goodwill settlement on the east, Cadwallader Colden hadbeen granted a patent for 2,000 acres and was settled in 1728 whereMr. George W. Pimm now resides. The locality was named Coldenham inhis honor. He was one of the most prominent of the early settlers,being surveyor-general of the Province, lieutenant-governor andseveral limes acting governor. As a man he was esteemed for hisgreat learning, benevolence and strict honesty. As a public officerhe was distinguished for his unblemished integrity. Several buildingswere erected in that vicinity by members of the Colden family, someof which are still standing.

The Neelytown section adjoins the Goodwill neighborhood on the south,and was so called from a large and influential family which appearsto have been active in bringing in the early settlers, but whose namehas entirely disappeared from the community, it was settled before1726. In that year the names of John Neely and Thomas Neely appear asactual settlers. At that time Charles Booth who purchased 1,000 acresof land had built his first house near where Mr. William Conninglived in later years—his two sons, Charles and George Booth, werewith him. A defective list of freeholders made in 1728 contains thename of Alexander Neely. William and Robert Neely were witnesses to awill in 1731, and the name of John Neely, Jr., is seen in an oldrecord. William Eager with his sons, William and Thomas, came toNeelytown in 1741. He built a log house where the residence of Mr.Samuel W. Eager now stands. His second house was of stone and wassituated a short distance south of the first and built before theRevolution. His descendants are very numerous and are widelyscattered. Samuel W. Eager, Orange County's first historian, was oneof them. Other early settlers in this section were James McCobb, wholocated at a very early date on the Sherwood farm, now "Nestledown";William Jackson, James Jackson, James Houston, William Young, CaptainAlexander Trimble, 1764; Patrick Barber, 1764; Captain James McBrideand Rev. Robert Annan, 1765.

A settlement across the Wallkill opposite the present village ofMontgomery, was made by Henry Crist, Stevanus Crist, MathiasMillspaugh and others. This land was then considered the best in thetown. These Germans were a vigorous and hearty people, and they wentto work boldly to cultivate the land and establish comfortable homes,with a determination to succeed. They soon began to extend theirfarms to the Comfort Hills slopes, and into the section now embracedin the town of Crawford. Their success attracted many representativesof the sturdy Scotch-Irish race, who joined them soon afterward.Among the more progressive pioneer settlers was Henry Crist, fromwhom descended many active men and women who became leading andinfluential citizens of the town. Jacob Crist is said to have beendrowned in the Hudson River on his return from New Amsterdam with hiswedding outfit. Henry Crist, the early immigrant, built near the footof the hill east of the old Dutch church. His son, Jacob, planted hishome on the hill opposite Montgomery village near the mill.

Among other early settlers were David Bookstaver, Jacob Bookstaver,Frederick Sinsabaugh, and Johannes Youngblood who bought an 800 acretract. It is recorded of these pioneer German settlers that they wereeven unable to build so much as a log cabin at first, and wereobliged to make excavations in the hillside in which to pass thewinter. This they did in the gravelly hill east of the old Brickchurch. In these primitive dugouts they waited patiently for thesnowdrifts to melt away in the springtime, when they might renewtheir labors and provide more comfortable shelter for their families.

Johannes Miller came to America in 1700, lived in Ulster County fora time, and about 1727 settled upon a portion of the Harrison patent.Frederick Shafer, a tanner by trade, was also among these oldsettlers, and soon established a tannery, which was afterwardimproved by his son Daniel.

Charles Booth purchased 1,000 acres of land in Neelytown, and thistract remained in the Booth family for a long series of yearsafterward. This family came into the town from Long Island, andGeorge Booth became a leading citizen and was so regarded all throughhis life.

MILITARY NOTES.

In 1738 a company of militia of the Wallkill was organized underCaptain John Byard, and formed part of a regiment of which A.Gaasbeck Chambers was Colonel and Wessel Ten BroeckLieutenant-Colonel, to protect the early settlers against theincursions of the Indians. Among those whose names were enrolled inthis company the following are known to have been residents of whatis now the town of Montgomery: John Newkirk, sergeant; JamesGillespie, Thomas Gillespie, Alexander Milligan, Alexander Kidd,Archibald Hunter, James Hunter, John Mingus, Stephanus Crist, JamesMunell, John Munell, George Munell, John McNeill, John McNeill, Jr.,Robert Hunter, Richard Gatehouse, Joseph Sutter, Philip Milsbaugh,Cronimus Mingus, Stoffel Moul, Johannes Crans, Matthias Meltzbagh,Hendrix Newkirk, Hendrick Crist, Benjamin Hains, John Neely, Jr.,Frederick Sanzabah.

In 1755 the regiment was divided into two regiments. The firstembraced Kingston and the northern part of the county; the secondembraced the Precincts of Highlands, Wallkill and Shawangunk, and inthis form took part in the French and Indian War. The roster ofofficers in the second regiment included the names of the followingpersons who then resided in what is now the town of Montgomery: JacobNewkirk, Captain; Cadwallader C. Colden, Captain; David Gallatin,Captain; Matthew Rea, Lieutenant.

The militia of the Revolution was organized by an act of theProvincial Convention passed August 22, 1775. Ulster County wasdivided into four regimental districts. The second district comprisedthe precincts of New Windsor, Hanover and Wallkill. At first therewere twelve companies in the regiment, of which Hanover furnishedfive, commanded by Captain Matthew Felter, William Jackson,James Milliken, John J. Graham and John Gillespie. In 1777 thenumber of companies was reduced to nine, four of which were inHanover, under Captains Felter, Milliken, Hendrik Van Keuren andJames McBride.

An eminent historian said of the second regiment of Ulster Countymilitia that "it gave, perhaps, more fighting men than were drawnfrom other similar organizations," and that "no other regiment ofmilitia was more active from the beginning until the end of the war."There was fight in it from start to finish. "As a rule circ*mstanceswould not admit of the calling out of an entire company from its beatat one time; some must remain at home; but portions of this regimentwere in almost constant motion, some going, others returning." FromDecember, 1876, to April 12, 1778, less than 16 months, the militiaof Hanover and adjoining precincts were called out twelve times andspent 202 days in the field.

Although the records of churches and traditions give glimpses ofcontroversies, the inhabitants of Hanover precinct acted with greatunanimity and showed an intense patriotic spirit during the War forIndependence. The pledge of association, dated May 8, 1775, in whichthey pledged their "support to the Continental Congress in resistingthe oppressive acts of the British Parliament," and in the mostsolemn manner resolved "never to become slaves," was signed first byDr. Charles Clinton and received 342 signatures.

The history of the men of Montgomery in the Revolution, who theywere, and what they did, if it could be written, would be a story oftoils, privation and exposure of great interest to the presentgeneration. In few sections of the State did the burden of the warbear more heavily than in the valleys of the Wallkill and the Hudson,and in no portion was it borne with more unflinching determination.But this history cannot be written. The names of many of these menand their deeds have sunk into oblivion. A few of those preserved byhistory and tradition, together with the places where they lived, arementioned. To locate the places definitely the names of the owners atthe present (1908), are given.

Arthur Parks lived at Ward's Bridge (now Montgomery), on what wasafterwards known as the L'Hommedieu farm, now occupied by Mr. H. H.Hallett. He was a member of the Committee of Safety in 1775 and 1776,first Lieutenant in Captain William Jackson's company of militia,Major of a battalion of minute men in 1776, member of the firstProvincial Convention, member of the convention that framed our firstState Constitution and of the convention that amended it, and StateSenator for eleven years.

Jacob Newkirk was captain under Colonel Thomas Ellison in the Frenchand Indian War, member of the Committee of Safety, Major, andafterwards Lieutenant-Colonel of the second regiment Ulster Countymilitia, and commanded the regiment during the years that ColonelJames McClaughry was a prisoner and was recovering from his woundsreceived at the capture of Fort Montgomery.

Henry Smith was also a member of the Committee of Safety for theprecinct and was first Lieutenant in Captain Matthew Felter'scompany; he lived nearly two miles north of Montgomery on the farmnow owned and occupied by his descendant, Mr. James Smith.

Hugh Lindsay was a private in Colonel John Lamb's Artillery, and wastaken prisoner at the capture of Fort Montgomery; he lived at Ward'sBridge and afterwards built and lived in the house on Bridge streetnow owned by the estate of the late Jonathan M. Morrison.

Alexander Trimble was quarter-master of the Second Ulster Regiment inthe War of the Revolution, and also a member of the Committee ofSafety; he lived about two miles south of Goodwill Church on the farmnow owned and occupied by Mr. George Van Alst.

Johannes Moul (Mould), who lived about two miles north of Montgomery,where his great-great-grandson, Mr. John D. Mould, now lives, was asergeant in the French and Indian War, and with his son, JohannesMoul, Jr., and his brother, Christopher Moul, were privates inColonel McClaughry's Regiment in the Revolution. These three patriotsalso evinced their patriotism by loaning money to the Government whenit was urgently needed to equip the army for the capture ofCornwallis.

James Milliken, a member of the Committee of Safety, lived on theeast side of the Wallkill, where Mr. Harvey N. Smith now resides, wascaptain of one of the Hanover companies, and was killed at FortMontgomery.

Hendricus Van Keuren was a veteran of the French and Indian War, whoserved throughout the Revolution as Captain, and according to familytradition, gratuitously lived on what is known as the Downs farm,between Montgomery and Goodwill church.

John Nicholson was Colonel of the Third N.Y. Regiment of theContinental Line, which was brigaded under General RichardMontgomery, and took part in the assault on Quebec when the braveMontgomery was killed. The privations and exposures of thatcampaign were so great that with impaired health he returned to hisfarm, near Maybrook, which is now divided, and owned by Mr. JohnWiley and Mr. William H. Jewell.

Hamilton Morrison enlisted as soon as he was old enough, and servedfirst as a private and then as a sergeant in Captain James McBride'scompany, Second Ulster County Militia. He lived about a mile south ofGoodwill Church on what is known as the Morrison Homestead, now ownedand occupied by his grandsons, Mr. George H. Morrison and Mr. JohnG. Morrison.

Tunis Van Arsdale lived on the adjoining farm (now a part of thehomestead), and was a blacksmith. His shop was the rendezvous of thepatriots in that vicinity. He was also a private in Captain VanKeuren's company and saved his life at Fort Montgomery by slippingbetween the legs of a British soldier who was holding an Americanbayoneted against the wall of the fort, and escaped in the darkness.

John Van Arsdale, who lived with his elder brother, Tunis, enlistedin the Continental Army at the beginning of the war, and servedfaithfully until its close. He suffered intensely from cold andhardship in the Canada expedition, was severely wounded and takenprisoner at Fort Montgomery, languished many weary months in the"old sugar house" and in the foul hold of the "Jersey prison ship,"was finally exchanged, and then braved the perils of Indian warfarein several campaigns. On November 25, 1783, he witnessed theevacuation of New York City by the British, which was the finaltriumph of the cause for which he and others had fought and sufferedseven long years, and was present when the advancing Americans,following closely upon the retiring British, reached the Battery toperform the last formality in repossessing the city, which was tounfurl the American flag over Fort George, but found the royalensign still floating as usual over the Fort. The British had nailedtheir colors to the staff and taken away the halyards. In thisdilemma John Van Arsdale ascended the flag-staff, partly by ladder,but mainly by shinning, tore down the British flag and rove the newhalyards by which the Star Spangled Banner was quickly run up whilethe assembled thousands cheered, and the artillery boomed forth anational salute. While other localities may boast of those whostruck the first blow for American freedom, Montgomery may justlyclaim for one of her sons the glory of removing the last vestige ofBritish authority from this country.

ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWN.

The town was originally organized under the name of Hanover Precinctin 1772. The present territory of Crawford was then included, thewhole having been taken from the old Wallkill Precinct. In 1782 thename was changed to Montgomery Precinct, and seven years later it wasfinally changed to the town of Montgomery. This title was bestowed inhonor of General Montgomery, who was killed in the assault uponQuebec in 1775. Major Colden was the supervisor of the old Wallkillprecinct in 1768-69.

The record of the first town meeting, now on file in the town clerk'soffice, is of April 5, 1803. Reuben Neely was then chosen supervisor,and Arthur Parks, town clerk. There were fifty-five overseers ofhighways in the town that year. But the laborers were few, the systemof road-working was sadly defective, as in fact it remained fornearly a hundred years afterwards, and the results were primitive andunsatisfactory, although, of course, far less was required of apublic road in those days than is now demanded, and the peopleaccepted the situation without complaint, so far as the record shows.

The following is a list of supervisors of the town to 1908: DavidGalatian, 1798; John Blake, 1799; Reuben Neely, 1800 to 1810; JohnBlake, Jr., to 1826; Samuel W. Eager, to 1833; Nathaniel P. Hill,1834; Edward Blake, to 1839; James Galatian, to 1841; William Blake,to 1844; William Graham, to 1846; Stephen Rapalje, 1847; Joshua G.Hallock, to 1849; Lindley M. Ferris, 1850; Johannes M. Hunter, to1852; Stephen Rapalje, to 1863; Marcus K. Hill, 1864; StephenRapalje, to 1873; Daniel M. Wade, to 1875; Marcus K. Hill, to 1877;Charles J. Van Alst, to 1879; Robert Young, to 1886; Andrew K. Wade,to 1889; Robert Young, 1890; Irving H. Loughran, to 1900; William H.Didsburg, to 1905; Hector W. Millspaugh, to 1907; William G. Decker,1908.

VILLAGES.

The old village of Montgomery is on the bank of the Wallkill in thesouthern part of the town. It was here that Henry Crist, StephenCrist and Matthias Millspaugh settled at an early date, on the westbank of the river. Johannes Mingus built a grist-mill there, whichwas afterwards sold to James Ward with 200 acres of land, upon whichthe village was built. Mr. Ward built a rude bridge across theWallkill in order that his customers might reach his mill. This wasreally the first road bridge of any kind known in that vicinity foryears afterward. In fact, the place took its name from this importantstructure, as well as the post-office itself, it being known asWard's Bridge for many years.

James Clinton and William Crist, having obtained an interest in theKennedy patent, upon which the village stands, laid out "a small towncalled Montgomery town," which gave the village that name. Amongother early settlers there were John McFaugh, David Crist, JohnMcKinstry, Matthew Hunter, Samuel Smith, Arthur Parks and OolisShulp. James Ward, the pioneer, lived in a log cabin.

The village was incorporated by a special act dated February 17,1810. Hugh Lindsey was the first president. The first village taxaggregated $60. Two years later $100 was raised to build a markethouse, and in 1814, $200 was appropriated for a fire engine. But itwas not until seven years later that four professional firemen wereappointed. In 1880 this village tax had increased to over $1,200.

The location of Montgomery on a placid stretch of the Wallkill, withits slightly elevated banks, affording a fine natural drainage, ispeculiarly healthful, and there are many attractive and commodiousprivate residences. Among the leading manufacturing industries is theworsted mills of William Crabtree & Sons. The people of Montgomeryare noted for their hospitality and public spirit. The place issurrounded by fine State roads, and ranks as one of the importanthistoric villages of Orange County.

Walden is the most thriving and important village. It is on theWallkill River at the high falls, by which indefinite name it wasknown for years. The settlement began many years before theRevolution. Of course, the first structure was the inevitablegrist-mill, as in nearly every instance in this region. James Kiddbuilt a mill at the foot of the falls on the east side of the stream,though the precise date is not definitely known. In any event, therecords show that in 1768 this old mill had already fallen into thepossession of Johannes Decker. In 1789 it belonged to CadwalladerColden, Jr. The plant was afterward converted into a cotton factory.

Mr. Walden, the founder of this village, is said to have struggledmanfully under adverse influences and suffered defeat at the end inhis old age, causing him to retire ultimately from the scene of hislabors. Leaving the refinements of city life to establishmanufacturing interests in this sparsely settled region, and withoutadequate protection, he spent his fortune and his active energieshere practically without reward. There being no railways, rawmaterial had to be drawn in sleighs in winter to these factories.

Mr. Walden was a prosperous New York merchant. While summering in theHighlands, he extended his drive with Mrs. Walden many miles further,and came upon this charming valley of the Wallkill, through which abroad stream flowed. They saw the old mill at the very foot of thecataract, and a tiny cottage in a grove of locusts further down thestream. The old merchant perceived the wonderful possibilities ofthis picturesque spot, and he lost no time in developing the place.He purchased large tracts of land covering the region, closed up hisextensive city business and moved here. The place grew very slowly inthe earlier years, even after its incorporation in 1855. Down to 1868the population of the village did not exceed 600 souls. Of course,the manufacturing interests had not been fully developed at thattime. The people were still largely employed in trades and farm work.The New York Knife Company began business in 1856 by purchasing thecloth mills of Scofield, Capron & Gowdy.

There are two fine iron bridges over the Wallkill at this point, manyhandsome private residences on the heights on either side of theriver, several busy factories, churches, schools, newspapers,numerous stores and shops of every kind, and there is a generalaspect of thrill and progress all through the pretty village. Most ofthis growth is modern; nearly all the more substantial structures areless than forty years old. The act of incorporation was passed April9, 1855, and the first village meeting was held the following week.Augustus F. Scofield was the first president, and continued sixyears. Previous to the incorporation of the village the fire companyhad been in existence some time. This organization was known as "TheWalden Fire Incorporation," and it constituted the Fire Department ofthe village for years afterwards. In 1865 Daniel Torbush was thechief engineer, and in 1880, when the company was known as"Enterprise No. 1," the chief engineer was Granville Crist.

A new comer in Walden in 1859 says there were then only threeprominent business houses, those of Marcus K. Hill, Ebenezer Knapp,and Joseph Millspaugh. It seemed to him then that about nine-tenthsof the inhabitants there were named either Millspaugh or Kidd.Augustus F. Scofield was then the leading citizen of wealth andinfluence, having a large shawl factory. The hotels were the Eagleand the St. Nicholas, as they are at present. Scofield Hall was usedfor public assemblies and such eminent lecturers as John G. Saxe,Rev. Edward K. Beecher, Park Benjamin and Fanny Fern appeared there.The much loved village parson was old "Dominie" Schoonmaker, wholabored there faithfully for many years. The industries of Waldenwere then confined to the shawl factory, the satinette factory of GilesAndrews, and the knife factory. James Todd was widely known as "themodel farmer of Orange County." George Weller was a prominentresident greatly devoted to all the village interests, and his homewas regarded as a scene of unbounded hospitality and good cheer.

The first introduction of gas in Walden many years ago was not afinancial success, and the company abandoned the project. A publicwater system was introduced in 1892. Previous to that time water forfires had to be taken through long hose from the Wallkill and TinnBrook streams. The electric fire alarm system was installed aboutfifteen years ago. The newspaper known as the Walden Herald wasestablished about 1869, and the Walden Citizen is in its twentiethyear.

Near the line of Newburgh, in the northeastern part of the town, isthe old hamlet of St. Andrews, which was left behind in the laterdevelopment of Walden with its great water-power facilities. It wasnamed for the ancient Episcopal church there, which is now located atWalden.

Maybrook is an important railway junction, in the extreme southeastcorner of the town. The population, which numbers about four hundred,is composed principally of railroad employees.

Coldenham is near the New Windsor boundary, but in the southeasternpart of the town. The title came from the Colden family and thehamlet was the home of the Lieutenant Governor and acting ChiefMagistrate of the New York Colony.

Allard's Corners on the northwest border, and Scott's Corners, eastof Montgomery village, are other small hamlets of minor importance.

BANKS.

Le Fevre and De Garmo were the first bankers, beginning business inWalden in 1870. They continued but a short time, and in 1873 theExchange Bank was organized with George W. Stoddard in active charge.This was merged into the Walden National Bank in 1877 and wassucceeded in 1897 by the National Bank of Walden, the name of thepresent institution. The Walden Savings Bank, the oldest and largestfinancial institution in the town, began business June 1, 1872, withthe following officers: Seth M. Capron, president; Thomas W. Bradley,vice-president; and Peter LeFevre, secretary and treasurer.

The Montgomery National Bank began business November 1, 1905, withthe following officers: William H. Senior, president; John A.Crabtree, vice-president; E. I. Emerson, cashier. Directors: WilliamEager, John J. Vanderoef, John A. Crabtree, Clunks D. Wait, J.Harvey Harris, Dr. E. Ross Elliott, William F. Lodge, Harvey Tuttle,William H. Senior, Walter R. Comfort, Fred W. Tower.

INDUSTRIES.

Nearly all the soil of this town is well adapted to successfulagriculture in its varied forms. While much of the land has beendevoted to meadows and grass, fine crops of grain were grown, wheatespecially, in the earlier years of the settlement. Fruit is alsogrown to a considerable extent in some localities with profit.Orchards were planted in the town nearly a hundred years ago byRobert Griffith, John Miller, Andrew Graham, Hamilton Morrison andothers.

The bonding of the town in aid of the Wallkill Valley and otherrailway construction had a depressing effect upon the people andtheir property for a time, and there was much opposition to thescheme, among the farmers especially. But the advantages of therailways became apparent in a few years, and probably no one wouldnow care to abolish the present traffic facilities afforded or longerregrets the cost.

The opening of the Wallkill Valley Railway to Montgomery, in 1866 wasa most important event for the town and county.

The Walden Woolen Factory was established in 1823 by Jesse Scofieldand Dr. Coburn. It was at first known as the "Franklin Company."There were frequent changes in the firm and management in thesucceeding years. But for over fifty years this old plant was themost important business feature of Walden, and it had much to do withits early growth and development. The buildings were of stone and ofthe most durable character, and the water-power ample.

The New York Knife Company has long been regarded among the largestcutlery plants in the United States. It was organized in 1852 andoperated at Matteawan, Dutchess County, until 1856, when it was movedto Walden to the building formerly used as a cotton factory. Tableand pocket cutlery of every kind and quality are made in thisestablishment, which has achieved world-wide fame in the hardwaretrade, domestic and foreign. Thomas W. Bradley was long the leadingspirit of the concern, being the active superintendent as well as thepresident of the company. He served with valor and distinction in theCivil War, and became prominent in the military affairs of the Stateafterwards. He also served in the State Assembly in 1875-76, and atpresent represents this district in Congress.

The Walden Condensed Milk Company was organized in 1864 with aproposed capital of $50,000. But it was reorganized three years laterunder the name of the Highland Condensed Milk Company. Theenterprise was finally abandoned soon afterward and the buildingswere used by the Walden Soap Works. The Walden Brickyard beganoperations in 1868 with James Gowdy at its head. The Walden KnifeCompany was established in 1870 with W. E. Gowdy as president. It isentirely devoted to pocket cutlery. In 1891 Mr. Edward Whiteheadbecame its president, since which time the industry has forgedrapidly ahead, with the annual payroll exceeding a quarter of amillion dollars. The Schrade Cutlery Company was organized in 1904.It is under the direct management of George Schrade and his brother,J. Louis Schrade. The Rider-Ericsson Engine Company, manufacturers ofhot air pumping engines, is also a very important industry, givingemployment to 125 men. The Wooster Manufacturing Company, makers ofpants and overalls, conducts an extensive and increasing business.The firm of William Crabtree & Sons, manufacturers of worsted yarnswith plants in Montgomery village and Newburgh, conducts animportant industry. This was established in 1880 by William Crabtreeand Arthur Patchett, both now deceased. Two hundred persons are givenemployment by this progressive firm.

The New York Condensed Milk Company established a very extensivebranch of its business just north of Walden in 1880, at an initialcost of $200,000, and the buildings and entire plant have beengreatly enlarged and improved since that time. It was intended toreceive the milk from 5,000 cows at the outset. John G. Borden, whobecame one of the most prominent and progressive men in that regionin after years, was the first president of this important plant.Since his death the great enterprise, with its model farms, has beencarried on most successfully by his daughters, and it is still one ofthe great show places of this region of the State. The farms, thoughmainly in Ulster County, are highly cultivated and operated under themost modern methods.

HISTORIC HOMES.

The Colden house, on the Montgomery and Newburgh State road, atColdenham, was built in 1765 by Cadwallader Colden, Jr. His father,Dr. Cadwallader Colden settled in Coldenham in 1728 on his patent of3,000 acres of land—he was the surveyor general of the province foreleven years, lieutenant governor for thirteen years and actinggovernor in 1761, 1763, 1769 and 1774. He gave to Cadwallader, Jr.,on his marriage, five hundred acres of land, including the site onwhich this house stands. The land was all in woods, and Cadwallader,Jr., began at once to clear part of it for farming purposes; with hisown hands he felled the first tree, and up-rooted the first stub.After a few years the first dwelling he erected gave place to thispermanent stone structure, then, one of the finest dwellings of theperiod. In it he lived a useful life, esteemed by all who knew him,and in it he died mourned as a public benefactor. Some years ago anaddition to the house was built in the rear, and more recently amansard roof and other improvements were added. The date of theerection of the building, and the names of its builders, are cut on astone in the upper front center. Its historical associations, pastand present, cover a period of one hundred and seventy-five years.

The Thomas Colden mansion was built by Cadwallader Colden, Jr., forone of his sons. It is situated about a mile north of Coldenham, atColden Hill, near what was the Newburgh and Ellenville plank road.It is a frame building with hipped-roof and is kept in excellentcondition. After the death of Thomas Colden it was occupied byCadwallader C. Colden, and more recently by Messrs. John and JosephKelly.

The Haines house is situated about a mile east of the GoodwillChurch, and a short distance south of the highway known as theHadden road. It was built by Benjamin Haines who came into theprecinct in 1739. The year in which the house was erected is notknown, but it is probably the oldest house in the town. During recentyears it has been occupied only for short intervals, and the wallsare crumbling. This house is known as the Old Hadden house, havingbeen in the possession of successive generations of that family formore than one hundred years.

The Hill Brick house situated about three miles east of Montgomery onthe State road was built by Nathaniel Hill in 1774 and occupied byhis son, Peter, who was a soldier in the War of the Revolution. Athis death the ownership and occupancy of the homestead passed to hisson, Nathaniel P. Hill, who was a prominent man—was sheriff, memberof congress, and filled other important positions. One of his sons,Nathaniel P., had also attained prominence as U. S. senator fromColorado.

The Van Keuren Stone house, now generally known as the Downs House,about a mile west of Goodwill church, on the road to Montgomery, wasbuilt in part by Hendricus Van Keuren in 1768, and in part by aprevious owner probably John McNeal. The house is in excellentcondition and is, perhaps, the oldest unchanged occupied house in thetown.

The Beemer house, situated on the old Stage road from Goshen toAlbany, nearly three miles north of Montgomery and about two mileswest of Walden, was built by Adam Beemer in 1770. It is a framedbuilding and has been recovered and repaired, but otherwise notmaterially changed. It is now in fair condition.

The Hans Youngblood house is situated on the road leading from theSearsville road north to the former site of Graham's church on thePine Bush road. Tradition says it was built before the French andIndian War. It was used for a German school in 1761, and is notoccupied at present.

The Kidd house in the extreme southeasterly part of Walden wasprobably built in part by Alexander Kidd, who settled there in 1736.The year it was built is not known. Alexander Kidd was among thefirst elders of Goodwill Church. His descendants are numerous.

SCHOOLS.

One of the ancient landmarks is the Montgomery High School, formerlyknown as the Montgomery Academy. This noted school is as old as ourNational Government. It had its inception in 1787, the year that theNational Constitution was framed. It was the fourth oldest academy inthe State, having been incorporated in 1791. Before 1787 theinhabitants of the village and surrounding country felt the need of aschool of a high grade, and during that year erected a schoolbuilding on lots reserved in part for school purposes, when thevillage was first surveyed and laid out. In the autumn of 1787teachers were employed and the school opened for pupils. During 1790steps were taken to incorporate the institution and place it underthe care of the regents of the State University, as appears from thefollowing application and petition:

"To the Regents of the University of the State of New York: Be itknown that a certain tract of land pleasantly situated in the town ofMontgomery, in the county of Ulster, in the center of a populous,fertile and wealthy country, hath lately been purchased, and a largeand convenient building of two stories high erected and completedthereon, for the use of a public academy for the instruction of youthin the learned languages and other branches of useful knowledge,that the expense of the undertaking hath been defrayed by the freeand liberal benefactions of individuals, of whom the subscribersconstitute more than one-half with respect to the contributionsraised and collected to found said academy, and that a gentleman ofliberal education, of very competent abilities and irreproachablemoral character has been procured, with a tutor, to teach in saidacademy.

"The subscribers, pursuant to an act of the Legislature of the Stateof New York entitled an act to institute a university within thisState, and for other purposes, passed April 13, 1787, respectfullymake the application to the regents of said University requiringthat the said academy may be incorporated agreeably to the said law,and be subject to the visitation of the said regents, and they dohereby nominate Arthur Parks, Matthew Hunter, Benjamin Sears, HenryVan Keuren, Solomon Slight, Joseph Barber, James Clinton, MosesFreleigh, Daniel Bull, James Hunter, Peter Hill, David Galatian,Johannes Miller, Severyn T. Brown, Henry Smith, Ebenezer Clark andWilliam Cross to be the first trustees of the said academy, declaringit to be their desire that the said trustees be called anddistinguished by the name of the trustees of the Montgomery Academyin the County of Ulster.

The petition was dated January 3, 1791, and the act of incorporationwas passed the 23rd of April following. The school prospered andgreater accommodations became necessary. In 1823 the main part of thepresent brick building was erected at a cost of about $5,400. Nearlytwo-thirds of the cost was paid by State moneys; the remaining thirdwas raised by subscription through the activity and persistence ofJohannes Miller.

The academy continued to prosper until the free school system wasadopted, when it began to decline. In 1881 it was transferred by thetrustees to the Board of Education of the Montgomery Union FreeSchool, of which it is now (1908) the academical department. Thefollowing is a list of principals of the academy since it wasincorporated: Rev. Alexander Miller, Nathaniel Howell, Nathan H.White, Reuben Neely, James King, Prof. Stansbury, William H. Weller,Rev. John McJimsay, Prof. Wilson, Jacob C. Tooker, twenty years,Silas S. Harmon, seven years, Rev Samuel B. Bell, D. D., Joseph M.Wilkins, three years, Robert Simpson, Daniel K. Bull, Prof. Lasher,Prof. Graham, Prof. Gunnison, Theron Little, Prof. Stevens, Prof.Beardsley, Prof. Cone, Benjamin C. Nevins, Prof. Demarest, Prof.Rouse. This famous academy reached the zenith of its prosperityunder Professors Tooker and Harmon.

The town is divided into thirteen school districts and parts ofdistricts; of these, twelve have school-houses in the town. Thesedistrict schools will compare favorably with those of any other town.It appears from trustees' reports for 1907 that the whole number ofchildren of school age (between five and eighteen), residing in thetown that year was 1,337; of these 1,299 attended school. The averagedaily attendance of these children was 850. The number of teachersemployed at the same time was thirty-four. The total cost ofsustaining these schools was $25,330; of this sum $17,892 was raisedby district tax. The value of school-houses and sites was $42,450.Two of the districts (Montgomery and Walden), are union free schooldistricts. The former was established in 1881 and now (1908), employssix teachers. The first principal was Reuben Fraser. The presentboard of education is: Dr. E. Ross Elliott, William Eager, William H.Senior, John A. Crabtree and William S. Hanlon. The latter wasorganized in 1859 and now employs eighteen teachers. The Board ofEducation in 1908 is: Sanford Abrams, Henry E. Williams. FrankBenedict, Benjamin S. French, Harry Hollingsworth, Dewitt C.Dominick. There is one parochial school in the town.

CHURCHES.

There are many ancient churches in this town. It was a sturdyChristian people that first settled in this region. After buildingtheir grist mills and providing themselves and families withlog-cabins, or other rude shelter from the storm and cold of thesevere winters which then prevailed, their next thought was for thechurch, where they might enjoy religious worship, hear the Scriptureexpounded and meet together in praise and song.

The oldest and best known of these churches in those early days wasthe Good Will Presbyterian Church. This was established by theScotch-Irish settlers who came into the region in 1724. The earliestrecords of this old church seem to have been lost. But theorganization was represented in the Synod of Philadelphia in 1729 byJohn McNeal as commissioner. This date has, therefore, been taken forthe establishment of the church, although it was doubtless inexistence there some years earlier. The settlers of the region beinglong known as "the people of Wallkill," this church went under thename of the Wallkill Church, though incorporated under the name firstmentioned. The first church structure is believed to have beenerected in 1735, although there was some rude building set apart forreligious worship some years before this. The building was improvedand enlarged from time to time, some $8,000 having been expended uponit in this way in 1871. During the one hundred and seventy-nine yearsof its existence it has had but nine pastors: Rev. Joseph Houston,John Moffatt, Andrew King, Robert W. Condit, William Blain, David M.Maclise, D.D., James M. Dixon, D.D., David F. Bonner, D.D., and thepresent pastor, Rev. John H. Thompson, who has served the church forseventeen years.

The Reformed Church of Montgomery was founded mainly by the Germanelement in 1732. As the population increased divisions arose in thischurch and several other churches were formed from it. The firsthouse of worship was a log structure built in 1732. And it is saidthat the entrance of this old church was by means of a ladder placedon the outside. All these early records were kept in the Dutchlanguage, and the services were also conducted in Dutch for the firstfifty years. Then for a time each alternate Sunday the Englishlanguage was used. Rev. John Michael Kern seems to have been thefirst settled pastor. He came in 1772 and resigned in 1776. Rev.G. W. Mancius, of the old parent Kingston Dutch Church, had beenacting as a supply previous to that date, until his death in 1762.Three different church buildings have occupied the site since the oldblock house was taken down in 1760. The first was a frame structureerected immediately thereafter. The church contained sixty-eightpews, forty-six of which were occupied at a rental of 96L 8S. Pewsfor the elders and deacons were on the right and left of theold-fashioned pulpit. Among the names of the pew-holders are foundthose of Rockefeller, Youngblood, Mould, Decker, Weller, Robinson,etc., ancestors of many well-known families. The modern name of thechurch for years has been "the Brick Church of Montgomery." Thepresent pastor is Peter Crispell.

The St. Andrew's Church at Walden, before alluded to, is anotherancient religious society. This people passed through a troublous {sic}existence during the Revolution, and the parish was left vacant forsome years until 1790. Finally, after emerging from a heavy debt, anew church was erected in the village of Walden in 1827. Then aftermany changes in rectors, another new church was decided upon in 1870.This with the parsonage cost $18,000, and in 1880 the church wasfinally consecrated free from debt.

The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Coldenham was organized in1795, and a house of worship built four years later. This wasreplaced by a new structure in 1838. Dr. Alexander McLeod was thepastor from 1800 to 1812. The present pastor, Rev. Thomas Patton,was installed in 1893.

The Reformed Dutch Church of Berea, which came as a secession fromthe Goodwill Church, got its first pastor in 1823, Rev. James TenEyck, the congregation having been incorporated two years before.When the first little church was built it was surrounded by a forest,the timber for the building being cut from the site itself.

The First Reformed Church of Walden was incorporated in 1870,although the society was formed forty years before, and the churchbuilding was completed in 1838 at a cost of $12,000. Some $5,000 morewas afterward spent upon the parsonage. Rev. M. V. Schoonmaker wasthe minister from 1849 to 1888. The present minister, Rev. W. W.Schomp, was installed in 1897.

The First Presbyterian Church of Montgomery was incorporated in1832 and Rev. James O. Stokes was the first pastor. There were manychanges in this pastorate in the succeeding years, and the debt piledup gradually until it reached $2,300 in 1848, a parsonage having beenbuilt meanwhile. This debt was, however, fully met that year underthe pastorate of Rev. E. R. Fairchild, whose health soon failed,however. Rev. J. C. Forsyth was installed in 1875 and he continued inthat field for many years.

The Methodist Church of Montgomery, was organized in 1829 with Rev.B. Howe and J. W. Lefever as priests. The "table expenses" of Mr.Howe were $100 and those of Lefever $50, which was in addition to thedisciplinary allowance. A small church was built that year and aparsonage four years later.

In 1906 an Episcopal mission was established in Montgomery.

The Walden Methodist Church was incorporated in 1850. Previous tothat the "classes" there were under the pastoral care of theMontgomery preachers. In fact, it was not until 1866 that the WaldenChurch became an independent charge. Then a parsonage was built andthe church building was enlarged and improved in 1870 at a cost of$6,000. In 1893 it was removed to the east side of the church lot andremodeled.

The Church of the Holy Name in the village of Montgomery wasincorporated in 1870. Rev. Hugh S. O'Hare was the pastor.

The inception of the Church of the Most Precious Blood in Waldenwas in 1887. Services were held in Lustig's and later in Condon'shall. The church was dedicated by Bishop Farley July 5, 1896. Theofficiating priests have been Rev. C. A. Meredith, Rev. P. Morris andRev. F. C. Lenes.

Among the recent church organizations of the town is the People'sBaptist Church at Maybrook, erected in 1906. No settled pastor.

Several of the old cities of the dead date back to 1725. The WallkillValley Cemetery Association was organized in 1865 and the firstburial made May 1, 1867. This cemetery commands general admiration inthe beauty and grandeur of its location. It comprises forty-one acresand the interments exceed 2,000. In 1905 Colonel Thomas Bradleyerected here a bronze statue, "The Volunteer," memorial to Company H,124th Regiment. Other burial places are Goodwill, St. Mary's,Riverside, Berea, Brick Church and Coldenham.

CHAPTER XXIII.

TOWN OF MOUNT HOPE.

By Wickham T. Shaw.

LOCATION, AREA, ETC.

This is one of the smaller towns of Orange County and it is locatedin the acute angle of the western boundary line of the county formedby the indentation of Sullivan County. The territory of the town isdiamond-shaped. The Shawangunk stream, which flows through the townlengthwise toward the northeast, leaves it in the apex of the angleand then forms the boundary line separating Orange from Sullivan, aswell as the northwestern bounds of the towns of Wallkill andCrawford.

It is bounded on the north by Sullivan County and a very small partof the town of Wallkill, east by that town, south by the towns ofWawayanda and Greenville, and west by the town of Deer Park.

The area of the town is now placed at 16,104 acres. The assessedvaluation of all the real and personal property, as reported by theassessors in 1906, was $632,075, upon which the tax levy for thatyear was $3,903.36. In 1880 this land was valued at $673,470, and theannual tax was $5,157.79. But it would be manifestly unfair to assumethat the land is less valuable now than it was twenty-five years ago.The average town assessor in the State of New York, under theprevailing political conditions and customs, is largely a creature ofcirc*mstance, with strange vagaries in judgment, if indeed he iscalled upon to exercise any judgment at all under the officiallimitations of his position. Then, too, standards of value havegreatly changed during that time.

This Mount Hope territory lies wholly north of the old county linewhich originally divided Orange from Ulster County.

NATURAL FEATURES.

The Shawangunk mountain range in the western border of the town isthe most important topographical feature. This northern spur of theAlleghenies is known as the Blue Mountains in New Jersey and theKittatiny Mountains in the State of Pennsylvania. Beginning in thecentral part of Ulster County the general trend of the range istoward the southwest for some 250 miles. There are few isolatedpeaks, and the greatest altitude reached is about 1,800 feet abovetide. The more notable elevations of this range are Sam's Point, nearEllenville, Sky Top and Eagle's Cliff at Lake Mohonk, all of whichare in Ulster County. The Indian word Shawangunk, which has been usedto designate this range since the settlement of the region,signifies "great wall" in the aboriginal vernacular, which in factseems especially appropriate as a descriptive title.

The eastern slopes of these mountains are uniform and well adapted tocultivation, even to their summits, in most instances. But on thewestern side they are broken and precipitous. The approach from theeast has been fitly described by an old writer in the followinglanguage: "The eye rests upon fields of grain and grass, upturnedfurrows, the verdure of waving trees and the homes of thriftyhospitality, spread out from valley to crest, over the south and thefar north, in unwearying {sic} panoramic beauty—a patchwork of gold andgreen, of brown and gray, of white and red."

The Shawangunk River is another dominating feature in this Mount Hopetownship. Rising in the adjoining town of Greenville on the south,this stream enters the Mount Hope territory near the middle of thesouthern boundary line and flows northeasterly through the centralportion of the town, leaving the north boundary line at the apex ofSullivan County, as before stated.

The Little Shawangunk rises at Shawangunk Lake, on the eastern borderof the town, flows northward along the line some four or five miles,then crosses over into the town of Wallkill, anon reentering MountHope in the northeast corner, and finally unites with the parentstream in the western bounds of Wallkill. There are several smalltributaries which enter the Shawangunk from the west and drain themountain slopes effectually.

This territory also presents many geological features of interestwhich have attracted considerable attention in past years. Here, aselsewhere in this mountain range, rich mineral deposits have beenfound. Lead, copper and zinc ores were discovered many years ago, andnumerous mining companies have been formed in the town.

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

This being one of the newer towns of the County, having been takenfrom the towns of Wallkill and Deer Park in 1825, the detailspertaining to its early settlement are of course embodied in thehistory of those towns and cannot well be treated separately in thisplace at much length.

Among the early pioneers in this section was John Finch, who settledin what was afterward known as Finchville. The records show he wasthere in 1733 at least. He came from Horseneck, Conn., settling firstat Goshen, where it was said in after years he was the first adultperson to receive burial in the Goshen churchyard.

Jasper Writer came from Germany, and after spending a few years inPhiladelphia he removed to this section and settled on what wasafterward known as the Writer farm. This was probably before 1763, ashe was over a hundred years old when he died in 1842.

Ashbel Cadwell was another early settler here, and his grandson,Harvey R. Cadwell, in later years became a prominent citizen ofOtisville.

The Green family was also among the early settlers here. IsraelGreen, the pioneer, started at Middletown, and he had many children,some of whom lived in the Otisville section. Daniel Green, hisbrother, settled near Finchville. William Shaw must also be numberedwith the well known Mount Hope pioneers, and he settled near Howellssome years before the Revolution and left many worthy descendants inthat region.

Stephen St. John was another enterprising and public spirited citizenof that little village. James Finch served in the militia during theRevolution for more than three months, and also in the French andIndian war in 1755 and 1756. In his youthful days he served as valetto General Abercrombie at Fort Stanwix.

Benjamin Woodward, already mentioned, came into the section in 1773from Stonington, Conn. He served several sessions in the Legislature,was a member of the Constitutional Convention in 1821, and was statesenator from 1827 to 1830. His son Charles also represented his townin the Legislature in 1863 and 1864.

Joshua Corwin was another Mount Hope pioneer who came there sometimebefore the Revolution, coming from Southold, L. I. He had eightchildren, who settled on an extensive tract of land in that region.

Jacob Wiggins came very soon after the Revolution and settled twomiles south of Otisville.

ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWN.

The act of incorporation of Mount Hope was passed in 1825, as beforestated. But the new town was then named "Calhoun" in honor of thedistinguished South Carolina Senator, John C. Calhoun, whosepatriotic course as secretary of war during the contest with GreatBritain in 1812 won him great favor with the people of this entireregion. But they soon regretted this action and the honor conferredbecause of Calhoun's course and policy during the nullificationdiscussions of 1831 and 1832. There was a violent revulsion of publicopinion and everybody wanted to drop this now unpopular name of thetown without ceremony, thus showing their open disapproval of the newpolicy of the Southern statesman. A public meeting was held, the oldname was dropped with a heavy thud and the present title of "MountHope" was unanimously adopted with much enthusiasm. In response to apopular petition sent to the Legislature in 1833 a law was passedMarch 14 of that year discarding the old name and ratifying the newone. The plan of thus honoring a political favorite of the hour,however distinguished and popular he might be, had proved a dangerousexperiment even in those eight short years, and the people were nowresolved to adopt some title for their town which could not beaffected by the sands of time or the progress of human events.

While all the earlier records of this town were destroyed by fire in1848, the account of the first town meeting, which was held at thehouse of Joseph Conklin, April 5, 1825, is happily preserved in thebooks of Deer Park. Joseph Chattle and Richard Penny were thepresiding justices of the peace. One hundred and fifty dollars wereraised for the support of the poor for the ensuing year and $35 forthe maintenance of bridges. Joseph Chattle was chosen the firstsupervisor and Joseph Conklin town clerk. While many of the principalofficers were chosen by ballot, all the minor town officials wereselected by the primitive method of raising of hands. Four constableswere chosen, six fire masters, four fence viewers and forty-onehighway masters. Just what the duties of the latter were can only beconjectured, as very little attention was paid to the public roads ofthat period or their repair, and fortunately so, perhaps, because ofthe primitive and defective methods in vogue. The official list ofthe town included also three assessors, two overseers of the poor,three commissioners of highways, three school commissioners and threeschool inspectors.

The first town meeting after the fire was in 1849. At that time therather extravagant civil list of the town had been somewhat reducedin number. One hundred dollars were then raised for repairs to roadsand bridges.

It is interesting to note in passing that in 1906 the sum raised forthe maintenance of public roads alone in the town under the moneysystem of road work was $2,743.33. Of this amount $933.12 wasreceived from the State and $260 from the poll tax.

LITTLE SHAWANGUNK KILL.

Heretofore it has been said that the little Shawangunk Kill, in thistown, was of such little importance that historians declined tomention it, yet this stream, lying practically all in the town, wasat one time the scene of five thriving saw-mills in operation, butwhich have since disappeared. Yet the city of Middletown in 1890 sawa basis of great water works in this stream, and just from the lineat the headwaters of this kill in the town of Wallkill, erected areservoir which was known as Highland Lake, containing about500,000,000 gallons of water. On April 22, 1901, just below HighlandLake and in the town of Mount Hope, the city of Middletown decided toerect another lake, and the contract was let to Charles Sundstrom ofthe city of Middletown, who, by the erection of what was known asShawangunk, Greenleaf and Steward dams, impounded a large quantity ofwater, which was to form a part of the Middletown system.

This work was at the cost of something like $57,000, and wasconnected with Monhagen Lake by a twenty-inch conduit, and also atwenty-four-inch conduit was extended in a westerly direction to apoint in the Shawangunk Kill, above Mount Hope, from which it wasintended to take water at high times, and conduct it to what wascalled Shawangunk reservoir.

This reservoir when full contains over 434,000,000 gallons of water,and has an acreage of about 102 acres, on what was formerly known asthe Greenleaf farm. It will be observed that Highland Lake had beenerected some fourteen years, but since Shawangunk Lake was erected,litigation sprang up from the mill owners on the big Shawangunk Kill,as far north as Pine Bush, and all the farmers on the line of thelittle Shawangunk Kill were brought into proceedings forcondemnation, and the payment of damages for the taking of thiswater, and this litigation, which continued some two or three years,was finally settled in the year 1907, when all water rights to bothkills were finally determined, but the city of Middletown had paid inexpenses and damages something like $25,000.

VILLAGES.

The village of Mount Hope is in the southwestern part of the town.This name was bestowed long before the formation of the town itself,which was evidently named after the old village. The site of thehamlet is a commanding elevation, and there is a charming view of thesurrounding landscape on all sides far and near.

Benjamin Woodward and Dr. Benjamin Newkirk are credited with theestablishment of the place in May, 1807. On the eighth day of thatmonth, after the "raising bee" was over, James Finch, the oldsettler, called the assembly to order and made a very enthusiasticspeech, during which he christened the place "Mount Hope" with properceremony.

Otisville was settled in 1816 by Isaac Otis, a merchant from NewYork, and named for him. There were but three houses on the upperstreet, and probably but little more than a dozen buildings comprisedthe entire village when the Erie Railroad was opened on November 3,1846.

The officials of the road who arrived on the first train dined at thehotel of Ambrose W. Green, who for many years was one of the leadingcitizens of Otisville. At this time, 1846, Dr. Avery Cook lived andhad his office near where the depot stands. Galen Otis owned the onlystore which stood where he later built a large square house. EzraColeman lived and had his wagon-making shop where Dr. Writer nowlives. Samuel K. Wheat was the harness-maker, and lived where laterJudson Van Duzer lived. Stanford Harding was the blacksmith, andSquire Baker had a cooper shop. Harvey R. Cadwell, a member ofAssembly in 1862, owned the farm on the north, and Smith Loomis,father of Supervisor Charles Loomis, owned the farm on the westernboundary of the village.

The schoolhouse in 1840 was nearly a mile south of the village on theplains, the present site of the cemetery. A church was also there.This same year Algernon Sidney Dodge, son of Benjamin Dodge, of MountHope, came to Otisville and leased the store of Galen Otis. AlsopWoodward Dodge, son of Algernon Sidney Dodge, now resides inMiddletown, and from him we learned some of the facts contained here.

Ambrose Woodward Green, mentioned above, was born in the town ofGreenville in 1813. His father was Charles S. Green, and hisgrandfather was Daniel Green, a soldier of the Revolution from OrangeCounty.

Ambrose W. Green settled in Otisville in 1835, and for a time carriedon the tailoring business, which he discontinued, and built theWashington Hotel, now the Greenleaf Hotel, conducting it for sometime in connection with other business.

Before the Erie came to Otisville, Mr. Green owned a market wagonroute to Newburgh, going twice a week by way of Bloomingburg. WhileOtisville remained the western terminal of the Erie, Mr. Green alsoowned a stage line to Forestburgh, Sullivan County, connecting withlines into Pennsylvania for Honesdale and other western points. Hewas interested in building the Otisville and Wurtsboro turnpike. Mr.Green sold the Washington Hotel and about 1850 built the hotel nearthe railroad track. While conducting this hotel, he was engaged inthe lumber and coal business. From 1863 to 1870 he was extensivelyinterested in the lead mining operations on Shawangunk Mountain. Thedecline in the value of lead after our Civil War caused the mines tobe discontinued, and Mr. Green later sold his hotel and removed to afarm a couple of miles north of Otisville, where he died in July,1888.

The coming of the Erie boomed Otisville for the next few years. AMethodist and a Presbyterian church were built and a little later aCatholic church. Several stores and many dwellings were erected.Market wagons came here twice a week with farmers' produce forshipment to New York. Previous to the building of the MidlandRailroad hundreds of teams throughout the winter, while the Delawareand Hudson Canal was closed, came to Otisville from Sullivan andwestern Ulster Counties, with leather from the tanneries, andreturned with the green hides for tanning. For many years, until theintroduction of refrigerator cars, Otisville was the western terminalof the milk train.

George Strickland and Joel D. Northrup, residents of Otisville, werethe conductors—the latter for many years. The Orange County Expressfor several years went no further west than Otisville. The gravel andconstruction train for this section, with nearly a hundred employees,had its headquarters at Otisville. Until coal was used as the fuelfor the engines of the Erie, Otisville for many years was theprincipal point where the thousands of cords of wood were receivedwhich the Erie consumed yearly. This wood was all sawed by hand, andmany men were employed. Many citizens of Otisville found variouskinds of employment with the Erie during these years, and much of theprosperity of the village came from the dollars left here by themonthly pay-car of the Erie.

TUBERCULOSIS SANATORIUM OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK.

To the historian of the future the name Otisville will be associatedwith one of the great sanitary advances made in this country, namely,the establishment, by a municipality, of a tuberculosis sanatoriumoutside the political limits of that municipality.

The establishment of such a sanatorium was first suggested in 1889.At that time, however, not even a medical sentiment was ripe forsuch a movement. In the succeeding fifteen years, little progress wasmade toward a realization of these plans, and it was not until Dr.Thomas Darlington became commissioner of health that any tangibleresults were achieved. He proved an aggressive and resourcefulchampion. With political, corporate, and private interests leaguedtogether to prevent the city from acquiring a site, it was largelyowing to the indefatigable labors of Dr. Darlington that the mostdetermined opposition to the plan was overcome.

After carefully examining many sites, it was finally determined toestablish the sanatorium at Otisville, a little village lying in theShawangunk Mountains, and about seventy-five miles from New YorkCity. As a southern exposure was desired, the grounds, covering anarea of over 1,400 acres, were selected on the southeastern slope ofone of the most picturesque and most favorably situated mountains ofthe entire range. The grounds have an altitude varying from about800 feet to 1,500 feet above sea level. The sanatorium propertyconsists of what were formerly thirteen separate farms, which werepurchased at different times during the years 1905 and 1906, thehealth department first taking possession for the city of New York onDecember 1, 1905.

To avoid delay in establishing the institution on a working basis, itwas deemed best to renovate and remodel the buildings on theproperty, and use them until such time as the needs of the sanatoriumwould require the erection of new ones. By July, 1906, theinstitution was ready to receive its first patients, and a year afterthat date had accommodations for about 100.

Since the sanatorium is designed for the treatment of those ill withtuberculosis in the early stages of the disease, there is only asmall building for hospital accommodations. The rest of thebuildings, in which the patients practically live outdoors, areportable houses and shacks. All the frills and ruffles so universallyconnected with the construction of public buildings have beenomitted; everything has been subordinated to that which is best forthe patients.

There are six portable houses, which are set on posts and can betaken apart and transferred to any location desired. The houses allmeasure ten by sixty feet, and are divided into five rooms. Thecenter room, heated on cold days, is used as a bathing and dressingroom, as well as a sitting room in inclement weather. Those oneither side are used as bed rooms. Each room has four windows, two ofwhich are always open and so arranged as to avoid all draughts. Eachroom contains one bed. The two rooms on either end are entirely openon the three sides, a fine screen only enclosing to keep out insects,etc. Heavy canvas curtains are folded in a roll outside, and can bedropped in stormy weather. These end rooms each accommodates twopatients, thus making a capacity of six to each house.

In the latter part of 1906 a one-story and a two-story shack wereerected for the additional accommodation of patients; and during 1907two single-story shacks and one small house were built.

The shacks are built in the form of the letter T. The stem of the Tconsists of a room containing the washstands, lockers for eachpatient, and toilets and baths. In front of this is a sitting room,and opening from either side of this are the sleeping rooms. Thelatter are practically only verandas, being open in front and on theside, while for protection against storms and severe winds there is asimilar provision to that used on the portable houses; that is, thecurtains ordinarily rolled up are lowered, shutting off the verandasfrom the outside. A single-story shack accommodates twelve patients,six on each veranda. The two-story shack accommodates just doublethat number, being exactly alike in its two stories.

A feature of considerable importance in an institution of this kindis the manner in which the different patients are segregated. Asnearly as possible patients in the same physical condition as well asthose who are apt to be congenial are assigned to the same quarters.

Every patient is closely observed for about ten days after admission.The amount and frequency of rest, exercise and work is determined atall times by the condition of the patients. They are assigned to workaccording to their strength and capabilities. All dining-room duties,such as waiting on the table, washing dishes, and preparingvegetables, are performed by selected patients who show but slightlesions, negative sputum, and have no cough. Many of the patients areable to do farm work, and this keeps them out in the air and relievestheir ennui.

In a large institution of this kind the problem of sewage disposal isnot an easy matter. But by the aid of expert sanitary engineers thishas been satisfactorily overcome. Thousands of feet of pipe have beenlaid, and an up-to-date disposal plant has been erected. The effluentfrom this plant will have been so purified as to be practicallyindistinguishable from pure water.

An abundance of pure water has also been provided, and is supplied ata high pressure to all the buildings. Fire plugs are scattered aboutthe sanatorium grounds, and a fire-fighting system has beenorganized.

The sanatorium has its own dairy, for the patients are encouraged todrink considerable milk. The cow barn and the milk handling rooms inconnection with this, are immaculately clean, and this condition isreflected by the milk, which is of the highest possible purity.

The one fact which stands out prominently at the sanatorium is thebroad foundation on which the whole work has been planned. The workis being directed with admirable foresight, and will yield immensereturns in the fight against tuberculosis in New York City. Thesanatorium was established in order to provide a place for treatingthese consumptives of New York who are unable to pay, the large armywho until now have had merely the clinics and dispensaries, but forwhom country treatment is most desirable. The city maintains thepatients absolutely free, the only condition being that the diseaseis not too far advanced.

The present capacity of the institution, about 150, is only a smallfraction of what it will be five or ten years hence. Yet even thesesmall numbers are an immense potential for good when they return tothe city cured or improved, for they carry with them habits ofcleanliness and personal hygiene and a knowledge of the value offresh air, which are of incalculable value not only to them, but toall with whom they come in contact.

The present officers of the institution are: Dr. Thomas Darlington,commissioner of health; Dr. Hermann M. Biggs, general medicalofficer; Dr. Irving D. Williams, superintendent; Dr. Edward J.McSweenv, resident physician, and Dr. Frank P. Hauser, assistantresident physician.

RAILROADS, HAMLETS, MINES.

Erie & Jersey Railroad.—In the year 1904 a corporation wasorganized, known as the Erie and Jersey Railroad Company, whichostensibly was an independent line, to be built from a point on theErie railroad west of Guymard, on a circuitous route, to the north ofthe present Erie railroad, to Turner. It was well understood thatthis road was a part of the Erie system, and was to be a double-trackroad, the projectors of which alleged that it would be used forfreight, but as it shortened the route of the road and was a mucheasier grade, when completed, undoubtedly would be used by many fastexpress trains.

The condemnation laws of this State were not elastic enough to permitof taking property along the line of this route through the courts,and the greater part of the right of way had to be bought by thecompany, and fabulous prices were paid for its right of way, whichwas 130 feet wide. About eleven miles of this road is in the town ofMount Hope.

The Erie & Jersey Railroad Tunnel.—On August 10, 1905, Bennett &Talbott, contractors, of Greensburg, Pa., contracted with the Erie &Jersey Railroad Company to build twelve miles of railroad, elevenmiles of grading, which would require about 1,500,000 cubic yards ofexcavation, and about 15,000 yards of concrete masonry, and one mile,three hundred and three feet of tunnel through the ShawangunkMountains, between Guymard and Howells, N.Y. The road was to becompleted within a period of two years. Work was commenced onSeptember 4, 1905, by sinking a shaft at the center of the tunnel toa depth of 117 feet. Owing to a delay in getting the right of way,however, they were compelled to sink another shaft at the eastportal of the tunnel to expedite the work, beginning on or aboutOctober 1, 1905. The west portal of the tunnel was begun on or aboutNovember 15 of the same year. The completion of the work was delayedsomewhat on account of the suspension of work April, 1907. Theexcavation of the tunnel will now be completed on or about the firstof March, 1908, while the arching will be finished some time in July,1908. The excavation of solid rock required for this work was 180,000cubic yards. The timber required to support the roof was 1,700,000feet, while the amount of concrete sidewall was 8,000 cubic yards.The number of brick required was 8,000,000. The machinery used in theconstruction of this tunnel was two improved Style A Marionsteam-shovels, known as the "45-ton." Alpha Portland cement was usedfor the masonry. Francis Lee Stuart was chief engineer of this work.

Finchville.—This hamlet is in the southwestern part of the town atthe eastern base of the Shawangunk Mountains. It was founded byJames Finch, the old settler, in whose honor the name was bestowed.But the precise date of this settlement is not accurately disclosedby the records. It was to this place that many terror-stricken womenand children fled for refuge from the Mamakating Valley during theIndian troubles there.

New Vernon.—This is a small hamlet in the northern border of thetown. In fact, part of it is in Sullivan County. It was named thus todistinguish it from Vernon in New Jersey. It had one church and sometwenty dwellings in 1860, and has shown no very material increase inrecent years.

Guymard, in the western part of the town of Mount Hope, was theculmination of the plan of the Gumaer brothers to have a railroadstation nearer Gumaer's, which was on the Delaware & Hudson Canal.After the strenuous times of 1857, labor could be obtained atsixty-five cents per day, and the Gumaer brothers decided to build aroad from the canal to the Erie railroad, and then the station wasnamed Guymard.

About 1862 they concluded to extend the new road to the old turnpikeon top of the mountain. While constructing that part of the road,lead was discovered. As a result of this discovery, many mines wereprospected on the Shawangunk Mountain and were operated more or lessfrom 1863 to 1870. Among these was the mine of the Guymard Lead &Zinc Co., from which several carloads of lead were shipped weekly.After the close of the Civil War the price of lead declined, andconsidering the crude mining methods and the cost involved,eventually the mines were abandoned.

Of the Gumaer brothers, Peter and Jackson are now living at Guymard.Chauncey Gumaer, son of Peter, having had nearly twenty-five years'mining experience in Colorado and the West, has returned and is nowworking the old mine at Guymard. With the improved methods of mining,he believes his new venture will prove successful.

An incident of considerable local historical interest occurred herein the spring of 1863. The mine at Guymard was being worked by itsowners, when one day one George H. Servoss, an Englishman, arrivedand claimed that he owned the mine and all the mineral rights in thissection through a grant by Queen Anne of England. He erected a smallbuilding on the grounds and his miners began operations. The rightfulowners were wild with excitement and the news was soon communicatedto others interested in mining in this section at that time. A daywas appointed, when between 100 and 200 men assembled and tumbledServoss's building over into the gully below the railroad track anddrove him and his miners from the mine. This was probably the lastattempt of a subject of Great Britain to claim territory or grantedrights in the United States which had been so definitely decidednearly a hundred years before by the ancestors of some who took partin driving this Englishman from his false claim.

A singular incident in connection was this: Ambrose W. Green, whokept a hotel at Otisville, and was much interested in mining, was oneof the men who assembled and helped to drive Servoss from his claimat Guymard. Servoss came to Otisville that night and with some of hisminers stopped at Mr. Green's hotel. Being convinced that Yankeeblood still predominated in this section, Servoss gave up his claim.While stopping with Mr. Green he began prospecting and on June 13,1863, leased the mineral right of Thomas Hawk of his farm situatedless than a mile above Otisville. Ambrose W. Green witnessed thedocument and Servoss formed what was known as the Otisville CopperMining Company, which he worked for some time. Servoss died in NewYork City on December 10, 1907.

The Farmers' Library was incorporated in October, 1807, just acentury ago. Its first meeting was held at the home of BenjaminWoodward. The original trustees were Benjamin B. Newkirk, BenjaminWoodward, William Mulock, James Finch, Jr., Peter E. Gumaer, DanielGreen, William Shaw, Jr., Stephen Farnum and Peleg Pelton. Thelibrary was established at once and it is said to have contained avaluable collection of historical works which were doubtless the onlyavailable books for such use at that early period of libraryliterature. This old library was maintained there some thirty years,which certainly speaks well for the people of that region at thattime. The educational influences of this old library upon the youngpeople of that section during that period are said to have been mostwholesome and of incalculable value.

POINTS OF HISTORIC INTEREST.

Of course the Shawangunk Mountain range is always interesting to thegeologist and historian. The pass through these mountains atOtisville is well worth visiting. It was the only break the Erieengineers could find when they laid out the railway, and they wentover ten miles north of Port Jervis to utilize it.

The old Finch homestead at Finchville has long been an object ofinterest, although the old house itself was burned many years ago. Itwas here that the militia halted on their way to the fatal Minisinkbattlefield and took a hurried meal. Resuming their march over themountains, it is said very few of the soldiers survived the terribleencounter and lived to recross those hills and again enjoy Mr.Finch's hospitality.

The huge bones of a noted mastodon, which awakened much popularinterest at the time, were found deeply embedded in the soil on theold Allison farm, a short distance from Otisville, nearly fifty yearsago. This remarkable find took the imagination back to the primitiveera when these mammoth creatures roamed at will over this westerncontinent.

INDUSTRIES.

Of course the primary and paramount interest of the people in thistown from its early settlement even to the present day, has beenagriculture. The cultivation of the land attracted the settlersthither and the raising of crops, together with lumbering, were theleading pursuits in which the residents engaged for over a hundredyears. The sunny mountain slopes and the alluvial bottoms along therivers were well adapted to plant growth, and the farmer obtainedgood results from his labor. Nearly all the ordinary crops to whichthe latitude and climate were suited could be grown with profit. Thetown had its full share in the production of the famous "OrangeCounty butter," which was made in large quantities for a time. Butfor many years past, with the ample railway facilities afforded forprompt shipment, nearly all the milk produced has been shipped toNew York direct and the butter-making branch of the dairy interesthas been almost entirely discontinued. In fact, many of the farmershave been buying butter elsewhere for their own use, finding it moreprofitable to sell their milk, which of course has been produced toa far larger extent than ever before.

MILITARY HISTORY.

This town east of the mountain range was long regarded as a place ofrefuge for those fleeing from the frequent Indian attacks in theMamakating Valley. Historic records contain many thrilling andpathetic incidents of this nature, and they are presented in muchgraphic detail, although doubtless based largely upon traditionaryauthority.

As to the history of Mount Hope during the Revolution, there is none,apart from the annals embraced in the records of the parent towns ofDeer Park and Wallkill, from which Mount Hope was taken forty-fiveyears after the settlement of that little dispute with a tyrannicalnation over certain questions regarding human rights and personalliberty. Concerning the roll of honor, belonging to this territory inthat war for independence the reader is referred to the records ofDeer Park and Wallkill, found on other pages of this work.

In the War of 1812 the Wallkill Regiment was ordered out in fullforce, while the 128th Regiment of Sullivan was drafted into theservice. This organization then included many men from this MountHope section. Those who served in that secondary struggle from here,mentioned in the records, are Joseph Stanton, Amzi Mapes, JohnMulock, Zebulon Giffen, Frederick A. Seybolt, Richard Penny andCaptain William Mulock.

During the war of the rebellion the town was of course an integralfactor of the county, and it bore an honored share in that memorablestruggle. The population being small the number who enlisted in theservice of the government was not very large. Under the variouscalls of President Lincoln in 1862-1863-1864 some 330 men went forthfrom this town to serve their country. In addition to this,fifty-eight were drafted into the service.

At a special town meeting held August 9, 1864, and ratified on thetwentieth of the same month, a tax of $37,000 was ordered for thepayment of bounties at the rate of $800 per man. In February, 1865,another tax of $10,000 was authorized for a similar purpose. Thetown was afterward reimbursed by the Government for bounties paid tothe amount of $11,400. In addition to this, voluntary subscriptionsand contributions amounting to $913 were sent forward at differenttimes. Of the Mount Hope soldiers four were reported killed inaction. The record also contains the names of forty-one other men whoenlisted during 1863 and 1864.

CHAPTER XXIV.

TOWN OF NEWBURGH.

EARLY PATENTS.

While Newburgh is the most important and impressive place in OrangeCounty, Newburgh Town, outside of the city, has its facts and pointsof interest.

After the annulment, in 1669, of the patent purchased of the Indiansby Governor Dongan, and conveyed by him to Captain John Evans in 1684in which patent was included the territory of the Newburgh precinct,the entire district was conveyed, between 1703 and 1705, in smallpatents, ten of which were in the Newburgh precinct, and a list ofwhich is given in the chapter on Newburgh city.

All patents were conditioned upon a payment of quit-rent, sometimesin money, sometimes in wheat or other commodity.

The Palatine settlement, including a portion of the present city ofNewburgh and a portion of the town, is elsewhere considered. So arethe changes and troubles that followed the coming of the new Dutchand English settlers, resulting in a decision of the council whichpractically terminated "The Palatine Parish by Quassaick." Ruttenbersays that when this decision was rendered the original members of theparish had long previously removed from it or been laid away in thequiet church-yard, and adds: "As a people they were earnest, good menand women. Wherever their neighbors of subsequent migrations are met,their record compares favorably with that of immigrants from anyother country. No citizens of more substantial worth are found underthe flag of this, their native land, than their descendants; nobraver men were in the armies of the Revolution than Herkimer andMuhlenberg. Had they done nothing in the parish but made clearings inits forests and planted fields they would be entitled to gratefulremembrance. They did more; they gave to it its first church and itsfirst government; and in all subsequent history their descendantshave had a part."

As to the other patents: The Baird patent included the settlement ofBelknap's Ridge, later classed at Coldenham. It was issued toAlexander Baird, Abraham Van Vleque and Hermans Johnson, and was soldto Governor William Burnet. The Kipp patent included the districteast, north and west of Orange Lake, and adjoined the Baird patent onthe south. It was issued to Jacobus Kipp, John Conger, PhilipCortlandt, David Prevost, Oliver Schuyler and John Schuyler. It wasdivided into six parts, and these were subdivided into farms. About1791 a company of Friends from Westchester County settled on thepatent. They were Daniel, Zephaniah and Bazak Birdsall, John Suttonand John Thorne. The first purchasers on the Bradley patent aresupposed to have been Johannes Snyder and John Crowell. The Wallacepatent, issued to James Wallace alone, was afterwards purchased byJohn Penny, who sold 200 acres of it to Robert Ross, and settled,with his seven sons, upon the remainder. The Bradley patent was toSarah, Catherine, George, Elizabeth and Mary Bradley, and was takenin their name by their father, Richard Bradley, who thus secured sixtracts, of which that in Newburgh was one. The Harrison patent was toFrancis Harrison, Mary Fatham, Thomas Brazier, James Graham and JohnHaskell. It included the present district of Middlehope, and itssettlers were influential in the control of the town during its earlyhistory. The Spratt patent was in two parcels, 1,000 acres inNewburgh and 2,000 acres in Ulster. It was issued to Andrew Marschalkand John Spratt, the latter taking the Newburgh tract. This waspurchased in 1760 by Joseph Gidney, and took the name of Gidneytown.The Gulch patent was to Melichor Gulch and his wife and children ofthe original company of Palatines. The Johnson or Jansen patentadjoined the Gulch patent, and was the first occupied land in thenorthwestern part of the town.

The settlement of these patents resulted in dividing the old precinctof the Highlands in 1762 into the precincts of Newburgh and NewWindsor, the former embracing the towns of Marlborough and Plattekillin Ulster County with the present town and city of Newburgh, and thelatter covering substantially the same territory as now.

GOVERNMENT BEGINNINGS.

The next April, 1763, Newburgh's first town meeting was held at thehouse of Jonathan Hasbrouck, now known as Washington's Headquarters,and these officers were chosen: Jonathan Hasbrouck, supervisor;Samuel Sands, clerk; Richard Harper, John Winfield and Samuel Wyatt,assessors; Daniel Gedney and Benjamin Woolsey, poor masters; JonathanMcCrary, John Wandel, Burras Holmes, Isaac Fowler, Muphrey Merrittand Thomas Woolsey, path masters; Nathan Purdy and Isaac Fowler,fence viewers and appraisers.

Ten years later Marlborough and Plattekill settlements were set offas New Marlborough, and left Newburgh with almost the same territoryas that of the present town and city. The first supervisor of thisreduced town was John Flewwelling and the first clerk was SamuelSands.

The territory of the present town embraces 26,882 acres in theextreme northeast portion of the county. The soil along the riverfront for a distance of five miles is warm, productive and wellcultivated. The rock formations are largely slate and lime. In 1875its population was 3,538, and the census of 1905 places it at 4,885persons.

Subsequent to the incorporation of the city of Newburgh, April 25,1865, the town of Newburgh was invested with the government of itsown officers. The following supervisors have been elected:

Nathaniel Barns, 1866; C. Gilbert Fowler, 1867; Nathaniel Barns,1868 to 1870; W. A. Pressler, 1871; John W. Bushfield, 1872 to 1877;Henry P. Clauson, 1878 to 1880; W. A. Pressler, 1881 to 1885; OliverLozier, 1886; John W. Bushfield, 1887; Oliver Lozier, 1888 to 1801;William H. Post, 1892 to 1899; Henry P. Clauson, 1900 to 1906; FredS. McDowell, 1907 and 1908.

EARLY PATRIOTISM.

But little need be added to what has elsewhere been sketchedregarding Newburgh's part in the war for independence. Its peoplewere prompt in patriotic response to the non-importation resolutionsof the Continental Congress. It was one of the five precincts topublicly burn the pamphlet assailing those resolutions, entitled,"Free Thoughts on the Resolves of Congress," and on June 27, 1775,at a public meeting, appointed a Committee of Safety: Wolvert Acker,Jonathan Hasbrouck, Thomas Palmer, John Belknap, Joseph Coleman,Moses Higby, Samuel Sands, Stephen Case, Isaac Belknap, BenjaminBirdsall, John Robinson and others. When the pledge to support theacts of the Continental and Provincial Congress was ready 174 nameswere voluntarily signed to it and twenty-one of the fifty-four menwho refused to sign afterward made affidavit that they also wouldabide by the measures of Congress and pay their quota of allexpenses. Some of the thirty-three Tories who stood out wereimprisoned and some were executed. The Newburgh patriots as promptlyreorganized the militia of the precinct. They furnished two companiesfor a new regiment in September, and in December helped toconstitute a regiment of minute men, and provided its colonel in theperson of Thomas Palmer. They also, in 1776, organized as rangers orscouts to prevent attacks from hostile Indians. Throughout the warthe citizens of Newburgh were conspicuous as volunteers in theregular army and as local militiamen in the cause of the Revolution,and were subjected to much inconvenience and many privations inconsequence of the presence of other troops, as elsewhere stated.Many of them were killed and many more taken prisoners in the defenseof the Highland forts, after which the poor taxes were increased from50L to 800L and special donations were collected for those who hadbeen deprived of their husbands or parents.

The history of Washington's doings and sayings in and near Newburghis so familiar that they need not be repeated here.

EARLY ORGANIZATIONS.

The Benevolent Society of the County of Orange was formed in January,1805, with the following officers: Hugh Walsh, president; Gen. JohnSkey Eustace, vice-president; John McAuley, treasurer; WilliamGardner, Secretary.

In the sketch of Newburgh village and city mention has been made ofthe charter provision for a Glebe fair. This fair is believed to havebeen held occasionally as late as 1805, as there has been found in anold newspaper notice of one to be held in October of that year, withan offer of $125 as a premium to the jockey riding the best horse onthe course of Benjamin Case, $50 to another jockey riding the besthorse on the following day, and $25 to the jockey riding the bestfilly on the third day.

The Newburgh Bible Society was organized September 9, 1818, at ameeting held in the Presbyterian Church of Newburgh village, after adiscourse by Rev. James R. Wilson. The first article of theconstitution declared that its "sole object shall be to encourage awider circulation of the Scriptures, without note or comment." Thefollowing officers were elected: Jonas Story, president; IsaacBelknap and Joseph Clark, vice-presidents; Rev. John Johnston,corresponding secretary; Charles Miller, recording secretary;Benjamin J. Lewis, treasurer.

In 1823 the Newburgh Society for Aiding Missions was formed. Thereport said: "Its design is to be auxiliary to the cause of missionsin general; its funds, at the disposal of a board of managers, are tobe appropriated from time to time to such societies or othermissionary objects as may seem to have the most pressing claim toassistance."

The Newburgh Sabbath School Society was organized in 1816, and thefollowing officers are found recorded, as chosen in 1823, sixteenyears afterward: Superintendents, Mrs. Agnes Van Vleeck, Mrs. MaryG. Belknap, Mrs. Harriet M. Bate, Miss Joanna Schultz; secretary,Miss Louisa Lewis; treasurer, Miss Jane Carpenter. The secretary, inher report, stated that the school then consisted of more than 300scholars, the average attendance being 200, and that there werethirty-two classes instructed by forty-six teachers and assistants.She stated that the number of verses committed to memory during theyear was 21,440 and of divine songs 8,684.

Eager reports a meeting of the Orange County Medical Society inNewburgh in October, 1823, which invited the members of the NewburghLyceum to attend. Medical and scientific essays were read by Drs.John M. Gough, Francis L. Beattie and Arnell, other essays by GeorgeW. Benedict and Rev. James R. Wilson, and "the merits of eachunderwent an able discussion."

LOCALITIES.

Just outside the legal boundary line north of the city of Newburgh isthe fashionable suburb of Balmville, named after a large Balm ofGilead tree, which is estimated to be one hundred and fifty or moreyears old, and nearly twenty-five feet in circumference. Thepopulation is large and wealthy, inhabiting charming country seats.Continuing northward about two miles is the village of Middlehope,formerly known as Middletown. It is the center of a prosperous fruitsection where many varieties of fruit originated with men foremost inpomology. North of this settlement is Cedar Hill Cemetery. Thegrounds are from the design of August Hepp, and are under the controlof the Cedar Hill Cemetery Association, which was organized in 1870,mainly through efforts of Enoch Carter. Roseton, four miles north ofNewburgh, on the banks of the Hudson, was named after John C. Rose,who established extensive brick yards here in 1883. Brick yards havemultiplied in this section, and destroyed the natural attractions ofa once pretty cove. The Dans Kammer, a promontory just beyond, marksthe northern extremity of Newburgh Bay. Hampton, now known as CedarCliff Post-office, is a landing on the Hudson, adjoining the UlsterCounty boundary line. Savilton, formerly Rossville, is a smalldistrict eight miles northwest of Newburgh city, named fromAlexander Ross. Gardnertown is a small settlement four milesnorthwest of the city, and was named from the old and numerous familyof Gardners who settled there.

Orange Lake, now a noted summer resort, was called by the earlysettlers Dutch Bennin Water, and later Machen's Pond, from CaptainMachen, an engineer employed by Congress in 1777 in erectingfortifications in the Highlands and stretching the huge obstructingchain across the Hudson. It was also called Big Pond as distinct fromLittle Pond in New Windsor. The lake covers about four hundred acresand is kept well fed by creeks and large springs. Numerous cottagesdot its shores, and an amusem*nt park is conducted under themanagement of the Orange County Traction Company. Extensiveimprovements were made in 1907, including the erection of a largetheatre and other buildings.

Quassaick Creek is a fine stream entering the Hudson between Newburghcity and New Windsor, and is formed by the united waters of OrangeLake outlet and Fostertown and Gidney's Creeks. It has supplied manymills and factories with power.

King's Hill is a high boundary elevation in the northwest part of thetown affording an extensive view in all directions. Bacon Hill isanother, north from King's Hill, at the edge of the town. LimestoneHill is a ridge running north and south two miles northwest of thecity.

Fostertown Creek, one of the tributaries of Quassaick Creek, is asmall stream which rises in Ulster County and drains a narrow valleyseveral miles in extent. Bushfield Creek also rises in Ulster and isone of the streams which feed Orange Lake.

EARLY INCIDENTS.

Among the "remarkable incidents" of early times mentioned by Eager,are the following: In 1803 the formation of a Druid society,composed, it was said, wholly of deists, whose proceedings weresecret. In January, 1805, a son of Warren Scott, 14 years old, wastorn in pieces by wolves in the west part of the town while feedinghis father's sheep. The wolves at this time also came down and killedsheep near the village of Newburgh. In 1816 the owners of theNewburgh ferry first used a horse boat, and on August 13th of thatyear the boat Jason Rogers crossed the river with two horsesattached to a coach and a wagon, seventeen chaises and horses,another horse and fifty passengers. In 1817 government officersinspected ninety tons of cannon made by Mr. Townsend on Chamber'sCreek, and all proved good. They were the first manufactured in theState, and were of sterling ore from the town of Monroe. November 24,1824, the schooner Neptune, on the way from New York to Newburgh,was upset and sunk, and the most of her fifty or more passengers weredrowned. She had forty or fifty tons of plaster on board, and theheavy wind shifted it, which caused the accident.

CHAPTER XXV.

CITY OF NEWBURGH.

Newburgh, the chief city of Orange County, with a population ofnearly 27,000, is also the largest commercial city on the Hudsonbetween New York and Albany. It is located on the side hill of a bay,57 miles from the river's mouth, has a deep and spacious harbor, withgood docks, and its scenic views and contiguous territory arepeculiarly attractive. The inviting bay and river are in front, andthe mountains southward and westward have been characterized as"Nature's arm thrown lovingly about us." In the landward distancemountains are visible in several directions from the upper town, andadjacent are fruit and dairy farms on undulating fields, with aten-mile plain known as "Highland Terrace." A recent local pamphletsays of the City of Newburgh: "As a home-city there is little to bedesired. It is metropolitan and suburban. It has broad thoroughfares,good streets, and provision is now perfected for having $100,000expended annually in new pavements. There are numerous breathingspots. One of the most magnificent views obtainable anywhere in theHudson Valley is from Downing Park, where from the observatory thecity appears to be almost beneath your feet. The Hudson Riverpresents an unobstructed view for miles, and a half dozen ranges ofmountains appear to view. The Catskills at the north, Fishkill andthe Beacons on the east, Storm King and Crow Nest on the south,Schunnemunk at the southwest, and the Shawangunk range far to thewest. At the north end of the city is LeRoy Place, one of thecoziest and most inviting of the city's little parks. It isespecially referred to as a resting place for those who find itconvenient to take a walk to the famed 'Balm of Gilead' tree, one ofthe oldest monarchs of its class to be found for many miles around."

The near suburban villages tributary to the city have a population ofnearly 50,000, as follows: Fishkill and Matteawan, 1 mile, 13,016;Cornwall, 1 mile, 4,258; Marlborough, 6 miles 3,478; Milton 10 miles,1,500; Walden, 10 miles, 5,939; Highland Falls, 10 miles, 4,519;Cold Spring, 8 miles, 2,067; New Hamburgh, 10 miles, 500;Washingtonville, 10 miles, 1,118; New Windsor, 3 miles, 2,392;Newburgh Town, 3 miles, 4,246. The little hamlets in the vicinityprobably have a population of 3,000 more.

THE EARLIEST DAYS.

The territory embraced in the town and city was a part of the landspurchased from the Indians by Governor Dongan in 1864, [sic] andconveyed by him to Captain John Evans in 1694. The conveying patentwas annulled in 1699, and the district was afterward conveyed insmall tracts at different periods, of which ten were included in theprecinct of Newburgh as it was constituted in 1762. These were: No.1, German patent, 2,190 acres, issued December 18, 1719; No. 2,Alexander Baird & Co., 6,000 acres, February 28, 1719; No. 3,Jacobus Kip & Co., 7000 acres, October 17, 1720; No. 4, RicardBradley and William Jamison, 1,800 acres, May 17, 1729; No. 5,James Wallace, 2,000 acres, January 25, 1732; No. 6, Bradleychildren, 817 acres, March 26, 1739; No. 7, Francis Harrison & Co.,5,600 acres, July 10, 1714; No. 8, John Spratt & Co., 1,000 acres,April 12, 1728; No. 9, Melchior Gulch 300 acres, October 8, 1719; No.10, Peter Johnson, 300 acres, October 8, 1719.

The original settlement was in 1709 by a party of Germans from thePalatinate—a strip of German territory along the middle Rhine. In1708 Louis XIV gave warning to the people of the Palatinate that itwas to be devastated in order to cripple the enemies of France, andthis caused a company of twelve families and twobachelors—fifty-three persons in all—to flee to London. Here QueenAnne interested herself in their welfare, and sent them to New York,with a guaranty of 9 pence each for twelve months, and of a grant ofland on which to settle. From New York they were moved in the springto "Quassaick Creek and Thau-hammer." Of the heads of families therewere seven husbandmen, a minister, a stocking maker, a smith, acarpenter and a cloth weaver. One of the bachelors was a clerk andthe other a husbandman. They were Protestants and of "goodcharacter." as certified by officials in the villages where they hadlived. Their promised land patent was not issued until 1719, when itgranted to each of the different families from 100 to 300 acres, with500 acres set apart for the support of the minister. The settlementwas generally called "The German Patent," but its official title was"The Glebe." The lands for each family extended from the Hudson Riverwest one mile. No. 1 was bounded on the south by Quassaick Creek, andcovered the present site of Newburgh.

The immigrants erected a church, cultivated portions of their landsand maintained their settlement several years. Then sales were madeto newcomers, and there were changes in ownership and population.After twenty or thirty years the later Dutch and English comers werelargely in the majority, and in 1747 elected trustees of the Glebe,closed the church to the Lutheran minister, and in 1752 obtained fromthe governor and council a new charter whereby the revenues might beapplied to the support of a minister of the Church of England, withthe title of "Palatine Parish of Quassaick" changed to "The Parish ofNewburgh." At this time there were forty-three real estate leaseholders in the settlement. Ruttenber characterizes as prominent amongthem the following: Alexander Colden, son of Lieutenant-GovernorColden; Duncan Alexander, brother of William Alexander, the LordSterling of the Revolution; James Denton, son of Daniel Denton, thefirst historian of New York; Jonathan Hasbrouck, from the Huguenotsettlement of New Paltz. Colden, Denton and Hasbrouck erected gristmills, and in 1743 Colden obtained a charter for the Newburgh ferry."The names of Hasbrouck and Colden have never been absent from thelist of inhabitants since 1750," says Ruttenber.

The trustees elected in 1747 were Alexander Colden and RichardAlbertson. When the first service was held after the Church ofEngland was substituted, the Lutheran minister and his flock madepublic protest at the door, and afterward went away and had servicein a private house. Tradition says that the Lutherans attempted aforcible entry, and there was a fight in which the church door wastorn from its hinges and one Lutheran was killed. This was after theelection of trustees in 1847, and previous to the receipt of the newcharter.

The new trustees, Colden and Albertson, established a public landing,started agricultural fairs, took temporal charge of the church,erected a parsonage, a residence and school-house combined for theschoolmaster, and did much other work which contributed to the growthof the settlement.

In 1762 Newburgh was set off from the precinct of the Highlands andmade a precinct by itself. In 1767 a petition was granted forlicenses for more taverns, as being necessary "to accommodate thecountry people, travelers and passengers." In 1769 a petition askingfor a charter of lands for the Newburgh mission, signed bymissionary, vestrymen and wardens, was granted. In 1770 anotherpetition to the governor for "a royal charter of incorporation ofSt. George's Church" was granted.

The old patent of the Highlands, after serving its purpose 50 years,had given way in 1762 to the precincts of Newburgh and New Windsor,the latter being constituted nearly as now, and the former embracingthe towns of Marlborough and Plattekill in Ulster County as well asthe present town and city of Newburgh.

In 1776 the Glebe hamlet comprised about a score of houses, and threeboats owned in town made trips between it and New York.

TROUBLE AND REVOLUTION.

Passing to the events just preceding the War of the Revolution, whenthe bold and significant non-importation agreement was adopted by theContinental Congress, and a pledge of association in its support wasopened in every town and precinct, supervised by committees, WolvertAcker was chairman of the committee for the precinct of Newburgh.When the signing was finished he made return of 195 signatures andnames of thirty-nine who had refused to sign. The names of thesigners follow:

Non-Importation Pledge Signers of 1776.

The lists of those who signed and those refusing to sign embraced allmales over 16 years old.

The "old town" was at this time a forlorn looking place, and the sidehill was mostly covered by orchards. A tavern built in this year of1776 by Adolph De Grove, on the southwest corner of Water and Thirdstreets became Lafayette's headquarters.

When the war became a certainty the control of Hudson Rivernavigation became important, and to this end Forts Montgomery,Clinton and Constitution were built. Two out of every five of themale population became militiamen, were almost constantly in service,and levies en masse were frequent. In 1779 Washington establishedhis headquarters at New Windsor in the William Ellison house, andhere they remained until the movement which resulted in the siege ofYorktown in 1781. After its surrender his army returned to theHighlands, and Washington then made the Hasbrouck house in Newburghhis headquarters, retaining them as such until August, 1783.

Before the beginning of hostilities in the Revolution two companieswere organized in Newburgh for a regiment formed in the southerndistrict of Ulster County, of which Jonathan Hasbrouck, of Newburgh,was colonel, and Arthur Smith and Samuel Clark captains of thecompanies. In the next December a regiment of minute men wasorganized, of which Thomas Palmer, of Newburgh, was the colonel. Inthe summer of 1776 a convention directed the general committee toorganize three companies (201 men) of rangers to guard against andfight Indians. Of one of these Isaac Belknap, of Newburgh, wascaptain. At this time the aged and those who ordinarily would beregarded as exempts were pressed into the service. In 1778 the peoplewere asked to form companies to repel invasions and suppressinsurrections, and a company of this kind was formed, with SamuelEdmonds as captain. Figures show that the militia of Newburgh was notsleeping during the Revolution, for in 1776 they were called out onalarms twenty-seven days, and between that time and April, 1788,305 days. Newburgh was made a general rendezvous for troops, andfrequently the soldiers were billeted on the inhabitants. Althoughthe precinct escaped direct devastation, many of the men were killedor taken prisoners in defense of the Highland forts.

When the British sailed up the river in 1777, and burnt Kingston,after capturing the Highland forts, the Newburgh women hid theirvaluables in the woods, nearly all the men having gone to the defenseof the forts.

While Washington's headquarters were at New Windsor his main army wasin and near the Hudson River forts, and in 1782, after the surrenderof Yorktown, was again encamped along the Hudson, numbering about8,000 men. Washington at Newburgh, meanwhile, during the progress ofpeace negotiations, kept careful watch of Sir Henry Clinton'smovements. Many interesting stories have been told about Washingtonduring his long stay at New Windsor and Newburgh. At Newburgh hebattled with discontent, and even mutiny, in the army, and here heproclaimed the cessation of hostilities. This was on April 19, 1783,eight years after the beginning of the war, when general rejoicingfollowed. The first battalion marched southward June 5th, and thelast June 23d. On July 12th Washington went up the Hudson to Albany,where he was joined by Governor Clinton and a small party. On August17th he issued the last general orders from army headquarters,announcing his intention to depart and meet Congress at Princeton,and left West Point the next day. July 4, 1850, the ancient housethat had been his headquarters in Newburgh was dedicated as amonument of the events of the war. General Winfield Scott was presentto raise the flag, and Judge Monell made an address. The building isowned by the State and controlled by trustees appointed by theGovernor.

For some time after the war the Newburgh people were almostpoverty-stricken. Their Continental money was almost worthless; theylacked means for the cultivation of their lands, and business was ata standstill. In 1785 they petitioned the Legislature for relief,giving as reasons the supplies they had provided for the war, theirmany losses caused by the war, their large personal service, and thedepreciation of the paper currency, all of which rendered itimpossible for them to cultivate their farms or pay their just debts,while many families were reduced to want for the necessities of life.

Soon, however, the vigorous population recuperated, was increased bynewcomers, and the period of prolonged prosperity began in earnest.From the position of the lowest in 1780 the precinct passed to thefourth in 1790, with a population of 2,365, and in a quarter of acentury to the first rank in population.

LATER EARLY DAYS.

The charter of 1752 of the Glebe was complied with down to 1793. From1793 to 1815 there was only a temporary church organization, and noregular minister. Then a legislative enactment was obtained dividingthe income from the Glebe between the Newburgh Academy and such otherschools as existed or might exist in the territory. It is remarkablethat the early academy instituted by the Glebe served the communityeducationally for nearly a century.

The "old town," situated on a plot opened by Cadwallader Coldenbefore 1730, was located between present Front street and Broadway,and named Newburgh. This was extended by Benjamin Smith in 1782, wholaid out streets and lots from a part of his farm lying east ofMontgomery street and between First and South streets. After thedisbandment of the army in 1783 Newburgh's population increasedsomewhat rapidly by the settlement there of some of the soldiers ofthe dissolved army and of families who had fled from New York Citywhen it was captured by the British. But up to 1790 it was adisjointed settlement, the three township plots of which it wascomposed having no connection except through Liberty street and a fewcross-lot roads. None of the lateral streets intersected each other,and in 1790 other highway commissioners formally connected them. Thegeneral legislative act of 1788 changed the name "precinct" to"town."

Newburgh quickly became the first shipping point of importance on thewest bank of the Hudson north of New York, because of its fineharbor, and of being the natural outlet for the trade of a vastsection of country previous to the advent of the canals andrailroads. South of the Highlands the Palisades and other mountainranges were a barrier to easy access to the river. Therefore in theearly days transportation became the most important business ofNewburgh. The lumber business was especially heavy, and largequantities of ship timber, planks and staves were forwarded to NewYork. Shipbuilding was also carried on, and Newburgh ships enteredinto the Liverpool and West Indies trade. Ruttenber mentions manymills that were erected in Newburgh and vicinity after the war, andsays: "Besides mills and hamlets there were many well-cultivatedfarms, and substantial dwellings which had supplanted rude logcabins."

The early millers and boatmen of Newburgh kept goods of various kindsto sell to the farmers. The first regular store was opened byBenjamin and David Birdsall, and the second, immediately after theRevolution, by John McAuley. Hugh Walsh opened a store about thesame time. The other principal merchants up to 1801 were Wm. Seymour,Leonard Carpenter, John Anderson, Cooper & Son, George Gardner, JamesHamilton, James Burns, Robert Gourley, Robert Gardiner, GeorgeMonell, Robert W. Jones, Denniston & Abercrombie, Wm. W. Sackett,Alexander Falls, John Shaw and John Brown. A considerable number ofthese were connected with the forwarding business, among them JohnAnderson, John Anderson, Jr., Hugh Walsh, Benjamin Case, Jr., Jacoband Thomas Powell, Jacob and Leonard Carpenter and George Gardner.Trade on the river was conducted by sloops until 1830, when the firststeamer, the Baltimore, was purchased and started on regular tripsby Christopher Reeve.

Before the war Great Britain would not allow the colonists to engagein much manufacturing, requiring them to import or supply themselvesby domestic substitutes. Therefore, there was much spinning andweaving by wives and daughters, and making soap from refuse fats, anddipping for candles, while the farmer made his own sleds and cartsand generally constructed his own dwelling and outhouses. Thesepractices were continued to some extent long after the war foreconomical reasons.

Some of the first men to start things in Newburgh are here named:

John Haines, hat manufacturer, 1795; Richard and Joseph Albertson,shoe making, before the Revolution; Cooper, tailor, at the close ofthe war; Joseph Reeves, watchmaker, 1798, took up whip-making in1804, and was followed in watch-making by George Gorden and EbenezerAyres; Hugh Spier, cabinet-maker and undertaker, 1798; Selah Reeve,earthenware manufacturer, 1799; James Patterson, tin plate worker andcoppersmith, 1797; Mrs. DeGrove, baking, 1791, and succeeded by Johnand Joseph Hoffman; Peter Bannen, soap and candle making, 1804,preceded by Abel Belknap; Matthew DuBois, tobacconist, 1799; JamesRenwick distiller, 1790; John Cooper, father of the famous PeterCooper, ale brewer, 1794; Benjamin Roe, saddle and harness maker,before 1800; Phineas Howell, tanner, before 1800; Sylvester Roe,painting and glazing, 1804; Henry B. Carpenter, iron and brassfoundry, 1821; Richard B. Phillips, brush manufacturer, 1831,preceded by Daniel Berrian; Henry B. Ames, fancy and family soaps,1852; stock company, with Hiram Bennett, president, cotton goodsmanufactory, 1844; George Gardner, Jason Rogers, William Seymour,Richard Hill, earliest ship builders, and Walter Burling, DanielBailey, Wm. Holmes, Samuel Wright, earliest ship carpenters; Drs.Isaac Brown and Robert Morrison, regular physicians in 1776; PhineasBowman, first lawyer, settled in Newburgh at close of Revolution, andhis contemporary lawyers were Thomas Cooper, Solomon Slight andJonathan Fisk; Lucius Carey; first newspaper, Newburgh Packet,1775, bought by David Denniston, and name changed to Mirror; E. W.Gray, first daily, News, 1856; Hezekiah Watkins, schoolmaster,1752; John Nathan, teacher during Revolution and founder of"Hutchin's Family Almanac"; Rev. Jonathan Freeman and SylvanusHaight, private school, 1801.

When the second war with England came, Newburgh was paying nearlyone-fourth of the taxes of the county. Again she was prominent inzeal for the national cause. A convention was held in which it wasresolved to resist "the attacks of domestic enemies and the insolentaggressions of foreign powers." Local military companies were orderedon duty at Staten Island, and later Newburgh was made temporarily therendezvous for grenadiers, light infantry and riflemen of the 34thBrigade. Its citizens celebrated Perry's victory on Lake Erie withenthusiasm. The embargo act detained Newburgh vessels, among others,in foreign ports, and Newburgh merchantmen were captured and confinedin Dartmour prison.

Colden's first dock was built in 1730. Isaac Belknap sailed a sloopfrom Newburgh before the Revolution which made trips to the WestIndies. William Harding, Richard Buckingham and Lewis Clark alsosailed sloops before the war, and later conveyed troops on them forthe Revolutionists. As early as 1798 there were four lines of sloopsfrom Newburgh.

In the thirties Newburgh's river and land trade was very large. Thestreets were frequently blocked for hours with farmers' loadedwagons. The completion of the Erie canal diverted the most of thistrade, and later the Delaware and Hudson canal cut off another sourceof wealth. Then the construction of the Erie Railroad from Goshen toPiermont, and its subsequent extension in other directions, finishedthe old transportation business of Newburgh, and it has taken manyyears to bring about the present prosperity, with railroads extendingfrom many directions, large and varied manufactures, superior publicinstitutions and other conditions to correspond.

AFTER INCORPORATION.

The village of Newburgh was incorporated March 25, 1800, by an Act ofthe Legislature, and in May seven trustees, three assessors, threefire wardens, a collector and a treasurer, were elected. JohnAnderson was chosen president of the board of trustees. In 1801, theNewburgh and Colchester turnpike was incorporated, with a capital of$125,000. "Both measures," says Ruttenber, "were largely instrumentalin influencing the prosperity of the village." The latter, byopening a new route of travel westward, brought a trade which in themain had previously reached the Hudson by way of New Windsor, as upto that time nearly all the wagon roads led to this place. Theturnpike so reversed conditions, by giving to the western part ofOrange County and Sullivan County a better and shorter route oftravel, that Newburgh came up and New Windsor went down, and themerchants of the latter place moved their stocks of goods toNewburgh. Other turnpikes followed, and the village grew rapidly.From the close of the Revolutionary War to 1825 its populationincreased 1,100 in each decade, and its commerce was proportionatelyextended. Connecting turnpikes stretched to Canandaigua Lake, andwere traversed by lines of stages, and a steamer on Cayuga Lakefacilitated travel. Subsequently connections with Buffalo permitteda trip of sixty-five hours between that place and New York, and thiswas advertised as "the shortest and most expeditious route from theHudson River to the western country."

INTERESTING PUBLIC EVENTS.

The city of Newburgh was incorporated in 1865. Of its patrioticcelebrations two were of surpassing enthusiasm and interest. Thesewere the Centennial celebration of 1876 and the Centennialcelebrating the close of the Revolutionary War, of October 18, 1883.In the former there was a great nocturnal parade, and the noise andcommotion were unprecedented in Newburgh from cannon firing, enginewhistling, fireworks, band playing, songs and shouts. At Washington'sheadquarters the procession paused awhile and sang, "My Country 'tisof Thee."

The celebration of 1883 was less noisy, but more imposing. Thememorial monument or "Tower of Victory," at Washington'sheadquarters, had been completed at a cost of $67,000, and the eventwas of national and State as well as local significance. Congress hadappropriated $25,000, the State Legislature $15,000, the CommonCouncil of Newburgh $7,500, and the citizens of Newburgh hadsubscribed $5,000. Many thousands of people came from far and near onrailroads, steamboats and wagons. The river front was lined withsteamers. The procession of the military, firemen, and societies wasthree miles long, and included quite forty brass bands and a score ofdrum corps. It was headed by a company of New York City police, andwithin it rode Peter Ward, mayor of Newburgh; Joel T. Headley,president of the Washington Headquarters Commission; Thomas Bayard,president of the day; William M. Evarts, orator, and William Bruce,poet. The inscription on the monument gives the sufficient reason forthe parade and accompanying ceremonies:

"This monument was erected under the authority of the Congress of theUnited States and the State of New York, in commemoration of thedisbandment under proclamation of the Continental Congress of October18, 1783, of the armies by whose patriotic and military virtue ournational independence and sovereignty were established."

Another noteworthy celebration was the unveiling of the statute ofGeneral George Clinton, October 6, 1896. The exercises consisted of amilitary and civic parade. The presentation address was delivered byRev. William K. Hall, D.D. and Mayor Odell, in behalf of the city,made the address of acceptance. The statue stands in Clinton Gore, atthe junction of Water and Colden Streets. It shows General Clintonresting on his sword, which he holds in his right hand. It wasmodeled by the late eminent sculptor, Henry K. Brown, and his nephew,Mr. Bush-Brown, had the statue cast and the pedestal carved. The costto the people of Newburgh was only $3,000, raised by subscriptionsundertaken by the local Historical Society, and finished by MayorOdell. Upon the granite pedestal is this inscription:

GEORGE CLINTON

Member of Continental Congress, 1775-1777. Brigadier-General
Continental Army, 1777. Governor of the State of New York,
1777-1795, 1801-1804. Vice-President of the United States,
1804-1812. Cara Patria Carioe Libertas.

The Newburgh Municipal Centennial was fittingly observed May, 1900.The parade, in which about twenty-eight hundred persons took part,marched through the city's principal thoroughfares, after which thepeople assembled at Washington's Headquarters, and Mayor Wilsoncalled the gathering to order. The Rev. W. K. Hall, D.D., eloquentlyreviewed the events of a century in this village and city.Benediction was pronounced by Rev. Father Salley.

Another event of unusual interest was the visit of Lafayette, in1824, to Newburgh, the place of his headquarters in the Revolution.He was given a great reception, Francis Crawford, President of thevillage, presented him to the corporation in a brief address, and hewas afterwards received with Masonic honors by Hiram Lodge, F. & A. M., where he replied eloquently to an address by Rev. Dr.John Brown. He was banqueted at the Crawford Hotel, with about 100citizens at the table.

Newburgh's growth has been steady and healthy in recent years, inconsequence of civic enterprise and better knowledge of theadvantages and attractions of her location. Her compact buildings,mostly of brick, her charming suburbs, with fine country seats, thegood and delightful roads extending into the country for carriagedrives and automobiles, her excellent harbor and easy access to theMetropolis by rail and steamer, her good schools and churches and herbusy manufactories, are enticements which are drawing many newresidents. Apart from its population it is the center of trade formany thousands of people.

MANUFACTURES.

The following is a partial list of leading industries:

Newburgh Bleachery, bleachers and finishers of fine cotton fabrics;Sweet, Orr & Co., overalls and working-men's garments; Coldwell LawnMower Co.; Coldwell-Wilcox Co., iron founders and machinists; T. S.Marvel & Co., iron shipbuilding and engineering works; Newburgh SteamBoiler Works; Fabrikoid Company, imitation leathers; Newburgh IceMachine and Engine Co.; Newburgh Lumber Co.; Newburgh Planing MillCo.; Belknap & McCann, soap; Lackey Manufacturing Co., lace curtains;Harrison & Gore Silk Co.; Hudson River Woolen Mills; Staples &Hanford, wire goods; Newburgh Reed Co., reed chairs; Stroock PlushCo.; Stroock Felt Co.; Little Falls Paper Co.; Granite City Soap Co.;Newburgh Steam Mills, cotton goods; John Turl's Sons, iron works;Cleveland & Whitehill, overalls; Ferry, Weber & Co., hats; Abendroth& Root, spiral pipe, etc., automobiles; Muchattoes Lake Ice Co.;Higginson Manufacturing Co., cement; Newburgh Light, Heat & PowerCo.; Pennsylvania Coal Co.

Of the industries which have been listed, some should be more fullynoticed. The Newburgh Ice Machine and Engine Company was known at thetime of its establishment, in 1824, as the Newburgh Steam EngineWorks. The present company was organized in 1890 with a capital of$500,000 to manufacture Whitehill-Corliss engines and ice-making andrefrigerating machines. Extensive shops were completed that year, towhich additions have recently been made. Mr. Edgar Penney isvice-president and general manager.

The Muchattoes Lake Ice Company's business was started in the winterof 1859-1860 by James R. Dickson, and was bought in 1863 by BenjaminB. Odell, when he organized the company named. The officers are:B. B. Odell, president; B. B. Odell, Jr., secretary and treasurer;H. B. Odell, superintendent.

Sweet, Orr & Co. are the pioneers and most extensive manufacturersin the country of overalls and other working-men's garments. In 1876their weekly product was about a thousand dozen pairs at theirWappinger's Falls factory, where they kept 250 employees busy.Seeking increased quarters they started another factory in Newburghin 1880. The factory has a frontage of 150 feet on Broadway and 275feet on Concord street. In 1882 they opened a factory in Chicago, andin 1900 another at Joliet, Ill. Sixty traveling salesmen cover theentire United States with their product. Mr. Clayton E. Sweet, headof this concern, resides in Newburgh.

To Captain Thomas S. Marvel is due the success of the immenseshipyard of the T. S. Marvel Shipbuilding Company. Soon after thefailure of Ward, Stanton & Co., Captain Marvel, who had been theirsuperintendent, began business on his own account. The shipyard hasbeen enlarged from time to time, and building after building erectedfor their business. Over 200 men are employed in the building andrepairing of iron and wooden steamboats and other water craft. Amongtheir notable products are the steamers Homer Ramsdell, HendrickHudson, numerous ferryboats, and fire-boats for the New York FireDepartment.

The Higginson Manufacturing Company have a very extensive plant forthe production of plaster, gypsum, etc., with steamers and barges totransport it to New York and other points. The business was begun byWilliam R. Brown in 1868. Mr. Henry C. Higginson has been proprietorof the plant for many years.

The Newburgh Bleachery is owned and managed by Joseph Chadwick &Sons. It is one of the largest and best equipped manufactories of itskind. The Chadwicks in 1871 purchased the present site, and combinedwith it a factory which they owned in Rutherford, N.J.,concentrating their whole business in the Newburgh establishment.They employ about 300 hands in bleaching and finishing various kindsof cotton goods.

The Fabrikoid Company's industry was moved to Newburgh in 1902. Theplant covers about fifteen acres, and consists of twenty-eightbuildings. The product is chiefly an imitation leather and themanufactory has a capacity of over 6,000 yards a day. Mr. JohnAspinwall is president, and Mr. George H. May, secretary andtreasurer.

Coldwell Lawn Mower Company, manufacturers of hand, horse and motorlawn mowers, is the largest concern in the world devoted exclusivelyto the production of these machines. The firm is composed of WilliamH. Coldwell, president and general manager; E. C. Ross, treasurer;H. T. Coldwell, assistant treasurer, and A. W. Mapes, secretary. Mr.Thomas Coldwell, the parent of this industry, organized the companyin 1891, and the plant was built on the most modern principles.Their annual output, shipped to all parts of the globe, exceeds onehundred thousand mowers, which is over one-fifth of the entireproduction in the country.

H. Powell Ramsdell, of Newburgh, is the proprietor of the ArlingtonPaper Mill at Salisbury's Mills, eight miles southwest of the city onMurderer's Creek and the Newburgh branch of the Erie. The mill is theprincipal industrial element of the hamlet. It is picturesquelysituated on the edge of a rocky gorge. The oldest part of the millwas built about 1840, by Isaac K. Oakley. It forms but a small partof the present plant, the main building of which is 480 feet long andfrom one to three stories high, with capacity for the employment of150 hands, and the production of over 24,000 pounds of paper daily.It is a progressive institution and up to date in its machinery andother equipment. There are several detached buildings in addition toa connected series of brick and stone buildings, and twenty or morecottages for the families of the employees. The Arlington Millmanufactures the best grades of book paper and French folios, whiteand colored. These go to the great publishing houses of New York andother American cities, and some of them to England and even toAustralia.

EXTENSIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS.

Washington Heights, formerly the homestead of Captain HenryRobinson—a tract of nearly 100 acres in the southern part of thecity—was made a valuable addition to the resident portion of thecity by its purchase from the heirs, division into streets and lotsand their improvements started twenty years ago. The part of theplateau east of Lander street, about forty acres, was purchased byHenry T. McConn, and he arranged with Colonel Charles H. Weygant forits development. The macadam streets are broad and straight, thehouses must set twelve feet back from the sidewalk, which is linedwith shade trees. A little later, in October, 1887, William D. andJoseph M. Dickey purchased the part of the Robinson farm west ofLander street, forty-two acres, and there inaugurated similarimprovements. Many lots have been sold and houses erected on bothplots.

The Newburgh Street Railway Company obtained a franchise early in1886 to build a surface road from a point near the western end of thecity to the Union depot, and then another to extend the line from thecorner of Water and Third streets along Water street to near thenortherly line of the city. On December 23d, of the same year, theroad was formally opened between West Newburgh and the Union depot.Later the road was extended to Orange Lake, and the name was changedto the Orange County Traction Company. In 1906 it was purchased byEx-Governor Odell, and desirable improvements in equipment were made.

On recommendation of Mayor Odell, in his annual message of 1887, thepeople voted $30,000 for the purchase of additional lands to theformer Smith estate, owned by the city, to be improved and laid outinto the beautiful and sightly Downing Park, in honor of Andrew J.Downing.

Of buildings for public use the Newburgh Academy of Music isconspicuous. It was projected in 1886 by J. P. Andrews and E. S.Turner, and the construction was commenced in the spring of 1887.It has a frontage on Broadway of 85 feet and a depth of 140 feet. Theauditorium is 80 feet long by 45 feet deep, 40 feet high, and willseat 1,300 people. The stage is 80 by 35 feet, and there are 12dressing rooms, 2 balconies and 4 boxes. In all its appointments itis thoroughly modern.

Of school buildings two deserve particular notice. The Free Academywas erected in 1885-1886, and cost $67,000. The material is brickwith stone trimmings. It is 112 by 68 feet, and three stories high,with basem*nt. It has an assembly room 88 by 64 feet, which will seat700 persons, and 12 class rooms each 31 by 23 feet. There are 21rooms in all. Without and within it is a good specimen of schoolarchitecture. Another is the Grammar School building, erected in 1891at a cost of $30,000. This is 74 by 76 feet, with eight class rooms28 by 23 feet each, and each containing desks for 40 pupils. Theassembly room is in the third story.

Another noteworthy building is that of the Y. M. C. A., constructedin 1882-1883, and costing $24,000. It is 31 by 77 feet, three storieshigh, and has a seating capacity in its assembly room for 300persons.

In 1896-1897 a handsome Government building was erected. Congresshaving appropriated $100,000 for this purpose, and this has sincebeen the home of the post-office, the business of which has alreadyalmost outgrown it.

The water with which Newburgh is supplied is drawn from WashingtonLake, three and a third miles from the Hudson and 276 feet above it.The lake is fed by internal springs and an artificial channel withSilver stream. Chemical analysis has shown that this water is so purethat it needs no filtering, and it is agreeably palatable, withoutany mineral flavors. It has been healthy Newburgh's drinking waterfor more than fifty years. The lake's area is about 140 acres, and ithas a storage capacity of 300,000,000 gallons. Newburgh is now sothoroughly piped that the water is universally accessible to itscitizens, and is an invaluable protection against fire as well aspromoter of cleanliness, health and happiness.

PROTECTION AND EDUCATION.

Newburgh has been remarkably free from crime, which is in part due tothe character of its citizens and in part to its uniformly excellentpolice force, which now consists of one marshal, two sergeants, tworoundsmen and fifteen patrolmen.

The Volunteer Fire Department of Newburgh is one of the oldest in theState, and also one of the most efficient. Therefore there have beenfew very damaging fires, and the insurance rates are low. From itsorganization, over a hundred years ago, until now, it has had on itsrecords of membership some of the leading business and professionalmen in the community, and they have promptly responded to the callfor service when their service was required.

The department was started, by authority of an act of Legislature, inthe spring of 1797. This was three years before the village wasincorporated, and the five trustees which the act required to beelected annually for controlling managers were the first form ofgovernment in the village. Their power was transferred to the villagetrustees by the incorporating act. There were at first a suctionengine and a bucket brigade to keep it supplied with water. In 1805a company of "bagmen" was formed, whose duty it was to take charge ofgoods. The first engine house was erected about the same time, and arecord of the two engine companies of 1806 furnishes the followingnames:

No. 1—William I. Smith, Enoch E. Tilton, Walter Burling, HenryTudor, Ward M. Gazlay, Gilbert N. Clement, Minard Harris, JohnCarskaden, Caleb Sutton, George E. Hulse, John Coleman, JohnHoagland, William Adee, Andrew Preston, Nicholas Wright, JohnForsyth, Walter Case.

No. 2—John Harris, Jonathan Fisk, John Anderson, Jr., LeonardCarpenter, Selah Reeve, James Hamilton, Samuel I. Gregory, WilliamGardiner, Nathaniel Burling, Solomon Sleight, Jonathan Carter, HiramWeller, Samuel Wright, Hugh Spier, Thomas Powell, Cornelius De Witt,Joseph Hoffman. Cadwallader Roe, Daniel Niven, Jr., Benoni H. Howell,Sylvanus Jessup, Joseph Reeve, John Richardson.

The interesting history of the department from its interestingbeginnings cannot be followed here. Coming down to the present timeits heads consist of a chief engineer and two assistant engineers,the foreman and assistant foreman of the various companies, and thetrustees of the Fire Department fund. The names of the companies are:Highland Steamer Co. No. 3, Washington Steamer Co. No. 4, BrewsterHook and Ladder Co. No. 1, Ringgold Hose Co. No. 1, Columbian HoseCo. No. 2, C. M. Leonard Steamer Co. No. 2, Chapman Steamer Co. No.1, Lawson Hose Co. No. 5, Washington Heights Chemical Engine Co. No.3.

The city is divided into five fire districts, and thirty-two alarmboxes connect with the engine houses.

Newburgh is essentially progressive and modern in its educationalsystem, now made free, from the primary to the end of the academiccourse. Its Board of Education consists of nine members. It has sevenpublic school buildings and one public library building. Otherofficers besides the board, are its president, vice-president, clerk,who is also superintendent, librarian, counsel and attendanceofficer. There are also three Glebe trustees and three Glebeauditors. The courses of study are similar to those in other cityschools, and the graduate from the Free Academy may be prepared toenter one of the leading colleges, while the Manual Training Schoolis a physical safeguard as well as a means for harmonious musculardevelopment. For reading helps apart from text-books the good libraryof nearly 35,000 volumes is an opening into general literature.

The reason for the Glebe trustees and auditors referred to dates backto ancient conditions which have been mentioned. The act to amend thecharter of the Glebe passed by the Legislature in 1803, directed that$200 should be paid annually to the trustees of the academy, and thatthe remainder of the money from the Glebe income should be paid tothe other schools on the Glebe lands, as the inhabitants shoulddirect. It was applied to the juvenile school which was establishedin the old Lutheran church in 1803, the last teacher of which wasJohn L. Lyon, who taught from 1843 to 1845, when the school wasremoved to the academy. In 1849, after the Clinton street schoolbuilding was erected and became officially known as the Glebe school,it received the revenues of the Glebe above the sum required by lawto be paid to the academy. The High school was incorporated in 1829,and opened the next year. The number of pupils registered in this1851-1852 was 348, and the number in the Glebe school about 120.During the first year of the new order of things, provided for in theact of 1852, the number of pupils was doubled.

Besides the present public schools there are several parish andprivate schools, the former being under the care of the RomanCatholic Church. Of these St. Mary's Academy, founded in 1883, hasbecome very prominent and useful.

The library, with its 35,000 volumes, is free to the people ofNewburgh, and the building includes a teachers' reading room suppliedwith books adapted to the professional needs of the teachers, and mayalso be used by citizens and strangers for study and literary work.The library was started in 1852, and is among the oldest of the freecirculating libraries. Previous to 1850 there were but four in theState, ten in the New England States, six besides these in theUnited States, and none in Great Britain, and but one of thelibraries then organized has as many books or as large a circulationas the Newburgh library. In September, 1852, the Board of Educationresolved that all the school libraries in the village should beconsolidated and placed together in the academy room, then ready toreceive them, and William N. Reid, first principal of the academyunder the new system, was appointed librarian. There were 924 volumesfrom the high school, 737 from the Glebe and 418 from the academy. In1862 the books of the Mechanics' Library Association were transferredto the Board of Education, which added 2,801 volumes to the library.Other donations and the purchases have brought the library to itspresent valuable condition in the number and quality of its books.The fine building which now contains them was completed in 1877.

CHURCHES.

Of Newburgh's churches the oldest is the First Presbyterian, whoselegal existence began a few months after the close of theRevolutionary War, although its informal existence had started ascore of years before, and been kept up in an irregular and feebleway. The formal organization as a Presbyterian society under the lawsof the Slate took place July 12, 1884, with these trustees: AdolphDegrove, Daniel Hudson, Thomas Palmer, Joseph Coleman, Isaac Belknap.The first stated supply was Rev. John Close, who served from 1785 to1796. His successor was Rev. Isaac Lewis, who continued until 1800and was followed by Rev. John Freeman, and Mr. Freeman by Rev.Eleazer Burnet. Then came the long and very successful pastorate ofRev. John Johnston, which lasted from July 5, 1807, until his death,August 23, 1855. Nearly a thousand members were added to the churchroll during his ministry.

The congregation of the First Associate Reformed Church was formedin 1798, and the society was legally incorporated February 7, 1803.The first pastor, Rev. Robert Kerr, was installed April 6, 1799. Thefirst trustees were: Derick Amerman, Hugh Walsh, Daniel Niven, RobertGourley, Robert Boyd, John Brown, Isaac Belknap, Jr., John Coulterand Robert W. Jones. The ruling elders were John Currie, SamuelBelknap, Hugh Speir and John Shaw.

The First Reformed Presbyterian Church was planted in Newburghby several families of the Covenanter faith in 1793, who heldservices in their homes on Sundays, and, with others, organized aCovenanter society in 1802. This became a branch of the Coldenhamcongregation, and the connection was continued until 1824, when itseparated, and James Clark, Samuel Wright and John Lawson werechosen elders and John Crawford, deacon.

Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1808, when Rev.Samuel Fowler became the first pastor.

St. George's Episcopal Church has been elsewhere referred to in theearly history of Newburgh. The parish was reincorporated, after along period of adversity, in 1805, and the minister who more than anyone else built it up afterward in the early years of the nineteenthcentury was Rev. John Brown. He became its regular rector in the fallof 1815.

The African M. E. Church was organized in 1827, by Rev. GeorgeMatthews.

A Baptist Church was organized in 1821, and after a feeble existence,ending in dissolution in 1828, was formally reorganized in December,1834.

Of the later churches the organizations were as follows:

American Reformed Church, September 24, 1835; St. Patrick's RomanCatholic Church, 1838; Union Church, July 13, 1837; ShilohBaptist Church, 1848; St. John's M. E. Church, May 23, 1852;Westminstcr Reformed Presbyterian Church, November 12, 1854;Calvary Presbyterian Church, September 1, 1856; First UnitedPresbyterian Church, December 6, 1859; Congregation Beth Jacob,about 1860; St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal Church, May, 1860;Grace M. E. Church, April 25, 1868; Church of our Father(Unitarian), 1855; St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, May 19, 1875;Church of the Corner Stone (Reformed Episcopal), December 2, 1873;German Evangelical Lutheran Church, spring of 1876; Church of theGood Shepard (Episcopal), June, 1871; First Congregational Church,January 3, 1889.

OTHER HELPFUL ORGANIZATIONS.

A Young Men's Christian Association of Newburgh was organizedSeptember 17, 1858, and the next week officers were elected. The timeof organization was less than six years after the Y. M. C. A.movement started. The association dissolved about 1861, and after thelapse of seven years the present association was organized. It didnot have a vigorous existence for several years, and was reorganizedin January, 1879. A few months later General Secretary J. T. Brownecame to Newburgh and put new life into it, and it has been prosperousand progressive since. Its president, E. S. Tanner, was largelyinstrumental in raising the money for the new building, firstoccupied in 1883, and costing $17,000.

At a public meeting held April 24, 1888, after an address by thenational secretary, Miss Nettie Dunn, Newburgh's Young Women'sChristian Association was organized, and 105 members enrolled. Theelected officers were: President, Mrs. Susan McMasters;vice-presidents, Mrs. Isaac Garrison, Miss Mary E. Gouldy and Mrs.Charles S. Jenkins; recording secretary, Miss Augusta Lester;treasurer, Mrs. M. C. Belknap. The association has been prosperousand useful.

St. Luke's Home and Hospital was incorporated in 1876. Its object isto provide for the care and medical treatment of the sick anddisabled, and also a home for aged women. It has a training schoolfor nurses, established in 1893, and a medical board of nearly ascore of physicians and specialists.

There are two institutions under the care of Alms HouseCommissioners—the City and Town Home and Children's Home. Theformer is on a farm in the southwestern corner of the city, and thelatter is a building in High Street. These are city benefactions,well managed and helpful to the aged and orphaned.

An office and employment bureau was organized in 1875, andreorganized in 1886. It is primarily an organization to help the poorto help themselves. Members pay $5 annually and agree to abstain fromindiscriminate alms giving. The society is otherwise supported byvoluntary contributions.

The Woman's Christian Temperance Union and Young Women's ChristianTemperance Union labor to teach the boys and younger men theprinciples of temperance and morality, and have restrained andreformed many of them.

There are two military companies in Newburgh—the Fifth Separate andTenth Separate Companies, originating in the Seventeenth Battalion,which was organized in 1878. Lieutenant Colonel E. D. Hayt,commanding. January 11, 1882, Companies B, C and D were mustered outand Company A, Captain James T. Chase, continued as Fifth SeparateCompany, and Company E, Captain James M. Dickey, continued as TenthSeparate Company.

The Lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows are Acme No. 469;Bismarck No. 420; Highland No. 65 and Mount Olive Encampment No. 65.

The Elks have Lodge No. 247, B. P. O. E.

The Grand Army of the Republic is represented in Newburgh by EllisPost No. 52. and Fullerton Post No. 589. The Sons of Veterans haveA. S. Cassedy Post No. 18.

The Knights of Pythias have Storm King Lodge No. 11, Olive BranchLodge No. 133, Endowment Rank Section No. 206 and Charles T. GoodrichDivision No. 25, Uniform Rank.

The Knights of Honor have Hudson River Lodge No. 1218.

The Ancient Order of Foresters has Court Newburgh No. 7256 and CourtPride of the Hudson No. 7718.

The Improved Order of Red Men has Muchattoes Tribe No. 54, and OrangeCouncil No. 50, Degree of Pocahontas.

Of temperance societies there are Orange Council No. 186, RoyalTemplars of Temperance, Prohibition Alliance; Junior ProhibitionClub, St. George's Company No. 62, Knights of Temperance, St. Paul'sCompany No. 62. Mission Lodge No. 639 I. O. of G. T., Newburgh LodgeNo. 282 I. O. of G. T., and Victory Lodge I. O. of G. T.

Among the many other societies are United Friends, Sons of St.George, Ancient Order of Hibernians, Royal Arcanum, Order of UnitedAmerican Mechanics, Sexennial League, Knights and Ladies of theGolden Star, Knights of Honor, Orange Men, several Catholicsocieties, labor and trade unions, Newburgh Bible Society,Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands, Society for thePrevention of Cruelty to Animals, Society for Instruction in FirstAid to the Injured, and Horse Thief Detecting Society.

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.

Newburgh has solid financial institutions. Highland Bank waschartered April 26, 1834, with a capital of $200,000. In January,1865, the capital was increased to $350,000, and the following Aprilwas reorganized as a National Bank with a capital of $450,000, whichwas reduced to $300,000 in 1888. The first president was Gilbert O.Fowler.

Quassaick National Bank was organized March 31, 1852, and beganbusiness with a capital of $130,000. The first president was E. W.Farrington, and the first cashier Jonathan N. Weed. In June of theyear of organization the capital stock was increased to $200,000, andin June of 1853 to $300,000. In 1895 Mr. Weed was chosen president.

The National Bank of Newburgh is the successor of the Bank ofNewburgh, incorporated March 22, 1811. The capital of the first bankwas $120,000. The first president was Isaac Belknap, Jr., and thefirst cashier was John S. Hunn. In February, 1820, a branch bank wasopened at Ithaca and continued till 1830, when its charter expired.The Bank of Newburgh was then reorganized under the Safety Fund lawwith a capital of $140,000. In 1851 it was again reorganized underthe general banking law with a capital of $200,000, which wasincreased the next year to $300,000. July 3, 1864, the bank dividedits capital and 60 per cent, profits among its stockholders, andclosed business, and two days afterward the National Bank of Newburghmore than took its place in the business community, with the largecapital of $800,000, the stock of which was promptly taken. June 3,1890, the stockholders voted to reduce the capital to $400,000, andthe additional $400,000 with 40 per cent profits was divided amongthem. The bank has continued to prosper.

The Newburgh Savings Hank was chartered April 13, 1852, and wasopened January 1, 1853. Its present building was completed in 1868,and cost $115,527. It has been a helpful institution to the people ofNewburgh and vicinity. Its first president was Robert L. Case.Joseph Chadwick is now its president.

The Columbus Trust Company began to do business March 1, 1893, at No.82 Broadway, with a capital stock of $100,000 divided among 144shareholders. Semi-annual dividends of 3 per cent, have beenregularly paid since 1895. In 1901 the directors decided to purchaseNo. 78 Broadway for a banking house. The building was remodeled, andApril 20, 1902, the company moved to its present quarters. Thiscompany has prospered beyond the reasonable expectations of itsfriends. The statement of December 31, 1893, showed $117,249.17 ondeposit, and $20,238.36 surplus and undivided profits. June 29, 1907,deposits amounted to $2,941,587.13 and surplus and undivided profitsto $121,527.26. The total number of accounts is 5,300. The presentofficers are: Joseph Van Cleft, president; David A. Morrison, firstvice-president; Charles K. Bull, second vice-president; Henry M.Leonard, treasurer; Barclay Van Cleft, secretary; Walter C. Anthony,counsel.

The Board of Trade was organized February 22, 1882, Mayor A. S.Cassedy presiding at the meeting. Daniel S. Waring was chosenpresident and the other officers were: vice-presidents, William B.Brockaw and John Schoonmaker; treasurer, Jonathan N. Weed. Thisorganization helped in many ways to advance the city's interests. Itwas succeeded by the Business Men's Association, organized October16, 1900, with the following officers: Samuel V. Schoonmaker,president; James Chadwick, W. C. Belknap, Hiram B. Odell,vice-presidents; John F. Tucker, secretary: H. A. Bartlett,treasurer. It was incorporated March 30, 1904. Among the largerplants it has secured for Newburgh may be mentioned (1901) theAbendroth & Root Co., of Brooklyn manufacturers of spiral pipe,automobiles, etc.; (1901-1902) the Fabrikoid Co., formerly doingbusiness in New Jersey, which purchased the property known as HaighMills at West Newburgh. Their products are shipped to all parts ofthe world; (1903) William C. Gregg Co., of Minneapolis, Minn.,manufacturers of sugar plantation machinery. William Johnston McKaywas chosen president of the association in 1907. This organization isin charge of Newburgh's portion of the Ter-Centenary celebration ofthe discovery of the Hudson River, and has already arranged forspecial exercises, September 25, 26 and 27, 1909.

TRANSPORTATION AVENUES.

The transportation facilities of Newburgh are almost unsurpassed.

In front is its fine harbor, bay and river, with steamship lines upand down and across. These lines are a restraint upon the tendenciesof the railroads towards high freight rates. The river trade is largeand within a few miles of Newburgh are about fifteen village portswhich are more or less tributary to it. The local traffic of theHudson is mostly by lines of steamers, some of which carry bothfreight and passengers and others only passengers. Sloops andschooners, which long ago did nearly all the carrying trade, still doservice.

The Central Hudson Steamboat Company has two night lines of steamersto New York, which carry passengers and freight. Boats of this lineleave Newburgh and New York in the evening and afford charming watertrips to residents and others. The company also provides theNewburgh, Albany and Troy line, the steamers of which leave Newburghfor the upward trips every morning, except Sundays, and arrive fromAlbany in the evening. The captains of the boats on the Newburgh andNew York lines are Zach Roosa, William Meakim, Weston L. Dennis andE. N. Gage. Those on the Newburgh, Albany & Troy line are Fred L.Simpson and Egbert Van Wagner.

The Newburgh and Fishkill ferry, for which a line of steamers wasstarted in 1835, continues business, its steamers leaving Newburghabout every half hour between 5.45 a. m. and 10.45 p. m.H. Stockbridge Ramsdell is the agent.

Newburgh and Haverstraw Steamboat Company has the steamer Emeline,Captain D. C. Woolsey, which starts for Haverstraw and intermediatelandings each mid-afternoon and Haverstraw for Newburgh in theevening.

Newburgh and Poughkeepsie line's steamer Hudson Taylor, CaptainGeorge Walker, leaves Newburgh for Poughkeepsie every morning.

Wappinger's Falls and Newburgh line's steamer Messenger leavesNewburgh forenoons and early evenings.

The West Shore Railroad, which extends north and west to Albany andBuffalo and south to New York, connects at Newburgh with the line andthe New York and the New England systems, and at Buffalo with theGrand Trunk and the Lake Shore Railroads. Over thirty trains a dayarrive and depart on this road. It has facilities for transportingcars across the river.

One Erie Railroad branch extends to a junction with the main line atGreycourt, eighteen miles distant, and affords a direct route to thePennsylvania coal fields and across the southern tier of New Yorkcounties to the west. Another Erie branch connects with the main lineat Newburgh Junction, fifteen miles distant, and passes through anumber of Orange County villages. About twenty passenger trains a dayarrive and depart over these branches.

The New York Central's Hudson River line of railroad across the riverfrom Newburgh is reached by the ferry, the boats of which make closeconnection with all through passenger trains.

The Lehigh and Hudson River Railway extends from a junction with theNewburgh branch and the Erie's main line at Greycourt to Belvedere.The Newburgh branch is operated as a part of the system controlled bythe Central Railroad of New Jersey.

There is also the line of the Orange County Traction Company,extending to Walden.

Newburgh is the principal gateway for the coal traffic betweenPennsylvania fields and the New England States, which consume sixmillion tons of coal annually. The loaded cars on reaching the riverfront are quickly ferried across to Fishkill on the transfer boat,and the roads coming to Fishkill distribute them. Much coal is alsoshipped from Newburgh by water to all parts of the northern country,and to the ports of Long Island and the New England coast.

CEMETERIES.

Newburgh has six cemeteries—the Newburgh, or Old Town, St. George's,St. Patrick's, the Hebrew, and in the suburbs, Woodlawn and CedarHill.

The Newburgh has many old headstones, and is in the block where stoodthe church of the old Palatine settlers.

St. George's is under the care of St. George's Protestant EpiscopalChurch.

St. Patrick's is for the remains of the Roman Catholic dead and theHebrew for the Jewish dead.

Woodlawn Cemetery is controlled by the Newburgh Woodlawn CemeteryAssociation, which was incorporated October 22, 1870. It is in thetown of New Windsor, a mile from the city, and is reached by adelightful avenue. It is an ideal location for a cemetery, withextended river and mountain views. Quassaick avenue, leading from thecity to Woodlawn, is lined with elegant country residences in themidst of spacious grounds studded with fine trees and beautified inthe warm season with wide lawns and varieties of beautiful flowers.The cemetery grounds contain fifty acres, laid out with excellentartistic taste and skill, and carefully looked after and kept inorder by the superintendent, MacLeod Rogers, who has occupied theposition from the beginning. Some of its features are a row of finecedars along the northern boundary, a dense grove on the westernside, scattered ancient oaks, also maples, pines, elms and otherkinds of trees, varieties of shrubs and flowers, and a naturalstream. There are several imposing monuments and many fine designsin sculptured marble and granite.

Cedar Hill Cemetery is about five miles north of the center of thecity, and contains 100 acres in the midst of a picturesque landscape.It has about three miles of driveways through its park-like grounds,there is a stream of spring water which supplies a little lake of twoand one-half acres, and there are many handsome monuments. The CedarHill Cemetery Association was organized in 1870.

THE CIVIL WAR.

Regarding enlistments from Newburgh and the money raised for theCivil War, the recapitulation in Ruttenber and Clark's History ishere quoted:

"1. Company B. 3d Regiment, recruited in March and April, 1861. 2.Company B, 36th Regiment, recruited in May and June. 1861. 3. CompanyI, 71st Regiment Militia, recruited principally from Company I, 19thRegiment. 4. Companies A and B., and parts of C, D and G, 56thRegiment, recruited between July and October, 1861. 5. SeventhIndependent Battery, in part, recruited with 56th Regiment. 6.Companies D, E, F, I and L, 19th Regiment Militia; miscellaneousenlistments prior to July, 1862, 111. Under the calls of July andAugust, 1862, 470 men were required from the town, and 501 furnished,217 of whom were enrolled in the 124th and 106 in the 168thRegiments. The call of July, 1863 required 443 men, of whom ninetywere furnished; but it was merged in the calls of October 1863, andof February, March and July, 1864, requiring 756; number furnished,827, of whom seventy-one were not credited. The total of enlistments,including re-enlistments, was 2,250; the total of men required,1,226. The public subscriptions and loans of the town, including atthat time the village, for the promotion of enlistments and forbounties were: 1861, by individual subscriptions, $7,385; bonds ofthe village, $5,000; 1862, individual subscriptions, $17,512; 1864,town bonds, $175,100; total, $204,997. In addition to this sum thetown expended for special relief—1863-1864—$1,075.50; expended byaid society, and in contributions to the Christian Commission,$12,387.31; raising the total to $218,459.81, and the further sum of$321,320 (partly estimated) for special income and internal revenuetaxes to January 1, 1865—a grand total of $539.779.81."

POST-OFFICE.

The Newburgh post-office was the first to be established in this partof the State, and passed the centennial of its organization inDecember, 1895. Prior to that date letters and other articles whichnow go by mail were carried by post riders, who delivered anddeposited letters at appointed stations. The first post-carrierstation in this district is supposed to have been what was known as"the glass house" in the ancient village of New Windsor, whereletters were addressed as early as 1755. One of the early stationswas the tavern of Michael Wiegand on present Liberty street, and theregular accounting post-office of 1895 was its successor. At thattime, we are told, the Newburgh office included in its deliveriesMarlborough, Montgomery, Plattekill, New Windsor and other nearbysettlements, and received mails by carriers on the established postroads, the main trunk lines being the old King's Highway, now Libertystreet, the old road from Kingston to Goshen, running throughMontgomery, from which a cross mail was carried through Coldenham toNewburgh, and there was a main cross mail running east throughFishkill into New England and to Boston, which intersected a crossline on the east side of the river extending from New York to Albany.

The Newburgh post-office had various locations in town until 1897,when it was moved into its permanent home in the new Governmentbuilding, then just completed. The equipment here was modern andcomplete and the space sufficient, but the rapid growth of the city'sindustrial business and other changing conditions have been such thatthe building is already too small for the increased and increasingpost-office business. Note the changes in five years. On March 1,1900, there were connected with the office eight clerks, thirteenletter carriers and one substitute carrier, and in 1905 there werethirteen clerks, two substitute clerks, sixteen carriers, foursubstitute carriers, and four rural delivery carriers. The receiptsof the office for the year ending March 31, 1901, were $52,263.12,and for the year ending March 31, 1906, they were $73,232.79, anincrease of $20,969.37. or 40.12 per cent.

A list of postmasters from the beginning until now, with the dates oftheir appointment, follows:

Ebenezer Foote, appointed January 1, 1796; Harry Caldwell, October 1,1797; Daniel Birdsall, October 1, 1802; Chester Clark, July 1, 1810;Aaron Belknap, March 26, 1812; Tooker Wygant, November 26, 1830;A. C. Mullin, May 23, 1833; B. H. Mace, November 23, 1836; OliverDavis, June 11, 1841; James Belknap, May 18, 1843; Samuel W. Eager,August 6, 1849; Joseph Casterline, Jr., May 4, 1853; Ezre Farrington,May 22, 1861; James H. Reeve, November 1, 1866; Henry Major, May 7,1867; Joseph Lomas, August 22, 1867; Ezra Farrington, July 19, 1869;John C. Adams, April 1, 1875; Joseph M. Dickey, March 21, 1883;William R. Brown, April 8, 1877; William G. Taggart, April 2, 1891;Joseph A. Sneed, February 1, 1892; Lewis W. S. McCroskery, March 1,1896; Hiram B. Odell, March 1, 1900, reappointed 1904 and January,1908.

CITY OFFICERS.

A list of the mayors, etc., of Newburgh with their terms of servicesince its incorporation as a city in 1865 are here given:

Mayors.

George Clark, four terms, from March 11, 1860, to March 8, 1870.

Robert Sterling, from March 8, 1870. Died April 30, 1870.

Alexander McCann, president of the common council, acting mayor the rest of term, to March 7, 1871.

William W. Carson, from March 7, 1871, to March 6, 1872.

Samuel E. Shutes, two terms, from March 6, 1872, to March 10. 1874.

Chauncey M. Leonard, from March 10, 1874. Died December 3, 1874.

Nathaniel B. Hayt, acting mayor rest of term, to March 10, 1875.

John S. McCroskery, three terms, from March 10, 1875, to March 12, 1878.

Charles H. Weygant, two terms, from March 12, 1878, to March 8, 1880.

Abram S. Cassedy, two terms, from March 8, 1880, to March 13, 1882.

Peter Ward, two terms, from March 13, 1882, to March 11, 1884.

Benjamin B. Odell, six terms, from March 11, 1884, to March 11, 1890.

Michael Doyle, two terms, from March 11, 1890, to March 11, 1894.

Benjamin B. Odell, six terms, from 1894 to 1900.

Jonathan D. Wilson, six terms, from 1900 to 1906.

Charles D. Robinson, 1906 to 1908.

Benjamin McClung, 1908. Term expires March, 1910.

Treasurers.

Francis Scott, 1866-1868, 1870, 1873-1875.

Lewis M. Smith, 1869-1870.

James N. Dickey, 1872, 1879-1891.

Ring A. Smith, 1876-1878.

Jonathan N. Weed, 1891-1894.

J. N. Dickey, 1894-1906.

H. M. Leonard, 1906. Term expires March, 1909.

Recorders.

Joseph D. Shafer, 1866-1870.

Charles B. Titus, 1871-1874

John B. Kerr, 1875-1878.

Cornelius L. Waring, 1879-1890.

L. W. Y. McCroskery, 1891-1895.

W. H. Hyndman, 1895. Term expires December 31, 1910.

Corporation Counsel.

James W. Taylor, 1865-1869.

John H. Fenton, 1870-1871.

William D. Dickey, 1872, 1878-1880.

J. G. Graham, 1873-1874, 1885-1890.

Abram S. Cassedy, 1875-1876.

George H. Clark, 1880-1881.

Russel Headley, 1881-1884.

Eugene A. Brewster, 1890-1892.

C. L. Waring, 1892. Resigned 1907.

W. F. Cassedy, 1907-1908.

City Surveyor.

Charles Caldwell, 1866-1902.

Everett Garrison, 1902-1906.

William J. Blake, Jr., 1907 to present time.

Supervisors.

Supervisors from 1763 to inauguration of first city officers, March12, 1866: Jonathan Hasbrouck, 1763; Lewis Du Bois, 1764; John Wandal,1765; Benjamin Carpenter, 1766; Lewis Du Bois, 1767; Edward Hallock,1768; Latting Carpenter, 1769-1771; Jonathan Hasbrouck, 1772; JohnFlewwelling, 1773; Samuel Prowler, 1774; Wolvert Acker, 1775; MorrisFlewwelling, 1776; Wolvert Acker, 1777-1780; Thomas Palmer,1781-1786; John Robinson, 1787-1788; Isaac Fowler, Jr., 1789; JohnRobinson, 1790-1791; Isaac Fowler, 1792-1795; Reuben Tooker,1796-1807; Isaac Belknap, Jr., 1808; William Ross, 1809-1810;Jonathan Fisk, 1811; Leonard Smith, 1812-1818; Daniel Tooker,1819-1820; Leonard Smith, 1822; William Wear, Jr., 1823; WilliamWalsh, 1824-1831; Robert Lawson, 1832-1833; William Walsh, 1834;James G. Clinton, 1835-1836; Daniel Tooker, 1837; David W. Bate,1838; Jackson Oakley, 1839; David W. Bate, 1840-1844: John W. Brown,1842; David W. Bate, 1843-1846; Odell S. Hathaway, 1847-1849; EnochCarter, 1850; Odell S. Hathaway, 1851; Enoch Carter, 1852; Samuel J.Farnum, 1853; Henry Walsh, 1854; Stephen W. Fullerton, 1855; Odell S.Hathaway, 1856; Albert Noe, 1857; Enoch Carter, 1838; Albert Noe,1850-1860; Odell S. Hathaway, 1861-1863; William H. Beede, 1864;George W. Underhill, 1865; C. Gilbert Fowler, 1866.

A Few Briefs.

August 3, 1809, two acres were added to the grounds of Washington's Headquarters.

November 20, 1870, unparalleled rainstorm and destructive hurricane.

In 1870 population, 17,094.

November 4, 1871, Newburgh's contribution to Chicago's relief fund over $5,500.

January 1, 1872, Newburgh's first steam fire engine tested.

May 11, 1873, board of trustees created for Washington's Headquarters.

February 13, 1878, new public library opened.

May 30, 1878, first exhibition of the phonograph in Newburgh.

September 25, 1878, Newburgh's contribution for relief of yellow fever sufferers in the South, $2,613.

July 5, 1879, mastodon unearthed at Little Britain.

July 28, 1879, movement to erect poles for first Newburgh telephone.

June 25, 1880, armory opened.

In 1880 population 18,049.

May 30, 1881, soldiers' and sailors' monument at Woodlawn Cemetery unveiled.

June 4, 1883, first train on West Shore Railroad from Newburgh to New York.

October 1, 1884, beginning of free mail delivery.

October 31, 1885, Moody and Sankey evangelistic meetings.

November 24, 1885, West Shore Railroad sold at Newburgh courthouse for $22,000,000.

September 2, 1886, new academy dedicated.

December 23, 1886, street railroad opened.

March 12, 1888, unprecedented snowstorm and blizzard.

September 17, 1888, Academy of Music opened.

March 19, 1889, electric fire alarm system adopted.

July 1, 1889, Newburgh's contribution for relief of Johnstown flood sufferers, $5,164.

September 27, 1889, display of national flag over the school buildings began.

In 1890 population 23,087.

October 6, 1896, unveiling of General George Clinton statue.

May 9, 1900, centennial celebration of Newburgh municipality.

CHAPTER XXVI.

TOWN OF NEW WINDSOR.

By Dr. C. A. Gorse.

Less than three centuries ago, to be accurate in 1609, HendrickHudson sailed up the beautiful river to which he gave his name, andanchored in the broad bay above the Highlands to trade with theaboriginal inhabitants, who then inhabited the primeval forests whichlined its banks.

It is probable that he and some portion of his crew were the firstmen who set foot upon the virgin soil of New Windsor, but it was notuntil more than half a century later, in 1685, that a company ofScotch and Irish emigrants to the number of twenty-five families,with their servants, under the leadership of Colonel PatrickMcGregorie, accompanied by his sons-in-law, David Foshack andCaptain Evens, settled upon the extreme eastern extremity of thetown, now known as Plum Point, an elevation of 118 feet above theriver and consisting of eighty acres at the mouth of the MoodnaCreek.

Here they erected a commodious cabin and established a trading post;this is the earliest recorded settlement in the county. ColonelMcGregorie was appointed muster general of the militia of theprovince and after his death, in 1691, in an endeavor to suppress aninsurrection by the Leister party, his sons-in-law and their familiescontinued to reside here until 1789. The patent which the Colonelobtained to the land passed into the possession of his son, PatrickMcGregorie, Jr.

The town is wedge-shaped, its sharp edge of about five miles inextent resting upon the river. There is but a small extent ofcomparatively level land along the river bank upon which the villageof New Windsor stands, back of which there rises a steep bluff with asurface of sand and gravel, and a substratum of clay, which is usedin the manufacture of an excellent quality of brick, which at thepresent time is the principal industry of the place. The township isbounded on the north by the city and town of Newburgh, from which itis separated by Quassaick Creek, an outlet of Washington Lake,formerly known as Little Pond, also a portion of the town ofMontgomery; on the west by the towns of Montgomery and Hamptonburgh;on the south by Blooming Grove and Cornwall. From the latter town itis separated by Moodna Creek, near its mouth. On the east it isbounded by the Hudson River.

The soil is of a sandy and gravelly nature, interspersed in someportions by rocks and large stones, of a diversified surface, beingrolling and hilly. After leaving the river the surface graduallyascends for a distance of two or three miles, interspersed withgentle elevations which have been utilized by retired business menof New York for sightly country residences, most of which command amagnificent view of the noble Hudson, and the picturesque Highlandsin the distance.

On the northern edge of the town rises Snake Hill, or more recentlycalled Muchattoes Hill, an elevation of 600 feet above the river. Itlies north and south and is almost perpendicular on its easternextremity, but slopes gradually on the west, from which the surfaceis again rolling and adapted to agricultural purposes. At thedistance of about five miles from the river the town is crossed northand south by two ridges, rising in amphitheatre form, from whosesummit is obtained a most elegant view of the surrounding country.The Highlands on the south, the Fishkill Mountains on the east, theShawangunk Mountains on the north, and the Sugar Loaf and SchunnemunkMountains on the west.

PATENTS.

The earliest recorded patent was issued to Patrick McGregorie in1685. Others were as follows: 1,000 acres to William Chambers andWilliam Southerland, September 2, 1709; 4,000 acres (in part) toCharles Huddy and Phillip Brooks, February 20, 1709; this includedsubsequently a portion granted to Mary Ingoldsby and her daughter,Mary Pinkhorn, August 12, 1720; 4,000 acres to John Haskell of thedates of April 9, 1719, and April 24, 1721; 800 acres to VincentMatthews, June 17, 1720; 1,000 acres to John Johnson, February 3,1720; 1184 acres to James Henderson, February 12, 1722; 1,000 acresto Vincent Price (in part), July 21, 1721; 2,000 acres to AndrewJohnson, July 19, 1719; 1,000 acres to Louis Morris, July 21, 1721;2,000 acres to Patrick Hume, November 29, 1721; 3,292 acres toCornelius Low & Co. (mainly), March 20, 1720; 1,000 acres to RichardVan Dam (in part), June 30, 1720; 2,000 acres to Phineas Mcintosh(mainly) April 9, 1719, and some portions of the patent granted toCadwallader Colden, April 9, 1719, some portions of which and the Low& McIntosh patents were cut off in 1830, when the town ofHamptonburgh was created.

On the 7th of October, 1734, Dr. John Nicoll, of New York, purchasedof John Waldron, Cornelius Van Horn and James Livingston 7,500 acres.

The Chamber and Southerland patents were divided November 7, 1723,into three equal parts. Chambers occupying the northern part,Matthews the central Part and Southerland the southern part, on thedeath of the latter in 1738, his portion passed to his two sons,William and John. On the death of William, without issue, Johninherited and also obtained, in 1753, the water front from thevillage of New Windsor to Quassaick Creek. He sold this to NathanielSmith, of Kingston in 1738, together with a portion of the Ingoldsbypatent, purchased by his father in 1726; also a portion of theGerman patent purchased by himself in 1742. Smith sold a portion toRobert Boyd, Jr., and another to George Clinton upon which the lattererected a house in 1769, and resided here until elected Governor in1777, when he removed to Poughkeepsie. From him was purchased what isknown as the Walsh farm on the Quassaick Creek, recently in thepossession of his grandson, E. J. Dewitt Walsh. On this portion ofthe tract was Admiral William Chambers; Associate Judge JohnChambers, 1751; Governor George Clinton, 1776; Captain CharlesLudlow, U. S. N. The central portion held by Matthews was purchasedby John Aslop, 1724, whose son John Aslop, Jr., was prominent in theRevolution, and grandfather of Governor John Aslop King, in 1749. Healso sold that portion on which the village of New Windsor stands tothe company called the "Proprietors" of New Windsor, September 9,1749. Their names were Vincent Matthews, Ebenezer Seely, MichaelJackson, Joseph Sackett, David Marvin, Evan Jones and Brant Schuyler.

The Southerlands tract came into the possession of Thomas Ellison inMay, 1723, who erected a stone mansion on the bluff overlooking theriver; also a storehouse and dock on the river, and conducted aprosperous business for over a century. His mansion was theheadquarters of General Washington from 1779; until he moved to theHasbrouck House in Newburgh.

He also purchased the Vincent Matthews patent, adjoining, at Vail'sGate, in May, 1724, upon which his son, Thomas Ellison, Jr., erectedin 1754 the stone mansion and a mill, which subsequently came intothe possession of his son John, and is now known as General Knoxheadquarters.

The fourth patent was on the Ingoldsby patent in 1726, by John Gate,who sold to Thomas Ellison in 1736. He sold a portion to JamesEdmonston in 1727, upon which the latter erected a stone house in1754, just west of Vail's Gate, which figured conspicuously in theRevolution.

Dr. John Nicoll came into possession of a considerable tract, fromone Peter Post in 1738, which extended from New Windsor village tothe base of Snake Hill; his great-grandson now resides upon a portionof it on the river road.

David Mandeville purchased the Mary Ingoldsby patent May 1st, 1728,and sold to Samuel and Nathaniel Hazard who erected a mill which isstill standing.

A patent was granted to Colonel John Haskell in 1719 of 2,000 acresand another 2,000 acres in 1721 upon which he settled in 1726. Heerected a log cabin on what was known as the Dusenberry farm, uponwhich the army erected the Temple when encamped there. Other earlysettlers upon this tract were: Even Jones, Samuel Brewster, ElizabethStollard, Andrew Crawford and Neil McArthur.

The first settler upon the McIntosh patent was John Davis, July 5th,1726; others about this time were Robert Boyd and the Dill families.Through his wife, Sarah McIntosh, Nathan Smith came into possessionof a considerable portion of this tract and erected thereon a gristmill, a fulling mill and a store.

The first settler upon the Andrew Johnson patent upon which LittleBritain now stands was John Humphrey, 1724; Peter Mullinder, 1729;also Mary McClaughry, John Read, Robert Burnett, in the same year;Charles Clinton, Alexander Denniston, John Young, Andrew McDowell,1731.

The Mailler family were here prior to 1730, who sold to RobertCarscadden. Among others who settled here with the Clintons were theArmstrongs, Beatty, Barkly, Brooks, Denniston, Davis, Dunlap, Frazer,Gordon, Gray, Hamilton, Little, Mitchell, McDowell, McClaughry,Oliver, Nicholson, Thompson, Wilson and Young, whose descendants arenumerous in the county.

The Low and Co.'s patent of 3,292 acres was granted to Peter Low,Garret Schuyler and John Schuyler and was divided among them. Thethird portion of John Schuyler passed by will to his nephews, Brantand Samuel Schuyler. Brant Schuyler eventually becoming solepossessor. Low and Garret Schuyler sold a considerable portion toAllen Jarrett, April 5th, 1720, Low sold 600 acres to John Vance,September 1st, 1734, and 200 acres to Jarvis Tompkins, May 22, 1738.Other settlers on this patent were: John Slaughter, 1720; ThomasShaw, 1729; William Miller, 200 acres, November 12th, 1746: CharlesBeatty, 200 acres of Brant Schuyler's, August 22nd, 1744, which hesold to James McClaughry, July 14th, 1749, the latter the colonel ofthe 3rd Regiment of Militia, who fought at the Highland forts in1777. Beatty, the son of a sister of Charles Clinton, became adistinguished clergyman, some of whose descendants still reside atSalisbury Mills in this county.

James Gambell and John Humphrey purchased of the Hume patent 300acres, April 6, 1730, and divided it equally between them. Gambellsold to Patrick Byrne, March 12, 1744, and Humphrey sold to PatrickMcClaughry, February 22, 1769. The remaining portion of this patentwas sold by James Ludlow, a nephew of the patentee, to James Neely,Henry M. Neely, William Young and Patrick McClaughry. William Youngsold to Samuel Sly 233 acres, and Gambell and Humphrey sold theirportion to William Tilford and Samuel Falls.

Cadwallader Colden became the owner of the John Johnson patent of2,000 acres at the date of its issue. A portion of the Belknap familysettled upon it in 1750.

The Van Dam patent of 5,000 acres passed into the possession ofJessie Woodhull in 1753, also a portion to Peter Gallatin, JohnMoffat and the Walling Brothers. This tract is now included in thepresent town of Blooming Grove.

The small Henderson patent early passed into the possession of JohnWandel and David Edmonston.

The Lewis Morris patent of 1,000 acres was owned by AlexanderDenniston, Francis Crawford, Thomas Cook and William Denniston in1786, purchased from earlier settlers.

We have already mentioned under the head of patents, many of theearly settlers. The earliest were those of Colonel McGregorie at PlumPoint in 1685, and the Reverend Richard Charlton, sent out by theLondon Missionary Society in 1732, for the parish of New Windsor,which was connected with the Church of England. Among the names ofthe owners of the village were: Ebenezer Seeley, Brant Schuyler,Henry Case, Vincent Matthews, Michael Jackson, Daniel Everet, EvenJones, Hezekiah Howell, Joseph Sackett, Jr., James Tuthill, JohnSackett, Jr., Colonel Charles Clinton, 1731; Dr. John Nicoll, 1734;William Ellison, 1732; John Ellison, Captain Jas. Jackson, WilliamJackson, Thomas Ellison, Isaac Shultz, Messrs. Logan, Bryam,Halstead, Denniston and others. At Little Britain, John Humphrey,1724; Peter Mulliner, 1729, who gave it the name from Windsor Castlein England; Robert Burnett, John Reid, 1729; Charles Clinton, Johnand James McClaughry, Alexander Denniston and John Young in 1731.Among those who came from Ireland were James Edmonston, 1720; theClintons, Alsop, Chambers, Lawrence, Haskins, etc., 1731, who settledin the eastern portion of the town, while the Coldens, Matthews,Wileman, Mcintosh, Bulls, settled in the more western portion.

NOTED RESIDENTS.

The most noted residents of this town were those of the Clintonfamily. Charles Clinton, the father of James and George, was a nativeof Langford, Ireland, of Scotch-English descent. He sailed with acompany of relatives and friends in 1729, to escape persecution.Having espoused the cause of the Stewarts at the accession of theHouse of Hanover in 1689, he settled at Little Britain in 1731. Hewas a highly educated man and gave his sons a good education. He wasa surveyor and a judge of the court of common pleas and fought in theFrench and Indian Wars, 1759 to 1763, was public spirited, had fivesons and two daughters, lived to the ripe old age of eighty-three anddied at home, November 19th, 1773.

One son and a daughter died at sea. Two of his oldest sons, Alexanderand Charles, were physicians. James and George figured conspicuouslyin the early history of the Empire State. James, born in 1756,preferred the army to politics. He served with his father in thetaking of Fort Frontenac in Canada, also in the invasion by theIndians of Orange and Ulster Counties, rose to major-general in thewar of the Revolution, was in charge of the northern department, ledan expedition against the Iroquois, cut a road from the Mohawk toLake Otsego, dammed the outlet of the lake and floated the boats overthe upper Susquehanna to reach the lower country with his command,was at the siege of Yorktown, member of the assembly, ratified theConstitution of the United Slates, and was a member of the conventionof 1804 to amend the State Constitution; died at his home December12th, 1812, 75 years of age; was buried in the family burying groundby the side of his father.

George Clinton, while a very young man, sailed in a privateer in theFrench War, was with his father and brother at the siege of FortFrontenac, studied law under Judge William Smith, was clerk of UlsterCounty in 1759, member of the assembly in 1780, elected to theContinental Congress in 1775, Brigadier-General in 1776, firstGovernor of New York in 1777; commanded a brigade at the defense ofNew York City in 1776. He was in command of the forts in theHighlands which he nobly defended with 600 raw militia against 5,000veteran British troops, and was overwhelmed and obliged to surrenderin 1777; was Governor of the State for eighteen years, administeringits trying duties with conspicuous ability; was president of theconvention which met at Poughkeepsie in 1788; Vice-President of theUnited States in 1804; died soon after his re-election in 1808; hasbeen designated as the father of the State. On the beautiful monumentin the old Dutch Churchyard in Kingston, N.Y., is the following:"To the memory of George Clinton, born in the State of New York, 26thday of July, 1738, died at the City of Washington the 20th of April,1812, in the 73rd year of his age. Soldier and Statesman of theRevolution, eminent in council, distinguished in war, he filled withunexampled usefulness, purity and ability, among other high officesthose of Governor of his native State, and Vice-President of theUnited States. While he lived, his virtue, wisdom and valor were thepride, the ornament and security of his country, and when he died heleft an illustrious instance and example of a well-spent life, worthyof all imitation."

DeWitt Clinton, a son of James, was born March 2nd, 1769, the exactplace, being in dispute, some authorities claim at Fort DeWitt inDeer Park, while his mother was there on a visit; others claim at thehome of his father, either at Little Britain or while he was residingin the village of New Windsor. Perhaps it doesn't matter so muchwhere a man is born as what he may make of himself by strenuousefforts, as was the case with the illustrious Lincoln and the subjectof this sketch. After graduation at Columbia College in 1786, hestudied law with Samuel Jones; was admitted to the bar in 1789;became soon after secretary to the Governor, his uncle, and becamedevoted to politics; subsequently filled with great ability thefollowing honorable positions: Member of the Assembly, State Senator,member of the council of appointment, United States Senator, Mayor ofthe City of New York, many times member of the council board,Governor of the State for two terms, candidate for President of theUnited States, being defeated by Madison, and was invited by Mr.Adams to serve as minister to England, and was the author oftwenty-six acts which became incorporated in the laws of the Stateand nation. The following panegyric was given by William H. Seward,the political successor to the Clintons in New York State, in 1871.

"Only next after Alexander Hamilton, DeWitt Clinton was the wiseststatesman, the greatest public benefactor, that in all her historythe State of New York has produced." This was from the man who tenyears after sat in his chair and persevered in carrying out hispolicies which established for New York the political leadership ofthe land.

Alexander Denniston came over with Charles Clinton and settled atLittle Britain in 1731.

Robert Burnett came from Scotland in 1725, and purchased 200 acres atLittle Britain in 1729.

Colonel James McClaughry, born in Philadelphia, when nine years oldwas brought by his uncle, John McClaughry, to Little Britain, all theway behind his uncle on horseback. He married Kate, a sister ofGovernor Clinton, received a colonel's commission at the commencementof the war, commanded a regiment at Fort Montgomery, 1777, where hewas taken prisoner and sent to a hospital in New York, where he wouldhave perished but for the extra care and comforts provided by hisgood wife, who ministered also to many others there. He returned tohis farm at the close of the war and lived until 1790, dying at theage of 69.

Martin Dubois, a neighbor of Robert Burnett and General JamesClinton, was an assistant quarter-master during the war.

Cadwallader Colden, Jr., of Coldenham, who married Betsy, a daughterof Thomas Ellison, of New Windsor, was a son of Cadwallader Colden,Sr. He was lieutenant-governor of the State from 1760 to 1770. He wasarrested as a Tory in June, 1776, by the council of safety of thetowns of New Windsor and Newburgh, and after due trial was confinedin jail at Kingston, where he remained, for over a year, after whichhe was liberated on parole. The town of Coldenham is named after hisfamily.

REVOLUTIONARY HISTORY.

This town is rich in Revolutionary lore. A portion of the troops ofColonel James Clinton were organized here in 1775. A battery offourteen guns were mounted at Plum Point in 1776. The militia wererallied here in 1777, after the fall of the Highland forts and duringthe winter of 1779, 1780, 1781, 1782 and 1783, nine brigades undercommand of General Heath, were encamped at the foot of the ridge justwest of Snake Hill and just south of the square at Little Britain.

Washington concentrated his forces here in 1779 and made hisheadquarters at the William Ellison house at New Windsor village, andremained there until 1782, when he removed to the Hasbrouck House inNewburgh and remained there until the army was disbanded in 1783.Other generals of the army were quartered at John Ellison's. Herewere Generals Knox and Greene, while Gates and St. Claire were at theEdmonston House, Wayne at Newburgh and Baron Stuben at Fishkill,Lafayette at William Ellison's at the foot of Forge Hill. Othergenerals were quartered at the old Stone Hotel just west ofEdmonston's. When Washington brought his army from New Jersey in1779, he probably marched over the road from Goshen or Chester to NewWindsor now known as the Vail's Gate-Chester State road, but which atthat time must have been in a very rough and primitive condition, fora hill just west of Vail's Gate derives its name of Pork Hill fromthe fact that one of the commissary wagons loaded with salt pork wasoverturned on this hill, a conspicuous example how names will stickto places as well as to individuals. When Colonel Morgan marchedthrough New Windsor with his three thousand riflemen to joinWashington at Boston, a man preceded him who represented himself asColonel Morgan to Mr. John Ellison, but when the Colonel himselfarrived soon afterwards, the impostor was detected and was given overto his men for punishment, who gave him an effectual coat of tar andfeathers.

At the camp grounds between Vail's Gate and Little Britain, thewriter has traced the foundations of many of the huts in which thearmy was encamped from 1779 to 1782. The foundations were of stone,surmounted by hewn logs. A level meadow in front of the barracks wascleared for this purpose and utilized as a parade ground, but was ofso marshy a character that for marching and drilling it requiredpaving with flat stones, many of which are still in evidence. Thismust have been a labor of infinite difficulty and shows of whatsturdy material these men were made. At the lower border of thisparade ground was also constructed a causeway to the ridge opposite,upon which was erected a temple or public building, near which werealso the barracks for some of the minor officers, a hospital, bakery,and a little further east the burying ground. To commemorate the siteof this temple the Newburgh Revolutionary Monument Association haserected a rough stone monument on the farm of the late William L.McGill, now owned and occupied by his married daughter, Mrs. RichardSmith. It commands an uninterrupted view of the Hudson Highlands andthe majestic river rolling between, offering exceptional advantagesfor watching the approach of any vessel on the river or of anyconsiderable body of men from that direction.

NOTED BUILDINGS.

At Plum Point, formerly a portion of the Nicholl estate, still standsthe stately mansion of the late Phillips Verplank. On the river sideis the earthwork for the protection of the Chevaux-de-frise, one offive obstructions placed in the river at various points to preventthe ascent of the British fleet, but which proved ineffectual, as theships of the enemy broke them all, and ascended the river toKingston, which it burned.

Some portion of this boom and chain are now to be seen atWashington's Headquarters at Newburgh. A Scotchman by the name ofMcEvers, also located here, built a log cabin or tenement long priorto the Revolution; the excavation for the cellar, as well as theembankment, are still plainly visible.

The point is approached by a natural causeway from the river road,upon the opposite side of which stands the old-fashioned homestead ofDr. Nicoll, who purchased 500 acres of Peter Post and settled here in1730.

On the bluff just south of the village of New Windsor stood the stonehouse erected and occupied by William Ellison and also by Washingtonas his headquarters from 1779 to 1782. This is now replaced by amodern Queen Anne building the residence of his grandson, ThomasEllison.

Martha Washington is said to have visited the General while here.His estrangement from Hamilton also occurred here in 1781.

The Brewster House, known as Lafayette's headquarters, is situatedjust across the Moodna at the foot of Forge Hill.

The steep hill which ascends from this point to Vail's Gate derivesits name from this circ*mstance. The iron used in its constructionwas transported on the backs of mules or horses from the forests ofDean Mines in Monroe. As you ascend Forge Hill just at its top youcome to the most noted Revolutionary building now in existence in thetown, known as General Knox's headquarters. It was built for Mr. JohnEllison in 1735, and was in the possession of the Morton family for anumber of years, who endeavored to change the name of the place toMortonville, and for a time the post-office was known by this name,but on the death of the major it reverted back to the old name ofVail's Gate, from the toll gate stationed here, kept by the Vailfamily, father and son, for many years; this gate was still inexistence in 1872.

Generals Knox and Greene, Colonels Riddle and Wadsworih werequartered here in 1779 to 1781 and General Rochambeau was also avisitor here to Washington.

The Edmonston building near the short cut crossing on the Erie atVail's Gate, was built by James Edmonston in 1755. During theencampment of the Continental Army in this vicinity, it was made theheadquarters of Generals Gates and St. Claire, and some of the otherofficers; also the hospital and military stores were kept here. WhenWashington arrived here with his army, he consulted with Edmonston asto the best place to locate his camp and was conducted over a bridlepath by his son William to the Square which became their camp.

At the Square, so-called from being surrounded by four roads, is theFalls' House, occupied by the Widow Falls in 1777, when it was therallying point for the scattered militia by General Clinton after thefall of the Highland forts. It is a wooden structure just oppositethe Silver Stream school-house, now occupied by Mr. Charles Merritt.It was while General Clinton was here that the incident of the silverball occurred. Major Daniel Taylor had been sent with dispatchesconcealed in a small silver ball by Sir Henry Clinton for Burgoyne.He was captured October 10th, 1777. After he had been conducted tothe presence of General George Clinton, instead of Sir Henry, as hesupposed, he swallowed the ball. Dr. Moses Higby, who was in theneighborhood, administered an emetic and it was soon disgorged. Itcontained the following on very thin paper:

"Fort Montgomery, Oct. 8th. 1777.

"Nous y, voici, and nothing now between us but Gates. I sincerelyhope this little success of ours will facilitate your operations. Inanswer to your letter of September 28th by C. C., I shall only say,I cannot presume to order or even advise, for obvious reasons. Iheartily wish you success.

"Faithfully, yours,

"H. Clinton."

Taylor was tried, condemned and executed as a spy.

THE TEMPLE.

It was upon what was then known as the Dusenberry farm, formerly aportion of the General Haskins' estate, an English officer whosettled 4,000 acres, during the old French War, that this buildingwas erected under the supervision of General Heath, for the use ofthe army and for Masonic meetings.

It was here that General Lafayette was made a Mason by the AmericanUnion League, which accompanied the army. It was built of hewn logs,80 X 40 ft., with a barrack roof, first known as the Temple ofVirtues, but on account of a carousal of the officers after thedeparture of Washington, on the night of its dedication, it wasafterwards known simply as the temple.

It was also used for public services on the Sabbath. At the close ofthe war, a proclamation by Congress of the cessation of hostilitieswas read from its door and a celebration on a grand scale was held.Here also was held the meeting to consider the Newburgh letters,written by a Major Armstrong, to determine, "whether the army shouldrise superior to the grievances under which it had long suffered, andprecipitate a separation between the military and civil powers." Itwas a vital crisis in the history of the republic, and a tragicending prevented by an address of Washington to the officers at thistime, which is a lasting monument to his unselfish patriotism,profound wisdom, superior ability and marked discretion. The Societyof the Cincinnati was founded here in 1783. "To perpetuate among theofficers of the army and their descendants, the memory of theirtoils, trials, friendships and triumphs, for succeeding ages." Thefollowing were among the signers: Lieutenant Robert Burnett,Brigadier James Clinton, Lieutenant Alexander Clinton, LieutenantDaniel Denniston, Lieutenant George J. Denniston, Captain JamesGregg, Captain Jonathan Lawrence, Major Samuel Logan, Ensign JosephMorrell, Lieutenant William Stranahan, Lieutenant William Scudder,many of whose descendants are residents of the county.

On the northern side of the monument spoken of as marking the site ofthe temple, is the following inscription: "Erected by the NewburghRevolutionary Monument Association, 1891. E. M. Ruttenber, president;James M. Dickey, vice-president; A. A. McLean, treasurer; RussellHeadley, secretary."

On the western face is the following: "Omnia reliquit servererempublicam. On this site the Society of the Cincinnati was born May10th, 1783, at the last cantonment occupied by the American Army, andit still lives to perpetuate the memories of the Revolution.Committee of the New York State Society of the Cincinnati, Fourth ofJuly, 1802. T. M L. Christy, chairman, William Simm Keese, JohnShayler."

On the southern face: "On this ground was erected the temple orpublic building by the army of the Revolution, 1782-1783—thebirthplace of the republic. This tablet is inscribed by the MasonicFraternity of Newburgh, and its Masonic confreres under whosedirection and plans the temple was constructed, and in whichcommunications of the fraternity were held, 1783."

The Clinton homestead was situated about two miles north ofWashingtonville, on the road to Little Britain.

VILLAGES.

New Windsor, in its early history, was the scene of great commercialactivity and the outlet by the river for the produce of the countryfor miles around and promised to be the site of a flourishing town,but the limited extent of land between the river and the high bluff,of about 120 feet in length, but a short distance from the river,precluded the possibility of building any large towns between. Thishigh bluff is composed of clay which is utilized in the manufactureof a fine quality of brick. Mr. William Lahey, who has twobrick yards, is the leading manufacturer. Mr. Hugh Davidson and thelate Mr. Walsh each owned one. The remains of several docks on theriver front are still in evidence of its former business activity. Aferry to Fishkill was maintained for a number of years and untilNewburgh sprang up and superseded it in commercial life it was aflourishing town. At the present time there are some thirty houses,stores and saloons, scattered along the river bank, occupied by abouttwo hundred inhabitants. The first glass factory in this country wasalso built here.

Moodna, formerly called Orangeville, situated at the mouth of theMoodna Creek, is a small hamlet of perhaps thirty houses. There arealso two factories at this place, a paper mill, formerly that ofTownsend, now owned by the Hemmingway Paper Co., and a cotton millowned by Mr. John Broadhead, of Firthcliffe, which is now closed.Plum Point, of Revolutionary fame, juts out into the river just northof the village and is frequently visited by tourists.

Vail's Gate, four and a half miles from Newburgh, contains aboutthirty-five houses, a Methodist Episcopal church, three hotels, and ageneral store, where Mr. Thomas Gushing has a new building.

The General Knox headquarters, the Edmonston house, and the old hotelbuildings of stone are the most noted Revolutionary relics. Thepopulation is probably about four hundred.

Little Britain, made famous as the home of the Clintons, extends fromthe Square to the Little Britain creamery. At the Square are a dozenhouses, most prominent among which is the Alexander Falls house. HereGeneral Washington was a frequent visitor during the encampment ofthe army just south.

Rocklet, a small hamlet in the extreme western part of town, has astore and post-office, kept by Mr. Frank Mulliner.

The Ontario and Western railroad intersects the township for adistance of seven miles and is taxed for $85,000; Erie, six miles,assessed for $42,000; West Shore, five miles, assessed for $22,000.

The schools are—District No. 1, New Windsor; No. 2, Moodna; No. 3,Vail's Gate; No. 4, Mount Arie; No. 5, Silver Stream; No. 6, LittleBritain; No. 7, Alexander Neighborhood; No. 8, Rocklet.

CHURCHES.

St. Thomas.—By the will of Thomas Ettson, Jr., fifty-six acres ofland and the sum of six thousand pounds, English money, wasbequeathed to his brother, William, and nephew Thomas, to be held intrust for the maintenance of a Glebe and minister under thejurisdiction of the Protestant Episcopal Church at New Windsor, theinterest of said lands and sum to be paid yearly to the minister whenin active service; when there was no service the interest therefromwas to be added to the principal. When a religious organizationshould be effected, the said lands and sum were to be conveyed to it.Such an organization was established, April 18, 1818, under the titleof St. Thomas' Church, and the Rev. John Brown, then a resident ofNew Windsor, also serving St. George's Church at Newburgh, became itsrector and continued so up to 1847.

In 1844, the old church having been destroyed by fire, a new one wasstarted in 1847, and the present church completed in 1849. The oldrectory having been burned, a new one was built in 1849. The value ofthe church property is estimated at $13,000. Among the prominentmembers who have been here for a good many years are, Messrs. AymarVan Buren, J. Abner Harper, John Harper, F. W. Senff, R. D. Jeffreys,W. C. Gregg, the Misses Morton, Mrs. Leonard F. Nicol and others.

New Windsor Presbyterian.—This church was organized in 1794. Itwas associated with Newburgh or Bethlehem churches. From 1828 to 1834the Rev. J. H. Thomas, of the Canterbury Presbyterian Church, servedalso this church, and from 1834 to 1835 he served this churchexclusively. The first building was used by the Continentals as ahospital. This was subsequently destroyed by fire and the presentstructure was erected in 1807.

M. E. Church at Vail's Gate.—This church celebrated the centennialof its existence in the fall of 1806. the present building havingbeen erected in 1706, and is the oldest church edifice. Its societyoriginated from a union class started by John Ellison in 1789, andwas conducted in one of his tenements for a quarter of a century.

Little Britain M. E. Church was erected in 1853 and occupied in1854, and has been associated with other churches mostly during itsexistence. Services were held here up to 1885, since which it hasremained closed.

Little Britain Presbyterian Church was organized in 1760 asAssociated Reformed by Scotch and Irish emigrants. The first edificewas erected in 1765, and rebuilt in 1826. Its first pastor, RobertAnnan, was installed in 1768, and served until 1783. Rev. Thomas J.Smith was his successor in 1791, who served until 1812, when Rev.James Schringeour, a Scotchman, was installed, and served until hisdeath in 1825.

CEMETERIES.

The two principal cemeteries in this town are "Calvary," at thejunction of Quassaic avenue and the Walsh road, established withinthe last decade by the Catholics, and "Woodlawn," a half mile furtherwest, which contains about thirty acres and has been in existenceabout twenty-five years.

In the ancient burying ground connected with the Presbyterian churchat the village of New Windsor, are the graves of James Williams andwife, Abigale Brewster; John Yelverton, one of the original settlers,who died in 1767 at the age of 74; Joseph Morrell, one of the heroesof the Revolution. Other early settlers whose names are recorded ontombstones are the Moores, Walshes, Logans, Brewsters and others. Inconnection with the M. E. Church at Vail's Gate is also another oldburial ground. Here are the Mortons, the Stills, the Vails and manyothers of the forefathers of the hamlet who "rest from their laborsand their works do follow them."

James Clinton, the father of DeWitt Clinton, was buried in thefamily burying ground on the Clinton estate. When the patrioticcitizens of Newburgh thought to remove his remains to Woodlawn anderect a monument to his memory, all that could be found was thecoffin plate. The following epitaph to the memory of his father waswritten by his son, DeWitt: "He had filled with fidelity and honorseveral distinguished civil offices, was an officer of theRevolutionary War, and the war preceding, and at the close of theformer was a major general in the army of the United States. He was agood man and a sincere patriot, performing in a most exemplary mannerall the duties of life, and he died as he lived, without fear andwithout reproach."

CHAPTER XXVII.

TOWN OF TUXEDO.

This triangular township is in the southeast corner of Orange County.It is bounded on the north by the towns of Monroe and Woodbury, onthe east and south by Rockland County and on the west by the town ofWarwick. Its area as given in the latest supervisors' report is27,839 acres, and the assessed valuation of real estate is placed at$2,510,500. The title to the soil is derived from the Chesekookpatent.

The general topographical features are invested with peculiar charm.The towering mountain crags and scattered bits of valley, thewildwood and forests primeval, are dimpled with beautiful lakes andthreaded with purling streams. The Ramapo, which is made up wholly bythe surplus waters of these lakes, has its head in Round Island Pondand flows thence southerly, through the valley which bears its name,into Rockland County.

The name Tuxedo is, undoubtedly, the corruption of one or more Indianwords. In the language of the Algonquins, who occupied this region,it is found that to or tough mean "a place." A frequent habit of theIndians was to name a place after the chief whose tribe occupied it,and there was a sachem named P'tauk-seet, "the bear," who, in theseventeenth century, ruled over a tract of country including thepresent town of Tuxedo. Uniting his name with tough, the Algonquinfor place, we should infer the original spelling to have beenP'tauk-seet-tough, and its meaning "Place of Bears." The earliestmention of the name occurs in Sargeant's survey of 1754 wherereference is made to Tuxedo Pond. In Chesekook's patent of 1769 it iswritten Potuckett. Erskine, in his survey of 1778-1779, writes itTuxedo and Toxedo. In Eager's and Ruttenber's histories writtenrespectively in 1847 and 1875 the name is corrupted to Duck Cedar,with the explanation that its margin is over-thrown with cedars andthat it is a favorite haunt of wild ducks.

The first description of this region is written by the Marquis deChastellux, a French officer who came to America with Lafayette, andwho, on December 19, 1780, following the Continental road throughthe gorge south of the lake, then called "The Clove," presently camein view of Tuxedo. He mentions that at Ringwood he stopped to ask hisway, and that at Erskine's house they gave him full information aboutthe roads and wood-paths, and also "a glass of Madeira, in accordancewith a custom of the country, which will not allow you to leave ahouse without taking something." Having been thus refreshed, he says:"I got on horseback and penetrated afresh into the woods, mountingand descending precipitous hills until I found myself at the edge ofa lake so secluded that it is hardly visible from the surroundingthicket. Its banks are so steep that if a deer made a false step onthe top he would infallibly roll into the lake. This lake, which isnot marked upon the charts, and is called Duck Sider, is about threemiles long and two miles wide (sic!), and is in the wildest and mostdeserted country I have yet passed through. My poetic imagination wasenjoying the solitude, when, at a distance, I perceived in an openspot, a quadruped, which a nearer observation showed to be not theelk or caribou, for which I at first mistook him, but a horse grazingpeaceably in a field belonging to a new settlement."

SETTLEMENT.

Following the grant of the Chesekook patent in 1702 there was nosettlement in this territory for many years. The families who camewere mostly of English ancestry and moved from Long Island and theEastern States. The Smiths are supposed to have explored this regionas early as 1727. The first settlement in the vicinity of Tuxedo Lakewas made at the northern extremity of this body of water. Prior to1765, a woodcutter named Hasenclever enclosed a ten-acre tract lyingequally on both sides of the outlet. On a survey made in 1778 isshown his enclosure and the dam built by him, and also the positionof the house, situated fifty yards northeasterly from the dam, andbuilt by a man named Howard, who was probably "the original settler."During the Revolution, when the iron works on the Ramapo were liableto interruption by the British, Hasenclever's dam was raised severalfeet, and the overflow turned southwest to supply the Ringwoodfurnaces in New Jersey. During this period, Tuxedo Lake was theresort of a band of cowboys who at times found shelter among somerocks which they named after their leader, "Claudius Smith's Cave."(See general history.)

Vicent Helms was chosen constable in 1775. Phineas and Brewster Helmsare also mentioned in the records of the old Town of Cornwall ofwhich this locality was then a part. The hamlet Helmsburgh indicatesthe place where the families of that name lived before theRevolution. Moses Cunningham was a member of the first board ofassessors of the town of Monroe erected in 1709. He lived atGreenwood Iron Works. Richard Wilkes, school commissioner in 1709,also lived here. Adam Belcher, school commissioner in 1800, lived atSouthfields.

The survey and construction of the Continental road was performed bythe military engineers of the Continental Army in 1778. It enteredthe park at the present south gate and followed the east lake shoreat a somewhat lower level than the present road. From the Hoffmancorner it continued up to the east slope of the Alexander place tothe top of Tower Hill, where it crossed to the Coster place, thenceto the Griswold place, which it crossed to the end of what is now theWee Wah Lake and left the park near the present north gate where itjoined the main turnpike road of the Ramapo valley. There was also awood road from the present east gate to the Continental road at theHoffman corner.

CHANGING CONDITIONS.

Up to 1864 the territory now embraced in the town of Tuxedo belongedto the town of Monroe. In the fall of 1883 a petition was sent to theboard of supervisors requesting that the town be divided into threetowns. The request was granted and the new towns were namedrespectively Monroe, Southfield and Highland. Monroe held its townmeeting March 22, 1864, electing Chauncey B. Knight, supervisor.Southfield did likewise, electing Josiah Patterson, supervisor, whileHighland chose its old favorite Morgan Smith. This piece of politicalsurgery did not prove satisfactory, and in 1865 the Legislatureoverruled the action of the board of supervisors and restored to itscitizens the old town of Monroe.

Again in December of 1889 the board of supervisors were prevailedupon to effect a triple division of the town. The reason advanced forthis re-division was that the town was too large and its interests toodiverse for harmonious government. It was resolved that the divisionshould be made on the old lines, but that the names Tuxedo andWoodbury should be substituted for Southfield and Highland. This wasduly passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor. The lineswere run so as to give Monroe 12,101 acres, Tuxedo 27,839 acres andWoodbury 23,839 acres. However, the boundary line between Monroe andTuxedo had not been clearly determined or marked by monuments. Whenthe Heine Club desired to build a road from Mombasha to Southfield,it became a practical question how much of this road must be paid forby each town. Hence the question as to the dividing line. The men whowere with the 1863 surveyor said: "It crossed Mombasha Pond, but theydid not know where." A survey was then made by F. J. Knight, whoestablished a true line, demonstrating that the line of 1863 had beena trial or random line. This decision placed Mombasha in theterritory of Monroe.

In January 1890, J. Spencer Ford represented the town of Tuxedo inthe board of supervisors; in 1894, Paul Tuckerman was electedsupervisor; Mahlon J. Brooks filled the office in 1896 and 1897, andCharles S. Patterson, the present incumbent, has served continuouslysince 1898. Daniel F. Clark, the veteran bookkeeper, has held theoffice of town clerk since 1890. Gillmore O. Bush, the presentpostmaster and captain of the park police, held the office of towncollector in 1890 and from 1894 to 1899. The assessors for 1907 areM. J. Brooks, Joseph W. Conklin and Benjamin Moffatt. The highwaycommissioners are George Griswold, Benjamin Moffatt and WilliamViner. District schools are located at Arden, Southfields, EagleValley, Scott Mines, and in Tuxedo Village are the primary and unionfree schools. Of the latter institutions, Mr. James Cronon has beenthe efficient clerk of the board since 1891. A private preparatoryschool is conducted within the limits of the park.

Episcopal churches are located at Arden and Tuxedo, MethodistEpiscopal churches at Southfields, Tuxedo and Scott Mines. The RomanCatholic church is in Tuxedo village.

The main line of the Erie Railroad parallels the Ramapo river throughthe entire length of the town, and was opened in September, 1841. Inthis valley are the hamlets that took part in the iron industry of acentury ago. Augusta was the seat of the "Augusta Works" founded atthe close of the Revolution, 1783-1784, by Solomon Townsend of NewYork, to make bar iron and anchors. It was an important enterprisebut not permanently successful. In later years the works came intothe ownership of P. Lorillard, who allowed them to remain idle.Thirteen thousand acres of land were attached to the works.Southfield was the name of the locality of the "Southfield" and"Monroe" works. These enterprises were established about 1805 to makepig iron. The early proprietors were William and Peter Townsend.Stirling Furnace, of which the Southfield plant became an importantbranch, was in operation a century and a half ago. (See Warwick). TheSterling Iron & Railway Company filed their annual report with thecounty clerk January 17, 1865. They purchased mines, manufactories andother property in southern Orange. Greenwood Iron Works wasestablished in 1811 by the Messrs. Cunningham to make pig-iron. Mr.P. P. Parrott became the subsequent owner. The Parrott Iron Companywas formed by a certificate verified June 23, 1880. It engaged inmining and selling of iron ore and the manufacture of pig iron andsteel. The capital stock was stated as $500,000. The trustees namedwere Peter P., Edward M., and R. D. A. Parrott. The locality is nowknown as Arden, and is the headquarters of the Arden Dairy Farms, ofwhich Mr. William A. McClellan is manager. A short distancenortheast, bordering Echo Lake, is the home of Mr. E. H. Harriman,who owns vast tracts of land throughout this region. Helmsburgh is arural mountain locality west of Southfields. Eagle Valley is astation on the Erie Railroad, in the extreme southern angle of thetown, near the New Jersey line.

TUXEDO PARK.

The tract of land containing this park consists of 7,000 acres, andcame into the possession of the Lorillard family in 1812. Shafts weresunk in various places in an attempt to find iron ore, but theproperty was otherwise undeveloped until the advent of the ErieRailroad in 1841. The locomotives burned wood in those days, and anarrangement was made to supply the railroad with fuel. The hills andvalleys were covered with large forest trees, all of which weresacrificed, excepting a few along the Continental road. The stationhere was for years known as the "Wood Pile."

About 1860 Tuxedo Lake was stocked with black bass, and from thattime the fishing was carefully preserved for the Lorillard family andtheir friends. Up to 1885 no better bass fishing could be foundanywhere than that afforded by this beautiful lake. This suggested toMr. P. Lorillard (deceased, 1901), the idea of establishing here ashooting and fishing club. He bought out the other members of thefamily, and acquired a clear title to the whole tract. Five thousandacres were enclosed in a wire fence eight feet high. Deer were boughtand turned loose. English pheasant eggs were procured in largequantities and several pheasant hatcheries were located. A fine trouthatchery was also built.

Having made a start on the preserve, Mr. Lorillard proceeded toorganize the club. He gave a dinner to his sporting friends at theUnion Club, New York, and his idea met with an enthusiasticreception. Twenty gentlemen were appointed a board of governors.Invitations to join the club were sent out, and temporaryheadquarters secured in New York.

The foundations of the clubhouse were laid, and about 1,800 men wereemployed in road-making. Before the new work was begun there was butthe Continental road through the park. The first park roadconstructed was the Station road. The construction of the road aroundthe lake was then undertaken. As the work progressed Mr. Lorillarddecided, instead of a mere game preserve, to lay out a residentialpark. This plan involved enormous expense. Many roads were requiredto develop the building sites. A complete sewer and water system wasconstructed. A village for shops and employees and a large liverystable were built. An office in the village for the transaction ofthe park business was opened. At the same time Mr. Lorillard formed astock company called the Tuxedo Park Association, to which he turnedover all the lands and other assets of the park. The officers chosenwere: Mr. P. Lorillard, president; P. Lorillard, Jr., vice-president;George D. Findley, treasurer, and William Kent, secretary. Thiscompany leased the clubhouse and grounds to the members fortwenty-one years, and guaranteed the new club against loss for thefirst ten years of its existence and subsequently during the term ofthe lease. Fourteen houses were built and advertised for sale orrent. Twelve were located on Tower Hill and two across the dam at thefoot of the lake.

The first sale of park property to a resident was made in February,1886, when Dr. Morris H. Henry, Mr. Lorillard's personal physician,purchased Lot No. 101 on the map of Tuxedo Park. This was followedin March, the same year, by the purchase of Lot No. 120 by Allen T.Rice, the editor of the North American Review, and the same yearLot No. 121 was sold to William Waldorf Astor, Lot No. 123 toPierre Lorillard and Lot. No. 103 to Travis C. Van Buren, all ofwhich persons are now deceased, the land having in every instancepassed into other hands.

That same year, Francis D. Carley, James L. Breese, Josephine LeePrice, James Brown Potter, Margaret S. E. Cameron and Mary L. Barbeyalso purchased land in the order named. Of these Mrs. Price, Mrs.Barbey and Mr. Potter still hold interests in the real estate.

The first person actually to take up his residence at Tuxedo with hisfamily was Mr. Grenville Kane, who leased the cottage he subsequentlypurchased and is now the oldest resident of the park proper. Mrs.Price and William Kent, in the order named, being the next arrivals.

Thus the park as a place of residence became an accomplished fact,through the indomitable pluck and energy of Mr. Lorillard. Each yearhas shown a steady and substantial gain in residents. The presentofficers of the association are: P. Lorillard, president; GeorgeGriswold, vice-president; George D. Findley, treasurer; and WilliamKent, secretary.

As an organization the Tuxedo Club is very strong. The club book of1908 shows a membership of 374, of which seventy-seven were residentmembers. Among them are found the family names of those not onlyprominent in business and financial circles, but also who have beenidentified with the society of the State since the earliest periods.The club is self-supporting, has renewed its lease with the TuxedoPark Association for a term of years, and bids fair to become a greatcenter of social life.

TUXEDO VALLEY.

So comprehensive was the scope of the original plan of development,that a whole village was created at the time of the founding, nearthe entrance gate, containing stores, cottages, and subsequently atown hall, schoolhouses, churches, library, and a $30,000 hospitalnow in course of construction.

The Tuxedo Stores Company was organized March, 1894. Each resident ofthe park was invited to subscribe to the stock, and the company beganbusiness April 1, 1894.

The Tuxedo electric light plant was organized in 1899, and is ownedand controlled by the residents of Tuxedo.

St. Mary's-in-Tuxedo.—In 1887 Mr. Henry T. Barbey obtained fromthe association a grant of land, on which he erected the first churchbuilding at Tuxedo, since which time it has been greatly enlarged byadditions from time to time including a large parish house—until ithad grown into the present beautiful church edifice. It wasconsecrated October 14, 1888, and the Rev. Mr. Colston placed incharge. The present rector is the Rev. William Fitzsimon.

Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.—The cornerstone of this churchwas laid June, 1895. The edifice cost $7,000. Rev. James Quinn wasthe first pastor. In July, 1899, the church and rectory werecompletely destroyed by fire. A year later it was rebuilt, and onSeptember 23, 1900, was solemnly dedicated by the Most Rev.Archbishop Corrigan.

The Tuxedo police force was organized May 1, 1886. John Pederson wascaptain until 1891, when he was succeeded by Gillmore O. Bush. Theresidential part of the park is patrolled regularly day and night.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

TOWN OF WALLKILL.

By William B. Royce.

The town of Wallkill is the second largest town in the county ofOrange, and, exclusive of the area in the city of Middletown,contains 38,030 acres, as shown by the equalization table of theboard of supervisors for the year 1906. This area would beconsiderably increased if an accurate estimate could be obtained ofthe amount of land not included in farm and lot descriptions andbeing used for church, cemetery, school and road purposes.

The town is bounded northerly by Crawford and Montgomery, easterly byHamptonburgh, southerly by Goshen and Wawayanda, and westerly byMount Hope and the Shawangunk Kill, which separates it, for abouthalf the distance, on its westerly border, from the town ofMamakating, Sullivan County. The Wallkill River forms part of itseasterly boundary, dividing it from the town of Hamptonburgh. Thisstream also passes through the southeast corner of the town, and isthe only large stream flowing within its borders. Both the Wallkilland Shawangunk Kill flow in a northerly direction and find their wayinto the Hudson River at Rondout. The other streams in the town ofWallkill are small; the principal ones being Monhagen Creek, flowingthrough the city of Middletown; the Bullhack, rising near Circlevilleand emptying into the Wallkill near Phillipsburgh; and the Mayunk,flowing through the easterly portion of the town and emptying intothe Wallkill in the town of Montgomery. Notwithstanding the fact thatthere are no important streams, the town is well watered by smallstreams and springs, so that there is never danger to agriculturefrom this source.

The topography of the town of Wallkill is very irregular, varying inelevation from 335 feet above sea level in the easterly portion ofthe town along the Wallkill to 1,035 feet in the westerly, aboutthree miles west of the city of Middletown and about half a milenorth of the old Mount Hope turnpike. All the principal ridges andvalleys of the town run in a northerly and southerly direction.

EARLY CHANGES AND GOVERNMENT.

The precinct of Wallkill, of which the present town is the legalsuccessor, was erected December 17, 1743, by an act of the ColonialLegislature. The three towns of Crawford, Montgomery and Wallkill,and portions of Mount Hope and Hamptonburgh, were embraced in thearea of this precinct. In 1772 the precinct of Hanover was erected,or set off, from the precinct of Wallkill, and included the towns ofCrawford and Montgomery and a portion of Hamptonburgh, and, while itwas generally supposed that Wallkill became a new precinct, legallyHanover was set off from the old precinct, and the statute directedthat the rest of the territory "should remain" the precinct ofWallkill. It is also a fact that the town records of the precinct ofWallkill were left with, and became a part of, the records ofHanover, and, from the date of the separation, the precinct ofWallkill opened a new record, which is still preserved. Up to thetime of the erection of the precinct of Hanover, the town or precinctmeetings were held for the whole precinct, including all territoryoriginally forming the precinct of Wallkill.

The first town meeting in the precinct of Wallkill, after thedivision, was held at the house of Samuel Watkins, April 7, 1772, andthe following is the record of the officers chosen:

William Dunn, clerk and supervisor; Benjamin Booth, James Wilkins,Elijah Reeve, commissioners for regulating and laying out publichighways; Stephen Harlow, William Watkins, David Moore, commissionersfor laying out the money raised by act of Assembly on the highways;David Crawford, Moses Phillips, assessors; John McGarrah, JohnPatterson, constables and collectors; Abel Wells, George Booth,poor-masters; Jonathan Smith, Esq., Isaiah Vail, John Ketchum,Benjamin Vail, Jr., fence viewers and damage appraisers. Fences wereto be four and one-half feet high, staked and ridered; five railshigh or otherwise equivalent as the fence viewers shall judge.

Many items of interest could be gleaned from these old records, oneof the principal being the fact that many of the persons in Wallkillto-day, occupying prominent social, business and official positions,are the direct descendants of these sturdy pioneers of earlier days.

The construction and care of the roads then, as now, seemed to be oneof the principal subjects in which the people were interested. Inorder to demonstrate this, and at the same time preserve the names ofmany of those who then assumed the long-enduring business of roadbuilding in Wallkill, we make the following quotations from therecords:

"Precinct to be divided in three districts, viz: The east side of theWallkill, one; the west side, two, to be divided by the new northwestline."

"Samuel Watkins, from the Widow McBride's corner to Thomas Simeril's,and thence along the road to Campbell's bridge."

"William Bodle, from Esquire Smith's to the Minisink road, and fromthe schoolhouse on the road to Hezekiah Gale's; from thence to JohnMcGarrah's, and thence to the schoolhouse; to work also on DavidCrawford's road to the bridge one day."

"John Hill, from Esquire Smith's road along the Minisink road to themiddle of Connor's bridge; also a piece of road leading from theMinisink road to Orange County."

"James Rogers, Jr., from the precinct line to the Widow McCord'snorth gate."

"Captain William Faulkner, from his own house to Thomas Simeril's."

"Henry Savage, from the Widow McCord's north gate to ArzubleMcCurdy's house."

"Daniel Tears, from the precinct line to John McHenry's house."

"Edward Campbell, from the John McHenry's to Arzuble McCurdy's, andPeter McLaughlin, from the corner of Edward McNeal's lot to Phillipshouse."

"Tilton Eastman, from Connor's bridge to the Pine Swamp."

"Stacy Beakes, from Minisink road to Dunning's road that leads toPine Swamp."

"George Smith, from the middle of the white-oak bridge to the top ofthe round hill beyond Corey's."

"John Ketchum, from the top of round hill to the west end of theprecinct."

"Abraham Taylor and John Daily, Jr., from the white-oak bridge byElijah Reeve's to the precinct line."

"There was raised by direct taxation for the following purposes:"

For the year 1906 there was raised by direct taxation in the town ofWallkill, which contains only about one-third of the acreage of theprecinct of Wallkill, for the support of the poor, $1,000, and therewas expended in the town for road purposes, exclusive of the care ofState roads, and exclusive of the territory embraced in the City ofMiddletown, about $4,500. Presumably many of our taxpayers wouldprefer the olden days so far as taxes are concerned.

SOME EARLY HISTORY.

Very little is known of the aboriginal days of the town of Wallkill.While various tribes of Indians occupied different parts of OrangeCounty, from the names of certain of the streams in the town ofWallkill, it is evident that they made their home, at least part ofthe time, in this town. However, outside of tradition and a fewindividual cases of contact with them, which had very little, if any,influence on the future history of the town, nothing reliable isknown that would be of interest at the present time.

The earliest record of the patenting of lands, now included withinthe town of Wallkill, was some time before the year 1724, and seemsto have been embraced in two patents, one known as the MinisinkAngle, and the other a part of what is known as the John Evanspatent. The latter tract was subsequently re-patented at datescommencing December 14, 1724, and ending May 13, 1761. The actualsettlement of the town did not occur until about the close of theperiod mentioned, and therefore, Wallkill was not settled as early asa number of the other towns in the county.

It is only necessary to refer to the assessment roll of the town ofWallkill of to-day to find many property owners whose names are thesame as those of their ancestors who subdued the wilderness and madeWallkill one of the most attractive and wealthy towns in the county.When we mention such names as Bull, Harlow, Borland, Wisner, Houston,Carpenter, Reeve, Mills, Green, Wickham, Connor, Mapes and Horton,taken from the assessment rolls of to-day, we could almost imagine wewere reading a roll call of the names of the sturdy pioneers whosubdued the wilderness and caused the valleys of this town to blossomas the rose.

Previous histories of this town and the numerous writings of otherpersons have made all these facts so familiar that it would seemidle to burden these pages with any repetition of the history of theearly settlement of the town and its inhabitants.

From the time of settlement, during the entire Colonial period to theRevolutionary War, there was little of moment that happened here. Thesettlements gradually progressed in different directions, but, asbefore stated, not as rapidly as in some other towns. During theRevolutionary War, a number of its citizens were with the army atvarious times, but the town, by its location, was far removed fromthe din and strife of participation in any events of the struggle;no battles occurred within its limits, and it is not known that anyorganized bodies of the British or their allies ever set foot withinits borders. From the close of the Revolutionary War until 1803,there was a steady growth in population, so that the assessment rollfor that year contained 462 names of those who were assessed foreither real or personal property, or both.

On March 29, 1799, the State Legislature passed an act for thegradual abolition of slavery, and a number of citizens recorded aformal act of freeing Negroes held by them. The first one of theseseems to have been made in 1800, and is in the following form:

"I do hereby certify that I have manumitted and set free my Negroslave, Otis, as fully and amply as I am authorized by the act of theLegislature entitled, 'An act for the gradual abolition of slavery,'passed the 29th day of March, 1799."

"Given under my hand and seal this 1st day of November, 1800."

"Tabetha Borland."

Similar acts of manumission were entered by Jonathan Smith, StephenSmith, Henry G. Wisner, John Wilkin, William Phillips and IsraelWickham, and it is a fact that the descendants of these people,bearing in many cases the identical names, were the strongestopponents of slavery, and the most loyal supporters of the governmentduring the Civil War.

As early as 1828, the temperance question began to agitate the peopleof the town of Wallkill, possibly more thoroughly than it is doing inthe present day, for the reason that, in 1824, there were just threetimes as many taverns (as they were called in that day) within thelimits of the town as there are hotels at present (1908). Many of thequestions involved in the temperance agitation of that time are thechief object of argument at present, and we have only to quote aresolution passed at a meeting of the town of Wallkill, held in thatyear, to show this fact conclusively:

"Whereas, pauperism has increased in the town of Wallkill to analarming extent; and whereas intemperance is one of the greatestprogressing causes, inasmuch as more than three-fourths of thepaupers emanate directly or indirectly from that source, and whereastippling-houses, dram-shops, and groceries have a direct tendency toincrease the evils; therefore,

"Resolved, (as the sense of this town meeting), That the board ofexcise be requested to refuse granting licenses to those personswhose principal object is to retail intoxicating liquors and nothaving suitable accommodations for public entertainment."

"Resolved, that the foregoing be entered on the records of said townand published in two newspapers printed in Goshen."

"Dated Wallkill, this 1st day of April, 1828."

The town of Wallkill continued to grow steadily, without any changein territorial boundaries, until 1848, when the village of Middletownwas incorporated within its limits, but, outside of certain localmatters, such as schools, streets, police, and a few other minormatters, the village continued to form a part of the town until theerection of the city of Middletown, in 1889. All the town officerswere elected to represent the village and town in all things,excepting the purely local matters, applicable especially to thevillage.

IN THE CIVIL WAR.

At the outbreak of the Civil War, in 1861, the fires of patriotismseemed to burn as brightly in the town of Wallkill and village ofMiddletown as in any corresponding section of the country. Meetingswere called, resolutions adopted, and steps immediately taken to forma company for the defense of the Union. Aid societies wereestablished by the women, supplies sent forward to sufferingsoldiers, and everything was done that love and patriotism couldsuggest for the care of those in the army and for the preservation ofthe Union.

As near as can be estimated, Wallkill and Middletown combined sent tothe front some 787 soldiers. Liberal bounties were paid to those whowent, either as volunteers or substitutes, and the best of care wastaken of the families of the absent soldiers. When we take intoconsideration the fact that, at the beginning of the war, thepopulation of the town of Wallkill and village of Middletown,combined, was less than 7,000, it will be seen that more than, 10per cent. of the entire population proved its loyalty by going to thefront, and the percentage who went and never returned was fargreater than the proportion, in comparison to population. ThatWallkill proved its loyalty by devotion and blood, this record mostamply proves.

In the year 1879, the citizens of Wallkill and Middletown erected tothe memory of the soldiers of Wallkill, a most graceful andimpressive monument. It was first located at the junction of Northand Orchard streets, but subsequently removed to Thrall Park, on thecorner of Wickham avenue and Grove street, which is a much betterlocation than the original. Mrs. Thrall, who generously donated andbequeathed the money for the erection of Thrall Library and ThrallHospital, also gave the city the land for Thrall Park, which issituated north of and adjoining the hospital.

HAMLETS.

The present town of Wallkill contains no incorporated village, andonly four hamlets, which might be dignified by the name of village,as follows: Circleville, Howells, Scotchtown and Mechanicstown. Therest of the town is entirely devoted to agriculture, and, since theerection of the city of Middletown, has not shown any increase inpopulation. Its farms are largely occupied by the owners, in manycases heirs and descendants of original and colonial possessors, andit possibly shows a less number of farms under rental than do manyother towns in the county.

CHURCHES.

There are three churches and one chapel at present in the town ofWallkill. A Congregational church is located at Howells, and wasincorporated under its present name on July 6, 1847. This church hadexisted for many years previous to this, under other names, and atdifferent locations.

The Presbyterian church at Scotchtown was organized some time before1798, but the precise date seems to be unknown. The first officialrecord that a church was regularly organized seems to be in theminutes of the Presbytery of Hudson, when, on April 19, 1798, JacobMills and George Houston appeared as commissioners from thePresbyterian church in the town of Wallkill and requested that saidchurch be taken under the care of the Presbytery, and that suppliesmight be appointed them. This request was granted and the services ofthe church continued, under supplies, until June 30, 1803, when Rev.Methuselah Baldwin became pastor. Previous, however, to theappearance of the commissioners before the Presbytery, a meeting hadbeen held, on December 24, 1795, at the house of George Houston,apparently for the organization of a church, and at this meeting itwas resolved that a subscription be opened for building ameeting-house at the corner of the roads above the house of GeorgeHouston, and that the new congregation should be under the care ofthe General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church. This church waserected, enclosed and painted in 1797, and thus remained, withoutplastering, pews, pulpit or stoves, until 1806, when it was finished,at a cost of $515. This building was used for about fifty-sevenyears, when it was succeeded by the present church edifice. Thechurch was, for many years, a leading one in the Presbytery ofHudson, and is still doing active work.

The Circleville Presbyterian Church was organized on January 4,1842, and became a part of the Presbytery of Hudson. Its house ofworship was erected in 1842, and a large part of the expense of sucherection seems to have been contributed by donations in the way oflabor, timber, lumber and mason work. The land, consisting of fiveacres, was donated by Samuel Bull, who, in addition to his gift ofland, contributed much in labor, material and money, and to him thecommunity is largely indebted for benefits derived from this churchthrough its past years and at the present time.

The chapel previously referred to was erected near Rockville throughthe liberality of Robert A. Harrat and his neighbors in the immediatevicinity, and is used for Sunday-schools and special church servicesby clergymen from any denomination who desire to preach within itswalls.

RAILROADS.

Wallkill has excellent railroad facilities. The Erie runs throughfrom Howells Depot, passing out at its southern border. The Ontario& Western comes in at the northwesterly end of the town, runningthence in a general southeasterly direction to the city ofMiddletown, thence easterly through the town of Wallkill, passing outinto the town of Hamptonburgh near Stony Ford. The Middletown &Crawford branch diverges from the Ontario & Western Railroad abouttwo miles north of Middletown, passes through the town in anortheasterly direction to the town of Crawford near Bullville andruns thence to Pine Bush. The Susquehanna & Western Railroad passesinto the town from the southerly border of the city of Middletown andruns in a southwesterly direction in the town of Wawayanda. Inaddition to the above, the Erie & Jersey Railroad Company is nowbuilding a low-grade road which enters the town near Howells and runsin a general easterly direction through the town, passing about onemile north of the city of Middletown, thence leaving the town andpassing into the town of Hamptonburgh in the vicinity of Stony Ford.

There is also a trolley line owned by the Wallkill Transit Company,which is operated in the city of Middletown and extends from thecity, through the town of Wallkill, to the town of Goshen, and thenceto the village of Goshen.

An example of the enterprise of the town of Wallkill was manifestedwhen the question of raising money for the construction of the NewYork & Oswego Midland Railroad came up in 1867. Its citizens, underthe wise leadership and guided by the excellent judgment of SenatorHenry R. Low, Captain James N. Pronk, Elisha P. Wheeler, William J.Groo, and others, was induced to bond the town for the sum of threehundred thousand dollars and subscribe to the stock of the new roadfor that amount. The bonds were issued for a period of twenty years,with interest at the rate of seven per cent, per annum, payablesemi-annually, with a provision that after ten years an annualsinking fund of five per cent, of the total issue of bonds should beraised. Within a few years the New York & Oswego Midland RailroadCompany went into the hands of a receiver, and its stock becamecomparatively worthless. The three-hundred thousand dollars of stockowned by the town was sold for $15,000. When the bonds matured in1888, William B. Royce, the sole railroad commissioner, hadaccumulated from the sinking fund, sale of stock, interest and othersources, the sum of $180,000, with which bonds to that amount werepaid. To provide for the payment of the balance of said bonds,amounting to $120,000, the railroad commissioner issued, underauthority of law, bonds to that amount, payable in installments, thelast of said bonds maturing on April 1, 1907, with interest payablesemi-annually, at the rate of three and one-half per cent, per annum.As provided by the bonds, the last installment of principal andinterest was paid April 1, 1907, the town and city of Middletownhaving paid the whole of said principal sum by direct tax, exceptingthe $15,000 for which the stock was sold. The New York, Ontario &Western Railway Company was organized and took over the property ofthe old New York & Oswego Midland Railroad Company. As a result ofthe construction of this road, to which the town of Wallkill andcity of Middletown have contributed so largely, the railroad shopswere located at Middletown, which brought a very large influx to thepopulation of the town and city, and added largely to their taxablevalue. It also resulted in building the road from Middletown toCornwall, and the extension of what was known as the Middletown,Unionville and Water Gap Railroad through to New York under theoriginal name of the New Jersey Midland Railroad, which subsequentlybecame the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad, thus givingMiddletown three direct lines of railroad to New York City, andmaking northern and western communications, which largely added toits transportation facilities.

HIGHWAYS.

The highways of the town of Wallkill are in fair condition, and aremaintained under the money system. The town has a portion of threeState roads; one branching off from the Middletown-Bloomingburg plankroad, about three miles north of Middletown, and running in a generalnortherly direction to the town line of Crawford and thence to thevillage of Pine Bush. Another road starts from the southern corporatelimits of the city of Middletown and runs in a southerly direction tothe town line of Wawayanda, and thence to the village of Goshen. Thisroad branches off in a southwesterly direction in the town ofWawayanda and extends to Unionville, and by another branch is beingextended to Port Jervis. Another State road, known as theMiddletown-Cuddebackville road, starts from the northwesterly line ofthe city of Middletown and runs through the town to the line of thetown of Mount Hope, thence through Mount Hope and Deer Park toCuddebackville. Under existing laws the State roads are in the firstinstance maintained under direction of and at the expense of theState.

SCHOOLS.

The town of Wallkill has seventeen school districts, in which aremaintained the usual form of district schools under the State law.These are being gradually improved under the efficient system ofState supervision, but are not yet at the standard to which theyshould be raised.

MIDDLETOWN.

The precise time when the first settlement was made in this villageis uncertain, though it is believed to have been shortly after theerection of the town. John Green purchased some land of Delancey, apatentee under the crown of Great Britain, and that purchase includedland in the southern part of the village and the ground where theFirst Congregational church now stands. Mr. Green donated the lot forthe purpose of having a house of worship erected. When the citizensassembled to put up the frame of the old Congregational church, itwas concluded that the locality should have a name. "What shall itbe? There is Dolsontown on the south, Goshen on the east, Scotchtownon the north, and a locality not defined, on the west, calledShawangunk. We will call it Middletown, it being the center." In1829, the name of the village was changed to South Middletown toprevent confusion in the transmission of mail matter, there beinganother place styled "Middletown" north of Newburgh, but in 1849 theprefix of "South" was left off.

The Minisink road which passes through the city of Middletown ismentioned by a Mr. Clinton, a surveyor employed by the owner of lotNo. 35 of the Minisink Angle, as early as 1742, and the second storein Middletown was started by Isaiah Vail at a place called Monhagen,opposite the white oak bridge on the old Minisink road, near thewesterly limits of the present city of Middletown. The first store inMiddletown was kept by Abel Woodhull, previous to the place beingcalled Middletown.

The western portion of Middletown was included in lot No. 36 in theMinisink Angle, owned by Delancey, and as he espoused the Royalistcause his land, except what was sold to Mr. Green before theRevolution, was confiscated by the State of New York. Threeappraisers were appointed by the State to put a value on the land,two of whom were Israel Wickham and Henry Wisner. It is stated thatan earnest debate occurred on the subject of valuation, whether tocall it six shillings or a dollar per acre. Mr. Wickham insisted thatit would never be worth a dollar, so it was put down at six shillingsan acre. The land confiscated takes in the western portion of thevillage and present city, and includes the real estate formerly ownedby John B. Hanford, Henry Little and George Houston. Part of thisland could not now be bought for $10,000 an acre.

The New York & Erie Railroad seems to have been built on theinstallment plan in the county of Orange; first to Monroe, then toChester, then to Goshen, and finally by large contributions from thepeople of Middletown, it was extended to that place. The building ofthis road seemed to give an impetus to the business of the villageand induced manufacturers to locate there, which soon made it one ofthe most flourishing villages in southern New York.

The actual incorporation of the village did not occur until April 7,1848, when the preliminary proceedings in regard to the incorporationwere approved by Judge D. W. Bates. The first president of thevillage was Stacey Beakes, and associated with him as trustees wereCoe Dill, William Hoyt, Israel Hoyt, Israel O. Beattie and Daniel C.Dusenberry. John B. Friend was clerk. Of the above named trustees,Daniel C. Dusenberry is still living (1908).

The growth of Middletown has always been gradual, and it has neverbeen what might be called a "boom town." In 1807 the population wasforty-five; in 1838 it had increased to 433; in 1848, at the time ofits incorporation, it had increased to 1,360; and in 1857, to 2,190.At the time of its incorporation as a city, in 1888, its populationhad increased to 11,977, and at the close of 1907 it was about16,000.

The post-office in the village of Middletown was first established onthe 22nd of October, 1816. Stacey Beakes was appointed the firstpostmaster and held the office for about ten years. The firstquarter's receipts in 1817, as rendered by the postmaster, were$0.69; in 1826, the receipts had risen to $16.12 a quarter; and in1854, to $257.79. The annual receipts of the Middletown post-officeare now upwards of $50,000.

The citizens of Middletown were always ambitious for its growth, andin all that was done, the future as well as the present, interests ofthe village were carefully looked after. Manufacturers were inducedto locate there, and the village, and afterward the city, has alwaysbeen recognized as a manufacturing center for this part of the State.Some of the largest manufactories in the old village of Middletownwere the Monhagen Saw Works, Eagle File Works, Matthews Brothers'Carpet Bag Factory, Draper's Hat Factory, Babco*ck's Hat Works, and alarge tannery, which was afterward merged in the leather manufactoryof Howell-Hinchman Company. As before mentioned, the New York,Ontario & Western Railway Company located its shops here, and fromthat time, the village and city have had a steady growth.

CHURCHES.

Middletown as a village and city has always been well supplied withchurches.

The first, the Congregational Church, was organized June 10, 1785,and incorporated August 12, 1786, and so far as organization andincorporation are concerned, it is the oldest church in Middletown.

The first Presbyterian Church of Middletown, as such, was organizedMarch 31, 1828.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Middletown effected a legalorganization on July 11, 1838.

Grace Episcopal Church was incorporated on February 18, 1845.

The First Baptist Church filed its certificate of incorporationOctober 28, 1849.

The Second Presbyterian Church (now Westminster church) wasincorporated December 5, 1854.

The Primitive Baptist Church of Middletown was incorporated May29, 1871.

The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church was incorporatedNovember 20, 1861.

St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church was established in 1866.

Calvary Baptist Church was incorporated in 1902.

North Congregational Church was incorporated in 1890.

Christ Church (Universalist) was incorporated in 1897.

St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church (German) was incorporatedin 1897.

Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church was incorporated in 1875.

Faith Mission was incorporated in 1889.

The Christian Science Church was incorporated in 1903.

It will be seen from the above that the churches of Middletownaverage one to every 1,000 people of the present population.

SCHOOLS.

The school system of Middletown was originated by the holding of ameeting April 6, 1813, to take steps to comply with the statute of1812, for the organization of the common school system of the State.The first commissioners elected were William Hurtin, Jacob Dunningand Benjamin Woodward. In 1844 a system of supervision by townsuperintendents was inaugurated. Previous to that several citizenswere selected who decided upon the qualifications of the teacher.John G. Wilkin, afterward county judge of Orange County, was thefirst town superintendent of Wallkill, which included the village ofMiddletown. About the year 1856 a law was passed providing for theelection of superintendents for assembly districts, thus doing awaywith the town system, and this system has ever since been continued.

On the 30th of January, 1841, a meeting was held to initiate thework of founding Wallkill Academy. It was started as a privateenterprise, stock to the amount of $3,656.75 was subscribed by 115stockholders, the shares being $5.00 each. Application was made tothe Legislature for an act of incorporation, which was passed in May,1841. The building was completed in October, 1842, and soonthereafter school sessions were opened, the first teacher being Rev.Phineas Robinson, who remained in charge for two years. For a numberof years Wallkill Academy was continued under the plan of its firstincorporation, but subsequently passed over to the village ofMiddletown as a part of its school system. The school system of thevillage of Middletown was always well managed and excellent resultswere attained. This system was afterward merged in the city schoolsystem upon the incorporation of the city of Middletown in 1888.

The management is now under a board of education consisting of ninemembers, with superintendent of schools. There are now eight schoolsin the educational system of Middletown. The high school was erectedon the site formerly occupied by the Wallkill Academy, and is a veryimposing building with all modern facilities and conveniences. Itemploys thirteen teachers in the academic department, and eight inthe grammar grades. The seven primary schools are located in variousparts of the city, so as to accommodate the pupils, but upongraduation in the primary grades all of the pupils are promoted tothe high school in its various grades.

The free public library of Middletown, known as the Thrall LibraryBuilding, is architecturally an ornament to the city, and is fittedup in the most modern style for library purposes. The lot wasformerly used as a location for the village school. Mrs. S.Maretta Thrall left a legacy of $30,000 to the city, with which thelibrary was built. Mrs. Thrall, by her liberality, providedMiddletown with a library of which its citizens are justly proud,and erected for herself a monument in our city and in the hearts ofits people which will be as enduring as time. The library at presentcontains 10,500 volumes. The legacy bequeathed by Mrs. Thrall was tobe used exclusively for the building, and was so used.

CHARITABLE AND BENEVOLENT ORGANIZATIONS.

In the year 1880, the matter of establishing a Children's Home forOrange County was brought up in the board of supervisors. Acommittee, consisting of the Hon. William H. Clark, Selah E. Strongand William B. Royce, was appointed to take the matter underconsideration and report. After a careful investigation andexamination of a large number of properties, the committee reportedthat in its judgment the property known as the Israel O. Beattieproperty in the village of Middletown was better adapted for thepurpose than any other property that had been brought to the noticeof the committee. The property, at the time, was owned by the MutualLife Insurance Company of the city of New York, and afternegotiations, a price was fixed by the company at $8,000. The pricewas approved by the board and the committee was ordered to purchasethe property, which was subsequently done. The sum of $2,000 wasappropriated for the use of the committee in making such necessaryrepairs and changes as might be deemed necessary to fit the propertyfor immediate use. The committee, having completed its duties,reported to the board on the 21st of November, 1881, that its workwas completed and that there had been expended $9,910.05, leaving abalance of $89.95 in the hands of the committee.

Previous to the making of this report, the property had been turnedover to the county superintendent of the poor, and it was formallyopened on February 7, 1881. On the first day of January, 1882,forty-four children were being cared for in the home. This number hasfluctuated during the intervening years, sometimes the number ofchildren being as low as sixteen, and at other times approximatingthe original number reported.

The Orange County Home for Aged Women is located at No. 27 Southstreet, in the city of Middletown, and like the Children's Home, isnot limited to the city of Middletown with regard to the territoryfrom which its inmates are received. It was incorporated in 1884, theidea emanating from the fertile brain of Dr. Julia E. Bradner. Thehome now has become a well-known institution, not only in the city ofMiddletown, but in the county of Orange.

It is difficult to realize that Thrall Hospital, so much an integralpart of the civic life of Middletown to-day, was not dreamed of aquarter of a century since. It is not an easy matter to make plain tothe lay mind just what is behind the bald statistic, "Onetyphoid—discharged." Statistics may number the bandages and weighout the drugs, but they never take reckoning of the anxieties, theheartaches, that broad utilitarianism which under the name of theMiddletown Hospital Association began its beneficent work.

It was twenty years ago last November (1907) that Dr. Julia E.Bradner called together, at her residence, a few of the women ofMiddletown to discuss the project of having a hospital in their ownhome town.

At the first informal meeting in November, 1887, nine women, led onby the indomitable spirit of Dr. Julia E. Bradner, voted to have acharter legally drawn and to meet again at her home, on Orchardstreet, on the 22nd of November.

The charter was presented at this second meeting and signed beforeNotary Henry W. Wiggins by the following women: Julia E. Bradner,president; Ella S. Hanford, first vice-president; Lutie M. Clemson,second vice-president; Clara S. Finn, treasurer; Harriet L. Clark,secretary; Sarah Orr Sliter, Jennie E. Prior, Frances W. Wilcox,Florence Horton.

The organization effected on this November day and incorporatedDecember 6, of the same year, was named "The Middletown HospitalAssociation," its object "to build and maintain a hospital in thevillage of Middletown."

The day of the second meeting was big in history, for not only wasthe matter of the charter settled, but an advisory board ofphysicians was elected, consisting of William E. Eager, M.D.;William H. Dorrance, M.D.; Selden H. Talcott, M.D.; Burke Pillsbury,M.D.; and Ira S. Bradner, M.D.—all of whom have passed away.

In the spring of 1891, seeing the need and the opportunity to supplythat need, Mrs. S. Maretta Thrall gave to the association the lot onthe south side of what is now Thrall Park. Plans were made for abuilding to cost over $13,000, but their execution would have beenput off indefinitely had not Mrs. Thrall come forward with a gift ofmoney sufficient to cover the cost of the planned building, making,with the estimated value of the lot, a total gift of over $16,000.Work on the foundation was begun immediately.

The association, which in various ways, during the four years whichelapsed after the foundation was laid, had raised $5,000, now usedthat amount to furnish and equip the building in a practical andup-to-date manner. On the tenth day of May, one year after the giftof the lot, the hospital, having a capacity of twenty-six beds, wasthrown open for the reception of patients.

MIDDLETOWN STATE HOMEOPATHIC HOSPITAL.

Nearly forty years ago, or, to be exact, in 1869, several of thecitizens of what was then the village of Middletown decided that ahospital for the insane was needed in this vicinity. Funds werecollected and a farm was purchased on the western border of thevillage for a site for an asylum, as such institutions were thencalled. Dr. George F. Foote endeavored to raise money by subscriptionfor a private asylum. To this end $75,000 were subscribed, the amountexpended for a site and to build part of the institution, all ofwhich was finally accepted by the commonwealth as a free-willoffering from a comparatively few generous subscribers.

The first appropriation by the State for the institution was made in1870. The original board of trustees numbered twenty-one, appointedby the Governor. The first superintendent, Dr. Foote, havingresigned, Dr. Henry R. Stiles was appointed in his stead. He serveduntil February 9, 1877, and then resigned. He was succeeded by thelate Selden H. Talcott, who served until his death in 1902, when thepresent incumbent, Dr. Maurice C. Ashley, was appointed to succeedhim, and is now in charge of the institution.

Among the early trustees, who were residents of Orange County, may berecalled the well-known names of Daniel Thompson, John G. Wilin,Moses D. Stivers, James G. Graham, Henry R. Low, Elisha P. Wheeler,Dr. Joshua A. Draper, James B. Hulse, James H. Norton, Nathaniel W.Vail, and Uzal T. Hayes.

The hospital was incorporated in 1869, opened for the reception ofpatients on the 20th of April, 1874, and the first patient wasadmitted May 7, 1874.

To give an idea of the present magnitude of this great publiccharity, it seems fitting that a few figures should go on recordwhere they will be permanently preserved.

The farm and grounds comprise nearly 300 acres, on which there arethirty buildings; the value of the real and personal property is over$1,500,000; the present annual expenses for all purposes, exceptingthe new building, are about $245,000, of which nearly $60,000 arereceived from private and reimbursing patients; about $110,000 isrequired for salaries and wages. Since the opening of theinstitution, over 7,000 patients have been received and treated. Ofthis number 2,600 have been discharged recovered and returned totheir homes and to society, and 900 others have been sufficientlyrestored or improved to enable them to return to their families. Thenumber of patients under treatment at the present time is 1,350.

The present normal capacity of the hospital for patients is 1,222.Buildings are now under construction for about 550 more patients andthe necessary employees, making a total capacity for 1,850 patientsand 450 employees.

The hospital district comprises Orange, Sullivan, Ulster and RocklandCounties, but those desiring homeopathic treatment are received fromany part of the State.

During all the years, the hospital has been conducted uponhomeopathic principles, following strictly the practice andprinciples of homeopathy in the selection of medicines and treatmentof patients. This is a compliance with the law under which thehospital was first incorporated, and the results, in all respects,would seem to warrant the continuance of the present form oftreatment and management.

In compliance with the law, a training school for nurses andattendants has been established and maintained for some years withthe most satisfactory results.

A few years since all the asylums were placed under State control,and a board of local managers with modified duties took the place ofthe old boards of trustees.

The board of managers of the asylum, as at present constituted,consists of William H. Rogers of Middletown, N.Y., president; Ira L.Case, of Middletown, N.Y., secretary; Newbold Morris, of New YorkCity, N.Y., Miss Alice Larkin, New York City; Mrs. Harriet A.Dillingham, New York City; George B. Adams, Middletown, N.Y.; andJames B. Carson, Middletown, N.Y. The attorney for the hospital isWilliam B. Royce, of Middletown, N.Y.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The city of Middletown is located on the Erie, the New York, Ontario& Western and the Susquehanna & Western railroads, about sixty-sevenmiles from New York City, and is the legal successor of the villageof Middletown, in the county of Orange. The city was incorporated byan act of the Legislature of the State of New York, known as Chapter535 of the Laws of 1888, and John E. Iseman became its first mayor.The city, as now incorporated, contains 2,330-1/2 acres.

The city is divided into four wards. The general city officers are:A Mayor, Robert Lawrence, now holding the office; president of thecommon council, two aldermen from each ward, city clerk andcollector, city treasurer, corporation counsel, city engineer andsurveyor, superintendent of streets, recorder, two justices of thepeace, and three assessors. Each ward also elects one supervisor, theduties of whose office are the same as those of town supervisors.

Middletown has a most excellent and efficient fire department, ofwhich Charles Higham is chief. The force, as now organized, consistsof one hook and ladder company, truck drawn by horses; five hosecompanies, two of them having chemical wagons drawn by horses; oneengine company, new steamer drawn by horses. The city has a completesystem of electric fire alarms, with forty-two boxes in service.

Middletown has about forty-seven regularly organized charitable,benevolent, fraternal and social organizations and clubs, exclusiveof labor-organizations, societies and organizations connected withits railroads. Of the latter there are nine, and of the labororganizations, twenty.

A fine State armory is located here, which is the headquarters of theFirst Battalion, First Regiment, N. G. N.Y., A. E. Mclntyre, Major,commanding. This armory is also the home of Company I (24th SeparateCompany), First Regiment, N. G. N.Y., of which Abraham L. Decker iscaptain.

There are two Grand Army Posts in Middletown, viz: General Lyon Post,No. 266; Captain William A. Jackson Post, No. 301.

Middletown has a very efficient Business Men's Association, which wasincorporated November 20, 1902.

The banking interests of Middletown are represented by the followingbanks: First National Bank, capital $100,000; Merchants' NationalBank, capital $100,000; Orange County Trust Company, capital$100,000; and the Middletown Savings Bank. These institutions are allin a healthy and prosperous condition and have, in the aggregate,deposits amounting to about the sum of $8,000,000.

There are, in addition to the above, thirty-five incorporatedcompanies in Middletown, representing manufacturing, mercantile,mechanical and financial enterprises. The largest employers of laborare the Borden's Condensed Milk Company, the New York, Ontario &Western Railway Company shops, Howell-Hinchman Company, and theUnion Hat Company.

The cemetery grounds of the Hillside Cemetery Corporation, formerlyHillside Cemetery Association, are located in the southwest part ofthe city. The cemetery had many natural advantages from contour ofthe land, virgin forests and running streams. To these have beenadded about twelve miles of macadamized roads and drives, withgracefully curving paths and winding walks. A great deal of shrubberyand many flowering plants have been set out and in the summer thescene is a most lovely one. Surely Hillside Cemetery is a beautifulresting place for the dead.

Middletown has a most complete water system supplied by threereservoirs, located in the towns of Wallkill and Mount Hope, andnamed respectively, Monhagen, Highland and Shawangunk. All water fordomestic use is thoroughly filtered before being conveyed to thecity.

The city has several miles of well paved streets, and is lighted byboth gas and electricity.

The telephone system consists of two companies. The Orange CountyTelephone Company has about 1,600 telephones in use, and also doesthe long-distance business in the city for the Hudson River TelephoneCompany. The Middletown Telephone Company has about a score ofsubscribers in the city. It also has connection with several outsideindependent companies.

With its location, financial ability, numerous business enterprises,its many social, benevolent, charitable and religious associationsand institutions, its splendid school system, and with theenterprise, energy and business ability of its citizens, theMiddletown of to-day is only a beginning of the greater Middletownwhich will occupy this central part of Orange County in the years tocome.

To sum up the history of the town of Wallkill were an easy task, andso saying is to speak in the highest praise of the town. Its coursehas been peaceful, quiet, serene; its politics have never beeninfected by scandal and corruption; the red glare ofwarfare—aboriginal or otherwise—has not shone athwart its pages;it has been a history in which the husbandman has dominated thescene and has been the central actor. Agriculture has been themainstay of a people pious and God-fearing, the descendants of thosesturdy New England and Long Island ancestors, who built themeeting-house and the school as soon as ever the settlement was made.

We dwellers in the Wallkill of to-day have every reason to bethankful that our history has been what it has; if it has lackedromance or excitement, it has likewise abounded in a peace that hasmeant prosperity.

Of late years the flood of immigration has sent its waves to ourthresh-olds, and we find in our villages, on our farms, and toilingalong our railroads the children of Italy, of Hungary, of Austria, ofRussia and the more remote East. What the picture will be a centuryhence, what sort of an amalgamation will have taken place, we cannotforesee. Certain it is that, if he is to remain with us, we musteducate the alien, teach him our ways, prepare him for citizenship,and do all we can for him morally and intellectually, and that willsurely involve amalgamation. At any rate, this is a force that isbound to change our town's history, in the next hundred years, fromanything that has gone before it. We should face the problem—meet itwith those most forcible of weapons, Education and Law.

For the rest, acting the role of prophet is not difficult. Wallkill'slines have been cast in pleasant places and will probably so continueto be cast. We anticipate nothing marvelous, look forward to naughtphenomenal, expect no revolutions. Our townspeople will pursue theeven tenor of their way on their pleasant farms and in their quietvillages; they will know neither the bleak necessities of poverty northe anxieties of extreme wealth; all will be medium, which is thehappiest state of all. We are content with that. Our Wallkill is wellbeloved; we would not trade it for anything different or morebrilliant; we would have it as it has been, not meaning stagnation,of course, yet not longing for the "boom" which newer and less firmlyestablished and less well-grounded communities are forever invoking.

Wallkill, in many ways, realizes one's ideal of a ruraltownship—well governed, knowing neither financial extreme, and witha people contented, and at peace.

CHAPTER XXIX.

TOWN OF WARWICK.

By Ferdinand V. Sanford.

The derivation of Warwick, according to Mr. Thomas Kemp, mayor ofWarwick, England, who has written a "History of Warwick and ItsPeople," is from the Saxon "Wara" which in that tongue signifiesinhabitants, and "wic"—a town or castle, or hamlet, a bank or crookof a river. So that Warawic, or Warwick, signifies no more than theinhabitants of the town or castle upon the bank of the river. OtherSaxon forms of the name found are Werhica, Wyrengewyk, Woerincwic,and Weringwic.

The history of our Warwick from the earliest times has been writtenby Eager and Ruttenber in their publications—that of the last-namedwriter coming down to the year 1880.

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

The present sketch is intended rather to supplement these earlieraccounts than to re-write all of the past history, by recordingprincipally the events which have occurred since 1880.

The town or township of Warwick was erected from the precinct ofGoshen in 1788, and derived its name from the plantation of BenjaminAske, one of the original grantees of the Wawayanda patent. Upon thesub-division of the patent among twelve patentees, Aske's share wasa tract nearly in the form of a parallelogram, which extended fromWickham's or Clark's Lake, on the northeast, to the farm now owned byTownsend W. Sanford, on the southwest, with an average width of amile, and containing 2,200 acres of land. Aske named this tract,"Warwick," from which fact it is supposed that he came fromWarwickshire, England. The date of the Wawayanda patent is March 5,1702-1703, which was the peculiar style of writing year date acouple of centuries ago. The document is signed by the twelvechiefs, all making their mark in the presence of witnesses, one ofthem Chuckhass, the chief who lived in this town and for whom Chuck'sHill is named. This patent embraced at that time practically all ofOrange County as it existed in 1703.

By deed dated February 28, 1719, Aske sold to Lawrence Decker,yeoman, for 50 pounds, 100 acres, in the deed described as "beingpart of the 2,200 acres of land, called Warwick," showing thatprevious to that date Aske had bestowed the name of Warwick upon histract. Later deeds to Thomas Blaine and Thomas DeKay contain similarrecitals.

The pioneers of Warwick were principally English families who camehither from Long Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Among them wefind the names of Armstrong, Baird, Benedict, Blaine, Bradner, Burt,DeKay, Decker, Demarest, Ketchum, Knapp, McCambley, Post, Roe, Sayer,Sly, Sanford, Welling, Wheeler, Wisner, Wood and Van Duzer. Most ofthese settlers have left descendants who still live in the town orvillage.

During the Revolution there were a few Tories near Warwick, but themajority of the people were loyal to the country of their adoption,and many of them enlisted for service.

John Hathorn, colonel of the Warwick and Florida regiment, CaptainsCharles Beardsley, John Minthorn, Henry Wisner, Jr., Abram Dolson,Jr., John Norman, Henry Townsend, Nathaniel Elmer, John Saver;Lieutenants Richard Welling, Samuel Lobdell, Nathaniel Ketchum,George Vance, Peter Bartholf, Matthew Dolson, John Hopper, JohnDeBow, Anthony Finn, John Popino, Jr., Richard Bailey, John Kennedy,John Wood, and many others rendered valuable services during theRevolution.

While New York City was in the hands of the British, the mosttraveled road between the Hudson River and the Delaware ran throughWarwick. It is said that Washington passed through Warwick twiceduring the war, and was entertained by Colonel Hathorn at the PiersonE. Sanford stone house near the village, on one of these occasions,at least.

For some time after the Revolution there were not more than thirtyhouses in the village. In 1765 Daniel Burt built the shingle house,now owned by Mrs. Sallie A. F. Servin, the oldest house in thevillage. In 1766 Francis Baird built the stone house now owned byWilliam B. Sayer, which was at one time used as a tavern, and insome of the old maps Warwick is called "Baird's Tavern."

DEVELOPMEMT.

The town of Warwick is the largest in area of any of the towns of thecounty, containing 61,763 acres, or nearly double that of any of theothers, and being a little more than one-eighth of the area of thewhole county. Its assessed valuation of real and personal property in1906, was $2,863,010. The taxes levied upon that valuation for lastyear were $22,745.12. Population according to State census of 1905was 6,691.

Within the last generation the town has greatly improved its publichighways and bridges. With the advent of the bicycle, automobile andother motor vehicles, the demand for better road facilities has beenfelt, and this demand has been and is now being supplied. Under theState law providing for the construction and improvement of thehighways at the joint expense of the State and county, the sum of$15,387.40 has been expended by the county, and the additional sum of$1,602.60 by the State, up to the year 1905, for acquisition ofrights of way, engineering and cost of construction of 4.67 miles ofroad from Florida to Warwick, known as Road No. 93, so that under thegood roads law (Chap. 115, Laws 1898) we have nearly five miles offinished work done. Plans have also been approved by the county andits share of the cost appropriated for the building of 6.92 miles ofroad from Warwick to Greenwood Lake at a total estimated cost of$54,250, which will undoubtedly be built as soon as the Legislaturemakes appropriation for the State's share of the cost.

Since 1883 the town has constructed several new iron bridges, viz: onthe east arm of Greenwood Lake, at Main, South, Lake, Elm and Bankstreets in the village of Warwick; also at Florida, Kimball's Point,Garners' Island across the Pochuck Creek, one between the towns ofGoshen and Warwick, and one between the towns of Minisink andWarwick; also at Bellvale and New Milford, these substantialstructures replacing the old wooden bridges of the past. An elevatedbridge across the tracks of the Lehigh and Hudson River RailwayCompany was constructed to avoid the grade crossing at Stone Bridgeat the joint expense of the railway company and the town, costingnearly $8,000, of which the town's share was one-quarter of the wholecost, made a most desirable improvement in this part of the town.

The town constructed a new road along the east side of GreenwoodLake in 1889, the land being donated by Alexander Brandon, trustee,and others, to the town, and the latter building the same at a costof over $7,000. This improvement opens up a large tract of land forbuilding purposes, the road extending to State line of New York andNew Jersey.

In 1902, by a vote of the taxpayers, a change was made in the mannerof working the highways from the labor to the money system. Under theold system something over 5,000 days would be assessed for labor, buta considerable portion would never be worked and in consequence ourhighways would suffer. Under the present method the sum of $5,593 wasexpended by the town in 1906, in cash upon our highways, and theadditional sum of $2,000 State aid, with uniformly better resultseverywhere.

The total mileage of public roads is nearly 200 in the town, and thesum of $25 per mile was expended upon every mile in that year andadditional sums of $10 per mile upon those roads more frequentlytraveled.

This amount was for all the road districts outside of theincorporated village of Warwick, which is a separate road districtmaintained by the corporation. The valuation for 1907 was $1 of taxfor every $300 of assessed value.

Town boards of health have been maintained since 1881 and consist ofthe supervisor, town clerk, justices of the peace, a citizen memberand a physician, known as the health officer. Rules and regulationsgoverning the proper observance of health are published each year bythis official body, and prompt action taken in case of any outbreakof disease, and measures instituted to control and prevent the spreadof the same. As a result of the labors of these organizations andthose in the incorporated villages of our towns, the public healthhas been safeguarded, and no serious epidemics have been experienced.

The town has seventeen separate school districts, where the commonschool is maintained, and two union free schools at Florida andWarwick, under the supervision of the Regents of the University atAlbany. In these latter schools our young people are graduated,prepared for the different walks of life, and many entering collegesto prosecute their studies further for the learned professions. Underthe present State law education is compulsory, between the ages ofeight and sixteen, and parents, guardians and employers detaining thechild between those ages are liable to fine and imprisonment.

Under the compulsory education law our town appoints annually foreach of the school districts an officer known as the truant officer,whose duty it is to look after the interests of those who will notlook after their own, and compel all children within the school ageto be in attendance upon the public school during the requiredperiod. The State apportionment of school funds for 1907 for the townwas $4,300.

The town has six election or polling places, known as Districts Nos.1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. No. 1 includes the voters in the Amity and PineIsland district; No. 2, those in Florida and vicinity; Nos. 3, 4 and5, the village of Warwick, Bellvale and New Milford; No. 6. GreenwoodLake and Sterling. The total vote polled for Governor in the town in1900 was 1,218.

The principal farm products are dairying, onions, peaches, apples,hay and potatoes. Milk is condensed at several places in the town.The mineral products are iron, granite, mica, white and bluelimestone. The white limestone is very valuable for fluxing purposesand in the manufacture of Portland cement. Large deposits of the sameare found in the western part of the town, running from near Floridato the Vernon Valley. The blue limestone is valuable for buildingpurposes and is found very generally in different parts of the town.Clay beds also exist at Florida and at Durland's, from which brickhave been manufactured.

The present bonded debt of the town (1907) is $4,950, bearing 4 percent. interest, which is very small considering the amounts expendedin the construction of the new iron bridges in the town during thelast thirty years—nearly twenty—and the cost of new roadconstruction and for damages to the town roads and bridges caused bythe great flood of 1903, when one bridge was completely destroyed,and nine were damaged, besides the damages to many of the publicroads, and other small bridges.

VILLAGES AND HAMLETS.

Warwick

The village of Warwick was known as early as 1719, but was notsettled until about 1764. It is the largest village in the town andthe only one incorporated. Its area is 395 acres, and its population(1905) was 1,767. It was incorporated under a special act of theLegislature in 1867, and re-incorporated under the general villagelaw in 1901. Built on rolling land in the valley west of the WarwickMountains, it is an ideal spot for country homes. The land is welldrained, the Wawayanda Creek flowing through the center of the townin a southeasterly direction. The mean elevation of the valley is550 feet, and the nearby mountains rise to a height of 1,200 to 1,400feet. The varied pastoral scenes of wood, stream and meadow, withhere and there a lake, and the tall peaks of the Catskills in thedistance greeting the eye from these heights, are said by travelersto equal, if not surpass, anything else of the kind in all the wideworld.

Fine roads, affording delightful drives, extend from Warwick, inevery direction, some among the neatly kept farms in the valley andothers through winding ways among the hills. With such an unrivaledenvironment, Warwick has grown famous for its own peculiar beauties.One cannot say that our village is quaint or old-fashioned, withswinging gates, grassy lanes, and moss-covered roofs; rather, it hasan air of smartness, blended with polished repose. It is a prettypark with velvety lawns, showing to vast advantage groups offlowering shrubs, unmarred by fences, and with the houses well apart,giving an air of freedom from cramped conditions.

Not only the fine mansions that have been built by prosperous countrymerchants, professional men and city folk, but also the modest homesof the village mechanics and artisans, all show the same individualpublic spirit, not to be outdone in keeping things spruced up andfreshly painted. Here and there are old homesteads where son hassucceeded father for generations, yet the old homes look well andbecoming in their new and airy clothes. The advent of broad avenuesand flag walks have forever effaced the winding trails, and with themmuch of the sweet Indian legendary has been obliterated. For allthese rolling hills were once covered with chestnut, birch, maple andpine trees. There is something pathetic in the passing of the red man,the type of years gone by, as the impress of civilizationunrelentingly, step by step, has crowded upon his tepee and forcedhim westward.

Yet the maples, as planted by our fathers, forming bowers overstreets, are more beautiful than the pine tree. We have no "Unter denLinden," but we might claim an "Unter den Maples."

Warwick has been called the Queen Village, also a Village of Homes.If she is not truly the former, she is easily and far away a villageof homes.

As early as 1830 Henry William Herbert, an English gentleman andwriter, better known as Frank Forester, visited the village andstopped at the old inn, known as Tom Ward's, now and then called theWawayanda House. Forester has celebrated us in his famous book ofsporting tales and adventures called "Warwick Woodlands," in whichhe tells many a quaint tale of the doings of himself and mine hostWard, (whom he cleverly calls Draw by simply inverting the letters ofthe name), and of many other sportsmen of that early day.

No one has ever paid our vale and village a higher tribute thanForester, when he said:

"In all the river counties of New York there is none to my mind whichpresents such a combination of all natural beauties, pastoral, rural,sylvan and at times almost sublime, as old Orange, nor any part of itto me so picturesque, or so much endeared by early recollections, asthe fair vale of Warwick. . . . Throughout its length and breadth, itis one of the most fertile and beautiful, and the most Arcadianregions of the United States; poverty in its lower and more squalidaspects, if not in any real or tangible shape, is unknown within itsprecincts; its farmers, the genuine old solid yeoman of the land, thebackbone and bulwark of the country, rich as their teeming pastures,hospitable as their warm hearts and ever open doors, stanch and firmas the everlasting hills among which in truly pleasant places theirlines have fallen, would be the pride of any nation, kingdom orrepublic; its women are among the fairest daughters of a countrywhere beauty is the rule rather than the exception. . . . Sweet valeof Warwick, sweet Warwick, loveliest village of the vale, it may beI shall never see you more, for the silver cord is loosened, thegolden bowl is broken, which most attached me to your quiet andsequestered shades. . . . May blessings be about you, beautifulWarwick; may your fields be as green, your waters as bright, thecattle upon your hundred hills as fruitful, as in the days of old."

In 1883 the village voted the sum of $600 to lay the sidewalks overthe Main street bridge. In 1886 the sum of $4,200 was voted by thetax-payers to buy the lot and build the brick building occupied byExcelsior Hose Company. In 1889 an application was made to thetrustees for the organization of the Goodwill Hook and LadderCompany. In 1891 a truck was bought for said ladder company at a costof $600. The system for working the village streets was changed inthis year to the money system. In 1895 a number of the citizenscontributed the sum of $433.03 for the purchase of a sprinkling cart,a proposition previously submitted to the taxpayers for the purchaseof the same having been defeated at a special election. In 1896,Raymond Hose Company No. 2, to look after the interests of thevillage in the west end, was organized by consent of the trustees.

In 1897, the sum of $500 was voted for the purpose of a fire alarm.In this year the first and only franchise ever granted by the villagewas given to Sharp & Chapman for a term of fifty years, for anelectric light plant.

These parties having failed to carry out their agreement, the villagethe next year granted a franchise for the same purpose to the WarwickValley Light and Power Company, of the same duration.

Since 1898 the village has been lighted with electric light at a costof about $2,000 per year, the present plant consisting ofninety-seven incandescent electric lights and six 2,000 candle powerarc lamps.

In 1900 the taxpayers voted the sum of $1,600 for the purchase of alot and the building of a hose house for the Raymond Hose Company.

In 1901 a proposition to reincorporate the village under the generalvillage law was carried. A special election held the same year tovote upon the proposition of paving our streets with Telford pavementand asking for the sum of $10,000 for that purpose, was defeated byonly three votes.

In 1902 the heirs of the late George W. Sanford donated the sum of$1,250 to the village for the purpose of a drinking fountain, whichhas been erected and is placed at Fountain Square, corner of Main andEast Main streets.

In July, 1906, Warwick, England, celebrated the two thousand years ofher past history in a great historical pageant upon the grounds ofWarwick Castle. Invitations were issued to all the Warwicks of theworld—fourteen in all—to be present and participate in thesefestivities. Our board appointed its president, Ferdinand V. Sanford,as its representative, who attended the celebration, and delivered inperson the following resolutions of greeting and congratulation:

Honorable Thomas Kemp,

Mayor of the Corporation of Warwick, England

Sir:

Accept congratulations and greetings from your daughter and namesakeacross the sea, on the occasion of your great historical pageant,wherein somewhat of your ancient and honorable past is reproduced,not merely in centuries, but in millenniums of time.

As Americans we are proud of our English ancestry, and of that mightynation, on whose empire the sun never sets, whose history is thehistory of everything that makes for progress, a higher civilizationand the enlightenment and uplifting of mankind.

May God continue to bless England and America, the leading Christiannations of the earth, whose history teaches the world of thetranscendent value of the life, liberty and happiness of man.

Done at Warwick, New York, United States of America, on thetwenty-sixth day of May in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred andsix.

The Village of Warwick.

By

To which the mayor replied officially as follows:

Borough of Warwick, to-wit:

At a meeting of the mayor, aldermen and councilors of the saidborough in Council assembled, on the 13th day of July, 1906,

It was resolved: That the congratulatory address from the corporationof the village of Warwick, in the State of New York, United States ofAmerica, presented to the mayor on the occasion of the recentHistorical Pageant, be entered on the minutes of the Council, andthat a cordial vote of thanks for their sympathetic greetings beaccorded to the sister municipality with an earnest hope for itscontinued prosperity.

And that a copy of the resolution be sealed and transmitted to thepresident of the corporation.

During the present year (1907) the village has been the recipient ofa fine town clock, presented by Mr. Pierson E. Sanford. The clock isstationed in the tower of the Methodist church on Main street.

At a special election held this year the sum of $4,200 was voted topurchase the building and lots formerly owned by John A. Dator andothers, on Main street and Wheeler avenue. It is the purpose of thetrustees to change the building, and adapt it for village purposes,such as a village hall, office for records, maps and files, and therooms of Goodwill Hook and Ladder Company.

New Milford.

The hamlet of New Milford lies southwest of Warwick, and forms a partof the boundary line between New York and New Jersey. It was formerlycalled Jockey Hollow. It comprises an area of a little more than2,000 acres of the most fertile and well watered land in WarwickValley. When the Wawayanda patent was deeded by the Indians to twelvewhite men in 1702, the twelfth part deed to Cornelius Christianceincluded what is now known as New Milford. Cornelius Christiance soldhis share to Derrick Vanderburgh in 1704, and the latter sold toEverett & Glows, land speculators, in 1714, for a little more than$500. In 1724, the land was purchased by Thomas DeKay and BenjaminAske. Settlers now began to come and they were quick to takeadvantage of the superior water facilities. The land was intersectedby Wawayanda Creek, and flowing into this stream were four rushingmountain streams, all capable of furnishing fine water power, thelargest of which was the Doublekill, so named because it is theoutlet of Double Pond, or Wawayanda Lake. But not until about theyear 1770 were any mills operated, excepting a saw mill and theforge on Wawayanda Creek on the farm recently owned by the Edward L.Davis heirs. During the year 1780, we find among the settlers theDeKays, the Davises, the Demarests, the Lazears, and Wood. The firstexcise money was paid into the treasury from the New Milford tavernin 1790 by Cornelius Lazear. A grist mill was built that year on thewest side of the Doublekill, on the farm known as the Kiernan farm,and much further up the stream than the present mill. This mill wasoperated many years.

In 1802 John Lazear built a grist mill on the site of the presentmill. In connection with the mill he had a factory for manufacturingaxe and shovel handles. Between the years 1805 and 1825 New Milfordwas an exceedingly busy place. The original and only town at the timewas where the post-office is at present.

There were six mills on the Doublekill, and four on the streamcovered by the arch bridge, near the post-office, known as Green MineBrook. On the Doublekill there were the grist mill, or axe handlefactory, and tannery owned by S. W. Clason, now owned by E. M.Bahrmann; further down the stream a feed mill, a saw mill and afulling or wool-carding mill. Then on the Green Mine stream therewere a clover seed mill, plaster mill, cider mill with distillery,and about where William T. Vandervort's barn is located there was alarge saw mill run by David Demarest. A very good schoolhouse wassituated just west of the present Methodist church. A post-office wasestablished in 1815—the first postmaster was Merritt Coleman. Theturnpike running between New York and Port Jervis left the main roadnear the present home of Darius Fancher, crossed the E. L. Davisfarm, continued northward over a bridge which was east of the presentsite of Borden's creamery, and up the hill to the road which nowpasses west of the house known as Peachblow. This was the main roadto the northwest. Mr. E. L. Davis built a fulling and carding millnear the bridge and operated that as well as a saw mill.

Further down on Wawayanda Creek there were a saw mill, cider mill anddistillery owned by John Ryerson. The "covered bridge" was builtabout 1830. In 1835, a boarding school for young ladies was opened inthe house now occupied by John Lines. The principal, Charles G.Winfield, was a man of profound learning. Here the best people ofWarwick and vicinity sent their daughters to be educated. It was aclassical school of the highest order. The Methodist church wasopened in 1838. In 1861, When there was a call for volunteers. NewMilford, with a population of only 150 persons, responded withtwenty-eight men.

With the growth of the dairy business in Orange County, lessattention was paid to milling interests. In 1866, a factory forcondensing milk was built where the Kiernan fulling and carding millstood. This was abandoned after the railroad was built in 1879. In1898 a fire swept away the business portion of New Milford, and ithas not been entirely rebuilt.

At present the town is regaining some of the business prosperity itenjoyed one hundred years ago. There are two grist mills and a sawmill, and one of the largest creameries for bottling and condensingmilk in the county, owned by Borden's Milk Company, where 4,500gallons of milk are received and shipped daily. There are severalold cemeteries scattered throughout New Milford, where one may readthe names of those who lived when the "years were young."

Pine Island.

Pine Island is a village lying two miles northwest of Amity at theterminus of the Goshen and Deckertown railroad, leased by the Erie.It has a public school, a hotel, a store and post-office.

Greenwood Lake and Sterling.

The Chesekook's patent, confirmed by letters patent of Queen Anne,which embraced this district, was granted March 25, 1707, byManngomack and other Indians, whose names are unpronounceable, andwho signed by their marks, representatives of the sub-tribes of theMinsis, whose totem was the wolf, a branch of the Lenni-Lenapes,whose totem was the turkey, a branch of the great Algonkin orAlgonquin tribe, or nation, which held sway over them.

This deed was dated December 30, 1702, and recorded in the OrangeCounty clerk's office, June 1, 1736. The original patent, bearingQueen Anne's seal, is in the possession of the Sterling Iron andRailway Company. Sterling and Greenwood Lake are now embraced in thesixth election district of the town of Warwick.

Charles Clinton surveyed this patent for the owners in common,beginning April 1, 1735, and ending December 13, 1749. He mentions inhis field book, as early as 1745, that iron works were in operationat Sterling, but to what extent is not stated. The old furnace atSterling, now in ruins, is said to have been built in 1751, and fromit was drawn the iron from which the great chain was made to crossthe Hudson River in Revolutionary days from West Point toConstitution Island. This chain was built by Abel Noble & Co., PeterTownsend signing the contract for said firm for its constructionFebruary 2, 1778, to be finished by April 1, 1778. This chain wasdrawn across the river April 30, 1778. A bronze tablet commemoratingthe building of Sterling furnace was unveiled at the foot of thefurnace on June 23, 1906. Iron mining is still in active operation,a shaft extending diagonally under Sterling Lake a distance of over2,000 feet, but the ore is all shipped to other furnaces. The ironindustry created a need for charcoal, and from Revolutionary timesuntil about 1865 cutting wood and burning charcoal was an industryextending all over this section, and through the mountains ofGreenwood Lake and Sterling is a network of wood roads and manyfoundations where formerly stood the dwellings of collieries.Sterling Mountain rises about 600 feet above the surface of GreenwoodLake, which is about nine miles long and 700 feet elevation above sealevel.

The map of this section made by Robert Erskine for General Washingtongives it the name of Long pond. About midway on the west side andabout 300 feet from the shore of Greenwood Lake stands an old furnaceon the furnace brook, which was built about seventy-five years agoby William Noble of Bellvale. The furnace was a failure from thestart, as the stream of water furnished insufficient power for theblast. About 1845 Wanaque Creek, at the outlet of Greenwood Lake, wascrossed by a dam, which raised the lake about eight feet, resultingin the overflow of about a mile of low land at both the north andsouth ends of the lake, forming a reservoir for the use of the Morrisand Essex Canal, nine miles long and a mile wide. The New York andGreenwood Lake railroad reached here in 1876. The terminal station atthe line between New York and New Jersey on the east shore, calledthen "State Line" (now Sterling Forest), was accessible by boatsonly, there being no public road until 1889, when one was built bythe town of Warwick, the contract being taken by Conrad Diehl ofGoshen. The steamboat Montclair, capable of carrying 400 passengersor more, was built and launched in 1876, to accommodate travelersfrom the railroad. Smaller boats had been previously built, first thePioneer, a sail boat, then the Sylph, then the Montclair, andlater the Anita, and at present several small steamers andnaphtha launches without number are in use.

Prior to the completion of the railroad visitors reached here bystage from Monks on the south or from Monroe on the north. Religiousservices were held in a log schoolhouse one mile north of GreenwoodLake prior to 1850, when under the pastorate of Rev. J. H.Haunhurst, the first Methodist church of Greenwood Lake was built,where services were regularly held until 1898, when the settlementconcentrating about two miles farther south, it was deemed expedientto build a new Methodist Episcopal church on land donated for thepurpose by M. V. Wilson, opposite the new schoolhouse, which for thesame reason was built about two and one-quarter miles south of itsformer site, and now has an attendance of sixty-three pupils. Theschool at Sterling mines has about the same number of pupils,children of the miners, religious services being held in theschoolhouse under Methodist supervision.

The new Methodist Episcopal church of Greenwood Lake was built underthe supervision of Pastor Cranston, and now in 1907 Rev. J. H.Calyer is pastor. For fifty-seven years the church has never beenwithout a pastor in charge of regular services.

In about the year 1880 a summer school of Christian philosophy, underthe supervision of William O. McDowell, was begun in a fineauditorium erected for the purpose at Warwick Woodlands on the westshore of the lake, and, for the accommodation of visitors, anencampment hotel in connection with the Greenwood Lake Associationclubhouse was under the supervision of Lyndon Y. Jenness. Dr. CharlesH. Deems, Dr. Lyman Abbott and many other speakers on religious,social and philosophical themes, spoke to the assembled multitudes.This club house for a time was Greenwood Lake's center of interest,but for lack of support financially it was finally abandoned to theuses and amusem*nts of excursionists. In 1906 the dilapidatedbuilding was demolished.

About 1880 a movement took form to inaugurate a church on what wasknown as the lime rocks, and under the management of Rev. Mr.Bradford, of Montclair, assisted by local friends, a tent was erectedhere where services from time to time were held. Now a stone churchoccupying this most picturesque spot is under construction and thesupervision of E. G. Lewis, of New York City, representing theEpiscopal church.

Civilization's onward march is taking strong form here, and over theold Indian camping grounds, where numberless arrow heads, spearpoints, stone axes and beautifully ornamented fragments of potterybear testimony to the race that has departed, leaving only here andthere a name that claims relationship, stand to-day spacious hotels,towering churches, palatial homes, and the last society formed fortheir protection is the Pioneer Fire Company of Greenwood Lake, whichwas formed May 3, 1907.

Little York.

The hamlet of Little York is about a mile east from Pine Island, inthe town of Warwick. The first settler, Conrad Luft, came from Russiaand settled there in 1886. About five years later Henry Lust, anotherRussian, came and located. Then followed in 1897 Peter Miller, ConradSchmick, and August Youngmann. The next year eight more families camefrom Russia, buying land and building homes. Their industry isonion raising, for which the black meadow land which they cultivateis admirably adapted. They are Russians, but speak the Germanlanguage and are Lutherans in religion. They are very industrious andthrifty, and nearly all have their homes and the land all paid for.In 1907 there were twenty-four houses, and one church, theEvangelical Lutheran, of which Rev. Gerhard Rademacher is the rector.There are about 200 in population, 100 communicant members of saidchurch, and thirty-three voters.

A parochial school is maintained in connection with the church andhas thirty-nine children in attendance. The church was built in 1898,finished in 1901, and incorporated in 1904. Rev. George Kaestnerserved the church until 1904. It was under his ministry that thechurch was begun and completed. He was followed by the presentpastor, Rev. Gerhard Rademacher, during whose ministry the parsonagewas built and the cemetery of three acres acquired.

Other Russians are expected the present year to come and settle here.

Amity.

Amity is the western portion of the town of Warwick, extending aboutthree miles in radius from the Presbyterian church, the only house ofworship in the village.

The church was organized by a committee of the Presbytery of Hudsonon September 15, 1809, but the first building had been erected anddedicated thirteen years previous, August 1, 1796. The buildingstands on a lovely eminence 500 feet above sea level and commands asplendid view in every direction.

The two conical mountains, Adam and Eve, some four miles distant,stand to the northeast and are about 800 feet above the level of thesea. These granite mountains are rough and rocky, and are coveredwith impenetrable brush and bramble.

The chief occupation of the people is extensive farming. Peachgrowing, however, became a popular and profitable industry about1885, and continued for twenty years, during which time all theprincipal farmers turned their best land into orchards, from whichthey shipped thousands of baskets of delicious fruit to New YorkCity and other towns, where there was great demand and high prices.

It was not uncommon for a successful orchardist to realize from$5,000 to $10,000 for his crop in a single season. The land soonbecame exhausted, however, the San Jose scale attacked and killed thetrees, and the business declined as rapidly as it had sprung up.About the present date (1907) a new find in the land is receivingmuch attention—limestone in unlimited quantity in most of the farms.Prospectors are finding zinc and other valuable minerals, whichindicate wealth for those who still possess the soil.

Bellvale.

Bellvale village, known in Colonial times as Wawayanda, is situatedon the lower rapids of Longhouse Creek, which here enters the meadowsand flows a mile and one-half to Stone Bridge station, where itenters the Wawayanda, which has its source in Clark's Lake, and thenloses its name when merged in the smaller stream. Longhouse Creek hasits source in a swamp in New Jersey a short distance east fromWawayanda Lake. It has a large watershed at an elevation above tidewater of about 1,100 feet, and in its descent of six or seven milesruns through several fine storage basins and down numerous rapids andfalls. For a distance of 500 feet options were taken on some of thestorage basins by the Ramapo Water Company during its active days,with a view to conducting the water into the headquarters of theRamapo River.

This stream is well adapted for the generation of water power forelectrical or manufacturing purposes, and we learn from colonialhistory, was utilized by Lawrence Scrauley in 1745 to operate a forgeof tilt-hammer for a plating and slitting mill. This was the onlymill of this kind in the State of New York, and in 1750 was not inoperation. Under the Crown we were not allowed to advance themanufacturing stage of iron beyond the pig and bar iron stages. Itseems Scrauley took his chances in this secluded portion of thevalley to furnish more convenient sizes of iron to meet the wants ofthe blacksmiths and builders of that day, and thus avoid payingtribute to the manufacturers of the mother country. The ruins of thehearth where the ore was melted, the raceway, and the pit for thewheel that operated the tilt-hammer, are still visible, as well asthe mudsill of the foundation of the dam.

During the War of 1812, a Mr. Peck had an establishment upon thestream, near the home of William M. Mann, where he manufacturedbridle-bits, stirrups, buckles and saddle trees for our cavalry. Aswell as agricultural implements generally.

The old forge site and the lands along the rapids up to the line ofthe Chesekook patent were bought by Daniel Burt in 1760, and soonafter he built a flouring mill and a saw mill, both of which werewashed away by the breaking away of the dam during a very unusuallyheavy shower of rain. The present flouring mill is situated near thesite of the earlier one. A saw mill was built in 1812, by JohnBradner and Brower Robinson, and rebuilt by Thomas Burt, who operatedit and a turning shop for about twenty years. The dam has been washedaway and the mill is in ruins. A wool carding factory was built byNathaniel Jones about 1810. and subsequently enlarged for themanufacture of broadcloths by Joseph Brooks, but is not now inoperation. James, the son of Daniel Burt, about 1812 settled three ofhis sons at Bellvale in the milling and mercantile business. Theyestablished shops for a blacksmith, carpenter, wagon-maker, cooper,tailor, shoemaker and the manufacture of red earthen pottery.Benjamin Bradner had a tannery before 1812 where the ruins of the oldsaw mill are situated. The vats were located where is now the oldraceway, and the bark was ground in a circular curb upon the flatrock back of the saw mill rolling a heavy mill-stone over the bark,as at one time apples were reduced to pumice by cider makers.

About 1808 the Bellvale and Monroe turnpike was built to make ashorter route to the markets along the Ramapo for the produce of thefarmers of Warwick. It was nine miles long and shortened the distancepreviously traveled by about one-half.

The road was maintained above fifty years and the charter thensurrendered to the State, and the road divided into districts—a fundon hand of about $500 was spent in putting the road in order beforethe charter was surrendered. The stockholders never received anymoney for their investment. The massive stone bridge over the channelat Bellvale was built in 1832, to take the place of the old woodenone then unsafe for travel. Recently the old bridge site, as well asnearly all the land along the Longhouse Creek for four or five miles,has passed into the hands of one owner, also all the mills and about3,000 acres of land lying along the stream. The probable developmentof the water power for electrical purposes and an early completion ofthe State road from Pine Island to Tuxedo promises a brighter future.Tradition accounts for the name of the stream from the long housethat stood on its bank near the residence of the late C. R. Cline.The Indians that settled there built their houses end to end and, astheir families became more numerous, a long house was built insteadof the isolated circular wigwams of many tribes. That there was anIndian settlement at this place is highly probable from the nearbystreams for fishing, swamp and mountain for hunting, and the fertileprairie-like land for their crops of corn and tobacco. In the partwhere the land has been cultivated plenty of flint arrow heads andlarge chips of flint with sharp edges have been found. The flintchips were used by the squaws in cultivating corn and tobacco.

In 1841, in digging a cellar for an addition to the house, theskeleton of an Indian of immense size was found, if the writermistakes not, in a sitting posture. This may have been only one of agreat many buried there and might have been their chief.

Out of a population of only about 330, at the time of the Civil War,forty-two were enrolled from Bellvale and the immediate vicinity. In1907 the population of the place is estimated at about 300.

Edenville.

Edenville, known in the early annals of local history as Postville,in honor of Colonel Jacobus Post, one of its pioneer settlers, enjoysa picturesque location three miles west of Warwick, with which placeit is closely connected in its postal facilities and commercialinterests.

Doubtless its early progenitors, because of the establishment of thislittle hamlet within a radius of great agricultural fertility,predicted its growth to be vastly greater than its actual developmentproved, but as one by one the railroads on either side wereestablished Edenville was left to its primitive means oftransportation.

Nearly north of the village of about one hundred inhabitants arelocated the isolated peaks of Mts. Adam and Eve, interest in themineral deposits of which has increased with time. In the decadespast, specimens of granite, syenite, granular quartz, hornblende,arsenical iron, and white limestone were gathered by the seeker ofmineralogical specimens. Later the quarrying of granite wasundertaken by the Orange County Granite Company and the Empire StateGranite Company. The quality of the granite found within the mountainconfines is of a high order, but the difficulty of transportationforbids an extensive output.

The oldest home of Postville, known as the "Shingle House," was builtin 1734, and remained an object of much interest to visitors of thevillage until destroyed by fire in the winter of 1907.

This was the home of Col. Jacobus Post and is said to have been ahaven for travelers on their early tours across the Netherlandcountry.

The Edenville Methodist Church was organized on September 11th, 1822.

The school district known as Purling Brook district was organized in1813.

Florida.

Probably no village of our county presents so great a contrast in itslocal interests of to-day as compared with the early incentives ofits development, as does Florida, or Floridus, land of the redflowers, situated six miles south of Goshen, six miles north ofWarwick, which points are connected by a recently constructed Stateroad.

In records relating to the early settlement of the village in thelatter part of the eighteenth century we find the names of Seward,Armstrong, Wisner, Carr, Poppino, Randall, Thompson and Roe asactively identified with its early interests.

Although in the heart of a prolific agricultural section, recentlydeveloped to its full extent, political and scholastic ambitionactuated the impulses of many of its earlier settlers, still to thesteadfast, sterling qualities of those engaged in agriculturalpursuits must be attributed its constant development.

During the governorship of George Clinton, 1777-1795, Florida wasrepresented in the Legislature, and was prominent in theRevolutionary struggle. Later, in the political arena, we recall thecareer of William H. Seward, elected as state senator in 1831,Governor in 1838, United States Senator in 1849, and appointedSecretary of State in 1861.

Florida to-day shows marked changes in its church history. TheMethodist Church was established in 1868. As early as 1742 aPresbyterian Church was organized. In 1837 the church edifice wasconsumed by fire. The present structure was erected in June, 1838. In1839 a second Presbyterian Church was founded, but in 1878, the twochurches were united. Two flourishing church organizations of theCatholic faith exist, St. Edwards and the St. Joseph's PolishCatholic Church.

Educational matters early claimed the attention of the settlers ofFlorida, Samuel S. Seward, De Witt C. Jayne, Robert Armstrong andJonas Seely serving respectively as school commissioners from 1813 to1843. Judge Samuel S. Seward founded the S. S. Seward Institute in1848 as a classical school, endowing it with the sum of $20,000. Thisschool was held in the old Randolph hotel. After Judge Seward'sdeath, a young ladies' seminary was established, opposite theoriginal school building, and for years Florida was noted for itssuperior boarding school.

With the improved common school advantages of later years came thedesire of the citizens to widen the influence of the school asoriginally designed, and accordingly a new edifice was erectedbearing the name of S. S. Seward Institute, receiving the benefit ofthe reserve fund, and also the State appropriation for high schools,thus fulfilling in a greater sense the beneficent plans of theoriginal founder.

A prominent factor in agricultural development has been the influx ofmany Poles and Germans of thrifty type, whose business, at firstconfined to onion and celery growth, is gradually reaching out toother industries and professions. Under their management largely thevalue of the black dirt land during the past thirty years hasincreased from $10 to $200 per acre.

Within the last year brick making has been revived. In July, 1905,the Florida Civic Improvement Club was organized.

A sketch of Florida would hardly be complete, without mention ofGlenmere, a beautiful sheet of water, furnishing the village watersupply, located one mile east of the village.

From the date of its early christening as Thompson's Pond, its clearwaters have furnished pleasure to the boatman and fisherman.

CHURCHES.

The Reformed Church of Warwick was organized by a committee of theClassis of Paramus in 1804, and was duly incorporated on March 18,1807, under the corporate name and title of "The Consistory of theReformed Protestant Dutch Church and Congregation of Warwick." It wasthe successor of the Presbyterian Church and occupies the same siteof the earlier society. In 1904 it celebrated its centennial.

During Mr. Crispell's ministry the present stone church was built andfurnished at a cost of about $40,000. The new edifice was begun in1889, and dedicated June 26, 1890.

Union African Methodist Episcopal Church.—This organization wasbegun in the winter of 1906. The church was incorporated under theabove name on March 12, 1906. Rev. Joseph Stiles was the firstpastor. During the year that Rev. Stiles had charge a new church wasbuilt on McEwan street at a cost of something like $2,000.

The Roman Catholic Church of St. Stephen.—In Shea's history weread, Father Steinmeyer, S. J., better known as Father Farmer,crossed over from his New Jersey missions into Orange County andbaptized seven near Warwick. After his death, other priests may havevisited the neighborhood, but there is no record of the fact.

In 1849, Father Ward was appointed resident pastor at Goshen, with,charge of all Orange County, except the strip along the Hudson. Thebuilding formerly occupied by the Methodist church in Church streetwas purchased by the denomination, but was not taken possession ofuntil 1867.

In June, 1887, the Presbyterian church at Florida was purchased.

In May, 1887, the cemetery ground was purchased at Warwick for $350,about an acre and a half.

Father Minogue erected the present church on South street in the year1903, at a cost of $16,000.

The Calvary Baptist Church of Warwick.—This church was formed onthe 4th of January, 1866. Very soon after its organization, measureswere taken to erect a house of worship. A lot was purchased on Weststreet, in the village of Warwick, in 1867, and the edifice wasdedicated August 26, 1868. The parsonage was built the followingyear—1869. Total expenditure about $20,000. In 1902 the house ofworship was remodeled and a large addition made to the eastern sidefor the use of the Sunday school. Total expenditure, including newseats and pipe organ, about $10,000. Society incorporated February,1872.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Warwick.—The list of pastorssince 1880 is as follows: William Colden, 1880-1882; Cyrus W.McPherson, 1883-1884; E. S. Bishop, 1885-1887; Philip M. Waters,1888-1889; Arthur Thompson, 1800-1894; Frank Heale, 1895-1896; EdwinH. Carr, 1897-1899; Elmer E. Count, 1900-1902; David McCartney,1903-1904; J. C. Codington, 1905-1906; E. Stirling Potter, 1907.

In 1891, $5,500 was expended on improving church and parsonage. In1906, $7,250 additional was expended, increasing the value of theproperty to nearly $13,000. The present membership is 240, anincrease of 102.

The Old School Baptist Church in Warwick.—The principal historicalevents since 1880, when a history of the church was published inRuttenber's history of the county, are as follows: Elder JamesBenedict resigned his charge on June 29, 1786, instead of 1777, asstated in the published history. A centennial celebration of theorganization of the church was held on October 5, 1865. ElderLebbeus Lathrop preached the first sermon in the meeting house stillstanding on May 19, 1811. The burying ground belonging to the churchand still in use was started in 1795, and lies nearly opposite theformer burying ground, on the road from Warwick to Bellvale.

Christ Church (Episcopal).—The first attempt to start an Episcopalchurch in Warwick was in 1804, but the plan was not consummated. In1854 another effort was made, and services were held in the formerMethodist Episcopal church until 1859, under the Rev. W. H. Carter,when again the project was abandoned.

In 1862 the Rev. George Zabriskie Gray, then in deacon's orders, heldservices in Warwick for about six months, when he was called toanother charge.

In 1864 Rev. N. F. Ludlum was called, and a certificate ofincorporation of the parish was executed under the name of ChristChurch, Warwick, N.Y. In 1865 a building committee was appointed,composed of Grinnell Burt, John Cowdrey and J. Mason McJimsey. Thebuilding was opened for divine worship the ensuing year, 1866.

The Y. M. C. A. of Warwick.—This organization was begun in 1879,incorporated in 1885, and in 1907 owns a building and lot on Mainstreet, with a new gymnasium, costing about $6,000, entirely free ofdebt. It also owns a library of over 1,200 volumes, part donated andpart purchased by the association. The library is registered atAlbany, and is the only free public library in the village.

BURIAL PLACES.

For over a century the tract of land lying to the north of theReformed church was used as a burying ground. The deeds of conveyanceto the then trustees of the Presbyterian church, the predecessor ofthe Reformed church—Francis Baird, John Simson and George Nance,dated January 11, and April 23, 1793—recite that in still earlierconveyances from William Wickham and John Morin Scott, one of whichwas dated March 14, 1770, to William Wisner, of forty-five acres ofland, "one acre thereof was excepted and reserved there-out for aburial ground for the use and benefit of the Presbyterian Church ofWarwick." In 1889, at the time when the new stone church was built,there had been no interments here for perhaps twenty years, andaccordingly a consent was obtained from at least three-fourths of thecongregations of the Presbyterian and Reformed Dutch Churches for theremoval of all the remains interred therein, as required by law. TheReformed Church purchased a lot in the Warwick Cemetery and receiveddeed from the latter, dated June 15, 1889, to which lot the remainsof all those interred in the church burying ground were removed, andalso the headstones marking the graves. There are 116 of thesestones; doubtless there were many buried there without any stones tomark them, and there were other burials there which were afterwardsremoved to family lots in the Warwick Cemetery when the latter wasdedicated in 1867. The oldest stone is one erected to the memory ofAnna, the wife of William Eagles, who departed this life July 8,1771. There are interred there Revolutionary soldiers, members ofconsistory and many prominent citizens. To William Culver, a donor tothe church, was erected by the church a monument, bearing thisinscription: "Sacred to the memory of William Culver, who departedthis life, at South Hampton, Long Island, October 27, 1822, aged 37years, in hope of a blessed immortality."

The last interment of which there is a gravestone is that of DanielSinsabaugh, who died November 19, 1869, aged thirty-eight years. Itis believed that there were later interments than this, but if sothere are no stones marking the graves.

It is said that Jacob Gaul, a colored man, the sexton of the churchfor over twenty years, was one of the last burials in the old churchgraveyard.

The Old School Baptist burying ground, situated at the corner ofGalloway road and Lake street, was first used for burial purposes inabout 1774, when the meeting house was built there.

This plot of land was given to the Baptist Church by Elder JamesBenedict, by deed dated September 12, 1791. The trustees of the saidchurch at that time were James Burt, John Morris Foght and JohnSutton; consideration mentioned in deed, forty shillings currentmoney; contains seventy-nine perches of land.

Elder James Benedict died September 9, 1792, aged seventy-two years,six months, eighteen days, and was buried in this plot of ground, butno stone marks the spot. This plot was used as a burial ground until1795.

SCHOOLS.

The Warwick Institute continued as an academy until October 1, 1868,when the entire property was transferred to the board of education ofUnion Free School District No. 12. The district at that timeconsisted of the school districts Nos. 11 and 12. Since 1880 twoother districts have been annexed, Nos. 10 and 23.

In 1893 the board of education built a new brick school house, in theplace of the old wooden structure and upon the same site, at a totalcost of $23,000. Again in 1901, another brick building was built, ata cost of about $16,000, to take care of the increased demands formore school facilities. The latter building was erected upon a newsite and is called the High School.

According to the last census (1906) there are 512 children of schoolage in the district; the actual number enrolled is 450.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Lehigh & Hudson River Railway Company.—This company was firstorganized under the name of the Warwick Valley Railroad Company,April 20, 1859, for the purpose of building a road from the villageof Warwick to the line of the New York & Erie Railroad, at or nearthe village of Chester.

May, 1879, steps were taken to extend this road to McAfee, SussexCounty, and in December, 1880, the Lehigh & Hudson River RailwayCompany was formed for the purpose of extending it to Belvedere,N.J., on the Delaware River, and connecting with the PennsylvaniaRailroad at that point. The line was built and the road opened forbusiness through to Belvedere in August, 1882.

In 1889 an extension was built from a point near Greycourt, N.Y., toMaybrook, N.Y., connecting at that place with the PoughkeepsieBridge Road. Arrangements were made to use the tracks of thePennsylvania Railroad to Phillipsburgh, N.J. A bridge was builtacross the Delaware River at that point to Easton, making acontinuous line from Easton. Pa., to Maybrook, N.Y.

The First National Bank of Warwick.—This bank was organized at ameeting of citizens held in January, 1864, at the Warwick ValleyHouse. After a canvass for subscriptions to its stock, which was tobe $75,000, on January 21, 1864, its articles of association wereadopted. On January 28, the first board of directors was chosen. OnJanuary 29, John L. Welling was chosen president, and on February 6,John Cowdrey was chosen vice-president. On March 11 it was voted toincrease its capital stock by $25,000, making it $100,000 as itstands to-day. At the same date Grinnell Burt was sent to Washingtonto have this bank made a depository for the internal revenue of thisCongressional District. The bank commenced business April 1, 1864.

The Warwick Savings Bank was the first one incorporated under thegeneral law of 1875. It commenced business January 3, 1876. James H.Holly has been president since January 7, 1879. Thomas Burt hasserved as secretary and treasurer from the organization to thepresent time, and has had the general care and management. There hasbeen a steady increase in deposits year by year, and there is now(July 1, 1907) on deposit $1,264,636.24 belonging to 3,483depositors, and a surplus of $40,683.97.

The Warwick Cemetery Association was incorporated in 1865. The landpurchased, graded, surveyed and plotted in 1866, was dedicated July2, 1867, Leonard Cox delivering an appropriate poetical address, andRev. Cyrus G. Van Derveer the oration on that occasion. Thetwenty-seven acres of ground have a pleasing elevated contour, whichwere plotted by Mr. B. F. Hatheway, of Stamford, Conn.

The lands cost about $7,000 and improvements about $5,000. The fundswere provided by citizens' notes of $100 and $200, which werecanceled by deeds for lots to the makers of notes. The purchase of acottage, building a vault and entrance gates and bringing in thepublic water for fountains were accomplished in the few followingyears and the Association was free from debt, and in 1881 had $2,000invested. In 1907 its investments in bonds and mortgages andGovernment bonds are over $30,000.

George W. Sanford was president from its organization until hisdeath in 1900—for thirty-five years. He was succeeded by Sidney H.Sanford and the latter by Nicholas L. Furman.

Nearly all lot enclosures have been removed, graves leveled and afine sward maintained and treated as a lawn, without expense to thelot owners. Its picturesque appearance, fine monuments and well keptgrounds command the admiration of its visitors.

Water-Works.—The village was first supplied with water in 1872.The brook running north through the Thomas Welling and P. E. Sanfordfarms to the Wawayanda creek furnishes the supply, and is calledMistucky. This name is an Indian one, from an Indian village locatednear the reservoirs, originally called Miskoutucky, signifying redhills or plains.

In 1871 preparations were made for the building of a dam of 131 feetacross this brook, which when completed made a reservoir of 1 90/100acres on the Welling farm and 1 50/100 acres on the Sanford farm,both of which pieces of land were acquired by the village. Upon thecompletion of the work and the introduction of water in the village,a celebration took place in honor of the event in January, 1872.

This reservoir is situated one and a half miles south from thecenter of the village and covers over three acres of land, with acapacity of eight million gallons of water. The works wereconstructed at a cost of $25,000.

In 1890 the village had outgrown the old supply and steps were takento increase the same. Accordingly a second reservoir was constructedabout a quarter of a mile to the south of the first dam, with acapacity of thirty million gallons.

In 1903 the sum of $23,000 was appropriated for the enlargement ofwater mains and the construction of new ones.

Fire Department.—The fire department consists of two hosecompanies—Excelsior No. 1 and Raymond Hose Company, and the GoodwillHook and Ladder Company. The fire council consists of the chiefengineer and two warders elected from each of the companies.Inspection day is held each year in the month of September, at whichtime the rooms and apparatus of the various companies are inspectedby the president and trustees of the village, and a parade of thewhole department takes place.

Grand Army of the Republic.—A post of the Grand Army of theRepublic was organized at Warwick on November 16, 1885, withthirty-three charter members. James W. Mullery was commander, and thepost was named for Michael Mullery, a brother of the commander, whoserved in a New Jersey regiment. The number of the post is 575.

Some years after its organization the name was changed to John J.Wheeler Post, in honor of Colonel John J. Wheeler, a native of thetown of Warwick, who served with honor and distinction in the 56thNew York Regiment.

CHAPTER XXX.

TOWN OF WAWAYANDA.

By Charles E. Stickney.

The name Wawayanda is a corruption of the general salutation betweenwhite settlers and Indians in pioneer times. This we take to beillustrated by the example given in Gabriel Thomas' "East and WestJersey," published in 1698. He evidently was familiar with the Indianlanguage and lived in Philadelphia where he was a frequentparticipant in the conversations when a white man and an Indian met.He reports it as follows: "When meeting, the white man would say inthe Indian language 'Hitah takoman?' (Whence comest thou?) The Indianwould reply, 'Andagowa a nee weekin' (over yonder). Then the whiteman, 'Tony andagowa a kee weekin?' (Where yonder?) The broad Indianaccent coupled with the recurrence of the words 'over yonder' wasvery probably the true derivation of the word 'Wawayanda.'"

There is not much doubt that the town of Wawayanda was formed out ofMinisink for political reasons. In 1849 the board of supervisors inOrange County was Whig by a considerable majority. The town ofMinisink was and had been considered Democratic for a long time.Nevertheless that year Daniel Fullerton, a Whig, was electedSupervisor of Minisink. By taking off the northern part of Minisinkthe Whigs hoped to be able to elect the officials in the new townuniversally. Dr. D. C. Hallock made a survey for it. The signers ofthe petition were mostly Whigs. November 27th, Mr. Fullerton made themotion in the board of supervisors for the division of the town andthe creation of the new town to be called Wawayanda. The motioncarried by a strict party vote of ten Whigs for, to five Democratsagainst it. The name was selected from the old Wawayanda patent, without any particular reference to its meaning. The town has ever sincebeen mostly Democratic in its elections. At the first election in thespring of 1850, $200 was ordered raised for roads and bridges.

The population of the town in 1855, the first census taken after itwas formed, showed it to contain 2,069 inhabitants. Ten years laterit had 1,906, a decrease of 163. In 1905, the last census taken, ithad 1,574, a decrease since the first census of 1855 (fifty years) of495. There were only 34 aliens in the last census.

The assessment of this town in 1865 was 19,677 acres, valued at$706,250. and in 1906, forty-one years later, its assessment was20,175 acres, valued at $695,060, and in 1907 it was the same. Thetown expenses in 1907 were $1,067.88, besides $2,250 for highways and$400 for bridges.

THE DROWNED LAND WAR.

A feature of the towns of Minisink and Wawayanda is the DrownedLands. These comprise the valley of the Wallkill, or, as named by theIndians, the "Twischsawkin," extending from Hamburg, N.J., to Dentonin this State. The westerly part of that valley is the part of it inthe territory of which we write. When the Wallings, who, so far as wecan ascertain were the first permanent settlers at the head and onthe west shore of these drowned lands, located here, they found themcovered with water the greater part of each year, and of little valueexcept for grazing purposes, and for the wood upon them. Their totalacreage was about 40,000 acres, of which 10,000 acres were in NewJersey. From the high grounds of the west shore to the river thedistance will average about half a mile. The great Cedar Swamp on theeastern shore of the lands comprised about 15,000 acres. It wascovered with water more or less the year round, and, when the ice wasstrong enough in winter, farmers drove for many miles to it to get asupply of rails and wood. In spring floods the water was often fromeight to twenty feet deep over the entire drowned lands. They werethe homes of innumerable flocks of wild geese and ducks, and theflocks were often composed of thousands of members. They raisedtheir young by thousands in the great swamps. Fish were also veryabundant.

In 1804 the farmers who owned lands along this vast morass, as wellas the rich speculators who had bought, for a trifle, huge tracts ofit, agitated the plan for a drainage. They got up petitions andappealed to the legislature for help so persistently, that, in 1807,that body passed an act authorizing money to be raised to drain thedrowned lands. The act empowered five commissioners to be electedannually in Goshen. They were to assess property owners along thedrowned lands for expenses.

A large ditch was dug by them from Turtle Bay (a wide and deep placein the river opposite the present farm of Reeves B. Wickham and theformer Van Bomel farm), to the junction of Rutger's Creek with theWallkill, a distance of about two miles in a direct line up stream.The intention was for this ditch to carry the river's water mainly,especially at high tides. Other work was done, so that in nineteenyears it is estimated that $40,000 had been expended. Little goodresulted from it, for the ditches rapidly filled with mud. The ruinsof this ditch are easily traced at this time.

Gabriel N. Phillips was then the owner of the great woolen factoryand an immense dam at what is now called New Hampton, but which wasthen called Phillipses'.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Erie Railroad, completed through New Hampton in 1835, caused thatvillage to become a business place. Many farmers who then broughttheir produce to Goshen for shipment, changed to New Hampton and somelarge business houses started up. The large manufactories which soonstarted in Middletown and the completion of railroads from SussexCounty, N.J., to New York, drew off trade and New Hampton is to-dayof less importance than it was in former days.

Denton, named from the family that founded it, has been subject tomuch the same influences as New Hampton. It is about three-quartersof a mile southwest of the latter place. Once there were drug stores,hotels and a vigorous church there. Under the local option law therehave been no licenses for hotels issued in Wawayanda for the pasttwenty-five years. The business of Denton has, like other villages,drifted away from it.

Centerville, now called South Centerville, was named from its centrallocation in the old town of Minisink. Its trade has, much like thatof other villages in proximity to Middletown, very much lessened oflate years.

Slate Hill is one of the very early settled places in this town. Itwas before the days of post-offices called Brookfield. Some say thatthis name was adapted from the circ*mstance of a brook winding aroundthe village.

Ridgeberry, named from the high ridge east of it, famous for berries,was an early settled place and once had two hotels, two stores, twochurches and was quite a business place. Owing to the same causeswhich have taken away the trade of many other villages, Ridgeberryhas now only one good store.

The Old School Baptist Church at Slate Hill deserves more than apassing notice. Built over 100 years ago it stands there to-day as itwas built, but its congregation has nearly melted away. We give it amore extended notice elsewhere. The Methodists have a chapel in thevillage and conduct services weekly. The Presbyterians have purchaseda site for a church in the village and it is only a question of timewhen an edifice will be built upon it. Millsburg on Boudinot's Creek,and Gardnersville on Rutger's Creek, are shorn to a great extent oftheir former glory. The Manning Company has feed and saw mills at thelatter place, while in the former place the mills of Frank Mead areits distinguishing features.

The first town meeting held in the town after its organization was atthe hotel of D. C. Hallock in Brookfield-Slate Hill in the spring of1850. This was in the building now occupied by Kinney Skinner as astore. The other hotel, then kept in the place, was on the oppositecorner now owned by Dr. F. D. Myers as a private dwelling. That hotelwas then kept by William Bell. There was then no fence in the spacebetween the hotels and the square was often the scene of livelyscraps in the good old days.

An Indian, Keghgekapowell, one of the granters of the Evans patentunder Governor Dongan, was commonly called by the whites "Jo-Gee."After signing away his rights to the lands under that patent he movedto the foot of the hill, about a mile and a half west of what is nowBrookfield-Slate Hill, and resided there for some years. The hill inthe rear of his wigwam became known as "Jo-Gee" from thatcirc*mstance. A spring by his wigwam furnished him water, and anapple tree which he is said to have set there, bore fruit for severalgenerations after his departure. The fruit was of a peculiar varietyand excellent. He is reported to have been a good old man and kept uphis friendship for the whites until a party of his tribe came on avisit and coaxed him to go away with them, which was the last seen ofhim in this town.

The manufacture of pot and pearl ashes was an important industry inthe early history of the town. Benjamin Smith was engaged in itduring and after the Revolution.

Tanneries were once of much importance in the industries of the town.There were at least two in Greenville at one time, one in Minisink,and a large one for those times, in Brookfield-Slate Hill, in theeighteenth century. The one in Slate Hill was where Elijah co*ck nowhas his Creamery and where Samuel Hornbeck resides. The lastproprietor of it was Holloway W. Stephens. He was a justice of thepeace in 1851.

In those early days it took a full year to tan a cow skin, an art nowperformed in a few days.

There is not a tannery in existence in this locality now.

Besides tanning, previously mentioned, two other important industrieshave passed out of existence in these towns—milling and distilling.When the white settlers first invaded this country they did as theIndians did, pounded their corn and grain into flour by means ofwooden mortars and stone pestles which the Indians taught them touse; but in a short time grist mills were erected and a little latermilling grew to be a great part of the work of part of thepopulation. Large mills were at one time in Gardnersville,Dolsontown, Waterloo Mills, Unionville, Brookfield, and Millsburg.Old millers remembered were: The Gardners, Christian Schultz, PeterKimber, John Racine, James C. and Adirondam Austin. The course oftrade has now caused all the flour to be purchased of westernmillers, and the old mills are now closed or simply used to grindcow and horse feed. Frank Mead's, at Millsburg, is now the onlyflouring mill in the town. In those first days whiskey was a commonbeverage in almost every family, and when visitors came it wasconsidered a breach of hospitality to neglect to set out a glass ofit for the guests. It sold then, as we find from old account books,at about seventy-five cents a gallon. Distilleries aboundedeverywhere. But there came a time when taxes were laid heavily ondistillers, and the price of liquor was put up by the action of thetaxes. In consequence the distilleries dropped out one by one, untilnow only one remains in Wawayanda, near Centreville; and one inMinisink, near Johnson's.

WAWAYANDA CHURCHES.

The Baptist church of Brookfield (now Slate Hill) executed acertificate of organization at the house of Lebbeu Lathrop, which,we have been informed, was then in the village, December 15, 1791.Isaac Finch, John Fenton and Benjamin Smith were the trustees.Previous to that date several members had, in July, 1783, stated tothe Warwick church, in an application, that they lived west of theWallkill and desired to be set off as a separate church. August 28,1783, Elder Benedict, of Warwick, with two brethren named Sillshee,came west of the Wallkill, baptized seven members, and constitutedthe church. A brother named Clark was ordained the next day to preachfor the new church. The meetings of the congregation were held atprivate houses and in barns to suit convenience until 1792.

In December, 1791. John Hallock, whose lands extended from hisresidence, a mile south of Ridgeberry, across the flats and toBrookfield, deeded a lot to the church for its use. In 1792 the newmeeting house was erected on the lot. In those days the differencebetween the meaning of church (an organization for religious worship)and the building used for meeting purposes was clearly defined, andthe edifice was called a meeting house invariably. The building atfirst was without a steeple and just as it stands to this day,except it now has a steeple. The steeple was added to it in 1828. Thechurch interior is to-day just as it was first built and should bepreserved as an excellent specimen of old-time architecture.

A Congregational church was organized in Ridgeberry in 1792, whichheld until 1817, when it was changed to Presbyterian. The regularorganization of the church dates from November 27, 1805, when acertificate of it was filed at the house of Jonathan Bailey inRidgeberry.

The next oldest church organization to Ridgeberry was thePresbyterian as Centerville. This was incorporated April 5, 1827. Thechurch edifice was built and dedicated in 1829.

The Presbyterian church of Denton was organized and dedicated in1839.

The Methodist Episcopal church, at what is now called SouthCenterville, was incorporated September 8, 1873.

CHAPTER XXXI.

TOWN OF WOODBURY.

The town of Woodbury is located in the southeast section of OrangeCounty. Bounded on the north by the towns of Blooming Grove andCornwall, on the east by the town of Highland, on the south byRockland County and the town of Tuxedo, while the town of Monroeforms its western boundary. It has an area of 23,839 acres, and thetitle to the soil is mainly derived through the Chesekook patent. Theassessed valuation of real estate in the town in 1907 was $802,371.

Topography.—A striking feature of the town is the continuousvalley extending from the northern to the southern boundary whichdivides the town into nearly equal parts, and which has been made theline of the Newburgh short-cut branch of the Erie railroad, and ofthe new State road. Through this valley flows Woodbury Creeknorthward, uniting in the town of Cornwall with Moodna Creek. Not farsouth of the sources of Woodbury Creek are the headwaters of theRamapo, which flows southward through the town of Tuxedo. The summitbetween these two valleys is low, and the rivulets of the two streamsflowing in opposite directions are found very near to each other. Theeastern portion of the town is drained by Popolopen Creek in the townof Highlands. Numerous ponds of surpassing beauty are within the townlimits, of which Cromwell, Forest and Cranberry Lakes are thelargest.

The Schunnemunk Mountains, appropriately described as the "high hillsto the west of the Highlands," extend along the northwestern boundaryof the town and are divided longitudinally by the boundary line ofBlooming Grove and Woodbury. This was the original dividing linebetween the Wawayanda and Chesekook patents, and also one of themonuments in the line of the Evans patent. This range has anelevation of from 1,300 to 1,600 feet. Eastward across the valleyfilling out to a section of the southeast border of the county andforming a portion of the Highlands, is a battlement of mountainouselevations, including Pine Hill, Black Cap, Cranberry Hill,Stockbridge, Stevens, Goshen, Letter-rock and Black Mountains.

EARLY SETTLEMENTS.

The southeastern portion of Orange County was settled mostly from theEastern States and Long Island. The families were generally ofEnglish ancestry. All accounts of Revolutionary times indicate apopulation of considerable numbers in this territory. The Chesekookpatent was granted in 1702, and there was no settlement for someyears following that date. The Smiths were in this region as early as1727, and the name Smith's Clove near the present village of HighlandMills appears in the town records of Cornwall of 1765. The records ofCornwall having been preserved, the following names are taken fromthem as having belonged to what is now the territory of Woodbury.Solomon Cromwell and Jonathan Hallock were among the earliestsettlers. John Earle in 1765 was a chosen fence-viewer for WoodburyClove. He lived near Highland Mills. His sons were Peter, John andSolomon. Isaac and John Lamoreux are both mentioned in Cornwallrecords before the Revolution. Thomas Smith was overseer of highwaysin 1765. William Thorn was a justice of the peace in 1770 and livedat Highland Mills. Captain Austin Smith was chosen assessor in 1775.Nicholas Townsend came from Long Island previous to the Revolution.Tobias Weygant was a town officer of Monroe at the first town meetingin 1799. Jonathan Taylor, one of the first school commissioners,lived near Highland Mills, and Linus Rider lived on the "Ridge" westof the same hamlet. Patrick Ford lived near Woodbury Falls. His son,David Ford, was the father of ten children, of whom Charles T. wasthe eldest. Further reference to the early settlement of thislocality is made in the historical sketch of the old town of Monroe.

ORGANIZATION.

In the year 1863 a movement was set on foot to divide the town ofMonroe into three towns. A petition was sent to the board ofsupervisors, which was granted at its usual meeting. The names of thenew towns were respectively Monroe, Highland and Southfield. Monroeheld its town meeting March 22, 1864, electing Chauncey B. Knight,supervisor. Highland did likewise, choosing its old favorite, MorganShuit. The town of Southfield organized in the same manner, electedJosiah Patterson, supervisor. This triple division was at lengthdisapproved, and in 1865 the Legislature was asked to overrule theaction of the board and reorganize the old town of Monroe. Thismovement was successful.

December 19, 1889, the board of supervisors, upon representation ofthe diverse interests of different parts of the town, resolved toredivide the same into three parts. The three new towns erected werenamed respectively, Monroe, Woodbury and Tuxedo. The lines were runso as to give Monroe 12,101 acres, Woodbury 23,839 acres and Tuxedo27,839 acres. It was further resolved that the division of the townshould be made on the old lines, but that the names Woodbury andTuxedo should be substituted for Highland and Southfield. The reasonadvanced for this re-division was that the town was too large and itsinterests too diverse for harmonious government. In January, 1890,John A. Patterson represented the newly created town of Woodbury inthe board of supervisors. James Seaman was the second supervisor fromthis town, Alexander Thompson the third, and William E. Ferguson, whowas elected November, 1907, the fourth. The town hall is located atHighland Mills, where the present town clerk, B. S. Pembleton,resides. The assessors in 1907 are Charles Jones and William Wilson,of Highland Mills, and Richard Bullwinkle, of Central Valley. Thehighway commissioners are E. C. Cunningham, of Central Valley, N. B.Hunter, of Highland Mills, and John H. Hunter, of Woodbury Falls. Thejustices of the peace are W. M. Gildersleeve and John Rodgers, ofCentral Valley, Amos W. Sutherland, of Highland Mills, and Charles E.Hand, of Mountainville. The town is divided into four schooldistricts, of which the Free School at Central Valley is the mostimportant. A new school building is in course of construction atHighland Mills at a cost of $18,000. Places of worship include theFriends' churches at Woodbury Falls and Highland Mills, a MethodistEpiscopal church at Highland Mills and another of the samedenomination at Central Valley. A Roman Catholic church is now beingerected midway between Central Valley and Highland Mills. The Societyof Friends had a meeting house in Cornwall, built before 1788, andit was the only meeting house or church in that town until 1825. Themeeting house at Smith's Clove was built in 1799. After theseparation of the society in 1828, a meeting house one and a halfmiles easterly of Highland Mills was built. The first MethodistEpiscopal church in the old town of Monroe was organized and dulyincorporated May 2, 1829, and a church edifice soon afterward erectedat Highland Mills.

VILLAGES.

Central Valley, a noted summer resort, is the most thriving andpopulous village in the town, on the Newburgh branch of the Erierailroad. A post-office was established here December 27, 1871.Alfred Cooper was appointed postmaster and held the position manyyears. Mr. J. M. Barnes received the appointment of postmaster in1885 and again in 1892. Henry T. Ford, the present incumbent,received the appointment July 15, 1899. Among the leading industriesof the village is the Bamboo fishing Rod factory of which ReubenLeonard is superintendent. This was established by the late Hiram L.Leonard, who came to Central Valley in 1881. The Leonard rods areshipped to all parts of the world where fly-fishing is pursued. Thecarriage factory of R. F. Weygant's Sons is another importantindustry. It was established in 1867 by Robert F. Weygant, who diedSeptember 3, 1902. He was a descendant of Michael Weigand of theRhine Palatinate, who settled at Newburgh in 1709. The sons, Frank E.and Fred, conduct the Central Valley establishment, and William M.operates the blacksmith shop and garage at Tuxedo. The flour andgrain warehouse of J. M. Barnes had an extensive trade. Mr. Barneslocated in Central Valley in 1876, engaging in the mercantilebusiness with Alfred Cooper. In this village is located the office ofthe superintendent of the Good Roads Construction Company, Mr.Charles T. Ford, who in his sixty-third year is one of the mostactive citizens in the county. Many miles of good roads in OrangeCounty are evidence of the splendid work accomplished under hisdirection. Here also is a branch of the Arden Farms Dairy Company.Both these enterprises are the product of Mr. E. H. Harriman, whoowns extensive farms throughout this section. Mr. Isaac L. Noxonerected many of the beautiful homes and other substantial structuresin and adjoining the village. He also conducted for a time aclassical boarding school. Here also was the home of the CornellInstitute, a high-class boarding and day school of which Mr. DavidCornell was principal. In the fall of 1885 Tomas Estrada Palmaestablished the Palma Institute over which he presided. It was aschool for boys in which they were prepared for college, English,French and Spanish being taught. Mr. Palma was a Cuban and in 1868joined the Revolutionists. After fighting nine years he was capturedand taken to Spain, where he spent a year in prison. His first visitto Central Valley was in 1879, making his home here with Mr. DavidCornell. "Falkirk," an institution designed and built for the specialcare of patients suffering from nervous diseases, was founded by Dr.James Francis Ferguson in 1889. Its elevated location, a mile and ahalf from the village, and the beautiful surroundings, contribute tomake an ideal home for such patients. Following the death of Dr.Ferguson in 1904, the sanitarium was conducted for two years by Dr.Henry A. Ferguson and William E. Ferguson, when it was purchased byDr. Carlos F. MacDonald, who has associated with him Dr. Clarence J.Slocum as resident physician. Among the New Yorkers who occupy theirhomes here during the entire year may be mentioned Mr. EdwardCornell, Mr. W. E. Ferguson, Mr. Davidson, Mr. Theboldt and Mr.Bullwinkle.

Highland Mills is situated about a mile north of Central Valley, andis the home of the descendants of some of the earliest settlers inthis region, notably the Cromwells, Townsends and Hallocks. The placegrew up around the mills established at this point. The Townsendtannery and the Townsend flour mill were in operation many years ago.The place was formerly known as Orange and a post-office wasestablished here under that name in 1828. Mr. Vail was the firstpostmaster. He was succeeded by Peter Lent in 1844, and a few yearslater Morgan Shuit received the appointment. It was about this timethat Mr. Shuit began taking an active interest in local politics inwhich he soon became a leader. For thirty-one years he wassupervisor of the town, and for a like period justice of the peace.From 1879-1880 and 1880-1881 he was a member of the StateLegislature; retiring from a mercantile career in 1864, he purchasedlarge tracts of farm land, and followed this vocation to the time ofhis death in 1884. Among the business enterprises of the village isthe fishing line factory; the high-class livery of Tannery & Hull,whose stables contain forty head of horses; the fish rod factory ofEdward Paine, and the firms of Jarnes & Terry and Harding & Eames,building contractors. The leading mercantile establishments arethose of George Cromwell, B. S. Pembleton and Albert Fitch. Thepresent postmaster is Henry Hallock. The only hotel in the village isconducted by George Lamoreux. Hill Crest, a fashionable summer hotel,is a mile and a half west of the village. It has accommodations fortwo hundred and fifty guests. The Cromwell Lake House, bordering onthis beautiful sheet of water, accommodates one hundred and fiftyguests, and is conducted by Oliver Cromwell. The water supply for thevillages of Highland Mills and Central Valley is obtained fromCromwell Lake.

Woodbury Falls is a hamlet in the north part of the town, taking itsname from the falls in Woodbury Creek. It was formerly the seat of afurnace. A post-office was established here August 11, 1874, andLewis A. Van Cleft was the first postmaster. James Seaman is thepresent incumbent.

The specific details of the settlement of this region are blendedwith the histories of the towns of Cornwall and Monroe, to which thereader is referred.

CHAPTER XXXII.

THE BENCH AND BAR.

By William Vanamee.

At the unveiling in Goshen, September 5th, 1907, of the monument inmemory of the gallant soldiers of the 124th Regiment, erected by thatmodern exemplar of medieval knighthood, that truest of men, ofgentlemen and of heroes, Thomas W. Bradley, it was mentioned by oneof the speakers that just forty-five years before, upon that veryspot, as the regiment was about to start for the front, the stand ofcolors destined to be carried by it through many a battle, waspresented to it in behalf of the Daughters of Orange by Charles H.Winfield.

His noble, inspiring speech upon that occasion was fitly responded toin behalf of the regiment by David F. Gedney, then Mr. Winfield'sonly rival at the Goshen bar and his acknowledged equal. The highestpraise that can be bestowed upon either is that each feared for thesuccess of his cause when opposed by the other. Indeed they werenearly always opposed, for what timid, anxious client, learning thathis adversary had engaged the services of one, ever failed to suggestto his local attorney the importance of averting prospective defeatby the employment of the other. This remark of course applies chieflyto litigations arising in the Western end of the county, in which thetrials were usually held at Goshen, for in Newburgh, Stephen W.Fullerton, who was admitted to the bar in 1844, just one year beforeMr. Gedney was admitted and two years before Mr. Winfield, had fromthe first successfully challenged their supremacy in the county atlarge. Well might he do so, for while he was not the equal ofWinfield in magnetism and force or of Gedney in scholarship andstyle, yet he excelled them both in acuteness, in industry and inmastery of the rules of evidence. This, then, was the greattriumvirate that forty years ago reigned supreme throughout thecounty of Orange in the affection of their associates, in theadmiration of juries and in the plaudits of the multitude—Winfield,Gedney, Fullerton. All three possessed genius of an uncommon orderand no court, however insensible to the graces of oratory, couldwholly restrain its flights or direct its course. When the vexatiousdetails of the testimony were over—for in those days the testimonywas regarded by the public as a tedious formality preparatory to thegreat event of the trial, the summing up—and when it was understoodthat the addresses to the jury were to begin, the courtroom wasquickly filled by people from all parts of the county, eager for theintellectual treat that was sure to follow. Winfield was wont tobegin his closing argument somewhat slowly and even laboriously. Thiswas due partly to the habit of his mind, which required the stimulusof exercise to quicken it to its highest exertions, but partly alsoto rhetorical design, by which he sought to make his subsequentoutbursts of impassioned eloquence seem wholly unstudied, spontaneousand irrepressible. Indeed, they usually were. As the thought of hisclient's wrongs surged in upon him, as he dwelt upon his client'sright to protection or relief, or contemplated the disaster involvedin defeat, his words could scarcely keep pace with the torrent ofimpetuous, sincere and deep emotion on which they were upborne. Healways struck the human note which the case presented. To him a trialdid not involve a mere application of legal principles to anascertained state of facts, but to him every case, however dry,barren or abstract, was a human drama. He saw, with the eye ofimagination and the insight of genius, those forces of hate andrevenge, of greed and falsehood, of cunning and cruelty, of devotionand affection, of honor and truth, which in one form or another,surcharge every trial, and project their palpitating figures upon themost intensely vital, vibrant stage for which the scenes were everset—the conscious court-room, the austere judge, the impassionedadvocates, the enthralled spectators; human life or liberty, humanhappiness or despair, human rights or relations, hanging in thebalance upon a jury's nod. All this Winfield saw. In every trial thepanorama of human life unfolded itself to his inspired vision. Hetook the broken, confused fragments of human testimony and subjectingthem to the kaleidoscope of his own fervent, symmetrizing, mirroringimagination, they were transformed into pictures of beauty or shapesof evil, as he willed.

It can easily be imagined that his power over juries was well nighirresistible. If David F. Gedney, who was so often pitted againsthim, had sought to counteract his influence by the exercise ofsimilar gifts, he might well have despaired of success. But happilyfor himself and for the delight of juries and the bar, no advocateswere ever more unlike each other in method of argument, in point ofattack, in form of expression, in appeal to the sentiments, thanWinfield and Gedney. Winfield filled the eye; Gedney charmed the ear.Winfield visited upon wrong or duplicity the bludgeon blows ofinvective. Gedney pierced it with the envenomed shaft of sarcasm.Winfield sought to break the armor of his adversary with the broadaxe of denunciation. Gedney penetrated it with the slender arrow ofwit and the fatal spear of ridicule. To Winfield language was anecessary vehicle of thought, a familiar medium of expression. ToGedney language was a divine instrument, over the responsive chordsof which his master touch swept with unerring taste and classicgrace, evoking notes of exquisite harmony and images of surpassingbeauty. The words that flowed unbidden from his enchrismed lips weremusic indeed. His sentences, chaste and polished as though chiseledin the very laboratory of thought, were but the unconsciousreflection of a mind steeped in the literature of every age andtongue. Even Winfield often found to his dismay that those weapons ofsolid argument which would have defied all the onslaughts of thegladiator, were powerless before the arts of the magician. Not indeedthat Gedney elevated style above matter or sacrificed strength tobeauty. But in him style and matter were so delicately balanced,beauty and strength so discreetly blended, that each borrowed fromthe other and none was poorer for the exchange.

The personal characteristics of the two men were also different.Winfield loved the approbation and applause of his fellows andaspired to political honors. Gedney looked out upon the world withphilosophic calm, undisturbed by its clamors and un-tempted by itsbaubles. The only offices which he held were strictly in the line ofhis profession—district attorney and county judge—while Winfieldacquired a conspicuous position in Congress at a time of intensepublic interest and excitement. Winfield bore defeat with impatience,Gedney with equanimity. Winfield, who especially could not endure thethought of defeat by a younger adversary, often treated him withunnecessary severity; always, however, taking care to express hisregret afterwards that the heat and zeal of conflict had carried himtoo far. Gedney, on the other hand, never suffered to arise theoccasion for apology or regret. He disdained to use his unrivaledpowers of sarcasm and ridicule at the expense of a weaker adversary,and throughout the entire course of a trial, he was scrupulous not tosay one word which might in any degree wound the sensibilities of ayounger member of the bar. Moreover, he always look pains to speak aword of encouragement and praise to the younger lawyers whenevertheir maiden efforts justified interest or respect.

Gedney's happiest hours were passed at his own fireside, whileWinfield loved to mingle freely with his fellow men. But Winfield'schildren had died, one by one, in childhood, and it is pathetic torecall that he sank to his long sleep while addressing littlechildren on a peaceful Sunday afternoon in June, just sixty-six yearsafter his eyes had opened not far away on a world in which he wasdestined to reap many cruel sorrows, some substantial rewards, andall the mocking, delusive delights of a transient fame.

His friend, Judge Gedney, followed him only a month later as he satupon the porch of his home in Goshen. As together they had journeyedthrough life, sharing its burdens and its conflicts, so in death theywere not long separated, and in the manner of their summons they werealike blessed, for to neither did it come upon a bed of lingeringillness.

Their lifelong friend, Judge Stephen W. Fullerton, was not sofortunate. Surviving his old associates fourteen years, he lived tosee the world march past him and to realize the bitter truth thatit takes but little interest in a lawyer, however prominent, popularor useful he may have been, after his activities and usefulness haveceased. And yet Judge Fullerton possessed some traits of characterwhich should have ensured him, above all his fellows, from the sharptooth of either ingratitude or neglect. He actually gave away threefortunes. His generosity knew no bounds. An appeal to his sympathieswas never made in vain. A claim put forward in the name of friendshipwas to him sacred and admitted of no hesitation. Every considerationof selfishness or even of prudence went down before the spectacle ofa friend in need. It was inevitable that a nature so generous and soconfiding should often be imposed upon by unworthy claims, but tothese he never referred with bitterness or even regret. A few dearfriends, including especially Judge Hirschberg and Walter C. Anthony,were true and faithful to the last, and it must be a satisfaction tothem to know that their loyal, undeviating attachment cheered andconsoled the last hours of a lawyer who once shared with Winfield andGedney undisputed preeminence at the bar of Orange County.

For never were tender, affectionate and generous traits ofcharacter—often assumed to be inconsistent with the coldness andsternness of the law—joined to a more severe, patient, thorough,comprehensive training in the law than in the case of JudgeFullerton. To him the law was a science and the practice of it anart demanding the sleepless pursuit and worship of its votaries. Tothe principles of such a science and the rules of such an art, havingfor their object the most exalted end of all organized society, theestablishment of truth and the maintenance of justice, he was willingto consecrate the noblest energies of his mind and heart. To him nolabor was too hard, no sacrifice too great to deter him frommastering the minutest details of a complicated case or fromascertaining and applying the principles by which it should begoverned. When he came to court to present it every form in whichdifficulty might be apprehended or obstacles interposed had beenanticipated and provided for. He always tried the case on both sidesbefore he went to court, and his opponents never raised many of thepoints which he, in his anxious survey, had most dreaded. Histhorough knowledge of the rules of evidence enabled him to introducetestimony upon some minor issue in the case which was afterwards usedwith telling effect upon the main issue. In his addresses to the juryhe discarded every appeal to mere sentiment and sought to impressonly their reason and their judgment. His analysis of the evidencewas so close and perfect, his presentation of it so clear andconvincing that the jury were led to think that his was the view theyhad taken of it all the time it was being given. Gathering up thedifferent threads of narrative in the case he wove them together in astrand of pitiless, impervious, cohesive logic that not all thefrantic efforts of his adversary could avail to unwind. Such was theman who, like Gedney, had also been county judge and districtattorney of the county, to whom Mr. Marsh, as the spokesman of theOrange County bar, paid fitting tribute at the Newburgh court housein June, 1902—Luther R. Marsh who at the time of his own death in1903, constituted the last lingering tie between the present and thepast.

No history of Orange County is complete that fails to chronicle thetwelve years' residence of Luther R. Marsh, who imparted luster toevery scene in which he mingled, dignity to every spot in which helingered. He spent in Middletown the closing years of a life whichhad been marked by the most intense ardor and activity in hisprofession, and, though he had retired from active practice when hesettled in Orange County, he was drawn into court after that upon twooccasions in litigations arising in the county. The intimate friendall his life of Orange County's ablest sons, from the Hoffmans to theFullertons, he became the friend, the companion, the idol of a newgeneration of its lawyers when he came to Middletown in 1889, beingthen nearly eighty years of age. For though he lived to be ninety, henever became old, worn or feeble in spirit. In a public speechdelivered a few months before his death, he declared that to be thehappiest period of his life. In his daily walk and conversation heexemplified the philosophy of Rabbi Ben Ezra, as expressed byBrowning:

"Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be,
The last of life, for which the first was made;
Our times are in His hand
Who saith 'A whole I planned,
Youth shows but half;' trust God; see all,
Nor be afraid!"

Nor was he afraid. His daring vision sought to pierce the secrets ofthe hereafter. For a long time before his death he was deeplyinterested in spiritual phenomena and in the investigation of thosemanifestations of persistent personal energy after death, theauthenticity of which constitutes the only proof we can ever obtainof the doctrine of immortality. Trained to estimate the weight andvalue of evidence, engaged during his entire professional career inconvincing arguments as to its proper construction and effect, heaccepted as sufficient and satisfactory the evidence adduced to himof communications and impressions still conveyed, as the church evennow maintains they were of old, from those who have passed on to thespirit world.

But, though during his later years he clearly saw how trivial werethe ordinary ambitions and pursuits of men; though his thoughtsbecame more and more centered upon things spiritual and eternal, yethe never lost his interest in the sterling values and, above all, inthe beautiful friendships of life. Childhood, youth and manhood heldeach its claim upon his tender regard, his ready understanding, hisnever-failing sympathy. To him more than to any man I ever knew doGoldsmith's immortal lines apply:

"E'en children followed, with endearing wile,
And plucked his gown, to share the good man's smile.
His ready smile a parent's warmth exprest;
Their welfare pleased him, and their cares distrest;
To them his heart, his love, his griefs, were given,
But all his serious thoughts had rest in Heaven:
As some tall cliff that lifts its awful form,
Swells from the vale, and midway leaves the storm.
Though round its breast the rolling clouds are spread,
Eternal sunshine settles on its head."

Luther R. Marsh was unquestionably the most original, brilliant,fascinating, prolific, versatile genius that ever dwelt in OrangeCounty during the years in which in him it "entertained an angelunawares." He mingled on equal terms with the greatest men of hisgeneration. He was a partner of Daniel Webster. Among my mostcherished possessions is the tin sign which Mr. Marsh had framed andhanging for many years in his study, bearing in his own handwritingthe inscription:

"Luther R. Marsh.

"In 1845, on Mr. Webster's retirement from business to return to theSenate of the United States, I took this sign off from our officedoor, 44 Wall Street, New York, where it had been during ourpartnership."

When Webster was dying in 1852, Henry J. Raymond, the gifted editorof the New York Times, wrote:

"My Dear Marsh:—We hear from Marshfield that Mr. Webster cannot livethrough the day. I want from you, if it is possible, for to-morrowmorning, an article—of what kind you know a good deal better than Ican tell you. . . . No man in this city certainly can do it so well.Nine o'clock this evening, or even ten, will be early enough to haveit here.

"Yours as ever,

"H. J. Raymond."

The article, occupying over four columns, was there on time. Mr.Marsh, that afternoon, upon a moment's notice, at a single stroke,threw off an estimate of Webster's genius and achievements that neverwas excelled later, even in the glowing, studied periods of Everett,Winthrop, and Curtis.

When in 1869, Henry J. Raymond died, Mr. Marsh was invited to becomehis successor, but he declined the honor fearing that the position,though congenial to his tastes, would be too exacting in its demands.When we consider that at this time Mr. Marsh was besieged by clientsand immersed in cases; when we consider, too, that a busy lawyer isthe last one to whom a publisher would naturally turn (for there isno class of men in whom the truly literary instinct combined with thegift of literary expression is so rare as among successful lawyers),this recognition of the unique literary distinction which Mr. Marshhad attained, even while engaged in the fiercest legal contests withsuch hard-headed lawyers as David Dudley Field, John Van Buren,Charles O'Conor, James T. Brady, John K. Porter and Judge Comstock ismost impressive and conclusive. But in his forensic contests thelawyer dominated the litterateur. Any opponent who thought thatbecause of Mr. Marsh's finished, faultless, elegant literary style hewould escape hard blows and sturdy onslaughts soon learned hismistake. He was, at about the time he received this offer from theTimes, in the very zenith of his powers and his fame. Mr. Hunt, thenthe superintendent of public schools in Massachusetts, thus wrote in1873, of a trial he had just attended, in which Mr. Marsh was opposedto Joseph H. Choate:

"I shall never forget the spectacle of that trial; from the openingto the close, it was the most perfect thing I ever saw. Havingentered upon the study of law in the late William Pitt Fessenden'soffice; having seen many able lawyers conduct cases incourt—Fessenden and Evans in Maine, Rufus Choate and other greatlawyers in Boston, and, in the South, Yancey and others—allow me tosay that I never saw anything to be compared with the ease, dignityand power with which Mr. Marsh managed everything."

But his splendid gifts and varied powers could not be restricted intheir exercise to the energies of the law and the graces ofliterature. Equally fitted to shine in society or among scholars, inpulpit or press, on the rostrum or in the forum; always facileprinceps as poet or preacher, essayist or journalist, publicist orphilanthropist, advocate or orator, his un-approached range andversatility mark him indisputably as the Admirable Crichton of hisland and age.

During the period covered by Mr. Marsh's impressive eulogy upon thecharacter and attainments of his friend Stephen W. Fullerton, theOrange County bar was enriched by the weight, the influence and thelearning of a group of lawyers whose temperament disinclined them tothe fierce excitements, the rude conflicts, the temporary triumphs ofthe forum. Foremost among them was Eugene A. Brewster, who, though hepersonally argued his cases with great ability and success before theappellate courts, where reason and reserve count for more than fervorand fluency, was unskilled in the art of swaying a jury against itswill or snatching a verdict against the evidence. Mr. Brewster's warmadmiration for his great preceptor, Judge John W. Brown, may haveunconsciously influenced his bearing, but his moral and intellectualequipment was entirely his own. This embraced a deep sense of theresponsibility resting upon every lawyer to sustain the honor anddignity of an ancient and honorable profession. He scrupulouslymaintained throughout a busy and active career the high ideals withwhich he started out. His aim was to ascertain the truth, not tocircumvent it; to apply the law, not to evade it; to draw from thefountains of justice, not to pollute them. He enjoyed the respect ofthe courts, of his brethren and of the public because of hischaracter as well as his ability, his virtues as well as his talents.His whole life was a steady influence working for honesty in themoral fibre of the community; a persistent power making forrighteousness; a never-failing light guiding to the path of safetyand of honor. In him were incarnated those conserving principles,those formative influences, those stimulating ideals, those ennoblingtraditions which impart dignity to human life, strength to humancharacter, stability to human society.

David A. Scott was another eminent member of the same group. Assurrogate of the county for two terms his administration wasdistinguished by an unusual display of those qualities of breadth,wisdom, patience, knowledge of human nature and capacity for affairsso peculiarly requisite in a probate judge exercising jurisdictionover the saddest controversies, disclosures and scenes ever presentedfor adjudication—contested wills, disputed claims, angryaccountings, recrimination between brother and sister, calumniationof the dead, sordid passions and petty avarice disrupting oldfriendships and family ties. In calming these dissensions wheneverpossible and in deciding them whenever necessary Judge Scottmanifested that happy blending of tact, temper, common sense, soundjudgment, practical sagacity and professional learning so essentialin the office of surrogate. I say judge because the title surrogateis a most unfortunate one. The office is known in other commonwealthsas that of probate judge. People are so influenced by mere names thatif such were the title here the claims of an able surrogate to publicrespect would be more fully understood. When it is considered thatonce in every generation the entire wealth of the county, includingvast fortunes amassed elsewhere by those who die residing in it, isadministered upon in this court and that nearly all the intricate andperplexing questions involved in its distribution are passed upon bythe surrogate, it will readily be seen that the duties andresponsibilities of this office are among the most important,extensive and onerous that can devolve upon judicial officers.

It is now nearly fifty years since David A. Scott entered upon theduties of this office. There are those who still remember the dignityand grace with which he discharged them. It is forty years since helaid them down. One year after the close of his second official termand one year after Judge Michael H. Hirschberg had been admitted tothe bar, they entered into a partnership under the name of Scott &Hirschberg, which continued until Mr. Scott's death. What this long,close association meant to the younger member of the firm he alonefully knows. Surely he would be the last to repel the suggestion thatit doubtless profoundly influenced a character still sensitive andimpressionable when the intimacy began. Indeed he himself boreaffectionate testimony to this impress when, in the courtproceedings, held to honor his dead friend's memory, he said: "Formore than twenty-one years we have labored together side by side inthe perfect intimacy and union of the partnership relation, andrealizing how very much I am indebted to his precepts, his exampleand his support; with only sweet and grateful memories of thatconnection now remaining, wholly unalloyed by even the momentaryshadow of doubt or distrust, and un-vexed by even an occasionalsuggestion of discord or dissension—indeed one long and unbrokenperiod of harmonious intercourse, of joint and cheerful endeavor, andof undisturbed confidence and esteem, I deem it a duty no less than aprivilege to add my humble meed of praise to the chorus of eulogywhich I am sure will greet his memory to-day."

In closing his tribute Judge Hirschberg said, with the heartfeltconcurrence of the entire bar:

"And so passed away forever an honorable lawyer, a faithful friend, aloving father, an estimable citizen, a good man. We will all miss hisfamiliar form, his friendly greeting, and his kindly presence. Lethis virtues be commemorated in the records of the court. Let thesweet and wholesome fragrance of his memory remain, to inspirelawyers, living and to come, to emulate his upright deeds, and to conthe lasting lessons of his pure and simple life."

And now as we pause in the contemplation of this fine and beautifulcharacter there rises before the mind another figure associated withthe days of Winfield and Gedney in Goshen; of Fullerton, Brewster andScott in Newburgh—the figure of James G. Graham. It is difficult toclassify him in either group to which reference has been made. Aconstitution naturally delicate led him to shrink from the strife andturmoil of sharply contested trials and to prefer the seclusion ofhis office and his library. Yet no lawyer of the period underconsideration approached him in the kind of oratory adapted topublic and ceremonious occasions. Indeed James G. Graham stands in agroup or class alone. None but himself could be his counterpart, forhe was compacted of every creature's best. In serenity he was equalto Scott, in strength to Winfield. In counsel he was as wise asBrewster, in speech as gifted as Gedney. While in vigor of expressionhe may be compared to Winfield and in felicity of style to Gedney,yet he excelled them both in a certain tender grace, a poetic touch,a romantic spell, an iridescent play of fancy and sentiment whichwere the spontaneous reflection of an ardent, imaginative, spiritualtemperament, united to and controlled by exquisite literary taste.

He never received, either in life or in death, the public recognitiondue to his splendid gifts and exalted character. He was ever generousin his own praise of substantial worth. His tributes to his departedbrethren were marked by peculiar elevation of thought and tendernessof sentiment. A work professing to be history, seeking to readjustthe balances in which the superficial judgment of contemporaries iscorrected by the tardy recognition of posterity, should not fail toregister the star of James G. Graham in that brilliant constellationfrom which Marsh and Winfield, Gedney and Fullerton, Brewster andScott shed undying refulgence upon the traditions and memories of theOrange County bar. Let a garland of affectionate, reverent homageentwine the memory of one who never failed himself to lay a chapletof rosemary upon the grave of friendship.

To this period also belongs Abram S. Cassedy. Admitted to practicejust fifty years ago, his rise from the time that he settled inNewburgh was so rapid that he came into professional relations withthe members of both groups which have been considered, though theywere all admitted to the bar several years before. Indeed he belongedto both groups. He was emphatically what is meant by the expression"an all-'round lawyer." He could work patiently and assiduously inhis office drawing contracts and giving counsel and then proceed tothe courtroom to try his cases. His knowledge of the law commandedthe respect of the courts, while his earnestness and sincerityproduced a favorable impression upon juries. He was essentially aman of affairs, equally at home in the bank directors' meeting, thecommon council, the mayor's office and the board of education. He wascorporation counsel of his city and district attorney of the county.He was the executor of large estates and the trustee of greatinterests, one of the most important of his transactions being hissale of the West Shore Railroad for the sum of $22,000,000, and hisdistribution of the fund. In all the positions that he occupied andall the capacities that he filled he was animated by the very highestideals of professional honor and personal probity. In many ways theinfluence of his life and the force of his example have been morepersistent and abiding in Newburgh than in the case of lawyers whosefame has been exclusively in the courts. His interesting andstainless career affords a striking illustration of the results whichmay be accomplished by an acute and active mind concentrated upon oneleading object and directed in its energies by a simple, sincere,straightforward, undeviating devotion to the noblest standards ofpublic duty and private honor.

Looming large and masterful in the second group of lawyers, thefriend and associate of Winfield, Gedney and Fullerton, who alwaysvalued highly his legal opinions and who frequently were influencedby them, though he distrusted his own ability to cope with them incourt, comes the figure of John G. Wilkin. Twice elected countyjudge, the first time in 1851 and the second time in 1883, theinterval between these elections was marked by the presence and thepower of his persistent, aggressive, dominating, yet at the same timewinning, gracious, picturesque personality. Born to command, theexciting times in which he lived, covering the most painful period ofour national history, tended to develop his natural powers ofleadership. He had a talent for friendship. His absolute devotion tohis friends in times of adversity and defeat confirmed a leadershipwhich, however, was constantly challenged by those who, because theycould not control him, sought to crush him. He tasted many a time thebitter truth of Joubert's epigram that a man who by the same actcreates a friend and an enemy plays a losing game, because revenge isa stronger principle than gratitude. But Judge Wilkin never knewthat he had lost. He never accepted defeat. Like his old friendHalstead Sweet, who always began the day after election to preparefor the next election, the hour of Judge Wilkin's defeat was the mostdangerous one for his enemies. In the case of such a character,deeply implanted with the love of power for its own sake as well asfor its rewards, it was inevitable that it should pass through manyperiods of storm and trial. But if Judge Wilkin perforce bent to thestorm he never quailed before it. The deepest trial of his life wasone that he never foresaw. This was the failure in 1884 of theMiddletown National Bank of which he was the attorney and nominallythe vice-president. This failure, which was precipitated by theunsuspected acts of the president in giving up to a grain shipper whohad acquired a hypnotic control over his mind, two hundred thousanddollars' worth of bills of lading without the payment of the draftsto which the bills of lading were attached, came to Judge Wilkin withall the force of a cruel and crushing accident. The spirit which noopposition could daunt recoiled for a moment under the stab oftreachery. But only for a moment. Quickly recovering himself—thoughdeeply pained and humiliated that such a disaster should come to aninstitution with which he was connected and especially to friends whomight have been influenced by his name—the strength, the courage,the manliness of his royal character were never more strikinglyexemplified, were never shown to greater advantage than at this verytime. He never flinched from any obligation which this or any otherrelation, business, political, social or professional entailed uponhim. His devotion to his clients, his determination to relieve themfrom the consequences of their own folly or imprudence was absoluteand fearless, never taking any note of whether they could haveavoided the plight they were in. If they were in trouble through nofault of their own, of course anybody would be glad to help them. Butif they were in trouble through their own fault the very addition totheir troubles which this reflection caused them only created adouble claim upon Judge Wilkin's sympathies and energy. This is thespirit of the true lawyer, who, when appealed to in distress, has nomore right to arrogate to himself the functions of court and jury anddecree that his client must take his punishment than a physician hasto refuse to cure a disease which his patient has incurred through aviolation of the laws of health or morality.

Judge Wilkin's interest in the young men who grew up about him neverdeserted him. He welcomed their advances, he reciprocated theiresteem, he enjoyed their companionship. His reminiscences of theolder bar were lively and entertaining, his sense of humor keen, hisexultation in life and all its activities throbbing and intense. Hewas not ready to go when the summons came and he made no hypocriticalpretense of resignation to it. His was a life so full of promise andperformance, passion and power, persuasiveness and preeminence thatwell may we exclaim with the poet:

"But what rich life—what energy and glow!
Cordial to friend and chivalrous to foe!
Concede all foibles harshness would reprove,
And what choice attributes remain to love."

If James N. Pronk had given the thought and attention to his owninterests that he gave to the interests of the public and to thedevelopment of his city he would have died wealthy and famous. In hisearly manhood when, as the only lawyer in Middletown, except JudgeWilkin, he acquired a large practice, he quickly accumulated afortune sufficient to enable him to build and wholly pay for whatstill remains the finest store and office block in Middletown. He hadnothing to do then, in order to a successful life, but to take hisease and accept such work as he might enjoy. But this was not hisnature. He simply could not take his ease. He was possessed by thedesire to originate and carry forward every public enterprise thatmight benefit the town. He lived plainly and simply, had no personalindulgences, spent nothing upon himself, denied himself everypleasure in order that he might give himself wholly to the service ofthe public. Every pleasure indeed except that of friends and books.He loved the society of congenial spirits and he dwelt much amongbooks. But he was not selfish even in this. Instead of putting thebooks he bought into his own library he put them into a publiclibrary. He established the Lyceum, the fine circulating library ofwhich gave to Middletown its first literary impetus. In connectionwith this he organized debates in which the ablest men of thecommunity discussed every moral, social and political question of theday. These debates brought out the native talent and debating powersof many men who otherwise might have been silent, notable among themIsrael O. Beattie, whose wide information, keen reasoning andsparkling wit are well remembered by those who know how naturally hisdistinguished son, Judge John J. Beattie, comes by these qualities.

Moreover, Mr. Pronk brought to the platform of the Lyceum theforemost intellects of his time—Henry Ward Beecher, WendellPhillips, Horace Greeley, Edward H. Chapin, Theodore L. Cuyler andmany others. I well remember when, a few years ago at Mohonk, JudgeBeattie and I introduced ourselves to Dr. Cuyler and mentionedMiddletown, he at once exclaimed: "How's my old friend Pronk?" thoughthey had not met for forty years and he had not heard of his death.

The great mistake of Mr. Pronk's life was when he mortgaged his finebuilding, on the income of which he might easily have lived, in orderto establish what became the passion and the idol of his life,Hillside Cemetery. But was it a mistake? Is it not success, afterall, to live in lasting institutions? This cemetery is to-day themost beautiful resting place of the dead in Orange County. Over thissacred spot where he himself was laid, broods ever the sentimentinscribed over the tomb in St. Paul's Cathedral of Sir ChristopherWren, its architect—"If you would behold his monument look about you." (Si monumentum quaeris circ*mspice.)

Younger than any of the lawyers thus far considered, but enteringupon his professional life while theirs was still active, and dyingprematurely before the close of those careers with which his own wasstrictly contemporaneous, was William F. O'Neill. Perhaps no careerwas ever more of a surprise to the public and to the profession thanthat of Mr. O'Neill. From Winfield, Gedney and Fullerton with theirdistinguished lineage, family influence, county connections, socialposition, superior education, wide culture, courtly address andimposing presence much was expected and expectation was alwayssatisfied. But here was a young man, who coming from Monticello tostudy law in Middletown with Judge Groo and entering upon his careerwithout any of these advantages, boldly flung himself into the courtsto try conclusions with the ablest of Orange County's advocates andbegan at once to captivate juries and to win his cases. Small instature, unimpressive in appearance, deficient in culture, unformedin style, averse to application, trying his cases with veryinadequate preparation, the lawyers were puzzled at first to know thesecret of his immediate and enormous success at the bar. It lay, asthey soon learned, in his faculty of making the jury think that healways happened to be on the right side. It was like the case of thejuror who was descanting enthusiastically upon the magnificent,unrivaled powers of Brougham as an advocate. "But," said a bystander,"I see that you always give the verdict to Scarlett." "Scarlett, Oyes," said the juror. "Well, you see Scarlett is always on the rightside."

Mr. O'Neill was a natural verdict getter. He never went over theheads of the jury. He talked with them on their own plane of thought,sentiment and experience. Juries liked him personally. They feltinterested in his success. I remember a trial in which he obtained averdict of $2,000 against the village of Port Jervis for a woman whohad fallen upon a defective sidewalk, but who did not appear to havebeen much injured. After the verdict, one of the jurors, Coe Goble,of Greenville, asked me what I thought of the verdict, to which Ireplied that they probably gave as much as the evidence justified,since she did not seem to be hurt much. "Well," said Goble, "it wasthis way—we thought the woman ought to have $1,000 and we thoughtBilly ought to have $1,000."

This familiar, affectionate reference to him as "Billy" indicates hisplace as a popular idol. Indeed the boyishness of his appearance andstature seemed to help him. People who saw him for the first time andwho had not expected much from him, went out of the courtroom saying,"Did you see how little Billy O'Neill laid him out?"

Mr. O'Neill made negligence cases a specialty, and he became knownfar and wide as a negligence lawyer. Those who deprecate the rise ofthe negligence lawyer and the increase in negligence cases during thelast forty years fail to make sufficient allowance for those changedconditions in the business of the world under which its variouscurrents of capital and industry converge in one swollen stream ofcorporate enterprise and control. This tends, on the one hand, toencourage professional alertness in protecting the individual fromcorporate greed or neglect and, on the other hand, to create extremedevotion to corporate interests seeking the aid of professional skilland judgment. While the zeal of attorneys in behalf of corporationsis rarely condemned it is somewhat the fashion to deprecate thenegligence lawyer who takes the case of a client against acorporation upon a contingent fee. As the client is usually destituteit is difficult to see how his case is to be presented at all unlessthe attorney takes his chances upon success. As courts and juriesmust determine that the claim is a worthy one before it can succeed,the whole criterion seems to resolve itself into the position thatworthy causes and clients should be deprived of a hearing. Thisfeeling can be well understood on the part of corporations constantlycompelled to pay damages on account of their carelessness, but theexpression of it comes with poor grace from lawyers who receive largeretainers and liberal fees from wealthy clients. It is at least asfair to a client to wait for compensation until the work is done asit is to insist on a retainer before any work at all is done. It isnoticeable that the criticism upon the contingent fee at theconclusion of the case comes usually from the lawyer who expects alarge fee at the beginning of the case.

It is simple truth and justice to say that human life and limb aresafer to-day in Orange County because that sturdy fighter anddangerous opponent, William F. O'Neill, caring not whether hisclient was poor or rich, never allowed a case of negligence, oncebrought to his attention, to pass unchallenged and un-presented to acourt of justice. And if his example and his influence haveencouraged others, as indeed they have, in the same path ofprofessional honor and public duty, then he, too, has not lived invain.

The advent of Mr. O'Neill was coincident with the rise of a newgeneration of advocates who were confronted at first with a supremacyin the older bar which never could have been ousted by superiortalent. It yielded at last to the only rivals it could not resist,decay and death, even as now the lawyers I am about to name will soonsurrender to a still later generation their coveted place andprominence in the courts. I say about to name because,notwithstanding the considerations which suggest the omission of anyreference to the living, it seems to be inartistic and it ought to beunnecessary to break off a narrative in the middle because some ofits characters are still living. Caution and delicacy may indeeddiscourage, if not wholly forbid such un-stinted praise as may beproperly bestowed upon a finished, rounded career, far removed frompossible marring by some late and regrettable error. But, on theother hand, the opinion of his contemporaries by one who has freelymingled with them and frequently been pitted against them ought to beaccurate, and, if accurate, then interesting and valuable. How wewould all enjoy now Winfield's own characterization of Samuel J.Wilkin and William F. Sharpe, his partner; of Benjamin F. Duryea andJoseph W. Gott, the senior; of David F. Gedney and Stephen W.Fullerton. There are histories of our own times and this is one ofthem. Let me proceed then, diffidently, indeed, but stillunflinchingly, to perform the task assigned to me before the subjectsand the generation chiefly interested in them have all alike passedaway; appealing to the judgment of those still able to decide, uponthe candor, fairness and impartiality of the estimates. Indeed, if wewait until all contemporaries have passed away, who is left todetermine whether the estimates are just?

William J. Groo is older than the lawyers who came to the bar in thelate sixties, but he falls naturally in this group, because he cameto Orange County in 1866, when he at once took a foremost place amongits trial lawyers, his reputation having preceded him. He had alreadybecome leader of the bar of Sullivan County, where in 1856 he waselected its district attorney. This leadership was, in itself,evidence of great ability, for he had to win his spurs against suchintellectual giants as General Niven, Judge Bush, Senator Low andJames L. Stewart. It is not strange, then, that in him Winfield,Gedney and Fullerton found a match for all their powers and an equalin all the arts and accomplishment of the advocate. His perfectself-possession, his readiness in retort, his firm grasp of thepoints in controversy, his unfailing memory enabling him to marshalthe testimony with crushing effect, his severe logic, his scathingenunciation, his intrepid spirit, and, above all, his moralearnestness combined to make him a dreaded and formidable adversary.

Judge Groo (for he acquired the title through his election as specialcounty judge of Orange County in the year 1868) has carried thisquality of moral earnestness, which so largely contributed to hissuccess at the bar, into all the interests and relations of life. Heearly espoused the cause of temperance and has long been one of themost prominent members of the prohibition party, which at differenttimes has bestowed upon him its complimentary but unsubstantialnomination for governor and judge of the Court of Appeals. He hasalways insisted that the absolute prohibition of the sale of liquorsin the State of New York is not only a righteous and necessaryreform, but an entirely feasible one. The remarkable strength of thismovement in the South, followed as it has been by recent prohibitorylegislation in several of the States, is one of the cheering rewardsfor unselfish, life-long devotion to principle which he is permittedto enjoy in his declining years. There is no doubt whatever that hissacrifices in behalf of this cause seriously interfered with hislater eminence at the bar, for such eminence, even when onceachieved, can be maintained only by sedulous, un-relaxed devotion; bysteady, unqualified, undivided allegiance to that most exacting ofall masters—the law.

This consecration to higher duties and nobler aims than thoseinvolved in mere professional success does not, however, constitutethe sole reason why Judge Groo ceased to be a familiar and prominentfigure in the courts of Orange County. This was due primarily to theremoval of his office to New York, where he continued to win manynotable legal triumphs until failing health compelled him to retirefrom active practice. His dignified and honorable repose is dividedbetween his home in Middletown and his summer retreat in his nativecounty of Sullivan at Grooville, so named in honor of one of hisRevolutionary ancestors.

Though Lewis E. Carr has transferred his professional activities toa wider field, yet he acquired and developed in Orange County thosetranscendent qualities as a trial lawyer which have since, in nearlyevery county of the State, excited the astonishment of the bar andthe admiration of the courts. From the very first he produced aprofound impression upon Winfield, Gedney and Fullerton, with whom heengaged in vigorous, courageous contest at a time when it wasdifficult, indeed, to stand up against their powerful and almostirresistible influence. But it was when he came to be associated withthem in some most important trials that they were even more impressedwith his knowledge of fundamental principles, his wisdom inconsultation, his mature and unerring judgment. Judge Gedney onceremarked in a public tribute to Mr. Carr in his early life that itwas possible to gain a far more accurate measurement of a lawyer'sreal ability through association with him than in opposition to him.He added that it was after enjoying such opportunities to becomeacquainted with Mr. Carr that he was the better able to expressadmiration of his surpassing talents as well as confidence in hisbrilliant future. Mr. Carr has since then enjoyed many honors andsome supreme triumphs, but it is doubtful that any encomium has evergiven him deeper pleasure than this now amply verified prediction byso competent an authority.

Nothing more surely attests the eminence which Mr. Carr has attainedin the State than the recognition of it by the Assembly of the Stateof New York in inviting him to pronounce in its chamber the eulogyupon its beloved speaker, S. Frederick Nixon, upon the memorialoccasion dignified by the attendance of the Governor, the Senate andthe judges of the Court of Appeals. In that august presence Mr. Carr,defending the prerogatives of the State, said:

"However much we take pride in the nation's greatness and power wecannot shut our eyes to the fact that in some way, not easy tounderstand, the Federal Government of which we constitute no meanpart, has been steadily encroaching upon the province of the State,and year by year the waves of its rising power are biting away somepart of the shore on which our feet should rest. . . . Preservationof the rights of the State, as the framers of the Constitutionintended and provided, is as essential to the safety, security andperpetuity of the sisterhood of States as the armies that carry anddefend the flag and the navies that patrol the sea and protect ourharbors against the dangers of attack. Our State is an empire in andof itself. Dominion over it and control of its priceless interestsare all our own, save to the narrow extent they were expresslyyielded to give needed strength and requisite power for theprotection of the whole."

This extract gives some idea of the force and clearness whichcharacterize all Mr. Carr's public utterances, but no extract cangive any conception of his extraordinary powers as an advocate. Theassembly indeed had already enjoyed an unusual opportunity towitness their display, for Mr. Carr was easily the most conspicuousand imposing figure in a public trial of great importance conductedbefore it, in which he made the principal and prevailing argument.But it is perhaps in the appellate courts that Mr. Carr's abilitiesfind their most congenial field of exercise. There his ready commandof all the resources of a trained, vigorous and richly storedintellect enables him to discuss every proposition propounded by thecourt, or advanced by his opponent, with a breadth of reasoning, afertility of illustration, an array of authority which never fail toarouse admiration and delight. Indeed in every argument or trial inwhich he engages he organizes from the outset an intellectual duel.One who is not prepared to cope with him on equal terms, or with acause so strong that it overcomes the intellectual handicap, willfind it prudent not to enter the lists with him.

When Mr. Carr resided in Port Jervis before going to Albany, where heis the general counsel for the Delaware and Hudson Company and wherehe is called as senior counsel into many important cases not at allconnected with railroad litigation, such was his devotion to hisprofession that it was only in exciting political campaigns that hecould yield himself to the demands of the platform. But in Albany soinsistent and repeated have been the demands upon him that he hasbeen compelled to yield more frequently, until now his reputation isfirmly established as a platform speaker of rare attractiveness. Afair example of his after-dinner oratory may be found, in fit companyand enduring form, in the book entitled "Modern Eloquence," edited bySpeaker Thomas B. Reed; it being a response, at the banquet of theState Bar Association, in which, with a fine blending of humor andseriousness, he commends that recent revival of an ancient customwhich has done so much already to revive and promote the dignity ofthe bench—the wearing by judges of the robe of office.

The Orange County Bar has contributed to the bar of the State manygifted sons of whom it has been, indeed, proud—Ogden Hoffman,William H. Seward, William Fullerton and others—but it has nevercontributed one of whose character, ability and fame it is morejustly and universally proud than it is of the character, ability andfame of Lewis E. Carr.

Henry Bacon is now, indisputably, the leader of the Orange CountyBar. His career has been marked by a singleness of devotion to hisprofession rarely equaled. It was interrupted at one time by hisservice for five years in the House of Representatives, in thedebates of which he bore an honorable part, impressing himself mostfavorably upon the leaders of his own party and those of theopposition. But his heart was all the time in the law, which hekeenly enjoys as a science and reveres as a master. Returning toGoshen at the expiration of his congressional service he threwhimself with renewed ardor into the practice of his profession towhich he has since applied himself with undeviating purpose,persistence and power. The position of leadership now held by him isthe natural, inevitable and only consistent result of high endeavorand unfaltering purpose united to intellectual gifts and legalqualifications of a superior order. Mr. Bacon has the legal instinct.He is not content until he has penetrated to the heart of themystery. He revels in a perplexing and complicated case. He loves tounravel its intricacies and explore its mazes.

Mr. Bacon has in the past twenty years tried more cases than anylawyer in the county. He is retained in nearly every important trial.His manifest knowledge of every principle of the law involved in thecase always commands the respect of the court and of the bar. Inpresenting his views to the jury he relies upon logic rather thaneloquence, upon consecutive force of argument rather than the arts ofpersuasion. In the celebrated case of Magar vs. Hammond his openingaddress to the jury upon the second trial was a masterpiece ofclear, coherent, cumulative and convincing statement.

Mr. Bacon is never more interested than when he is confronted withsome grave question of constitutional construction. His attack uponthe constitutionality of the drainage law, which was declaredinvalid by the Court of Appeals upon the arguments advanced by him,and in which he was opposed by the eminent advocate John G. Milburn,will be long remembered.

All lawyers are true to their clients, but Mr. Bacon's inflexibilityin the assertion or defense of his client's rights is uncompromisingto the last degree. It has even been said that, in his zeal andardor, he is willing to trample upon all the ties of privatefriendship and all the claims of personal courtesy. But no client wasever heard to complain of this and, after all, the fact remains thatno lawyer can serve his clients with absolute fidelity without, attimes, wounding his neighbors and his friends. An honest lawyer canknow no one but his client and him crucified. His standard ofmorality and manners, of duty and decorum is expressed in thesentiment, "Stop pursuing my client and I have no further quarrelwith you." Mr. Bacon typifies this spirit and embodies this principlein his professional life more strikingly than any lawyer who has everpracticed at the bar of Orange County.

On the other hand Mr. Bacon's social gifts and graces are in thehighest degree winning and attractive. One would never suspect, inthe velvet palm that greets him at his threshold, the iron hand thatcrushed him but the day before in court. One would never recognize inthe beaming, graceful host the hard-headed lawyer who, with stern,unflinching purpose, will destroy him to-morrow. United in marriageto the brilliant and accomplished daughter of one of America'spurest and noblest statesmen, Samuel J. Randall, his home is a centerof charming, courtly and gracious hospitality dispensed with lavish,refined and unaffected generosity. Mr. Bacon is the only lawyer inOrange County who has ever both recognized and fulfilled his socialduty to his brethren of the bar by throwing open his home to them inreceptions intended to bring the judges and the lawyers together insocial relations. In olden days and in other counties this customonce prevailed. Possibly it is because Orange County labors under themisfortune of being a half-shire county—a calamity to any bar forthe reason, besides many others, that it effectually destroys thepossibility of having a suitable court house—that a spirit ofcomradeship among its lawyers has never grown up. It is noticeablethat in counties where the legal interests converge in one centralcounty seat the brotherly spirit is more active. But, however thatmay be, Mr. Bacon is entitled to the grateful acknowledgment of hisefforts to suspend the asperities of professional conflict in thesolvent of social converse. In this, as in every other respect, hisleadership of the bar is supreme.

Walter C. Anthony preceded Mr. Bacon a few months in their studentlife with Judge Gedney at Goshen. No one has painted so perfect andbeautiful a picture as he of those halcyon days in that country lawoffice. In his memorial tribute he said:

"But of all the delightful hours spent with Judge Gedney I recall,with most pleasure, our afternoon talks at the office. As the day waswearing late and he began to make preparations to leave, he usuallyseemed to want to draw me into conversation. Frequently it took theform of an examination as to those branches of the law which I wasthen reading upon. Occasionally he would draw me into the discussionof some legal question, in which he would maintain an opinion opposedto that which I expressed, and in which after combating me, with allhis ingenuity and acuteness and frequently discomfiting me, he wouldin the end explain the whole question and point out the errors ofeither side of the argument. At times some event of the day's workwould be used as a foundation for an explanation of the legalquestions involved. In whatever way the conversation was begun hisevident purpose was that it should be profitable to me in connectionwith the studies I was pursuing; and when that end had beenaccomplished our conversation would wander on 'at its own sweetwill,' touching on many and varied themes which all developed newbeauties and suggestiveness beneath the light of his varied learningand fertile fancy. Is it to be wondered at that I recall them with achastened delight? Judge Gedney was then in the very prime of hisremarkable powers. His mind was a storehouse of varied andinteresting knowledge, and his conversational and descriptive skillwere not only very great, but quite unique.

"I shall always regard it as one of the most fortunate circ*mstancesof my life that 1 was brought into such intimate association withDavid F. Gedney. And as my life passes on into the 'sere and yellowleaf and I sit among the lengthening shadows of its afternoon lookingback upon the friends and friendships of my youth, I shall very, veryoften recall Judge Gedney—the slender, erect figure; the stronglymarked face; the scant but expressive gesture; the wonderfullymelodious and well modulated voice; the words so deftly chosen froma vocabulary surpassingly rich and full, that they always reminded meof the sentence in holy writ: 'words fitly spoken are like apples ofgold in pictures of silver;' and above all I shall recall his kindand generous deeds, the fit exponents of a loving, loyal heart; and,thus recalling him, I shall often in the future exclaim—as I havealready in the past—in no empty phrase and with no exaggeration ofspeech:

"'Oh for the touch of a vanished hand
And the sound of a voice that is still!'"

This extract is made not solely to embellish the portrait of JudgeGedney, the man—though I indeed left it unfinished intending thus toinvoke Mr. Anthony's aid in completing it—but also to illustrate Mr.Anthony's own cast of mind, character and literary style. Mr. Anthonyis by nature and inclination, a scholar and a recluse. If he wererich he would shut up his office and browse in his library; but notselfishly, for no one has been more generous than he in responding todemands for public and literary addresses. I heard him once, beforethe Chautauqua Assembly, give a purely extemporaneous lecture uponwit and humor which for range of reading, wealth of information,critical analysis and brilliant characterization has never beensurpassed by our most famous lecturers; and yet it was delivered witha modesty, sweetness and simplicity which seemed to deprecate thesuggestion that it was anything out of the ordinary.

His memory of Judge Gedney unconsciously reveals how deep was theimpression made in youth upon a mind singularly susceptible to thecharms and graces of literature and upon a nature no less susceptibleto the beauties and joys of friendship. As in the case of all suchnatures, the books must be choice and the friends fit but few. Not,indeed, that Mr. Anthony is deficient in the elements of personalpopularity. His election twice to the office of district attorney ofthe county, the duties of which he most ably discharged, attests hispopular strength. But it is undeniable that his predilection for thesociety of the great and wise of every age, to be found in hiswell-filled library, has tended more and more to withdraw him fromthe society of the shallow, the superficial, the frivolous. He standsto-day a lonely but alluring figure, on whose heights those whochoose to follow may find in him the charming companion, theaccomplished scholar, the earnest inquirer, the inspiring instructor.

Let no captious reader take cynical exception to the note of honestpraise sounded in these memoirs. Let it be remembered that, out ofhundreds of lawyers, only a few of those entitled to admiration andpraise have been selected for extended mention. While personalmemoirs should be accurate they need not be exhaustive. In those rareinstances in which conspicuous talent has yielded to temptation and,in weakness or dishonor, forfeited public respect, it has seemed tobe the truest kindness to pass over it in silence. Indeed, as onesurveys the procession down half a century of those who have becomenotable in the law he is profoundly impressed that not by infirm,invertebrate character have they gained their prominence but only byfirm resolution, high endeavor, moral purpose and intellectual power.One is led to wonder not that there should be so few entitled topraise, but that there should be so many. Impartial criticism willdemand of the contemporary chronicler not that his praise be stinted,but only that it be discriminating.

Indeed only the most un-stinted, unqualified praise would be eitherjust or appropriate in summoning from that stately procession ofgreat and honored lawyers the lofty, imposing figure of Judge John J.Beattie, who for eighteen years—1889 to 1907—presided over theCounty Court of Orange County, having been elected for threesuccessive terms. His dignity of presence, weight of character andwealth of learning amply sustained the traditions of a bench onceoccupied by Gedney and Fullerton. Many of Judge Beattie's decisionshave been in cases of far-reaching public importance—notably thecase involving the construction of the eight-hour law in which JudgeBeattie decided that the provision prohibiting a contractor fromallowing his men to work over eight hours a day on a publicimprovement was unconstitutional and void. The Appellate Divisionreversed but the Court of Appeals affirmed Judge Beattie in anopinion sustaining every position which Judge Beattie had taken inhis opinion.

Judge Beattie is grounded in the principles of the law. In all thathe does he is thorough, going to the very bottom of the case whetheras to the law or the facts. This quality was strikingly brought outin the case tried by him for eight days before Judge Maddox involvingthe liability of a railroad company for the damage resulting from theexplosion of a locomotive boiler. There was absolutely nothing abouta boiler that Judge Beattie did not understand. One would havesupposed that he had been brought up in boiler works and had then runan engine on the road. He succeeded in dividing the jury and JudgeMaddox said after the trial that he had never seen a finer display ofsheer intellectuality than Judge Beattie's management of the defense.

He is an omnivorous reader and his marvelous memory retains all thathe ever read. His conversation is an intellectual feast, for he poursout a never-failing stream of literary anecdote, historic incidentand choice passages from the classics of every age, all ready to gushforth from his well-stored memory as the conversation glances fromone subject to another.

Judge Beattie carries into his retirement from the County Court thegratitude and respect of the bar and of the public for the fineexample of judicial dignity and learning which he has given foreighteen years—an example which may well be followed not only by allwho succeed him in the County Court, but by all who administer in thesame court houses and from the same bench the wider jurisdiction ofthe Supreme Court.

Having considered several leaders of the bar who came into practicein the late sixties, but who, like their predecessors, Winfield,Gedney and Fullerton, were never invited to the bench of the SupremeCourt, we come now naturally to that group of their early associateswho have achieved judicial honors, those honors which have alwaysheld a glittering fascination for the bar whether in the wearing orthe recounting of them. There never have been enough judgeships to goaround and the long tenure now established wholly excludes rotationamong the leaders of the bar in respect to judicial position. Hencethe prospect that any member of the bar, however able, will everattain judicial honors is so remote and dependent upon so manyunforeseen conditions that when they do descend and repose upon themodest brow of some highly favored but always unenvied brother, thecirc*mstances combining to produce such a fortuitous selectionpossess all the charm of romance and all the fascination of a fairytale. While it is true that many unforeseen conditions must alwaysunite in determining the destination of this coveted prize, therestill seems to be one inexorable condition to which all Orange Countyaspirants must conform. They must not reside in the interior of thecounty. They must practice in the old, historic city of Newburgh—acity which has always taken a deep, honorable, patriotic pride in itsRevolutionary associations and in the land they represent, but whichhas no more pride in, no more sense of connection with, Orange Countyas a whole than West Point has. Its bar has always been distinguishedfor great ability and high character.

The Supreme Court of the State of New York, the wide jurisdiction ofwhich extends from Long Island to the St. Lawrence and the Lakes, wasnever more fortunate than in the acquisition to its bench from theNewburgh bar of the two Browns, father and son—John W. Brown andCharles F. Brown—the elder having ascended the bench in 1850 and theyounger in 1883.

It is Charles F. Brown who belongs to the period we are nowconsidering. Graduated from Yale College in 1866, admitted topractice in 1868, elected district attorney in 1874 and county judgein 1877, he resigned in 1882 the position of county judge to assumethe duties of supreme court judge.

Mr. Winfield had always ardently desired a position upon the bench ofthe Supreme Court. It was one of the bitterest disappointments of hislife that he so narrowly missed this object of his ambition in 1875,when Judge Dykman was elected. In that year the widespread revoltamong the bar and public against the re-election of that mostunpopular official, Judge Tappen, who had received the regulardemocratic nomination, made it evident that any independentdemocratic candidate who should receive the endorsem*nt of therepublican convention would be elected. Mr. Winfield's hopes ofreceiving this endorsem*nt rose high and were on the point of beingrealized when an unexpected influence intervened to dash them.General Benjamin F. Tracy, who had a longstanding personal feud withWilliam Fullerton, the brother of Stephen W. Fullerton, suddenly cameto the conclusion that he did not want upon the bench an intimatefriend of the Fullertons. He therefore threw his influence in favorof Jackson O. Dykman, then a prominent democratic lawyer ofWestchester County, who thus received the nomination. His election bya large democratic and republican vote confirmed the prediction thatsuch a coalition would easily accomplish the defeat of Judge Tappen.Orange County, notwithstanding that it shared Mr. Winfield'sdisappointment, followed his generous lead in supporting JudgeDykman and gave him a majority of 10,000. No one labored for Mr.Winfield's nomination at this time more earnestly than Charles F.Brown himself.

In 1882 Mr. Winfield's hopes of obtaining a nomination revived, butCharles F. Brown, who cherished the natural and honorable ambition toemulate his father's noble example and distinguished career as ajurist, felt that he ought not to stand aside again. He of coursesecured the delegate from his own assembly district withoutopposition. Overcoming the opposition offered by Mr. Winfield'sfriends in the second assembly district, he secured its delegatealso. By thus presenting a united front Orange County was able tosuccessfully assert its claims in the judicial convention and tosecure for Judge Brown the nomination that was followed by hiselection.

No one was more gratified by Judge Brown's election than Mr. Winfieldhimself, especially as it involved the defeat of General Tracy, thevery man who, seven years before, had snatched from him the sameprize when almost within his grasp. When General Tracy, of KingsCounty, was nominated by the republican convention against JudgeBrown, of Orange County, he confidently expected to defeat JudgeBrown, whose greatness was then unknown to the district at large,through the promised support of many large Brooklyn interests. Butall his calculations were confounded by a wholly unexpected event.This was the cataclysm in which Grover Cleveland, with whom JudgeBrown was running, carried the State by the enormous, unprecedentedmajority of 200,000.

Thus was Orange County enabled to contribute to the bench of theSupreme Court a jurist who, in the fourteen years of his incumbency,made a profound, a lasting impression upon the jurisprudence not onlyof his State but of his country.

After serving for six years with great acceptance in the trial andspecial terms, he was, upon the formation of the second division ofthe Court of Appeals, promoted to its bench. His services during thefour years' existence of that court were of the highest value, hisluminous opinions being still quoted and followed in every State inthe Union. Some of the litigations which came before him were in thehighest degree difficult and complicated; one of the most importantbeing the case involving the construction of the Tilden will, inwhich the opinion of Judge Brown, declaring the trusts invalid, wasadopted by the court. His opinions rendered in this court constitutean imperishable monument to his learning and ability.

Judge Brown's manner upon the bench, at trial and special term, was ahappy mingling of simplicity and dignity. His most noticeablepersonal trait was his entire lack of self-consciousness. He neverthought about himself or about the impression which he might bemaking upon the bar or the public. His mind was wholly upon the caseand upon the principles involved in it. He was considerate of thefeelings of counsel and rarely rebuked them for imperfectpresentation of their views. When they wandered from the point hethought about the case and when they came back to the case hefollowed them again. It is simply the truth of history to say thatthe members of the bar, not only of Orange County but of the entireState, do not expect to see in this generation a nearer approach tothe ideal judge than they were permitted to behold during thefourteen years of Judge Brown's incumbency.

There was one marked characteristic of Judge Brown while upon thebench which deserves more than a passing mention. After a case wassubmitted to him and while it was still under consideration he wasnever afraid to enter upon a discussion of the principles involvedin it, with either of the counsel he might happen to meet, if he feltthat such a discussion might prove profitable. In this respect hediffered from some of his colleagues who were perfectly aghast at thethought of counsel conversing with them upon any phase of a pendingcase in the absence of opposing counsel. This of course was due totheir high sense of the importance of preserving not only realimpartiality but the strictest appearance of impartiality. But therewas something in Judge Brown's character which did not need theprotection of such a rule; something in the very atmosphere which hethrew out; something in the impression which he gave of being simplya thinking, working, impersonal, intellectual machine, which left noroom for misunderstanding on the part of any lawyer thus admitted toa share in his deliberations and which left his judicial independenceand impartiality absolutely untouched. This capacity at onceconstitutes the highest test and the consummate type of the strictlyjudicial temperament. To this test Judge Brown easily responded andof this type he was the perfect embodiment.

No one can be accused of sycophancy in awarding to a judge long sinceretired from the bench his merited meed of praise and gratitude fordistinguished public services. Nor even in the case of judges stilloccupying the bench can such a charge fairly lie when the faithfulhistorian surveying and reviewing, from the serene heights ofretirement and rejection, the stirring scenes in which once he borean active part, is now as indifferent to, as independent of, theopinions of judges as they are of his. It would indeed be far moreentertaining if there could be contributed to this volume theopinions which the judges hold of each other, thrown into literaryform instead of merely being promulgated from the bench ordisseminated by the press. When, upon the occasion of QueenVictoria's jubilee, the judges met in London to prepare an address toHer Majesty, the proposed draught submitted to them began with thewords, "Conscious as we are of our shortcomings," whereupon LordBowen gravely suggested, as an amendment, "Conscious as we are ofeach other's shortcomings." Human nature is very much the samehere and in England; very much the same, in its manifestations, amongjudges and among lawyers.

Judge William D. Dickey ascended the bench in 1896, one year beforeJudge Brown's retirement from it. The second judicial district, ofwhich Orange County then formed a part, was for many years democraticand it was not unusual for the republican conventions to endorse thedemocratic nominations. But in 1895 there seemed to be such a fairprospect for success that the republicans put forward a full ticketof judicial nominees, including Judge Dickey, who was elected, thoughone of his associates upon the ticket, Hugo Hirsch, of Brooklyn, wasdefeated by Judge Martin J. Keogh, whose court ought to be attendedevery year by visiting delegations of judges from all parts of theState as a training school and object lesson, illustrating how a busyjudge may at all times, in all circ*mstances and under allprovocations still be the model, faultless, consummate gentleman.

Although Judge Dickey removed from Newburgh to Brooklyn soon afterhis election and is counted as a judge of the second judicialdistrict, while Orange County is now a part of the ninth judicialdistrict, still Orange County is where he was born; where hisprofessional life was passed; where he rose to prominence and power,and where he lived when he was elevated to the bench. He exhibitedeven in boyhood the qualities which have marked his public career,his patriotic ardor inspiring him to enlist in the Union Army whenonly seventeen years of age; his promotion being so rapid that beforehe was twenty years old he had been brevetted colonel in recognitionof conspicuous gallantry.

Admitted to practice soon after the close of the Civil War he threwhimself with characteristic energy not merely into the legal contestswhich arose in his city, but into all the public and politicalcontroversies of the day. Ardent in his affections and implacablein his hatreds, loyal to his friends and relentless to his enemies,he soon acquired an extensive influence and attracted to himself adevoted following, both personal and political.

The public spirit and civic pride shown by Judge Dickey in promotingevery enterprise tending to beautify or benefit his native city wasgenerally recognized and his election to the constitutionalconvention of 1893 was a distinct turning point in his career. Hisability, vigilance, authority, force of character and readiness indebate, soon gave him a dominant influence in the deliberations ofthat highly intellectual body—an influence aided by his commandingpresence and resonant voice, advantages not without value in thatmost difficult of all auditoriums, the assembly chamber in theCapitol at Albany. Among the many far-reaching reforms which heproposed or advocated in the convention he undoubtedly looks backwith special satisfaction upon the provision incorporated, with hisactive support, in the new constitution prohibiting any legislativelimitation upon the amount of recovery for death occasioned bynegligence, since he has had abundant occasion in his experience uponthe bench to verify his convictions of the justice, necessity andpublic policy of this amendment.

Judge Dickey displays upon the bench the same sterling qualitieswhich marked his active professional career. Among them none is morepronounced than his remembrance of and kindness to old and valuedfriends. The exercise by a judge of the patronage necessarilypertaining to his office has always been a trying question for him.But since one lawyer has no natural, superior claim over any otherlawyer upon the fruits of patronage, there seems to be no reason whya judge should not be permitted to gratify his feelings of friendshipand esteem in the appointment of referees whom he knows to be notonly estimable but entirely capable. No one questioned thissentiment or principle of conduct when Judge Brown appointed his oldfriend and partner, Mr. Cassedy referee to sell the West Shorerailroad, or when he appointed his old friend, William Harvey Clark,of Minisink, receiver of the Port Jervis and Monticello railroad;Mr. Clark, by the way, proving to be so capable a receiver that henot only paid its debts but surprised the stockholders by handingover to them a large amount of money.

But in the distribution of patronage Judge Dickey has not only beenloyal to the claims of private friendship; he has nobly used it inthe recognition of the debt which the public owes to distinguishedpublic services and sacrifices. I know one able lawyer whose physicalinfirmities disqualify him from active practice at the bar, but whoseeye is still as clear, whose judgment as alert as when, from theheights of Gettysburg, he directed the Federal forces on the firstday of the battle and saved the fortunes of the day till they couldbe turned and redeemed upon the morrow. In appointing this old heroto important service in various public condemnation proceedings, inwhich his sound judgment and wide experience have been utilized tothe public benefit. Judge Dickey has entitled himself to thegratitude of all who believe that conspicuous worth and patrioticservice should not be forgotten and neglected by judges any more thanby governors or presidents. And personal gratitude is no less due toJudge Dickey from all those whose appointment by him to positions oftrust and responsibility has enabled them to justify his own unerringjudgment as to their fitness and capacity.

It was in the autumn of 1902 that Judge Dickey was called upon topass through the first deep sorrow of his life in the loss of hisonly son, Frank R. Dickey, cut off in his young manhood at the verybeginning of his promising career at the bar. Born and educated inNewburgh he had followed his father to Brooklyn, where he establishedhimself in practice and where he soon won a large and growingclientage. His solid abilities; his pure, lofty character; his open,sincere nature; his refined, engaging manners; his gentle, amiabledisposition united to create a personality of singular charm andinterest. Troops of new friends, attracted to him by the graces of asweet and beautiful character, joined with those who had always knownand loved him in heartfelt sorrow over the untimely grave of Frank R.Dickey.

Judge Dickey's wide experience in affairs, with his knowledge ofhuman nature, its secret springs and devious ways, enables him toarrive at decisions always prompt and usually just. His influenceupon the bench has always been powerfully exerted in support of thedomestic virtues and social purity. Gambling, which is fast becomingone of the most threatening of our national dangers, as it is alreadyone of the most degrading and corrupting of our social vices, whetherpracticed by men in policy shops, or by women at bridge parties,finds in him, whenever it comes within his judicial purview, neithercountenance nor toleration.

There is one trait of Judge Dickey upon the bench which calls forspecial mention. When, in an action which has been tried and decidedby him, without a jury, the attorneys come before him for settlementof the case upon appeal, he does not seek to emasculate the appeal,as some judges in their weakness and vanity do, by striking out theexceptions designed to bring up sharply for review the points ofdifference between him and the defeated counsel. He always gives theunsuccessful and dissatisfied litigant a fair opportunity to reviewevery issuable ruling and to get a reversal if he can. He is nothyper-sensitive upon the subject of being sustained by the appellatecourts. Indeed, his mental attitude toward them is doubtlessreflected in the remark once made by the famous judge, Lord Young,when he was told that one of his decisions had been affirmed uponappeal by the House of Lords, "Well, I may have been right,notwithstanding," said Lord Young.

As Judge Dickey has never been assigned to the Appellate Division andmuch prefers the close contact with the bar and with vital humaninterests which is enjoyed by judges constantly engaged in trialterm and special term, he has never felt called upon to accompany hisdecisions with opinions of any length. When he does write, hisopinions are clear, terse and sententious. Indeed there is verylittle satisfaction for a judge at special term in writing elaborateopinions, only to find them arrested and archived in that merevestibule of fame, that hall of unmerited but predestined andpathetic oblivion known as the Miscellaneous Reports.

But the waters of a cruel, though often kindly, oblivion can neverwholly submerge the fine superstructure of judicial fame reared byJudge Michael H. Hirschberg upon a foundation of singularlyexclusive, concentrated, severe, professional, intellectual andliterary training. Born and reared in Newburgh, but coming topractice at the bar without those intermediate college advantagesenjoyed by his life-long friend and associate, Judge Brown, whom hesucceeded upon the bench, he has, nevertheless, strikingly verifiedthe saying of Carlyle that, after all, books are the best university.During all the years of his professional activity in Orange Countyhe sedulously, patiently wrought out, cultivated and perfected acrisp, nervous, virile, epigrammatic, yet withal, polished,mellifluous, ornate and opulent English style which constituted anadmirable discipline and equipment for the very field of juristicservice in which he was later destined to engage.

Elected in 1890 to a seat upon the bench, he was, after a briefperiod of service at trial and special terms, assigned to theAppellate Division, and later, upon the retirement of Judge Goodrich,he was appointed the presiding justice of the court. This was theopportunity for which his slumbering, but not unready, accomplishmentslong had waited. Then ensued the disclosure to his judicialassociates and to the bar of the State of those attainments as awriter and as a jurist, which had long been known to the bench andbar of his county and his district. While comparisons are often moredangerous than odious his career almost inevitably reminds one ofthat literary lawyer, known then chiefly for his writing of "The Blueand the Grey," who was summoned by his friend, Governor Cornell, fromhis scholarly seclusion at Ithaca to take a seat upon the bench ofthe Court of Appeals; and who thereupon enriched the literature ofthe law with a body of opinions, unrivaled for English style andjudicial learning, which have entranced and instructed twogenerations of lawyers. Equally true is it of Judge Hirschberg thatalready has he permanently enriched the Reports of the AppellateDivision with a series of opinions which, for lucidity of statement,force of reasoning, felicity of style, and perfect command of theliterary implements adapted to the expression of exact distinctionsor delicate discriminations, stand unrivaled in the pages of theseimposing volumes, which will long perpetuate his fame as a judicialwriter.

One characteristic of Judge Hirschberg during his brief service inholding trial terms should be mentioned, because no ponderous tomescan reveal character. Contemporary history must transfix forposterity the personal traits and manners of a judge. When JudgeHirschberg was elected even his intimate friends supposed, from longfamiliarity with his extraordinary quickness of mental action, hisscintillations of repartee in social life and his swift rejoinder atthe bar, that he would show some impatience with the slowness,dullness and density due to imperfect preparation or inherentineptitude, which every judge is called upon, more or lessfrequently, to endure; that he would find it difficult to restrainthe bubbling of wit and sarcasm at the expense of ignorance orincapacity. But on the contrary, he proved to be the most gentle,indulgent and long-suffering of judges. The wearisome lawyers mightdrone on, he made no effort to take the trial of the case out oftheir hands and try it himself, he could try it better than they, buthe felt it his duty to let them try it in their own way. No one couldtell what he was thinking of them or their methods. He might be amaelstrom of seething disgust or amusem*nt within; but he wore theimpassive, inscrutable, uncommunicative exterior of a sphinx. Underthe responsibility of his great office he unconsciously developed anden-grafted that quality which Judge Jenks in his impressive eulogyupon Judge Wilmot M. Smith declared to be almost the greatestattribute of a judge—infinite patience.

And since the entire bar of Orange County regarded with peculiaraffection the character of Judge Smith and now holds in deepestveneration his sacred memory, it is not amiss to incorporate in thisrecord that expression of its feelings by Judge Hirschberg himself,which sheds a reflected light upon his own standards of duty and withwhich this attempt to limn his portrait for succeeding generationsmay fitly close:

"Judge Smith was truly an ideal jurist, profound as a lawyer,estimable as a citizen, lovable as a man. The mortal part of eachlife ends necessarily in nothing but an insignificant contribution toan immense volume of pathetic dust, but the spiritual sense issatisfied when, as in this instance, the ashes are sanctified withthe memory of a noble life devoted to duty and glorified with thelove of God, of justice and of humanity."

And now, having sought to project upon the canvas a faithfulportraiture of the judges who were drawn into the public service fromthe Orange County bar, within the period embraced in these personalrecollections, it is convenient and fitting at this time to brieflyoutline the conditions of practice which prevailed in Orange Countyat the time they came to the bar—Judge Dickey in 1866 and JudgesBrown and Hirschberg in 1868—when Winfield, Gedney and Fullertonwere at the zenith of their powers and their reputation. It is agreat mistake to assume that the older members of the bar weresatisfied with these conditions. On the contrary, they bitterlychafed under them. The number of judges was wholly inadequate to theneeds of the district, as will readily be seen when it is consideredthat twenty-five judges are now required to serve the same territorythen covered by only four judges upon whom devolved all the motions,trials and appeals arising and heard within it. The ever-increasingvolume of business created by the rapid growth of Brooklyn made itimpossible for the judges to hold a trial term—then called the"circuit term"—longer than five days. The judges were indeed upon acircuit, for they were always under assignment to open court in someother county on the following Monday. Every Thursday afternoon orFriday morning the judge marked off the calendar every case whichcould not be tried in time to enable him to leave on Friday afternoonin order to hold his Saturday special term. This arbitrary,inexorable limitation of time, which was equivalent to shutting outmany cases that had been carefully prepared, was most cruel to theyounger members of the bar whose sole chance of either emolument ordistinction lay in getting their cases tried; while to say that theseconditions were satisfactory to the older members of the bar of thatperiod would violate the truth of history. They always unduly andoften indecently accelerated the trial of important cases in whichadvocates like Winfield and Gedney were spurred to an undignifiedcelerity which was not merely distasteful but detestable to them.Both Winfield and Gedney were tenacious of dignity, deliberation anddecorum in the administration of justice. They disliked extremely tobe told. "Go on with the case, gentlemen," or to be asked, "What areyou waiting for?" They could not share the glee manifested by thejudge when he succeeded in having three juries "out" at one time, andboasted to the justices of Sessions at his side how he was"expediting the business." They, too, wanted the business advanced,but they wanted it done with due regard to the traditions and theusages of the bar. Winfield was especially the distinctrepresentative in this county of the old Websterian school ofadvocates. He believed earnestly in the maintenance of all that formand dignity, of all those ancient usages and proprieties which onceuniformly marked the relations to each other of the bench and bar.When in 1874 I met him in Albany to argue my first case in the Courtof Appeals, then presided over by that most urbane jurist, JudgeSanford E. Church, Mr. Winfield carefully attired himself on themorning of the argument in a full-dress black suit with its broadexpanse of shirt front, now used only for evening wear, but regardedat that time as a suitable uniform for appearance before the highestcourt in the State; just as, at a slightly earlier period, Websterand Pinckney appeared before the Supreme Court at Washington in bluecoat and brass buttons, with buff waistcoat. How different from thepresent when able lawyers in short sack coats of gray, looking likecommercial travelers, hasten from the Albany station to the twoo'clock sessions of the court without stopping to even remove thedust of travel before launching into their keen and brilliantarguments.

When Judge Joseph F. Barnard, of Poughkeepsie, upon the transfer ofjudge Lott to the Court of Appeals in 1869, became the presidingjudge of the old general term, he became also the presiding genius,the dominating, all-pervading spirit of the second judicial district.He was opposed to any increase in the number of judges. With hisinsatiable voracity for work and his preternatural velocity ofthought, enabling him to accomplish as much alone as the other threejudges combined, he thought that four judges ought to be fully ableto keep up with all the business of the district; as indeed they wereif the administration of justice, involving the most profound issuesof human life and society, had been merely a matter of getting thebusiness out of the way, as on a wharf, to make room for the nextcargo.

The judges, fresh from their several circuit terms, met in thegeneral term and proceeded to hear appeals from the decisions made bythemselves at special and trial term. It was, indeed, an impressive,inspiring and solemn spectacle to see Judge Tappen and Judge Gilbertgravely considering whether they would reverse Judge Barnard; and inthe next case Judge Tappen and Judge Barnard sitting upon JudgeGilbert. Of course the tacit challenge, "You reverse me, I'llreverse you," pervaded all the proceedings. Nothing else could beexpected of human nature. It has never been pretended that the Statesupplies lawyers with any superior, exclusive brand of human naturewhen it gives them their diploma, and judges are simply lawyers uponthe bench. That an appellate system should ever have been devised soexquisitely adapted to defeat its object and destroy respect for itsoperations was not, of course, the fault of the judges of the seconddistrict.

When the general term sat in Poughkeepsie, as it did every May, toaccommodate Judge Barnard, the business was disposed of even morerapidly than in Brooklyn, Judge Barnard greeting with delight anylawyers who would appear at eight o'clock in the morning, both readyto argue their appeal in advance of the regular session. The judgesconstantly interrupted the attorneys to assure them that they couldnot possibly remember what they said but that they would read theirbriefs. It was of course true that no human mind could retain or evengrasp the arguments discharged at the court as from a catapult byattorneys gasping for breath in the mad race against time.

Some amelioration of the intolerable conditions under which circuitterms were held in Newburgh and Goshen was effected through theelection in 1870 of Judge Calvin E. Pratt, whose conservatism,affability and dignity won for him universal respect. Thisimprovement was extended by the election in 1880 of Judge Edgar M.Cullen, whose high sense of absolute fairness to all suitors alikeled him to devote as much time and thought to a case involving atrifling amount as to one involving large interests; though even hewas merciless in his infliction of night sessions upon the attorneysduring the hot June term at Goshen, a course to which he feltimpelled because of his inability to remain longer than one week andhis desire to crowd as much work as possible into that whollyinadequate time.

The comfort and convenience of the Orange County bar and theinterests of litigants were served to a still greater degree by theelection in 1882 of Judge Charles F. Brown. Though he could notextend the trial terms beyond two weeks, on account of hisassignments to other counties, still he held a special term everySaturday at Newburgh where, by consent of counsel, many cases weretried that otherwise would have been tried before a jury, thusaffording great relief to the overtaxed calendars of the trial terms.

From that time to the present there has been a steady reactionagainst feverishness and ferment as a suitable atmosphere forjudicial proceedings and a gradual return to calm, neutral,deliberate, dignified, decorous methods of judicial procedure, untilfinally, for the first time in the history of the county, afour-weeks' term of court was held in February, 1907; this being oneof the first fruits of the formation of the ninth judicial district,consisting of the river counties alone—a change which was opposed bysome Orange County lawyers but which is now generally recognized as,in the highest degree, conducive to the convenience and interestsof the bar and of the public, though it does involve some additionalburdens upon jurors.

Forty years ago the familiar excuse made by judges for dispatchingbusiness with unseemly haste was their solicitude for the time andconvenience of the jurors. Indeed there never was a judge morepopular than Judge Barnard among jurors, witnesses, spectators andthe public. They admired the celerity of his movements and they werevastly entertained by his caustic remarks to counsel. But his remarksabout counsel and witnesses during the progress of the trial were farmore entertaining and racy than any the public was permitted to hear.The favored persons privileged to hear these were his associates uponthe bench of the old Oyer and Terminer, since abolished and nowmerged in the Supreme Court. They were drawn from the justices of thepeace of the county and with the presiding judge constituted thecriminal branch of the court. Squire George A. Durland, of the townof Greenville, who sat in this capacity next to Judge Barnard at manyterms of court, never tired of telling about the trenchant, scathing,witty commentary kept up by the judge upon every incident of thetrial, the counsel engaged in it and the witnesses sworn upon it.

During Judge Barnard's entire tenure of office the plea of not takingup the time of the jurors was invoked to override every otherconsideration. Not even death itself was superior to it or sacredfrom it. When Mr. Winfield died on the tenth of June, 1888, and courtconvened at Goshen on Monday, the eighteenth of June, Judge Cullensuspended the regular business of the court at four o'clock to allowa suitable tribute to his memory, including several addresses inaddition to the resolutions. But when Judge Gedney died, a monthlater, there was no opportunity to take formal action upon his deathat a trial term until the regular November term. Accordingly, whencourt convened at Newburgh the twelfth of November an informalrequest was made to Judge Barnard for an opportunity to pursue thesame course in respect to Judge Gedney's memory that had been adoptedat Goshen in respect to Mr. Winfield. Judge Barnard promptly andfirmly refused to allow the time of the jurors to be taken up in thisway, adding: "Why, he's been dead some time, hasn't he?" So it becamenecessary to change the plan and to offer simply a motion "that acommittee be appointed to present at a meeting of the bar of OrangeCounty to be hereafter called suitable resolutions." That thereshould be further delay in honoring the memory of this great lawyerand brilliant advocate, after there had already been a necessarydelay of four months, is not a reproach that rests upon the bar ofOrange County. As the motion occupied only two minutes it waspromptly granted and the committee purposed to present theresolutions at the following term of court to be held at Goshen inJanuary, 1889, which was expected to be presided over by Judge Brown.But when Judge Brown was transferred to the Court of Appeals hebecame disqualified from holding the term and Judge Barnardunexpectedly took his place. Admonished by previous experience noattempt was made to present the resolutions at that time or to applyfor permission to make addresses in honor of Judge John G. Wilkin,who, also, had meantime died. So the tributes of the Orange Countybar to Judge Gedney, Judge Wilkin and Surrogate Henry A. Wadsworth,whose death also had occurred, were massed together at a meeting ofthe bar presided over by Judge Brown on Saturday, the second day ofFebruary, 1889, seven months after the death of Judge Gedney, withoutthose customary adjuncts to the dignity of the occasion—the crowdedcourt room; the attendance of litigants, jurors and witnesses fromall parts of the county; the solemn pause in the business of thecourt; the impressive silence; the strained, eager attention of oldfriends in the audience to the last tributes of respect for one theyloved; all of which were not only appropriate but, indeed, imperativein honoring one who had so often held that very court room silent,captive, enthralled by the spell of his genius.

If Judge Gedney's brethren had felt, in the first instance, that atribute to his memory at a mere meeting of the bar would beappropriate and adequate, it would not have been delayed sevenmonths, as such a meeting could have been called at any time afterhis death. That it was not so called shows the strength of asentiment which was ruthlessly trampled upon by judicial contempt notmerely for all the traditions of the bar but for all the sacrednessof love and death.

At the same time the bar always recognized with gratitude the earnestdesire on the part of Judge Barnard to transact all the business thathe could and to accommodate the bar as much as possible. It was thisdisposition that led to his constant signing of ex parte orderswithout looking at them, trusting to the honor of the bar not toimpose upon him and, also, to a motion by the other side to vacateany improvident order. The lawyers, through long custom, so came toprefer this system that they resented any departure from it by newjudges who could not take this view of their duties. When JudgeBrown's transfer to the second division of the Court of Appeals ledto the Newburgh special terms being taken by Judges Cullen andBartlett, the bar practically boycotted them in favor of JudgeBarnard's Saturday term at Poughkeepsie, merely because both JudgeCullen and Judge Bartlett manifested a very decided preference toknow what they were signing. Gradually, however, the lawyers learnedthat this course was not intended as a reflection upon the bar, but asa help to it, in preventing any such mistake or oversight as mightlead afterwards to serious consequences. Of this I once witnessed astriking illustration. An attorney desired an order to examine aparty before trial in a case in which the examination of hisadversary was absolutely essential to his success in the litigation.Judge Bartlett sent the affidavit back to him three times forcorrection and the order was finally sustained in the Court ofAppeals because of the sufficiency of the affidavit. All thisinvolved to Judge Bartlett conscientious labor and minute examinationwhich he might well have shirked and which judges generally considercounsel have no right to expect of them or to impose upon them.

Judge Barnard was the most conspicuous of all the judges in hisanxiety to save the lawyers the trouble of travel in order totransact their business. He instructed the Orange County attorneys tomail to him an order designating a referee of their own choice, tocompute the amount due in foreclosure cases, with the report of thereferee signed by him in anticipation of his appointment, togetherwith the judgment of foreclosure; whereupon he signed at the sametime both the order of reference and the judgment of foreclosure,promptly mailing them back, although it was physically impossiblethat the referee should have acted in the interval between hisappointment and the judgment. This practice, which is now regarded asirregular and which even the most accommodating judges nowdiscountenance, resulted in no harm, for it rested upon the mostimplicit good faith on the part of the attorneys, while theconfidence of the judge was never, in a single instance, abused. Anincident strongly illustrating this trait of Judge Barnard also grewindirectly out of Judge Brown's transfer to the Court of Appeals.Judgments of foreclosure in cases in Sullivan County had usually beentaken before Judge Brown at Newburgh because, though in anotherjudicial district, Orange County is an adjoining county and this ispermitted by the code. But soon after judge Brown left Newburgh anattorney, overlooking the fact that Dutchess County does not adjoinSullivan, sent the papers in a Sullivan County foreclosure case toJudge Barnard to be signed by him on Saturday at Poughkeepsie. Hiseagle eye at once noticed that the action was in Sullivan County andthat he had no jurisdiction to act in the case in Dutchess County.Any other judge would have returned the papers, calling attention tothe difficulty. But did this satisfy Judge Barnard? Not at all. Thiswould not have advanced the business. This would not have "helped outthe boys." So he struck out the word "Poughkeepsie" in the order andjudgment and in his own handwriting substituted the word "Newburgh,"thus making himself, by a legal fiction, sit in an adjoining countyfor five minutes, for the purposes of that case, though he wasactually in Poughkeepsie all that day, and though he never held aSaturday special term in Newburgh in all his life. Judge Cullen andJudge Bartlett would have felt that they were inviting impeachment bysuch an act, and yet Judge Barnard was moved solely by the desire tofacilitate the business of the attorneys in every possible way. Tohim an irregularity meant nothing unless it meant also a wrong. Butthose days have passed and have been succeeded by better days, inwhich it is recognized by the courts and the lawyers alike that theyshould co-operate in making even their routine practice so regular asto exclude any possibility of error.

There will be no sigh in this retrospect over the better days of longago, no wail about the "good old times." The better days are now andthe good times have come at last. The new generation of lawyers nowentering upon their active career has reason for gratification thatthe facilities for the orderly, deliberate, tranquil trial andhearing of their causes, with the prospect that even and exactjustice will be rendered in them, are greater to-day than at anyprevious period in the history of the county. There never was so goodan opportunity for a young, ambitious, able advocate to win fame atthe bar of Orange County as there is to-day. While the subjects oflitigation and the conditions of business have somewhat changed inthe last fifty years, human nature has never changed. Juries respondto-day as readily as then to the touch of a master spirit. Whenjurors ask nowadays why they do not hear such speeches at court astheir fathers have told them about the answer generally given is thatjudges frown upon anything like display and hold the lawyers down tobusiness. The business of an advocate is to make a good speech and nojudge ever was able to stop a good speech. Let no young lawyer seekindolent refuge in the pretext that the judges will not give him achance. Let him not, with difficulty, fold his restless pinions lestthey be arrested in their soaring flight by judicial insensibility.No, the reason that forensic eloquence has so lamentably declined inOrange County lies not in the hostility of judges, but in theabsorption of lawyers themselves in the merely material, sordidaspects of life, to the exclusion of any interest in those liberalarts and erudite pursuits which alone can anoint the hesitating lipswith the honey of eloquent discourse. The field is clear for anotherWinfield or Gedney.

It is the fashion to say that the influence of the bar hasdeclined—that the legal profession, as a body, does not enjoy thesame measure of public respect which was paid to it in the early daysof the republic, or exercise now that ascendancy over public opinionwhich once it exerted so powerfully and so naturally. It is true,indeed, that coincidently with the stealthy, sinister growth in theNorthern States of the modern machine methods of party management thelawyer has been gradually and inevitably displaced as a leader ofpublic opinion. It is only in the South that the influence of thelawyer among the masses is still unshaken because there the appeal ofcandidates is still made directly to the people who, through theirprimaries and in other republican ways familiar to the fathers andfounders of the nation, express their preference and give effect totheir choice.

But it is significant that, even in the North, whenever the people atlarge resolve to destroy long-standing abuses or odious machines, as,at stated intervals, they always proceed to do, they turninstinctively, as of old, to the plain, simple, honest, busy,practicing lawyer. Among the lawyers elected to the high office ofgovernor of our State the three governors whose homely, direct,straightforward methods have most captivated the imagination andimpressed the conscience of the passing generation are Tilden,Cleveland and Hughes, who simply brought to their duties the habits,the instincts, the training and the ideals of the old-fashionedcountry lawyer, whose first aim is always to protect the interestscommitted to his charge without any thought as to the effect of hiscourse upon his own interests, popularity or future. This training,this tradition, this character of the true lawyer still happilysurvives all changes in political methods or party management andstill constitutes the highest security the people have for thefaithful administration of their laws, wholly un-swerved by selfish,ulterior or sinister purposes.

At the time, now forty years ago, to which my memory of the OrangeCounty bar runs back, these honorable traditions were whollymaintained by a bar, the members of which still enjoyed a high placein the public esteem and exercised a profound influence upon publicopinion, based upon the dignity and importance of their profession aswell as upon their personal talents and character. The relationsbetween the lawyers and the farmers were particularly close,confidential and agreeable. The soil was still largely occupied bymen of character, education and intelligence who freely sought thecounsel and society of their friends among the lawyers at whoseoffices and homes they were as cordially welcomed on a social orpolitical call as upon a professional visit. The reason that the sonsand successors of the lawyers of that day have, to some extent, losttouch with the interests of the soil is that the farmers of that daywere not able to persuade their sons to become their successors. Thesaddest change that has overtaken Orange County in the last fortyyears is not in the character of its professional men, but in thecharacter of its farming population.

Identified with the period included in the personal recollectionshere but partially preserved are several groups of fathers and sonswho may for convenience be considered together; especially as asufficiently consecutive view of the period has now been presented toadmit, henceforth, of greater latitude in respect to time and order.

Joseph W. Gott, senior, died in 1869 after twenty-seven yearscontinuous practice in Goshen, where he established the enviablereputation throughout the county of being one of the most honorableand high-minded men, as well as one of the most able and successfullawyers, known to his generation. His premature and deeply regretteddeath occurred before his only son could be admitted to practice.

Joseph W. Gott, Jr., was admitted in 1875 and since then, like hisfather, has practiced continuously in Goshen. No higher praise can bebestowed upon him than to say, that while he has, by his own vigorousintellect and independent character, won for himself prominence atthe bar, he has never lost sight of the high ideals which animatedhis father.

The general confidence in his supreme honor and integrity which hehas always enjoyed corresponds most touchingly to the confidence andrespect always inspired by his honored father. With him is nowassociated in practice his own son, Percy Van Duzer Gott. These twoare mentioned first in the group of fathers and sons because they arethe only lawyers in Orange County, thus associated, who constituteand represent four generations of Orange County lawyers. For in themflows not only the blood of the elder Gott, but the blood of the VanDuzers and the Gedneys.

Isaac R. Van Duzer, who married in 1826 the older sister of JudgeGedney—their daughter, Charlotte, being married to Joseph W. Gott in1847—was, undoubtedly, the most brilliant advocate, with the singleexception of Ogden Hoffman, who ever addressed an Orange County jury.All the accounts of contemporaries and all the traditions of the barunite in this verdict. Often have I heard Judge Wilkin, who as a boyheard him in Goshen, expatiate upon his transcendent powers. He diedprematurely in his fortieth year, but the opinion entertained by hisgeneration was that, had he lived, his name would have gone down tohistory with the foremost orators of his age. Of their distinguishedancestry at the bar of Orange County the Gotts may well be proud; forthe junior member in the present firm is now the fourth in a line oflawyers whose practice and residence at Goshen have extended over aperiod of eighty-five years—from 1823 to the present time.

John W. Brown was admitted to practice in 1822, just one year beforeMr. Van Duzer, to whom he was related, Judge Brown having married aReeve, which was the family name of Mr. Van Duzer's mother. It isremarkable that if the practice of Judge Brown and of his own son,Charles F. Brown, had not been interrupted by extended terms ofjudicial service in the life of each—sixteen years in the life ofthe elder Brown and fourteen years in the life of the younger—thecontinuous practice of the two Browns would now cover a period ofeighty-six years. As it is, their contributions in two generations tothe jurisprudence of the State, at the bar and on the bench, cover alonger period than that embraced in the careers of any father and sonassociated with the legal annals of Orange County. I say stillassociated because, although Judge Charles F. Brown is now one of thetwo or three acknowledged leaders of the bar of the State, with hisoffice in New York City, where his practice is largely in theAppellate Courts, he still retains his residence in Orange County anda nominal connection with the firm established in Newburgh by hisformer partner, Mr. Cassedy.

His own career has already been sufficiently treated in itsappropriate place in this commentary. It only remains to add that hislife-long veneration for his father's memory and his consistentemulation of his father's example supply an element of interest tohis career and of filial tenderness to his character not appreciatedby the thousands of his admirers, among the judges and lawyers of thecountry, who know him only through the cold medium of his publishedjudicial opinions.

Judge John W. Brown was undoubtedly a great man. Serving two terms inCongress from 1833 to 1837; a prominent member of the ConstitutionalConvention of 1846; elected in 1849 to the Supreme Court and again in1857, his life was one of unceasing activity, influence and power.His greatness as a judge may be inferred from the remarkablecirc*mstance that no decision made by him was ever reversed by theCourt of Appeals, of which court he was himself a member, under thesystem then prevailing, during the last years of his successive termsas a judge of the Supreme Court.

It is not strange that one who was born to the heritage of such aname should have sought to add, as indeed he has added, to its lusterin a succeeding generation.

It was while Charles F. Brown was district attorney of Orange Countythat John W. Lyon became an official of the county through hisappointment to the office of assistant district attorney. The careerof the Lyons, father and son, now covers a practice of sixty-oneyears in Port Jervis, the longest period of continuous practice atthe bar carried over from father to son, in Orange County.

Thomas J. Lyon, or, as his friends affectionately preferred to callhim, Tom Lyon, was a man of great native talent and markedoriginality. Beginning life as a Methodist preacher, but coming toprefer the more extended opportunities for usefulness afforded by thelaw, his fame in the fifties soon spread from the Delaware to theHudson. Throwing himself with ardor into the exciting politicalcontests which marked this period, he was in constant demand as acampaign speaker and his political services were recognized by alucrative appointment under the administration of President FranklinPierce. Twice elected to the Assembly and once a candidate of hisparty for the Senate, his abilities always received the cordialrecognition of the public with whom he kept constantly on good terms.The announcement that he was to speak at a political gathering wasalways sure to attract a large attendance of adherents of theopposite party for they knew they would be entertained by his salliesthough they might not be seduced by his arguments.

His control over juries was due to a mingling of magnetism and humor.He could touch the chord of sentiment and the response was immediate.He could cover his opponent with ridicule and the result wascontagious and convulsive laughter. No weapon is more powerful at anytime than gentle banter and no one knew better how to employ itsarts to the discomfiture of an adversary than Thomas J. Lyon.

His son, John W., inherits his ability and much of his originality.He, too, has always taken a deep interest in politics and he has beenheard on the platform in every campaign since 1872.

He was the pioneer of the bar in that branch of the practice whichhas since assumed such proportions, railway litigation. He was thefirst to carry to the Court of Appeals many important questions,relating to the liability of the master for injury to the employee,which were settled by that court in favor of the positions contendedfor by him.

A most interesting feature in the genealogy of the profession is thefact that the daughter of John W. Lyon, Frances D. Lyon, is also alawyer duly admitted to practice, having supplemented her studies inher father's office by a course at the Cornell Law School from whichshe graduated with honor, subsequently passing her examinationsbefore the State Board. She is now engaged in practice with herfather, to whom her aid is invaluable in the office, while she hasalso shown marked ability in her appearances at court.

Thus we have in the Lyons the only family in Orange County, exceptthe Gott family, in which there have been three successivegenerations of lawyers bearing the same name.

Eugene A. Brewster and George R. Brewster cover a period of sixtyyears' continuous practice, the elder Brewster having been admittedin 1848. The judgment of his associates, placing Eugene A. Brewsterin the front rank of the lawyers of his time, has already beenexpressed. Upon his death his son, George R., succeeded to hispractice in the same office to which for so many years the friends ofhis father were accustomed to bend their steps and where they neverreceived any but the most wise and judicious counsel. George R.Brewster inherits the sound judgment and conservative instincts ofhis father and well maintains the dignity and responsibilities of hishonorable name and lineage. His public spirit and devotion to everyworthy cause are among the most conspicuous of his traits ofcharacter. Possessed of ample means and under no spur of necessity hegives freely to the public all the time he can spare from a practicewhich has been attended with great success, one of the most notableof his recent legal victories having been gained in restraining thebuilding of a railroad across his client's property.

His sense of civic duty has been strikingly exemplified in theconscientious performance of his duties as supervisor, though hisacceptance of the office involved great inconvenience and sacrifice.His labors in behalf of St. Luke's Hospital have been of inestimablevalue to that noble benefaction.

In a community as conservative as Newburgh, where one minister isstill acceptably serving his congregation for the fifty-second yearand another for the thirty-fifth, it counts for something, and veryproperly so, that a man should be the son and successor of anhonored, respected father. When Mr. Brewster died his son was made adirector of the Newburgh Bank in his father's place and when Abram S.Cassedy died the same course was taken in the Quassaick Bank inrespect to his son, William F. Cassedy.

The Cassedys, father and son, cover a period of fifty-one years'continuous practice, the elder Cassedy having been admitted in 1857.The high place gained by him in the esteem of the bar and in theconfidence of the public has already been set forth at length. Thisconfidence has been transferred to his son, William F. Cassedy, to adegree almost unprecedented in the career of a young practitioner butin every sense justified by his high character and brilliant talents.Mr. Cassedy has during the last few years managed and representedestates of as great magnitude as the estates represented by all theother lawyers of Orange County combined. He has a special talent forthis important branch of the practice, but, like his father, can drophis papers and go to court with his case well prepared for trial. Theability with which he uniformly presents it to a jury is wellreinforced by the same winning manner and pleasing personality whichhas endeared him to so many friends.

When Judge Charles F. Brown was in 1883 elevated to the bench of theSupreme Court, the firm of Cassedy & Brown, of which Abram S. Cassedywas then the senior member, was, of course, dissolved. When JudgeBrown retired from the bench in 1897, Mr. Cassedy having meantimedied, the names became transposed, the firm of Brown & Cassedy thenformed, and still continuing, being composed of Judge Brown andWilliam F. Cassedy. That this association of his name with that ofhis old partner's son should be pleasing to Judge Brown is adistinguished mark of that great jurist's confidence, esteem andaffection which indeed, are shared by all, bar and public alike, whocome to know the pure and lofty character of William F. Cassedy.

William B. Royce who with his son, Herbert B. Royce, is engaged inpractice in Middletown, was admitted forty years ago, but beingpersuaded, while in the full tide of active practice, to accept theposition of president of the First National Bank in 1875, his careeras a lawyer was interrupted for seventeen years. Resigning thisposition, however, at the end of this period, he soon recovered hisscattered practice and upon the admission to the bar of his son thefirm of William B. and Herbert B. Royce was formed. This continueduntil the autumn of 1906 when, John C. R. Taylor, having been electedto the Senate, the firm of Taylor, Royce & Royce was formed.

Mr. Royce has greater capacity for public business than any lawyerwho ever practiced at the bar in Orange County. His mind graspsreadily, his tastes run naturally to, every phase and variety oftown, county and municipal relations, improvements and enterprises,with all the important questions involved in them in respect to theproper distribution of public burdens. He is an authority uponcorporation law in respect both to the organization and management ofcorporations. His power of clear statement, in respect to anyinvolved or intricate situation, is very great.

There is one characteristic of Mr. Royce which is fully appreciatedonly by those who have been in a position to see its frequenteffective exercise. He loves to settle disputes among neighbors andlitigants. He has genuine talent for making each party see how itwould benefit him to make some concession and even greater tact inpointing out how certain concessions necessary to the settlement willstill leave the pride and dignity of the parties uncompromised. Heabsolutely has never failed in bringing about an agreement which hestarted out to compass. Sometimes, indeed, the perverseness of theparties has seemed to make the difficulties insuperable, but thishas only spurred him on to renewed exertions. Those who know howunprofitable and unwise for both parties is any litigation which canpossibly be avoided and, especially, any litigation representing onlyan honest difference of opinion, will realize the indebtedness of thepublic to Mr. Royce for those unselfish exertions and that salutaryinfluence which, throughout his entire professional career, have beensteadily, consistently and successfully directed to the promotion ofpeace and the soothing of angry controversy.

His son, Herbert B. Royce, who enjoyed the advantages of both theclassical and law course at Cornell University, was launched from thefirst into the activities of a busy office. Having been electedspecial county judge he has enjoyed an opportunity, in presiding overthe trial terms of the County Court, to impress his abilities uponthe bar and the public to a degree and in a manner never beforeenjoyed by a special county judge in the entire history of thecounty. Before Judge Beattie's time the county judges were never veryconsiderate to the special county judges. They regarded them asofficers provided merely for the convenience of the bar in signingorders and they affected to think that there might be some seriousquestion of jurisdiction involved in their trying and sentencingcriminals, even Judge Hirschberg and Judge Beattie were neverinvited, as special county judges, to hold a term of court, but thejudges, when they could not act themselves, always brought in acounty judge of a neighboring county. Judge Beattie acted moregenerously to his official coadjutor and when it became necessary forhim to surrender two terms of court. Judge Royce was requested tohold them. This service was performed by him with such marked abilityand so greatly to the satisfaction of the entire bar and the public,that Judge Seeger, who succeeded Judge Beattie in 1907, and who wasdisqualified from sitting in any cases in which he, as districtattorney, had procured the indictments, again summoned Judge Royceto the bench, when again he was enabled to give a publicdemonstration of his judicial fitness and capacity and to prove thatit will never be necessary to call in a judge from a neighboringcounty as long as Judge Royce remains special county judge.

Finn & Finn is the name of the firm of which Daniel Finn was thesenior member until it was ruthlessly dissolved by the untimely handof death, which overtook him without warning in the very midst of anunusually active and prosperous career. Admitted to the bar in 1870he began and, for thirty-five years continued his practice inMiddletown, becoming one of the most respected and influential of itscitizens as well as one of the ablest and most trusted of its bar. Hewas especially versed in the law of wills. Nothing appealed morestrongly to his interest than the ambiguous provisions of a will andthe difficult questions raised as to their proper construction. Hisopinions upon these were often submitted to the court with the resultthat his judgment was invariably sustained.

He was the most imperturbable of men. Nothing agitated or evenruffled him. He could lay down his pen to engage in an interview withsome irascible client and, after it was over, calmly resume work uponhis thoughtful brief at the very point at which it had beeninterrupted. This faculty, the result of training as well as oftemperament, enabled him to accomplish a great deal of work. The daywas never spoiled for him by some untoward incident, unpleasantletter or peevish client. Each day marked distinct progress in someappointed task.

Mr. Finn, who drew the will of Mrs. Thrall, was deeply interested inthe noble institutions founded by her—the hospital and the libraryin addition to the park—and it was largely through his influencethat her thoughts were directed to these beneficent objects. It wasalso through his careful prevision that her testamentary wishes inrespect to an additional endowment for the hospital were not defeatedby statutory precautions. Mr. Finn foresaw that she might die withinthe two months set apart, arbitrarily and without respect totestamentary capacity, by the inscrutable wisdom of the legislatureas the fluctuating hiatus, that may or may not turn out to be thevitiated period, within which testamentary benevolence must besuspended; within which all tardy attempts of the passing soul tomake its peace with God or restitution to mankind must be overruledand nullified in favor of worthless or distant relatives; but stillwithin the last day of which the cunning physician seeking to cheatdeath of its prey and rapacity of its spoils, might so galvanize intoconvulsive life the dissolving frame, might so fan into flickeringflame the vital spark that, in the race between greedy kindred andmelting charity, rapacity will lose by a single hour. In the case ofMrs. Thrall there was no such dramatic suspense. She died twenty daysafter the execution of her will; so that the bequests in her will andcodicil of twenty thousand dollars to Thrall Hospital, alreadyfounded by her, were declared void. But Mr. Flinn also advised her togive to her executors, Isaac R. Clements and Nathan M. Hallock,individually, absolutely and outright all legacies which might forany reason be declared void or ineffectual, and this provision wasincorporated in her codicil. After this provision had withstood inthe courts the attacks of relatives who claimed that it represented asecret trust, equally as abhorrent to legislative solicitude forrelatives as a direct charitable bequest, Mr. Clements and Mr.Hallock, in honorable recognition of Mrs. Thrall's wishes, asexpressed in her defeated bequests, but under no legal compulsion soto do, turned over to Thrall Hospital the twenty thousand dollarswhich came to them absolutely under this alternative provision. Thuswere Mr. Finn's wisdom and foresight, not only in respect to hisclient's provision for the hospital but in respect to her bequest tothe city of Middletown for its library, amply justified by the event.The bequest of $30,000, for the library was sustained by the courts.These noble foundations—the library and the hospital—constitute anenduring monument to the generosity of S. Maretta Thrall but are noless a monument to the learning, skill and prescience of Daniel Finn.The people of Middletown, though they have always recognized hisvirtues and his abilities, but imperfectly understand the fullmeasure and extent of their indebtedness to his guiding hand andpublic spirit. It is simple justice to his memory that the incidentsof his professional career bearing upon the public welfare should beembraced in any work professing to be history.

Mr. Finn's intense affection for and loyalty to his alma mater,Hamilton College, was a very pronounced and interesting trait of hischaracter. His only son, Frank H. Finn, also graduated from thisclassic institution of learning which numbers among its alumni thatmost intellectual of all living American statesmen, Elihu Root.

Frank H. Finn, upon being admitted to practice, entered intopartnership with his father under the firm name of Finn &Finn—the name under which, notwithstanding his father's death, heand his present partner, Arthur H. Payne, himself also a graduate ofHamilton College, conduct their business. Every writ and processissued by the present firm runs in the name of Finn & Finn, thusperpetuating the potent influence, the fine example and the gentlememory of one of the purest and ablest of Orange County lawyers. Itis unusual among lawyers to preserve the name, in a firm, of adeceased partner. The only instance I recall is that of James C.Carter, whose surviving partner, Lewis Cass Ledyard, has always, witha tenderness and delicacy of sentiment so in consonance with his ownnoble nature and chivalric character, kept Mr. Carter's name at thehead of his firm, through all ensuing changes. The filial reverenceshown by Frank H. Finn for his father's memory, his unwillingness tolet his father's name disappear at once beneath the cold waters ofswift forgetfulness, illuminates his own strong and sterlingcharacter. Called upon suddenly to assume charge of many intricateand involved cases pending in the office at the time of his father'sdeath he accepted and discharged the painful responsibility with adignity, firmness, manliness, courage and ability which commanded theadmiration and won the affection of the community. Though he owesmuch indeed to his noble father, he has given abundant evidence ofhis capacity to stand alone. He and his brilliant partner, Mr. Payne,will bring no reproach upon the honored name still in their piouskeeping.

Henry W. Wiggins came to the bar two years later than Daniel Finn.The business established by him in Middletown in 1872 is now carriedon by the firm of Henry W. & Russell Wiggins, father and son.

Henry W. Wiggins is especially distinguished for his knowledge of thelaw of real estate, but his practice has always covered a wide range.I well remember an important litigation between mill owners in whichMr. Wiggins established the right of the upper owner to substitute aturbine for an overshot wheel and to take water at a lower depth,provided he did not use a greater quantity of water than before. Hissuccess was the more notable and gratifying because he was opposed byboth Mr. Brewster and Mr. Winfield. But it has been in litigationsinvolving the liability of the city of Middletown for damages thatMr. Wiggins has won many of his most conspicuous triumphs. He was, atintervals, its corporation counsel for many years, his son Russellnow holding the position. It is safe to say that no city was evermore ably served and carefully protected than the city of Middletownwas by Mr. Wiggins. No expensive condemnation proceeding in hischarge ever proved ineffective because of some flaw or oversight. Nosuit for damages defended by him ever terminated in an extreme orexcessive verdict. His caution, vigilance and conscientiousnesscombined with his sturdy independence in always standing his ground,in always adhering inflexibly to any position once, after dueconsideration, taken by him, have been of incalculable service to hisclientage and have resulted in saving to the city of Middletown alonemany thousands of dollars.

Russell Wiggins also has enjoyed marked success in defending theinterests of the city. His recent victory in a case involving thevalidity of the provision in the charter of the city of Middletownmaking notice to the common council of snow or ice upon a sidewalkprerequisite to an action for injuries sustained in consequence ofit, has attracted wide attention. Mr. Wiggins was overruled by thespecial term and by the appellate division which held that thisprovision exceeded the powers of the legislature and was, therefore,unconstitutional. But Mr. Wiggins succeeded in convincing the Courtof Appeals, which, in an opinion embodying the arguments advanced byhim, sustained the validity of this provision of the charter, withthe result that all actions of this class are practically done awaywith, it is not surprising that all the cities of the State have beenso impressed with the importance of Mr. Wiggins' victory that theyare now trying to secure a similar provision in their own charters.It seems, indeed, somewhat hard that a total stranger, alighting froma train on a dark night, should be compelled to proceed at his perilalong a city street, under conditions which physically exclude hiseither having or giving notice, but Mr. Wiggins ingeniously persuadedthe Court of Appeals to say that this is a question for thelegislature and not for the courts, thus establishing a newprecedent, if not a new principle, in constitutional construction, ina case sure to become a leading one; sure to be cited for many yearsto come, in the courts of the entire country. In thus linking hisname at the very outset of his career, to a leading authority, Mr.Wiggins has set for himself a hard task. He must now live up to hisown reputation—which there is abundant reason to believe he isentirely able to do.

Cornelius E. Cuddeback, admitted to the bar in 1873, immediatelyestablished in Port Jervis the business now carried on under thefirm name of C. E. & S. M. Cuddeback, his son Samuel M. having becomeassociated with him.

Mr. Cuddeback early became prominent in all the interests of thecommunity, social, business, legal and public—a position which hemaintains by virtue of his unquestioned integrity, great ability andenormous industry. He was largely instrumental in straightening outthe affairs of the Port Jervis & Monticello Railroad Company, and hehas for many years been the attorney for the town of Deer Park andthe village (now the city) of Port Jervis. He has also been theattorney for many public service corporations. His defense of theBarrett Bridge Company in a test case tried at Goshen in June, 1905,to determine the liability of the company for the deaths occasionedby the sweeping away of the bridge over the Delaware River in afreshet, furnishes a fine example of his characteristics as a lawyer.The defense was prepared with a thoroughness, exhaustiveness andcomprehensiveness and conducted with a verve, vigor and vivacitywhich carried everything before it, sweeping away the case of theplaintiff as ruthlessly as the freshet swept away the bridge; leavinglittle for the jury to do but to register the fact that the defensehad been completely successful.

Mr. Cuddeback finds in his son a lawyer well qualified to assume theburdens of his practice when he shall be prepared to lay them down.

All the living lawyers thus far considered, except the sons anddaughter, will very soon be passing from the scene. The pages thatbear this imprint will scarcely be flung from the press before thelawyers whose now familiar names they carry forward to a generationthat knows them not, will drop away, one by one, from theiraccustomed places. So true is this, so strong is the author's sensethat only, by slight anticipation, do these pages commemorate thedeparted, that nothing has been set down here which could not betruthfully and becomingly said if they had gone before who yet, for alittle, linger. This, indeed, suggests the chief reason why thepresent record, to be of any value, should include the living; forlong before this publication is superseded by a rival or a successorthe figures it portrays will have passed from action to remembrance.

In connection with this thought it is proper to point out that thesketches and estimates now published bear this further resemblance toveracious and posthumous biography—they have not been edited by thesubjects. The system adopted in some modern compilations ofpermitting prominent men to write their own biographies, or ofprocuring from them the data for less sympathetic treatment, has notbeen followed here. Indeed, with a single accidental andinsignificant exception, not one lawyer has any knowledge of thescope or purpose of this undertaking or has furnished any informationavailable for use in it. He who carelessly takes up this volume toread about others will be covered with modest confusion to findhimself included in it. This is an attempt not to let a man speak forhimself, but to collect and crystallize in definite forms ofexpression the floating particles of contemporary judgment upon hischaracter. It is for this reason, besides others, that so fewspecific dates and irrelevant facts are given. They have not beenasked for. They are not needed. They do not fit with the scheme ofthis work, which aims, perhaps presumptuously, but stillconsistently, to be a gallery of portraits, not a table ofstatistics. Of what possible interest is it to know the number of alawyer's children, or the building in which his office is located?Character and achievement are the things that count.

It will be convenient at this point to return to the consideration ofthe leading advocates now at the bar of the county. No one recognizesmore than advocates themselves their frequent indebtedness to thegreat lawyers who, undisturbed by absorbing, distracting andexhausting trials, apply to life's complex and varying conditions theimmutable principles of the common law. It implies no disparagementof Winfield and Gedney to assume that the one often leaned upon thejudgment of his partner, William F. Sharpe, and that the other oftensought the wise counsel of his esteemed relative, Joseph W. Gott. Atthe same time it cannot be doubted that public interest has alwayscentered upon the trial lawyer, for the obvious reason that the openfield, the public challenge, the combat of intellectual athletes, thepalm of victory appeal strongly to the imagination and dramaticsense. There need, therefore, be no apology for making prominent in apopular work those who engage the larger share of merely popularinterest.

There is no man at the bar of Orange County, or indeed anywhere, forwhom the term colorless would be so inept as it would be for JudgeAlbert H. F. Seeger. He radiates color. He is the incarnation ofsunshine. He is the forerunner of gladness, sounding a proclamationof hope and good cheer wherever he goes. No one would suppose that heever had a care or sorrow. Yet he must have had his share. Heperforms more perfectly than any man I ever knew that mission whichRobert Louis Stevenson glorifies when he says:

"There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy. Ahappy man or woman is a better thing to find than a five-pound note.He or she is a radiating focus of good will; and their entrance intoa room is as though another candle had been lighted. We need not carewhether they could prove the forty-seventh proposition; they do abetter thing than that, they practically demonstrate the greattheorem of the livableness of life."

But Judge Seeger can also prove the forty-seventh proposition. He canusually prove anything he sets out to prove, as lawyers opposed tohim have often found to their dismay. And even when the law and thefacts are all against him and you have him thoroughly beaten,according, to all the rules of the game, there will still be three tosix jurors who strangely refuse to believe that anything butinfallible argument could emanate from a personality so radiant. Notthat his propositions always need the support of his personality,upon which, indeed, he never consciously presumes. He always buildsup a strong, solid, telling, convincing argument, delivered withunaffected earnestness and artless sincerity.

And his sincerity really is artless. While he is personally the mostpopular man in Orange County and while such preeminence can only beattained by the use of popular arts, yet in his case they areentirely legitimate and unstudied. He really does feel kindness whenhe seems to. He really is interested in the things which interestothers. He really does love their babies, their dogs, theirhorses—anything, in fact, but their automobiles. His bubblingspirits and effervescent mirth, his ready wit and sparkling sally,the ring of his laughter and the spell of his bonhomie are all thegenuine expression of a rich, ardent and impressionable nature.

It might be thought that such a man would be a time-server. Far fromit. There is not a trace of the demagogue in his composition. Much ashe would naturally desire to retain his remarkable popularity hewould fling it all away, if necessary, in the performance of his dutyor in the defense of law and order. He showed this unmistakably whenas district attorney he boldly held at bay the lawless mob, at apersonal risk which his official duties did not call upon him toincur. Knowing then that he would soon be a candidate for a higheroffice he cared not whether he made friends or enemies, whether helost votes or gained them; he simply saw his duty and went straightfor it. As it was, the very forces he antagonized respected him. Whenthis genial friend, this blithe companion became transformed into thestern, unyielding, inexorable officer of the law the very mob he awedretired to worship him, and when the time came it voted for him.

This mingling in Judge Seeger's character of the sterner and softerelements, of courage and tenderness, manliness and simplicity,firmness and forgiveness, has inspired in the people of Orange Countya respect and affection such as rarely attends upon a public man. Hiselection to the office of county judge was inevitable whether the"organization" had been friendly or not. If it constitutes highqualifications for this responsible position to possess a characternoble and sincere, a disposition just and fair, a judgment sound andtrue, a mind well trained and informed, a knowledge of the law wideand various, a knowledge of human nature keen and close, a sense ofpublic duty deep and earnest, then is the county of Orange indeedfortunate that a judge as respected as John J. Beattie should befollowed by a successor so worthy as Albert H. F. Seeger.

From painting to stenography; from stenography to the law; from thelaw to the recovery of a judgment for eight hundred thousand dollarsin 1906—that is the condensed history of Thomas Watts. As thepainting was, not of pictures but, of houses, it will readily be seenthat he is the most consummate embodiment of that familiar phrase,the self-made man, that the Orange County bar possesses. Afterworking all day painting, often walking back several miles to hishome, he spent his evenings studying stenography. After acquiringthis art and while pursuing its practice as a court stenographer hestudied law assiduously, following carefully also the course of everycase that came under his notice in court and drawing out the ablejudges and lawyers whom he met in conversation that was not lessinstructive than edifying.

Born in England, about the same time that Judge Seeger was born inGermany, and brought to this country at an early age by his parents,as Judge Seeger was also, the career of both men is a strikingillustration of what may be accomplished in this land of opportunity,without the social influence of generations of local ancestry, bysheer pluck, perseverance, energy and ability.

Mr. Watts is a very nucleus of abounding and super-abounding energy.He generates energy by a process of spontaneous mental combustion.His mental activity is more continuous and intense than any I haveever known. His mind never goes fallow, but seems to be constantlyfructified by the floating pollen in the business, legal orintellectual atmosphere surrounding him. It is of course inevitablethat, with such a temperament, he should repeatedly cross the path ofpeople who would like to have him keep out of their way. But Mr.Watts is so constituted that where other people are there would he bealso; and he is always willing to keep out of their way by lettingthem step aside.

Yet, despite all his initiative, aggressiveness and combativenesswith respect to those who can meet him upon equal terms, he istenderness and generosity itself to the weak, the helpless and thedependent. He has been known to pour out his bounty for years uponthose who appealed to his sympathy or invoked his aid. He has, in amarked degree, the English love of fair play and is as ready toacknowledge a mistake as he is to resent an injury. Often brusque andimpulsive in his manner when no offense is intended, and quick toregret when it is, he is always surprised to find that others are notso ready to forget as he is to forgive.

The fighting qualities of Mr. Watts are never shown to betteradvantage than when he is asserting the rights of the poor and weakagainst all the resources of corporate or individual wealth. He nevertires. His tenacity cannot be shaken. No reversal of the firstjudgment dismays him. He enters upon the second or third trial withas much vigor and vim as upon the first. In one case he more thandoubled upon the second trial the verdict obtained upon the firsttrial. Indeed he has led in the securing of large verdicts, havingobtained the largest verdict in a death case ever rendered in thecounty and the largest verdict, with one exception, ever rendered forpersonal injuries.

The judgment for eight hundred thousand dollars to which referencehas been made was obtained by Mr. Watts in an action brought by himfor a contractor against a railroad company for extra work in thebuilding of a branch, disputed by the company. Mr. Watts examined andcross-examined all the witnesses and, with the aid of his officeforce, prepared the final argument. He was opposed by the finestlegal talent in the State and the case was tried before that learned,eminent and profoundly respected judge, the Honorable Alton B.Parker, sitting as referee. The case involved many intricatequestions of which Mr. Watts exhibited entire mastery. His managementof this case marks the zenith of his ability and reputation as atrial lawyer. A lawyer who, before such a tribunal, wins such a case,involving such large interests and attended with results of suchmagnitude, for the judgment was not only obtained but settled, hasestablished his place, beyond all question, in the very front rank ofthe trial lawyers of the State.

Mr. Watts excels in cross-examination. In a case brought by him forinjuries resulting from the explosion of a locomotive boiler, thejudge hesitated at the close of his case about letting it proceed,but finally ruled that the railroad company should go on with itsproof, reserving the questions that troubled him. Mr. Watts thereupontook the defendant's witnesses in hand and on cross-examination heso completely established the liability of the company out of themouths of its own witnesses that all thought, not merely of non-suit,but of defense even was abandoned and the company was thrown into apanic. It made an offer in the recess and when the court convenedagain to resume the case it was announced as settled.

Mr. Watts' addresses to the jury are marked by pith, point andpiquancy. He emphasizes the salient features of the case and lets allminor or subordinate issues take care of themselves. His sturdydefense of his client's rights, his strong individuality and hisintellectual force combine to make him a formidable opponent.

Perhaps no lawyer at the bar of Orange County ever received a moreemphatic, pronounced, unmistakable tribute of personal regard thanJohn C. R. Taylor, of Middletown, received at the election of 1906,when, in a district opposed to him politically, he ran over fourthousand ahead of his ticket and was elected Senator by a majority ofover twelve hundred. The good opinion of him thus expressed by hisfellow citizens has been confirmed by his broad, patriotic,statesmanlike course at Albany, which has attracted the attention andcommended him to the approbation, of the entire State, withoutrespect to party lines. The purity of his character, the singlenessof his motives, the soundness of his judgment and the independence ofhis action carried him in a single session to a position of weightand influence usually acquired only after several terms oflegislative service. Senator Taylor is one of those public servantswho believe that the State is a great business corporation of whichthe Governor is president and each Senator a trustee. Under thisconviction he refuses to consider either party advantage or privateinterests but seeks to ascertain solely what is best for the welfareof the people and the cause of good government. Whether he canrepeat his phenomenal success at the polls under less favorableconditions is of course uncertain. But whether he does or not he hasset an example of clean, straightforward, high-minded methods inpolitics and legislation which will long be remembered in hisdistrict. He has set a standard of political morals which will haveto be satisfied by any successor who hopes to retain the mandate of anow aroused, vigilant, exacting and independent public conscience.

Senator Taylor's success at the bar was almost as immediate as hislater success in the Senate. Early in his practice he went toKingston to try a case against one of the leaders of the famousUlster County bar and obtained a verdict of $10,000 in an actionagainst the town of Shawangunk for damages resulting from a defectivebridge, a verdict which was subsequently paid after passing theordeal of all the courts. Judge Clearwater who presided over thetrial and whose qualifications as a critic will be conceded, since hehas himself made both the bar and bench illustrious, told me that hehad never seen a case more ably tried and presented than this casewas by Mr. Taylor.

Senator Taylor has the courage of the true lawyer. When a few yearsago he was engaged to defend a client accused of a shocking offense,people went to him and said, "Why, you will be ruined if you defendthat man." He simply replied, "He is my client and I shall stand byhim to the end." Senator Taylor not only was not "ruined" but hecompletely reversed public sentiment which had been misled from thestart, and established his client's entire innocence of the chargeagainst him in a crushing cross-examination of the first witnesswhich demonstrated its complete falsity.

Senator Taylor's professional ideals are as high as his politicalideals. He is an honorable foe, a straight lawyer, a culturedgentleman.

Michael N. Kane, of Warwick, the most beautiful village in thecounty, if not in the State, also received at the election of 1906 avote for the office of supreme court judge which strikingly attestedthe admiration and regard in which he is held by his fellow citizensin the county and district. He ran several thousand ahead of histicket but this was not sufficient to overcome the adverse majoritycaused by the creation of the new ninth judicial district out of theriver counties. Mr. Kane has securely established his reputation as atrial lawyer of conspicuous ability and success. He is frequentlyemployed as counsel in important cases and has never failed tosatisfy the expectations of both attorney and client. His preparationof cases for trial is complete and masterly.

In the appellate courts his arguments are marked by a learning,lucidity and power which always command attention and usually assent.

The breadth of character and fineness of moral fibre which havecontributed so largely to his professional success are displaced inall his relations to his professional brethren, in which he is thepattern and exemplar of uniform courtesy, consideration andindulgence. While never imperiling the interests of a client toaccommodate a professional brother he is always able to find a way toaccommodate him without injuring his client. He never takes refuge inthe transparent pretext that his client will not consent, which isthe customary formula used to cover, though it does not conceal,professional churlishness. In the very cases in which Mr. Kane hasbeen most generous to his opponents he has had the most completeultimate success; thus furnishing to his brethren of the bar anobject lesson from which they may learn that courtesy to each otheris entirely consistent with perfect loyalty to their client.

Mr. Kane's public spirit has always been a noticeable phase of hischaracter. His pride in and devotion to the interests of Warwick haveendeared him to his community which not only respects him as a lawyerbut esteems him as a neighbor and honors him as a citizen.

Ferdinand V. Sanford is another citizen of Warwick whose abilitiesentitle him to rank among the trial lawyers of the county. Fluent inspeech, cultivated in manner and refined in character, his personalcharm imparts weight to his opinion and impulsion to his utterances.He, too, is deeply interested in his beautiful village, the citizensof which have bestowed upon him many marks of their favor andconfidence. His prominence in its affairs led to a most interestingexperience in the summer of 1906 when he represented his village atthe brilliant and imposing pageant held In old Warwick in England atwhich he upheld the reputation abroad of American oratory in a mostgraceful, felicitous and eloquent address.

Darwin W. Esmond, of Newburgh, prepares his cases for trial morethoroughly than any lawyer I ever knew. His trial brief iscomprehensive, elaborate, and minute, even containing instructions inreference to the cross-examination of the witnesses expected to becalled by his opponent. Every case likely to be cited by his opponentis discussed and distinguished. Every pitfall into which his opponentmight seek to draw him is pointed out and provided against. If heshould die the day before a case is set down for trial and it shouldbe thought best, notwithstanding, to go on with the trial, anyexperienced trial lawyer could, on a moment's notice, take his briefand try the case without consulting an authority, seeing a witness,or even talking with the client. He would find his opening to thejury outlined for him, the statements of the witnesses arranged inthe order in which they should be adduced, the authorities bearingupon a motion for non-suit carefully analyzed and, finally, thepoints to be dwelt upon in the submission to the jury clearlyemphasized.

It is needless to say that such painstaking industry implies the mostconscientious devotion on the part of Mr. Esmond to his client'scause—a devotion as earnest and intense when the amount involved issmall as when it is large. His theory is that a small case is just asimportant to a poor man as a large case is to a rich one and that themeasure of duty, of fidelity and of devotion should be the same ineach.

But mere industry is of little avail in the law unless directed byability. It is a valuable supplement to ability, never a substitutefor it. Mr. Esmond has all the qualifications of an able triallawyer. I once saw him in Kingston pitted against one of the leadersof the Ulster County bar overturn by the sheer force of his abilityand address, all the prejudices first formed against his client, thedefendant, in the mind of both court and jury, in a case in which theplaintiff, an old man, was seeking the restoration of property turnedover by him to his son. I heard Judge Chester say that in thebeginning of the trial he thought the plaintiff was right but that asthe case proceeded his mind changed. This result was due solely tothe splendid defense made by Mr. Esmond in a case which from thestart was full of elements of danger and defeat.

Mr. Esmond has always taken a prominent part in the literary life ofthe community and in the discussion of public topics. His services tothe Chautauqua society have been most valuable, while his ownaddresses upon a large variety of topics have been a distinctcontribution to the literature of the subject.

It is fortunate indeed for Mr. Esmond at this time that he has allthese resources to fall back upon; else might he have been whollycrushed by the cruel sorrow that came to him and his devoted wile inthe recent loss of their only child, Paul Warner Esmond, one of themost precocious, promising and brilliant boys who ever lived. Hispoems, dealing with the problems of life and death, are as mature,reflective and suggestive as though written by a man of fifty. Thatsuch a child of genius should be snatched away when the angel ofdeath leaves untouched so many circles from which one could be betterspared, is a mystery that has never ceased to perplex mankind.

Howard Thornton, of Newburgh, bel-esprit, bon-vivant andraconteur, the favorite of society and the delight of dinner tables,is not one whit less a good lawyer because he can smooth away thedifficulties of a hostess in entertaining her guests as easily as hecan glide over the difficulties of his client's case in court. Thebest lawyers have always shone in society, from Hamilton to Choate,and Mr. Thornton's social gifts have never interfered with hisdevotion to his profession. Every morning, year in and year out, theearly riser can see Mr. Thornton at seven o'clock wending his way tohis office where by ten o'clock he has already accomplished a day'swork and is ready to talk with his clients

.

Mr. Thornton has always found his chief pleasure in some abstrusequestion arising out of the law of wills or of real estate. He hasbeen drawn into some very important litigations involving theconstruction of the transfer tax law and his contentions have beenuniformly sustained by the Court of Appeals.

Mr. Thornton's service in the Assembly, of which he was for threeyears a member, showed his capacity for public affairs. He waschairman of the judiciary committee and took high rank in legislationand politics. But his tastes incline him to the more arduous and lessdevious duties of his profession in which he has gained thereputation of an honorable, talented and brilliant lawyer.

Russel Headley, of Newburgh, is the son of the eminent historian JoelT. Headley from whom, doubtless, he inherits those literary giftswhich account in part for the direction of his energies into thefield of legal authorship. But this is not the only reason. It is butjustice to him that it should be known that Mr. Headley wasinterrupted in the very midst of a brilliant career at the bar by thecoming on of that most disqualifying of all infirmities for anadvocate—deafness. This naturally had the effect of turning Mr.Headley to the labors of authorship for which his inherited tastesand acquired accomplishments so well fitted him. His works uponassignments, witnesses and criminal justice are well known to andwidely read by the profession.

Mr. Headley filled the position of district attorney of Orange Countyfor two terms. He especially distinguished himself at this time byhis abilities as a trial lawyer.

Mr. Headley accepted in 1902 and still holds a position in the legaldivision of the State Excise Department at Albany. His research, hisfaculty for writing sound, able, exhaustive opinions and hisknowledge of the law of pleadings make him a most valuable member ofthe legal staff of that very important branch of the public service,in which questions are constantly arising which could scarcely beexpected to come within the purview of an arm of the service devotedto the enforcement of a single law. In this work Mr. Headley is ableto reconcile himself to the surrender of those more spectaculartriumphs of the court room in which his activities and his ambitiononce found a more congenial field.

Cornelius L. Waring, of Newburgh, is an authority in the law ofmunicipal corporations. He was for many years the attorney for thecity, the interests of which he always most zealously andsuccessfully protected. He has a large general practice includingamong his clients some wealthy business corporations.

Mr. Waring has had wide experience in the trial of cases. His mannerin court is marked by dignity, determination and persistence. Henever yields a point on his own side and he never fails to seize uponthe weak point in the case of his adversary. His arguments are terse,direct and forceful, always commanding ready and respectfulattention.

Elmer E. Roosa, of the Newburgh bar, who was associated with JudgeHirschberg at the time he ascended the bench, succeeded in large partto the prestige of an office which had been established for nearlythirty years. The confidence always reposed in him by JudgeHirschberg is shared by a large body of devoted clients who find inhim a safe, discreet and honorable counselor.

Edward J. Collins, of Newburgh, who is associated in practice withJudge Seeger, possesses in a high degree that dignity of bearing andof character which well supports professional attainments of asuperior order. He has been honored by his fellow citizens byrepeated marks of their confidence. He was for some years presidentof the common council of the city of Newburgh, a position whichbrought into prominence his fine qualities of mind and character.

Henry R. Lydecker, of Newburgh, has the most amiable disposition ofany lawyer at the bar. If he were more self-assertive his abilitieswould be more widely appreciated. He showed marked ability in hisservice four successive winters in the attorney general's office atAlbany in the work of reviewing for constitutional and otherobjections, the bills sent by the Legislature to the Governor. Thisappointment was made each year and would not have been repeatedlyconferred unless the discharge of his important duties had proved tobe able and satisfactory.

Mr. Lydecker has recently received, at the instance of PresidingJustice Hirschberg, an appointment upon the clerical force of theAppellate Division—another evidence of the high opinion entertainedof him by governors, attorneys general and judges alike.

J. Renwick Thompson, Jr., of Newburgh, is still permitted to write"junior" to a noble and conspicuous senior, who now for more thanfifty years has ministered over one of the most important churchesand congregations in Newburgh. Mr. Thompson's character and standingwholly contradict the adage about "ministers' sons." In his keepingall the traditions of an honorable lineage are safe, while a largeand increasing clientage can testify that in his hands are equallysafe all the interests committed to him.

Elwood C. Smith, who has an office in Turner as well as in Newburgh,has advanced rapidly in reputation and standing. His agreeablemanners and attractive personality always create a favorableimpression sure to be confirmed by future acquaintance with hischaracter and abilities. He enjoys the respect of the community andthe confidence of a very considerable clientage.

N. Deyo Belknap, of Newburgh. has shown great talent in all hisappearances in court and is a rising aspirant for professionalhonors. In an action brought by him for the construction of a will heexhibited all the qualities of a mature and experienced practitioner.His success at the bar has been immediate and pronounced.

R. H. Barnett, of Newburgh. has made a specialty of negligenceactions. Like his great exemplar, John M. Gardner, he never concedesthat he is beaten. He always renews the argument to the court, afterbeing non-suited, so undauntedly that the court often reverses itselfand lets the case go to the jury, before which Mr. Barnett meets withunvarying success. A jury always admires pluck and pertinacity andthese qualities Mr. Barnett possesses in a marked degree.

Graham Witschief, of Newburgh, would attract attention in anyassembly for the intellectual cast of his features, which clearlybetoken unusual talent. This impression is at once confirmed when headdresses the court. He so excels in the power of lucid statementthat by the time he has informed the court of the nature of thecontroversy he has already produced the effect of an argument. Thisfaculty of seizing upon the crucial, controlling points of the case,of applying the philosophical rather than the historical method, isone of the rarest among lawyers, who usually narrate the facts in theorder in which they occurred, leaving the court to pick out theessential, determining elements from a mass of more or less relatedmatter. This gift Mr. Witschief possesses to a degree so unusual thatit constitutes a large factor in the success which he has so rapidlyattained. He is a rising advocate, taking his place easily among theleaders of the Orange County bar.

Benjamin McClung, of Newburgh, obtained, early in his practice, aforemost position at the bar of the county. One of his first and mostnotable victories, which attracted wide attention at the time, waswon in a proceeding instituted by him in 1892 to require the registryboard of the town of Highlands to strike from the register the namesof over a hundred soldiers quartered at West Point, who claimed theright to vote in the village of Highland Falls, adjoining theGovernment reservation. Mr. McClung took the position that the WestPoint reservation is not a part of the territory of the State of NewYork; that upon the cession of the territory by the State the generalgovernment became invested with exclusive jurisdiction over it andthat persons resident within it are not entitled to vote. Mr.McClung, notwithstanding the limited time at his disposal, upon thevery eve of an exciting election, made a most exhaustive andconvincing argument, collating all the authorities and relyingchiefly upon the decision of the United States Supreme Court in FortLeavenworth Railroad Company vs. Lowe, which involved the characterof Government property at Fort Leavenworth. Though he was opposed bysuch eminent counsel as Judge Hirschberg, Walter C. Anthony andHoward Thornton, his argument was sustained by the court and the lawupon the subject was finally established in this State.

His stubborn defense a few years ago of an unpopular client will belong remembered. So strong was the public sentiment against hisclient and so thoroughly had the court room been surcharged with thissentiment that it was impossible for Mr. McClung to prevent hisclient's conviction of the offense of receiving stolen property,knowing it to be stolen. But, nothing daunted, Mr. McClung procured astay of the sentence, reversed the conviction on appeal, and on thesecond trial cleared his client triumphantly, the court saying thatthe proof for the prosecution did not make the slightest progresstoward fastening guilt upon the defendant. This case affords astriking illustration of the dangers that often surround innocent menin the artificially superheated atmosphere of a court room created byan excited and credulous public opinion eager for a victim. Had itnot been for Mr. McClung's steadfast, stalwart and fearless exertionsin this case, in the face of much hostile criticism, an absolutelyinnocent man, as subsequently ascertained by the court, would havebeen consigned to the ignominy of a term in State prison. Mr.McClung's action in thus stemming the tide of adverse, powerful andmalignant influences bent upon crushing and ruining his client cannotbe overestimated. It attests his place at the Orange County bar notmerely for intellectual ability but for that moral courage whichconstitutes the very highest attribute, the noblest equipment of theadvocate.

That Mr. McClung's manly, independent and intrepid character isunderstood and admired by the public was strikingly shown in the fallof 1907 by his election to the office of mayor of the city ofNewburgh by a majority of over five hundred votes, overcoming anadverse majority of about five hundred usually cast in that cityagainst the candidate of his party. The people evidently believedthat Mr. McClung is imbued with the idea that a municipal corporationis, in its last analysis, simply a business corporation in which eachtaxpayer is a stockholder, the aldermen its directors and the mayorits business manager.

Mr. McClung has already shown that this confidence in his characterand aims is well founded. He may be relied upon to give the people apurely business administration unfettered by political obligationsand uninfluenced by the desire to build up a personal machine or toreward a band of hungry parasites.

Henry Kohl, of Newburgh, now the partner of Mr. McClung, is also afighter. His tastes and his sympathies incline him to espouse theweaker cause, and he is often assigned by the court to defend thosewho are unable to employ counsel. I remember a notable case in whichhe was thus assigned arising out of the killing of a motorman by thealleged criminal negligence of another motorman in causing acollision. The indictment was for manslaughter and the trolleycompany refused to give any assistance to the accused motorman, wholanguished several months in the county jail while his case was beingtossed back and forth between the supreme and county courts. Mr. Kohltook hold of the case and so stoutly convinced several jurors thatthe fault was that of the company in not providing the motorman withproper appliances that a disagreement was secured and the motormandischarged on his own recognizance. This illustrates the quality ofMr. Kohl's work—earnest, strong, enthusiastic, courageous, loyal.Nothing dismays him. The more able and astute his opponent, thebetter he is satisfied, since it proportionately increases his creditin beating him, as he always expects to do, and frequently does.

Mr. Kohl is a verdict getter. His recent success in getting a verdictfor $9,000 in a negligence case was a gratifying one, while he alsorecently secured a favorable settlement in a case against the citygrowing out of the fall of a tree in a high wind, causing the deathof a young lady. The lawyers who start in to try a case againstHenry Kohl know that in him they will find an opponent equipped atevery point and with every art to sway a jury and to save his client.He has forged his way ahead until now he is in the front rank ofOrange County's trial lawyers.

J. Bradley Scott, of Newburgh, is the son of that noble lawyer. DavidA. Scott, whose precious legacy of an honorable name is guarded wellby the son, who came to the bar several years after his father'sdeath. He has developed far more fondness for the trial of cases thanhis father had and has already achieved a distinct standing as atrial lawyer. His recent success before the appellate courts, in thecase involving the right of a soda water establishment to refuse tofurnish soda water upon request to a colored person, has attractedgreat attention. The case involves grave questions and far-reachingconsequences. Mr. Scott's broad, powerful and convincing argument init shows that he inherits not only the good name but also the fineintellectual, discriminating qualities of his distinguished father.

George H. Decker, of Middletown, is the dean of its trial lawyers. Heis the one first asked upon every public occasion to voice itsspirit, or its purpose, filling in this respect the part so oftentaken by Mr. Winfield, who was, by the way, until his death, alwaysone of Mr. Decker's warmest friends and admirers.

Possessed of a highly sensitive, responsive nature, a poetic,imaginative temperament, an exquisitely nervous organization, hisfibre is almost too fine for the buffetings and shocks of the courtroom. While his brilliant mind, his legal attainments and hisoratorical powers have always been exhibited in the court room togreat advantage and with marked success, yet he has often declinedconflicts in which, if he had entered upon them, not he, but hisopponent, would have had occasion to regret it. Mr. Decker has alwaysplaced a far more modest estimate upon his own abilities than heshould have done, and a far lower estimate than that of the public,by which he is unreservedly admired and respected.

Mr. Decker's gifts as a public speaker, his scholarly tastes and hisliterary attainments are never shown to greater advantage than uponthe lecture platform, from which he has often instructed anddelighted a cultured audience. His recent series of brilliantlectures upon Edgar Allan Poe will be long remembered.

Soon after Mr. Decker's admission to the bar in 1870 he formed apartnership, under the name of McQuoid & Decker, with Henry M.McQuoid, who died a few years later. Mr. McQuoid's portrait hangs inMr. Decker's office, but there is little else to remind us now of onewho once occupied a large place in the interest and attention of thepublic. Mr. McQuoid was distinguished for bold, dashing, sparklingqualities as a trial lawyer. Soon after Judge Groo moved fromMonticello to Middletown in 1866 he and Mr. McQuoid were opposed toeach other in a trial in which Mr. McQuoid disputed all of JudgeGroo's legal propositions with the prefatory remark, "That may begood law in Sullivan County but it won't go in Orange County." AfterJudge Groo had stood this as long as he thought he ought to, heremarked, "I want you to understand that there are just as goodlawyers in Sullivan County as in Orange County." "Oh, yes," saidMcQuoid, "I know that, but they all stay there."

Judge Groo himself enjoyed the sally and was himself very quick at aretort. Once upon a trial in Goshen in which he was opposed by JudgeGeorge W. Greene, who at one time occupied a prominent place at theOrange County bar, subsequently living in New York, where he died,Judge Greene asked the jurors the usual question, whether any of themhad ever done any business with Judge Groo, saying that if so hewould excuse them, whereupon Judge Groo said. "Are there anygentlemen in the box who have ever done any business with JudgeGreene; if so I would like to have them remain."

Mr. McQuoid had a wonderful memory. He could entertain his friends bythe hour repeating passages from famous orations or works of poetry.His memory treasured even a fugitive poem read once in a newspaper.I recall an instance of this. One day when I was driving back withhim in a buggy from Circleville, where we had tried a case againsteach other it was the local custom for the lawyers to drive outtogether for their justice's court trials, he repeated to me a poemhe had seen in a newspaper written by Prime, the well known Easterntraveler, in memory of a young girl, Claude Brownrigg, who had diedsoon after he had told her of his travels in Palestine, as theywalked the beach one night in the moonlight. I told Mr. McQuoid Iwould like a copy of it. So as soon as he got back to Middletown hewrote it off for me. I have preserved it these thirty years and more.Here are some of the lines:

"All this I wished as on the beach
Beside the sea I walked,
And to a young and white-robed girl,
As thus I wished I talked.
Talked of far travel, wanderings long,
And scenes in many lands,
And all the while the golden path
Led eastward from the sands.

"And she has crossed the shining path,
The path where moonbeams quiver,
And she is in Jerusalem,
Forever, yes, forever."

That lines like these should be repeated by him in coming back from acommonplace suit in justice's court shows how thirty-five years agolawyers thought and talked of something besides law and politics,money and stock markets.

The name of the McQuoids should not be permitted to fade from thememory of the passing generation. His brother, Charles C. McQuoid,who died in 1866, attained even greater prominence at the bar. Heenjoyed great personal popularity and his premature death at the ageof thirty-six from typhoid fever, contracted at the home of a client,whose will he had been asked to draw, removed from the bar one of itsmost conspicuous figures. His popularity is shown by his success indefeating judge Gedney for district attorney by a narrow majority in1859. He served as district attorney until 1862. Being succeeded byAbram S. Cassedy, who in 1865 was succeeded by J. Hallock Drake,another brilliant member of the Orange County bar who practiced inNewburgh for some years but who subsequently settled in New York.

Charles G. Dill, now the Nestor of the Middletown bar, studied lawwith Charles C. McQuoid, whose memory he holds in deep veneration.Mr. Dill at one time enjoyed the largest practice in Middletown. Itis only lately that he has relaxed his devotion to business, nowspending several months each year in Florida, where he has extensiveinterests.

Mr. Dill is the very soul of honor and integrity in all the relationsof life. The kindness of his heart is often obscured by thebrusqueness of his manner which sometimes gives strangers a whollyerroneous impression of a disposition singularly generous, open andbuoyant. He is the precise opposite of the type represented by thetraditional cow that gives a good pail of milk and then kicks itover. Mr. Dill kicks over the pail first and then proceeds to fill itwith the milk of human kindness. He generally explains at thebeginning how impossible it is for him to do anything for you andends by doing more for you than you asked or expected.

Mr. Dill's miscellaneous library is the best in Orange County. He isa born, inveterate, irreclaimable bibliophile. A week that passes bywithout his buying some old, rare or scarce volume is to him afailure. The question of price is never considered. If he wants it hegets it and that is all there is of it. He has built severaladditions to his home to accommodate his treasures, but theyconstantly overtax its capacity. They overflow and regurgitate in aconfusion that drives to despair the order fiend and the dust hunter.

Rosslyn M. Cox, who was for many years the partner of Mr. Dill andwho recently has entered into partnership with Mr. Watts, is one ofthe most successful lawyers in Middletown. He is an expert inaccountings before the surrogate and before the bankruptcy courts,but he is equally at home in a trial or in an argument before thecourt. The esteem in which he is held is shown by his nomination in1906 for the office of county judge.

Associated with Mr. Cox is Elmer N. Oakes, whose abilities in thepreparation of a case for trial are unique and remarkable. He is anatural mechanic, understanding with ease the most difficultadjustments, functions and forms of complicated machinery. Theknowledge displayed by him in respect to the construction andoperation of a locomotive boiler was an important element in thesuccess of several actions growing out of an explosion.

After preparing the case for trial Mr. Oakes is entirely competent totry it. He has often examined and cross examined the witnesses butdistrusts his own powers when it comes to summing up the case to thejury. When his modesty shall be replaced by greater assurance he willbe better known for his really solid attainments and fine abilities.

Abram F. Servin will probably never overcome his timidity at thesound of his own voice in the presence of a jury, though he canfurnish enough law to other lawyers to keep them busy expounding itto the courts. He has argued and won cases in the Court of Appealsbut his chief victories are carried off by other lawyers who arguefrom the learned and exhaustive briefs prepared by him. He is anexpert in the preparation of a brief for the appellate courts. Hecan take the printed record of a case of which he never heard andconstruct from it a perfectly convincing brief upon either side.

Allen W. Corwin, who occupies the position of recorder of Middletown,has displayed in the performance of his duties firmness tempered byforbearance, judgment informed by conscience, justice controlled bywisdom. His broad and humane policy in dealing with minor offenses,united to his stern and rigid enforcement of the law in seriouscases, largely accounts for the almost entire freedom of Middletownfrom crimes of pillage and violence.

Recorder William H. Hyndman, of Newburgh, has also succeeded duringthe last few years in greatly reducing the number of crimes committedin and about a city which was at one time infested by bold anddesperate criminals. A river town is always subject to greaterdanger, through its opportunities for access and escape, but RecorderHyndman has earned the gratitude of the public for an administrationof the criminal law which has resulted in a marked improvement of theconditions once prevalent in his jurisdiction.

Of course the discouragement of crime rests largely in the vigilanceof the district attorney of the county. Thomas C. Rogers, ofMiddletown, the son of William H. Rogers, who himself could easilyhave attained eminence at the bar if he had so chosen, was elected tothis office in 1906. He has already shown that in his hands the wise,faithful and efficient enforcement of the criminal law may beconfidently depended upon. His previous administration for threeyears of the office of assistant district attorney was distinguishedfor unusual ability. He is amply qualified to uphold the traditionsof an office always ably filled by such men as Fullerton and Carr,Brown and Hirschberg, Anthony and Headley, Powelson and Seeger.

J. D. Wilson, Jr., of Newburgh, who received the appointment asassistant district attorney, to serve with Mr. Rogers, is wellqualified to sustain the burdens of the position, which arenecessarily very considerable when it is considered that he isexpected to exercise special vigilance in the entire eastern part ofthe county, including Newburgh itself.

Wickham T. Shaw was one of the most alert assistant districtattorneys that Orange County ever had. He served in that capacityunder Judge Fullerton from 1868 to 1871, trying many of the cases.His career at the bar of Middletown has afforded many opportunitiesfor the display of his knowledge of the criminal law, gained in thatassociation with one of the foremost lawyers of his time.

Abram V. N. Powelson never satisfied the expectations of his friendsuntil he came to the office of district attorney in 1897, a positionwhich he filled for seven years. They always knew that he had abilityand they always regretted that his retention of the office of justiceof the peace, for many years, prevented that recognition of hisabilities to which they were entitled. But the opportunity to showhis solid worth both as a lawyer and as a law officer came with hisentrance into a wider field of county administration in which heacquitted himself with credit and distinction.

John F. Bradner, of Middletown, was also at one time closelyconnected with the administration of the criminal law, having beenthe recorder of Middletown for many years; a position in which hepresided with great dignity over many important and exciting trials.Mr. Bradner is an advocate who enters upon a trial with all theardor and enthusiasm born of absolute conviction in the justice ofhis cause, and he never fails to make a strong impression upon ajury.

John L. Wiggins, of Middletown, son-in-law of Judge Groo and brotherof Willis H. Wiggins, an eminent member of the Ohio judiciary, isdistinguished for the earnestness, energy and enthusiasm with whichhe espouses every cause committed to him. He is original andresourceful. In an action brought once against his client for aviolation of the law in respect of adulterated milk, Mr. Wigginsgravely argued to the jury that in his judgment the law wasunconstitutional. As the facts were clearly against his client, thejudge did not take the trouble to interrupt him, but was astonishedwhen the jury rendered a verdict in favor of Mr. Wiggins' client,based wholly upon the constitutional argument.

The next day Mr. O'Neill, encouraged by Mr. Wiggins' tactics, enteredupon the same line of defense, but Judge Gaynor admonished by themiscarriage of the day before, promptly suppressed it, and Mr.O'Neill's client was convicted.

Alton J. Vail, of Middletown, is a lawyer whose modesty oftenconceals his merits, which, however, are well known to his clients.Mr. Vail has for many years transacted the business of the MiddletownSavings Bank. He is an authority upon titles and upon all questionsinvolving the law of real estate, his opinion upon these and kindredquestions having frequently been sustained by the courts. Wideexperience, sound judgment, conservative instincts, elevatedcharacter, absolute probity and intense loyalty in friendship unitein Alton J. Vail, the able lawyer, the honorable man, the uprightcitizen.

A. C. N. Thompson, of Middletown, who is in partnership with Mr.Dill, has abundant inspiration in his name. He is the son of John A.Thompson, once a prominent lawyer of Monticello who, on account ofhis admiration for one of the greatest lawyers of his day named himafter Archibald C. Niven.

Mr. Thompson has already shown one quality conspicuous in hisdistinguished godfather—that of capacity for hard work. His energyand self-denial in preparing himself for the bar while engaged in theexacting duties of another calling, give promise of abundant successin the career now opening before him.

Charles T. Vail, who entered upon a career of high promise at thebar was cut down upon its threshold. No lawyer in Middletown ever hadthe faculty of winning friends as easily as he. His sunnydisposition, affectionate nature and engaging manners won for him ahost of admirers, adherents and clients. Undimmed affection in manyhearts still sheds a tear over the untimely grave of Charlie Vail.

Dewitt Van Zandt, of the Middletown bar, was the son of that gifteddivine, Dr. Van Zandt, so long the beloved pastor of the brick churchat Montgomery. Coming to Middletown fresh from college, his sparklingwit and ready repartee endeared him to a large circle of admiringfriends. But soon he was overtaken by broken health, which paralyzedhis energies and crumbled his ambitions. Through all the experiencesof a life that failed to fulfill its early promise, he maintained theinstincts, the manners and the bearing of the true gentleman. Henever lost the sweetness, serenity and gentleness of his disposition,or the high standard of personal honor inherited from his reveredfather. Fond meditation still tenderly dwells upon the fadelessmemory of DeWitt Van Zandt.

John G. Mills, of the Goshen bar, removed to Washington, where hedied in April, 1883. While necessity chained him to the lawinclination led him along the flowery paths of literature, histalents and accomplishments brought him into relations with the greatand the gifted, one of his dearest friends being Robert G. Ingersoll,who pronounced the oration at his funeral. Mr. Ingersoll said:

"My friends: Again we are face to face with the great mystery thatshrouds the world. We question, but there is no reply. Out on thewide waste seas there drifts no spar. Over the desert of death thesphinx gazes forever, but never speaks.

"In the very May of life another heart has ceased to beat. Night hasfallen upon noon. But he lived, he loved, he was loved. Wife andchildren pressed their kisses on his lips. This is enough. Thelongest life contains no more. This fills the vase of joy.

"He who lies here, clothed with the perfect peace of death, was akind and loving husband, a good father, a generous neighbor, anhonest man,—and these words build a monument of glory above thehumblest grave. He was always a child, sincere and frank, as full ofhope as spring. He divided all time into to-day and to-morrow.To-morrow was without a cloud and of to-morrow he borrowed sunshinefor to-day. He was my friend. He will remain so. The living oftbecome estranged; the dead are true. . . .

"With him immortality was the eternal consequences of his own acts.He believed that every pure thought, every disinterested deed,hastens the harvest of universal good. This is a religion thatenriches poverty; that enables us to bear the sorrows of the saddestlife; that peoples even solitude with happy millions yet to live,—areligion born not of selfishness and fear, but of love, of gratitudeand hope,—a religion that digs wells to slake the thirst of others,and gladly bears the burdens of the unborn.

"But in the presence of death how beliefs and dogmas wither anddecay! How loving words and deeds burst into blossom! Pluck from thetree of any life these flowers, and there remain but the barrenthorns of bigotry and creed.

"All wish for happiness beyond this life. All hope to meet again theloved and lost. In every heart there grows this sacred flower.Immortality is a word that Hope through all the ages has beenwhispering to Love. The miracle of thought we cannot comprehend. Themystery of life and death we cannot comprehend. This chaos called theworld has never been explained. The golden bridge of life from gloomemerges and on shadow rests. Beyond this we do not know. Fate isspeechless, destiny is dumb, and the secret of the future has neveryet been told. We love; we wait; we hope. The more we love, the morewe fear. Upon the tenderest heart the deepest shadows fall. Allpaths, whether filled with thorns or flowers, end here. Here successand failure are the same. The rag of wretchedness and the purple robeof power all difference and distinction lose in the democracy ofdeath. Character survives; goodness lives; love is immortal."

Harrison W. Nanny, of Goshen, had a pathetic career. Possessed ofunusual talent and capacity he was handicapped in the practice of hisprofession by an accident which paralyzed his energies, embitteredhis solitary life and pressed to his rebellious lips the chalice ofmocking irony.

But while he was not resigned he was courageous. Some of the workwhich he performed in suffering and illness is marked by a highdegree of intellectual power. Only his misfortunes prevented hisattaining prominence at the bar.

No one has a deeper affection for the memory of Mr. Nanny than hisold friend and partner, Charles L. Mead, who now lives in retirementfrom the activities of his profession at his home in Middletown. Mr.Mead has the unprecedented record of having served three terms insuccession as county treasurer—a striking proof of his influence,his popularity and his qualifications for public office. During hisentire period of service not one of his political acts was everquestioned and he surrendered the office crowned with the respect andconfidence of the public.

Bradford R. Champion, of the Goshen bar, was a contemporary ofWinfield and Gedney. While his talents were not brilliant or showy hestill possessed those solid, sterling qualities of mind and heartwhich impart strength and vigor to individual character; whichinspire confidence in the community at large; which uphold the verystructure of society; which confer blessings upon every relation inlife and which bring peace and honor, repose and happiness to theirpossessor.

The recent death of William H. Wyker removed one who, while notprominent in the trial courts, possessed many endearing traits ofcharacter and occupied a large place in the social and civil life ofGoshen. He was also in great favor and request as a speaker inpolitical campaigns. He could have taken his place among the triallawyers of the county, had he so chosen, but, he, too, suffered underthe disadvantage of having accepted the office of justice of thepeace—that abyss in which talent has so often found its unmarkedgrave.

The late Benjamin F. Low, of the Middletown bar, was one of the mostgenial spirits ever drawn into social relations with his fellow-men.He fairly oozed companionship and good fellowship. He was also a goodlawyer, coming from a family of which Senator Henry A. Low, hisbrother, was the most able and conspicuous member.

He had some notable successes at the bar. In the case of Josie tee*tsagainst the city of Middletown he obtained a verdict for considerablymore than he would have got if it had not been for the mistake of hisopponent in the cross-examination of the plaintiff's physician. Dr.William H. Dorrance, who, on the direct, had testified to onlymoderate injuries to his patient as the result of her being thrownover the dashboard on account of an obstruction in the street. But hebecame nettled by the cross-examination and when he was finallyasked: "Now, doctor, tell me just what is the matter with this younglady," he replied: "Why, Mr. O'Neill, there is not one organ orfunction of that woman's body that works healthfully or naturally."

This brought up the verdict from $1,000, all that Mr. Low expected toget, to $3,000. It was a lesson to all who heard it as to the dangerof giving a hostile witness too good an opening. As a matter of fact,the woman is still living in vigorous health.

Louis S. Sterrit, of Newburgh, who died in April, 1907, left a voidin the hearts of a large and intimate circle. He enjoyed an extensiveclientage and the confidence of the entire community. He was theattorney of that old, strong and conservative institution, theNewburgh Savings Bank, and of many other institutions and societies.His dignified presence, his affable manners, his substantial worth,his sincerely religious character, his mental poise combined toproduce an impression upon the community which the corrosion of timewill, with difficulty, efface.

Mr. Sterrit was eminently public-spirited. In 1904 he erected at theentrance of Woodlawn Cemetery, New Windsor, two very fine gates. Healso placed in the Union Presbyterian church of Newburgh a tablet inmemory of the late Rev. Alexander B. Jack, one of its pastors.

His generosity was unbounded. No client, however poor or humble,ever failed of help or counsel because he lacked a fee.

The death in 1906 of Lewis W. Y. McCroskery, of the Newburgh bar,created a general feeling of sorrow and a distinct sense of personalloss. He had filled many offices which brought him into individualrelations with the entire community, and it is safe to assert that hehad not a single enemy. His appointment as postmaster by PresidentCleveland was filled with credit to himself and usefulness to thepublic service. His professional career was interrupted by thisservice, but when he resumed his practice at the expiration of histerm his clients gathered about him again, for they and the bar alikealways appreciated deeply his amiable disposition, his spotlesscharacter, his solid ability.

Joseph M. Leeper, of the Newburgh bar, also passed away in 1906. Aveteran of the Civil War his health did not permit him to engage inactive practice, but he took an honorable pride in his membership ofa profession which he never did one act to discredit.

The mention of Mr. Leeper suggests the name of one who should not besuffered to fall into oblivion, for it was one of the strongestpassions of his own life to perpetuate the memory of the leaders ofthe Orange County bar, by which he was especially deputed to prepareand publish the memorial to Mr. Winfield. No one will dissent from apassing tribute to the generous instincts and throbbing heart ofJohn K. Goldsmith.

Henry W. Chadeayne, elected in 1906 supervisor of the town ofCornwall, but practicing in Newburgh, stands out as one of the fewmen who always says what he thinks. You can always tell where to findhim, and that is just where he says he is. You do not have to go toany one else to learn where he stands. Just ask him and you willknow. He has no patience with trimmers and time-servers. He alwaystakes the most straight road possible to any given end.

This rugged intellectual honesty constitutes a positive force and asterling asset. The public service and the legal profession have nopurer representative than Henry W. Chadeayne.

Among the members of the Newburgh bar who have risen rapidly toprominence is James G. Graham, the son of the gifted lawyer alreadyreferred to, whose full name he bears. Mr. Graham, after four years'experience in public affairs at Albany, in the executive chamber,accepted the office of deputy attorney-general, which he held twoyears. This position, which has always been a most exacting one,involving the trial and argument of cases of great magnitude, wasfilled by Mr. Graham with marked ability and to the entiresatisfaction of the public. It was during his incumbency of thisposition that Mr. Graham was chiefly instrumental in bringing aboutthe creation of the new ninth judicial district—a service for whichthe Orange County bar can never be sufficiently grateful to him. Itis to his untiring and influential exertions that we are chieflyindebted for the creation of a natural, hom*ogeneous judicialdistrict, free from the blight and incubus of Kings County—adistrict in which the accession to the bench of Judges Mills,Tompkins and Morschauser insures the preservation of those standardsof judicial dignity, decorum, deliberation and, above all,consideration for the rights and feelings of the bar, which have beenso nobly maintained by their distinguished colleague, Judge Keogh.

The Newburgh bar has many members of varying degrees of prominenceand experience, including the venerable Jesse F. Shafer, who was bornin 1828; Samuel E. Dimmick, who comes from a family of able lawyers;Seward U. Round, who worthily bears the famous name bestowed upon himat the time his father was principal of the Seward Institute atFlorida; Caleb H. Baumes, who is idolized by his brethren of the OddFellows; Peter Cantline, aggressive, ambitious and rising, destinedto take his place among the foremost members of the Orange Countybar; James M. H. Wallace, earnest, forcible, unflinching,indefatigable and intellectual; Charles W. U. Sneed, modest,interesting and well informed; David C. Scott, patient, devoted andindustrious; Leroy Dickerson, engaging and efficient; John B. Corwin,the fit successor of Louis S. Sterrit as attorney for the NewburghSavings Bank and, like him, retiring and reserved until the occasioncalls for action, when he is eloquent, convincing and powerful; FrankW. Tompkins, popular and respected; George W. May, refined andgentlemanly; Martin G. Mould, courteous and affable; W. J. Wygant,unassuming and competent; Reeve Ketcham, faithful and energetic;Reuben H. Hilton, U. S. Collector of the Port of Newburgh; Russell S.Coutant, accomplished and scholarly; Nehemiah Fowler, solid anddignified; A. D. and A. W. Lent, father and son, educated, amiableand conscientious.

The Walden bar is adorned by the ardent, impulsive, enthusiastic,brilliant A. S. Embler; by the earnest, thoughtful, learned Irving H.Loughran; by the bustling, energetic, ambitious Anson J. Fowler, andby the fine natural abilities of Caleb B. Birch, Jr.

Joseph M. Wilkin, of the Montgomery bar, bears an honored name—thatof his father, who for several years occupied a prominent position atthe bar of Tennessee, returning to Orange County at the opening ofthe war on account of his pronounced Union sentiments. He was thebrother of Judge John G. Wilkin, already referred to, and the two hadmany traits of character in common derived from their sterlingancestry. It is not strange that the younger Joseph M. Wilkin shouldexhibit in his present administration of the duties of specialsurrogate the qualities which have always distinguished the membersof his famous and honorable family.

The bar of Montgomery is also strengthened by the high character andunquestioned capacity of William L. Dickerson. But Montgomery hasceased to be the center of legal interest which it was in the dayswhen Edward Van Orsdall organized a suit there at least once a weekand where he and that once well known member of the Goshen bar,George W. Millspaugh, frequently tried out the issues before a jurypacked to beat one or the other.

The Middletown bar includes, among its well known members, Henry T.Crist, whose personal popularity led to his election as coroner;Russell M. Vernon, who has acquired a large practice in theSurrogate's Court; Howard M. Starr, who is performing the duties ofjustice of the peace; John Bright, whose alertness, readiness andgeneral information predestines him to an active career; Jeremiah E.Barnes, who served most acceptably for several years as the recorderof the city of Middletown; and Charles C. Elston, who has manfullyovercome many difficulties in establishing and maintaining hisposition at the bar.

The Goshen bar includes among its honored members Charles W. Coleman,who notwithstanding that he is a martyr to ill health and iscompelled to spend the winters in Florida, retains the confidence andbusiness of a host of personal friends; also William D. Mills, whohas learning enough to equip a dozen lawyers for successful practice.

Louis Bedell, of the Goshen bar, secured at Albany in the Assembly amore powerful personal influence than any member from his districtever enjoyed, with the exception of his former partner, George W.Greene. This was, of course, partly due to the wisdom of theelectors in keeping him there. But Mr. Bedell's many qualificationsfor success in public life accounted in a large degree for the extentof his influence. A lawyer is always needed in either the Assembly orthe Senate and no amount of good fellowship or general intelligencecan make up for the lack of legal training and experience.

Joseph Merritt, of Goshen, whose diffidence prevents his coming intoprominence before the public is, however, unable to conceal from hisprofessional brethren his very superior legal attainments. He is alawyer of the very first rank. His opinion is respected and followedin many instances in which the court is unaware that it is he who hasguided it to a correct conclusion.

Philip A. Rorty, of the Goshen bar, has gone rapidly to the front.The wide experience gained by him in the extensive businessestablished by the firm of Bacon & Merritt, in which he is a partner,has been used by him to great advantage. He is entrusted with thepreparation of important cases, in the trial of which also he takes aconsiderable and highly creditable part. He is an expert in railroadlaw and in the law of negligence.

T. Floyd Halstead, of Goshen, is the son of one of the mostwarmhearted, noble, honorable men who ever lived—the late John R.Halstead of Unionville. If he will but emulate in private andprofessional life the virtues of his most estimable father he will besure to continue and confirm the success which has already in a largemeasure attended upon him.

J. V. D. Benedict, of Warwick, represented his district in theAssembly in the year 1877. His suavity of manner and moderation ofspeech are the sincere reflection of a kind, generous andaffectionate nature.

His interest in various pursuits has interfered with the singlenessof his devotion to the law, but his opinion upon difficult questionshas often been sought and followed with the most satisfactory resultsto himself and to his clients.

Clifford S. Beattie, of Warwick, who is associated in business withhis father, Judge Beattie, settled in his old home after a most valuableand enlightening experience as one of the legal staff of theMetropolitan Railway system in New York. He possesses anindividuality, an independence and a strength of character whichprevent his being overshadowed by the great reputation of his father.But if he did not have these qualities he would not be a Beattie.

Lewis J. Stage, of Warwick, who is associated in business with Mr.Kane, under the name of Kane & Stage, had the good sense tovoluntarily resign the office of justice of the peace—that grave ofprofessional ambition; that rock upon which so many a professionalcareer has foundered. Since then he has made strides in reputationand influence.

Mr. Stage has always taken an active part in the educational,philanthropic, historical and religious interests of the community.His sincerity in this is manifest and unquestioned. He is free fromall forms of cant and pretense, sham and affectation.

John Miller, of Cornwall-on-Hudson, whose memory goes back to thedays of McKissock, is a veritable encyclopedia of the law; astorehouse of principles and authorities; a reservoir of unlimitedcapacity; a fountain of perennial flow. If he had been as able toapply, discriminate and assimilate as he has been to accumulatestores of knowledge his abilities would undoubtedly have been morewidely recognized.

Thomas S. Hulse, of Westtown, has long enjoyed the advantage of beingthe only lawyer in town. He is often consulted upon thecontroversies arising in it and his influence is always for peacerather than strife, for settlement rather than litigation. His solidworth of character commands for him universal and unchallengedrespect.

Frank R. Gump, of Highland Falls, signalized his entrance intopractice at the Orange County Bar by bringing the unusual action of aman against a woman for her breach of promise in refusing to marryhim. He has been the attorney for some most important interestsinvolved in actions brought to determine priority of water rights.The ability shown by him in the management of these cases andespecially in the examination and cross-examination of the witnessesin several trials has given him a recognized position at the bar ofthe county.

Frank Lybolt, of Port Jervis, who filled most competently a term ofoffice as special county judge, has tried some cases in the SupremeCourt with an intelligence, earnestness and spirit which attractedthe attention of his professional brethren.

Wilton Bennet, of Port Jervis, has given special attention to thetrial of criminal cases in which his zeal, earnestness, boldness andeloquence have given to him many professional victories and to hisclients many occasions for profound and lasting gratitude.

William P. Gregg, of the Port Jervis bar, has, by his straightforwardand manly character, impressed himself most favorably upon thecommunity, this ability as a lawyer received deserved recognition inJanuary, 1907, when he was appointed the tax appraiser of OrangeCounty.

Henry B. Fullerton, of Port Jervis, greatly resembles in characterand ability his relative, Daniel Fullerton, who, though he did notattain the eminence of his brothers, William and Stephen W.Fullerton, possessed more original gifts and natural eloquence thaneither of them.

The Port Jervis bar is also enriched by the fine character andsterling abilities of Alfred Marvin and R. Edward Schofield.

William A. Parshall, of Port Jervis, who was at one time associatedwith Mr. Carr in the protection of the interests of the Erie RailroadCompany, has won the respect of the community and of his professionalbrethren by the high-minded, honorable, sincere and manly coursewhich he has always pursued in every walk of life, private, publicand professional.

His splendid vote in the autumn of 1907 for the office of surrogateattests the popular esteem in which he is held.

John B. Swezey, his successful competitor, entered upon the duties ofthe office of surrogate in January, 1908.

He was for many years the attorney for the Middletown State Hospitaland he has occupied many other positions of responsibility, theduties of which he has always discharged with fidelity and ability.His service as special surrogate brought the bar of the county intoclose acquaintance with his superior judicial qualifications andprepared it to expect his elevation to still higher judicial station.

Orange County has always been fortunate in its surrogates and thefriends of Judge Swezey confidently expect him to maintain unsulliedthe traditions and the standards set by such predecessors as Scottand Coleman, Wadsworth and Howell.

Obadiah P. Howell retired from the office of surrogate on the firstof January, 1908, after an incumbency of twelve years, with theprofound respect of the bar and of the public for both his characterand his attainments. Judge Howell possesses an evenly balanced, wellpoised character which admirably fitted him for the duties of thisposition.

His abilities as a lawyer were also brought into constant requisitionduring his terms of office on account of the many new questions whicharose under the operation of the transfer tax statutes. Thesequestions were disposed of by him with rigid impartiality, zealousregard for every interest represented, and deep anxiety to arrive ata just and sound conclusion. His careful discrimination in applyingthe principles of law involved has resulted in a body of decisionswhich command the respect of both the bar and the judiciary.

Judge Howell was always most conservative. Such was his venerationfor the last wishes of a dying testator that if he ever felt it hisduty to set aside a will, the fact is not generally known. He gave noencouragement to those frivolous and often merely speculative orintimidating contests which have done so much to bring probateadministration into reproach in many jurisdictions.

Judge Howell always exhibited one characteristic which commandsspecial commendation. He never tolerated the merely perfunctoryperformance of their duties by guardians appointed to represent theinterests of minors or incompetents. He exacted the most carefulinvestigation of their rights to the end that they should be fullyprotected and he so exercised his authority in making appointments asto insure this result. His administration will go down to history asone of the purest and ablest in the annals of the county.

Roswell C. Coleman, who preceded Judge Howell in the office ofsurrogate, occupying it for twelve years (1883-1895), entered uponhis duties with peculiar qualifications for their successfuldischarge. His professional bent had always been in the direction ofpractice in the Surrogate's Court and of interest in all thequestions arising in the construction of wills. Moreover he began hispractice with the senior Joseph W. Gott, an association from which hecould not fail to derive benefit as well as pleasure.

His eminently judicial temperament was early recognized by the judgesand by his associates with the result that, in the days whenreferences were far more common than they are now, owing to theinadequacy of the judicial force and the necessity for auxiliaryrequisitions upon the profession, Mr. Coleman was constantlydesignated by the court and by consent of counsel to serve inimportant references. His absolute fairness, his love of justice, hisfreedom from influence and his unerring judgment made him thefavorite referee in the county during that entire period ofimperfect judicial service which was supplemented in him by anability fully equal to that of the judge appointing him. I rememberan occasion when judge Barnard, in announcing the selection of Mr.Coleman as referee, remarked to the attorney, "Don't let him getafter you with his gun," referring to his well-known experience in1875 as a member of the first American rifle team that ever wentabroad, Mr. Coleman returning with several prizes for his skillfulmarksmanship.

Mr. Coleman's tenure of the office of surrogate was distinguished forthe display of those high judicial qualities with which the entirebar had become acquainted in his frequent exercise of them asreferee. Indeed, so great was the respect in which they were heldthat in many contests involving large interests, the partiesacquiesced in his decision as final, the defeated party taking noappeal. This was notably the case in the matter of the will of JohnS. Sammons, in which all his property was given to a church upon thecondition that it should care perpetually for his tomb. The churchtook no appeal from the decision of Surrogate Coleman refusing toadmit the will to probate. The opinion of the surrogate is a masterlyreview of the law of insane delusions as affecting testamentarycapacity, pointing out that a will may often be upheld notwithstandingthe presence of insane delusions when those delusions do not tend toproduce the will. But in this case the will was rejected because thedelusion under which the testator labored did govern him in thedisposition of his property, he having formed the delusion that hisbody was to be preserved to the end of time and having given hisproperty to the church to secure the protection of his tomb fromdisturbance. The opinion contains a very subtle, acute and interestingdiscussion of other delusions cherished by the testator which wouldnot in themselves have invalidated the will, but which are consideredas bearing upon the liability of the testator to form a delusion bywhich he was controlled in the disposition of his property.

Although the case attracted great attention, the opinion of thesurrogate never was reported. For this reason it is especiallyappropriate that a partial report of it should be preserved in thisall too perishable record. The case constitutes, also, one of thenotable legal victories of Henry W. Wiggins, who appeared for thecontestants.

Mr. Coleman since his retirement from the bench has been honored withmany marks of continued confidence in his judicial qualifications.No lawyer now living commands greater respect for the simplicity ofhis life, the purity of his character, the force of his example, thevigor of his manhood, the solidity of his attainments and thegenuineness of his learning than does Roswell C. Coleman.

Henry A. Wadsworth, who preceded Mr. Coleman in twelve years'incumbency of the office of surrogate, brought to its duties a largefund of practical knowledge, common sense and capacity for affairs.His legal attainments were ample and he was deeply anxious in everycase to arrive at a sound and just decision. His place in theaffections of the bar was accurately as well as touchingly set forthin the memorial address of Judge Hirschberg, in which he said:

"The sweetness and gentleness of his nature, his genial and frankspirit, the generous impulses of his heart, and the broad andengaging charity of his views are known best to the favored few whor*joiced in his intimate companionship. His hand was open as the dayto melting charity. His dealings were ever plain, straightforward anddirect. He despised all shams and affectations. To his friends he wasthe very soul of unselfish loyalty, and to the party which honoredboth him and itself in his elevation, and in whose counsels he wasever a trusted leader, he rendered always a manly and unfalteringallegiance. A loving husband, an affectionate and indulgent father, awise, honest and safe adviser, an unstained lawyer, an incorruptiblejudge, and a loyal friend are buried in his grave. And if amid thegood of his great nature there was mingled any blemish or alloy ofhuman fault or folly, let us to whom his name is now but a sweet andtender memory:

"'No further seek his merits to disclose
Nor draw his frailties from their dread abode,
(There they alike in trembling hope repose)
The bosom of his Father and his God.'"

Gilbert O. Hulse, who preceded Mr. Wadsworth in the office ofsurrogate, still survives at the age of eighty-four to relate hisreminiscences of the bench and bar of a previous generation. Beforecoming to this office in 1868 he had enjoyed a large professionalexperience which fully qualified him for his duties. He was engagedin many notable cases, in one of which, attracting great attention atthe time, he established a lost will many years after it had beenwrongfully destroyed and secured the property till then denied to itsrightful owners, his clients. Much of his professional life has beenpassed in the city of New York but he retains his residence in OrangeCounty, in which he was born in 1824, and with which his ancestorshad been identified since 1775.

The early part of the last century was marked by the rise in OrangeCounty of an able and progressive bar, whose courage and publicspirit contributed to keep alive the fires of exalted patriotism.Jonathan Fisk, who removed to Newburgh in 1800, became one of themost influential citizens of the county, being elected twice tocongress and being appointed twice United States attorney for theSouthern District of New York.

Henry G. Wisner, who was admitted in 1802, settled in Goshen in 1810,where for thirty years he stood forth as its most prominent citizen,its most active philanthropist and one of its foremost lawyers.

Walter Case, who also was admitted in 1802, settled in Newburgh,serving in Congress and becoming the surrogate of the county in 1823for a term of four years. His scholarly tastes and literary giftsstill find inherited expression through the cultured mind of hisdescendant, Walter Case Anthony.

David W. Bate and Thomas McKissock, who were associated under thename of Bate & McKissock, were strong and able men, exercising a wideand potent influence. Judge Bate was elected county judge in 1847.Judge McKissock was appointed supreme court judge to serve for a fewmonths and was elected to Congress in 1849.

William C. Hasbrouck, who studied with Mr. Wisner, was admitted in1826 and began his practice in Newburgh. where he resided until hisdeath. He was speaker of the Assembly in 1847 and attracted attentionand admiration abroad as well as at home by a courtly presence andcharming address, united to robust manhood and sturdy principles. Heenjoyed the personal friendship of many prominent men of every shadeof opinion, including Sam Houston, Andrew Jackson and William H.Seward. He died in 1870.

Benjamin F. Duryea filled a large place in the life of the county.Admitted in 1839, he became surrogate in 1847 and county judge in1855. His opinion upon any state of facts submitted to him wasregarded by his associates of the bar as conclusive upon thequestions of law involved. His son, Henry C. Duryea, whose career wasmarred by precarious health, survived him until 1906.

Of all the able lawyers who have kept bright the fame of the Goshenbar, perhaps no one ever exhibited greater force of character or madea deeper impression upon his fellow citizens than Samuel J. Wilkin,who was admitted to the bar in 1815 and who practiced in Goshen fromthat time until his death in 1866. He served with distinction inCongress and in the Senate of the State. His fiery eloquence,commanding presence and lofty character live in traditions that willlong preserve his name from indifference or his memory from neglect.His daughter Sara became the wife of ex-Surrogate Roswell C. Coleman.His father, General James W. Wilkin, was also a distinguished man,serving in the Senate, Assembly and Congress, and coming within onevote of being elected to the United States Senate.

Oliver Young rose to conspicuous influence and weight in Port Jervissoon after his removal there in 1849. He lived during the period ofpolitical unrest which soon afterwards set in, and he was theforemost champion of anti-slavery principles in the county at a timewhen his sentiments were highly unpopular. He survived to see theonce decried abolitionists acclaimed by the arbitrament of war andthe verdict of history the most advanced statesmen of their century.He died in 1871.

This brings our narrative to the point of time from which the directconnection of the Orange County bar with the events of that stirringperiod and with the subsequent history of the county has been traced.

When it is considered that, in the sixty years preceding thepublication of Eager's History of Orange County in 1847, no less thanone hundred and seventy-five lawyers were admitted to practice inOrange County, their names appearing in the appendix to that volume;and that, in the sixty years now elapsed since its publication, fullyas many more have been added to the number, it will readily be seenhow impossible it is to undertake, in one department of a generalcounty history, a sketch of many, among the living and the dead,whose estimable career it would be a pleasure to follow and depict.The purpose of this review and the treatment of its themes areentirely different from the plan and method adopted in Ruttenber'sHistory of Orange County published in 1881, to which the reader isreferred for such dates as may not be accessible here in respect tosome of the lawyers who nourished before that time; while to Eager'shistory is referred the reader who may seek simply the names of thosewho were admitted to practice before 1847.

The bar of Orange County has also contributed to wider fields ofactivity many who have reflected high honor upon the place of theirprofessional nativity. One of these was Benjamin F. Dunning, who,when he was in practice in Goshen in 1853, was invited by the leaderof the New York bar, Charles O'Conor, to become associated with him.That veteran of the Orange County clerk's office, Charles G. Elliot,who has seen three generations of lawyers come upon the scene, toldme that he was in the clerk's office when Mr. Dunning received theletter from Mr. O'Conor containing this proposition and saw him showit to Nathan Westcott, then a leading lawyer of the county and onceits district attorney, whose brilliant career was interrupted byparalysis resulting from a fall from a wagon. Mr. Westcott handed theletter back to Mr. Dunning with the remark that Mr. Dunning wouldnever live to receive a higher honor than this evidence of Mr.O'Conor's admiration and confidence. This confidence was abundantlyjustified in the long years of Mr. Dunning's association with Mr.O'Conor, which continued until Mr. O'Conor retired from practice.

William Fullerton also was invited by Charles O'Conor to New York,where he soon established a reputation as the most superbcross-examiner of his generation and as an advocate of remarkablegifts. He retained until his death his residence in Newburgh, wherehe had originally been associated in practice with James W. Fowler,whose honorable service as the surrogate of Orange County from 1851to 1855 is still remembered.

John Duer, after several years of practice in Goshen, went in 1820to New York, where he became a justice of the Superior Court and theauthor of several Valuable textbooks. His fame is preserved in hiswritings, though these give no conception of the effect of his noblepresence and impassioned oratory.

Of course, the reputation which towers above that of any man everborn in Orange County is that of William H. Seward, who studied lawin Goshen with John Duer and Ogden Hoffman. This is not because hewas a greater lawyer than either of his preceptors but because hiscareer as a United States senator in the period of excitement beforethe Civil War, his valuable services as Secretary of State in thecrisis of our national life and his farseeing statesmanship inacquiring the territory of Alaska, have written his name large uponthe roll of everlasting fame.

Ogden Hoffman, indeed, excelled him in all the attributes of a greatlawyer. Admitted to the bar in 1818 and elected district attorney ofOrange County in 1823, his transcendent abilities soon drew him toNew York, where he transfixed the wondering gaze of its brilliantbar, which welcomed into its firmament this star of first magnitude.Benjamin D. Silliman, one of its leaders, in an address made in 1889,thus refers to him: "the fascinating Ogden Hoffman, the Erskine ofour bar, at which he became powerful and eminent and captivated allby his art and his wonderful eloquence; his voice was music from thenote of a lute to the blast of a bugle." Luther R. Marsh, whenopposed to him once upon a trial, sought to forestall the dreadedeffect of the speech in which Hoffman was to follow by describing himas one who "could rise upon the heaving exigencies of the moment, andat whose bidding instant creations and mighty embodying of thoughtand argument, sublime conceptions, glowing analogies and livingimagery burst as by miracle from the deep of mind in overshadowingforms of majesty and power."

George Clinton and his nephew, DeWitt Clinton, are claimed by UlsterCounty, because New Windsor, the town in which they were born was, atthe time, a part of Ulster County, it not having been set off toOrange County until 1799. But their fame has passed beyond thetrivial rivalries of county pride. It belongs to the State and to theNation. George Clinton died in 1812, vice-president of the UnitedStates. DeWitt Clinton died in 1828, governor of the State of NewYork.

In our own time, too. Orange County has contributed to the bar of theState many distinguished ornaments. The brilliant career of Lewis E.Carr, once its district attorney, but now a member of the Albany bar,has already been outlined.

George W. McElroy is a member of the Orange County bar, nowrepresenting it at Albany, of which the bar is particularly proud. Inthe intervals of his official duties in the Transfer Tax Bureau heprepared a work upon the transfer tax law which affords abundantevidence of his industry, research and learning.

Mr. McElroy's service as special surrogate of the county at the timethat he resided in Warwick, was distinguished for some opinions whichshowed his marked qualifications for judicial station. He wrote anopinion in a case involving the question whether the statute oflimitations runs in favor of an administrator, in which the doctrinemaintained by him was not generally accepted by the courts; but laterthe courts adopted and enforced the view which he, at one time, wasalmost alone in asserting.

Mr. McElroy is assured of a warm welcome from his brethren of theOrange County bar when he is ready to exchange the weary, dreary,depressing treadmill of department officialism for the pleasant,refreshing, verdured paths of general practice.

John B. Kerr, of the Newburgh bar, is another lawyer of whom OrangeCounty is indeed proud, though he has now been separated for someyears from its personal associations and activities, having acceptedthe position of general counsel for the New York, Ontario & WesternRailroad Company. In this responsible position he finds unusualopportunity to exercise and develop those qualities of soundjudgment, rare foresight, steady poise and intellectual grasp inwhich he so excels and of which his early career at the bar gaveabundant promise.

Thomas P. Fowler, whose home is in Warwick, and who was at one time amember of the firm led by his distinguished father-in-law, BenjaminF. Dunning, has acquired a position in the railroad and financialworld which reconciles him to his withdrawal from the activities ofhis profession. The masterly ability shown by him in making the NewYork, Ontario & Western Railroad Company one of the most importantand valuable railroad properties of the country has given himnational prominence and reputation.

John M. Gardner, formerly of the Newburgh bar, settled in New York,where his chief reputation has been gained in actions againstcorporations. He is a recognized authority in the law of negligence,having won many important cases and having edited for some years aseries of reports specially devoted to cases of negligence. Mr.Gardner was born in Warwick, to which lovely spot he frequentlyreturns. His career in Newburgh was distinguished by the samequalities which have commanded success in a broader field. His finepresence, unfailing resources, entire self-possession, tirelessenergy, dauntless courage and impressive delivery combine to make himone of the most formidable trial lawyers of the State.

Amos Van Etten, who began his practice in Port Jervis, removed toKingston, where he very soon established his title to recognition asone of the leaders of the Ulster County bar, a position which he nowholds by general acknowledgment of both the bar and the public.

Mr. Van Etten, as the attorney for the New York Central Railroad, andof other public service corporations, has been compelled to give hischief attention to railroad and negligence law, though he commandsalso a wide general practice. His success has been emphatic,pronounced and permanent.

William H. Stoddard, formerly of the Middletown bar, has become aprominent member of the Buffalo bar. He is original, independent andentertaining in his addresses to juries, while his conversation isfull of wit, sally and anecdote.

One day there came to his office on old client whose wife had justleft him to take up her abode with another man. His client was indeep dejection and wanted comfort. This is the way "Stod"—as he wasfamiliarly called by his friends—gave it to him. He said: "Cheer up,John, brace up; why, there are a dozen men in Middletown who would beglad to be in your shoes to-day."

Referring once to the wife of a friend, who was known to be atermagant, he said: "She's the most even-tempered woman I everknew—always mad."

This faculty of bold, rapid characterization has always prevented himfrom being dull either in his speeches or in social life. He isnothing if not interesting. His rare qualities of mind and heartendeared him to a large Orange County circle, which stillaffectionately remembers him.

William S. Bennett, formerly of the Port Jervis bar, removed to NewYork, where his career has been one of uninterrupted prosperity andpromotion. He is now representing his district in Congress, where hehas already achieved distinction in that most difficult of all placesin which to compel immediate recognition.

His abilities have been so conspicuous and the esteem of hiscolleagues has been so unmistakably manifested that the attention ofthe entire country has been fixed upon this still cherished son ofOrange County.

Not only has Orange County sent forth many lawyers whose names havebecome famous throughout the world, but Orange County is the Mecca towhich many of the country's ablest lawyers repair to spend theirdeclining years, attracted by its beauty and invigorated by itsatmosphere. Benjamin F. Tracy, once secretary of the navy and longone of the leading advocates of the bar of Brooklyn and New York, nowspends much of his time upon his beloved farm near Goshen. GeneralHenry L. Burnett, prominent in Ohio and New York, whose life of highadventure and brilliant achievement possesses all the interest ofromance, also finds upon his Goshen estate the leisure in which tocharm a choice circle of friends old and new with reminiscences ofthe famous men with whom he has been associated on equal terms and ofthe stirring scenes in which he has so honorably and conspicuouslymingled.

Orange County, which has in days gone by attracted to itself thesensitive poet, Nathaniel P. Willis, the scholarly historian, Joel T.Headley, the gifted lawyer, Luther R. Marsh, and the still vigorouspublicist, John Bigelow, will never cease to have a charm for theretired veteran of letters and the law. It should never cease tointerest also the active and alert practitioner who, on its ruggedhills and in its peaceful valleys and by its murmuring streams andfrom its bracing atmosphere can draw vitality, inspiration anddelight—strength for the duties of each succeeding hour as he seeksto emulate the lofty virtues and resplendent talents of those whoseeyes, like his, once wandered with rapture over its entrancingprospects.

NOTE BY THE EDITOR.

The Editor deeply regrets that since the modesty of the author hasforbidden any reference to himself this review of the period in whichMr. Vanamee himself has borne so honorable and conspicuous a partcontains no description of his own brilliant career as an advocate.But though it is thus unavoidable that his signal talents andaccomplishments should not be specifically portrayed in these pages,still the intelligent reader will not fail to perceive in thesegraphic estimates of his contemporaries an unconscious reflection ofhis own commanding character, lofty ideals and acknowledgedabilities.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

THE MEDICAL HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF ORANGE.

By John T. Howell, M.D.

The early history of Orange County is intimately connected with thephysicians who practiced there, and had they undertaken the task, itis logical to assume that no citizens could have narrated the historyof their day and locality better than they. Unfortunately the dutiesand hardships then attendant upon the practice of medicine so limitedoutside literary work as to have left even the annals of medicinebare of many important facts which it would seem ought to have beenrecorded. It is stated that at one time Dr. David R. Arnell expressedhis intention to write a history of Orange County, but he failed tocarry out this undertaking which he was so well qualified to perform.

In the earlier periods of the county's existence medical educationbegan to feel the impulse of independence and the wider knowledgeresulting therefrom, developed a higher standard of practice.

This advancement was undoubtedly favored by the self-dependencebrought out in practice through widely separated settlements, andOrange County early established a reputation for skillful physicians.The renowned traits and ability of many of these physicians remainonly in tradition, but the anecdotes told of some of them show thatthey were men of more than ordinary attainments. Among thosephysicians best known in the early history of the county are Dr.Cadwallader Colden, who, besides being a medical author of note, washonored with the title of Lieutenant-Colonial Governor; Dr. MosesHigby, who is remembered by his successful use of an emetic in thecase of a British spy, and Dr. Benjamin Tusten for his heroism at thebattle of Minisink. Other physicians have no doubt rendered equallymeritorious services in less conspicuous ways, but being unrecordedremain uncredited in history.

Some interesting statistics have been collected by Dr. W. L.Cuddeback regarding the average length of stay of about ninetyphysicians who settled in Port Jervis and vicinity. Of these,sixty-five per cent, removed or died within five years; eighty percent, before ten years; eighty-five per cent, before fifteen years,and ninety per cent, before the end of twenty years of practicethere. The reasons for this well known lack of permanency and shortlongevity of physicians are best understood by those who really knowthe peculiar trials, dangers and discouragements of the daily life ofa doctor. The character developed by the experiences of thirty orforty years of medical practice is logically one worthy of admirationand emulation and this is proven by the appreciative and unshakenposition uniformly held by the old family physician "Our doctor."

A perusal of the older records reveal many interesting customs andpractices of the physicians of those days. Travel was generally onhorseback and the distances were often so great that meal hour ornightfall compelled the weary doctor to accept the profferedhospitality of his patients. Saddle bags were made to hold averitable armamentum and the doctor must tarry long enough to put uphis own prescriptions. Bloodletting, blistering and emetics wereremedies often employed and were, perhaps, as potent for good as someother extreme measures which were later substituted with greaterconfidence and found after all to have but a limited field ofusefulness. The average physician has but little time for publicaffairs, but a number of the Orange County doctors have held publicoffices both in the County and as representatives in the State andNational legislatures. In times of war, too, our doctors names arefound enrolled in the military lists and their records there havebeen most creditable. Other physicians seem to have found time forliterary pursuits; but these efforts have been mostly along medicallines. The patriotic gift of the Minisink Monument by one of theirnumber is a matter of great pride and satisfaction to the physiciansof this county.

The records of the Orange County Medical Society, althoughabbreviated, present the local history of medicine more fully than itis to be found elsewhere. Even here we may search in vain for datawhich the busy physicians who have acted as secretaries have failedto record. However, extending as they do over nearly the whole of thelast century we can find many facts of interest, especially in theearlier years of its existence. No county society was formed untilafter the passage of an act of the Legislature, April 4, 1806. Thislaw, under which the Orange County and twelve other county societieswere soon incorporated, permitted each licensed physician in thecounty to become a charter member and each society to elect arepresentative to the State society, which was to be composed of suchdelegates. The county society had the right to examine bothphysicians desiring to practice in the county and students ofmedicine who applied for licenses.

Upon the first pages of the minutes is found a concise report of theorganization of the Medical Society of the County of Orange, with thenames of the founders and officers elected. It reads in part asfollows:

"Agreeable to a law of the State of New York, passed the fourth dayof April, 1806, entitled 'An Act to incorporate Medical Societies forthe purpose of regulating the practice of Physic and Surgery in thisState,' the physicians and surgeons of Orange County met at theCourt House in Goshen on Tuesday, the first day of July, 1806.

"Drs. Jonathan Swezy, Chairman (pro tem), Thomas Wickham, Clerk (protem), Elijah Randall, William Elmer, William Elliott, Samuel S.Seward, Benjamin S. Hoyt, Nathaniel Elmer, Elisha Du Bois, CharlesFowler, David R. Arnell, Samuel Warner, William McCoppin, Aaron M.Smith, William Gourley, Elihu Hedges, Eleazer Gedney, Ethan Watson,Cornelius Roosa, James Bradner, Henry I. Hornbeck and Elijah Welchwere present and produced their several licenses to practice physic.The Society then proceeded to organize and elect officers when thefollowing gentlemen were elected for the ensuing year: Dr. JonathanSwezy, President; Dr. Samuel S. Seward, Vice-President; Dr. NathanielElmer, Secretary; and Dr. Thomas Wickham, Treasurer.

"Drs. Anthony Davis, Joseph Houston, Joseph Whelan and JonathanHedges were, upon examination, licensed to practice physic andsurgery in this State and admitted members to this Society. Dr. DavidR. Arnell was elected delegate to the Medical Society of the State ofNew York.

"Drs. Anthony Davis, Elisha Du Bois, Charles Fowler, Joseph Whelan andCornelius Davis were appointed censors."

The minutes of the earlier meetings were admirably kept and are stillin an excellent state of preservation.

The autographs of the founders and other members who signed theby-laws form an interesting and valuable collection. The by-laws werecarefully drawn and consisted of twenty-six articles. Meetings wereheld semi-annually or quarterly, and, as indicated by the titles, thepapers read and discussed were of a high order. Notwithstanding suchevidences of proficiency I find that these physicians were verypoorly paid. In a rate list adopted by the society in 1807, thecharge for a visit of less than one mile was but twenty-five cents,with a corresponding low charge for medicines furnished, and, thelargest fee asked for any operation was one hundred dollars.

Dr. Arnell, who may be called the father of the Orange County MedicalSociety, was elected president of the society eight times and was acharter member of the State Society. In 1818 he presented a libraryto the society. It contained fifty volumes, which, with five of thebest medical periodicals, were circulated among the membersthroughout the county. This collection formed a nucleus forsubsequent additions and a valuable and useful library was maintainedfor many years.

In 1830 the membership of the society numbered sixty, of whomtwenty-five attended the annual meeting.

Among notable resolutions passed was one in 1830 endorsing theAmerican Temperance Society and the tenets of temperance in general;in 1832 the formation of health boards in each town; and in 1839 aresolution recommending a change in the method of examining andlicensing students of medicine, the whole to be placed in the handsof the Regents, was forwarded to the State Medical Society. Suchefforts were highly creditable and progressive, as is shown by thefact that the law providing for the last named recommendation wasnot passed until 1893.

An important amendment to the by-laws adopted at a meeting in 1840marks the beginning of a prolonged and troublesome epoch ofcontroversy over medical ethics, especially in regard to sectarianforms of practice, including homeopathy, then being introduced inthis vicinity.

The status of practice among the members of the society having alwaysbeen regular (i. e., belonging to the general school of scientificmedicine and not restricted by any sect or pathy), much criticism wasaroused by the attempt of some of the local physicians to practiceaccording to Hahnemann's Laws of "Like cures like." "Medicinalpotency increased by dilution," etc.

An application for membership to the society from a physician whopracticed that system was promptly rejected at the next meeting andmuch discussion ensued. The subject was frequently referred to in theminutes of the meetings for a number of subsequent years, and in 1851several members were expelled from the society for practicinghomeopathy. Rules forbidding members to consult with homeopathicphysicians were passed, and in 1856 there was prepared and printedfor public information a system of popular ethics, explaining fullythe position of the society regarding the whole subject of ethics.Feeling ran high over the matter for a long time, as is shown by thelengthy discussions and resolutions devoted to the subject in theminutes, year after year. Gradually, as it became evident that therewas an increasing abandonment of sectarian practice, a reaction came;but it was not until 1883 that this society, following the lead ofthe State Society, adopted a new code which permitted, underreasonable restrictions, consultations between regular and sectarianpractitioners.

Dr. Merritt H. Cash, by his will in 1861, left a legacy to the StateSociety of five hundred dollars which is known as "The Merritt H.Cash Fund." The fund now amounts to seven hundred and fifty dollarsand the interest is devoted to a prize essay written by members ofthe county medical societies throughout the State. Dr. Cash alsoleft four thousand dollars for the monument erected at Goshen inhonor of those who fell at the battle of Minisink. The society was,of course, much interested in this event and was accorded a prominentplace at the unveiling of the monument July 22, 1862.

Four members represented this society and served as surgeons withcredit and distinction during the Civil War: Dr. R. V. K. Montfortand Dr. J. H. Thompson in the 124th, Dr. Solomon Van Etten in the56th, and Dr. Theodore Cooper (assistant surgeon) in the 156thregiment of volunteers.

In 1879 the society received a special invitation to attend thecelebration of the centennial of the battle of Minisink. Thisinvitation was in recognition of the county's obligation to thedonor, Dr. Merritt H. Cash, and for the patriotic and heroic servicesrendered by Dr. Benjamin Tusten at the battle of Minisink, July 22,1779, where his life was sacrificed in the actual performance of hisprofessional duties.

The last quarter of the century is notable in the history of thesociety for a renewal of interest and increased literary work. Thiswas the developmental era of antiseptic and aseptic surgery, and therecords, as shown by the papers read and the cases reported, werecreditable to the progressive spirit and practice of the members ofthe society.

A resolution to the effect that all members of the society, in goodstanding for thirty years, be constituted honorary members wasadopted in June, 1887. This honor was accordingly bestowed upon Dr.Bartow Wright, whose membership dated from 1834, and upon Dr. HarveyEverett, who joined the society in 1839. The former died in 1890 andthe latter April 8, 1899, having been a member of the society forsixty years.

In 1895 revised by-laws were adopted, one of which admitted tomembership any licensed physician who declared his full abnegation ofsectarian principles and practice. This invitation was an expressionof a principle and belief which it is hoped will in the near futurerally all physicians to a broad standard of practice, and the recentlaw enacted, which provides but one board of examiners to grant Statelicenses to physicians of all schools, is another hopeful sign ofmedical unity.

In 1898, at the breaking out of the war with Spain, Dr. James R.Wood, a member of this society, volunteered and accompanied the101st Regiment to Cuba. There he afterwards died in the performanceof his duties, which were those of endeavoring to render sanitary thealmost impossible conditions at Guanajay.

In February, 1901, the Orange County Medical Association wasorganized, about which time a successful effort was made to completethe organization of associations in those counties where they had notbeen formed when the State Association split off from the StateSociety, because of the code question in 1882. The two sets oforganizations had not been long maintained, however, when acomparison of their ethical standards revealed the fact that twentyyears had so modified opinions as to have practically removed thedifferences. The associations, however, had the advantage of therecognition of the American Medical Association, which had never beenaccorded the societies since their adoption of the new code ofethics. In order to avail themselves of membership in the nationalassociation many of the members of the societies joined theassociations, too, and the barriers between the two organizationseventually became completely broken down.

The first meeting of the amalgamated county societies was held atNewburgh, January 25, 1906, the combined membership beingseventy-nine.

The society had three hundred and thirty-eight members andforty-eight honorary members during one hundred years. Of thesesixty-two were elected to the office of president one or more times,twenty-three to the office of secretary, and twenty-three to theoffice of treasurer.

The centennial celebration of the society was held at Goshen, Monday,July 2, 1906. The first part of the exercises consisting of addressesand an historical sketch—were conducted in the board of supervisorsroom in the County Building, which stands on the same ground onceoccupied by the old Court House, in which the society was organized,July 1, 1806. A collation, followed by short speeches, was afterwardsheld in Music Hall, which had been decorated for the occasion withflags and bunting. Eighty-five members and guests were present.

(A list of the officers and members of this society will be found inthe chronological table.)

The second medical society formed in the county was the HomeopathicMedical Society of Orange County.

This society was organized November 12, 1851, at the time whenconsiderable local interest had been awakened in this system ofpractice and the controversy heretofore mentioned was going onbetween the new and old schools. The first meeting was held inNewburgh when by-laws were adopted and the following officerselected:

Drs. A. Gerald Hull, president; Dewitt C. Jayne, vice-president;Ira T. Bradner, secretary and treasurer; and W. A. M. Culbert,corresponding secretary. A committee was also appointed to prepare anaddress to the public in answer to that on ethics published by theOrange County Medical Society.

Quarterly meetings were held during the first year, but no records ofsubsequent meetings are again found until January 11, 1870. Themeetings were at first resumed semi-annually, but after three years,more interest seems to have been taken and the society met everythree months. From time to time papers were read by members of thesociety bearing upon important topics and the society continuedactive for a number of years. After 1888 the meetings were held buttwice a year, and interest waned until 1891, when they werediscontinued.

(A list of the officers and members of this society will be found inthe chronological table.)

The Tri-States Medical Society.—This society was organized inSeptember, 1871, by a number of physicians living in Port Jervis andthe adjacent counties of the three States, New York, Pennsylvania andNew Jersey, which join near there. Drs. Solomon Van Etten, Isaac S.Hunt, O. A. Carroll and P. G. McCabe represented Orange County in theformation of the society.

Quarterly meetings were held and fifty physicians became membersduring the first ten years. The society flourished for about eighteenyears but was finally discontinued, probably because of a renewedinterest in the county societies. Several Orange County physiciansserved as officers of the society.

(A list of the officers and members of this society residing inOrange County will be found in the chronological table.)

The Newburgh Bay Medical Society.—This society was organizedSeptember 10, 1895. The first meeting was held at the PalatineHotel, Newburgh.

There were present Drs. A. E. Adams, John Deyo, A. V. Jova, C. E.Townsend and J. T. Howell. Dr. Adams was elected temporary chairmanand Dr. Townsend, secretary. Committees were appointed to secureadditional members and draft a constitution and by-laws, after whichthe meeting adjourned until October 8th next. At that meeting therewere present, besides the above mentioned, Drs. E. H. Borst, W. L.Carr, E. F. Brooks, W. S. Gleason, R. V. K. Monfort, G. Garlzman andM. C. Stone.

The society was named and by-laws adopted. The object of thesociety was declared to be the banding together of congenialphysicians residing in Newburgh and vicinity for the purpose of studyand discussion of medical and surgical topics and scientific subjectsrelative thereto, and the promotion of social intercourse among itsmembers.

The society was incorporated November 8, 1897, and at that time hadtwenty-nine members. Since then interest in the society has beenfully maintained, as is evidenced by the unusual record of individualwork and attendance on the part of the members. The presentmembership numbers forty-two, of whom twenty-six are residents ofthis county. The meetings are held bi-monthly and are usually atNewburgh.

(A list of the officers and members of this society will be found inthe chronological table.)

The Orange County Medical Association was organized February 12,1901, in Middletown, by Drs. M. C. Connor, W. E. Douglas, A. W.Preston. C. I. Redfield, William Evans, E. A. Nugent, L. G. Distlarand F. D. Myers. The following officers were elected: Drs. M. C.Connor, president; F. W. Dennis, vice-president; Charles I. Redfield,secretary and treasurer. A committee on by-laws was appointed and themeeting adjourned until March 12, 1901, to perfect the organization.At the adjourned meeting the appointment of committees was completedand the membership found to be sixteen, including those alreadybelonging to the New York State Association. The additional membersnot mentioned above were: Drs. E. F. Brooks, J. B. Hulett, W. L.Purdy, R. A. Taylor, C. E. Townsend, H. E. Wise, and E. D. Woodhull.Meetings were held monthly in the different larger places of thecounty and much interest was maintained by securing the uniformpresence of some recognized authority on a special subject for eachmeeting.

On December 9, 1905, the New York State Medical Association andMedical Society were amalgamated and the formal union of thecorresponding county organizations took place, as heretofore stated,at Newburgh, January 25, 1906. The association at that time hadthirty-seven members, a number of whom belonged also to the countysociety.

(A list of the officers and members of this association will be foundin the chronological table.)

Homeopathic Medical Society of Dutchess, Orange and UlsterCounties.—The above-named society was formed in response to asuggestion of the Dutchess County Homeopathic Society. The firstmeeting was held in Poughkeepsie, but the society was not regularlyorganized until a meeting held at Newburgh June 24, 1902. Since thattime the members have met regularly at Newburgh in the months of Mayand October each year, and much interest has been manifested. Thepresent number of members is twenty-four, eighteen of whom reside inOrange County. Dr. William E. Reed, of Washingtonville, is nowpresident, and Dr. F. A. Jacobson, of Newburgh, secretary andtreasurer of the society.

(A list of the officers and members of this society residing inOrange County will be found in the chronological table.)

MIDDLETOWN STATE HOSPITAL.

During the past thirty-seven years several hospitals have been builtand conducted in the different larger places of the county. Firstamong these was the Middletown State Hospital (homeopathic) for thecare and treatment of the insane, which was incorporated in 1869.Funds were collected by Dr. George F. Foote, and a farm purchasednear Middletown as a site for the present hospital. Aboutseventy-five thousand dollars was raised by private subscription, apart of which was used in hospital construction. The following year,1870, the first appropriation was made by the State and the mainbuilding was opened for the reception of patients in the spring of1874, with Dr. Foote as superintendent. After a brief service Dr.Foote resigned and Dr. Henry R. Stiles was appointed superintendent,which position he held until 1877, when he resigned, and Dr. SeldenH. Talcott was appointed to fill the vacancy. Dr. Talcott served fortwenty-five years until his death, June 15, 1902, and under hismanagement the institution developed nearly to its presentproportions. The present superintendent, Dr. Maurice L. Ashley, wasappointed his successor.

The farm and grounds comprise nearly three hundred acres, on whichthere are thirty buildings, the value of the real and personalproperty being over $1,500,000. The present annual expenses for allpurposes are about $245,000. Since the opening of the institution thereports show seven thousand patients received and treated. Of thisnumber two thousand six hundred have been discharged recovered, andnine hundred improved. The number of patients under treatment atpresent is one thousand three hundred. Buildings planned and underconstruction will increase the accommodations to a capacity of onethousand eight hundred and fifty patients and four hundred and fiftyemployees.

The medical staff consists of nine members: Maurice C. Ashley, M.D.,medical superintendent; Robert C. Woodman, M.D., first assistantphysician; George F. Brewster, M.D., second assistant physician; RoyE. Mitchell, M.D., third assistant physician; Arthur S. Moore, M.D.,junior assistant physician; Clara Barrus, M.D., woman assistantphysician, and their interns.

ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL, NEWBURGH.

This institution was founded as a "Home for the aged, the indigent,and the infirm and a Hospital for the sick and disabled." Thehospital work for a number of years was of secondary importance, butduring the latter half of its existence that has been the principalwork of the institution, until now both the name and the work of theHome are discontinued.

The society was organized July 21, 1874, by representative members ofthe Protestant Episcopal parishes of Newburgh and New Windsor, whichinfluence has until recently predominated in the management, althoughthe work has been wholly non-sectarian in character. A constitution wasadopted November 4, 1874, and the institution became incorporated.January 5, 1876. The corporation originally leased different placesuntil the present reservoir site on Carpenter avenue was purchased.On March 23, 1886, the property on Liberty street was secured, wherevarious buildings were erected and changes made from time to time.Recently, March 29, 1907, the seminary building and large grounds onDubois street have been secured, where the fine elevation andsurroundings will better accommodate the increasing needs of thehospital.

During the past fiscal year there were treated seven hundred andseventy-four patients. There are forty-eight beds. A training schoolfor nurses was established in 1893, which now numbers twenty.

The society is a membership corporation and by a change in theconstitution adopted November 22, 1906, has become non-sectarian inits management. It derives its income from the charges paid bypatients, from voluntary contributions and from the interest receivedfrom an endowment fund of $47,415.21. Among the pioneer workers wasDr. Smith Ely, whose interest and zeal had much to do withestablishing the hospital.

The present staff consists of four consulting and eleven attendingmembers:

Consulting Staff—Robert Abbe, M.D., surgeon; Stephen D. Harrison,M.D., physician; Henry D. Nicoll, M.D., gynecologist; Henry L.Winter, M.D., neurologist.

Attending Staff—John T Howell, M.D., and Charles E. Townsend, M.D.,surgeons; William J. Carr, M.D., and E. C. Thompson, M.D., assistantsurgeons; Andrew V. Jova, M.D., and W. Stanton Gleason. M.D.,physicians; John Deyo, M.D., and William H. Snyder, M.D., assistantphysicians; Alpheus E. Adams, M.D., ophthalmologist and otologist;Louis R. Pierce, M.D., obstetrician; A. Judson Benedict, M.D.,rhinologist and laryngologist.

THE PORT JERVIS HOSPITAL.

This hospital was established January 1, 1887, by Dr. J. H. Hunt as amemorial to his father, Dr. J. S. Hunt. It accommodated twentypatients and was located on the corner of Ball and Sussex streets.

On March 8, 1892, the hospital was purchased by Drs. W. L. Cuddebackand H. B. Swartwout, who enlarged and remodeled it, providingadditional private rooms, the use of which was extended to outsidephysicians. The hospital was again sold on September 1, 1895, thepurchasers beings several physicians living in Port Jervis andvicinity, who formed a corporation for that purpose. The hospital,besides doing general work, has always especially provided for thecare of the injured employees of the Erie Railroad Company.

A training school for nurses was established in 1896, which nownumbers five nurses. The number of beds in the present hospital istwenty-five. The number of patients treated during the fiscal yearending 1907 was one hundred and thirty-four. The present attendingstaff consists of Drs. Cuddeback and Swartwout.

THRALL HOSPITAL, MIDDLETOWN.

This institution was organized largely through the efforts of Dr.Julia E. Bradner and eight other ladies representing differentchurches, who raised a fund of over five thousand dollars toward theproject. Mrs. S. Maretta Thrall subsequently came to their assistanceand donated not only the grounds but the building, thus placing thehospital upon a firm basis in the early days of its history. The fundalready collected was used for furnishing and equipment.

The hospital was opened May 10, 1892. A training school for nurseswas established in 1894, which now numbers ten. The number of beds inthe hospital, including those in private rooms, is thirty-five. Thenumber of patients treated during the fiscal year ending 1907 wasfour hundred and fifty-five. The present staff has six consulting andnine attending members:

Consulting Staff—Dr. M. C. Ashley, neurologist; Dr. Francis Walk,Dr. J. I. Lent, ophthalmologists; Dr. W. E. Douglas, Dr. E. L.Fancher, Dr. C. W. Dennis, physicians.

Visiting Staff—Dr. T. D. Mills, Dr. J. B. Hulett, Dr. W. L. Purdy,surgeons; Dr. Julia E. Bradner, Dr. J. L. Hammer, Dr. D. B.Hardenburgh, Dr. M. A. Stivers, Dr. C. I. Redfield. Dr. E. M.Schultz, physicians.

THE DR. MacDONALD HOUSE.

The Dr. MacDonald House at Central Valley, formerly known as"Falkirk," was founded by Dr. James Francis Ferguson in 1889.

This institution was designed and built for the special care ofpatients suffering from nervous diseases. Originally it accommodatedbut fifteen patients, but it was enlarged by the construction ofanother large cottage called the "Stanleigh," and now can care fortwice that number. Its beautiful location and surroundings contributeto make it an ideal home for such patients.

Following the death of Dr. Ferguson, in 1904, the sanitarium wasconducted for two years by Dr. Henry A. Ferguson and William E.Ferguson, when it was purchased by its present proprietor andphysician in charge, Dr. Carlos F. MacDonald, who has associated withhim Dr. Clarence J. Slocum as a resident physician.

INTERPINES.

This sanitarium is located at Goshen and was established in June,1890, by Dr. F. W. Seward. It then had fourteen beds for patients,but in 1897 the capacity of the institution was increased bycommodious additions, to fifty-six patients. The institution affordsall the advantages of a modern home for invalids especially for thetreatment of disorders of the nervous system.

It is conducted by Dr. Seward and his son, Dr. F. W Seward, Jr., whohas been associated with his father for the past eight years.

The limitations of space allotted this article not allowing thepresentation of biographies, I have collected and arranged thefollowing data relating to the physicians who have settled in OrangeCounty and practiced there since 1728.

The dates include the period of practice in this county, terminatingeither by removal or death. The residences designated generallyrefer to villages or larger places, but sometimes only the townshipsare known. The last column contains the names of the medical collegeor society granting the diploma or license, memberships and officesin county medical societies and positions or connections with localhospitals, etc. In all cases every endeavor has been made to obtainthe full data, and careful verification made of all informationreceived. In a number of cases it has been impossible to determinethe dates, and even the residences of some of the practitioners couldnot be ascertained. In other cases the source of their diploma orlicense cannot be found in any of the records. Special mention hasbeen made in a comparatively few instances where physicians are knownto have held distinguished positions or have been otherwise honored,but omissions should not be construed to indicate inferiority of thestanding of those worthy physicians who labored on in dignifiedsilence, although conscious of many a triumph in the art of lifesaving.

I am greatly indebted to those physicians and other interestedfriends who have furnished information and data and especially to Dr.L. R. Pierce who assisted in the compilation of this table.