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FORT ON RIVER
This handful of pioneers at once started a village and planted crops. A fort, or blockhouse was built on the river bank as a protection against marauding Indians. They were in the territory of the Cushetunk tribe but they were friendly to the whites, but other tribes who looked upon the encroachments off
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tho whites with jealousy and blood in their eye planned a raid upon this settlement and carried it into execution. Moses Thomas and a man named Willis were out on a scouting trip when they saw severaslIndians in a field bot far away pulling up and eating turnips. The two men turned back to go to the For but their retreat was cut off by more Indians in ambush who fired upon then killing both. The Indians then attacked the Fort but were defeated in the at- tempt. The brave hand of pioneers sadly lamented the death of their two coz- rados. Tho Cushetunks were greatly displeased with this attack by their red brothers and promised assistance to the whites should another attack occur. The people altho repulsed in their prosperity and obliged to live in fear, wit their lives hanging in the balance continued to prosper as further accounts will show. They were hardy and industrious, they tilled the soil and raised crops; they had an abundance of fish and game for their subsistence but such food soon became almost nauseating and they derived means to vary the monu. This will be told is another chaptor.
History and tradition frequently conflict, one differing from the other, but
what is history rather than tradition placed upon record, it is not ayt to have Something added or detracted from by repetition NAMING TWIN VILLAGES
AtThis point in our story we deem it a proper place to speak of how the twin sister villages of this section of the Delaware, Damascus and Cochecton came to receive their names. It seems to be a conceded fact that Damascus is a namesake of the Damascus in the far east, in that country where man had his genesis. About Cochecton there seems to be a difference of opinion. It may have been derived from the workd "Cocheco' an Indian name meaning swift runnir water, and being near the falls some of the very early white men amy nave added the suffix"ton" completing the work Cochecton. Then again the section below was known as Cashetunk and it is feasible that theword may have been corrupted by the carelesss peaking pioneers so that it sounded as it now does- Cochecton. The naming of Callicoon soous to be more authentic, in the early days of that section Holland Dutch vero numerous there as settlers. Turkeys were also plentiful as game the ridges of beechwoods north and east with an abundance of must in the fall afforded an excellent feeding ground for these birds. Callicoon was the Dutch work for turkey, hence the name. SOLID OVER THE HILLS
Defors the turnpeke had been surveyed and oponod iron Newburg to Cochecton a road bad been opened fron the Hudson to the Delaware .. Subsequently Danie). Skincor and his neighbors cponed a road from the Big 'sland to connect with this road sou three or four alles east of Cochecton. This was known as the "wild Turnpike" At the time of the survey for the turnpike was made Daniel used his utmost endeavor to have the company follow his road and cross the Delaware at the head of St. Tammany Flats. But the people pf Cochecton seemed
to have the stronger pull and the road was made up and down the long hills of Rileyyille, Lad they listened to Skinner's ploading the road could have been made up Hollister Creek via Duck Harbor to Rileyville. But the surveyors no doubt had the thought of that drink of ginon top of every hill. Had the turn- pike not gond where it how is the general topograby of the coutry. (Error') When sp caking of the Cochocton bridges we neglected to stato that the heavy frame timber of the first one, poshapa the first two sas sawed at the old sawpit previously mentioned. Two men did the sewing, one above, one below the log. CHAPTER V.
When we consented to write this weries the subject looked inviting and with our cacoothes scribendi it carried withit a fascination irresistable. But we find it now a matter that calls for a great deal of research. Much of the data in the form of record and tradition is incomplete and the one conflicts t with the other making it difficult to present this as we would wish to do, therefore we would ask out critics to deal mildly.
According to data at hand, long before the founding of the village of Damascus came John CARTER and wife to make a home in the wilderness. They built a ac- bin near the present site of the Damascus Post Office building. As the song would run:
They had a little cabin/A shappskin for the window/
Withthe ground for the floor And a plank for the door.
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DELAWARE VALLEY 8 Here theydwelt in peace as they thought, wuththe Indians. Their needs ma) have been many but their wants few, for did they not build their mansion with an axe and an auger? They tilled the rich allubial soil, and prosperit dwelt with then After an unusually plentiful season of crops, it was de- cided that the husband go to settlements down the river and get cattle to eat of their abundance. After his departure the wife went into the garden or field to harvest some corn and beans and as she stopped in her work and looked up an Indians daubed with war paint stood uncomfortably near. She addressed him in a friendly way but saw hostility at once. With a deft twirl of his tomahawk he sent it to her brain. He removed the scalp and left the body prostrate. He returned tothe cabin where others of his race were looting what they wished for, took the three children from their bed, fired the cabin and took to cover. No human being can imagine the feeling of that husband and father when he returned and found his home in ruins and the lifeless body of his wife, lying where she fell. He at once surnesed the children had been carried off captives. Hastily summoning as many mon as were available for the occasion they took the trail of the Red Skins. They overtook them, but where, out record fails do state. The resolute pioneers found an irres- istable force but launched an attack. It was every man for himself. The white soon 'saw it was useless to wage so unequal a battle and fled back as they could and gave up the fight. The last seen of that fathor he stood with bis back to a troo fighting for his dear life and the life of his children. is said that leter the three children were Captured and sent back to the It settlement in Connecticut whence the parents came.
A story related to us bu Rev. Orson Gelatt Russell, ga former pastor on the Damascus M. E.charge was that in the victims in the Wyoming massacre was one John Williams. His name is to be found on the monument erected as a memorial tothose horoos. After matters had quieted down, Mrs. Williams and three child- ren were placed upon horseback and started back to Connecticut whence she came. That man, John Williams, was great, great grandfather of the man who told us the story. This memorial may be found not far from Forty-Fort.
Do you, when you are gliding swiftly over the roads in your car, maybe a himou- singe, over think how much we owe to the path-blazers who made it possible for us to ride thuê?
THE DAMASCUS MANOR
After holding the Damascus Manor some 16 years or in 1814, Thomas Shields decided to sell his possession. A company of men composed of Tylers, Drakes, Bushes and perhaps others bought it and the company was known as the Damascus Manor company .
Moses TYLER bought the upper end of St. Tammany Flats in 1818 and built a house on an eminence overlooking the Delaware but some distance from it.At last accounts the house was still standing but was unused. A grandson, Otto Epiphalet, very recently built a home near the old relic using some of the timbersfrom the home of his uncle James, which was razed for that purpose. The last named is the only Tyler now living on St. Tammany Flats . Charles DRAKE, another of the Manor company lived where W. F. Tyler had the postoffice and which was burned when in the ownership of Louis Marold. "Uncle Charlie"
as he was familiarly called, was both lumberman and farmer. The wost line of the Damascus Manor tract was the east line of the farm now owned by the write The tract was long since sold off into individual farms. Judge Moses Tyler was born in Damascus in 1788 and died in 1874 at the age of 86. George Bush and Moses Thomas also belong un the Damascus Manor Company. John C. Drate, p oldest son of Charles Drako, mentioned above, steered to a Philadelphia market the first raft cut off of the tract by this company. A son of John C. Drake, Frederick A. Drake, is an attorney a d counsellor at law at 18-25 Fest 44th Street, Manhattan Borough, "ew York City. Judge Moses Tyler received his prefi> by being associate judge of Wayne county courts. He married Sally Ross, a granddaughter of Joseph Ross, the first settler at Callicoon. At the age of 28, Drake married Caroline Curtis, oldest daughter of James C.Curtis, of Cocher ton.
An order of Free Masonry was organized in 1800 known as St. Tammany No.83, and was soon in a flourishing condition, with a jurisdiction extending from Hanco to Minisink. The nearest lodges were those of St. Andrews at Hobart, Delaware Co. , N.Y. chartered in 1797.and one et Milford only a few dave aldan thon
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St. Tammany which was named in honor of the noted chief of the Delaware Ind- ians whose home was on the Flats that now boar his name. Tradition places that time at about 1700.
ST TAMMANY LODGE
When the Newburg and Cochecton Company spent their pike thru Cochecton in- stead of Tammany Flats as Daniel Skinner wished, it gave to the latter place a solar plexis blow from which it never recovered but began to dwindle and the death of the Admiral and his son Reuben in 1813 and 1815 finished the blow. The Lodge was then removed to Damascus because the old tavern in which it was held in an upper story burned. In Damascus the meetings of the lodge were held in the upper story of a store, ut was later removed to Milanville where it was held in the upper story of a house perhaps the old"Bed House" built by John Land in 1786. The Lodge subsequently annulled. When later Delat Lodge F.and A.M. No. 561 was organized at Cochecton in 1864, M.F. VanKirk then a prominent manufacturer residing in Tyler Hill was made its first mas- ter. The first master of St. Tammany Lodge No 83, was Reuben Skinner and the last master was his nephew, Colonel Calvin Skinner, elected in 1822. There were two Tylers in St. Tammany Lodge by the name of William, one being Willian of Tyler Hill, father of Israel Tyler. He was made warden in 1810. He married Mary Monington; he died in 1820. It is said that the Masonic apron warn by the Tyler Mill warden is still in the possession of one of the Tyler Bill descendats but we fail to discover it. Calvin Skinner was the last menter of the St. Tammany Lodge to be called hence.
There was no rival lodge of Masonry until 1842 when a Lodge was instituted in Honesdale. An antimason crusade began to spread over the country between 1828 and ,835 and at the last dato the Grand Lodge rocalled the St. Tammany charter. as it was thought that no attsept would ever be made to reorganize it. The Delaware Lodge F. and A. M. No. 551. was moved from Cochocton to Calli- coon. Jolin C. Drake mentioned above, was the first member elected in Dolaware rodge in 1664, he being the first candidate balloted for, The Lodge is now in a flousishing condition and has members scattered all thru this section. In 1826 a man by the name of William Morgan, who was preparing to publish a book. purporting to disclose the secrets of free-matonry, was taken on the 11th of September of that year, under cover of a criminal process, from Batavia Genesee Co. , N.Y, to Canandaigua, examined and discharged hot on his leaving the prison in the evening, he was soixed by persons unknown, forced into a car- riage, rapidly driven out of the village, and was never seen by his friends a- gain. The legislature of New York appointed a committee to investigate who reported that William Morgan had been put to death. To punish his supposod attempt to reveal the secrets of Free-masonry he was drowned. Morgan's abductio excited a strong prejudice against Frec-masonry and a political party was formed called the Anti-Masonic, but the feeling gradually word out. CHAPTER VI May 27,1927
SOME DAMASCUS FIRSTS
To Milanville must be given the precedence in many respects. It was there that the first white settlement was formed, 't was there that the first two story framo house in Wayne County was built. 'The same house stands today but was cut down to a story and a half by Nathan Skinner who bought it from John Land the man who built it. It was at Milanville that the first grinding mills were built. The first of these crude grinding mills was built by Timothy Skinner and Siacon Calkin somewhere about the year 1760, or perhaps carlier, for in 1763 the Indians coming down from the north wiped out the catire settle ment. At that time the village is said to contain thirty log houses as dwellin houses, three other large bousca, a grist mill, saw aill, and a bbock house or fort. It is not known how closely these buildings were assembled. It is very
- probablye that the village was straggling.
THE STURDY PIONEERS
The sturdy pioneers, while meeting with great loss were not disheartened and bogan again with renewed energy for it seemed to them that the Delaware Valley and surrounding hills was a good place to live. Ten years succeeding the de- struction of the first grist mill Nicholas Concklin wilt coother. These mill, reduced the grain so they nad bread and corn foods supplementary to the potr toes, turnips, flesh of game and flak
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and everything moved along pleasantly until the Minisink Massacre. Only a few incidents have been mentioned to show what the path-blazers suffered in order that successors might enjoy life in Nonutiful Wayne County. TWO GRIST MILLS
In about 1850, William Bonestoel a grist mill at Milanville, above the confluence of the North Branch Calkin creek and the South Branch of the same creek. Later he sold the mill and property connected with it to David Young. The latter was subsequently killed by beingcaught by a landslike while he was working around the das. This mill is in active service yet and is owned by H.M. Page and O. H. days, although there were several intervening owners.
In about 1850 William Bonsteoel started to build a gristaill at Damascus. The mill was nearly completed when it caught fire and was nearly complotely burned except the large overshot water wheel which was saved by John (Jack) Lowry. Fo this act Mr. Bonesteel gave him $100. The debris was cleared away and another mill was built. The building yet stands but has been abandoned as a grist mill having passod down through the time of his son Leroy and the latter's son Wiki iam who turned it into a woodworking fuctory and ;ater sold it to Ebenezer Robertson of Brooklyn.N. Y. , the present owner. People of those days "backed" many a bag of grain to these early mills and were chased by snarling wolves snapping not far from their hoeis when thy were late in returning home. HOY MILANVILLE WAS NAMED
Before leaving Milanville we must tell how it received its name. Chauncey Thomas conducted a store at Deposit and in 1885 (35) when work was temproarily stopped on the Krie at that place and he had no customers he loaded his stock of goods on a raft and moved to Milanville (then nameless). Those were the times of everyday shinplasters. One day when Co. Calvin Skinner was in the stm and Mr. Thomas was signing thea he remarked to Wr. Skinner that to write the name of Damascus upon them seemed rosote. Col. Skinner suggested that he write Milanville. This was done and the name yet sticks. The suggestion was made Bo- caus the Colonel was a great reader and admired Napoleon's Decree issued at ilan, so he added the suffix "ville".
THE NAMING OF GALILEE
The village of Galiloo, about five miles west from the Delaware, received its name by similiar circumstances. A waggish sort of follow an itinerant and a transient wherever he stopped, worked for Uncle Charlie Drake of Damascus, a lunborman. The wag made trips away every Sunday and it was suggested ho pust have located a sweetheart somewhere. Following onde of his trips he was asked where he went to the preceding day. He replied to Galileo, a Sabbath Day's journey from Damascus. When the post office was established in the place in 1843 with Phillp Brigham a postmaster, the name of Galilee was used and the post office is yot Galileo.
COMING OF THE NOBLES
In the early days pi Damascus village, came Alvah Noble from a settlement in Connecticut. He pitched his tent along the pike on the flat near where the Eden bungalow is and started an upper leather tannery. In those years it took a good seven years to tan a call or deacon skin from which to make a pair of Sunday boots. Shoos were then the unknpwa quantity. How long Mr. Noble remained there we do not know but he migrated to the section now known as Calkin and pitched his tent in the wilderness. He was the forbear of all the Nobles in that section. When in need of certain groceries he had to hike through the for- est from his home to the pike crossing a fallen tree over the creek near the falls whence Fallsdale received its name and hitting the pike at the home of Wheeler Mitchell, now the home of A. D. Bushnell. Then he had a fairly good hikin to the stores in Damascus village, What he bought was toted home in a sack hung over his shoulder. Rosidigg then where James Smith now resides -James Monington and there our traveler always stopped for refreshments. A favorite dish in those days was mush and milk but Mr, Noble gave it the duphonious name of "puddil din", and the hill soon took on the name of Puddin "ill which stuck to it even a after a post office was established in 1878 with David Fortuam its postmaster. Just before the establishing of the postoffice and giving it the name of Tyler Bill it had boon called Tylerville by sowo. The namo Tyler Hill was in honor - of Israel Tyler wh o was the nucleus of all business enterprises in the late years preceding its, naming.
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INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT
Now industires followed the advent of the Erie railroad, among then being a sole leather tannery to Milanvillo the same year? the Erle opened for traffic 1849. In that year, Clemens, Korton and Robertson built a tannery. The trade mark stamped into the finished sides was "Rock Glen" and any side thus stamp- ed could be relied upon as perfect Ienther. The partnership did not long con- tinue, Horton and Robertosn withdrawing, leaving Clemens the sole proprietor. in 1854 Mr. Clemens sold the tannery to Eli Beach of Greene County, Hoy Yor ... Soon after the purchase Kr Beach associated with his oldestsor John Howard Beach, making a firm name of E. Beach & Bon, Prior to this time there was road from Damascus to Homesdale vis Milanville over what ia nov called Feins dill, past Stanton Corners to Besch Lake, but at that tine vus simply Beach Pond. Until 1860 mail for Milanville was carried by obliging neighbors or by Beach & Son's teams when making their trips to and from Cochecton for hides and with leather for shipment. Mail matter became more plentiful as tiee wore on but good things come slow. Finally in 1980 Captain Beach went to Washing- ton and with the aid of our Congressman, Tillian H. Dimmick, the Federal govern- ment. granted him a jest office but would give bet three days/service a weok. The office was located in the Beach store and the son J. Howard was postmaster The amusing incident in the affair was that the sou Foward was a Democrat und the son Charley was a Republican and no matter which way the administrati. went the postoffice wng kept in the family. The first mail carried to tato the mail from Damascus to Milanville van David Tyler , who by the way, was a member of St. Tammany Lodge No.83, and of the Delaware Lodge No. 561, institut- ed in 1884. The post office at Milanville was held by the Beaches until 1597, when the property passed into the hands of W. S. Brandt and his brother-in-law T.J. Fromer. A chemical factory was started at that tic. Elf Beach died in 1877. The tamery was first run by water but later Knapp & Charlesworth of honosdale installed a largo steam power engine. The old tannery had been dis- mantled and razed prior to the sale to the Milanville Chemical Company. When Hon, W. B. Guimip was a member of the Assembly in 1884-5 ho secured the establishment of a postoffice for his locality. The place had long been Known as Branningville. Federal officials objected to so long a naso. At that time O. R. Packard had just bought the J. D. Bramseng estate there and as ho came from ¿too, New Jersey, he suggested that the now offico be called Atce. The name was accopted and Mr. Packard was made postmaster.
CHAPTER VII
June 3,1927
THE POSTOFFICE
In 1824 under the administration of James Monroe, a postoffice was established in the village of Damascus and William K. C. ark was appointed postauster. The succession of postarsters to date follows: Dudley CLARK, Walter S. VAIL, Nath- aniol W. VAIL, Charles IRVINE, James S. VAIL, William W. TYLER, Marx APPLLY, W. W. TYLER, Edson D. KNAPP, Andrew G. GREGG and Martis J. DERMODY, the prosont in- cumbent, In 1603 this section's mail was left at Milford to be called for. Preor to that the mail was left at Easton and returning raftsnea would report if any waw there and it was then brought up to the Inn of Reuben Skimmer. Late it was brought from Newburg by the Tallyslo coach over cho Newburg and Great Lend turnpike.
COCHECTON FLATS
Kron the early settling of the country lying along the Delaware froa Cochector Balls to the mouth of the Callicoon Crook it was called Cochecton Plats but we have never seen any reason given why. In 1750 Joseph Griswold secured about a million ècres from Queen Anne patent granted in 1704. This land all lay east of the Delaware and extended from that stream almost tothe Hudson. Bo came back here but had difficulty in getting people to settle on his trect. Be did, in 1754 get a few men and their families to settle bere. In a previous article ve mentioned that' Dr.John Calkir located near the Falls. Now it is possible that the location was on the east side of the Delaware. Bamalcol Tyler located at Damascus, but not named Damascus until Thos, Shields hought bis largo tract from the Pean Bros. ,Philadelphia, and named it Damascus Banor, and four years later1800. 'started and named the village Damascus.
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Joseph Skinner came from Litchfield, Wonn. at the same time and located on the Flats just across from Big Island and later named St. Tammany. The only one. whou wa cha find who located on the Griswold tract ras Joseph Ross who located on the east side of the Delaware at the mouth of the Callicoon Creek, the first white man to settle in Callicoon. From this man descended all the Bosses who have populated this section. The chronological tree of this family is ao wide spreading that we find it irksone to trace but may be able to refer to this deserving family later on.
THE TYLER TREE
The Tyler family jhs another wide tree of descendants and the forbears had much to do in making the history of this ection and is closely alliad to the Loss family by marital ties. Bazaleel Tyler, who came to the Cochecton valley by the ernest solicitation of Joseph Groswald, was born in Litchfield, Conn. , Nov.S, 1716, married Sarah Calkin and moved to Cochecton Valley in 1754. The children of this family were Hannah, Bazaleel, Sarah, Silas, Paul, Abigail, Timothy, Nathaniel, William, Charles, Mary, Rebecca, Sophia, Amos. Several of these sons were soldiers in the Revolution , and Bazaleel 2nd, a Captain, was killed in the Minisink Massacre. Paul Tyler, born June 16, 1751, married Bester Brink, Their children were William, Timothy. Amos, Abigail, George Sarah, Ebenezer, Carharine, Sophia. Paul's oldest son William married Mary, daughter of James Monington, The children of this couple (William Tyler and Mary Nowdayton) were Israel, · arah, Raymond, Alfred, Eliza, Encline, Israel Tyler married Lavina Tyler. dau
of Judge Moses and Maru Ross-Tyler., and their sons wore Moses, Lorenzo Dow , William. Charles Tyler was norn in Cowhecton March 5,1762 an was the teeth child in the family of fourteen children born it Bazaleel and Barah Calkin Tyber/ He married Isabel, daughter of David Young, who was a Scotchman and located at Big 'sland soon after 1760. Charles enlisted in the American army at the age of 18 (1178) and continued in service until the surrender at York- town. No died Feb. 20,1820. Many now living can remember John Young Tyler, son of Charles. The home he for years occupied in Tyler Bill stands today but has boon remodeled. John Y. as he was familiarly called was born in Cochecton April 7,1811. and died June 23,1901 aged 90.
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