USA > New York > Orange County > Deerpark > A history of Deerpark in Orange County, N.Y. > Part 11
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12
BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS OF OUR ANCES- TORS.
As there has been a great change in the business transactions of people in this part of the country gen- erally within the last half century, I have thought proper to give a more particular statement in relation to that of the inhabitants formerly of our present town, than what has been mentioned in the preceding part of this work.
Commencing with the ending and beginning of the year, I will in the first instance narrate the manner in which Christmas and New Year's days were kept.
CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR'S.
The day preceding Christmas, preparations were made to enjoy some good diets on that and the next succeeding day, by baking cakes, boiling doughnuts, &c., on which to feast, especially the second Christmas
176
HISTORY OF DEERPARK.
day, when neighbors visited each other and partook of the good victuals previously and this day provided. Formerly two days were kept as Christmas, and two days as New Year's throughout our valley. The first Christmas day was kept holy and reverential as Sun- day, and the second as mentioned, on the evening of which the young people generally had a dance. The day previous to New Year's, the same preparations were made for both New Year's days, and early in the morning of the first day, at or before break of day, a few individuals would be out in one part of the neigh- borhood and salute a near neighbor with the firing of guns by his door, which awakening the inmates they speedily arose out of their beds, and, on meeting their visitors, they mutually greeted each other with the wish of a Happy New Year, after which a treat of cider was given and sometimes other liquor after it became used, and some cakes, doughnuts and apples were distributed among them. Here they were joined by one or a few of this family and proceeded to the next neighbor, where the same routine was gone through and generally one or a few individuals were added at each house, and by this means quite a com- pany was formed by passing through the neighbor- hood. In my time these proceedings began to be disapproved, and gradually ceased until they became abandoned. In all other respects,the first and second New Year's days were kept in the same manner as the second Christmas day.
After these festivities were past, the people resumed their business, which was very urgent at this time of the year, in which, before my time, it was said there generally was good sleighing and they had to do a
1
177
HISTORY OF DEERPARK.
great amount of teaming in the winter season while sleighing continued, to get their wheat to market, their fire wood, post and rail timber drawn, and much other work which teams had to perform. Wheat, in the first instance, had to be taken between 50 and 60 miles distance from our present town to market, afterwards ' between 40 and 50 miles.
As the days are short in winter, the people before my time occupied a part of the night after dark in the evening and in the morning before daylight,for thresh- ing and cleaning wheat, and also for taking it to mar- ket. The great amount of fire wood, post and rail timber, which had to be provided in the winter season, also made much winter work. After sleighing ended, post and rail timber had to be split, the posts holed and rails sharpened, and, as soon as the frost was out of the ground, new fences were made of these and the old fences were repaired, In 1770 and afterwards, a great amount of fuel and fencing timber was used in consequence of the large fires farmers kept up in their sitting rooms and kitchens, the smallness and scat- tered situation to which farms had become reduced at that time,and the necessity of dividing them into small lots for pasturing purposes.
In March and April, the flax which had not been previously dressed, was in these months all crackled and swingled, rope yarn spun, and ropes made for halters, traces, lines and other uses. Each farmer in these months prepared his hides for tanning, procured white oak bark, and laid down the hides, together with the bark and water, in troughs, to be tanned during the warm season. The linen for summer wear was princi- pally woven in these months by the men, the manure
178
HISTORY OF DEERPARK.
drawn from the barnyards and stables, and flax seed and oats sowed.
In May, the corn-ground was ploughed and planted, and ploughing for buckwheat was done for the first time.
In June,the corn was hoed twice, for which it was prepared by plowing each time between the rows one way, so that much had to be done with the hoe, and the ploughing for summer fallow was also commenced, and at an early day of the settlement sometimes fin- ished in this month.
In July the harvesting and gathering of winter grain and oats, and the pulling of flax was all done.
In August, after meadows were made, the grass was cut and gathered for fodder, flax taken up and brought into barns, and a second ploughing for wheat was principally done in this month. (It was customary with the ancient people to plough three times for wheat and twice for rye).
In September the plowing for seed and sowing win- ter grain was commenced, and was continued during the month of October and beginning of November. Cider was from time to time made during these three months. The topping of corn, by cutting off the stalks above the ears for fodder, was done in September until the time of the Revolutionary War, after which this practice was abandoned and the cutting up of corn near the ground and setting it up in small shocks be- came a general practice, in which, improvements in performing the work, and time and manner of doing the same, have from time to time been made. Until the time of the Revolutionary War, and during that war, the ears of corn on the stalks, standing out in the
179
HISTORY OF DEERPARK.
field after becoming dry, were pulled from the stalks and thrown into small heaps between the rows, from which they were taken with a wagon into the barn where they were husked, sometimes by means of one or more husking frolics, but more generally by the family only. In these months and beginning of De- cember, flax was rotted, and some of it dressed for winter spinning, and rope yarn was spun, and ropes made for cow-ropes, halters, traces, lines and other purposes for winter use.
In November, winter apples, and the few potatoes, turnips and other roots raised in those times, were brought into the cellar ; and the killing and putting up of pork and beef was done in the latter part of this month and beginning of December. The manufactur- ing of leather, which each farmer had tanned during the season, was done at this time and made into shoes, (generally by a member of the family), also the weav- ing of linsey-woolsey and woolen check for winter wear, and the dressing of some flax for winter spin- ning. In November,each farmer generally took a load of wheat and flax seed to market, for procuring salt, pepper, iron and other articles.
The women, as well as the men, had also to perform a great amount of labor. Besides their ordinary housework, they had to spin the yarn for all their clothing, hatched their flax, and card their wool, bleach all their linen for shirts and some other uses, make all the wearing apparel of both men and women, and did all the knitting of stockings and mittens, which amounted to more than double the knitting now done for a family, which had become necessary in conse- quence of the fashion of men in former times wearing
180
HISTORY OF DEERPARK.
short breeches, which also made it necessary for them to wear over stockings.
All those necessary occupations made a great amount of business for our ancestors, and furnished them with a very plentiful supply of the necessaries of life. They had very little help besides that of a few slaves, which generally did not amount to more than a man and a woman slave to a family, exclusive of children and old people not able to do much. The inhabitants were generally farmers, and few laborers could be obtained by them.
CHARACTERISTICS.
The characteristics of each individual by a marriage union becoming changed in their children, form char- acters differing, in some degree, from those of each parent, which, being continued from generation to gen- eration, gradually extinguish those of the original parents ; but to what extent of time or how many generations would have to succeed each other before these would all become extinguished the writer cannot determine. By bringing into calculation the first pioneers as the first generation,the sixth, and a part of the fifth and seventh, are now, in 1861, on the stage of action. In many individuals of the fifth and sixth generations are yet remains of the characteristics of their respective, most anterior parentage. , These are more prominent in some of the descendants than in others, and also have been inherited in a greater de- gree in some families than in others, and certain pre-
181
HISTORY OF DEERPARK.
dominating characteristics of an anterior ancestor have been the most prevalent in the line of their descent.
CHARACTERS OF SOME OF THE FIRST SET- TLERS.
Very little is now known respecting the seven first pioneers. I imagine that they had all been in com- fortable circumstances of life,and had become reduced so that they were in want of means for a livelihood, and became associated to obtain possession of some good land which they were not able to purchase in the settled part of the country, and had to venture to emi- grate into its wilds which remained unsettled by white people but was inhabited by Indians, who at that time were thought to be a more savage and cruel peo- ple than what they in reality were.
The three Swartwouts, we have reason to presume, were best calculated for this enterprise, and that their companions must have had much reliance on them for protection. Not only were they possessed of superior capacities in respect of body and spirit for adventurous undertakings, but also were a very social, jocose, hum- orous and witty people, well calculated to become easily familiarized with strangers and court friendship, which first qualities were necessary to intimidate the Indians, and the latter to court and maintain friend- ship with them. They were an easy people and made no great exertions to acquire property by means of hard labor, but provided for a good living. Some of
182
HISTORY OF DEERPARK.
these characteristics have become much changed in the descendants of those who remained in this vicinity, and some of them have been inherited to the present time. The Swartwout character became much changed by the union of Major Swartwout with the daughter of the first Peter Gumaer, whose only surviving son, Philip Swartwout, became the greatest business man of his time in this neighborhood. He also was more sedate and economical than his ancestors ; in other respects he had inherited the Swartwout character. A great degree of these existed in the two succeeding generations, and have not become extinguished in the sixth.
Caudebec and Guimar, reduced from a state of afflu- ence to that of indigence, differed widely to meet such a change and undertake the task of manual labor for a living which became necessary after they landed in this country, and was undertaken by them, but, as they were not able to perform as much as men habituated to it, they received only low wages. Caudebec, being dissatisfied, told Guimar that he would not work for such low wages ; Guimar replied that they had to do something for a living,and, as they could not do much, they could not expect much, and that while they la- bored they had their living, if no more. At the insti- gation of Caudebec, they went from the State in which they first landed into the State of New York, and he, having been habituated to a trading business, became introduced into the family of Benjamin Provost, who also were in such business, and was married to one of his daughters. Guimar, in the meantime, undertook the business of cleaning flax by the pound, for which he received wages according to what he did, and also
183
HISTORY OF DEERPARK.
became married to a daughter (as has been supposed) of a Deyo.
After these two individuals became settled in our present town, the same difference continued to exist in relation to their business transactions. Guimar, with the help of his daughters, two slaves he bought or had of his father-in-law, and one son, (his youngest child), became the greatest farmer in this town. He was very persevering in his business transactions, and severe to compel his slaves, also his daughters and son, to do all the labor they could perform. The daughters, five in number, although of delicate constitutions, did all the housework and manufacturing of all their clothing, also a part of the work on the farm and taking wheat to market. He, himself, dressed all his flax, to which business he had become habituated before he settled on his farm, which was about all the farmer's work he could do. He also was severe to enforce the moral and religious duties of his children. His descendants have, from generation to generation, very generally inherited his persevering business character to the present time ; in other respects many of his character- istics have become extinguished.
Caudebec was the reverse of Guimar in respect to his business transactions, and more tender towards his children. He had much of a speculative disposition, and aimed at getting a living by easier means than that of steady manual labor, and this probably was the view of the seven first settlers and cause of their emi- gration to get possession of land where wild animals, fowls and fishes abounded, which, together with the cultivation of small portions of such land, would fur- nish means for an easy life and a better living, in re- spect of eatables, than what we can now enjoy.
184
HISTORY OF DEERPARK.
After those individuals became located in our pres- ent town, it was necessary for them to procure a title for the land they wanted to occupy, and it appears that they selected Caudebec, as the most proper per- son, to send to the Governor and procure a patent for as many acres of land as would cover what they wanted to occupy.
After one of the Swartwouts, Caudebec and Gui- mar became owners of the patent right, they had to contend for the possession of a great part of the land they claimed and had in their possession, and it was necessary for them to devise means to counteract those who wanted to dispossess them. Caudebec, who was of a contemplative mind, must have been well calcu- lated to assist in forming plans for that purpose, and I have understood that he, and certain individuals of his own family, officiated in some of those which were very important.
After his daughters became married, he devised means for their livelihood, by inducing the husbands of three of them, Abraham Louw, Evert Hornbeck and Harmanus Van Gordon, to locate on the east side of the Delaware river, in the State of New Jersey, oppo- site Shipikunk Island ; and also his son James and two of his brothers-in-law to do the same, and each of them take possession of as much land on the island as was necessary for a livelihood for his respective family. This island was a body of very good river land, and the first possessor of any part of it had a right to hold what he had in possession without paying for it. It was termed King's land, and to remain unsold by his Majesty or Government. Other islands in that river were in the same situation,and the husband of another
185
HISTORY OF DEERPARK.
of his daughters, Westfall, located himself on the same side of the river, opposite Minisink Island, and took possession of a part of that island.
From all of which we must infer that he was a man well calculated to overcome difficulties, and had a pen- etrating mind. He was characterized as a sensible man. He had been educated, but to what extent is not known. He had told his family that he had been a great reader before he left his country, and that he regretted that his children did not have the opportun- ity to become educated. He instructed them in moral and religious duties, and was very tenacious of their characters. At a certain time two of his daughters told him that certain persons had made a scandalous report respecting them. He asked if it was true what they had said. They replied no, it was all lies. " Well," said he, " maintain good characters and let them talk ; they will get ashamed of their lies.".
His character, in relation to what has been men- tioned respecting his mental ability,has been inherited from generation to generation by some of his descend- ants (who remained in this town) to the present time. The bodily capacities of his sons, in respect of size, strength and agility, I consider to have been inherited from his wife,which, although much reduced from that of those ancients, is still superior in some of the de- scendants of the present time to that of the generality of men. Some of those ancients, in our neighborhood, were a very talkative people and uncommonly fond of conversation, in which they embraced a great variety of topics in relation to what had transpired in this valley for a distance of sixty or seventy miles, and in-
186
HISTORY OF DEERPARK.
cluded a great many remarks in relation to the con- duct of the people of those times and much argumen- tation on different subjects. I have sat many a long winter evening, and many an hour in the daytime, to hear the conversations and arguments of a few of the individuals of the second generation. These propen- sities, which were inherent in this family, have become much changed in their descendants of the present time. Many of these communications, remarks and arguments were entertaining and instructive, and had a tendency to induce good morality, of which they possessed more in principle than in language. I will here introduce one good remark, which one of them made in the presence of myself and a few others, which was that, " The first of anything from which trouble accrued was the cause of all the evil consequences which originated from the same."
In bodily size, strength and agility, there was a great similarity between the Swartwouts and Cudde- backs; but those I have known differed in visage. It was said that some of the ancients were superior in personal beauty and natural mental abilities to their descendants. This information I' have had from dif- ferent sources. The first time I saw Nathaniel Owen, who kept a store and tavern many years ago, about two miles east of the Wallkill, on the road to New Windsor and Newburgh, he told me that he had been acquainted with the old people in our two neighbor- hoods, and that he had never been in a place where there was so great a proportion of portly, handsome men as were in those neighborhoods, which he con- sidered as remarkable for such a by-place as this was
187
HISTORY OF DEERPARK.
at that time. He named Major Swartwout, the second Peter Gumaer, William Cuddeback, Johannis (John) Westbrook and the first Peter Kuykendall as the most superior in those respects, and that their children generally were inferior to them, not only in bodily capacity, but also in natural mental ability. The ancient Swartwouts, Cuddebacks and Gumaers had black, curly hair and generally blue eyes and fair skin. The first Van Inwegen had red hair, his son Gerardus had black, curly hair and his children had black hair.
Harmanus Van Inwegen's character has been repre- sented in this work as a bold and fearless man, which is about all that is now known respecting him. This was well known by Anthony Swartwout, Jacob Cudde- back and the first Peter Gumaer, before they procured him to locate in their little neighborhood for their as- sistance in defending the premises they claimed. His co-operation with them was important for all these four individuals, for he, as well as the others had be- come interested therein by having a portion of the land granted to him by the others, and as the saying is " He became a great spoke in the wheel " to maintain their possessions. He was always honored by his companions for his bravery and help in their struggles. He and they continued to live near neighbors in friendship and harmony until death ended their lives.
Van Inwegen had only one son (Gerardus) and one daughter (Jane). Gerardus lived a very near neigh- bor to my father, and I was familiarly acquainted with him in his old age for several years previous to his death. I did also sometimes see his sister ; they were both small and very lean in flesh during the time I
188
HISTORY OF DEERPARK.
knew them, and their skin was much wrinkled, (which latter denoted they had been more fleshy in earlier life) they appeared to be more healthy and were smart for their ages. Gerardus retained his health until old age ended his life, and after his death it was said of him that he died a natural death, of old age, without sickness.
The characteristics of the father and son of this family have not been generally inherited by the child- ren and grand-children. It has been said that Corne- lius Van Inwegen, Jr., father of Moses Van Inwegen, resembled and took more after his great-grandfather, Harmanus Van Inwegen, than any other individual of all his descendants. Moses, his son, has some resem- blance to his father, but I consider him to take more after the ancient De Witt family than that of any other. There were certain traits of character which some of the children and grand-children of Gerardus inherited from him, but generally they took more after other families from whom they were also descendants.
Many of the ancient characteristics of both the Swartwouts and Cuddebacks still remain in their de- scendants, but I consider James D. Swartwout as possessing those of the ancient Swartwout family in a superior degree ; Col. Peter Cuddeback as having the greatest resemblance to the ancient Cuddeback family; Abraham Cuddeback, son of Col. William A. Cudde- back, when in prime of life, appeared to have more of the character of his grandfather, Capt. Cuddeback, than any other of the descendants of the latter; James Devens, Esq., grandson of the second Peter Gumaer, had some resemblance of his grandfather. But all these differed in some respects from the originals.
189
HISTORY OF DEERPARK.
Benjamin Hornbeck, a grandson of Capt. Cuddeback, had much of the penetrating mind of his grandfather.
EMIGRATION FROM THIS TOWN.
Enumeration of families who were in this town dur- ing the time of the Revolutionary War, and of those who removed out of it after the war ended, and of those who now, in 1861, remain in it of those descend- ants of those ancients, including marriage connections.
First of those of the upper or Peenpack neighbor- hood, two of whom, DeWitt and Terwilliger, were no descendants of the first four families.
The names of the heads of those families were the following, to wit :
Capt. Jacob R. De Witt, Capt. Abraham Cuddeback, Benjamin Cuddeback,
Benjamin Depuy, Esq.,
Abraham Cuddeback,
Jacob D. Gumaer,
Elias Gumaer, Harmanus Van Inwegen, Esq.,
Cornelius Van Inwegen, Philip Swartwout, Esq., John Wallace, Peter Gumaer,
Matthew Terwilliger, Ezekiel Gumaer,
Capt. Abraham Westfall.
Of these, their children, grand-children, and great- grand-children who had formed marriage connections, and together with these had become families, the fol- lowing number have, from time to time, removed from this neighborhood, to wit :
190
HISTORY OF DEERPARK.
No. of family.
Name.
children.
Of parents'
children.
Of grand-
grand-children. · · 0
Of great-
Jacob R. De Witt.
8
4 0
Benjamin Depuy.
7
2
Abraham Cuddeback
3
1 0
Elias Gumaer
7
0
0
Cornelius Van Inwegen
6
3 2
John Wallace.
3
0 0
Matthew Terwilliger
4
0 0
Capt. Cuddeback.
4
8
5
Benjamin Cuddeback.
4
14
0
Jacob D. Gumaer.
6
1 2
Harmanus Van Inwegen
3
15
0
Philip Swartwout.
3
3
0
Peter Gumaer.
3
1
0
Ezekial Gumaer
0
1
0
Abraham Westfall
1
0
0
62
53
9
62+53+9=124.
This emigration amounts to 124 families and now, in 1861, there remain 30 within the former limits of the neighborhood ; gives the amount of 154 families of descendants of the men named and have formed families by connected marriages. These had their living during the time they remained in this place from the productions of the small patent of 1200 acres of land, and although it had become reduced to a low
191
HISTORY OF DEERPARK.
state of cultivation,more of its productions have been transferred to other people than would have supported another such a number of families. Emigration com- menced about the year 1790 and has continued to the present time. The families first mentioned of, De Witt, Depuy, Cuddeback, Gumaer, Van Inwegen and Wal- lace, settled on the military lands in the state of New York at Onondaga and at the Owasco and Skaneateles Lakes at an early period of the settlement of those lands, and some were among the first pioneers of the same where they all procured lands and became far- mers in very comfortable circumstances, and many of their descendants, like their forefathers, have also sold their farms and removed into the western states to advance their interest for the benefit of their children. The other families have removed in all directions from this neighborhood at greater and less distances from it, but generally into the western part of this state and into Pennsylvania and different other states.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.