USA > New York > Orange County > Deerpark > A history of the Minisink Region : which includes the present towns of Minisink, Deerpark, Mount Hope, Greenville, and Wawayanda in Orange County, New York. > Part 2
USA > New York > Orange County > Mount Hope > A history of the Minisink Region : which includes the present towns of Minisink, Deerpark, Mount Hope, Greenville, and Wawayanda in Orange County, New York. > Part 2
USA > New York > Orange County > Minisink > A history of the Minisink Region : which includes the present towns of Minisink, Deerpark, Mount Hope, Greenville, and Wawayanda in Orange County, New York. > Part 2
USA > New York > Orange County > Greenville > A history of the Minisink Region : which includes the present towns of Minisink, Deerpark, Mount Hope, Greenville, and Wawayanda in Orange County, New York. > Part 2
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HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.
before yielding up the possession of their mountain fastnesses.
In 1756, we are informed, that in the winter and spring large and small parties of western Indians made frequent incursions into its territory, destroying a vast amount of property, and taking many lives. At the commence- ment of this war (the old French and Indian war in 1755) it was reported to possess a population of about thirty families, and included a tract of about forty miles up and down the Delaware and Neversink rivers. Indeed, there are good reasons for dating the settlement of this region previous to the year 1664. In 1697 a Patent was granted to Arent Schuyler for lands described as follows:
" A certain tract of land in the Minisink country, in the province of New York, called by the native Indians Warensaghskennick, otherwise called Maghawaemus; also a certain parcel of meadow, or vly, called by the Indians Warensaghskennick, situate, lying and being upon a certain run, called by the Indians, and known by the name of Minisink, before a certain Island called Menayack, which is adjacent to or near to a certain tract of land called by the Indians Maghakeneck, containing the quantity of one thousand acres and no more."
This, as will be seen, gave the holder authority to locate on any unappropriated land in the valley, for it describes in such general terms as to puzzle almost any one to fix its limits. Another of these floating patents was granted the same year to Jacob Codebeck, Thomas Swartout, Anthony Swartout, Bernardus Swartout, Jan Tys, Peter Germar and David Jamison. This was loca- ted in what was called Peenpack. Many of the descend- ants of these patents are still living in that locality, Codebeck now being known as Cuddeback, and Germar as Gumaer, Some of the settlers on these patents were
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FIRST SETTLEMENT.
Huguenots, or Frenchmen, who had voluntarily exiled themselves from France on account of their religious opinions being in conflict with the ruling powers. This is the origin of that name as applied to a small village a short distance north of Port Jervis at the present day. The following letter chronicles the second recorded visit of a white man to this territory; and as it is valu- able on account of the knowledge it imparts in regard to this history, I have copied it entire from page 49 of Eager's History of Orange County:
(Copy of letters from Samuel Preston, Esq., dated Stockport, June 6th and 14th, 1828.)
MINISINK, MINEHOLES, &C.
" In 1787 the writer went on his first surveying tour into Northampton County; he was deputed under John Lukens, Surveyor General, and received from him, by way of instructions, the following narrative respecting the settlement of Minisink on the Delaware, above the Kittany and Blue Mountain: That the settlement was formed for a long time before it was known to the Gov- ernment at Philadelphia. That when the Government was informed of the settlement, they passed a law in 1729, that any such purchases of the Indians should be null and void; and the purchasers indicted for forcible entry and detainer, according to the law of England. That in 1730 they appointed an agent to go and inves- tigate the facts; that the agent so appointed was the famous surveyor, Nicholas Scull; that he, James Lukens, was Nicholas Scull's apprentice to carry chain and learn surveying. That as they both understood and could talk Indian they hired Indian guides, and had a fatiguing journey, there being then no white inhabitants in the upper part of Bucks or Northampton Counties. That 2
M
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HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.
they had very great difficulty to lead their horses through the water gap to Minisink flats, which were all settled with Hollanders; with several they could only be understood in Indian. At the venerable Depuis' they found great hospitality and plenty of the necessaries of life. J. Lukens said that the first thing that struck his attention was a grove of apple trees of size far beyond any near Philadelphia. That as Nicholas Scull and himself examined the banks, they were fully of opinion that all those flats had at some former age been a deep lake before the river broke through the moun- tain, and that the best interpretation they could make of Minisink, was, the water is gone. That S. Depuis told them when the rivers were frozen he had a good road to Esopus, near Kingston, from the Mineholes, on the Mine road, some hundred miles. That he took his wheat and cider there for salt and necessaries, and did not ap- pear to have any knowledge or idea where the river ran (Philadelphia market) or of being in the government of Pennsylvania.
"They were of opinion that the first settlements of Hollanders in Minisink were many years older than William Penn's charter, and that S. Depuis had treated them so well, they concluded to make a survey of his claim, in order to befriend him if necessary. When they began to survey, the Indians gathered around; an old Indian laid his hand on Nicholas Scull's shoulder and said: 'Put up iron string, go home.' They then quit and returned.
" I had it in charge from Jolin Lukens to learn more particulars respecting the Mine road to Esopus, &c. I found Nicholas Depuis, Esq., son of Samuel, living in a spacious stone house in great plenty and affluence. The old Mineholes were a few miles above, on the Jersey
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FIRST SETTLEMENT. .
side of the river by the lower point of Paaquarry Flat; that the Minisink settlement extended forty miles or more on both sides of the river. That he had well known the Mine road to Esopus, and used, before he opened the boat channel through Foul Rift, to drive on it several times every winter with loads of wheat and cider, as also did his neighbors, to purchase his salt and necessaries, in Esopus, having then no other market or knowledge where the river ran to. That after a navi- gable channel was opened through Foul Rift they gen- erally took to boating, and most of the settlement turned their trade down stream, the Mine road became less and less traveled.
"This interview with the amiable Nicholas Depuis, was in June, 1787. He then appeared about sixty years of age. I interrogated as to the particulars of what he knew, as to when and by whom the Mine road was made, what was the ore they dug and hauled on it, what was the date, and from whence or how, came the first settlers of Minisink in such great numbers as to take up all the flats on both sides of the river for forty miles. He could only give traditionary accounts of what he had heard from older people, without date, in substance as follows:
" That in some former age there came a company of miners from Holland; supposed, from the great labor expended in making that road, about one hundred miles, that they were very rich or great people, in working the two mines-one on the Delaware, where the moun- tain nearly approaches the lower point of Paaquarry Flat-the other at the north foot of the same mountain, near half way from the Delaware and Esopus. He ever understood that abundance of ore had been hauled on that road, but never could learn whether lead or silver,
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HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.
That the first settlers came from Holland to seek a place of quiet, being persecuted for their religion. I believe they were Armenians. They followed the Mine road to the large flats on the Delaware. That smooth, cleared land suited their views. That they bona fide bought the improvements of the native Indians, most of whom then moved to the Susquehanna; that with such as remained, there was peace till 1755. I then went to view the Paaquarry Mineholes. There appeared to have been a great abundance of labor done there at some former time, but the mouths of these holes were caved full, and overgrown with bushes. I concluded to myself if there ever was a rich mine under that mountain, it must be there yet, in close confinement. The other old men I conversed with, gave their traditions similar to Nicholas Depuis, and they all appeared to be grandsons of the first settlers, and very ignorant as to the dates, and things relating to chronology. In the summer of 1789 I began to build on this place; then came two ven- crable gentlemen on a surveying expedition. They were the late Gen. James Clinton, the father of the late De Witt Clinton, and Christopher Tappan, Esq., Clerk and Recorder of Ulster County. For many years before they had both been surveyors under Gen. Clinton's father, when he was Surveyor-General. In order to learn some history from gentlemen of their general knowledge, I accompanied them in the woods. They both well knew the Mineholes, Mine road, &c., and as there were no kind of documents or records thereof,! united in the opinion that it was a work transacted while the State of New York belonged to the govern- ment of Holland; that it fell to the English in 1664; and that the change of government stopped the mining business, and that the road must have been made many
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FIRST SETTLEMENT.
years before such digging could have been done. That it undoubtedly must have been the first good road of that extent made in any part of the United States."
The settlement principally spoken of by the above writer, was on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware river, and visited from Philadelphia; but applies to the whole Minisink region. It discloses to our view a per- fect miniature world-peopled by a happy, contented race of Europeans ; who for generations had lived in harmony among themselves, and in peace with their savage neighbors. Here generations lived the fleeting span of life in blissful ignorance of any outer or happier world beside, and were alike unknown outside the boun- daries of their own domain, until some wanderer chanced to come across their settlement, and went on his way, thereafter to remember, with gratitude and envy, the affluence and comfort that marked their rough but happy homes. No fashions from abroad intruded upon their attire, or simple hospitality-their customs were their own-their visits made among familiar friends- their parties and soirces given in true Minisink state, and no doubt better enjoyed by the homespun-clad young folks of that time, than many a skim-milk gather- ing of the. present day. Here they were born and reared, from infancy to mature years; married the part- ners of their choice;
" Lived where their fathers lived, And died where they died: Lived happy-died happy,"
and perhaps have gone to a happy home above.
Plenty of mineral resources were within their reach, but they seem to have wisely left such pursuits to later and more speculative times. Whether those early mines produced lead or silver, is not known; but we are
HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.
of opinion that it may have been silver, for the following reasons: First, the great length of road (one hundred miles) would have rendered next to impossible the cart- ing of such a bulky substance as lead, in any great quan- tity, or at least in sufficient quantities to have paid expenses-let alone liquidating the cost of constructing such a road as this was represented to be, and in places still is, through a wilderness. Second, all the old tradi- tions of those times confirm the belief that silver ore exists in Shawangunk Mountain, and that at early periods, mines of it were known and worked by the Indians and first settlers, that have since been concealed and forgotten. We once heard an old gentleman describe one of these mines that must have been located near one of those spoken of by the writer of the preceding letter. It was made known to his father, and a neigh- bor, by one of the friendly Indians previous to their removal west in the old Indian war. The two observed great secrecy in working it, and frequently made long and mysterious journeys to dispose of their ore at dis- tant places. At last the Revolutionary war broke out, and they both determined to serve their country. Be- fore departing, they solemnly pledged themselves not to reveal the secret until the war was ended; and the better to carry out their plans, they went, one cold, dark night, and drew a large flat stone over the mouth of the mine, carefully obliterated all traces of their. work, and ended by strewing leaves over the whole, until they themselves could hardly detect its whereabouts. About thirty paces directly cast, they marked three trees that stood close together, in order to guide them, should either live to again desire to find it. One of them never returned; the other again sought his home after an absence of near nine years. Meanwhile the tide of
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FIRST SETTLEMENT.
war had visited his old neighborhood in the shape of predatory bands of Indians, and he found his family in a distant village where they had fled for protection- his house, and that of his neighbors, having been destroyed by their foes. A year or so was occupied in again getting around them the comforts of a home, and when he again sought the mine, the timber had been so destroyed by the fire and ruthless vandalism, that no trace of the marked trees could be found. Days and weeks were spent in the search, but in vain. He then gave the information to others, but no one has ever yet removed the flat stone from the mouth of the silver mine.
Another old gentleman, while we were staying in Wurtsboro' one evening, gave us a somewhat flowery account of a silver mine, which we will notice. The settlers in that vicinity had long noticed that the Indians had plenty of silver in a crude state, but could get no trace of the mine. Just before they left the country, our narrator's father, then a youth of twelve or thirteen years of age, persuaded an old Indian chief, with whom he was a great favorite, to take him to it. He was blindfolded, and led a long way through the woods, with many twists and turns, till at last they commenced going down into the heart of the mountain, and he could dis- tinctly hear water trickling overhead. When his eyes were uncovered he stood before a solid vein of silver. Picking up a number of large pieces, his conductor forced him to return in the same manner as he entered; and though afterwards he searched for it, over every foot of ground near its supposed vicinity, he could never find it. "Every seven years," quoth our friend, "a bright light, like a candle, rises at twelve o'clock at night, above the mine, and disappears in the clouds.
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HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.
1
But no one that has seen it, has ever been able, in day- light, to find from whence it rose."
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CHAPTER III.
CHURCH AFFAIRS.
Like all the rest of the human family, the inhabitants of Minisink naturally felt a little anxious as to where their final lot would be cast in the world of spirits; for tradition had handed down to them the lessons of their forefathers in their own fatherland, and many an old bible and hymn book that had, perhaps, spoken sharply to the consciences of their ancestors on the banks of the Zuyder Zee, in Holland, or by the side of the Seine, in sunny France-done duty through long nights of fearful peril on the bosom of the stormy Atlantic, and consoled the minds of sinners miserably sea-sick during the first weeks of the months that then were required to place them from the old continent on the new-even yet spoke in trumpet-tones to the evil-doers by the banks of the Delaware and Neversink. Though the leaves were perhaps worn and soiled, and it may be somewhat torn, the old bible still spoke to them in a voice that was as stern and as strong as when of yore it reproved the sins of their grandfathers. and grandmothers. It pointed just as unerringly to the lake prepared of fire and brim- stone for those that turned aside from the path of recti- tude. Its warnings were not to be disregarded-for
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HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.
though apparently a community outside the pale of the civilized world, they knew that the eye of Divine Prov- idence was just as watchful of the affairs of the few settlers on the Minisink flats, as of those of Amsterdam or Paris. At first neighbors talked of it when they met, and their good dames discussed it of evenings while enjoying a sociable visit. Then it became talked of generally; and finally a meeting of the veteran settlers was called, and it was determined to have preaching and psalm-singing, such as their fathers and mothers told them they had often listened to of a Sabbath, 'neath the roof of a church in their own native land. . Every one contributed to the good work,-the old men and women because they felt it their duty,-the young men and women because they liked some place to repair to on the Sabbath, where they could unite their voices in hymns of praise, and perchance find opportunities of speaking a word or two with each other on the sly; for. the young people of that day probably possessed the same feelings as those of to-day, though far less burdened with fashionable hypocrisy. It was agreed that the community was large enough for four congregations, and accordingly it was so divided. The means was collected, and the construction of the four churches was probably commenced in 1736. A young man among them, John Casparus Fryenmuth, who had been studying with the intention of becoming a minister, was furnished with funds to go to Holland, where he completed his studies and was ordained. He returned and became pastor of the four congregations in the year 1742. The first church was called the Mackhackemeck Church; and was located about a half mile south of where Port Jervis now stands, and about half a mile from the junction of the Neversink and Delaware, in a north-easterly direc-
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CHURCH AFFAIRS.
tion, and near the residence of Mr. Eli Van Inwegen, by the old burying-ground .. The second stood about eight miles south-west from the Mackhackemeck, in the present township of Montague, or Sandiston, N. J., at the cross- ing of the turnpike and highway, near the site of a store kept for some years by one Judge Stull, and was called the Minisink Church. It was torn down many years ago, and a new one erected about one mile from its first location, due north. The third stood sixteen miles farther on in New Jersey, and was called the Walpeck . Church. It has long been torn down. The fourth was eight or ten miles distant from the Walpeck, and was called the Smithfield Church. Before having a regular minister, at their meetings the best reader was selected, and a chapter or two read from the Bible, a prayer or so was made by different members, and some psalm-singing commonly completed the services. The hour of worship was announced by the blowing of a large tin horn, kept for the purpose, which practice was adhered to until bells came in use.
Mackhackemeck Church was the only one of the four that stood within the present limits of Orange county; and as such, its history is important, being probably the oldest. It is of the Dutch Reformed persuasion, that being the almost universal belief at the time of its erection. This event was brought to a completion in 1737 judging from the fact that it was formally recog- nized, and had regular ecclesiastical officers in that year, as shown by the records of baptisms, &c., that are still in good preservation. These records were kept in the Low Dutch language until recently, and are continuous from that year to the present. The building of the church took place near a century from the date of the supposed first settlement of the Minisink region. John
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HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.
Casparus Fryenmuth, the first minister, officiated for the four churches mentioned (as his successors did also for many years,) from 1742, the date of his return from Hol- land, till 1755; when the French and Indian war com- menced, and predatory bands began to plunder and devastate the settlement, which rendered it unsafe to continue the services. He was a good scholar, and a beautiful penman ; the records kept by him being splendid specimens of writing, and his name, as signed .to them by himself, one hundred and twenty-four years ago, can still be seen, in a bold round hand that few persons can equal at the present day, with all the im- provement of knowledge and science. The first capital letter of his signature was always made in the form of a monogram (a figure combining in one the initials of the name). He was very much respected and popular, if we may believe the traditions of the times. Of the esteem felt for him by his parishioners, one incident has been handed down to us, and we believe it is the only one preserved of his ministry. He had been in the habit of dividing the time of his vacation, a short period of a few Sabbaths allowed the minister yearly for rest, (as we understand from Rev. S. W. Mills, the present pastor, to whom our thanks are due for many of these particulars,) among the churches in the vicinity of Rochester, Ulster county. They became desirous of securing his services for themselves, and accordingly set themselves about raising a salary for him by subscrip- tion, previous to giving him a call. This the Minisink people heard of, and the way they talked to the Rochester people, is best shown in the following letter preserved . among the church records in the original Dutch, of which this is a translated copy:
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CHURCH AFFAIRS.
" MINISINK, Dec. 6th, 1741. " To the Rev. Consistory of Rochester, greeting:
" We, your servants, having learned that you have had correspondence with our pastor, and have seduced him, so far as to send him a call, thinking that the large amount of salary promised him will induce him to leave us-the Lord who thus far has caused your acts of sup- planting to fail will further direct them to a good end. We find ourselves bound to obey the command of the Saviour ' Do good to them that hate you ;' we therefore will deal with you hereafter, as we have before, 'doing you good.' It is true you give us no thanks for his services among you. You are bold enough to say that he has eight free Sundays during the year, which is as true as the assertion of the Devil to Eve, 'You will not surely die.'
" If you desire, then, to have our minister four or six times during the year, we will grant your wish cheer- fully, and leave it with our pastor to settle with you as to the amount of his compensation. If this cannot pre- vent the execution of your unjust intention, and the Lord wishes to use you as a rod to chasten us, we shall console ourselves with his gracious words, Heb. 12, ' Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and he rebukes every son whom he adopts.' If it please the Lord to permit you to deprive us of our pastor, then we hope that your consciences will not be scared so much as to take away our livelihood amounting to £125 12s. 6d. (over paid salary).
" Should this however be the case, then we will not hesitate to give the matter into the hands of a worldly judge. We expect your answer, and conclude our dis- . course with the wish that the grace of our Lord and
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HISTORY OF THE MINISINK REGION.
the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, may remain with you until a blessed eternity. Amen. We remain your servants,
" JOHN CORTRIGHT, " JOHN VAN VLIET,
" ABM. VAN RAMPEN,
" WILLIAM COLE."
Whether this unique letter settled the matter or not, is not known ; but Mr. Fryenmuth remained with the Minisinkers. After leaving Minisink, his whereabouts is involved in mystery; though he probably visited that section afterward, as his handwriting appears in the records at later dates. Lastly, August 26th, 1759, when he probably made his last visit.
After the Indian troubles had partially subsided and a state of comparative quiet had been restored, Rev. Thomas Romeyn was selected tominister to the spiritual wants of the people of Minisink. He accepted the call September 6th, 1760, (as we learn from a letter of one of his descendants,) and was officiating minister until 1772, a period of twelve years, when he removed to Cahnawaga, Montgomery County, N. Y. The five years intervening between Mr. Fryenmuth's departure and Mr. Romeyn's arrival, appears to have been almost a blank in church affairs.
During Mr. Romeyn's charge, these affairs, that till then had glided along so smoothly and uninterruptedly, partook of the spirit from abroad, and followed the course generally ascribed to the carnal world, and in weak imitation of poor sinful human nature, became embroiled in a quarel of surprising bitterness.
The Dutch Reformed Church in this country had hitherto been subordinate to the classes of Amsterdam, in Holland; and all ministers desirous of being ordained,
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CHURCH AFFAIRS.
had to proceed there for that purpose. A large portion of the members were in favor of continuing that practice, and were called the Conferentie party. The others were in favor of ordaining their ministers by classes in this country, thus saving the expense and formality of a trip to Europe. These went under the cognomen of the Coetus party. The first meeting of ministers to settle the question was held in the City of New York in the year 1737. Another was held the following year which decided in favor of the Coetus party, and sent their decision to the classes of Amsterdam for approval. The latter was finally confirmed in 1746, and thus the wing of the church in this country became independent of that of Holland.
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