USA > New York > Orange County > Monroe > Chronicles of Monroe in the olden time : town and village, Orange County, New York > Part 15
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An incident of some historical interest occurred in the summer of 1850. The late J. Henry Bertholf was waiting at Turners station, when the superin- tendent, Mr. Charles Minot, arrived on a passenger- train. An express was then due, but was behind time. It was the law of the road for west-bound
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trains to lay off till the east-bound reported. Seeing what delays this occasioned, Mr. Minot entered the telegraph office and startled the operator by com- manding him to wire the operator at Port Jervis to hold the express till he should arrive. After proper verification he went out and ordered the conductor to proceed ; he refused, and was immediately discharged. Then the engineer was ordered to pull out, but he would not take the risk; whereupon Mr. Minot pulled him from his cab, and gave him suitable marks of his displeasure. Then he leaped on the engine, and ran it to Port Jervis, and found the other had not yet reached Lackawaxen. This is said to have been the first instance of the kind, and was the be- ginning of the system so universally adopted of run- ning and directing trains by telegraph.
The gradients of the Erie road are of interest, in- asmuch as they indicate the relative levels of Monroe and some of the neighboring villages. We are in- debted to Mr. John B. Bertholf for the following facts. From a profile furnished by him represent- ing topographical surveys of that road, we learn that the grade begins at Jersey City, with five feet above tide-water. Then it runs with little variation to Hackensack Junction, where it begins to rise. Its first ascent is by a grade of 46 feet to the mile to Rutherford; there it falls back to Passaic Bridge, starts again, and mounts 111 feet to Paterson. It dips again to Hawthorne; then starts again, and con- tinues to rise to Monroe by a gradient of 42 feet to the mile. This gives Monroe a level of 606 feet above tide-water at the station. This is 147 feet above Chester, 150 above Goshen, 44 above Middle- town. The grade from Monroe to Oxford is by a
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Erie Railway.
descent of 59 feet to the mile, exceeded only by the ascent, to Otisville, of 60 feet to the mile. The sum- mit of the east division is just beyond Otisville, and is 901 feet above tide-water.
The summit of the Susquehanna division is 1373 feet above tide-water. On the western division at Tip Top it is 1783 feet above.
Its heaviest gradients are exceeded by those of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and very greatly by some of the English roads.
The Erie road, while opening up so much of busi- ness to Monroe, has had the earnest cooperation and loyalty of its best citizens. It has also enlisted some of its best manhood. Take an instance or two : Phineas H. Thompson, son of Phineas Thompson, of Turners, commenced railroading for the company, in the spring of 1841, as a track boss, from Turners to Monroe. After that he was promoted to be conductor of an express-train running from Jersey City to El- mira, now the No. 1. This position he held with honor till the autumn of 1860, when, his health fail- ing, he resigned; and soon after, exhausted by the incessant care and responsibility of his position, he died. He had the reputation of strict fidelity to his trust.
Virgil Y. Thompson also early devoted himself to a like vocation, starting in about 1850; and was soon promoted to be conductor of an express-train. He carly wore out in the service of the company, and, like his brother, died in the prime of life.
Brewster Mapes, son of Job Mapes, of Monroe vil- lage, turned his attention to railroading, and is re- membered as a very popular conductor of passenger- trains. After years of service on the road, his
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comrades report him as enjoying otium cum dig. as postmaster at Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
The company has had the services of many other citizens of the old town in some of its varied depart- ments - constructive, telegraphic, baggage, or pas- senger. We need but mention the names of S. W. Miller, section superintendent; Daniel Bertholf, John Bertholf, William Boyd,- all in important positions in the telegraph service; William H. Smith, Peter T. Smith, in the baggage department; while Chas. W. Rumsey, of Turners, is superintendent of the Erie ferries.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
APPEARANCE OF THE OLD VILLAGE.
W E have already stated that the first site of the village of Monroe was on the stage road, about half a mile south. When the Erie road was laid out through the Clove, there was a movement to meet it and secure the advantages of business it offered. But there were some buildings on the present site before that. Nicholas Knight had bought lands of Hophni Smith, Andrew Van Valer, and David Knight, as far back as 1808, and built where Clarence Knight lives. This we mention as the first house in the southern part of the village. Next this was the storehouse of Mccullough and Lynch. This, when altered to a dwelling, was the residence of Mrs. Mary Conklin. Next was the site of the cabin of Claudius Smith, the siding being of plank, set perpendicularly.
Opposite was the mill, originally Cunningham's mill. It was bought by Nicholas Knight, and for ninety years has been in possession of the family. On the south side of Mill street, west, was the resi- dence of Daniel, and later his brother, Jeremiah Knight.
Returning to Main street, the first house on the hill going north was the miller's house. We are told the father of John Brooks lived there and plied his trade of making shuttles sixty years ago.
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Next was the Letts property, now the residence of Henry Ryder, blacksmith. This originally was a low, double house where a private school was taught by Miss Sarah Thompson and Miss Mary Stickney. Next was the office of Dr. E. B. Carpenter, adjoining which was his house. It was afterwards the harness- shop and residence of John Gregory. Next to it was the dwelling of Job Mapes, the village tailor. His son Brewster was for many years a conductor on the Erie road. Phineas Brooks lived about this spot, and Oscar, his son, had a shoe-making shop adjoin- ing. The shop of John Jenkins stood where the Catholic church now is. His shop contained the village library and minerals, photographic and under- taker's goods, for he was a multi-gifted man. His shop was burned in the fifties, and replaced by a cobblestone house, once the residence of the late J. K. Roe.
The Jenkins residence was saved, and is now the home of Henry Mapes. Next were the shop and out- buildings of John Boyce. The latter were burned on New Year's eve, 1875.
Next was the residence of Albertson Newman, father of Mrs. Mary Davy, who, then an infant, was thrown out of the window into a snow-bank during a fire. This was the winter of 1835. The house was rebuilt by Jeremiah and Daniel Knight. The Pres- byterian manse now occupies the site. Next was a fine orchard planted by Andrew Van Valer. Then the tannery house, now the Methodist Episcopal manse. Next, the residence of the late Gates W. McGarrah. Some distance to the north was the little tin-shop of C. Newkirk. Daniel Fuller's was next, then the store of the Misses McGarrah, Aunt
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Appearance of the Old Village.
Hannah and Nellie, interesting relics of the ancient past. Next was the store of Mr. G. W. McGarrah, built in 1843.
The brick store was not in existence then, but a gravel bank occupied the corner opposite the railroad. Over the road was the garden of John Gregory. From that almost to Alfred Carpenter's there was nothing but rocks and scrub-oaks, except a little garden where the C. B. Knight residence stands, cultivated by Phineas Brooks, the stones taken from which were enough to macadamize rods of road.
A log cabin stood beyond, north of the road, occu- pied by one Hall, who had, it was said, twelve daughters. At the site of Alfred Carpenter's house was a tavern kept by James Mapes. On the south side of the stage road were rocks and scrub till we reach the Lynch tavern, with its quaint sign. Here John Brooks built a little stone house on which is this inscription :
1 3 Highland Cement
2 3 Beach Sand 1830 J. B.
This small house has an arched entrance for wagon, and five rooms, none of which are on the same level. The Granite House was built by the late John Brooks about the year 1850. Here both he and his wife lived, reared their family and died, leaving it and its well-tilled fields a monument of their thrift and sturdy industry.
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Chronicles of Monroe in the Olden Time.
The former property once belonged to the Presby- terian Church and was occupied as a parsonage. Rev. Messrs. Howell and J. Boyd resided here. Next was the little house, still standing, occupied by a chairmaker. Then came the house of Mrs. Harvey Shove. The Joshua Mapes property, shop and house followed. Next, the Railroad Hotel, kept by A. Stick- ney. Over the track was the Dr. Joseph R. Andrews orchard and house. The latter was built in 1811. Beyond his barn stood a large black oak which was struck by lightning as Mrs. Andrews lay on her death- bed. Back in the lot was an old house once occu- pied by Nathan Mapes, who had seven sons and one daughter. The names of the sons were James, John, Jonathan, Joshua, Julius, Joel and George, all men of marked traits of character. The last was an accom- plished drummer.
A little house occupied by T. Early remains next the Andrews property. There was nothing on the Presbyterian Church lot. Next was the residence of Dr. Ezray; next, the dwelling of Mrs. Scobey, daughter of Mr. Van Valer; next, an old tavern, quite near the road. M. B. Swezey lived and died here. Wm. Seaman bought it and set it back. Next, a tailor shop kept by Job Mapes. Up-stairs was a little, low room where prayer-meetings were held. Next, the store of Matthew B. Swezey. In
the middle of Church street was a large hickory tree, once a liberty-pole. Over the street was the store of John McGarrah. His hotel stood next. John Goff occupied it fifty years ago. Back in the lot were the ruins of the old David Smith log house. David Webb lived on the hill toward the brook, and Thos. Jenkins at the foot of the hill.
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Appearance of the Old Village.
Church street was the old Dunderberg road, cut through in 1814. A half-century ago there were no buildings on it but the Methodist Episcopal church, the Dr. J. C. Boyd homestead and the old Van Duzer gable house, for a while the residence of Rev. J. J. Thompson. Still further east were the Julius Mapes homestead and the Presbyterian manse.
Now such was old Monroe. What a change a few years have made! Now the single street has ramified to many, the weather-boarded dwellings have been superseded by handsome cottages; solid brick warehouses and blocks take the place of stuffy shops and straggling stores ; while mills, creameries, and academy and churches contrive to make it one of the most wide-awake villages of the county. Think of it: two newspapers claim and use the prestige of its name !- " The Monroe Herald," pub- lished by Jas. J. McNally, Esq., of Goshen, and " The Monroe Times," edited by Eugene D. Stokem, Esq., of Central Valley. Monroe village also boasts a Meyers ballot machine, an ingenious affair that makes voting and counting easy to the intelligent, but by the ignorant is as much dreaded as the old iron instrument of torture called "the Virgin."
But we must not omit old Centreville of fifty years ago, now Turners. Then it was a little cross-road village, with a handful of houses clustering about a blacksmith shop, public-house, mill and school-house.
This last contained one low, square room, three sides occupied by desks on which a generation had graved its hieroglyphs. The center was a parallelo- gram of oaken benches drawn up around an old rusty box-stove on which many a chestnut was roasted. A high desk with narrow seat was the throne from 30
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which the monarch of this petty empire dispensed the mysteries of learning and enforced them with the rod. Here also on Sabbath evenings the neighboring clergy preached, for there was no church edifice at Turners then. None of the older people can forget the fervor of the Rev. Mr. Hermance, or of the present writer as he stood with three tallow candles before him and a pair of snuffers to trim the little farthing rush-lights while he sought to win to the higher life some of those restless youth to whom the whistle of the New York express was far more attractive than the silver trumpet of Sinai and Calvary. Turners now has a flourishing Method- ist Episcopal church, Sunday-school and Epworth League, which together are making their influence felt upon the moral education of the community. For many years there was a sanitarium here, under the management of Dr. Gillette. His daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Meyers, has succeeded him in his profes- sion, and enjoys a well-earned reputation.
The Orange Hotel, built in 1864, was for a time an ornament to the place, but was destroyed by fire on the night of December 26, 1873, restoring the custom to the old restaurant established by the late Peter Turner sixty years ago. His hotel is standing, and still retains the memory and prestige of good cheer and skilful management by both host and hostess in the early days of railroad travel.
The Creamery of Turners, under the management of its farmers, flourished for many years. A rival creamery is in process of building, under the auspices of the Erie Company, on the shore of the mill-stream.
Southfield is another of the villages of the old town. It was formerly called Monroe Works. The
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Appearance of the Old Village.
nucleus of the place was the iron-works of Townsend Noble & Co. The elder Peter Townsend, whose family-seat was at Chester, Orange County, built a mansion here in the midst of a large tract of land owned by him. A nail-factory was established on the railroad, which was operated for a time. This has been followed by a shoddy-mill, and since by an iron-bedstead factory. The hotel of the late John Coffey was at Southfield. It has a flourishing Metho- dist church and Sunday-school.
About a mile east of Turners is another and much younger village, namely, that of Central Valley. It is about half-way between Tuxedo and Woodbury. It is situated in the midst of beautiful scenery, flanked by the Highlands on the east and foot-hills on the west, in a clove, or narrow valley, stretching fifteen or twenty miles in length. The nucleus of this village was a celebrated boarding-school kept by Professor Cornell. Here many Cuban youths were educated. Then was started an Institute Hall, where lectures and religious services were conducted. Boarding- houses sprang up as soon as this region came to be better known. These created a demand for stores and a post-office. Now there is a flourishing Methodist Episcopal church, with all the institutions that belong to it. A grand sanitarium has been opened by Dr. Ferguson, which has already attained eminence for its professional skill and efficient nursing.
The Summit Lake House, kept by Elisha Stock- bridge on the East Mountain, is a very popular resort. Situated on the banks of a beautiful lake, and on the very mountain-top, it offers attractions to the sports- man and the lover of sylvan solitude and communion with nature.
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A couple of miles further north is another village of the old town. It was once called Orange, but now is called Highland Mills. The water of Cromwell Lake flows through this part of the valley. Its hydraulic power early marked it for a mill-seat. A grist-mill was built here many years since, owned by the Town- send family ; also a tannery which bore their name, but was operated for many years by Joshua T. Crom- well. The late William Vail was postmaster many years ; also Morgan Shuitt, and since Peter Lent. Friends' meeting-house was early built in the vicinity ; also a Methodist church. The fishing-line factory of Henry Hall & Sons was removed hither from Wood- bury. Hill Crest House, with its cottages, is a popular resort of city people ; also the Cromwell Lake House, kept by Oliver Cromwell, a lineal descendant of the old Protector, a favorite retreat of the lover of quiet and rest.
A
CHAPTER XXXIV.
LANDMARKS OF MONROE.
A MONG the ancient landmarks of the old town was a Balm of Gilead tree, which stood on the farm of James Smith. It has this bit of history : it was brought as a riding-whip by a young lady from Connecticut some sixty years ago, and was planted by her upon alighting here. It was recently blown down by a storm. Many of two generations ago sat in its shadow, and their children played there.
Man-of-War Rock is always associated with the old town of Monroe. It is a great mass of rock, lying in the middle of the old Ramapo turnpike, about three miles from Southfield. It is not a boulder technically so called, but a mass torn from the adjacent moun- tain by some convulsion of nature in prehistoric times. Its outline somewhat resembles an old-fashioned wooden war-ship; hence its name.
The famous mule, sheep and rabbit tracks, accord- ing to Major T. B. Brooks, are on the road from Arden, or Greenwood, to Haverstraw, and near the town line. They consist of impressions in relief, as if made by the animals designated by the name. But the antiquity of the bed-rock forbids the possibility of the existence of such animals at the period when the rocks were laid down. The lining of the tracks
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with iron gives probability to the supposition that they have been nodules of bog-iron ore which have formed by percolation, while fluid, into crevices of the older rock. Then these in turn have been dissolved out by exposure to the weather, while the harder rock remains intact. A square block of stone stands near the spot, resting upon four smaller stones resem- bling an altar. The spot was visited by Major Brooks and Professor Peter Lesley, of the University of Penn- sylvania, several years since, and they came to the conclusion that it was no altar, but an erratic boulder resting upon stones of different periods accidentally placed. This scientific investigation explodes the romantic speculations, if not superstitions, which have gathered around this strange phenomenon.
Another curiosity of the old town is the Natural Bridge. Ruttenber, in his "History of Orange County," describes it as follows : "The waters of Round Pond, in making connection with Long Pond, flow under a natural bridge, the breadth of which is fifty feet, and its length up and down stream seventy- five or eighty feet. It is used as a bridge, and one may ride over it and not be aware of it. There is no daylight under it. The stream on the upper side passes into a cave and is lost to sight until it emerges from another cave on the other side." Willis de- scribes it as " a massive porch covering the last stair of a staircase by which a mountain stream descends into a mountain lake." It differs in situation only, however, says Ruttenber, from the subterranean pas- sage of the outlet of Washington Lake. There is no little obscurity both in the geography and the rhetoric of this description, but the mystery is cleared up by one of Monroe's enterprising sons, Civil Engineer
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Landmarks of Monroe.
Frederick J. Knight, who writes : "I have been at the Natural Bridge, and find that it is at the south end of Poplopens Pond, on the inlet, not the outlet." And this is the bridge that Ruttenber referred to and quoted from Willis. There is no natural bridge on the stream from Round to Long Pond, as mentioned by Ruttenber. The bridge is about seventy-five feet long, perhaps twenty to twenty-five feet above the water, and has a large cave at each end, daylight not being visible through it. An old road now seldom used passes over it.
As Monroe is the lake region of the county, we can- not but mention its beautiful lakes as features, if not landmarks. A mile and a half brings us to Round Pond and its lovely island. Here are boats and bath- ing-houses, opportunities for fishing and rowing. A few rods south we can sail upon or fish in Walton Lake. Over the farms further south we look upon the lovely surface of Mombasha. Here we may cross to the Lucky Rocks and take a five-pound bass or a twelve-pound terrapin, gather pitcher-plant from one of its floating islands, or enjoy a fish-fry with the Hain Club. We order our buggy and drive down the new boulevard to Tuxedo, the Loch Katrine of this region. Here we feast our eyes on club-house, cot- tage and lawn, or plunge into the thicket and catch a glimpse of deer, a covey of partridge, or even hear the challenge of a wild boar. If we are not careful, how- ever, and venture a little poaching, we will have the gamekeeper down upon us, and we have to read Sir Walter or study our Shakspere in the lockup. Other lakes are not far away : Sterling, full of splendid bass ; Greenwood Lake, the Windermere of old Orange. How often we have dropped a line here at early day!
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Chronicles of Monroe in the Olden Time.
What sails and picnics we have had! We wonder if these lakes will not some day produce a Wordsworth or Rogers, Scott or Coleridge.
The disciple of Izaak Walton kens of a famous trout-brook, mentioned by Clinton in the Field Book, running through Dutch Hollow and past the door of the late Charles Fitzgerald, Esq., who welcomed those who knew how to throw the fly and skilfully take the speckled beauties from their haunts. Such also knew of other streams in the mountains where the hermit-trout dwell and will rise only to the expert
fisherman. The famous Ramapo has many a riffle and cascade where the Indian once speared the sal- mon-trout. The lover of nature can find a fine cas- cade at Augusta, where the river leaps and rushes down a steep of some ninety feet. The antiquary as well as the artist also can find a striking ruin there - the archway of the old iron-works and anchory of Townsend & Co. There are many famous springs about Monroe that gave the Clove water the reputation of making its lover wish no other. Pity it did not con- quer a thirst for stronger drinks ! Chalybeate springs abound in the iron region. A remarkably cold spring is seen on the J. K. Roe place. A fine spring jets from the Cromwell Lake, which has been inclosed for use at the hotel. The Seven Springs Mountain House, on the crest of Schunemunk, boasts of as many living springs out of the flinty rock. But some would be disappointed if we forgot the mill-pond on which the village stands. It has been the scene of many adven- tures, and the center of much local history. Claudius Smith probably looked upon it. Washington's dra- goons gave their horses drink from it. One of the old men of the village fell in while getting ice. An-
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other, showing how he did it, repeated the immersion. A facetious citizen floated a decoy duck out on the water and drew the fire of the sportsman. It was probably the 1st of April. Once the frogs bred in such quantities that they spread over the whole coun- try like the plague in Egypt. Once the dam gave way, affording the boys a grand fishing holiday. What a carnival the ice would present in winter, and what pleasure in rowing and swimming in summer ! No landmark of old Monroe is as dear as the old mill- pond. One of the clergy gave it the romantic name of "the Turtle's Delight."
It may interest to state that it was a favorite say- ing that with the freezing of the mill-pond canal navigation closed; with the freezing of Round Pond the North River froze to Newburg; but not till Long Pond froze did the river close below Newburg. "As the mountains were round about Jerusalem," so are the mountains round about Monroe. On the east are the Highlands, like the mountains of Moab, seen whenever its citizens look toward sunrise. Ten miles of rock ridges, with many a peak, defend them on that side. Only one or two passes give access in that direction-one over Bull Hill, the other up to the Stockbridge Hotel. Either of these could easily be defended against an enemy. On the south are For- shee Hill and the Southfield Mountains. On the west, the Belvale Mountains and Sugarloaf, standing like a sentinel, overlooking the valley below. Schune- munk guards the northwest. It has a bastion on the eastern corner. High Point is a weather signal-tower to the observing. When it wears its night-cap late in the morning, it indicates falling weather; when the cap is early doffed, it betokens a serene day. The 31
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black rocks loom up from the mountain-top, and from their summit a wonderful scene presents itself. The eye sweeps the entire horizon, taking in the Catskills, Butter Hill, the Fishkill Hills, Bull and Pine Hills, Mount Bashan, Sugarloaf, Belvale and Goose Pond Mountains, with lakes, farms, mines, mills and vil- lages galore. The Devil's Race-course lies on the northern slope of old Schunemunk, but the visitor needs none of his counsel or company, for he who climbs these steeps can find sweeter communion nearer to the heart of nature.
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