USA > New York > Sullivan County > Gazetteer and business directory of Sullivan county, N. Y., for 1872-3 > Part 21
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*From her. Win. Rateliff and Jas. E. Quinish, we have obtained much of the In. forination pertaining to the early history of this town. Many othere in the town Love Isid us under similar obligation. .
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The date of the first settlement of Parksville remains in un- certainty, but it is believed that Lemuel Martin and Eber. Hall located there in 1800. Crossman White, a deaf and dumb man, settled there at an early day. Shortly afterward the Park family located there and engaged in active business. "They built mills and made many improvements, entirely throwing Mr. Martin into the shade. The place was named by the peo- ple after the enterprising Messrs. Park, much to the chagrin of Mr. Martin, who expected it to be named after him as the first pioneer."
The first school was taught at the Blue Mountain Settle- ment, about 1797, by Aviar Whipple, daughter of Isaiah Whip- ple, " In & little shanty, roofed with bark, near the house since occupied by Amos Shaw." The fact that for many years Webster's Speller was the only book used there, furnishes a striking illustration of the superiority of the advantages for acquiring an education which the present residents of Liberty possess when contrasted with those possessed by the early set- tlers in the town. As early as 1799, Liberty enjoyed the attentions of a physician. In that year Dr. Blake Wales com- menced the practice of medicine in Neversink and Liberty, and visited the Blue Mountain Settlement. At that time, the Dr. recollects, Liberty contained two log houses, one of which stood where the dwelling of Stephen Stanton was subsequently erected and where T. F. Bush now resides, the other where the Midland Hotel now stands. Isaac and Elijah Carrier and John and Roswell Russell carried on the carpentering business in com- pany, and erected most of the frame houses and barns of that period in the town. They also built a saw mill, and subse- quently & grist mill near the site of Robert Humphrey's mill. They afterward became prominent men in the town. The widow of Elijah Carrier, who is 83 years old, is still living a little north of Liberty. Roswell Russell built and kept the first tavern in the town, in 1800. It was located in the village of Liberty, on the site of the residence of Timothy F. Bush. Luther Buckley kept the first store, or the place which first aspired to that title, in 1807, where the Midland Hotel now stands. The next year he procured a license and kept a tavern at the same place. This locality was long known as "Buckleys." " This town as well as all this region was," says James E. Quin- lan, " in those days the home of Panthers, Wolves, Bears and other wild animals. A volume might be written concerning the interesting exploits of the hardy hunters, whose delight it was to bring down the ferocious panther, a too neighborly bear or & noble buck. One of these intrepid hunters, and perhaps the most successful Panther Slayer in the county, was Calvin Bush.
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His first encounter with panthers was in 1814, when, in com. pany with a neighbor by the name of Hurley, [a panther was hunted and killed.] The next day they killed four more. He and his faithful and courageous dog were sent for far and near when a hunt was to come off." He used dressed panther skins for his clothes. In 1822, Caleb Buckley, son of Luther Buck- ley, brought to " Buckleys" a much better stock of goods than had previously been brought to this section of the County, and within a year or two thereafter a post office was established at his store. Previous to that time Monticello was the nearest post office. Not until 1828 did Liberty boast of a painted house. In that year, Wm. Ratcliff,* who came from England and located here in 1822, erected a house which he painted himself, there being no painters in his section of the country at that time. This was the first painted house in the village. It stood where Mrs. Kilbourn now resides. Mr. Ratcliff has, since his advent into town, followed uninterruptedly the tailoring business. He is the father of Wm. M. Ratcliff, who was County Judge in 1862, which office he resigned to enter the army, where he was killed, as before stated.t
The first marriage in the town was contracted by David Row- land of Neversink, and Aviar Whipple, to whom we have made previous allusion.1 The first birth was that of Sally Stanton, in 1797. The first death was that of a child of Wm. Arrey's, in 1798, and resulted from scalds produced by falling into a pot of porridge. Soon after a child of Nathan Stanton's sickened and died. The parents wished to give it a decent burial and, as there were no boards available with which to make a coffin, Mr. Stanton made one from his only sleigh box, and in it the infant was buried. "In 1499," says Quinlan, "the Stanton' family were called to mourn the sad death of two other children (sons.) It was on a pleasant day in August, when three of the boys, (including Nathan Jr.,) with their sister, went out to pick blackberries in a fallow on the Blue Mountain. The trees had been girded a few years earlier, and were in a decayed condition. While the children were engaged in picking berries several of these trees fell without any apparent cause and killed two of the boys and injured the sister. The dead bodies were extri- cated and in due time followed to their final resting place, in the original grave yard on the Blue Mountain, by the remain- der of the family and their sympathizing neighbors."
4\'m. Ratingis now if years of age, and having with unusual care and effort informed himselfin n gari to th .. utf-tory of histown, au acquisition in which he justly pirules binrolf, he is partage a de ty Ave more accurate information respecting it, than any other person in the towy To him we are indebted for much valuable information.
+See page 98. +See page 163.
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The first town meeting was held at the house of Roswell Russell, April 7, 1807 .*
The town of Liberty furnished 303 men for the army during the war of the Rebellion, thirty-one of whom were either killed in battle or died in the service.t
Rev. Wm. Randall, a Baptist, was the pioneer preacher in this town ; but Rev. Alex. Morton, a Methodist, was the first one who visited it regularly. Neither of these, however, seem to have awakened sufficient interest among the members of the denominations to which they belonged to induce the immediate organization of a church. The Presbyterians were the first to organize and to ercot a house of worship in which to mingle their devotions. Says Quinlan, speaking of Rev. Mr. Morton, " It was his custom to travel on horseback, sometimes guided by blazed trees and often having to ford streams with which he was not familiar and which were frequently swollen by melting snow.or heavy rains. . In this way he made his circuit, preaching to the people whenever he could get a gathering of a few people in a log house or barn." Whatever may have been the cause of delay in the organization of a church of the denomination he repre- sented, it seems clear that it cannot be charged to any lack of zeal on his part.
*At this meeting Robt. Cochran was chosen President of Election, and Samuel Darbe, teller of votes. The following named persous were unanimously elected to office, viz : Daniel Martin, Town Clerk ; Thos, Grary. Sep.reiser ; Ebenezer Carrier, Roswell Bab- cock and Levi Kimball, Assessors ; Samuel Barbe. Daniel S. Stewart and David Brond- Lead, Commissionerst Robt. Cochran And Nathan Stanton, Overseers of the Poor ; Ros- well Russell and Win. Cochran. Constalies ; Roswell Russell, Collector ; John Gorton and John Woodward. Fence Viewers; Stephen Benton, Pound Keeper ; Cornelius Coch- man. Puthmaster for First District ; Nathan Stanton, Pathmaster for Second District ; 1-sac Carrier, Pathmaster for Third District ; and Elizur Rassoll, Pathmaster for Fourth District.
We make the following extracts from the by-laws voted at this and subsequent meet- ings:
" Voted that from and after the 15th of May and until the 8th of Nov. no hogs shall be allowed to run at large unless yoked with a two feet yoke and a ring in the rose. Also that fence viewers shall be paid a' the rate of 37% cents per day."
At the meeting held April 5, 1808, among other votes way the following:
"Voted that Rams shall not run at large from the first day of September to the first day of November of the same year, upor forfeiture of four Dollars for every euch Offense."
in 1814 it was voted, " That the sum of five dollars extra be paid to any person being a resident of the town of Liberty for the destruction of any wolf within the bounds of said town."
In 1817 the bounty on " Wolves and'all winged fowls " was discontinued; but in 1822 the bounty on Wolves was ruined and & bounty of fifty cents on foxes was also voted. Io 1893 it was voted, " That horses, cattle, sheep or hogs shall not be permitted to run at largo within one-half mile of a tavern, from the first day of Nov. to the first day of April," the object being to preventinterference with sleighs or their contents.
" The following is a list of the names of the thirty-one referred to: Wm. M. Ratcliff. Marvin A. Kupoarne James Bonney, Ebenezer C. Young, Walter B. Huntington, David S. Lewis, Matthew Linson, Truman Strong, Joseph Brebe, Erastus Beach, James H. Edwards, John B. stanh. Abraham Leroy, Semen I. Salkason. George Puff, Manley Welton. Jacob springdebt, Cyrus Dodge, Joseph H. Lord, Alfred R. Pearsons, Frederick Southerland, Martin Cole, Benjamin Solce, Charles Kent, Moses Robertson, I. Gilbert Young, Hezekiah Garrett, Win. H. Mead, Merril A. Chapman, Amos P. Akons and Albert Hector. K
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The First Presbyterian Church, located at Liberty Village, the first in the town, was organized with twelve members in 1810. by the Presbytery of Hudson. Rev. James Petrie, who was installed in 1840, was the first pastor of this Church. "There have been three church edifices erected by this congregation -- the First in 1815 -- the Second in 1845.to 1848. These buildings stood about a quarter of a mile out of the present village. In 1871, the building, being greatly out of repair, was taken down and moved to a site in the center of the village."* The pre- sent church will seat 350 persons. ' " The original cost of the church edifice was 81,200."t The present membership is one hundred, and Rev. J. Napier Husted, the pastor.
The Methodist Episcopal Church, at Liberty Village, was organized with twelve or fifteen members about 1814, by Peter P. Sanford, the first pastor ; but their church edifice was not erected until 1826. This house was replaced by the present one in 1846, which will seat four hundred persons, and was erected at a cost of 83,000. There are now 122 members. Rev. J. N. Loomis is the pastor. The value of Church property is $10,000.
The First Baptist Church of Parksville was organized with seven members, by Rev. Thos. Davis, the first pastor, in 1840, - and their house of worship, which will seat three hundred per- sons, was erected the following year at a cost of $1,500. The present membership is ninety-five, and the pastor, Rev. Samuel Sampson. The Church property is valued at $2,000.1
The Methodist Episcopal Church at Stevensville, was organized with thirty members in 1853, in which year was erected their house of worship, which will seat two hundred persons, at a cost of 81,000. Rev. Wm. Lamonte, was the first pastor ; Rev. David M. Howell is the present one. 'There are forty-five mem- bers, The value of Church property is 82,500.
The Liberty Regular Baptist Church at Liberty Village, was organized with about thirty-five members in 1859, by Revs. E. A. Francis, Newell Calender, A. M. Calkins and Henry Little. Their church edifice, which will seat four hundred persons. was erected in 1859-60, at a cost of 82,000. The Revs. Samuel J. Douglass (the first pastor) and D. Van Fradenburgh have
*Rev. J. Napler Heated.
+Thisprobably refers to the Aret building, erected in 1915. (which was the first h. twee of worship created in the tawny as the present value of Church property is stated $8,500 .- ED.
+Tbe fret members were, Joseph Taylor. David HI. Parks, Martha Parks. Win. Fink. Heury Barton end wife and John Wilson. The fret deacons were Joseph Taylor &: Win. Fisk. At the organization a resolution was passed making the church open us all denominations when not in ure by their own society. This displays s spirit of liberality which many churches st the present day can well afford to imitate.
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been the only settled pastors in this Church. At present the pulpit is vacant. 'There are fifty-one members. The Church property is valued at $3,500.
The Methodist Episcopal Church, at Robertsonville, was organ- ized with twenty members, Dec. 25, 1869. . Their house of worship, which will seat two hundred persons, was erected in 1860-9, at a cost of $1,400. There are forty members. The first pastor was Rev. Win. Hughson, the present one is Rev. David Powell. The value of Church property is $2,000.
The Saint Peter Church, (Roman Catholic) at Liberty Village, was organized with about sixty members in 1869, by Rev. Robt. Emet. Rev. Father Mugin was the first pastor. The church edifice, which will seat four hundred persons, was completed the present year, (1872) at a cost of about 84,000. The actual value however is estimated at about $5,000, that difference hav- ing been made by gratuitous labor and other assistance. The present number of members is difficult to arrive at, butis thought to be about two hundred or more.
LUMBERLAND was formed from Mamakating, March 16, 1798, and comprised all that part of the County lying west of the Mongaup and south of the town of Rockland. Liberty was erected from it March 13, 1807; Bethel, March 27, 1809; and Highland and Tusten, Dec. 17, 1853. The surface is rugged and broken, and much of it is yet a comparative wilderness. It is watered by several small streams, which are the outlets to the numerous ponds which dot its surface. Its eastern boundary is formed by the Mongaup, and its southern, by the Delaware. These rivers unite at the south-east corner of the town. The principal Ponds are Lebanon, in the north ; Round, Sand and Maggies, in the west ; Long, near the center ; aud Metock, in the east. Round and Sand ponds are on the line of Highland and partially in that town. Metock Pond lies about two miles west of the Mongaup, and three hundred feet above it. On its outlet is a beautiful cascade, having a fall of about one hundred feet.
Formerly the name of the town indicated the occupation of the people ; but latterly their attention has been directed more generally to quarrying. Blue stone underlies the whole southern portion of the town. Extensive quarries of this beautiful stone were opened in 1868, by Mills & Cash, from Ulster county. It is said to be harder and more durable than the North River stone. Another quarry was opened in 1869, by Henry W. Decker. The next operatives, in 1870, were Decker, Kilgour & Co., who put the business into a stock company,
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under the title of the N. Y. & Penn. Blue Stone Co. The company is now in successful operation. They lease of James D. Decker about 8,000 acres of stone lands .* Since then many new quarries have been opened, and large quantities of flagging stone have been quarried. This branch of business is rapidly increasing in importance.f But little lumbering is now done, and very little land, except in the north and central parts, is under cultivation.
The Delaware & Hudson Canal extends through the town along the south border.t
The town covers an area of 19,38S3 acres, of which, in 1865, according to the census of that year, only '2,5173 acres were improved. Next to Tusten it has the least proportionate number of acres of land under cultivation of any town in the County.
The population of the town in 1870, according to the census of that year, was 1,065.
.During the year ending Sept. 30, 1871, the town contained six school districts, and employed six teachers. The number of children of school age was 436; the number attending school, 358; the average attendance, 120; and the value of school houses and sites, 83,250.
MONGAUP (p. o.) is located in the south-east corner, at the junction of the Delaware and Mongaup rivers, and on the D. & H. Canal. It contains one store, a telegraph office, a school house, a boat yard, for building and repairing canal boats, ten dwellings and fifty-four inhabitants. The Mongaup flows through the village, so that it is partially in Orange county, the store, post office, telegraph office and one dwelling being on the east side of the river, in that county.
SOUTH LEBANON, (p. o.) located south of the center, about three miles north of the Delaware, contains one church, (M. E.) one store, one school and eight dwellings, which are scattered over a space of about one mile square. Geo. R. Mckenzie, Vice- President and Manager of the Singer Sewing Machine Manu- facturing Co., has his residence at this place. Mr. Mckenzie has just completed a handsome residence, said to be one of the finest in the County, and is making elaborate improvements by widening and macadamizing the roads in its vicinity. He seems intent on making this locality equal in attractiveness those handsome villas on the Hudson.
"Tals Company also opurele quarries In Forestburgh, on the line of the M. & P. J. R. R.
+" The entire bowlerssie this County doubtless amounted to over a million of dollars last year." GST1.)- Repulicen Watchman.
+ It is said that this Company pays more than two-thirds of the taxes of the town.
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POND EDDY (p. o.) is a canal village, near the center of the south border, and contains one church, (M. E.) one hotel, two stores, a telegraph office and eighteen dwellings.
LEBANON, (Lebanon Lake, p. p.) located in the north part, at the outlet of Lebanon Lake, contains one church, (M. E.) one school and fifteen dwellings. The post office was established here in January, 1872.
DECKERS DOCK is located on the canal and the Delaware, one- half mile east of Pond Eddy, and contains one hotel, a school, a dry-dock and boat-vard and eleven dwellings. James D. Decker, the Sheriff of this County, who resides here, built a fine wire suspension bridge across the Delaware, opposite his residence, connecting the place with Pond Eddy station, about one-fourth mile west, on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware.
It is supposed that settlement was commenced before the Revolution, but we have been unable to learn any definite data on which to base an assertion to this effect. Among the early settlers since the Revolution were John Showers and Joshua Knight, at Mongaup; S. Gardner and Elnathan Corey, at Pond Eddy ; P. Van Vauken, above Mongaup ; and John Rinck, Wm. Ryarson and Adam White, in other parts of the town. The latter came here in 1819. He is now living in the town, (of which he is the oldest resident) is eighty-nine years of age, enjoys good health, and works regularly on his farm.
The first school was kept in a barn, by --- Farnham. The first inn was kept by E. Corey, at Pond Eddy.
The Methodists seem to be the only religious denomination possessing sufficient vitality, or numerical strength to organize. There are four churches in the town, all of which belong to this ·denomination .*
MAMAKATING, named after the original name of Bashas Kill,-Mamacottin-was erected into a precinct by the General Assembly, Dec. 17, 1743, and embraced Deer park and a part of Mount Hope in Orange county, and all of Sullivan county not embraced in the old town of Rochester.t It continued as a precinct until organized as a town, March 7, 1788. It was reduced to its present limits by the erection of Deerpark, (Orange Co.,) and Lumberland in 1798, Thompson in 1803, and a part of Forestburgh in 1837. It lies upon the highlands between Neversink River and Shawangunk Kill. Two
*Wo are unable to give any statistics of the churches in this town, owing to the fact that those ou whom we relied to furnish them have failed todo so. If they are received in time they will appear in the Errata.
the town recorde date back to 1774.
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parallel ridges, separated by the valley of Bashas Kill, extend through the town in a north-east and south-west direction. The eastern of these ridges is known as Shawangunk Moun- tain. The declivities of this Mountain are gentle upon the east, but abrupt and broken on the west. It attains an elevation of 1,100 feet above the summit level of the canal, and about 1,700 feet above tide .* In the north-west part of this town is a mountain of nearly equal elevation, known as Panther Hill. The principal streams are Shawangunk, Bashas and Pine Kills, the last of which is the outlet of a small lake in the west part of the town, known as Yankee Pond. The summit level of the Delaware and Hudson Canal,f seventeen miles long and 525 feet above tide, is constructed through the valley of Bashas Kill. Masten Pond, in the west part, is used as a reservoir.
A vein of lead was discovered several years since about two miles north of Wurtsboro, on the west side of the Shawan -. gunk Mountain. Smelting works were erected and the first lead was smelted in 1837 or '3S.1 It is supposed that Indians
*In the Poems of Alfred B. Street, Vol. 1, page 206, we find the following allusion to this mountain at sunset :
" A paradise of beauty in the light Poured by the sinking anu, the mountain glows In this soft sunny evening. Dark and cool The shadow of the opposite bills in spread O'er Mamacating, reve where brightly stretch The edges of the golden mantle, wove In the rich loom of sunset, and thrown o'er The carthern. mouarch'e form. * *
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* * On still the shadow sicale; the mountains foot Is blockened, hut a glow of quivering tinte Yet plays upon its breast. Half light, half gloom, Now shows the slope. Up, up the shadow creeps Toward the rtevp brow ; the lustrous gloss peels off Before it, till along the rouged top Sintles a rich stripe of gold, that op still elides Until it dwindles to a thread, and then, As breath guides from a mirror, meits away.
. * * The twilight deepene. Shadowy, vast and grim The prountain looms, while on the western hilla The darkness fathers in oue gloomy cloud ; O'erbred the state vat-tremble, and the moon, Late en'd and mind. te filling rich with light ; And as the raet grows daskier, shadows faint Are thrown upon the earth, till soft and sweet The moonlight bathus all nature in its calm And sviemin joz." *
+The Erat hont on th'a ratal and marked "Number One", was run by Peter Kuyken- call, father of HI ram. Asyke Ix : f Mammitville. It brought down thirteen tens of com to Port Jervis And Cream at theherald it was thought safe to bring, owing to the state of the canal whose Were at that time: it then went back, put on thirteen tous more, returned to Port Jervis atel put on nine tons of the first load, making twenty-two tone, and then completed the trip. " Number Three" was run by " Uncle Tounmuy Caldwell "; and " Number Four", by Joun Brodhead.
#Col. Lawrence Masten was the fret man who killed & deer with this lead.
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had previously used the lead .* But the cost of smelting was so great as to render the operation unprofitable, and the mine was for a long time abandoned. The mine has recently (in 1872) been purchased by a company of English capitalists, who propose to commence work therein the present summer.
In the Mamakating valley, at the foot of the mountain, are several chalybeate springs. Petrified leaves, sticks, shells, &c., are found in the lowlands, and at the top of the highest moun- tain. Timber has been found lying fifteen or sixteen feet below the surface, which appeared to be in a tolerable state of preser- vation, but usually honey-combed.t Great quantities of leaves from various kinds of trees are found three and four feet below the surface. These facts seem to show conclusively that this valley has, at some probably remote period, been inundated, and the soil, to a considerable depth, formed from its deposi- tion.1 The soil of the general surface of the town is a sand and gravel loam, in some places intermixed with clay, and is best adapted to pasturage. A large body of land, comprising nearly two thousand acres, lying on both sides of Bashas Kill,
*" The pioneers of Mamakating knew that the Indians obtained their lead not far from Wurtsborough. The natives always refused to show where it was to be found, and generally became angry whenever the mine was alluded to. Even the white men who were in part or wholly domesticated with them, could not get any information from them in regard to it. At Inst a white bunter named Miller dogged them, at the risk of his life, until he ascertained that they got the ore near a certain clump of hem- lock trees, which were the only ones of the kind within a considerable distance, He beard them at work : but did not dare to go to the locality until & considerable time afterwards when he was sure the savages were not in the vicinity. Miller intended to tell this ton man named Daniel Gunsanlis. He told him the lead was on the mountain. near the hemlocks, pointed them out from the valley, and promised to go with him to the mine after he had made a visit to his friends in Orange county. He went, but died at Montgomery during his visit there, Gunsanlis never attempted to profit by what Miller had told him. In 1813, however. he communicated what he knew of the matter to our venerable townsman. Daniel Niven, Esq., who, in 1817, hired a man named Mudge to assist hira in searching for the lead, and they succeeded in finding it. A quantity of the ore was sent to Doctor Mitchell and others, chemists. . Mr. Niven made a confidant of Moses Stanton, a resident of Wurtsborough, who, as well as Mudge. in- sisted upon sharing the profite which were expected to be made from the discovery, and the three became partners. Not long after, those who had analyzed the ore en- deavored to purchase the mine of Mr. Niven and his associates. But the discoverers found a difficulty in the way of selling. The land did not belong to them, and it was not known who did own it. They could neither buy the mine nor sell it. So the matter rested until 1836-Mr. Niven and bis partners mutually agreeing not to make any disclosure concerning the matter, unless with the consent of all three. Their secret, however, was revealedafter it had been faithfully kept for almost twenty years. Stanton had an awkward habit of talking while asleep, and one night, while his eyelids where closed, he spoke of the location of the mine so distinctly that his son, who was Present, had no difficulty in dediny it! Young Stanton was so fortunate as to ascertain who some of the owners of the land were, and he made some five hundred dollars by keeping his ears open while his father was . dreaming aloud.' "-Quinlan's Tom Quick, . p. 234.
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