USA > New York > Sullivan County > Gazetteer and business directory of Sullivan county, N. Y., for 1872-3 > Part 25
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time worshiped in the school house. Rev. John Davey was the first pastor. The church edifice, which will seat 300
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persons, was erected in 1849, at a cost of $1,000, which is the present value of Church property. There are about twelve members. Rev. M. Brown of the Reformed Church is the present pastor. Since the present house was built a good shed has been built in connection with it, at a cost of $200.
The Lows Corner Baptist Church, located near Lows Corners, was organized by F. K. VanTassel, in 1869, in which year was erected the house of worship, which will seat 250 persons, at & cost of $1,350. Rov. J. L. Smith was the first pastor. He still fills its pulpit. There are 107 members. The Church property is valued at $1,600.
ROCKLAND was formed from Neversink, March , 20, 1809. A portion was annexed to Liberty, May 1, 1849. It lies in the extreme north part of the County. Its rugged surface, most of which is covered with forests, presents a wild and uninviting appearance to the immigrant in search of a home, and its distance from any great public thoroughfare has tended to retard its growth and increase in population. This last objection will, in a great measure, be removed with the comple- tion of the N. Y. & O. Midland R. R. which is now in process of construction through the town, and which traverses it in the south-west part adjacent to the valley of the Little Beaver Kill and Willowemoc Creek. The opening of this great highway, in conjunction with the abundance of excellent water power furnished by its streams, and a spirit of liberality and enterprize on the part of its inhabitants, must conduce to its material prosperity. It covers an area of 43,479 acres, of which, in 1865, according to the census of that year, only 8,424 were improved.
The principal streams are Beaver Kill, Willowemoc Creek and Little Beaver Kill. These are supplemented by numerous smaller streams. The surface is dotted by numerous small lakes, the principal of which are Upper, Mongaup and Hodge ponds in the north-east; Big and North ponds in the south- east; Shaw Pond in the south; Burnt Hill and Jenkins ponds in the west; and Sand, Knapp and Mud ponds in the center. The people are chiefly engaged in farming, lumbering and tanning.
The population of the town in 1870, according to the census of that year, was 1,936.
During the year ending Sept. 30, 1871, it contained thirteen school districts, and employed the same number of teachers. The number of children of school age was 220; the number attending school, 596; the average attendance, 261; and the value of school houses and sites, 83,070.
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WESTFIELD FLATS, (Rockland p. o.) located near the south- west corner, at the junction of Beaver Kill and Willowemce Creek, and on the line of the N. Y. & O. Midland R. R., contains one church, (M. E.) four stores, two hotels, two tanneries, s grist and two saw mills, three blacksmith shops, a wagon shop. a carpenter shop, two schools, forty-five or fifty dwellings, and about two hundred and twenty-four inhabitants. The Westfield Cornet Band is composed of twelve pieces.
MORSSTON (p. V.) is located near the south line on the Little Beaver Kill, and on the line of the N. Y. & O. Midland R. R ... and contains one store, a tannery, a school, two blacksmith shops, one saw mill and about two hundred and fifty inhabitants.
BEAVER KILL, (p. o.) located near the center of the west border, on the Beaver Kill, contains a school, a tannery, (which employs fifteen persons, consumes 2,000 cords of bark, and tan. 20,000 sides of leather, annually,) a blacksmith shop and about one hundred inhabitants.
DEBRUCE, (p. o.) located in the south-west part, on the Willowemoc, near the junction of Mongaup Creek with the latter, contains one store, one school, one blacksmith shop, " tannery, about eighteen dwelling houses and one hundred and fifty inhabitants. The tannery at this place is one of the largest in the State. It consumes about 6,000 cords of bark, and tans about 60,000 sides of leather annually.
SHIN CREEK, (p. o.) located in the north-west corner, at the junction of Beaver Kill and Shin Creek, contains one church. (Presbyterian) one school, one store, one blacksmith shop, oue shoe shop, abont twenty dwellings and about one hundred inhabitants.
PURVIS (p. o.) is located on the Willowemoc, six miles eas of Westfield Flats, and contains a store and blacksmith shop. One and one-half miles further up this stream, near its june- tion with the Little Beaver Kill, is a huddle of ten or twelve houses, a hotel, a saw mill, a shoe shop aud about fifty inhabitants.
There is a conflict of authority in regard to the date of the first settlement of the town, though there is but little disagreement respecting the person by whom the first settlement was made."
* French, la ! ! . Gar Hear of the State of New York, says, "Settlement was beg .::. : Mtewart and West, from Middletown, Conn. ; they per the mall : ( I . E Heaver Nin Flat." Mr. Fish, daughter of Jebel asta infortun us that Its erthemeet was commenced prior to the Revolution, by Jelle:, i ... whom French doubtleye riferi Wm. ard Luther Stewart, three brothers.
J. V. Morrison thos writes of Jeblet Stewart and bis'advent into the town :
" Jehlel Stewart moved into the town of Wawarsing just after the close of the American Revolution. He said there about a year, and then moved near the figure
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A man by the name of Harrington came soon after .* " In the following year," [1790] says French, " Peter Williams and Cor- nelins Cochran came in from Massachusetts. Mrs. Bascom settled one mile west of Purvis, and Thomas [ Mott] and James Overton, one mile south of the same." Levi Kimball and Sam- uel Darbee came, (the former from Pennsylvania, the latter from Chester, Orange county,) in 1796. They purchased con- tiguons farms at the junction of the Beaver Kill and Willowe- moc, and Darbee built a fulling and dyeing establishment. He continued the cloth dressing business, in connection with farm- ing, until a few years previous to his death, (1826.) In the meantime the establishment of cloth manufactories had, in a measure, ruined this part of his business. . For many years, however, his was the only establishment of the kind in this section and it was patronized by persons living at a distance of thirty or forty miles. At that time, this part of the State was almost a wilderness, but few settlers having located. There were no roads. To reach the place they had to pick their way over mountains, through ravines, and along the beds of streams.t Game, consisting of wolves, bears, panthers, deer and elk were as abundant here as in other parts of the County. As many as a dozen elk have been seen in a herd by the early settlers in this town, and deer almost innumerable. Wm. Woodard was
Kill, then in the town of Rochester. He took with him his family, furniture, horses, cattle, &c. He started up the Lackawack, forded the Neversink, then crossed the Shaw place, and on to the Beaver Kill. He then went down the Beaver Kill, crossing and re-Crossing it twenty-five times, until finally he came to where he concluded to settle. He bod to cut bis way through with au ax, and moved his furniture and family on a sled. Although it was the beginning of summer, & rough road cut through the woods was far better for a sled than a wagon. He camped out nights, being near two weeks working his way through the wood- to Rockland.
"As soon as he arrived to his destination he erected a temporary shelter of bark and poles. commenced a clearing and courtructed a house. He built the first house in the town of Rockland.
"Ou the way out, as they were encamping one evening they discovered their cows had straved off, and Mr. Stewart got on a high rock to see where they were. He raw them, as he supposed, some distance off in an opening. Flo told his children to go and get them. As the little children approached them, the animals winded them and ran. making a tremendous clattering with their hoofs. It was a large drove of elks. " Lydia, one of the children, ouly about five years of age, strayed off from the rest. They bunted for her all night and could not find her. They supposed she had been devoured by wolves which they had heard howling aronnd. They kept on looking in the morning, and finally saw her coming toward them. They asked ber where she had been. She answered, 'Along side of a log sleeping.' Good old mother Rachel rejoiced as they found her, and uncle Jebiel's heart fully overflowed with gratitude."
It will be seen that, though Mr. Morrison does not fix the preciso year in which Mr. Stewart moved into this town, he serves with Freuch that it was subsequent to the Revolution, which is probably correct.
*Harrington, says Mra. Fish, went to Delaware Co. for salt. Hle saw Elder Covel and invited him to come to Westfield and preach to the few settlers there, which he prom- i-ed to do in a few days Harrington started on his return with his salt on his back, but did not reach Lis destination live. "Ile" from some canse, of which we are not informed, "-onx down by a tree." where he was subsequently found dead, with bis bes of salt by his sile. The Eller came as promised sod had the melancholy pleasure of preaching Harrington's funeral sermon. This, says Mrs, Fish, was the Arst sermion preached in Westfeld Flate.
t" Record of the family of Levi Kimball and some of his descendants."
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an early settler and a great hunter. Many remarkable storie. of his daring exploits are current .* . D. J. P. Joscelyn and John Barnhart, also early settlers, were frequently associated with him in his bunting expeditions.
The first birth was that of Susan Thorn; the first marriage that of Ebenezer White and Clarissa Field ; the first death that of Sylvanus Stewart. The first school was taught by Sylvanus Bascom, at Westfield Flats, at which place was also built the first mill, by Luther Stewart. The first inn was kept by Jehiel Stewart, and the first store by a Mr. Loveland.t The first preacher was, as before stated, Elder Covel, who, says Mrs. Fish, before alluded to, formed the first Methodist Society iu 1794.1
The Westfield M. E. Church, at Westfield Flats, was organized about 1800, by Revs. --- Morton and White, (circuit preachers at that time,) with twelve members. The first house of worship was not erected until 1838. The present one, which will seat five hundred persons, was erected in 1869, at a cost of $6,000. Rev. Alex. Morton was the first pastor; the present one is Rev. T. W. Andrews. There are fifty members. The Church property is valued at 87,000.
The De Bruce Union Church was organized with two members. by Revs. Thos. Larcum, John Hunter and others, about 1840, in which year the church edifice; which will seat about one hundred persons, was erected, (mostly by non-professors,) at : cost of about 81.000. There are twenty members, but there is no pastor. The Church property is valued at $1,500. The church building is now ( February, 1872) undergoing repairs to the amount of $300.
THOMPSON was formed from Mamakating, March 19. 1803, and named in honor of Wm. A. Thompson, first judge of the County. A part of FallsburghS was taken off Maren 9.
"It Is due us to say that the gentleman on whose promise we relied for a fuller seeour. : of Woodard na lut tantiar exploits, disappointed us, and we are unable to give auch u rkotch of him as was designed in consequence, without delaying the publication of the work.
+The settlers a's said to have obtained the first seed corn from the Indians on th* Snsgdebanos F > >. srl this stock has been continued to the present time. The lumber trado began in 1799, - French's State Gazelleer. p. 647, 1800.
;French says, " Rev. Mr. Conkey (Meth.) was the first preacher." fit the town meu'" : bold in Thompson March 1. 1-25, there were " Received [30 De fetwww wwwis in the North part of this County. " Copy of our Notice. " Applead. & with'he made to the Legislature at their next session for a New Town to be set off from the tetth part of the town of Thompson and the south part of the Town of Neverstok, County of Sullivan, Dated Thompson. Feb. 19, 1-25.
" Mlgned "R. A. Reading
" P. C. Luddington " U'righ Hitl
" Thes. S. Lockwood "H. R. Laddington.
R C. BENEDICT, Dealer in WATCHES, JEWELRY, Gold SHACK and Fine Plated Ware, Monticello, Sullivan County, S. r.
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1826; & part of Forestburgh, May 2, 1837; and a part of Liberty, in 1842. It lies principally upon the highlands between the Neversink and Mongaup rivers, and is less hilly than most of the towns of the County. The hills rise from one hundred to three hundred feet above Monticello. Never- sink and Mongaup rivers, with several small lakes and streams, constitute the waters of the town. Pleasant Lake (also known as " Kiamesha, or Clearwater,") is a beautiful sheet of water, about a mile in length, and located near the center of the north line. The other principal bodies of water are Dutch Pond in the north, Lords and Mnd* ponds in the east, Wolf Pond in the south-east, and Sackets Pond (named from Ana- nias Sacket, an early settler near it.) in the south-west. The quiet and attractive scenery of these lakes and the adjacent country is becoming appreciated by the lovers of the beautiful in nature, and those who seek a retreat from the heat and dust of the cities in summer, and a brief respite from the cares and perplexities of business. The soil is a reddish loam. The people are principally engaged in farming, stock raising, dairy- ing and lumbering. Dairying is the chief pursuit of the farmers. The principal crops grown are corn, oats, rye, buck- wheat and other coarse grains. Potatoes are grown in large quantities. Little attention is paid to the culture of wheat, of which not near enough is raised for home consumption. Apples, pears, plums and grapes are easily grown ; peaches can be and are to some extent. Large tracts of timber (prin- cipally hemlock, beech and maple,) are still standing in the southern part of the town, though the census of 1865 shows that in that year this town contained more, and a greater proportionate number of acres of improved land than any other in the County. Next to Bethel it has the greatest super- ficial area of any town in the County; for while Bethel con- tains 53,472 acres, this town contains 46,2724, of which
"Copy of the other Notice " Take Notice
" That an application will be made to the honorable the Legislature of this State at their next session to erect a new Town to consist of a part of the town of Wawarring in the County of Uleter & a part of the Towns of Neversink and Thompson in the county of Sullivan the Town when formed to be annexed to and become a part of the County of Sullivan, dated Thompson Sullivan County Feb. 19th 1825
"Signed D Hammond J. P. Jones P Pelton, RS Street, H Bennett Frecholders & In- habitants of Thompson."
It will be seen that a strife existed relative to the erection of the town of Falleburgh, but that the former petition prevailed.
* A large reservoir bam bara constructed on the Mckee property, adjacent to this Pond, the dam for watch h one thousand and fifty feet in length, and its greatest height, twenty two fort. The base of the dam is sixty fret in which, sixteen feet of which is dry stone marbury, and the remainder earth alling. The bulk head, resting on this, is sixty feet in length, and built of solid cement masonry. A reservoir is thus secured which, when fuif, will cover au area of about two hundred and fifty acres, with an average depth of about twelve feet. This, it is beheved, will supply water sufficient to prevent any interruption to canal navigation, from insufficiency of water, during the dryest season. The total cost of the dam was about $10,000.
AMERICAN WATCHES, Waltham & Elgin movements, In fine Gold and Silver Cases, every variety, warranted for one year, at BENEDICT'S.
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20,601%, were improved. Fallsburgh, which is the next largest town, most nearly approximated this in the number of acres of improved land, there having been but a slight difference in favor of Thompson.
The population of the town in 1870, according to the census of that year, was 3,514.
During the year ending Sept. 30, 1871, the town contained twenty school districts and employed the same number of teachers. The number of children of school age was 1,412; the number attending school, 176; the average attendance. 369; and the value of school houses and sites, $7,890.
MONTICELLO,* (p. v.) the county seat, is beautifully located on a ridge of highlands, 1,387 feet above tide-giving it the advantage of a pure healthy atmosphere-and is surrounded by some of the most attractive and picturesque scenery the country affords. In common with other parts of the County, this village possesses unusual attractions for the tourist in search of health or recreation. It was incorporated April 20, 1830. It is well laid out, the main street being one mile long and eight rods wide, with flagged walks and ornamented with shade trees. Several enterprising residents have erected street lamps, and it is expected that the corporation will erect others and take the entire management of the whole. It is strictly speaking a mer- cantile village, having but few manufactories or mechanical institutions. Few villages of equal size can boast of & more extensive mercantile business. Its merchants have enjoyed a degree of prosperity almost unparalleled, since there has been but one failure smong them within the last thirty years. It contains four churches, (Episcopal, M. E., Presbyterian and Roman Catholic) a district and private school and the Monti- cello Academy.t two newspapers, (the Republican Watchman and
*Named from the resilence of Thomas Jefferson, by J. P. Jones, who, with Samgel F Jones, both from New Lebanon, Columbia County, settled here in 1804. and put. chased most of the latde in the vicinity in anticipation of its becoming the county seat of a new county to bo erected from Uister. J. P. Jones built the first house the same year. and opened the first store In !>06, in which year the second frame house was bunt Sy Judge Platt Pelton. The house erected by Mr. Jones is still'standing, and ie the oLe next east of the riore non occupied by H. B. Mesd. It was his residence, and for may years be used one end of law natore. The fourth house erected was the ion kept by Cor ::. Lin-ley, which is the present bar room of the Exchange Hotel. Additions have been made from time to ware and the accommodations of this hotel are now good and equal in all ordinary requirement of the business. The Jones erected the first grist mid and saw mill on the site of the present foundry. To stimulate the settlement of the place. pluis of ground w Der venta those who would come and locate bere. 'The affaire ofthe v; ir ale Tianayed by a president. three trustees, a treasurer ai J coller. THEmany Part mons were elected to these offices the present war. (INE: J. HANDEN. CHAY: G. M. Kobe, D. C. Foton and A. S. Landed, Trustees : C. B. Brlekernoll, Fraisurer ; and George Hill, Collector.
The Monticello Academy was started in 1859. It is located on an eminence just in rear of the court konse. hear the center of the village. The building is constructed of wood. The school Is ably conducted by P. G. Snook, its principal, who is aversion by seven teachera, and is In a prosperous condition. The currienium here purrued "is." to Gee the language of the mausgere, " designed as preparatory to a College course, ot
adica' fine Genova Watelsex, beautifully Enamsed or richly Chasei. in
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The Sullivan County Republican,* the former being Democratic, the latter Republican, in principles,) a bank,} four hotels, two carriage manufactories, an iron foundry,} a photograph gal- lery, a sash, blind and door factory, the marble works of S. B. Stoddard, (the only one in the County,) a large number of stores of various kinds, (which with several mechanical and other establishments incident to a village of its size, are noticed in the business list of the town, commencing on page 286,) and about one thousand inhabitants. The County buildings are located here.§
This village is the northern terminus of the Monticello and Port Jervis R. R.| A railroad to connect it with the N. Y. & 0. Midland R. R. is contemplated, and the tax payers of Monti- cello have consented to give bonds for $30,000 in its aid, for which sum the managers of that road agree to build a branch connecting the village with it. A double line of telegraph was erected by the Midland Company from Monticello to Fallsburgh in the fall of 1871.
There is no organized fire department, the reason for which is probably due to the fact that the village was not visited with any disastrous fire for a great number of years-from 1844, when the court house, County clerk's office and Presbyterian church were burned, to August 3, 1871, when a very serious fire occurred, which swept away an old land mark -- the Mansion
to furnish those persons who here complete their school life with that knowledge which will enable thent intelligently to pursue such a course of reading as the advance of science and literature demunds. * * * Our highest aim is, not to finish, but to inspice ; to form such habit, of study, to vive sncb mental discipline, and to excite such scholastic tastes, that pupils will be prepared by their own persistent energies to con- tinue their studies, and to develope a noble manhood."
The members of the Board of Trustees are, Hon. A. C. Niven, James L. Stewart, Richard Oakley. Thornton A. Niven. Hon. C. V. R. Ludington. I. P. Tremain, Frederic 3. St John, W. Henry Cady and F. G. Snook. The officers of the Board are : Hon. A. C. Niven, President ; James L. Stewart, Secretary ; and Richard Oakley, Treasurer.
*The destruction of the office in which this paper was printed, by fire, is noticed on page 72, and & further notice of the Are will be found in the history of this town (Thompson.)
tThe Union Bank of Sullivan County was organized in December, 1950, under the State law. The officers at its organization were Nathan S. Hammond, President; A. C. Niven, Vice-President; George Bennett, Cavier. At the death of Mr. Hammond in 1959, Mr. A. C. Niven was elected President ; and at his r wienation, Israel P. Tremain was elected to that office. The Bank was reorganized under the National Bunking law, as the National Union Bank of Monticello, and commenced business August 4, 1865, with A. C. Niven, &s President ; M. L. Bushnel. (now Coceased,) as Vice-President, and Israel P. Tremain, as Cashier. Io 1868, G. M. Benedict was elected to the Vice-Presidency in place of Mr. Bushuel. The bank employe a capital of $150,000 ; its hours of business are from 9 A. M. to4. P. M.
The building Is a substantial stone structure, with heavy columns in front, and is fur- nished with fre-proof enfes and fautts.
*The Monticello Iron Me! Try wia established in 1836, by Eli Fairchild and John Wheeler, and was located on Main Street, on the site of Albert M. Falton's store. It was run by horse power. in 1-19 it was moved to its procent location. In 1836, 31r. Wheeler sold his interest to 3tz. Fairchild, who has since continued the business.
{For description see page 66.
¡See page 68 for description of this road.
Ţ.adies' and Gents' GOLD CHAINS, in How and fashionable designs, prices graded according to weight, und warranted genuine, at Benedict's.
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House,* (in the barns connected with which it originated.) The fire soon communicated to another barn, and then to the stores occupied by Abraham Olmstead and F. S. Newkirk. From there it spread to the Mansion House block, in which were, besides the hotel, two or three stores and shops, a lawyer's office. Internal Revenue office, &c., all of which were burned to the ground, as there was no adequate means of checking the flames. Another very destructive fire occurred February 23, 1812, involving the destruction of four buildings and the loss of about $30,000 worth of property. " The fire originated," says the Republican Watchman of March 1, 1872, " in a small cellar in the immediate rear of the kitchen to Hunt's saloon, and directly under the Republican [ The Sullivan County Republicant] office, all of which together with the post office and law-offices of Low & Butts and the barber shop of H. Ham- mond, were in the fine building built some years ago by Judge Low, and known as the ' Exchange Building.' A shed on the premises of G. M. Benedict, adjoining the printing office, was almost immediately on fire, and from it the flames soon spread to Mr. Benedict's house, To the east, and separated from the Exchange Building by a lane, was the building occupied by C. S. Thornton's drug store, the watch shop of A. Rambour and W. L. Thornton's law office. This building was soon in flames, and from it the conflagration spread to the splendid residence of Mrs. J. C. Holley. All these buildings were destroyed, the fire only being checked by the Bank (a stone structure) on the east, while, owing to the favorable direction of the wind, by the greatest efforts of the people the new building a few feet west of Benedict's residence WAS saved. * Mead's store, and Tremain's, Oakley's * and other houses were several times on fire."
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