USA > New York > Dutchess County > General history of Duchess County from 1609 to 1876, inclusive > Part 36
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help, and an examination was made of the premises. Thus was a first-class ghost story spoiled. Arriving at the spot they found a drunken man, wearing a long, white linen coat, who had wandered among the tombs, and having fallen on his back between two graves was unable to rise.
PHILIPSTOWN.
Philipstown was formed March 7, 1788. It is described in the Act as follows : "And all that part of the County of DUCHESS, bounded southerly by the County of Westchester, westerly by Hudson's River, northerly by the North Lands granted to Adolphus Philip, Esq., and easterly by the Long Lot, number four, belonging to Beverly Robinson, shall be, and hereby is erected into a town, by the name of Philips- town." Originally it embraced more than a third of the County, but its territory has since been diminished by the erection of Putnam Valley into a separate township. A small portion was also taken off in 1806, and annexed to Fishkill. Its name is derived from the ancient Philipse family. Its surface is broken by numerous steep and rocky mountain ridges separated by deep and narrow valleys .* These moun- tains constitute the most elevated portion of the Highlands. Clove Creek flows through the north part of the town, and Canopus Creek through the northeast corner. Foundry, Breakneck, Andreas, Indian, and other brooks, flow through narrow valleys and rocky ravines into the Hudson.
As the organization of Putnam Valley is of a compara- tively recent date, the early settlement of both towns will be considered here. Thomas Davenport came from England about the year 1715, and built the first house at Cold Spring. He was one of the commissioners for laying out roads in what is now Putnam County from 1745 to 1755- David Hustis
* " Martlaers Rack," or Martyrs Reach, was a short stretch of the Hudson just above West Point, where early navigators were often retarded by baffling winds There were 13 racks, or reaches, on the Hudson, known as Horse, Sailmaker, Cooks, High, Fox, Bakers, John Pleasures, Harts, Sturgeons. Fishers, Fast, Martlaers and Long Reaches, the last named extending from Pollopels Island to Krom Elleboge.
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«came over from England in 1730, and built a log cabin about half a mile north of where the Highland Church was after- wards built. He settled down with the Indians around him, procuring the corn, which he first planted, from them. They had about one-fourth of an acre under cultivation, the year before, in the vicinity. He was the ancestor of the Hustis family in this town. He was a tenant-at-will of the patentee ; and rented 310 acres, for which he paid a yearly rental of £5.
John Rogers made a settlement about 1730, on the old post road north of Continental Village. At that time, how- ever, it was only a path, used by Indians, leading from West- chester through the Highlands to Fishkill. " Having built a log house sufficiently large for a country tavern, he was always sure to have a traveler for his guest during the night if one reached the house in the middle of the afternoon; as none ever departed on their journey after that time, owing to the danger of traveling through the Highlands at night, and the difficulty of threading such a wild, mountainous, and solitary path." He continued to keep tavern there through the French and Indian Wars. The road, which followed nearly the Indian path, was cut through by Lord Louden, for convey- ing his baggage, stores and troops, to the north, to attack the French outposts. James Stanley, Thomas Sarles, Elijah and Gilbert Budd, settled in the vicinity soon after 1750. At the south end of Peekskill Hollow-now in Putnam Valley-the families of Dusenberry and Adams settled. George and Nathan Lane, John Hyatt, and a family by the name of Post, came in here at an early date.
The place now called Tompkins Corners was formerly known as the Wiccopee and Peekskill Hollow Corners. Wiccopee was the name for an Indian tribe living near Shenandoah; another tribe called the Canopus Indians lived in Westchester, near the line of Putnam, in the vicinity of the hollow which bears their name. These two tribes used to pass up and down Peekskill Hollow, when visiting each other. The lower tribe when asked by their white neighbors where they were going,
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would reply " We're going to see old Wiccopee !" About two miles southeast of Tompkins Corners, Abraham Smith made a settlement about 1760, purchasing a large tract of Beverly Robinson. He came from Long Island; after surveying the tract, he gave a farm to one of his chain bearers for his services. An early settlement was made by the Ferris family, from New Rochelle, Westchester County. The ancestor of the family came from Rochelle, in France.
At a Town Meeting in Philipsis Precinct, on - day of April, 1772, the following officers were chosen : Jon Crumpton Clerk ; Beverly Robinson, Supervisor ; Joseph Lane and Caleb Nelson, Assessors ; William Dusenburry, Collector ; Israel Taylor and Isaac Davenport, Constables ; Justus Nelson, and Cornelius Tompkins, Poormaster.
" May 11th, 1772. John Cavery Desires his mark to Bee Entered In this Book Which I have which is a Crop on the near ear and a Slit in the same and the off Ear a Hol and a half Penny and the Half Penny on the under side."
" May the roth, in the year of 1784. Then we the Comishners Laid out a Road from Calip Nelsons to his Lan- don Beginin at his house Ceepin as near the South of the Brook as near the Brook as Connevent as Can for us
" E Lijah Budd, hendrick poast, Isaac Rodes."
Cold Spring is the largest village in Putnam County, and the only incorporated one within it. The act incorporative was passed April 22d, 1846. A portion of the west end of the village stands upon ground where was formerly a bay. It takes its name from a spring of water which is unusually cold, located on the line of the high and low grounds of the village. This village is noted as being the birth place of Lieutenant Colonel Duncan, of the United States Army, who rendered signal service on the bloody fields of Mexico. The old house in which he was born was accidentally burned down in 1841. Nelsonville is only a continuation of Cold Spring Village.
Near the latter place, in a secluded vale at the foot of Old Bull Hill, nestles a beautiful cemetery. Among the marble slabs there marking the graves of the departed, is a little one erected to the memory of a boy six years old, who one cold
APPENDIX A. 465
winter's day wandered away into the deep woods adjacent and perished there. He was last seen late in the afternoon, with some playmates near the edge of the forest. As he did not return at nightfall, his parents made inquiry after him. Ascer- taining he had become lost, messengers were dispatched to each of the churches of the village, in which congregations were that evening assembled, with a request for assistance in searching for the little wanderer. Soon a hundred willing feet were speeding for the mountain, with lanterns and torches. Occasionally a foot print of the lost one could be seen, but the driving snow so filled the track, as to render it impossible to follow the direction he took. The search was kept up until morning, when the body of the little fellow was found, under a little cedar bush, near a small pond, six miles from home. Here, in the darkness, alone, benumbed with the cold, he had ceased his wanderings. In vain had he striven to find his way home: the agonized parents heard not his cries that broke upon the night air, as he vainly called for Papa and Mama to come for him. At last he laid him down, with his little hat for a pillow, and quietly slept away his life. When found, the body was still warm, life having apparently been extinct but a short time.
Bull Hill and Breakneck are two lofty eminences in this town, bordering the river. They are said to have derived their names from the following circumstances: According to tradi- tion, a bull had made the former his mountain home, from which, at night, he would descend into the valley below, and commit depredations in the meadows and grain fields. The neighbors formed an alliance, and chased the bold mountain robber from this hill to the one immediately north of it, where, being hard pressed by dogs and armed men, he attempted to escape down a precipice, but his neck was broken by the fall: His pursuers thereupon christened the hill from which they started him, " Bull Hill," and the one where he was captured, "Breakneck." The dividing line of DUCHESS and Putnam Counties runs through the center of the latter mountain. On
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the south side of the peak, within a few feet of its apex, "St. Anthony's Face," so celebrated in the history of the scenery of the Hudson, once peered out and over the rocky battlements ; but the venerable patriarch has passed away. In the Summer of 1846, one Capt. Ayers, in the service of the Harlem Bridge Co., by one fell blast, detached a piece of granite weighing nearly ten thousand tons, and shivered into atoms the majestic brow and weather-beaten features of the mountain hermit.
Cat Hill, two miles east of Cold Spring, at the time of the settlement of this town was the resort of wild-cats-hence its name.
Sugar Loaf Mountain, 800 feet high, is nearly two miles below Cold Spring, and is named from its resemblance to a sugar-loaf. Anthony's Nose Mountain, 1100 feet high, is in this town, near the dividing line of Putnam and Westchester. There were two redoubts on this mountain, intended to guard the Hudson as it issued from the Highlands.
Whiskey Hill is a small eminence on the old road leading from Continental Village to Garrisons Landing. During the Revolutionary War, some soldiers were carting a hogshead of whiskey from the former place to West Point. On reaching nearly the top of the hill, the blocks got out of place, and the hogshead, smashing the tail-board into pieces, rolled to the foot of the hill, where it came in contact with a large stone, and burst, to the deep sorrow of the soldiers.
Fort Hill is so named from the circumstance of two redoubts having been erected on it, known in history as North and South Redoubts. The Sunk Lot is a tract of about 1300 acres of land in the east part of the town, the location of which is low, and apparently sunk down.
Tradition says a silver mine was discovered in this town about 1763. A man named Jubar coined money, and it began to be rumored that he procured the ore for that purpose in this town. It was ascertained that Jubar's money contained silver mixed with other metals. He was arrested by order of the Colonial Government, tried at Poughkeepsie, and hung
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about the year 1765. One Samuel Taylor was associated with him, who always said that Jubar melted an ore, from which he extracted silver.
It was said one Eleazer Gray, some three or four years before the Revolution, who was by trade a silversmith, discovered a mine, and put up a log shop in which to work, in the Sunk Lot. A younger brother of Eleazer once pointed out a place where the silver ore was found ; but when the spot was visited a few years afterwards, it was ascertained that all traces of the mine had been removed.
Towards the close of the Revolution, the family of Grays, in consequence of a party of horse-thieves having been seen at their residence, were suspected of being in league with these midnight desperadoes. Their counterfeiting operations becoming known, helped to give them an unenviable notoriety. At last their neighbors set fire to their dwelling, shop, and barn, which induced them to quit that part of the country.
About the year 1800 a man named Henry Holmes was arrested for counterfeiting coin in this town. It was said he carried on operations in a cave or hole in the rocks. He was tried, found guilty, and was sentenced to State Prison for a term of seven years. His supposed accomplice, who made his moulds, was acquitted in consequence of an alleged informality in the indictment.
Continental Village is a cluster of houses in the southwest part of the town, one mile from the Westchester line. This is commemorable from the circumstance of its having been burned by the British in 1777. Here the first grist-mill was built by Beverly Robinson in 1762.
The West Point Foundry, the largest institution of the kind in this country, is situated about half a mile distant from Cold Spring Landing. This association was incorporated by an act of the Legislature, passed April 15th 1818.
PUTNAM VALLEY.
This town was formed from Philipstown as "Quincy,"
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March 14th, 1839. Its present name was given to it Feb. 13, 1840.
Canopus Hill is an eminence in the southwest part of the town, named in honor of an Indian chief. North of this is Tinker Hill, on which, about three-fourths of a century ago, lived an Englishman named Rick, who went about the country tinkering.
During the Revolution, a Whig named Robert Oakley, who lived on the Wiccopee road, was shot one afternoon as he was returning home, by some Tories who had concealed them- selves near his house for the purpose. About this period, one Thomas Richards was living here. He was taken as a rebel, conveyed to New York, and confined by the British all winter. His wife was left at home all alone. The hard winter came on, and the snow, covering the lonely cabin, prevented all ingress or egress by the door. She first used up all the fuel inside ; and then with an axe broke a hole through the roof, got out, and cut off the large limbs which hung over her hut, throwing them down into the garret. Her stock of food became well nigh exhausted, and the cow died. This lone woman, without a human being for a companion, and confined in her prison of snow, was forced to eat the carcass of her cow ; and when that was exhausted. she lived on a little shelled corn that was left in the garret, making use of some dirty brine to season it with. In this manner she lived through the winter.
SOUTHEAST.
This town was one of the earliest settled in the county, and was formed March 7th, 1788, mostly from Southeast Precinct. The principal settlers were the Crosbys, Cranes. Halls, Moodys, Paddocks, Carpenters, and Dickinsons. There were also families by the name of Hanes, and Howes. Deacon Moody, as he was familiarly called, was the first settler at Sodom Corners. David Paddock came from Cape Cod, in 1740, with a family of eight children. and located near the
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Presbyterian Meeting House. His son Isaac was killed in the fight at Ward's House below White Plains. Caleb Carpenter, with twelve others, came to this town about the year 1730, locating about three miles north of Sodom Corners, where they built the old Presbyterian log church. Joseph Crane came about the same time, and settled on the north side of Joe's Hill, where he built the mill known in early times as "' Crane's Mill."
Sale of the poor made April 22d, 1826.
Nancy Binnit to James Hains, $25.37
Ebijah Crane 66 Henry Weed. 33.50
George Dudley
Abner Gay. 35.80
Ebenezer Wixon
Chancey Higgins 15.00
Birch & Wife
Henry Cole. 79.94
Esther Lawrence 66 James Hains 23.87
Joseph Leonard 66 James Hains. 34.97
Sodom, says Blake, a quiet little hamlet near the center of the town, was so named by way of reproach, in consequence of the unusually wild and wayward character of its bhoys in days gone by.
Joe's Hill is a beautiful romantic eminence in the east part of the town. Nearly a hundred years ago it was rumored there was a silver mine in the north side of this hill. Marvel- ous stories were told concerning the manner of its discovery. In a few years the excitement became great, and drew into its vortex many of easy credulity. Two or three men from abroad, supposed at the time to be practical miners, visited the hill and took up their residence near it. Two residents, Nathan Hall and Jehu Miner, also became believers in the mine. They in company with the strangers were called " Pigeon Men."
Hall pretended to know the precise locality of the mine ; and necromancy, divination, and mystic charms formed the subject of his conversation when questioned in regard to it. The existence of the mine appears to have been a delusion which increased with his age; and as a ruling passion, was strongly developed on his death bed. His wife partook of the
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same delusion. A neighbor inquired of her what had become of the silver her husband said would be as plenty as berries. She replied that " Nathan had been revealing something about the mine which he ought not to have disclosed, and the mysterious spell had moved over it. His brother had expressed a wish to be present when Hall died. He was sent for, and promptly answered the summons, but Hall was so far gone as to be unable to speak. His brother then told him if there was a silver mine in Joe's Hill, to squeeze his hand. Hall gave it, as far as his strength permitted, a hard gripe ; thus retaining on his death-bed the belief he entertained while living,
Tones Pond, in the eastern part of the town, is named after an old negro, called Tone, who settled by it. He was the slave of John Warring ; and enlisted in the War of the Revolution on condition that he should have his freedom at its close. He then married a woman half Indian and half negro. He furnished boats, and kept a sort of fishermen's tavern. One of his grandsons married a beautiful young white girl, who shortly afterward induced him to go South with her, where she sold him as a slave.
Capt. Joshua Barnum came from Danbury, about the year 1755, and settled in this town. He was in the battle at Ward's House, was wounded and taken prisoner. After the war, he brought home from New York, as a present to his wife, a half pound of tea. His wife was at a loss how to prepare it, as none of the article had yet been used in this part of the country. A council was called, made up of the women of the neighborhood, to decide the mooted question, at which each one gave her opinion as to the manner in which this new beverage should be prepared. One proposed putting it in the pudding bag, and boiling it in milk ; another was for frying in a, pan with a little butter and water; a third suggested boiling it in the dish kettle. The last proposition was adopted as the voice of the meeting. Accordingly, the half pound of tea was put in, with a sufficiency of water, and duly boiled. They all
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drank-some more, some less. The one recommending the dish-kettle drank by far the largest quantity, alleging that " she wanted to diskiver its aristocratic qualities, if it had any." She next morning declared she hadn't slept a wink ; and on com- paring notes, it was found all had been in the same predica- ment.
"At a Town Meeting held in the South Precinct in DUCHESS County 6th day of April 1773, John rider Was chosen Moderator, Isaac Elwell Clark, Chosen Joseph Crane, Jr., Supervisor ; was chosen John Field Sessor ; was chosen Samuel Bangs Sessor ; was chosen peter hall Collector."
Rombout's Patent.
Beekman's Patent.
Maj. Morris' water lot, 4 m'l's square.
Col. Robin- son's back lot, 4 miles square.
Capt. Fred- erick Phil- ipse' water lot, 4 mi, sq.
Col. Robinson's long lot, 12 x 4.
Major Morris' long lot, 12 × 4.
Capt. Frederick Phillipse' long lot, 12x4
Capt. Fred- erick Phil- ipse' back lot, 4 mi. sq.
Col. Robin- son's water lot, 4 miles square.
Maj. Morris' back lot, 4 mil's square.
North line of Westchester County.
Diagram of the "Philipse Patent," now Putnam County.
Hudson River
Connecticut Line.
APPENDIX B.
OV. MOORE TO LORDS OF TRADE. 1776.
I informed Conway in a letter of the 30th April last of some disturbances which had arose in the County of Duchess in this Province, and at the same time acquainted him with the steps taken to suppress them. Since that, the infection has spread to the neighboring county of Albany, but some of the rioters have been already taken, and the greatest part of them fled into the Provinces of Massachusetts and Connecticut, where they appear to be protected by the Magistrates, as all the requisitions made to get them apprehended have proved ineffectual, notwithstand- ing they are so far from absconding that they appear publicly, so that we must expect to have them returned again into this Province as soon as the force is withdrawn which drove them out, and a new scene of disorder will of course commence. A tribe of Indians settled at a place called Stockbridge in Massachusetts seem to be the contrivers of these Riots, and from the information I have received have joined with some of the lower people in the irregularities which have been com- mitted lately.
NEW YORK, Dec. 24, 1773 .- We hear from Duchess County that the High Sheriff, having received the sum of fifty pounds from his Excellency Governor Tryon, to be distributed for the relief of debtors confined in his goal, has applied that money in the manner prescribed, and cheered many indigent
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men whose misfortunes had reduced them to melancholy durance. The gratitude of these unhappy persons on this gracious attention to them cannot be described.
The Highlands are mentioned by Governor Hunter [1710] as "Part of the resumed Grant of Captain Evans, being about twelve miles in length along the River, Mountainous and barren and Incapable of Improvement or of a road, and only valuable for fire wood, no man will accept of any part of it under the Quit Rent directed to be reserved unless it be contiguous to the River, where he may with ease transport the wood."
" The Queen likewise directs that in each Patent there be a covenant, on the part of the Patentee to plant, settle and effectually cultivate at least three acres of land for every fifty in three years from date of Patent."
Lord of His Majesties most Humble privy Council to the Lords of Trade :
WHEREAS, a petition has been presented to us by Sir Joseph Eyleskin, Jonathan Perrie, John Drummond and Thomas Watts, Esqrs praying that the Tract of land granted to them in the Province of New York, known by the name of the Equivalent land may be either erected into a County or united to such other contiguous county or Counties of the said Province as shall be found the most convenient. Our will and pleasure is that you choose the most convenient County or Counties, and that you do annex the said Equivalent Land to such County or Counties accordingly.
"I have now settled the Palatines upon good land upon both sides of Hudson's River, about one hundred miles up adjacent to the Pines; I have planted them in 5 villages, three on the east side of the River upon 6000 acres I have pur- chased of Mr. Livingston about two miles from Row-Lof Jansens Kill; The other two on the west side near Sawyers Creek."-Letter of Gov. Hunter to Lords of Trade.
Mr. Colden to the Lords of Trade : Province of New York Feb. 14, 1738 .- " At about 40 miles northward from the city of New York a chain of Mountains of about two miles in
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breadth. Commonly called the Highlands Cross the Hudsons River running many miles from the North East
The southern part of the country that is from the sea on both sides of Hudsons river to within 20 miles of Albany, is generally covered with Oaks of several sorts, intermixed with Wallnuts, Chestnuts and almost all sorts of timber according to the difference of the soil in several parts. I have seen in several parts of the country large quantities of Larix Trees from whence Venice Turpentine is made about Albany, and as I am informed a great way up the Eastern branch of Hudsons river the land is generally covered with pines of several sorts."
"This country abounds in Iron Oar especially in the Highlands. and several works have been begun but were droped through the mismanagement or inability of the undertakers ; of these there were two Furnaces in the Manor of Cortaland and several Bloomeries."-Lieut. Gov. De Lancy to the Lords of Trade 1757.
In the Journal of Sir William Johnsons Proceedings with the Indians [1757] occurs the following words-Jonathan the Mohickander spoke as follows : " Brother, Please lend us your attention a little. 'Tis now 9 years ago that a misfortune happened neir Rhinebeck in this Province ; a white man then shot a young man an Indian. There was a meeting held therein, and Martinus Hoffman said Brothers there are two methods of settling this accident, one according to the white peoples customs, the other according to the Indians ; which of them will you chuse? If you will go according to the Indian manners, the man who shot the Indian may live. If this man's. life is spared, and at any time hereafter an Indian should kill a white man, and you desire it, his life shall also be spared. Brother there are two Indians in jail at Albany accused of killing a man, and we beg you they may be released. All we that are here present among whom are some of their nations, are all much dejected and uneasy upon this affair, and do entreat that these people may be let free which will give us all the highest satisfaction."
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