USA > New York > Delaware County > History of Delaware County, and border wars of New York, containing a sketch of the early settlements in the county > Part 13
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Based upon these high-colored descriptions, given of this seemingly El Dorado of the Delaware, a river supposed at least to be navigable for sloops, an effort was made, which proved partially successful, to organize a company to emigrate and form a colony or settlement upon the patent. Those who had property, converted it into money as fast as they could, even though at a sacrifice, being desirous of being among the first that moved, in order to secure a choice location upon the patent, while others, more prudent perhaps, chose to send on persons to make a more careful examination, the result of which was that out of a company of about thirty persons, only four or five families concluded to remove; these had all suf- fered by the war, and were consequently peculiarly calculated to become the hardy pioneers of a new soil, having become accustomed to hardships and privations during that ordeal that " tried men's souls."
They were principally natives of Long Island, but some of them had resided in Westchester county previous to the Revolution, during which they had been driven from place to place; but at the ratification of the treaty of peace with Great Britain, they returned and gathered up the fragments of their fortunes, and assembled the scattered members of their fami- lies, and many of them houseless and homeless, prepared to emigrate to new sections of the country.
We shall not, in this place, attempt to follow the minia- ture colony through all their preliminary arrangements, how- ever replete they may be with interest to the reader, or dwell upon their varied hopes and fears. The parting of friends, and the final adieus are exchanged-they arrive in New York, and take passage on board of an Esopus sloop, which weighed anchor from the foot of Peck Slip, and were soon, with a favorable wind, rapidly making sail up the Hudson.
They left New York about the first of March, 1785, rounded the battery just as the luminous orb of day was sink-
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ing behind the western hills; the last glimpse they caught of the great metropolis, as it gradually receded from their view, was in the soft twilight that preceded the darkness of night, and they all retired to commune with their own thoughts. With the indulgence of the reader, we will glance for a mo- ment into the cabin to which the party have repaired, and indulge in an impertinent glimpse at those brave men, the " avant couriers" of the future prosperity of a large section of Delaware county.
On the right hand bench sat Doctor Townsend, apparently buried in a deep reverie, leaning slightly forward, with a neatly- wrought cane in his hand, which he held suspended, gently tapping the floor, as if to keep time with his wandering thoughts. His looks bespoke an active, an energetic business man, which he was, and just in the meridian of life; he was accompanied by one of his sons, Isaac, the other, William, having previously gone up to Poughkeepsie to collect some money, and was to rejoin them at Marbletown. Opposite him sat Joshua Pine, whose care-worn countenance would have indicated him as the patriarch of the little party : he had been Captain of a Company of Guides in the American army, and had discharged his arduous duties with honor and courage ; his family consisted of his wife and two daughters, Hannah and Deborah. Robert North, wife, and infant son, Benjamin ; William Furman, wife and two children, twenty-one souls in all, composed the party. They were safely landed at Swart's landing, or Kingston point, and going ashore, took refuge in an old dilapidated warehouse, without windows or fire to shelter them from cold and rain. They proceeded to Marbletown, where they procured a home for their wives and children ; while the men went forward to grapple with the forest and . prepare a place for their reception, and the land for plant- ing corn. This journey was performed in March, and part
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of the way on snow-shoes, amidst many privations and diffi- culties.
At Pepacton they procured a guide by the name of Joseph White, and by whose aid they marked a road over the Col- chester mountain, very near where the present' road is laid ; this road they afterward cut out and succeeded in getting their wagons across. From the overhanging summit of these moun- tains they caught the first view of the promised land. On the north and west side it appeared to be one dense mass of pines of gigantic growth, and as they descended the mountain and wound down the valley, grove after grove of these huge trees opened to their view, which drew forth from the party many an exclamation of wonder and amazement. At the base of Pine- hill, and near where now stands the beautiful mansion of White Griswold, Esq., they found and immediately took pos- session of a small hut, in which they deposited their provisions and goods, and made themselves as comfortable as the circum- stances would admit of, and far happier than they had been since they left New York. This hut had been built the year before by some men from Neversink, who had come up to cut timber for masts and spars ; they had cut over about one acre, on what is now familiarly known as Pine-hill, slid the timber into the river and formed it into rafts, without even the assist- ance of a team. But little of the lumber, however, ever reached the market-as the rafts, not being suitably con- structed, were stove to pieces and lodged along the banks of the Delaware far below, and one large spar lay where it had lodged on an island, about nine miles below Walton, from which fact raftsmen gave it the appellation of Long Mast Island, which name it retains to the present day.
After having spent the summer in making the necessary arrangements for their families, they returned in the latter part of autumn to conduct their families to their new homes.
The second journey of our pioneer settlers with their fami-
.
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lies and substance, could it all be written with each night's encampment, and incidents by the way, would form an inter- esting page in this history; but we can only note a few par- ticulars. " On leaving Marbletown they followed up the Esopus creek to Shandaken, where they made a short halt to cut out a wagon-road over Pine-hill. This accomplished, the young men went on in advance, marking and mending the road down the East Branch to Pepacton. At this place canoes were pro- cured to transport their goods and part of the company down to the forks of the Delaware, and up the West Branch to the place of settlement. The remainder of the party opened a road over Colchester mountain, and brought over the wagons and horses, and pitched their tents at the foot of Pine-hill, in full view of the river. The Norths and Furmans lived in their tents till September.
Mrs. Robert North, who lived to a good old age, often spoke of this journey as not only very interesting in itself, but by way of rebuking the pride of the present generation. She said she came all the way from Marbletown on horseback, with her bed and all her furniture lashed on behind her, and her son Benjamin in her arms before her. She often boasted that she was the first woman that ever made a foot-print on the soil of Walton. It is seventy years ago this month of June, that these five families commenced the settlement ; they had pene- trated the wilderness about eight miles, and there were only a few scattered families within the circle of that distance, and of these none could give them aid. For flour and meal, the nearest places they could be procured was at Mohawk, Cherry Valley, Schoharie, and Marbletown, and all except the latter conveyed on horseback over Indian trails. Boards and plank, for building, were made by splitting free rifted pine, and smoothing them with the axe and knife. For the want of nails, the gimlet and wooden pegs were used, but industry, courage, and perseverance overcame all obstacles, and the
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colony sustained themselves, and were soon prepared to aid those who followed after.
Among those who came before 1790, with their families, we may mention Alverson, from Nova Scotia; the Goslins, Storckten's relatives of the Norths from Long Island, who settled over the river on the Hardenburgh patent, then Ulster county; next Beers, Bradley, and Wakeman, followed on down the river on the same patent ; Goodrich, Johnson, Hyde, Eells, Seymour and others, who settled on the Provost or Livingston patent ; accessions were annually made to the colony, chiefly from Connecticut. Nor must we omit to mention the induce- ment offered by Mr. Walton to the first settlers, for growth and increase of the colony. A lot of land was offered for the first-born male child, on condition that he should be named William Walton. The prize was won by Mrs. Robert North, but she had set her heart upon calling him Samuel, and in those days a lot of land could not alter a woman's wish. To pursue the history of Samuel : he was educated in Albany, and was elected clerk of the Assembly, in which capacity he acquitted himself with great efficiency, and we believe he was reelected under Governor Lewis; he soon after died of con- sumption.
We have no certain dates by which to mark the exact pro- gress of improvement made by the first settlers. Saw-mills were erected at a very early day, and the manufacture of pine lumber for the Philadelphia market, became the main business by which the inhabitants obtained their support and maintained credit abroad, while the raising of flax and manufacture of linen formed the chief occupation of the women. It is said to have been quite common to take the spinning-wheel with them on making an afternoon visit; and the amount of linen made by some of them seems almost incredible.
Fish and game were plenty. Shad were, if reports were true, near Pine-hill, in quite large numbers; and trout, those
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delicious fish, the river is said to have been full of them-we being a regular disciple of Isaac Walton, it fairly makes our mouth water to think of them ; the women would go out with a pole and line, and in a few minutes catch enough for tea or breakfast; and to use their own expression, some of them would make a pan-full. Those were indeed the days of women's rights, when they were allowed to catch fish and manufacture their own clothes; and we should like to be transported back to those good old times, were it only for a day or two, just to breakfast on those delicious trout, dine on samp-porridge, and sup on choice bits of dried elk-meat. Of wild animal, pan- thers, bears, and wolves, elk and deer, were plenty. Of bea- ver, otter, and marten, there were a few left, and they gave occasion for a few Indians to linger about the Delaware for the purpose of trapping. Thirteen elk were seen one day fording the river, near the village of Walton, and as they were all adorned with horns five or six feet long, we may well suppose it was a sight worth seeing.
The first grist-mill in the town of Walton was built in 1793, by Captain Samuel Johnson and Michael Goodrich ; its loca- tion was near or on the site of the mill at present owned by Abram Silliman, of that town. The millstones for this mill, (said to have been the first imported into the county,) were brought from Kingston on the snow, as far as Benjamin Bar- low's, in Stamford, from which place to Walton there was then no road, and they were compelled to leave the stones until the river opened in the spring, when the stones were lifted upon two canoes, which were placed side by side and lashed firmly together. In this manner they were floated to within two miles of their destination. This mill, as stated above, was erected in 1793, and a year or two afterward, Daniel Robison built another mill at the place at present occupied by Moses Wakeman, in the " Den."
Robert North built the first frame house erected in the town
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of Walton ; the boards and timber (there being no saw-mill in the town,) were floated down the river on a raft, from Paine's mill at Hobart.
The first wedding which occurred in the town, took place in 1790; the parties were Bartram Olmstead and Savory Goodrich, daughter of Michael Goodrich, spoken of above. The ceremony was performed by Dr. Townsend .*
The following anecdote was related by several early settlers of that time :-
A man by the name of Burroughs, residing somewhere in the vicinity of Walton, had been out upon a hunting excur- sion, and returned with a quarter of venison, which he hung in an unfinished apartment of the house. In the night Mrs. Burroughs, who happened to be left alone, her husband being absent on business, was aroused by a strange noise in that part of the house in which the venison was hanging; she arose and proceeded cautiously to open the door which led to the apartment, when she perceived the dim outlines of some animal, in the act of devouring. the saddle of venison. With a coolness worthy of eulogy among the other sex, she stepped back, and taking her husband's rifle, with deliberate aim she put a ball through the animal, which proved fatal. In the morning she examined her prize, and found it to be a panther of hugh dimensions.
The manuscript of the following amusing anecdote was kindly furnished by White Griswold, Esq., an aged and highly
* The following is a list of the Supervisors of Walton since its erec- tion, and the date of their first election :-- Robert North, (1797 ;) David St. John, (1805;) John Eells, (1809;) Gabriel North, (1811 ;) Isaac Ogden, (1813 ;) Bennet Beardsley, (1815 ;) William Townsend, (1823 ;) Thomas Merwin, (1827;) Alan Mead, (1829 ;) Samuel Eells, (1832;) Peter Gardiner, (1836;) John Townsend, (1839 ;) Abraham Ogden, (1843 ;) John Mead, (1844;) David More, (1845 ;) Gabriel G. Mead, (1848.)
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respected citizen of Walton. It was, so far as I have been enabled to learn, the only adventure in duelling to be recorded in the annals of the county, which I trust will prove a suffi- cient apology for its insertion. He says :
"The principal hero of the following narrative was Benja- min Tanner, teacher of a district school, two and a half miles from the village of Walton, about fifty years since. Tanner is described by those who knew him, as in bodily shape exceed- ingly tall, lank, and sharp-featured, and of a very jealous and excitable disposition. He was, indeed, one of those peculiar characters that idle and designing persons love to annoy and play tricks upon. Being in the village one day; he fell in with a number of his acquaintances, who, as the sequel illus- trates, were notorious alike for their shrewd tricks and meddle- some dispositions. While in their company, Tanner expressed a desire to join the masons, which movement was at that time exceedingly popular. The persons to whom he addressed him- self were all freemasons, (of which he was aware,) and had a lodge in the same district in which he was teaching. This lodge was then in a flourishing condition, a majority of its members being amongst the most respectable citizens of that vicinity.
" The idea flashed upon the minds of the party that they might enjoy some fun at the schoolmaster's expense; he was accordingly informed that a branch of the lodge existed in the village, and that a meeting should be called that evening to initiate him.
" Frederick Hocty, one of the leading actors of the farce, was at the time a merchant of the village, and had a room in his house, in which himself and companions frequently met to carry on their frolics. These meetings had already come into notoriety, as the ' Croppy Lodge,' from the circumstance of its members having shaved the heads of some of their subjects
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very closely, contrary to the custom of other lodges, who usually wore it rather long.
" The ' Croppy Lodge,' together with our hero, assembled at the appointed hour, and in due form fastened the doors ; when, professing the utmost solemnity, as members of that ancient and venerable fraternity, the meeting was opened. After the preliminary forms were over, Tanner was called for- ward and several questions propounded to him, in relation to his obligations to the society of which he was about to be hon- ored with a membership. His answers being satisfactory, a vote was taken of the members, which was unanimous, that he be admitted after passing through the rites and ceremonies required of all the members at their initiation, and which they then proceeded to administer.
" Poor Tanner was requested to strip himself stark-naked, and march around the altar in the centre of the room, accom- panied by vocal music from the members and the mystic signs of the order. `And lastly, a hot gridiron, which was in readi- ness for the purpose, was brought into the room, with which he was branded. These ceremonies over, the W. Master of the lodge declared the brother a free and accepted mason.
" Whether Tanner suspected any imposition at the time is unknown, but it was said he never betrayed any distrust to his tormentors during the whole performance, and that at its close they had a most jolly time, drinking each other's health and beautifying the glories of masonry, in which, Tanner took the lead. Thus the matter ended for the evening.
" A few days subsequent to the above occurrence, (during which Tanner had discovered the cheat which had been prac- tised upon him,) Elnathan Goodrich, who had been one of the party at the initiation, meeting with his new brother, cordially reached out his hand, saying, ' How do you do, brother Croppy ?' This was too much for the already excited school- master to brook, and he immediately sent a challenge to Good-
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rich, to meet him and settle the affront according to the 'code of honor,' which challenge was accepted."
The meeting of the parties, accompanied by their seconds, took place in the field belonging to Isaac Townsend, about a mile above the village of Walton. The field was at the time but partially cleared. It will now attract the attention of the traveller as a spot of surpassing beauty.
" The pistols were presented to the combatants, who ex- changed the first shots without effect. At the second dis- charge, Goodrich threw up his pistol, gave a shriek of agony, and fell heavily to the ground, appearing to be mortally wounded. Tanner immediately left the field, apparently un- noticed, as they were all gathered around the dying man. Reaching his boarding place* in great agitation, he requested the woman in much haste to give him his clothes, saying, ' that he must leave the country as soon as soon as possible, having shot Mr. Goodrich in a duel.' He took his bundle of clothes, and crossing the river, disappeared in the woods, on the opposite side; since which time he has not been heard from, and if living, still doubtless carries the impression of having shot a man in a duel."
By a previous arrangement between Goodrich and the seconds, Tanner's pistol was only loaded with powder, while Goodrich's, to render the deception still more complete, was loaded with a ball, which, for effect, he shot in a tree near by where his opponent was standing. Of course his appearing to be wounded was only a pretension.
The field where the duel was fought, has since, in com- memoration of the event, received the memorable name of " Hoboken Lot," which name it still retains.
Many of the pioneers who emigrated to the western sections of Delaware county, came by the way of Minisink, which, as
* He was boarding at the house of the father of my informant.
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we have stated in a previous chapter, was one of the earliest settlements in the State. ' From Minisink the settlements rapidly spread up the valley of the Delaware, each new comer overreaching the location of his neighbor. In 1783, Abram Rusk came up the river with his goods on a flat-boat, and located a short distance above Equinock, in Pennsylvania ; and about the same period William Parks took up Equinock Island. The succeeding year, (1784,) Ezekiel Samson came up the river and pitched his tent a short distance below Che- hocton Cove, and immediately afterward Richard Jones re- moved with his family to Chehocton Point.
In 1786, Squire Whitaker also came up the river, and set- tled at the place where George Debar now lives, about one and a half miles below the rail-road crossing at Chehocton ;* and Richard Jones, Travis and Sands, settled in the vicinity the same year. In 1787, Conrad Edict, a single man, came into the settlement and partook of the hospitalities of Squire Whitaker, whose daughter he shortly after married. At the wedding the bride' appeared in a linsey-woolsey short-gown, and the bridegroom in a new suit of "tow-cloth shirt and trousers."
* Chehocton is of Indian origin, and the meaning it conveys is both beautiful and appropriate. To give a just idea of the peculi- arity of its location, and of the advantages thence resulting, it is proper to give some account of the place and the surrounding coun- try. It will be perceived, by inspecting the map of the county, that the two branches of the Delaware rise near each other, in the north- east part of the county, and run thence with a very tortuous course, generally south -westerly, until the West Branch reaches Deposit, (formerly Cook-house,) whence it takes a south-easterly course, until near its affianced bride, at Chehocton Neck ; then more southerly, the twain recede and again approach to their wedding union, one and a half miles below, giving occasion for the Indian appellation of Che- hocton or Shehawkan, which interpreted in English, is " The Wedding of the Waters.".
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Although Mr. Edict, at the time of his removal to the set- tlements on the Delaware, was barely. twenty-six years of age, his previous history was woven in the struggles of the Revo- lution, and his character had been stamped by usefulness to his country's-cause. He was born of German parents, on German Flats, in the then county of Albany, September 15th, 1763. At the early age of sixteen years, he enlisted in the service of his country in a company of rangers, and served nine months. He then enlisted in the service of the militia of the State of New York for three years, in which he remained until the close of the war. He was in the battles of Ariskany, Stone, Arabia, Johnstown, and East Canada Creek, where the . notorious Colonel Butler was killed, and in many other skir- mishes with the Indians and tories. His last expedition was to Oswego, on Lake Ontario, in the dead of winter, in which great numbers of the party died of hunger and cold. He afterward removed fron Chehocton and settled at Deposit, where he lived for more than half a century, until his death.
In 1786, Jesse Dickinson came up from Philadelphia to locate himself on a tract of land which he had purchased of Colonel Bradstreet, and which tract contains the present vil- lage of Cannonsville. This tract, as well as much of the adjoining land, was thickly covered by a growth of stately pines. And so captivated was the owner with his new pur- chase, that he conceived the bold project of building a city, which, in his ideal vision, contained "stately edifices and lofty spires," and which was to immortalize his own name by styling it " Dickinson City." Having become enamored with his new project, he returned to Philadelphia to procure men and building material, which was conveyed to the place of destina- tion in Durham boats. He caused a tract of land of sufficient size to be surveyed and laid off into streets and lots, and im- mediately commenced improvements thereon.' He erected a
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large three-story grist-mill on Trout creek,* near where it empties into the Delaware ; on the side next the creek, were rows of tackles projecting out over the water, for the purpose of unloading boats which should run between the two cities, Philadelphia and Dickinson. He also built near by, a building for a hotel, in which was a large arched room, styled the " City Hall," and in which public meetings were actually held for many years. He also opened an avenue from Trout creek to the river, and on either side built a high board fence.
Dickinson failed in business, and returned to Philadelphia in 1795, but for many years thereafter, and until recently, the place retained the name of " Dickinson's 'City." John, a brother of Jesse Dickinson, was also an early settler on a creek near by, which, after him, took the name of Johnny's Brook.
It is a fact worthy of note, that Jesse Dickinson run the first raft of lumber that descended the West Branch of the Delaware.
In 1796, Wait Cannon removed from Connecticut, and renewed the purchase of a part of the tract formerly owned by Dickinson, where he resided until his death, which took place in 1803 or 1804, and after whom the place took its present name of Cannonsville. The widow of Wait Cannon afterward married a cousin of her former husband, by the name of Benjamin, the father of our present efficient county-clerk, Benjamin Cannon, Esq.
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