History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 106

Author: Ruttenber, Edward Manning, 1825-1907, comp; Clark, L. H. (Lewis H.)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1336

USA > New York > Orange County > History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 106

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Moses Bull married Dolly Moore, July 20, 1795, and soon after settled upon a farm in the eastern part of Wallkill. He had twelve children. Rev. Ralph Bull, of Westtown, was his son. His children were Mrs. Sophia Bell, of Geneva ; Mrs. John Patterson, who died in 1866; Elijah and Elisha (twins), 1817- 1870; Ralph, who died in 1877 ; Mrs. Marianne Coz- zens, of Middletown; Mrs. Moses MeMonagle, of Wall- kill; Caroline and Katharine, twins ( Katharine died 1829, aged twenty-one years; Caroline married Charles MeMonagle) ; Mrs. Hezekiah Conner, who died in 1836; Mrs. Charles Conner, who died in 1880; and Mrs. John H. McWilliams, living near Circleville.

Marianne was a teacher nine years; in 1822 taught where Moses J. Winfield now lives. Moses Bull died in 1848, his wife in 1855; both were buried in the Scotchtown Cemetery. Harvey R. Roe now owns and lives upon the farm.

Mrs. Cozzens locates "Three-Mile Hill" as running south from near her father's place. It was an Indian path (so called), and was exactly three miles to the Wallkill River. She remembers having traversed the path many times, in quest of berries, when a child. It was a hard, well-beaten path. She also remembers that during the war of 1812 some "squatters" came upon a portion of land (three miles long and of various widths) lying between her father's and the neighbors' farms (no patent claimed it); they took out quit-claim deeds, and have always held it. Davis- town is upon a part of it.

The following additional memoranda were furnished

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HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY, NEW YORK.

by Miss Sarah E. Wilkison. Before the Revolution William Carpenter moved from Goshen to a farm Dear Van Burenville; only a small spot was cleared, and for miles east of it there was only a foot-path through the woods. He was in the war, and often his wife was obliged to bury her dishes and such articles as she valued, take her children, and flee to Goshen to escape the Indians. After the war he and his family usually attended meeting at Goshen, always going on foot, only nine miles. His children were William, died in 1875; Benjamin, now living in Wis- consin ; Mrs. Jacob Mills, lived near Westtown ; Mrs. Eber Mapes, died at Middletown, 1869; Eleanor, never married; William, lived upon the homestead, had twelve children, who married and settled near him. His son Joel now owns and lives upon the farm which has been owned by the Carpenters over one hundred and ten years.

Peter Hoyt, another early settler, married for his second wife Mrs. Mary Vail, the mother of Mrs. William Carpenter, Jr. He had the following chil- dren : John, Archibald, Peter, now living in New Jersey, Mrs. Jeremiah Cox, Mrs. Alex. Bell, and Joel, who retained the old farm and died in April, 1861, his wife living only two weeks longer. The farm is now owned and occupied by his only son, Samuel D. Hoyt.

Daniel Darby was born in Newburgh, May, 1799, came to Wallkill in 1823, married Julia, daughter of William Carpenter; he lives near Van Burenville. In 1841 he was town collector, had $3807.45 to col- lect, including his fees at three per cent. He went on horseback to every tax-payer; it took him seven weeks to collect the sum. This year (1881) the tax to be collected in Wallkill is $81,907.33.

Vinson Clark moved from Long Island upon a farm of 153 acres, now owned by Timothy W. Horton, about the same time that others spoken of came into this town. He built the house which T. W. Horton remodeled in 1872, abont eighty years ago. He kept store and tavern over forty years. He made a great business of raising hemp and flax. Mrs. Clark braided straw for hats and sent it to New York. In this way she helped to accumulate a good fortune. As years passed on he had a blacksmith, wagon-maker, cooper, and shoemaker-shops. His place and business was much like Van Burenville. At his death, in 1839, he owned three or four other farms in this town. His children were William, died in 1832; John, died in 1872; Patience, married three times, now living in Wisconsin, and is the widow of the Rev. Mr. Clark ; Oliver, died in 1845 ; Mrs. Lewis Bell, of Bull Hack, died in 1871; Thomas (deceased) ; Vinson J., died in Waymark, Pa. ; Hector, died October, 1832, and was the first person buried in the family yard on the farm ; James S. (deceased ).

William and Daniel Clark, of Scotchtown, are sons of Oliver Clark, and grandsons of Vinson Clark.

Daniel Moore owned a farm about a mile west of

Wallkill meeting-house ; he built a hotel upon it, and sold the property to Isaac B. Everett, who had mar- ried his daughter Maria. Everett kept the first hotel, Joshua and Thomas Gale the first store, Marcus Hun- ter and Barnabas Masters the wagon-maker shop; William Moore, blacksmith-shop; Lewis Everett, shoemaker-shop. This was a great business place ; teams from Sullivan County, loaded with lumber, hides, bark, etc., made it a stopping-place, often twenty-five remaining over-night. The stage passed through the place on its way to Bloomingburgh.

A post-office was established, and Christian Shons named the place " Van Burenville," it being just after Martin Van Buren was elected President. Isaac B. Everett was the first and only postmaster. This place is about three miles north of Howell's, and when the railroad reached that place the post-office was soon removed to Howell's.

The opening of the North plank-road was another blow to the place; the stage-route was changed, and business decreased very fast. Walter Gregory bought the whole property ; kept the hotel only a short time, when it was given up. The buiklings are entirely gone; a single farm-house and a school-house are all that is left to call Van Burenville.

Walter Gregory was murdered in his own house, Sept. 14, 1865, by Henderson, a man from Ohio, who had been selling pictures through the neighborhood and knew that Gregory drew a sum of money from the bank on that day. The murderer was hung at Goshen, and it is said this was the only murder ever committed in Wallkill. The farm is now owned by his son, William Gregory.

John Williams owned the farm adjoining the Hor- ton and Clark farms, near the Wallkill meeting-house. ) He and some of his family were buried upon the farm over forty-five years ago; the farm has been sold several times, and the burial-spot is almost forgotten. James L. Carpenter now owns and lives upon the farm.

On the farm of Stephen Sayre, now owned by John Ralston, about one-half mile west of Van Burenville, is a neglected and almost forgotten bnrying-ground ; about fifty children and a few adults were buried there. Isaac B. Everett, spoken of at Van Buren- ville, has ten children buried in this pasture-field. It has not been recognized as a graveyard in over forty years.

Elisha R. King owned a farm on the North plank- road, about four miles northwest of Middletown. In 1862 he built a hotel, and at the raising of the build- ing Joseph Kernochan named the place " Fair Oaks," it being soon after that battle, and was a very appro- priate name. Since then it has become a station upon the Midland Railroad. The hotel is now owned by M. S. Askew ; through his efforts a post-office has been established, and his son Matthew is postmaster.

In 1787, James Houston, of Neelytown, a son of Rev. Joseph Houston, the first minister of Goodwill

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WALLKILL.

Church, near Montgomery, bought a tract of over 300 acres in the southeastern part of Wallkill, and settled his son George upon it. George cultivated the land and made as rapid improvements as possible, having slaves to assist him. He married Jane Hunter, of Dwaars Kill, Ulster Co., for his first wife. She died in 1801. In 1796 the church was organized at his house, and he gave three acres of land for the church and graveyard. A meeting-house was built this same year, and at the raising of the building Cornelius Mc- Laughlin, who lived on the farm now owned by Thomas Nelson, named the place Scotchtown, be- cause so many Scotch people were in the new congre- gation. Besides assisting to organize a church, giving the land, and donating liberally for the building, Mr. Houston aided the Rev. Methuselah Baldwin in buy- ing a farm of 140 acres, now owned by George Wal- lace. Upon these conditions Mr. Baldwin accepted the call made him, and became the first pastor of the church. The reader ean plainly see that George Houston was the first and real founder of the village now known as Scotchtown. The burial-place of slaves is the spot now occupied by the church-sheds. Mr. Houston engaged in many enterprises for public good, spending both time and money. He died in Decem- ber, 1825, leaving fourteen children, viz. : Mrs. Samuel Brown (died near Scotchtown in 1854); John G., who remained upon the homestead; James, died in Mont- gomery ; Robert H., born August, 1798, is now and has been a resident of Middletown since April, 1826. A portion of the village is built upon his farm; he has only one child, David D., who, with his family, lives at home. George, died in Middletown, was justice of the peace many years; Anthony and Jane (twins). Anthony died in Middletown. D. Crawford Houston, a graduate of West Point, is his son. Jane married Charles Heard ; died in Hamptonburgh. Henry lived in Mechanictown many years; died there. Mrs. Hector Van Cleft lives in Middletown ; is the mother of J. L. Van Cleft (postmaster). Samuel died in 1828,

James Boak was born in 1772; married Achsah, a sister of Capt. John and a nicce of Col. Wmn. Faulk- ner. They lived at Keisertown, and he built what is now known as Crans' still-house. In 1802 he bought 50 acres of John Puff, where Amos H. Gillen now lives, near Fair Oaks. He lived in a small log house on the same spot where the dwelling-house now stands. It was surrounded by a dense forest of large trees, some one hundred feet high. Mrs. Boak being afraid the trees would blow down upon the house, had the tops of many of them tied together, thinking to lessen the danger. In 1804 he exchanged his 50 aeres with Elias Bailey for 50 acres (now about one mile from Circleville), then bought more of Isaac Den- man, having about 141 acres in all. In 1836 he

moved to Scotchtown, leaving his son Robert upon the homestead. He occupies it now, having bought , an adjoining farm of Oscar Bull in 1875; now owns 228 acres, extending from Guinea to Fair Oaks. James Boak died in May, 1852, his wife in 1860. He had the following nine children (five are now living) : John, born in 1799, died in Scotchtown in 1836; Mrs. Jolın E. Brewster, died in Scotchtown in 1870; Lettie (not married), died in 1825; Robert, born 1806, lives upon the homestead, has one son living,-one son died in the late war ; Mrs. John Youngblood, near Frank- lin Square, died in 1877; Melinda (single), lives at Scotchtown; Lucinda (single), lives at Scotchtown; James, lives near Scotchtown, has two sons; Emily (single), lives at Scotchtown.

In 1780, Henry, son of Jacob Linderman, of the town of Montgomery, bought 120 acres in Wallkill of Gilbert Willett, paying one pound per acre. It was almost a wilderness, although two log houses were upon the place, each near a good spring. He married Sarah Shaw, and lived upon the farm many years; he cultivated the land, built buildings, and lived to see his farm become valuable. He was jus- tice of the peace forty years. In 1836 his son, Henry S., bought the homestead, and occupies it now. His father, having married the second time, moved to Bloomingburgh, where he died in 1844, aged eighty years; his first wife died in 1831, aged sixty-four years. He had ten children, of whom four are now living, as follows : David, died in Sullivan Co. in 1866 ; Jolin (physician), died in Pennsylvania in 1875,-lie had three sons who filled prominent positions ; Henry R., a director of the U. S. Mint many years, died in Washington; Garrett, now an extensive coal-dealer at Manch Chunk, Pa., married a daughter of Asa Packer; Albert B., is now engaged in the project of draining the "Everglades" in Florida; Willett, a lawyer, was district attorney of Ulster County for thirteen years, dead; Peter, moved to Michigan in 1836 and died there; Mrs. Robert Thompson, dead ; Theodore in 1837. Mrs. Orange H. Horton lives at . Mrs. Thomas J. Emmons, lives in New York City ; White Plains, Westchester County. Mrs. William Church lives in Orange, N. J. Thomas died at Toledo, but was a resident of Cincinnati.

Dolly, not married, lives in New York City ; Henry S., lives upon the homestead, was born in 1807; James O., lived and died in Kingston, was county judge of Ulster County ten years; Sally Jane, not married, lives in New York City. This farm is about two miles northwest of Circleville.

Henry Weller was born in Germany ; on his passage to America both his parents died ; he was then about nine years old. When he landed in New York the German consul took charge of him and his prop- erty, put him out until he became of age, then gave him his property, and with it he came into what is now Crawford, and purchased about 300 acres of land, which is in part owned by his descendants. Ile mar- ried Elinor, youngest daughter of William Bull and Sarah Wells, who was born in 1745. They had six children,-Henry, William, Absalom, Hiram, Esther, and Catharine,-all are dead. There is only one of

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HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY, NEW YORK.

the third generation living (Mrs. Alice Robbins, of hammer shop. About 1810 he sold his farm to Na- Windham, Conn.), except some of Absalom's chil- dren.

In the ycar 1800, Matthew Rowe, of Montgomery, purchased 100 acres of land from Frederick Traver, in the north part of Wallkill, now on the line of Crawford, and gave it to his danghter, Elizabeth, who had married Absalom Weller, and they settled upon the traet, it being then a wilderness. Mr. Weller rapidly improved his farm, and took several premiums on farm prodnets at the agricultural fairs held in Goshen in 1820, 1821 ; and in 1822, " for best potatoes planted in rows, and measured 275 bushels per aere," he received eight dollars premium. He had twelve children, eight are now living: Leartus M., born January, 1801, lives upon the homestead ; Mil- ton, lives in Middletown; Mrs. Albert Diekinson, Middletown ; Mrs. William Dickinson, lives in New Ilaven, Conn., and her daughter is the wife of ex- Governor Jewell, of Connecticut; Mrs. William Conkling, Middletown; Alpheus and Theodorus (twins) ; Alfred, lives in town of Crawford.

Mr. Weller died October, 1827; his wife, April, 1851. He had set apart a burial-ground upon his farm, to be known as the " Weller burying-ground." The first person buried in the yard was his daughter Margaret, May 21, 1813. The bodies lying there now are Absalom Weller, wife, four children, and two children of Leartus M. Weller. The yard is carefully kept up, and is designed as the resting-place for the family.

Before 1800, James Bingham came from Windham, Conn., and bought ten acres of Jonathan Coddington, in the northwestern part of the town of Wallkill. It is now owned by John Green. Bingham was a cooper, and he worked at his trade. His wife, Ala- thea Parish, also came from Connecticut, and under- The first real tavern in Scotchtown was kept by William Connor, bnt long before this Patrick Bodle kept one where .J. Denton Mills lives, and another, by - Owens, on the road to Circleville, where J. Swezey lives. stood the care of the silk-worm and the manufacture of silk, so Mr. Bingham planted a mulberry-orchard, and procured some worms from Connecticut, and for some years gave it considerable attention. Mrs. Bing- ham spun the silk for use,-one year had over three Many years previous to the Revolutionary war - MeCormick, the great-grandfather of Mrs. Dan- iel G. Gibb, of Circleville, purchased of Cadwallader Colden (through Brinson, his agent) a tract of land of 200 acres, wholly covered with dense forest, for the paltry sum of one shilling per acre. He built a log house and cleared some land ; but after a time he sold it to John Smith, and he sold to Henry Smith, who made many improvements, building a stone house, also a eider- and still-house, which still remain and are well known. He must have sold some of his land to those owning the adjoining farms, as the farm now hundred skeins. In 1822-24, James Bingham took the premium for "best sewing-silk" at the agricultural fair, Goshen, and received five dollars each year. Some of his neighbors attempted to keep the silk- worms, but found it too much care, so the business was wholly abandoned after a few years. James Bingham died June, 1844; his wife, August, 1854. They had only three children, now living, and all over seventy years of age. Anna married Benjamin Woodward ; lives at Burlingham. B. C. Woodward, merchant in Middletown, Sullivan Co., is their son. Abigail P. married Lucius L. Woodward, both living, ! comprises only 140 acres. In 1847, Joseph Kernochan,

residents of Middletown many years. Margaret K., not married, lives with her sister in Burlingham.

On the line of Crawford, in Wallkill, Benjamin Creaderiek owned a farm of two hundred and thirty- four acres. He lived in a log house, and had a trip-

than, son of Birdsey Young, of Blooming-Grove. Mr. | Young had to go to New York and get his money changed into gold and silver, as Creaderick refused to take any paper money. He married Margaret Thompson, of Crawford. They had six children, of whom five are now living,-Mrs. William Cross, lives in Crawford, aged seventy-eight years; Andrew T., owns an adjoining farm of one hundred and twenty- two acres, but he lives in Circleville, aged seventy-six years; Elizabeth, not married, lives in Circleville ; Isaac and Birdsey, twins (Birdsey died in 1841, aged thirty years; Isaae, M.D., lives in New York City) ; Mrs. Andrew Mills, lives in Englewood, N. J.

Mrs. Young died in 1845, after which he married Mrs. Tompkins and had three sons,-Nathan, Orville, and Birdsey. They live upon the farm now. Mr. Young was born in 1782, and died in 1855.

On the Vinson Clark farm, now owned by T. W. Horton, there was a block-house built for a protec- tion from the Indians during the Revolutionary war.

McCorlin's Kill is a stream rising in Crawford, takes a southerly course, and empties into the Wall- kill near W. Mackinson's. Harvey Roe's saw-mill is upon this stream. As early as 1760 John McNeal, who lived where Jobn Harlow now lives, had a grist- mill upon it, and it is asserted that that was the first grist-mill in Wallkill.

Baldwin's Hill is on George Wallace's farm, west of his house and north of the Scotchtown parsonage ; it took its name from Methuselah Baldwin, who onee owned it. It is said to be the highest point of land in Orange County. The view from it is very grand. The visitor can look into six counties, two States, and upon many villages, besides a fine view of the Sha- wangunk Mountains.

of Crawford, bought the farm for $49 per aere; owns and occupies it now. It could not be bought to-day for $80 per acre. This farm is about one and one- quarter miles west of Circleville, on the direct road to Bloomingburgh.

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WALLKILL.

RECOLLECTIONS OF JONATHAN WILKISON .*

The first that I can remember was when I was shout eight years old. My father's name was Jonathan. He married Phebe Barber. They had ten children. I was the youngest son, so they called me after my father's name. They once lived in Rahway, N. J., and I think were born there. I was born near Bellvale, Warwick, July 20, 1783, and lived there until the fall after I was eight years old. My father was a miller, and in the fall of 1791 he and my mother came to visit my sister Polly, who mar- ried Robert Osborne. They lived in a log house, about a mile from where Mount Johnson stands. The Bloominghurgh mill was unoccupied,- it was then called Oliver's mill,-they being in custody at Kingston, charged with burning another mill, about three miles from theirs, and as court had just adjourned when the deed was committed, they had to wait until next tern, which was one year. They offered the mill to my father, and he decided to take it, so they came home, and as soon as they could make arrangements for moving we started. I remember just how the country looked. We came through Goshen ; below there the coun- try was more settled than we found it on the west side, but it was noth- ing like it is now. Where you will now see fine buildings with beautiful surroundings, then there was a log lionse, standing in the woods, if there wae a good spring there. In those days people were very particular in building to have a good spring of water near the door-wells were not thought of. We started very early in the morning. The first day we came as far as Squire Morrison's. He lived on the faim where Nathan J. Mills now lives, in a log house, close by the road, in front of thatold house that they tore down last summer (1871). They were very kind-hearted people, but I suppose they are all dead. How well I remember about the fire. It was a cool, chilly day, and the great old-fashioned fireplace was full of good wood, as then wood was no object; the more they could use the better, as the country was so thickly wooded they wanted to clear the laod.

The next morning we started on our journey. We were now to the end of the road. The next farm was Henry Patterson's. They lived iu a log house, nearly half a mile from the main road. James Morrison built a frame house two years after, and in about two years more Henry Patterson built a frame house on the cross-road. Morrison's house was used until 1871. Patterson's is still used by Wol. D. Hurtin as a wagon- house.

For the next five miles we had to go by marked trees. After we had gone about a mile we thought we were wrong, and seeing & log house at a short distance, my sister Katie went to get a guide. We followed the guide and passed a few log houses, but I have forgotten who livel in them-oot one of them is standing. We reached our home at Bloom- inglargh nearly night. It was a log house, on the place where Thomp- son Sherer now lives. I can remember about my father tending the mill, and of seeing women come with their bags of grain on horseback, ae wagons were very scarce, and the roads not fit for wagon traveling. Iu those days people went to meeting, mill, and market on horseback. We stayed at this mill only one year, then we moved where Jarvis Purdy now lives. My father built a new log house on that place, and it was considered rather a fine honse. 1 remember hearing my father and the neighbors talk about the war, what hardships they endured, and of their going to Warwick when Washington was to pass through there. Every- body was anxious to how to Washington, as he was looked upon as the best of the earth.

In those days stoves were not used, and people had to keep fire all night. They had no matches, so if the fire went out they would have to go perhaps a mile before they found some one who had fire. The first stove brought into the neighborhood caused as much excitement as an earthquake would in these days. James Wooden had the first stove I ever saw, and it would be considered quite a show if one of them could be seen now. The women were much opposed to using the new machine. They were sure they would never like thein, as the old way was good enough. They knew they could get a meal omch sooner by cooking the meat in a long-handled pan on some coals, and hang the old iron tea-kettle on the crane. As for baking, no better way could be found than to use the tin oven before a good fireplace

I well remember when Washington was President. When he died in 1799 everybody mourned as if he had lost his best friend. When the paper came that announced his death, it was lent from neighbor to neighbor until all had read the account. I can now see how the paper looked,-it was much smaller than most papers are now, and had broad black lines drawn around the margin. Of course there was no such time as when any great man dies now, for there were not so many people, and very few newspapers. People had very little money, and they were

obliged to waste no time, as they provided for their families by the hard- est kind of labor. I remember distinctly when all the Presidents have been elected. My first vote was given when Thomas Jefferson was elected for the second term. I do not think I ever missed my vote until I was eighty-seven years old, theo I was too feeble to go so far.

People worked hard in those days. Men ent wood, peeled hark, etc. The tan and currier business was a great trade, but people worked slower and better than now, for it took seven years to tan leather, and now thist many hours will almost complete the work ; but compare the leather and you will find a very different article,-not so good as in old times. We raised our flax ; the women would have carding frolics, when probably all the women for miles would help each other; then they would put the flax in a pillow-case and some one would go around with it, each person taking enough to spin warp for a yard. A day would be appointed to bring it home, then they would have what was called a "spinning frolic ;" a hundred might be present, have a good supper, dancing, and what was termed a good time. Cotton cloth was hardly nsed : only in calico and fine muslin. Every one wore linen clothes in summer, but they made woolen clothes for winter use. The whole work of manufac- turing cloth from wool was done at home.

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History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 106

Author: Ruttenber, Edward Manning, 1825-1907, comp; Clark, L. H. (Lewis H.) Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1336

Author: Ruttenber, Edward Manning, 1825-1907, comp; Clark, L. H. (Lewis H.)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1336