History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 109

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 109

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1880 .- President, Daniel II. Bailey ; Trustees, 1st Ward, Daniel Robin- son, James E. Matthews; 2d Ward, Thomas I. Crans, Abram V. Boak ; 3d Ward, John E. Iseman, Alfred M. Bowler; 4th Ward, Archibald L. Vail, John D. Crawford; Clerk, Charles J. Boyd ; Treasurer, Daniel Corwin; Collector, John C. Owen ; Street Compris- sioner, Charles J. Thayer; Attorney, Henry W. Wiggins; Police Justice, John F. Bradner; Assessors, Edwin Jessup, Ilerman B. Yonng, Horton Vail ; Police, Clinton C. Veber, Elisha White, Sammel J. White, Sammel If. Jones. Standing Committees of the Board of Trustees: Ways and Means, Messrs. Robinson, Iseman, and Mat- thewe ; Streets, Bridges, and Crosswalks, Messrs. Iseman, Robinson, and Crawford; Public Grounds and Buildings, Messrs. Bowler, Rob- inson, and Boak ; Lamps, Lamp Posts, and Lighting, Messrs. Boak, Crans, and Bowler; Fire Department and Fire Supplies, Messrs. Crans, Vail, and Boak ; Police Department, Messrs. Crawford, Bow- ler, and Matthews; all other supplies, Messrs. Vail, Iseman, and Crans; Clerk's and Treasurer's Accounts, Messrs. Matthews, Vail, and Crawford.

t President thereafter elected for two years by the people instead of by the board, and two trustees from each of four wards.

# These two names should be spelled differently as they are here giveu.

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HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY, NEW YORK.

THE POST-OFFICE of Middletown was established on the 22d of October, 1816. Stacey Beakes was ap- pointed the first postmaster, and continued in office until Feb. 1, 1826, when he was succeeded by his son, Henry S. Beakes.

On June 23, 1829, the name of the office was changed to South Middletown. Lewis Vail was appointed postmaster Feb. 3, 1842, and Dec. 14, 1844, he was succeeded by William Hoyt. March 24, 1849, Oliver P. Coleman was appointed, and on Sept. 10, 1849, the name of the office was again changed to Middle- town. Dec. 21, 1853, Hiram V. King was appointed to succeed Mr. Coleman. His successor was James B. Hallock for about eighteen. years. The present postmaster, Joseph L. Cleft, was appointed the Ist of April, 1879.

The receipts of the first quarter in 1817, rendered by Stacey Beakes, were 69 cents. In 1826 the receipts had risen to $16.12 a quarter; in 1854, to $257.79.

MIDDLETOWN LYCEUM .- This association was or- ganized at a meeting held at the Methodist Episcopal church, Dec. 6, 1841. Rev. Daniel T. Wood was chosen chairman, and James N. Pronk secretary. A committee, consisting of James N. Pronk, Edward M. Madden, Joseph D. Friend, and Robert Jackaway, was appointed to prepare a constitution and by-laws. The committee reported on the 13th, and the officers elected were George Little, president; Morgan L. Sproat, vice-president ; James N. Pronk, secretary ; Isaac Bannister, treasurer; J. Manning Finch and Nathaniel Conkling, associate executive committee. The introductory lecture was delivered by Rev. D. T. Wood, Dec. 20, 1841, succeeded that year by Rev. Dr. McCartec, J. W. Gott, Prof. Wm Bross, Moses Swezey, Rev. J. McReynolds, Rev. James Arbuckle, and Rev. Z. N. Lewis. Regular debates were also held during the winter and the following spring.

Measures were taken in January, 1842, to establish a library, and a collection of some 300 volumes was then obtained ; but the Lyceum Hall being destroyed by fire in the autumn of 1845, the books and records were in part destroyed.

This hall was on Main Street, and was fittted up by Dill & Houston. Another hall was fitted up on the same street by Henry E. Horton, in which its meet- ings were afterwards held. In 1851 Gothic Hall was erected, and the meetings of the lyceum transferred to that place. The first and third anniversaries of the formation of the lyceum were celebrated by a col- lation and appropriate literary exercises. At the first Rev. James Arbuckle delivered the address, and at the third James N. Pronk.

Its lecture courses, especially in the earlier years, were of unusual interest and eminently successful. The most noted platform orators in the country came to Middletown at the call of the lyceum.

FIRE DEPARTMENT .- John W. Hasbrouck's " Di- rectory of Middletown," 1858, says of the Fire De- partment :

" The village is provided with two fire engines,-one called Middle- town, and the other Protection No. 2, and also a good supply of hooks and ladders; also an engine-house located on Main Street, adjoining the Congregational church. There have been several fire company organi- zations, but none acting as such at present. The corporation anthorities hire a person to keep the engine and other fire apparatus in good work- ing order. It is expected that measures will be taken for the purchase of another fire engine during the present season. There are also eleven public cisterns and wells located in different parts of the village, to be used only in case of fire."

To this account of Middletown we have the plea- sure of adding the following article, written by Miss Sarah Wilkinson :

RECOLLECTIONS OF SAMUEL DENTON,* MIDDLETOWN, N. Y.

I was born in Connecticut ; came to Orange County for the first time in 1817, but did not move here until 1818. I spent four weeks at Ches- ter, then I succeeded Abijab Middlebrooks at the "Outlet," now called Denton. I occupied the store-house which T. B. Denton had removed, and upon the same ground built the house now occupied by his son, Theodore J. Deatou. Io the spring of 1820 I moved to Mechanictown, and continued the same business for one year. Then Mechanictown was quite a lively place, now it is like some place forsaken. April 1, 1821, I moved to Middletown, and opened a store in a building which stood on Main Street, where Albert Bull & Co. keep store. Then Middletown consisted of three streets, Main, North, and South. North Street was a barrow street, mostly filled with lumber, which was Stacey Beakes' prin- cipal article of traffic. Where Depot and King Streets are, and the build- ings upon them, was a pond, which was a favorite place of resort for boys to skate upon io winter. The edifice which stood on the Congregational church ground was the only place of worship. Rev. William Blain was the minister who presided at that time, but was not a settled pastor. The school-house stood where the building familiarly known as the "Old Bank" stands, now owned by J. Davis' heirs. Two brothers, Gabriel and Juho Wells, kept store where J. T. Kiog's drug-store is now, but during this year they dissolved, aod Gabriel went to New Windsor. Stacey Beakes kept another store on the corner, now known as Denton's corner. Dr. David Handford (father of John B. Handford) was the only physician for this place and vicinity. He lived in the house which stood on the same site where my house now stands. I bought of him and removed the old building. Then the land, now lying in the very centre of Middletown, could be bought for $50 per acre, and that thought to be a good price. John B. Cox (father of II. Cox, Mrs. Edwin Jessup, and Mis. J. T. King) was a harness-maker, and lived on South Street where Mrs. J. M. Matthews now lives. There is not a person living in Middle- towa now who lived here when I came here, except two or three who were mere infants.

The first hotel was kept by - Smith, which Seth Holdea owaed, now Kearney's : there is scarcely a building now used for a hotel in Mid- dletown that was built for that purpose. lo 1822 I purchased the cor- ner (now known as Denton's corner) of Stacey Beakes and I. Prall, of New York. I continued the mercantile business up to 1856, and think I kept store more years than any man ever has in Middletown. B. W. Shaw is next. Not a place of business is occupied by a descendant of the old firms. In my early days of store-keeping the inconvenience of getting the goods from New York can better be imagined than described. I usually spent a week in making my purchases. Merchants did not go 60 often aa now, 80 they were obliged to buy goods enough to Inst about half a year ; going to New York twice a year was about all they could do. I had to go by Newburgh. I would leave home very early Monday morn- ing, and then if I was fortunate enough to meet a boat I would go directly to New York, there spend the week up to Friday night in buy- ing such articles as my memorandum called for ; then I would take a boat, if possible, for home, spending a night and day on the road, often beiog until the late hours of Saturday oight before I reached home. Traveling by water was a very slow and uncertain way of getting from place to place,-many times would be delayed two or three days waiting for a boat to come. After the goods were brought to Newburgh by water, then the remaining twenty miles they must be carried in wagons. I think I can truly say I bave traveled over the road from here to New-

* Samuel Denton, born May 10, 1794, near Wilton, Conn., married Pau- line Darling, of Amenia, Duchess Co. Has resided over fifty years at his present home, on South Street, Middletown. The children all reside in Middletown, and are Mrs. Mary D. Graham, George L., and Frank B.

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burgh every hour in the day and night, and every day in the year and all kinds of wenther. How many merchants would think they could undergo what I have passed through when I was building up my busi- uess, and thereby doing all that lay in my power for the benefit and im- provement of the now flourishing village of Middletown.

Most of the old buildings have been removed, and better and larger ones taken their places. The first brick building was built by George S. Corwin, on South Street, where Mrs. Joseph King now lives; that was in 1837.

When I came to Middletown the post-office was established, but only a few years old. It was kept in a secretary on Denton's corner. Stacey Beakes was postmaster. The mail was carried by post-riders, und only received twice a week. Many things differ from now. In sommer, beef was a luxury reserved for a feast on Fourth of July ; one year a cow or ox would be killed in Middletown, and half of it sent to Goshen, and the next year the Goshen people would do the killing and send half to Middletown. Such was the case for a few years.

Hector Van Cleft (father of Lewis HI. Van Cleft, the present post- master) opened the first meat-market here, where Samuel Ayres now keeps grocery; others killed and brought it here and sold from the wagon, but he kept a market where different kinds of meat could be found at all times. One day a customer coming into the market and seeing so much meat hanging up, said to Van Cleft, " Do you kill a whole beef at a time?" What would that same person say now to see how many are killed and bronght into Middletown every day in the year ? Mrs. Lydia South kept a boarding-honse near where J. N. Kellogg is now. I boarded with her.

Sarah, daughter of Hezekiah Watkins, taught a private school on Sonth Street. I think Zina Kellogg opened the first grocery, where hie son John keeps. Others kept dry-goods and groceries; he kept only groceries.

John II. Corwin, now of Newburgh, built the first Presbyterian meet- ing-honse, in 1829. He bought the orchard facing on North Street, opened the street, and called it Orchard Street, from the fact it was through his orchard. He also built the first house upon that street. ] have assisted twice to build a house npon the present site of the First Presbyterian churchi.

Mrs. Lina Dobson, a must estimable woman, kept the first milliner- shop, on East Main Street, a few doors above Pronk's drug-store. James Little came from Hampton, bought land, built the house, and lived where Dr. Dorrance now lives. He opened James Street and named it for himself. He also built a house on Mulberry Street for his brother-in- law, Dr. Pronk ; it is now occupied by his son, James N. Pronk. In 1838 he built the parsonage for the First Presbyterian Church at his own ex- pense (costing $1500), on grounds belonging to the congregation. Rev. Daniel T. Wood was the first occupant. Dr. John B. McMunn came from Scotchtown, and was a noted physician in the early days of Middle- town. William F. Sharp was the first lawyer of the place; he remained only a short time, when he went to Goshen, where he is at present. His brother taught school on North Street. E. M. Madden opened the first tin-shop, on Main Street nearly opposite Canal Street. After a few years he entered in partnership with E. P. Wheeler, and opened the foundry where A. L. Vail is now. Previons to this two brothers, Hiram and String- ham Dunning, built what is now known as "Tandy Block," and opened a foundry, but continued only a short time. After the Erie Railroad was built as far as Goshen, and the road graded to Middletown, the company were obliged to leave it so on account of insufficient means to complete the work. Joseph Davis, myself, and some twenty-five others (whom I canoot mention) furnished the means to buy the rails, thus completing the road to this place, and on June 12, 1843, we had the great pleasure of witnessing the arrival of the first cars in Middletown. John Bailey built tbe depot and was the first agent.

I helped to organize the first bank in 1839, kept on Main Street, where Daniel II. Bailey now lives.

The Bloomingburgh plank-road, opened in 1850, was a great benefit to Middletown. I aided in its building, and was the first president; re- miained so for many years.

The Wallkill Academy, organized in I841, was a good mark for a small village. Ae on other occasions, I was present and gave my assistance ; was also the first president of this institution.

I never held a public office, only town clerk for two or three years; preferred always to attend to private affairs.

I have seen the place increase from less than 100 people to shout 8000; witnessed many great changes; have seen all the noted buildings of this place during their erection and completion ; have outlived many worthy persons of my early years, seen them pass one by one until I am the last to relate these facts.

The old dwelling on West Main Street, belonging to Moses Wright, which was torn down this year, was built in IS4I. It was in its day considered quite a pretentious dwelling. The brick block consisted of three buildings; they were all built at one time by the late David Clark, upon the site of a tannery owned and operated by Robert Houston and Charles Dill. Mr. Wright's house was built directly over the old tannery vats, and the builder, not thinking a good foundation of much importance, simply threw a quan- tity of loose dirt and stones into the vat-holes, and upon this flimsy foundation erected his brick wall. The building began to settle the following year, and continued to settle until at last it was considered un- safe and ordered removed.

In the building next door, now occupied by L. L. Purdy, was located the first hat-factory established in Middletown. It was started by Judd & John- son, two Connecticut men, and run for some years. They gave employment to half a dozen men, and turned out from twelve to fifteen dozen hats per day. All the work was done at that time by hand. The hat business now amounts to eight hundred dozen per day. A story is told of Judd, a member of the above firm, which is very timely just now, showing that Dr. Tanner is not the only faster. Middletown had one in earlier time. Judd attended the Methodist Church, and during a revival season was converted. For some time religion was his only thought, and he became a regular religious enthusiast. While in this condition, he one day announced to his friends that he had re- ceived a revelation from God, instructing him to fast and pray for forty days as a penance for his many sins. He at once began his fast, which lasted just four days, when, as he said, the Lord, but, as the irreverent said, his stomach, told him to go to eating again. lle was as ready to accept the second revela- tion as he had been the first, and so, abandoning fast- ing, he resumed the manufacture of hats.

SCOTCHTOWN

is situated on high ground, the section of country being about one thousand feet above tide-water. It undoubtedly took its name from the nationality of the early settlers. McVey, Mcwhorter, McInnis, Mclaughlin, McCord, are names sufficiently proving the origin of Scotchtown.

George Houston gave three acres of land for the churchyard and burying-ground; the first person buried there was a child of Benjamin Simons; in a few weeks after Mrs. Patrick Bodle and Mrs. George Houston were buried the same day ; this was in the fall of 1801.

The first store was opened in 1803, by Robert Ster- ritt, in the house where Dickinson lives.

John Brown was the first postmaster; the post-office was in a building on the northeast corner of the village.

The business at the present time consists of the

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IIISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY, NEW YORK.

store of Mr. Coleman, who is also postmaster ; Sloats' wagon-shop, and Clark's blacksmith-shop.

MECHANICTOWN

is a village about two miles east of Middletown, which sprang up many years ago around the forge and trip-hammer works of Messrs. Otis & Miller. Other manufactories followed. The place now comprises but few business places. The old woolen-factory, which was located here, was destroyed by fire a year ago.

The old hotel was also burned and two old land- marks disappeared. There is a small new hotel, kept by Roberts & Co .; a glove manufactory and a feed- mill, in the same building, by Mr. Dewsknapp ; blanket-weaving by John Oldroy.

The large factory and the hotel that were burned belonged, in late years, to the Newsomes.

CIRCLEVILLE

is about half-way between Scotchtown and Blooming- burgh, on the old turnpike from Goshen to Blooming- burgh. Its post-office furnishes mail facilities for something of a " circle" of country roundabout. Mr. Samuel Bull was for many years the leading man of the place. After the division of the Presbyterian Church in the United States into Old School and New, 1837, a church was organized at Circleville in the interest of the New School denomination, and their house of worship was erected on the property of Mr. Bull.

This place is now a station on the Crawford Rail- road. Mr. Harrison Bull is the agent in charge. He is also postmaster, the office being kept at the store of John Bull. Circleville post-office was established in 1850. Daniel Bull was postmaster until 1855, when he resigned, and his brother Harrison was appointed, who is the present postmaster. The other business of the place comprises the stores of G. T. Bull and of John Bull ; blacksmith-shops by George B. Wallace and by W. H. Odell; wagon-shops by L. C. Terwilliger and by A. A. Foster ; shoe-shops by James Moore and by Joseph Ogden ; two creameries, one by the Circleville Milk Association, the other by D. W. Berry, who is a large operator in this line, having another creamery, known as the Rockville, and one also in Goshen ; II. S. Wilkison, a little out from the village, does mis- cellaneous wood-work, and also operates a cider-mill.

The village is very pleasantly situated, with a rich agricultural region around it. Many comfortable and even elegant residences give ample proof of the in- dustrious and well-to-do character of the people.

Of this village Miss Sarah E. Wilkison wrote a few years since :

"Circleville is a small but pleasantly-situated village in the town of Wallkill (now on the line of the Crawford Railroad). It has a population of about 100 inhabitants. Its growth has been slow, as it has no water privilege, and until 1871 was five miles from a railroad. Previous to 1791 but little is known of it, as at that time it was a thick forest, with a single log house, occupied by Mr. Coddington, near where the village now stands. Not even a rond, only as travelers were guided by marked

trees. The road leading from Goshen to Bloomingburgh reached within a mile at that time, and in about two years it passed through what is now Circleville, although much unlike the road of the present time. The road was made by simply cutting down the trees aud digging out the lar- gest rocks. By this process it was made very crooked, and remained so for many years, notwithstanding the great inconvenience of traveling a roundabout way to get a short distance. For the next five years nothing occurred worthy of note, only they cleared more of the land each year, but no further building took place until the year 1800, when George Niver, who lived on Col. Newkirk's farm (which is now Circleville and vicinity), built a small frame house as a payment for his rent, and a por- tion of that building may yet be seen in a barn now owned by Alexander Jordan. Col. Newkirk was then quite an old man, and in about ten years he died, when his farm was purchased by the brothers, Simeon and William Bush, William having 30 acres, and Simeon the remainder. Uatil this time only three or four farm-houses had been built, and three of them are yet standing on their original sites.

"The country around was thinly settled ; churches, schools, and shops were nt a distance. No Imsiuess was carried on for miles around, except a pottery, which was erected by David Mandeville, and was operated by him for many years, it being then one of the most extensive branches of business in the country. He was unfortunate in having his buildings burned three times, and after the third loss he moved his family to Wa- verly, and the business was never re-established. Samuel Bull purchased the farm of the brothers Bush in 1831, and built the stone house which yet occupies a prominent site in Circleville. Nothing uousual transpired for the next ten years. There were a few changes and some improve- ments. In the year 1841 the inhabitants of the territory long known as Bull Jlack felt the need of having divine service more accessible than it had been, and accordingly jovited the Rev Daniel T. Wood, of Middletown, to meet and advise with them respecting the propriety of an organization." (See "Churches.") "After establishing a church it was thought proper to give the place some name; accordingly, at a meeting heldl Nov. 20, 1841, at the house of Samuel Bull, it was decided that it should be called Circleville merely as a matter of choice."*

PHILLIPSBURGH

lies east of Middletown, on the Wallkill. Across the river there is an elevation known as Hopper Hill, so named because somebody fancied that the topography of the hill, or a depression in the rear, resembled the hopper of a grist-mill.

Further east is Mount Joy, said to have been named by a company of men who were lost for a time in the wilderness, but having climbed this eminence they saw the Wallkill, and instantly knew their location. In their "gushing" joy they christened the mountain with a perpetual memorial of their feelings.

Phillipsburgh is an old point of settlement, and a place of great expectations. With its magnificent water-power, with its government contracts for pow- der during the war of the Revolution, with the noted men who settled there, and the fine farming country around it, it had every prospect of advanced growth. It was a place of trade, and the people from the vi- cinity of what is now Middletown went to Phillips- burgh to do their shopping.

The change of public routes, the growth of Middle- town as an important railway village, dwarfed Phil- lipsburgh. There are now no stores or business places there except the grist-mills, one on the northwest side of the stream, owned by H. B. Hulse, and run by George M. White, the other on the opposite side of the stream, owned by T. & J. Marsh. There is a

* It was proposed by Mrs. Mary Bull, who thonght Circleville, of Ohio, a very pleasant name. It was immediately assented to by the others present.

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WALLKILL.

blacksmith-shop by Charles L. White. The Hulse mill was originally a fulling-mill, and the old stone dye-house still stands near it. The old powder- magazine of 1776 is said to have been at the present Slauson place. T. & J. Marsh also run a distillery.

We add the following article, as giving many items on several of the villages of Wallkill.

RECOLLECTIONS OF HALF A CENTURY.

" Abent half a century ago Middletown stood precisely where it stands now, with its surroundings of hills and valleys and water-courses and highways and by-ways, but the inhabitants have changed very much. It had one meeting-house, the Congregational, which stood nearly where the new one is building. Abel Jackson was the preacher, and Isaiah Vail was the chorister. The village had a school-house, standing " OLD SCHOOLMASTER. where Enimet Moore's house stands now, on South Street. The writer of " June, 1872." this article was the teacher, with about forty-five scholars, gathered fron HOWELL'S DEPOT the whole village and its suburbs. Middletown, all told, contained thirty families and about one hundred and fifty inhabitants, viz. : Sam. Ben- | is a station on the Erie Railroad next northwest from

nett, Charles Weed, Alex. Murray, Abigail Howell, Robert Kelly, Moses Corwin, Stacey Beakes, Elisha Corwin, Sam. Canfield, Ob. Vail, Josish Vail, Luther Vail, Abel Darby (colored), Mary Wickham, Ralph Keeler, Nat. Penny, Jesse Corwin, Jane Knapp, James Smith, Saml. Denton, Lydia Smith, Jolin Wells, Gabriel Wells, Daniel Hulse, Peter Hulse, Shelden Ensign, Temperance Brown, Susan Hill, William Owen, and Jolın Cox.

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History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 109

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