History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 128

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 128

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520

HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY, NEW YORK.

subsequently removed to Wallkill township, where his death occurred. He was married to Mary Tyler,

En Smith

and became the father of a family of children, among whom was Ira, the father of George, who was born

September, 1800, in Wallkill township, and remained with his parents during the early years of his life. After growing to man's estate he made Mount Hope his residence, and became one of the enterprising agri- culturists of the township. He was married to Miss Sallie, daughter of Robert Crawford, of Crawford township, and had children,-Robert C., Charles, William H., Gabriel S., Mary E., George, Oran, Ira, and Sarah F. After a life of unusual activity, the death of Mr. Smith occurred at Otisville, Feb. 28, 1879. His son George was born Feb. 8, 1835, in Otisville, where his early life was spent. After gain- ing by study at the neighboring public school such knowledge as enabled him to embark with success in the active duties of life, he began his career as a clerk in Otisville. A copartnership was formed in 1856 with Benjamin W. Dunning, and subsequently other business relations were established. He is now the senior member of the firm of Messrs. Reed & Smith, of Otisville, and extensively engaged in mercantile pursuits. Mr. Smith has for years identified himself with the public interests of the township of Mount Hope, and been chosen by his constituents for four- teen successive terms as supervisor, besides filling other minor positions of trust. He represents in politics the principles of the Democracy, of which he is an active exponent.

While his enterprise and capacity have rendered his life a successful one, his integrity and manliness have won for him the esteem and regard of his asso- ciates.

GOSHEN.

I .- SITUATION, BOUNDARIES, AREA, TITLE.

GOSHEN is the central town of the county. It is bounded north by Wallkill and Hamptonburgh, east by Hamptonburgh, Blooming-Grove, and Chester, south by Chester and Warwick, and west by Wawa- yanda. The area of the town, as expressed in the equalization table of the board of supervisors, is 22,691 acres. The assessed valuation of the town was $2,975,805. The total tax paid upon that basis (1879- 80) was 823,861.27. The town is wholly upon the territory of the Wawayanda Patent. The first settle- ment was made just within the limits of the present town of Hamptonburgh. Various subdivisions of the patent soon took place. The laying out of the "town- ship" of Goshen is mentioned in another place.

II .- NATURAL FEATURES.

slopes, and may be cultivated to their summits. In the southwest corner, along the Wallkill, is a con- siderable traet of drowned lands. In later years much of this has been reclaimed by skillful drainage. The principal stream is the Wallkill, which forms the boundary on the west. Quaker Creek also constitutes the boundary line for some distance on the southeast, and unites with the Wallkill at the extreme southern part of the town. There are two branches of the Wallkill, one flowing directly south and then west from the vicinity of Mapes' Corners, the other from Goshen village, where it is formed of two rivulets, one from the north and the other from the south. There are also two small streams tributary to Quaker Creek. Across the northeast part of the town the Otterkill flows through a rich and productive valley, having one branch from the east and one from the sonth, Several swamps have local names, as Big

The surface of this town is rolling or moderately hilly. The hills are bordered by long and gradual Swamp, Cedar Swamp, and Pumpkin Swamp, which

523

GOSHEN.

£ ‹. d.

£ 8. d.

W'in. T. Macknight.

6 Benjamin Moore ...

5 9 3

John Chandler,

6 Benjamin Moore, Jr

Daniel Carpenter.

3 10 11

Roeleff Van Brant ..

0 10

ITenry Wisner

13 13 0 William Treadwell, 13 13 0 6

24 8 10 Wm. Thompson (atty.) .. 8

Joseph Wood

3 18

0 John Everett ..

Moses T. Leadfield (?).

11 11

Benjamin Ludlum.

Timothy Wood

4 15

Richard Wood.

Roger Townsend 13

0 John Denton ..

Thomas Wickham 3 9

John Thompson.

12 13 9

John Wood (blacksmith).

5 16

Isaac Ludlum 13 16 3

Samuel Denton (hatter) .. 10 4 11

Daniel Everett. 17 11 11

Ama Case,

John Steward. 8 2 7

George Thompson 6 17

William Thompson,

William Thompson, Jr .... 10 14 3

John Carpenter (stiller) .. 7 11 =

of Widow Elvendnye )

Mathew Ilowell. 10 9

" The above is the list of all the men in my district, as witness my hand, September, 1775. JOHN STEWARD."

SPECIAL NOTES ON FAMILIES.

Maj. John Wood was engaged in the battle of Min- isink, and was the only prisoner whose life was spared by the enemy. At the time of his capture he was a farmer and blacksmith, and owned what is now known as the Wallace property, and lived in the house now or lately occupied by John Bradner. His blacksmith-shop was in front of his residence, west on the hill, at the junction of Church Street and Mur- ray Avenue. He was a captain in Col. Allison's regi- ment of militia, and as such moved to the defense of the Minisink settlers with his company. After his return from captivity he was commissioned major in the militia. During his captivity his first wife mar- ried another, and after his return he married Han- nah Carpenter, of Goshen, sister of James Carpenter, and also of Benjamin Carpenter, of Carpenter's Point. Solomon C. Wood, of Bangor, Wis., was the only son by the last wife, although he has descend- ants by his first wife. Maj. Wood died in I812, and was buried with military honors at Slate Hill Ceme- tery.

Widow Christian Wood, who died in Goshen on July 5, 1825, aged fourscore and five years, was at Wyoming with her family when the battle took place there, and narrowly escaped with her life. She had a son and husband killed in the battle.

Samuel Moffatt lived a mile northwest of Goshen, where his son, John Moffatt, resided at a later period. He was a surveyor and a school-teacher, well known as " Master Moffatt."

Phineas Case lived where Michael Burke now re- sides. A daughter of Mr. Case, Mrs. John Brown, is still living in Newburgh about ninety years of age. | he was killed.

Thomas Gale probably lived above Phillipsburgh ; Coe Gale, in the village of Goshen, just above the Episcopal church.

Carman Carpenter lived in the West Division.

Silas Horton's homestead was a short distance north of Goshen village.

William Thompson settled in the south part of the present town of Goshen, about two miles from Florida. He was a man of considerable means, and purchased 600 acres or more. One daughter became the wife of Dr. Nathaniel Elmer, and one son was the well-known Judge William Thompson. Sons of the latter were |

Morris, William, and Thomas, all of whom lived for a time in this county. One daughter became the wife of Col. John Cowdrey.

Nathaniel Conkling emigrated from Long Island, and settled at what has since been known as Conk- lingtown, in Goshen. This was near the elose of the Revolutionary war, 1780 to 1781. His sons were Na- thaniel, Samuel, Enos, Joshua ; one daughter, Eliza- beth, died unmarried, and one became the wife of Joseph Conkling. Samuel Conkling removed to Mid- dletown. Joshua succeeded to the old homestead, while Nathaniel and Enos lived on farms adjoining. Elijah Reeve lived northeast of Goshen village.

Jonathan Swazey's homestead was north of Goshen. The name is now generally written Swezey, although there are those who still write it Swazy-a distinction which we may not correctly recognize in all cases. Indeed, one of the most difficult problems in local names is to seeure uniformity in orthography.

Col. Tusten, Sr., some years before the Revolution, had left his son, Dr. Tusten, on the Denne homestead (Mrs. Priee's), and removed to the head of Main Street, Goshen. After the death of the young physician the father moved back to the early homestead. This ac- counts for the two being assessed separately in 1775. Children of Dr. Tusten were James, Thomas, Catha- rine, Sarah, Abigail.

Capt. Michael Jones resided on the Drowned Lands, three miles from Goshen village. Andrew, Anthony, Michael, and Samuel Jones, of a later generation, were his grandsons.

Gabriel Wisner was the son of Hon. Henry Wisner, of Goshen .* The children of the latter were Gabriel, Henry, Jr., Mrs. John Denton, Mrs. Phineas Holmes, and Mrs. Moses Phillips. Henry Wisner was a mem- ber of the first Continental Congress, and is said to have remarked, when the decision to resist England's oppression was made, "The next thing we want is gunpowder ;" and arrangements were soon after made to manufacture it at Phillipsburgh.

Capt. Bezaliel Tyler + was the first man killed in the battle of Minisink. He had four children,-John, Phebe, Elan, Oliver. It is sometimes said that he was really the only officer on that fatal day who had had any previous experience in fighting Indians. He was making a reconnoissance of the Indians' position when

Capt. John Duncan resided in Goshen village. He was a tanner by trade, and lived in the old stone house which formerly occupied the site of William MI. Sayer's residence.

Gamaliel Bailey was in the battle of Minisink, from Goshen, and was killed.

Capt. Benjamin Vail and Gilbert T. Vail were in the battle of Minisink. William Vail was taken sick on the way and returned. Capt. Benjamin had two brothers, William and John.

* Grandson of Johannes Wisner, whose deed is the oldest in Goshen. + Not a resident of Goshen.

3 10 0 attorney, in behalf

James Butler

524

HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY, NEW YORK.

Roger Townsend's old homestead was opposite the present brickyard. As one of the incidents attending the destruction of old graveyards (incidents that ought forever to prevent such desecration) it may be added that in excavating in the church park the tombstone of a little five-year-old daughter of Mr. Townsend was dug up bearing the date of her death in 1765. Gen. Joseph W. Wilkin married a daughter of Roger Townsend.

Lieut. John Wood lived at Summerville, in the town of Goshen. It seems there were four of the name, who must be distinguished from each other. viz .: Capt. John Wood, Lieut. John Wood, Maj. John Wood, John Wood, Jr., the last named of whom was a son of the major.

Adjt. Nathaniel Finch was a descendant of one of the earliest settlers of Goshen, and the early burials of the family were on Prospect Hill. in Goshen vil- Jage.

Maj. Thomas Waters lived just beyond the mile- stone on the Florida road. He had four children, Thomas, Henry, Mrs. Thomas Thorn, and Mrs. Robert Seeley. He was one of the early sheriff's of the county.

Rev. Nathaniel Kerr was pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Goshen for thirty years, including the Revolutionary period. He was a grandson of Walter Kerr, who was born in Scotland in 1653, and of whom it may be briefly said that he was a strict Presby- terian, and was arrested as a Non-conformist, stripped of his property, and sentenced to perpetual banish- ment ; that he came to America and settled at Free- hold, N. J., where he became one of the founders and a ruling elder of the famous Tennent Church, of which the brothers William and Gilbert Tentent were successive pastors. His grandson had many of the traits of his aneestor; was a strict Presbyterian, and hated the name of king. We have referred to him briefly elsewhere. See General History- "Churches.") His children were Oliver L., Catha- rine (Mrs. Simon Hasock), Hannab (Mrs. Theodorus Van Wyck), Margaret C., Mary, and Elizabeth. At the time of his death he was one of the regents of the University of the State of New York. He died in 1804.

John Steward was a prominent citizen, a near neighbor of Hon. Henry Wisner. He was born in Goshen in 1747. He had five sons.

Richard Halstead was an early settler of Goshen. He lived on the Florida road, near the present Snyder place, over the " Rio Grande." and it is claimed by his descendants that he was the first merchant in Goshen. He afterwards bonght 600 aeres of land in what is now Wawayanda, adjoining the Fullerton farm. The tradition in this family is that his son Michael was born there. If so (as Michael died in 1820, at the age of seventy-two), it determines the set- tlement of Richard in Wawayanda to have been as early as 1747 or 1748, not more than ten or twelve

years later than the Dolsens. Michael Halstead left several children,-Michael, Jr., Jesse, Aaron, Mrs. William Hemingway, Mrs. Silas Hemingway, and Mrs. Alma Bailey. Michael, Jr., had one daughter, Mrs. Charles T. Jackson, from whom most of these particulars are obtained. It is understood that the pioneer Richard Halstead had a brother Joseph, who came to Orange County about the same time. He had no children, but an adopted son, bearing the family name, became the owner of the well-known Cash farm in Wawayanda.

There are four Jacksons mentioned in the assess- ment-roll of 1775,-William, twice (probably father and son), Henry, and Richard. The late Charles T. Jackson, postmaster of Goshen, a citizen, and warden of the Episcopal Church for more than thirty years, was a son of John C. Jackson. That there were two or more branches of this carly family and but slightly related is evident from the fact that the wife of John C. Jackson was Fanny Jackson, a daughter of Wil- liam Jackson ; and through this line the family chain is linked to the names upon the assessment-roll. Wil- liam Jackson, the father of Mrs. John C., was a eap- tain in the Revolutionary war, and subsisted a com- pany of soldiers for some time at his residenee in the West Division, and at his own expense. He was from Ireland, educated in Dublin, and a certificate of his qualifications was extant among the family papers a few years since. Judging by the assessment-roll, his son William was a young man of age at the time of the Revolution. It is of this stalwart young patriot that an exploit is told among Revolutionary tradi- tions. Goshen had some Loyalists, and the disenssions between Whig and Tory were violent, and sometimes came to blows. Young Jackson caught a Tory one night trying to eut down a liberty-pole. Seizing him on the instant, he compelled the Tory prisoner to throw his arms around the pole and hug this patriotie sym- bol while he administered a good sound flogging, thus teaching the Tories that liberty-poles had rights on this continent which must be respected.

Returning to the names on the assessment-roll, Richard Jackson had one daughter, who became the wife of Thomas Wilkin. Mrs. Hoffman, of Goshen, is a daughter of the latter.

The pioneer members of the Vail family in Orange County were three,-Josiah, Samnel, and Benjamin. They all settled near each other, south of the present residence of Thomas Crist. There was the old Vail mansion, a shingle house, which stood down to about twenty-five years ago. The three then made a elear- ing in what is now Wallkill, beyond the Phillipsburgh bridge, half a mile or so down-stream. The clearing was made under perpetual danger of the Indians, one man to work and two to watch with old smooth-bore rifles,-sure death every time to an Indian in range. Josiah moved there and settled, having married a member of the Corwin family. Benjamin settled on what is now known as the John Tuthill place, in Go-

525

GOSHEN.

shen, east of the Otterkill. Samuel remained on the place first bought in Goshen. Josiah Vail married Patience Corwin. Their children were Isaiah, who occupied his father's homestead ; Daniel, who settled in Western New York ; John, who remained in Orange County ; Phebe, who became the wife of her cousin, William Vail ; and Irene, who died unmarried. Sam- uel Vail married Hannah Petty. Their children were Gilbert T., killed at the battle of Minisink ; Michael, who settled in Vermont ; Phebe, who married David Horton; Experience, who married Silas Horton ; and Hannah, who married Wm. Carpenter. Benjamin Vail married Miss Alsop. Their children were Wil- liam, of Chester ; John, who settled on the homestead ; Benjamin, killed at Minisink ; Mary, who married John Payne; and Lydia, who died unmarried.

William Barker lived two miles from Goshen vil- lage, on the Lagrange road.

John Payne was probably father of the John Payne who died recently at the age of ninety.

Capt. Silas Pierson, Mr. Victor M. Drake states, lived near the old stone house in Hamptonburgh. His wife was a DeWitt, and a relative of Mrs. James Clinton. Capt. Pierson bad two children,-Jubal, who removed to Ithaca, and Rhoda, who became the wife of Rufus J. Drake, and mother of Victor M. Drake, the well-known publisher of Goshen village, and for thirty years a resident of Newtown, N. J. The father of Rufus J. Drake was Francis Drake, of Blooming-Grove, an early citizen and a deacon in the Blooming-Grove Church.

Caleb Smith probably lived where Mrs. Phillips now resides in the village of Goshen. But there are so many Smiths named in the early papers that it is difficult to locate them.

Solomon Carpenter lived over the hills west of Goshen. Samuel Dunning resided at Goshen village. Elisha Goldsmith was two miles or so south of Goshen village, where his descendants now reside. Abraham Springsted lived in the same neighborhood. David Moore's homestead was immediately adjacent. Isaiah Vail lived near David Moore before the Revolution, but must have removed to Phillipsburgli soon after the war. Elind Tryon must also have removed from Goshen to Wallkill at an early day. Daniel Reeve resided where Charles Reeve now lives, near the old Tusten place. Peter Clowes and wife are said to have been buried in the garden at this homestead. Heze- kiah Watkins' homestead was the place now owned by William Watkins. Zaccheus Case lived in what was known as "Casetown." There were three early homesteads on that road,-Phineas Case, Zaccheus Case, and David Case.

Benjamin Coleman's homestead was a short dis- tance beyond the Carpenter place, on the Mont- gomery road. The present recollections of old citi- zens locate Aaron Cortright in what is now Wall- kill, but he may have moved over the line soon after the Revolution. William Mapes lived on the

Montgomery road, two and a half miles from the court-house. Phineas Salmon and his son, Gideon Salmon, lived in "Casetown."

Joseph Conkling was probably the early hatter. John Barker lived out on the Montgomery road, per- haps three miles.

A very early pioncer was Henry Smith, who prob- ably came to Goshen about 1743. He had at least one son, Caleb, whose name appears in the old rec- ords. The children of Caleb were Henry C., Stephen, John, Caleb, and Mrs. James Tusten. Stephen, Jr., a son of the Stephen named above, is still living at the age of eighty-one. Ile states that Caleb Smith's homestead was near where S. L. Everett now lives.

Maj. Henry Brewster was a lieutenant in Col. Al- lison's regiment of militia, and was taken prisoner at Fort Montgomery, Oct. 7, 1777 ; exchanged Dec. 17, 1780. He was wounded at the battle in which he was taken prisoner, and confined for a time in the old prison-ship at New York. Capt. James Brewster, a brother of Henry, was also in the army of the Revolu- tion,-captain-lieutenant New York Artillery. Both Jeft an honorable record. The latter was a member of The Society of the Cincinnati.

Colville Bradner lived about half-way from Goshen to Florida. He and Colville Ludlum married two sisters Denton.

William Denton lived where the railroad erosses South Street. Moses Gale lived above the Episcopal church. John Ludlum on the old road to Florida. Timothy Wood, Jr., or his father, lived on Greenwich Street, where William H. Snyder now lives. Wood owned a small farm. Joshua Wells lived near the railroad, where Alfred Wells now owns, west of the village. Stephen Crane lived towards the Drowned Lands, probably where the Cranes now reside. Samuel and Charles Webb lived near what is known as the Webb Cemetery.

William Knapp, brother of the two Knapps killed at Minisink, beyond the Webb Cemetery, the present Knapp neighborhood. James Sawyer also, still farther west. Samuel Jones near Sawyer's. Daniel Carpenter lived near the Orange County farm, where a descendant of Daniel resides. Dr. Thomas Wick- ham lived in Goshen village.

Nathaniel Tuthill, overseer, father of O. B. Tuthill, lived in the stone house now owned by O. B. Tuthill, now a tenant-house in Hamptonburgh. Moses Polly lived in what is now Hamptonburgh,-house gone,- on land recently sold to Thomas B. Jackson. Wil- liam Mapes lived in Hamptonburgh, where James Lewis now owns. William Moore on the same Lewis farm. Samuel Horton was a son of Silas Horton. Joshua Tuthill lived where Horace Tuthill now lives, in Hamptonburgh. John Conner lived in a tenant- house on the Joshua Tuthill farm. Widow Springsted lived in the town of Goshen, in a shingle house now owned by O. B. Tuthill, which goes back of the Revolution. A store was kept there in the war by

526

HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY, NEW YORK.

Christopher Hunter. The husband of the Widow Springsted was Christopher H. Springsted.

Mary Arnold (widow), of the Dr. Arnell family, * lived in Hamptonburgh, where Thomas Crist now lives ; the early Arnold house was removed only within a few years.

William Borland lived in Goshen. He was a son- in-law of Capt. David Swezey, and both lived near the Widow Arnell house, but in Goshen. Timothy Tryon lived a little nearer Goshen, where Mr. Howell now owns. Thomas Payne lived about ten rods nearer Goshen, where Ezra F. Tuthill recently lived. Wil- liam Wells lived in Goshen, where David E. Case now owns,-occupied by a tenant. "Flanigan, the tailor," lived in a tenant-house belonging to Mr. Wells. Alexander Corey was a son-in-law of Wil- liam Wells. Silas Horton lived where Samuel Rum- sey now resides. Mathias Horton was a son of Silas. Barnabas Horton lived about a mile and a half from Silas Horton, west. Jonathan Swezey lived a little nearer Goshen village. David Steward where Widow Coholan now lives. Joseph Wood, commissioner of highways, lived a mile and a half west of Goshen vil- lage, where Mr. Everett now resides. Phineas Case where M. Burke now owns. There is also mentioned " Brown, the weaver."

Of William Allison, whose assessment was the largest on the list, very little is now known. That he was a man of standing and influence, however, is suf- ficiently attested by the fact that he was the com- manding officer of the Goshen regiment of militia, first Democratie President, Thomas Jefferson. The and in that capacity was in action at the Highland fort in October, 1777, where he was taken prisoner by the enemy. He was a representative from the county in the Provincial Convention from 1775 to 1777; State senator from 1783 to 1786, and member of Assembly in 1795. Further information bas been sought in vain. The prayer of Dickens, "Lord, keep my memory green," is very suggestive in con- nection with men of his class.

The early physicians of the town appear in the ac- counts of early settlement already given,-Dr. Tusten, Dr. Thomas Wickham, Dr. Swezey, and Dr. Arnell. Somewhat later Dr. Thomas Evans, Dr. Ostrom, Dr. Egbert Jansen, Dr. Wm. Horton, Dr. Smith, and Dr. Elliot, and there were doubtless others, for which see chapter on medical profession.

OLD TAVERNS OF GOSHEN.t

In the year 1729, March 31st, William Mapes, a descendant of Thomas Mapes, one of the first Eng- lish settlers of the State of New York, came to Goshen. He bonght of Madame Elizabeth Denne, the widow of Christopher Denne, for the "sum of six hundred and twenty-five pounds lawful money of the colony of New York, all the remaining part of a certain tract

of land on the west side of the Otterkill, computed to contain eleven hundred acres of land," upon which he erected, within a short distance of the "old county line," at what was subsequently called " Emtintown," a building which he kept as a tavern previous to the French and Indian war. His next-door neighbor was David Moore, "the weaver," whose large house, coming into the hands of William Mapes at the be- ginning of the Revolution, was soon occupied by Mapes, where he continued business for many years. This house in the days of the Revolution was the scene of many remarkable gatherings. In this im- mediate neighborhood were a few friendly Indians, who remained about Goshen for years. These, with the negro slaves, now about as numerous, and the newly-arriving white settlers, made this country tavern a great resort. William Mapes was an active, middle- sized man, with prominent features, well fitted for his business, which he followed nearly his entire life. He died in his eighty-fourth year. His wife was Eunice Loring, who survived him, and attained the age of nearly one hundred years. The old Moore house was demolished by James Lewis, Jr., in the year 1870, about one hundred and twenty-five years after its erection.

James Denton kept what is now known as the "old Josey Sayre house," situated at "Carpenter Mill," as a tavern as early as 1796. He was a stocky-built man of vigorous constitution. Here in the year 1801, March 4th, was celebrated the inauguration of the celebration had obtained a genuine success, when, late in the day, the crowd in the bar-room becoming large and active, the flooring gave way, precipitating the entire party into the cellar, producing an uncalled- for amount of confusion. One account, published a few years since, says this breakdown produced a free fight.

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History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 128

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