History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 173

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 173

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

* This has been reproduced in some of the new plows of recent years, + Ante, p. 110.

703

DEERPARK.

carried chain and learned surveying of Nicholas Scull, the famons surveyor of early times. In ex- ploring the Minisink country they found a fine or- chard larger than any near Philadelphia. This was owned by Samuel Depnis. Depuis drew his wheat and cider to Kingston, about a hundred miles, over the "Mine road," and brought back salt and other necessaries.

Nearly sixty years later, as the tradition asserts, at the Preston expedition of 1787, they met Nicholas Dupnis, the son of Samuel, living in a spacious stone house in great plenty and affluence, who confirmed the previous traditions. These are the authorities which are claimed to indicate early settlement, while the country was still in possession of the Dutch, prior, therefore, to 1664. Mines are said to have been opened at two points,-"one on the Delaware, where the mountain nearly approaches the lower point of Pahaquarry Flat; the other at the north foot of the same mountain, near half-way from the Delaware to Esopus." The tradition implies that the mining and the settlement were abandoned in 1664 at the Eng- lish conquest.

It is evident that these traditions relate to territory beyond the present limits of Orange County, and that they prove little or nothing with reference to the towns to which this present history is devoted. The " mines" were opened at some very early date, as compared with the time of general settlement. The " Mine road" was an early work, but there is no proof that either were in existence before the Dutch snrrender in 1664. Even the interview of Lukens with Samuel Depuis* in 1730, affords no indication of a settlement having existed for seventy or eighty years previously. Thirty years or forty years, carrying the date of settlement back even to 1690, would have afforded ample time for the growth of an excellent orchard, the production of considerable cider, and the growth of abundant crops of wheat.

The address of Benjamin B. Edsall, Esq., at the first Sussex centenary, Oct. 6, 1853, presses definitely this claim of early settlement in behalf of the lower Minisink, twelve miles from Carpenter's Point.

As this is now beyond the bounds of New York, it is not perhaps a necessary part of our work to throw doubt upon this claim ; but as the same claim is made for the Peenpack Valley (as above shown), we can hardly avoid again remarking that there is no basis for either. It is true the Dutch built a fort at Rond- out in 1614, but the settlement of Kingston (Old Wiltwyck) was not made until 1657. It was in the second Esopus war, 1663, that the New Paltz region east of the Shawangunk Mountains was "discovered," and later than that before a settlement was made there. True, this would not exclude the idea of set- tlements on the west side of the mountains through

the Rondout Valley, and so farther south to the Mamakating. But it was not until 1669 that a few emigrants ventured out upon this line as far as Marble- town, and ten or fifteen years later before any located at Rochester.

The paper of Capt. Arent Schuyler, already quoted, giving account of his visit to this country in 1694, makes no allusion to any white settlers whatever. The Preston letters, containing the account of inter- views with Samuel Depuy in 1630 and Nicholas Depny in 1687, seem to have been the only evidence which previous writers had in favor of this early settlement of the Minisink region. The suggestions above given prove this story of settlement in 1650 to 1660 wholly a myth. Whether Cuddeback, Gumaer, and their as- sociates were in the Peenpack Valley in 1790 is not settled by Arent Schuyler's letters of 1794, for he might not have penetrated as far north; yet it may be presumed Schuyler would have heard of them and mentioned them if there had been a settlement. Inquiry among the descendants fails to find any one positive as to the date of this settlement, yet Dr. C. E. Cuddeback, of Port Jervis, has in his possession certain memoranda in the shape of petitions to the colonial government to be protected in their title, one dated in 1797 the other in 1799. The graves in the old Gumaer burial-place are very old, one bear- ing date 1713. The evidence, then, entirely disproves any claim to settlement in 1650. That the Minisink region was settled in 1650 (even the New Jersey part of it) is impossible from any documents now existing.

To a certain extent the settlement of Deerpark must be considered a portion of the history of all the Minisink region, especially all that part of it which relates to the controversies between the settlers on the Minisink and Wawayanda Patents with the people in New Jersey about the possession of the lands along the disputed line. The settlement must have been very early, and to some extent before 1700, for settle- ments were made by inhabitants of New Jersey north of that, and complaints against them brought before the Colonial Assembly for their direction as early as that period.

This border warfare was long and tedious, as already shown. In 1755 a bill was passed "to impower cer- tain trustees to dispose of any quantity of unappro- priated lands within the patents of Minisink and Wawayanda to raise a sum, not exceeding £1000 on each, to defend the title and possessions of the pro- prietors of the patents against the encroachments of the people of East New Jersey, and to defray the ex- pense already accrued thereon."

From records elsewhere given (ante, p. 20), it ap- pears that in 1714 the following were the only free- holders in Maghaghkemek, viz., Thomas Swartwout, Harmon Barentsen, Jacob Cuddeback, Peter Gumaer, and Jacobns Swartwout. In 1728 they are recorded as IIarmon Barentsen Van Inwegen, Peter Gumaer, John Van Vliet, Jr., Samuel Swartwout, Bernardus

* Samuel Depuis lived on the Peunsylvania side of the Delaware River, about thirty-eight miles below Port Jervis, and three miles north of the Water Gap. (See ante, p. 15.)

704

HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY, NEW YORK.

Swartwout, Jr., and Jacob Cuddeback. If the settle- ment by Cuddeback and Gumaer commenced in 1690, this record shows a very small increase in the number of freeholders in thirty-eight years.

ASSESSMENT-ROLL OF 1775.

As showing the names of families residing in the " lower neighborhood" at the opening of the Rev- olution, we are fortunately able to give the fol- lowing assessment-roll for district No. 3 in the old precinct of Goshen. The general records of Goshen having been destroyed (in some respeets an irre- trievable loss), this roll is the best authority extant.

Distriet No. 3 evidently consisted of the triangle bounded north by the " old county line," easterly by the Shawangunk Mountains, and southwesterly by the Delaware River,-in other words, the southern portion of Deerpark, comprising the present territory of Port Jervis and its vicinity. An assessment-roll is better or more complete authority than many other lists of names. Taxes are not supposed to omit any property-holder, and an examination of this assess- ment shows that men withont families or homesteads must have been assessed, for in one instance the appraisal is less than two shillings, and others are named at very small amounts. The assessor was Abraham Van Auken, an old and well-known name in this seetion.

District No. 3 .- ABRAHAM VAN AUKEN, Assessor.

Names.

Estimate of

Names.

Estimate of Property.

£ s. d.

Nehemiah Patterson.

8 16 0

George Quick.

0 1 9

Joseph Randall

1 18

James Van Vleet.

7 9 5

James Davis

0 10 5

Anthony Van Etten, Esq. 14 13 1

Johannes Decker

Johannes Decker, Jr ....

10 18

John Wood.

0 15

Capt. John Westbrook ....

6 17

Peter Cole ..

1 12

Abrahamı C. Van Aukeu.

5 1I

Moses Cortright.

Peter Cuykendall.

0 14 8

Martines Decker, Sr.

6 17 16

Alleu MeDonald

0 9

Solomon Cuykendall

Samuel Davis

2 11 2

George Nauny.

0 16

Abraham Middagh

2 11 2

Simon Westfall

Daniel St. John 4 4 9

Martines Decker, Jr.

Jacob Cuykendall

Daniel Cole.

Ephraim Middagh.

Isaac Van Tuyl.

1 12

Philip Swartwood.

Flezekiab Rosecrans.

P. Gominorrah (Gumaer)

0) 10

Daniel Cortright

0 7

Jacob Schoonover.,

1 12

Benjamin Conser.

1 15 3

Tunis Sluter.

( 1] 7

John Van Tuyl ..

4 11 11

Isaac Middagh ..

1 15

Jobu Wells.

Abrahanı Van Auker 11 0

James Carpenter.

Daniel Van Auken ..

5 12 5

Joseph Manning.

4 0 0

Aldert Osterhont. 0 3 6

Johu Van Tuyl, Jr ..

5 17 10

Christian Middagh 0

0 John Westbrook

2 19 0

" The above is a list of my assessment of all the inhabitants in my said district.

"Given under my hand, September, 1775. " ABRAHAM C. VAN AUKEN, Assessor."

The names attached to the Revolutionary Articles of Association for the Minisink region must be pre- sumed to apply to the same territory as the assess- ment-roll,-south of the old county line in Deerpark, -and at the same date. (See list in General His- tory.)

The list for Mamakating, given in the General His- tory, shows the names of those living north of the old county line, and includes a part of what is now Sullivan

County. We add brief notes upon the location of a few of the early settlers mentioned in the above papers, and upon various names and places.

PENHAUSEN'S LANDT, or PENHAUSEN'S LAND,- This was the name of an Indian chief who in former times resided near the present residence of Levi Van Etten, Esq., on the rich bottom-lands in that neigh- borhood. In old times, when speaking of a good piece of land, it was common to compare it with Pen- hausen's Land.

SENEYAUGHQUAN was an Indian name of the place where Maj. Swartwout in his time resided,-the res- idence in later years of Col. Peter Swartwout.

SOKAPACK .- This is also an Indian name of a place in this town, which is understood to be signifi- cant of a spring of water.

LOWER NEIGHBORHOOD .- In respect to the first settlers of the "lower neighborhood," it may be said generally that they were contemporary with the ehil- dren of the first settlers at Peenpack, and three of them had married daughters of those first settlers. The children of l'eter Gumaer, the great-grandfather of Peter E. Gumaer, were six in number, and born between the years 1693 and 1708; from which it ap- pears the lower neighborhood must have been settled between the years 1710 and 1725.

DEWITT FAMILY .- The DeWitt family of Deer- park were descendants of Tjerek Claessen DeWitt, who was born in Grootholt, in Sunderlant, Holland, and who after his immigration settled at Wiltwyek, now Kingston, in 1672. His children were: 1, An- dries ; 2, Tjerek ; 3, Jan ; 4, Jacob : 5, Lucas; 6, Peek ; 7, Tjaatje; 8, Janetje ; 9, Gertrung ; 10, Rachel ; 11, Marietje ; 12, Anglie. Egbert, son of Andries (1), and grandson of Tjerek (1), had nine sons and one daughter, viz .: 1, Dr. Andries, who lived and died at New P'altz; 2, Jacob Rutzen, who settled in the Peenpaek neighborhood, and whose daughter Rachel married Robert Burnet, of New Windsor ; 3, William; 4, John ; 5, Stephen ; 6, Mary (Polly), who married Capt. (afterwards Gen.) James Clinton, of New Windsor, and became the mother of De Witt Clinton; 7, Egbert ; 8, Thomas; 9, Benjamin ; 10, Reuben. Simon De Witt, for many years surveyor-general of the State, was the son of Dr. Andries of New Paltz.

Jacob R. DeWitt's oldest son was Moses De Witt; in person large and well favored, very social and agree- able in his manner and conversation. The Indians esteemed him highly, and when he died deeply la- mented his death. This speaks a thousand faets in his favor, for one man like this in a new settlement, surrounded by Indians liable to be excited and pro- voked to revenge and murder by the least and unin- tended injury, was like a garment to the settlement which covered up a multitude of their offenses against them. This young man obtained his education from an individual by the name of Thomas White, an Eng- lishman, who came to the neighborhood about the be- ginning of the war. A mutual attachment grew up

or.

William Crane ...

Wilhelmus Cole

Peters Decker

Property.

705

DEERPARK.

between him and the people, and during the period of hostilities he took shelter, with his wife, in Fort Gumaer to abide the result. As the condition of things in the settlement and state of the country justified it, he kept school in a small house built for the purpose near the fort. What De Witt failed to learn here he afterwards accomplished in the family of Gen. Clinton.

Peter E. Gumaer, Esq., in the winter of 1787 studied surveying with Mr. DeWitt, who during the pre- vous summer had been out on the line then being run to divide the States of New York and Pennsyl- vania.

Of the carly settlers the following statement with respect to their location is upon the authority of the "Gumaer manuscript,"* written by Peter E. Gnmaer, father of Peter L. Gumaer. Peter Gumaer located at the southwest end of the hill, on the well-known Peter E. Gumaer farm, near Cuddebackville.

Jan Tyse located between that and the Spring Brook. It may be proper to remark, however, that it is not probable that he ever occupied this place. It is supposed that his claim was very early sold to others.

Barnardus Swartwout settled on the east side of the hill, a few rods west of this spring, and the cavity of the cellar was visible in late years.

Jacob Cuddeback's homestead was a few rods north- east of the northeast end of the hill, on the low ground, and the site of his dwelling could be determined by the cavity of the old cellar within a few years, if not at the present time.

Anthony Swartwout located a few rods northeast of Cuddeback's, " where the house formerly of Cornelius Van Inwegen stood."

* " The Gumaer manuscript" was written evidently at various periods of bis life, brought down, however, to about the year 1861. It consists of about three hundred pages of foolscap. It is very largely a history of fami- lies, and families whose names are frequent in all this section to-day. One might suppose they would promptly subscribe any necessary amount to secure its publication. Mr. Gumaer was a teacher, a surveyor, a farmer, and an author. He published a small work upon astronomy. lle sur- veyed and mapped at one time or another nearly all of the laods in the towo, and did most of the legal writing for many years. It is said that Do legal paper written by him was ever broken in a court of law.

No man was more competent than he to judge of early traditions, so far as the evidence was before him. He was familiar with both the Dutch and English languages, and it is said that in his youth he under- stood the sermon so well that on returning from church he could some- times scarcely remember which language the preacher had used.

He had four sons,-Peter L., Ezekiel, Andrew Jackson, and Jacob. A current baptismal story is worth repeating. Ile had preferred to name the third son, above mentioned, lIenry Clay, but his wife desired a solid Democratic namie. It is not supposed there was any very serious dispute : she conseoted to his view. At the altar, when the minister asked for the Dame, he hesitated a moment, in his usual habit of speaking with care- ful deliberation, when his wife opportunely said "Andrew Jackson," and the minister (joining in this Democratic conspiracy) quickly baptized with that nanie.

Mr. Gumaer, in his manuscript, speaking of the Cuddeback settle- ment, uses this language : " In the year 1690, as near as can now be deter- mined," etc. Again, " After these early settlers had resided here a few years they sent Jacob Cuddeback, one of their number, to the Governor of the New York colony to ask for a patent, which was granted Oct. 14, 1797."

David Jameson's place was also somewhere near the others, in the same group, though it must also be said of him that it is uncertain whether he actually settled; neither his name nor that of Tyse appear in subsequent annals.

Jacob Cuddeback was a French Hnguenot. His name was originally spelled Caudeback, and there is a city of that name in France from which he came. It was a place of 9000 inhabitants in 1685. His wife was Margaret Provost, whom he married at Esopus or elsewhere along the Hudson. The pioneer lived to be nearly one hundred years old. His children were : 1, Benjamin, who never married. He lived to be eighty years of age, spending his life in this town. 2, William, who married Jemima Elting and settled on the old homestead. A majority of the Cuddeback families of the present time in this vicinity are his descendants. His children were James, Abram, Ben- jamin, Roolif, Sarah. 3, James, who married Neelje Decker. He lived near Deckertown, N. J. He died at the age of thirty, but left children, whose descend- ants are quite numerons in Niagara Co., N. Y. 4, Abraham, who lived to be about eighty. IIis wife was Esther Swartwout. He spent most of his life in this town, but in old age moved to Skaneateles, where his children had previously settled. 5, Dinah, who married Abraham Lovis, of Rochester, and settled in New Jersey. 6, Eleanor, who married Evert Horn- beck, of Rochester, and lived where Mrs. Joseph Cud- deback now resides. 7, Elsie, who married Har- manus Van Gordon, and lived at the Flat Rocks, in New Jersey. 8, Morice, who married George West- fall, and lived in New Jersey. 9, Naomi, who married Lodewyck Hornbeck, of Rochester.

Peter Gumaer, the pioneer, married Esther Has- brouck, of Kingston. His children were Hannah, who married James Swartwout ; Esther, who married Samuel Swartwout; another who married a DuBois, and there was a fourth daughter, Rachel. He had only one son, Peter, who married Charity DeWitt, and left two sons,-Peter and Ezekiel. Peter E. Gumaer, the author of the manuscript history alluded to, was a son of Ezekiel.

Harmanus Van Inwegen, whose location does not seem to be definitely known by his descendants, mar- ried a Swartwout. There was at least one son, Ger- ardns Van Inwegen, and one daughter, Hannah, who married Thomas Decker.

It is understood that the Swartwout pioneers were three brothers,-Anthony, Barnardus, and Samnel. The children of Anthony were Samuel, who married Esther Gumaer; James, who married Anna Gumaer ; and Anna, who married John Van Vleet.

These early settlers located on and around the hill as described above, for mutual protection and defense, and because of the valuable spring of water near.

Soon after the settlement of the seven, or more properly the five, the patent passed into the possession of three,-Anthony Swartwout, Peter Gumaer, Jacob

706

HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY, NEW YORK.

Cuddeback. Their more permanent homesteads after that were as follows :

Swartwout built near the Spring Brook, where Peter P. Swartwout now resides. Gumaer built where the old stone house now stands, on the Godfroy prop- erty ; Cuddeback where an old stone house now stands on the main road south of Port Clinton.

Simon Westfall lived in the old stone house, now the Hazen property, at Carpenter's Point. His chil- dren were Wilhelmus, John D., Reuben, Simon. Most of the families of that name in this vicinity are understood to be descendants of the last named.

The limits of this work prevent giving these family notes beyond this small group of actual pioneers. In the several papers given in this chapter-the assess- ment-rolls, and other documents-nearly every settler preceding the Revolution is included.

The amount of the tax in one of the two districts of Mamakating precinct for 1792 was fifteen pounds and sixpence, equal to $37.56. Peter E. Gumaer, the collector, traveled on foot over his district, comprising an immense territory now in Deerpark, Mount Hope, Mamakating, Forestburgh, Highland, Lumberland, and Cochecton.

FAMILIES IN SOUTHIERN DEERPARK, 1810 TO 1815.

From the Minisink record of school districts we find district No. 20 as it was formed in 1813. It in- cluded the families of James Sawyer, Benjamin Car- penter, Reuben Westfall, John Corwin, Isaac Van Strander, Samuel Lambert, James Van Fleet, Jr., Nathan Van Auken, Jeremiah Van Anken, Joshua Van Auken, Daniel Van Anken, James Van Fleet, Levi Van Etten, Levi Van Etten, Jr., Jacob W. Van Etten, Henry Van Etten, Jacob Westbrook, Jr., Widow Sarah Decker. This was in the southern part of the present town of Deerpark, as that remained a portion of Minisink until 1825.

District 22, " added to Deerpark," included the fol- lowing families, viz. : those of Joel Whitlock, Peter Swartwout, Widow Esther Hombert, Martin Car- penter, John Van Fleet, Solomon Decker. These families must have been just south of the old county line to be added to a district in Deerpark, as Deer- park then only extended south to that line.

School district No. 21 of Minisink, as organized in 1813, included the following families, viz .: those of Cornelius W. Cole, Wilhelmus Cole, Josias Cole, Thomas Chattle, Hezekiah Fredenburgh, Elias Coy- kendall, Daniel Roberts, Richard Decker, Samuel Caskey, Martin Caskey, William Little, Simon West- fall, Benjamin Westfall, Benjamin Van Inwegen, Lewis Lambert, William Lambert, John Caskey, Rob- ert Caskey, John Wood, Samuel Caskey, Jr., Joseph Patterson, Martin Decker, John Skinner, Roman El- mendorph, George Quick, Peter Howey, Benjamin Cuddeback, Isaac Decker, Nathan Van Auken, Jr. The above was evidently the school district at the present place of Port Jervis and vicinity.

EARLY PHYSICIANS.

The first physician here of which any trace can be found was Dr. Chattle, who lived about half a mile north of Carpenter's Point; practiced here many years ; ‹lied here; must have been here soon after 1800. After his death there was no physician in the valley until the time of the building of the canal. Drs. Van Dusen and Hornbeck, from Montague, N. J., Dr. Newkirk, of Mount Hope, Dr. Loomis, of Otis- ville, all practiced through the valley. Dr. Charles Hardenberg came here about 1826. For a long time he was the only physician here; occasionally one would come, but their stay was short generally. Among these were Dr. Hart, a young man, who practiced with Dr. Hardenberg a few months. Dr. Rafferty, a school-teacher, also practiced some in the neighbor- hood. Dr. Ira Dales came here in 1848, remained about five years, when he removed to Joliet, Ill. Dr. C. M. Lawrence (homœopath) came here in 1850; is still practicing here. Dr. Thomas Walsh came here in 1851; is still practicing here. Dr. Dufrene, a Frenchman, well educated, came here in 1851, and died here. After these came Dr. Jerow and Dr. David Robertson. In 1854, Dr. Benjamin W. Car- penter located here; practiced till he died in 1863. Dr. Sol. Van Etten located here in 1855; still here. Dr. H. Hardenberg in 1860; still here. Dr. D. W. Cooper in 1863 ; remained till about 1870. Dr. Marsh came here in 1863; died in 1867. Dr. I. S. Hunt came in 1865; died in 1875. Dr. Lamb came here in 1866; remained about one year. Dr. M. E. Jones came here in 1867 ; remained a few years.

There is now a medical society here. Physicians from surrounding places meet with the resident phy- sicians on the second Wednesday of January, April, July, and October of each year for discussion of med- ical subjects and to promote the best interests of the profession. Officers at present are : President, Dr. J. L. Whittaker, of Unionville, N. J .; Vice-President, Dr. T. D. Wills, of Port Jervis; Treasurer, Dr. H. Hardenberg, of Port Jervis; Secretary, Dr. W. S. Cuddeback, of Port Jervis.

IV .- ORGANIZATION.

The earliest civil relation of the territory of the present town of Deerpark is intimated, but not very clearly defined, in an act of the Legislature, passed Oct. 18, 170I, in which it was provided that the people "of Wagachemeck and Great and Little Minisink" were empowered to give their votes in the county of Ulster. This would imply that they were beyond the border of Ulster County, for if they had been within no enabling act would have been necessary. This " Wagachemeck" was the territory now known as Cuddebackville and vicinity, but with just what limits is not stated in the old documents.

The act of Nov. 12, 1709, fixed more closely the 1

707

DEERPARK.

boundaries of the counties, and definitely declared Wagachemeek a part of Ulster County. The "okd county line" extended beyond the Shawangunk Mountains, crossed Deerpark, just south of Hugue- not, and intersected the Delaware at Sparrowbush. This would appear to have hounded the old distriet of Wagachemeck on the south.

Not far from the same time there was by order of court, it is supposed, a more formal organization of this same territory under a different name,-Magh- aghkemek. Under this name and organization the territory remained until 1743, when the precinet of Mamakating was erected, which became the successor of Machackemeck.

The preeinet of Mamakating continued until 1798, when the town of Deerpark was erected. To recapit- ulate, we have three preceding organizations : 1st. The indefinite district of Wagachemeek alluded to in " the statute of 1701. 2d. The more' formally organ- ized precinct of Machackemeck of 1709-10. 3d. The precinet of Mamakating, organized in 1743. At the formation of this, the first precinct-meeting was directed to be held at the house of Samuel Swartwout. Its territory was declared to consist of "all the land to the southward of the town of Rochester as far as the county of Ulster extends, and to the westward of the precincts of Wallkill and Shawangunk."

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History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 173

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