History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 184

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 184

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Mr. Swartwout was married, Nov. 10, 1842, to Miss Hannah, daughter of Benjamin Cuddeback, of Port Jervis, and the following year removed to his present home, where he has since resided. They have had nine children,-Catharine (Mrs. D. S. DeWitt), Je- mima, Jane (Mrs. H. J. Bidwell), Elizabeth, Philip, Esther, Ellen, Benjamin, and Henry. Six of these are still living, and four reside under the parental roof. Mr. Swartwout is not an aspirant for political honors. He has, however, filled two terms as super- visor of his township, has been elected justice of the peace, and has been a director in both the National Bank and the First National Bank of Port Jervis. He was during the existence of the militia law of the State a skillful military tactician, and held the rank of lieutenant-colonel when the law was repealed. His religious preferences are for the Reformed Duteh Church, of which he is a cordial supporter.

MOSES VAN INWEGEN.

Moses Van Inwegen, the subject of this biographi- ieal sketch, was the son of Cornelius Van Inwegen, who was born Mareh 23, 1772, and Deborah, his wife, whose birth oceurred Oet. 9, 1774. Their family eircle included seven children, of whom Moses, the eldest, was born Dee. 6, 1796. His early life was not varied by incidents of special importance. The pur- suits of his father were those of an industrious agri- eulturist, and the son, having been educated to the same ealling, instinetively followed the vocation of his parent. The neighboring public schools afforded

him advantages of education when the demands of the farm were not imperative; the latter, however, speedily absorbed his entire attention. Mr. Van In- wegen was united in marriage Jan. 9, 1823, to Miss

MOSES VAN INWEGEN.

Susan Mapes. They had eight children, of whom five are now living. He was married a second time, July 6, 1850, to Miss Eliza, daughter of Abram Shi- mer, who is the mother of six children, all of whom survive.

Mr. Van Inwegen had few politieal aspirations, though a firm Republican, and at all times zealous for the success of his party. A taste for military tacties was early developed by him, and before the State military law was abolished he rose to the rank of captain of militia. He was a regular attendant upon the services of the Reformed Church, and, though not a member, responded cheerfully to de- mands for aid in its behalf.

Moses Van Inwegen's death occurred April 22, 1863, at the homestead, which is now occupied by Mrs. Van Inwegen and her children.

GEORGE CUDDEBACK.

The Cuddeback family is one of the oldest in Orange County, the name having been originally spelled Caudebee. They are of Huguenot extraction, and among the French refugees who fled from relig- ious persecution on the revocation of the edict of Nantes, in 1683. The town of Caudebec, in Nor- mandy, founded as early as the year 1400,-a bor- ough containing a population of about 10,000, and evineing much commercial enterprise,-was origi-

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nally the stronghold of the family, from which they emigrated either to England or Holland, probably the latter country. Jacob Cuddeback (or Caudebec), previous to the year 1690, came to America, having landed in Virginia, where he remained a brief time, and then settled on the east bank of the Hudson River, north of New York, where he engaged in the fur trade. He was then twenty years of age, and may be regarded as the progenitor of the family in the Empire State. He married Margaret, daughter of Benjamin Provost, a trader in the city of New York. About the year 1690, in company with the Swart- wouts, Gumaers, and others, he located in the valley of the Neversink, which is now largely populated by their descendants. Jacob and Margaret Cuddeback had a family of nine children, among whom was William, who married Jemima Elting, of Old Paltz, and was the father of five children, among whom was Benjamin, who was united in marriage to Catharine Van Fliet, and had seven children, among whom was Henry, the father of George Cuddeback. Henry, above mentioned, was born March 23, 1771, and was married to Esther Gumaer, in 1794, whose birth oc- curred Sept. 23, 1774. Their family embraced eight children,-Catherine, Elizabeth, Simeon, Jacob G., George, Huldah, Cynthia, and Benjamin. The birth of their youngest son, George, occurred in Deerpark, Aug. 10, 1815. His early life was spent at the place of his nativity. In 1830, with his father, he removed to the farm now owned and occupied by him, which came into his possession in 1846, and where the re- mainder of his life has been passed.

Dec. 21, 1848, he was united in marriage to Miss Margaret, daughter of John D. Carpenter, of Car- penter's Point, whose family were the owners of much valuable property in the immediate vicinity. They have had seven children,-Henry G., John D., Mary Ellen, Esther, Margaret Alice, Martha E., and George, Jr. The survivors of this number are George, Jr., Martha E., and Henry G., the latter of whom was married, Sept. 18, 1878, to Miss Libbie O'Riley, whose death occurred Nov. 29, 1879.

Mr. George Cuddeback has been an unflinching advocate of the principles of the Democracy during his lifetime, though he has never sought office at the hands of his party. His pursuits as well as tastes have led him into the more quiet walks of life. Mr. Cuddeback has been for years a director of the First National Bank of Port Jervis, and a stockholder in each of the banks of that place. Both Mr. and Mrs. Cuddeback are zealous members of the Reformed Dutch Church of Port Jervis.

NATHAN SKINNER.

a later period two removed to New York State, and one to New Jersey. Daniel Skinner, the grandfather of Nathan, the subject of this biography, who was descended from one of these brothers, was probably born in New Jersey, and during his minority re- moved to Orange County, which continued to be his residence until his death. He married Miss Mary Smith, of New York, and had children,-Moses, Jephtha, and Stephen, and seven daughters. Of this number, Moses remained in the county of his birth until 1826, when he removed to Canada. He was married Feb. 17, 1807, to Miss Mary Archa, who was of Scottish ancestry, and whose parents resided at Red Hook, on the Hudson. The following children were theirs: Nelson, Elisha, Nathan, Julia Ann, Moses O., Joseph, Salome, Elizabeth, and Drayton B., each of whom reached mature years. Of this number, Nathan was born near Otisville, in Orange County, Sept. 7, 1816, and spent his early life under the parental roof. He afterwards, in company with his father, repaired to Canada, and later to Ohio. With no resources at command other than those which nature had provided him, and equipped with a brave heart and a ready hand, he began the battle of life. Believing an honest trade to be among the most honorable of employments, he acquired that of a carriage-maker, and in 1839 removed to Port Jervis, where for fourteen years he devoted himself with un- remitting industry to his mechanical occupation. Having previously had no opportunities of education, he availed himself on his return to the East of forty days at the public school. The aequirements of Mr. Skinner during this brief period, though of necessity limited, enabled him to gain the rudiments which greatly assisted in his future career. In 1840 he was married to Miss Aseneth, daughter of John D. Car- penter, whose family were early settlers at Carpenter's Point, where his father was an extensive land-owner and largely interested in business enterprises. She is also a direct descendant of Maj. Johannes Decker, of historic memory, whose family early experienced all the horrors incident to Indian and border warfare. Mr. and Mrs. Skinner have been the parents of three children,-Martha Ellen, John N., and Charles N., of whom John N., born in 1844, is the only survivor. He was in 1865 united in marriage to Miss Anne M. Malven, who was born in Stroudsburg, and later re- moved with her parents to Iowa. They have two children,-Charles N., and John M., both of whom are now pursuing their studies. Nathan Skinner in 1853 retired from business, and three years later pur- chased his present residence, located on the east bank of the Neversink, and adjoining the corporation of Port Jervis. Since that time he has followed agri- cultural pursuits, varied by occasional operations in real estate. In polities Mr. Skinner is an ardent and uncompromising Republican. Official life presents for him no attractions; his name will not, therefore,

The Skinner family in America were originally represented by seven brothers who emigrated from England at an early date, four of whom settled in Canada, and the remainder in the United States. At | be found upon the roll of office-holders. His religious

NATHAN SKINNER.

Lavi VarSittin

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CORNWALL.

belief is in harmony with the creed of the Reformed Dutch Church, to which he contributes a liberal sup- port, and of which both Mrs. Skinner and her daugh- ter-in-law are active members.

LEVI VAN ETTEN.

Eliza, Solomon, Alva, and Ellen. Of this number, John, Jr., now deceased, entered the political arena at an early day, was for three years supervisor of the township, and at a later period elected sheriff of Orange County, and subsequently served a term as representative in the State Legislature. Levi, a brief sketch of whose life is here embodied, was born April 12, 1822, on the homestead, of which he is now owner. He early engaged in farming pursuits with his father, after a brief time spent in study at the

The Van Etten family is closely identified with the development as well as the early settlement of Orange County, and therefore enter largely into the valuable historical data which the denizens of the , public school of the neighborhood. Upon this spot county have preserved with a commendable zeal. his industrious but uneventful life has been spent, a portion of the estate having been inherited by him on the death of his father, June 7, 1865, in his seventy- fifth year. Mr. Van Etten was in 1876 married to Mrs. Mary E. Green, daughter of Silas Chapman, of Orange Co., N. Y. The Chapman family emigrated at an early day from England to Saybrook, Conn., and from there to Orange County, from whence they eventually removed to Ohio. Mr. Van Etten has always affiliated with the Democratic party, but has never sought official honors, and consequently never been an office-holder. He is a liberal supporter of the Reformed Dutch Church, of which his wife is an active member. They are also allied by ties of affinity or consanguin- ity with all the prominent families of the Neversink Valley, and the country contiguous to it. A brief résumé having been already given elsewhere, renders a repetition here unneccessary. The year 1743 wit- nessed the advent of Anthony Van Etten, the great- grandfather of Henry, in the valley of the Neversink, who was the progenitor of the family in the imme- diate vicinity. Among his children was Levi, who also had a son of the same name, who married Miss Eleanor Carpenter, and was the father of the follow- ing children : Margaret, who became Mrs. Simeou Westfall ; John, Jr., Jacob, Benjamin, Levi, Ann

CORNWALL.

I .- SITUATION, BOUNDARIES, AREA, TITLE.

THE town of Cornwall lies upon the Hudson River, and nearly central along the eastern line of the county. It is bounded north by New Windsor, east by the Hudson River, south by Highlands and Mon- roe, west by Monroe and Blooming-Grove.

In the act of the supervisors, passed at the annual meeting of 1872, the present south boundary of Corn- wall is described as " drawn from Sherwood's Rock, on Hudson River, running thence westerly to a house now or recently occupied by William Lancaster ; thence in a direct line to the house of William Chat- field; thence to the house of John Odell; thence to the highest peak of Mount Rascal, to the line of the town of Monroe."

Sherwood's Rock, the initial point on the river, is the steep bluff at the base of Crow's Nest, and is so called from the fact that a man of that name lost his life some years ago by falling over the precipice at that place.

Mr. Lewis Beach, writing in 1873, gives the follow- ing description of the remainder of the outline of the town :

" From the intersection with the Monroe line, our town line then runs in a northwest direction along the lands of W. II. Smith (late Robert II. Berdell) nntil it strikes the southwest corner of the town of Blooming- Grove ; thence almost due north along Maj. Sherman's farm and through the village of Salisbury until it reaches the New Windsor line, on the lande of Isaac Denniston. It then takes an easterly direction, and con- tinues straight on to the river, passing a little south of the former Vail's Gate Station on the Newburgh Branch ; through Woodward's and (late) Judge George's lands, and coming out at Sloop Hill, just far enough to the south to leave the portly proprietor of the Half-way House in the town of New Windsor. From Sloop Hill the line follows the river down to Sher- wood's Rock, the point of beginning."

The area embraced within these boundaries is prob- ably about 15,000 acres. This can only be approxi- mately stated, as there is no accurate information on file at Albany as to the area of towns in this State, and assessors' reports or individual computation are the only authority.

The title to the soil of Cornwall is to be traced back to the patents described in the General History. For convenient reference the following list may be given here. Nearly all of them are wholly within the boundaries of the present town, the remainder are in part :

Mary Ingoldsby and her daughter, Mary Pinhorne,

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HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY, NEW YORK.

and Mary Pinhorne and John Pinhorne, grandchildren of Mary Ingoldsby, one patent of 4000 acres, and one of 1360 acres, granted Ang. 11, 1720. On this patent Canterbury is situated, and the territory towards the river, Sloop Hill, Cornwall Landing, etc. West of this was a patent to John Lawrence of 2000 acres, dated April 9, 1719; this was the Bethlehem tract. Other patents were Patrick MacGregorie, 500 acres, Aug. 6, 1720, north side of Butter Hill; Ebenezer Wilson and Benjamin Aske, 2000 acres "between the hills in Schunemunk"; John Nelson, 1265 acres, Oct. 4, 1762 ; Thomas Moore and John Osborne, 1850 aeres, March 14, 1775; Henry Townsend, 2000 acres; Smith & Wilkin, 190 aeres, April 15, 1768; Smith & Wilkin, a second patent, south of Ingoldsby's, 160 acres, April 15, 1768; Edward Blagg and Johannes Hey, 2000 aeres, March 28, 1728, mostly in Blooming-Grove; John Lawrence, 765 aeres, April 9, 1719.

II .- NATURAL FEATURES.

This town comprises a portion of the " Highlands of the IIudson," celebrated in story and song, famous in war and peace, and full of interest in every light in which they may be examined. The mountains, ponds, forests, cloves, and dashing streams constitute land- scapes of unsurpassed beauty and grandeur. The surface of the town north of the Highlands is rolling and only moderately hilly ; in the south and south- west mountainous. The principal elevations are Cro' Nest, on the boundary of the town of High- lands; Black Rock Hill and Mount Rascal, also on or near the south line of Cornwall; Butter Hill, near the Hudson ; and Schunemunk Moun- tain, near the line of Blooming-Grove. Cro' Nest is 1418 feet above the Hudson. The Hudson River bounds the town on the east ; Moodna Creek (Mur- derer's Creek, or Otterkill) drains the northwest por- tion of the town. It enters from Blooming-Grove at Salisbury Mills, makes a detour southward to Mountainville Post-office, then flows northeast into the town of New Windsor. In its southern bend it receives three tributary rivulets from the south part of the town.

The Canterbury Creek rises on the slopes of Black Rock Hill, flows northeast through Canterbury vil- lage, and enters the Hudson very near the line of New Windsor. South of this are two unimportant rivulets flowing into the Hudson, one at Cornwall-on- the-Hudson, the other north of Cro' Nest.

Sutherland's Pond is a fine sheet of water half a mile long, lying under the shadow of Black Rock Hill. In the south part of the town is a mineral spring.

The following passage from Mr. Beach's work is so carefully written, and is evidently the result of such thorough investigation, that no apology is needed for quoting it at this point :

plete idea of the beauty and grandeur of this basin the observer must take an elevated site, of which there are plenty along our mountain- slopes, and look down as from a balloon upon the map spread ont before him. The eye first grasps the bold and salient features of the view. The rim of the basin, struck in distinct ontline against the sky by the Schnnemunk, Shawangunk, Duchess, and Cornwall mountains, is first noted. l'escending on all sides from the ridge formed by these moun- tain-peaks stretch the landscapes like the seats in some vast amphitheatre. As the vision narrows the New Windsor and Newburgh plains recede from view, and the eye rests upon a somewhat circumscribed arena which lies almost at our feet.

" This is the Cornwall Basin. It is the result of one of those early up- heavals of nature which date back beyond the history of man. As we look upon it we realize but faintly the power of that force within the earth, which when convulsed, tossed up the mountains and framed the valleys. In the great tumult that ensued, as the mountains were raised the waters settled in the valleys, and remained there notil their gradual subsidence into rivers.

" Cornwall, New Windsor, and Newburgh were at one time no doubt a huge lake, and continued so until drained by the action of the elements in divorcing Storm-King from Breakneck. Before this interesting event the waters evidently had outlet through the Schunemunk Valley, and thence through the Ramapo to the Jersey flats. This supposition receives strong confirmation from the character of our Cornwall Basin, which runs from northeast to southwest, and is traversed by two con- siderable ridges of land of uniform shape and lying in a precisely similar direction to that of the basin. These ridges are almost parallel, and were formed by the action of the water in forcing its passage south ward. The more northerly one, known as the Townsend Ridge, begins at the Friends' meeting-house on the Depot road, and continues on to the Townsend Hill. Its summit is occupied by the residences of Mr. Ray- mond, Miss Iledges, and Mrs. II. Townsend. The sontherly ridge, called Cromwell Ridge, commences in II. F. Chadeayne's orchard, on the turn- pike, as it is sometimes called, and emerges in a ravine near Nicholas Chatfield, Jr.'s house. The land formed by this ridge is owned by Mr. Chadeayne, the Titus estate, Mrs. Cromwell N. Chatfield, Jr., Mrs. Townsend, and Miss Iledges.

" Rising by easy grade to a considerable height above the intervening valleys, with a sufficient breadth of surface and a commanding view of our river and mountain scenery, these ridges are unexceptionably situ- ated for building sites. We hope to see them some day in the early future covered with beautiful villas. Between these two ridges, skirting the Depot road to the south, lies a deep glen, whilst the valleys on the north and south are destined to play an important part in the future growth of Cornwall. The valley to the south, or more strictly southeast, of Cromwell Ridge is somewhat circumscribed in extent, but its limited area is amply compensated by the remarkable beanty of its surroundings. Its shape is triangular, and its sides formed on the south by the Cornwall mountains, on the east by that elevated tract of land known as High- land Park, and on the north by Cromwell Ridge. The land slopes gently from the hillsides to the centre, through which runs a small stream, a tiny rivolet at times, at others a awollen torrent of water. This stream is fed by the springs of the adjacent Highlands, and, running in an east- erly direction, forms the pond to the north of the Cornwall treck, from which it empties into Idlewild Brook by the old stone house on the West Point road. An outlet to the valley on the east is formed by the defile between Highland Park and the mountains known as the Deer Hill ravine. The ontlet on the west is through & gorge which connects the valley in question with the Schnnemnnk Valley."

III .- EARLY SETTLEMENT.

The immediate vicinity north of the Highlands at- traeted attention at an early day as a favorable place of settlement. Even the "Journal of Robert Juet," written on board the "Half-Moon," sailing under command of Sir Henry Hudson, in 1609, shows a high appreciation of this place. In writing of the return voyage down the river he says, in a passage often quoted,-

"On the nine and twentieth [of September] at three of the clock in the afternoon, we weighed es soon as the ebb came and turned down to the edge of the mountains, or the Northermost of the mountains, and an-

"Of all the remarkable topographical features of our town, that which we may call the Cornwall Basin is the most striking. To gain a com- ' chored; because the high land hath many points and a narrow channel,

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CORNWALL.

and hath many eddie rounds. So we rode quietly all night in seven fathoms water. The thirtieth was fair weather, and the wind at the Sontleast ; a stiff gale between the mountains. We rode still the after- noone. The people of this country came aboard us and brought some skins with them, which we bought for knives and trifles. This is a very pleusunt place to build a towne on."*

Three-quarters of a century was to pass away, low- ever, before any attempts would be made by the whites to occupy this " pleasant place."

It was not until 1685 that Governor Dongan pur- chased of the Indians the tract of country along the Hudson from Murderer's Creek on the north to Stony Point on the south, and it was about the year 1694 that this tract was patented to Capt. John Evans, that being the first transfer from the crown. A settle- ment had, however, been made, as shown in the Gen- eral History, upon the borders of Cornwall, at Plum Point, and on territory now included in the town of New Windsor. This was by Col. Patrick MacGrego- rie, and was the first settlement within the limits of the present county of Orange. It is not clear that any of the MacGregorie colony built or lived upon the Cornwall side of the present line. The only fact established upon this point is that David Toshuck built his trading-post on Sloop Hill, and so within the present limits of Cornwall. It is said that a de- pression in the ground may still be seen marking the cellar excavation. In this company was one McCol- lom. This family name exists in Orange County at the present time, but it is not known that they are de- scendants of this early immigrant. Of this colony, also, was Wm. Sutherland (or Southerland). He was the ancestor of the present Sutherland families re- siding in Cornwall. It appears they constitute the sole representatives of this early settlement now re- maining in this section, their successive generations having been in this town, or near it, for nearly two hundred years. It is known that Wm. Sutherland had one son, David Sutherland, and that the latter bought, in 1734, 100 acres of land in the Bethlehem neighborhood. There were, doubtless, other sons of William Sutherland, as it is evident several of the numerous branches of the family at the present time do not trace their line through David.

Miss Mills, residing at Canterbury, now in ad- vanced years, whose mother was a Sutherland, states that it has always been a family tradition that the wife of an early Sutherland was a MacGregoric. Doubtless this was the William Sutherland associated in the settlement with Col. MacGregorie. Additional facts are given with reference to this family below. It is there shown that one Alexander Sutherland (father of three brothers) died in 1777. It is proba- ble that he was a brother of David, and a son of William.

There is a tradition, alluded to by various writers, that a settlement of Germans was made at an early

day (perhaps the date of Palatine emigration is meant, 1709 to 1712) on the plains a little south of Canter- bury ; that they remained a few years and then re- moved to other German settlements near Albany or elsewhere. Neither names nor exact locations are given in these traditional accounts, and nothing is substantiated concerning any such settlement. The tradition arises, doubtless, from the well-known fact that companies of tbe Palatines were employed to cut ship-timber in various places ; that for that pur- pose they were temporarily encamped, spending a few weeks or months in any given locality. Canterbury was very likely one such point, and that is all there was of an early German settlement.

The MacGregorie settlement is believed to have been continuous,-that after 1685 there was never a time when settlers were not living in this vicinity. How soon their locations extended out upon the ter- ritory which is now embraced in Cornwall is not as- certained.

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History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 184

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