History of Putnam County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 67

Author: Pelletreau, William S. (William Smith), 1840-1918
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : W.W. Preston
Number of Pages: 1088


USA > New York > Putnam County > History of Putnam County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men > Part 67


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Another entry states that "Isaac Rhodes was Highwaymas- ter for the road from Fredericksburg Precinct to the bridge over Peekskill River, near Lewis Jones." As Isaac Jones lived on the extreme east side of the present town, not far from the southeast corner, there can be no doubt that the " bridge near Lewis Jones " was where the present crossing is, at the road which leads over Bryant Hill. Lewis Jones may have been the father of Ebenezer Jones, who bought a farm in this vicinity after the Revolution.


Isaac Post was the owner of a large tract south of Tompkins' Corners. It is probable that he was the son of Henry Post, who purchased a tract of nearly 300 acres from the commissioners of forfeitures. On the Peekskill Creek, near his house, Isaac Post built a grist and saw mill, which is still standing, though in the last stages of dilapidation. Isaac Post died July 3d, 1842, at the age of 80. Previous to his death he divided his farms among his four sons, John, James, Elias and Levi. The old homestead is now owned by Isaac Post, son of Levi, and is one of the few relics of early days.


On the east side of the creek, a short distance above the road that runs over Bryant Hill, is the Old Travis Homestead, now


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owned by Chadwick Travis. This was the home of Titus Travis, who came here before the Revolution, and was the an- cestor of several of the families of that name. Titus Travis died February 25th, 1815, at the age of 76. His grandson, Chadwick, an aged man, is the only one of the name in the im- mediate vicinity. On the west side of the Peekskill Hollow road, a little way north of the road running west by the school house, are the remains of an old house, whose curious stone chimney dates back to Revolutionary days. This was the dwelling of George Travis, one of the sons of the original settler. At the corner of the main road and the one going over Bryant Hill, is the old Travis burying ground, where rest some of the former residents, among whom are the following: Moses Odell, died Nov. 6th, 1885, age 81; Titus Travis, Feb. 25th, 1815, 76; Elizabeth, wife, Feb. 19th, 1821, 80; Titus Travis, Jan. 1st, 1853, 76; Elizabeth, wife, Oct. 2d, 1866, 89; George Travis, June 23d, 1843, 83; Joseph Nickerson, July 1st, 1868, 85; Deborah, wife, Oct. 3d, 1826, 39; Richard Satterly, born on Long Island, 1705, died Jan. 17th, 1798; Johannah, his wife, died Dec. 8th, 1798, aged 72; James Satterly, April 6th, 1831, 65; Lawrence Odell, June 25th, 1821, 49.


William Dusenbury, who is mentioned before, had a brother Moses, who settled south of Adam's Corners. His son, Moses, jr., was here during the Revolution, but left no descendants. At the extreme southeast corner of the town, and bounded east by the Roger Morris Lot line and south by the bounds of West- chester, was the farm of Isaac Penoyer, a descendant of a Huguenot family, and who came from the lower part of West- chester. North of this was the farm of Col. John Hyatt, whose sons, John and Nathaniel, lived on the same farm and were famed as being the best farmers in the neighborhood. The farm has been divided into several parts and the homestead is now owned by Walter N. Wood. Next north of the Hyatt farm was a tract owned in former times by a family named Lane. This, like the former, has been long since subdivided, a large portion being now owned by Mr. Wood. North of the Lane farm was a tract of 400 acres owned by Isaac Rhodes, who is said to have been a Baptist preacher in early times. This is also now divided among several owners, the place where the old house stood being owned by William Horton. The original farm was bounded north by the farm of Abraham Smith, the first settler


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in these parts, which has been previously described. Among the settlers before the Revolution was John Smith, who lived on the east line of the present town, on a farm now owned by Robert W. Lounsbury.


In quite early times, tradition states that Richard Curry came up to the Peekskill Hollow from White Plains. He travelled on horseback with his wife, bringing all his worldly goods with him, and settled below Adams' Corners. While sitting, one summer day, with a young child between his knees, a flash of lightning killed the child instantly, leaving the father unharmed. The young victim of the " fires from heaven " was buried on the hill, on the west side of the road, and from that time to the present this place has been the village cemetery. Here rest the men and women of a long past age, and the following names and dates are taken from the tombstones :


Nathaniel Tompkins, died Dec. 6th, 1811, age 81; Elizabeth, wife, June, 1825, 74; Isaac Post, July 3d, 1842, 80; Sarah Post, May 15th, 1858, 84; Nathaniel Barger, Dec., 1816, 37; Phebe, daughter of John and Martha Barger, Sept. 9th, 1830, 44; Phebe, daughter of Robert Tompkins, Aug. 2d, 1807, 26; Ann Hill, Jan. 30th, 1794, 52; William Colgrove, Nov. 13th, 1811, 75; John Colgrove, Dec. 17th, 1841, 74; Sarah, wife, March 31st, 1842, 70; Charles Dusenbury, Oct. 28th, 1839, 70; Elizabeth, wife, June 14th, 1863, 77; Andrew McCastline, July 29th, 1849, 89; Daniel D. Tompkins, Feb. 4th, 1858, 72; Phebe, wife, Nov. 1st, 1867, 79; Joshua Tompkins, April 20th, 1856, 65; Hannah, wife, May 4th, 1869, 79; Robert Post, Dec. 20th, 1853, 76; Mary, wife, Sept. 15th, 1865, 89; James Odell, May 24th, 1880, 59; Mary, wife, July 18th, 1862, 37; Henry Gillette, Aug. 3d, 1858, 70; Mary, wife, July 18th, 1848, 62; Wm. H. Gillette, Dec. 18th, 1878, 69; John W. Post, May 2d, 1879, 65; Gabriel Christian, April 1st, 1841, 37; Laura, wife, Sept. 28th, 1863, 85; James S. Adams, April 15th, 1876, 64; John Odell, Nov. 25th, 1851, 95; Susanna, wife, June 25th, 1842, 86; Stephen McCabe, Dec. 17th, 1866, 78; Nathaniel M. Tompkins, Aug. 3d, 1869, 88; Polly, wife, Oct. 30th, 1848, 46; Nathaniel Crawford, Feb. 7th, 1858, 71; Hannah, wife, June 12th, 1854, 63; William Dusenbury, Nov. 7th, 1815, 84; Sarah, wife, March 3d, 1821, 88; Margaret Lee, June, 1847, 79; Tamar, wife of Samuel Tompkins, Esq., Feb. 13th, 1826, 28; Cornelius Tompkins, Esq., Jan. 30th, 1826, 69; William Arm- strong, Jan. 27th, 1808, 35; Mary, wife, March 27th, 1855, 77;


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Selah Armstrong, Sept. 5th, 1827, 21; Edward Buckbee, Dec. 14th, 1839, 71; Elizabeth, wife, March 13th, 1821, 49; Lewis Buckbee, Aug. 19th, 1883, 72; Solomon Avery, May 13th, 1833, 75; Sarah, wife, May 12th, 1828, 62; John Adams, Nov. 19th, 1819, 55; Charlotte, wife, June 7th, 1847, 85; Harvey Adams, July 24th, 1880, 82; Jeremiah Chapman, Nov. 22d, 1855, 80; Mary, wife, May 4th, 1849, 77; James Cole, Jan. 26th, 1869, 61; Ebenezer Cole, June 2d, 1855, 69; Elizabeth, wife, May 26th, 1876, 84; Job Chapman, Dec. 2d, 1844, 66; Jeremiah Chapman, Dec. 9th, 1831, 87; Leonory, wife, July 17th, 1828, 71; Elijah Bull, Feb. 14th, 1855, 84; Daniel D. Tompkins, Oct. 3d, 1852, 66; Phebe, wife, Sept. 2d, 1875, 78; Cornelius Barger, Feb. 27th, 1847, 77; Catharine, wife, Sept. 27th, 1842, 45; Rebecca, wife, Aug. 31st, 1862, 90; Stephen Barger, Aug. 25th, 1862, 70; Wil- liam A. Armstrong, Nov. 12th, 1865, 42; John Barger, Dec. 24th, 1856, 80; Wesley Christian, June 6th, 1849, 50; William C. Smith, June 21st, 1862, 41; Cornelius Pierce, July 19th, 1880, 53; Mi- nerva, wife, April 3d, 1868, 43; Margaret, wife of Samuel Pierce, April 15th, 1849, 65; Alexander Armstrong, July 13th, 1856, 23; Sarah A. Armstrong, Nov. 18th, 1854, 44; Lee Horton, April 5th, 1847, 61; Mary, wife, May 22d, 1862, 66; John L. Horton, Dec. 4th, 1829, 83; Sarah, wife, Oct. 14th, 1827, 75; Iska, wife of Reuben Barger, May 30th, 1819, 27.


The title of this burying ground seems to have remained in doubt for many years. October 5th, 1842, Charles Adams and others sell, for a nominal consideration, to "the trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Philipstown Circuit, in Putnam Valley," " all that certain tract of land situate on the north- westerly side of the Peekskill Hollow road, beginning at an ash tree standing by the brook on the northwesterly side of said road, and running along the land of Nicholas Purdy, thence north, &c., for the use of a burial ground for the neighborhood, and for all other persons, whom the party of the second part may permit to be buried there."


North of Tompkins' Corners, on the east side of the road, by the side of the creek, is a small burial ground containing many monuments to the memory of former residents in this part of the valley. This cemetery was incorporated May 14th, 1853, under the name of the Carmel Valley Burial Ground, at a meet- ing held at the house of William M. Hadden. The trustees elected were: Bartholemew Tompkins, Isaac Hulse, Hiram


46


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HISTORY OF PUTNAM COUNTY.


Adams, Isaac S. Austin, Ira Conklin, Moses Hadden, Norman L. Travis, William H. Hadden, Robert Baker, Ebenezer Lock- wood, Daniel Lockwood, John Hulse, Samuel Christian and Titus Sackrider.


The following names and dates are copied from tombstones : Renben Tompkins, died July 11th, 1880, age 90; Jane, wife, Feb. 24th, 1867, 76; John J. Depew, Feb. 16th, 1862, 26; Jason Adams, Jan. 9th, 1854, 84; Hannah, wife, April 1st, 1857, 63; Asa Adams, Jan. 27th, 1853, 77; Mary, wife, Sept. 29th, 1846, 71; Bartholemew Tompkins, Nov. 25th, 1853, 85; Rachel, wife, May 22d, 1836, 72; Elizabeth, wife of Solomon Sackrider, April 15th, 1866, 100y., 3m., 15d .; John Barrett, June 25th, 1865, 66; Isaac S. Austin, Sept. 4th, 1871, 97; Susan, wife, Dec. 17th, 1862, 86; Rachel Austin, Jan. 3d, 1873, 76; Silas Austin, Feb. 13th, 1855, 56; William M. Hadden, June 2d, 1854, 68; Stephen Hulse, July 21st, 1854, 86; John Hulse, Aug, 12th, 1854, 58; Abm. Sackrider, Feb. 9th, 1864, 66; Titus Sackrider, March 27th, 1879, 80.


THE PEEKSKILL HOLLOW METHODIST CHURCH was organized at a meeting held March 26th, 1834, at which Rev. Daniel Holmes presided. The trustees elected were Ananias Tomp- kins, David Reed, and Morris Baxter. On the 16th of April, 1835, Bartholemew Tompkins sold to the above named trustees, " a lot on the west side of the Putnam and Dutchess turnpike, containing one quarter of an acre for the purpose of building a meeting house." The church was erected shortly after, its title being "The Fifth Methodist Episcopal Church of Philips- town."


On the small stream which is the outlet of Barger Pond, and near the Westchester line, not far from the southeast corner of the town, was a mill, owned in the last century by one Wardell. It was sold many years ago to Abijah Lee, and he tore the old mill down and built a new one a short distance further north. He afterward sold the place to James Fowler and for many years it was extensively known as " Fowler's Mills." Abijah Lee, the former owner, went to Lake Osca- wana, and built a large boarding house.


'The central portion of Putnam Valley is a very hilly and mountainous tract. One of the principal features of this region is the sheet of water now known as Oscawana Lake. The


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original name of this lake was "Horton's Pond," from John Horton, who owned the land on the west side, having purchased it from the commissioners of forfeitures after the Revolution. In the deed of the commissioners of forfeitures to William Col- grove it is called Long Pond. Oscawana Lake has an area of 601 acres with an average depth of 30 feet. The picturesque beauty of this lake is widely known and nothing but its com- parative inaccessibility prevents it from being a very popular resort.


The land at the south end of the lake was bought from the commissioners of forfeitures by John Colgrove, about 1780. It afterward passed into the hands of Charles Wilson, of New York, and was sold to Samuel E. Lyons in 1857. A portion of this tract was sold by him to Judge William H. Scrugham, and it is now owned by Joseph Lee. A small tract, including " the island called Otter Island," was sold by Mr. Lyons to Mrs. Ruth C. Ogden, in 1863, and is still in her possession. The land on the east side of the lake belonged to the Barger family from early days, and much of it is still owned by their descend- ants. The Dunderberg Club was organized in May, 1882, the members being Stephen D. Horton, Henry W. Lane, Franklin Couch, Benjamin McCabe, Warren Jordan, Stephen Lent, Henry L. Armstrong and others. The object of the association was purchasing, maintaining and improving real estate at Lake Oscawana. The capital of this society was to be $2,500. The club purchased the Island known as Wheat Island, and made use of it as a resort for fishing and other amusements, and social relaxation.


The Canopus Hollow lies in the western part of the town, and, like Peekskill Hollow, is bounded on each side by rugged hills or mountains. The hollow runs from northeast toward the southwest, and the western line of the town crosses it at the Croft Iron Mine. Through the valley runs the Canopus Creek, which rises at the Philipstown Turnpike, near the place where the second toll gate used to stand, and empties into the stream of Annsville, above Peekskill, and thus finds its way into the Hudson River. After the Revolution, a tract of 425 acres was sold by the commissioners of forfeitures to John Meeks. This tract began on the east side of the parsonage farm, in Lot 1 of the Philipse Patent, and was a long narrow piece of land which


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HISTORY OF PUTNAM COUNTY.


began on the Westchester line and ran up the Canopus Hollow, to a point near the Croft Mine, on the east line of Lot 1.


The land on which the Croft Iron Mine is situated was sold by the' commissioners of forfeitures to Abraham Baker in 1784, the record being No. 490, in Liber 8, of Deeds, in Dutchess county clerk's office. It is described as " Beginning at a white oak treet, where Jedidah Frost's land corners, and runs south 85 degrees east 35 chains to a rock near David Hill's house. Thence South 61 degrees east, 20 chains, to a rock where David Hill's and Joseph Bard's lands join, then along said Bard's land South 46 degrees west, 5 chains to a Birch tree, then along the land of said Bard to the line of the widow Van Tassel, thence along said line to John Likely's land, and along the the same to the line of land formerly of Peter Pinkney, thence along the same to the Water Lot line, thence nortli 10 degrees east along the said line to the place of beginning," containing 438 acres.


Abraham Baker sold 553 acres of this tract to John Meeks in April, 1791. John Meeks died about 1798, and in his will he left this piece of land to his grandson, James Meeks, son of his son, John Meeks. He in turn sold 25 acres to Joshua Meeks August 23d, 1821. This piece is described as running north along the Water Lot line to the southeast corner of "Long Pond " and was bounded north by Joshua Horton's land. It was sold by Joshua Meeks to John Croft, May 7th, 1828, and in 1832, he gave a perpetual lease to Herman Ruggles for " all ores, fossils and minerals." This lease was assigned to Christo- pher Wolfe in 1834, but seems to have been abandoned. In 1868, the same lands were leased to the Peekskill Iron Company. The 55 acres which were sold to John Meeks by Abraham Baker, appear to have been at the southwest corner of the Barker farm, and on this the Croft Iron Mine is situated, and is very near the original west line of division between Lots 4 and 1, of the Philipse Patent. The right to get iron ore from the mine was leased to John S. Shaw, in 1854, and to Seth Allen, in 1860. By foreclosure of mortgage, the right was sold to Lewis C. Clark, in 1877, and he transferred it to Thompson J. Flint and others in 1879. A large portion of the John Meeks farm was sold by his heirs to John Croft, and the farm, which also in- cluded the 55 acres sold by Abraham Baker, was known as the Croft farm, and gave its name to the iron mine situated upon


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TOWN OF PUTNAM VALLEY.


it. John Croft died January 5th, 1875, at the age of 88, and the farm was sold by his sons, Matthias and St. John Croft, to Edward Flint, February 2d, 1880. The Flint family owned the Peekskill Iron Works, and by an Act of the Legislature May 28th, 1872, they were authorized to build a narrow guage railroad from the mine to the furnaces at Peekskill. The right of way through the old parsonage farm was purchased from the heirs of David McCoy, in 1878. The mine supplied a very superior quality of ore, but mining operations have been sus- pended of late years.


The remaining part of the Abraham Baker farm seems to have been sold to Joshua Horton, about 1798, and was for a long time in the possession of the Horton family. This was a tract of about 400 acres, which lay on both sides of Canopus Creek, extending the whole width of the valley. Joshua Horton, the ancestor of the family, came here soon after the Revolution. The farm, after his death, was divided among his sons, and the families were so numerous that the locality took the name of "Horton Hollow." These sons were Cyrus, John, Jasper, James and Isaac. Of these, Cyrus had the farm now owned by Mr. Barrett. John owned the farm now in possession of the heirs of Cyrus B. Horton. The farm of Jasper now belongs to Stephen B. Weeks. James Horton's farm belongs now to James Chap- man, while Isaac's farm is the property of Randolph Croft, and was the one farthest south. The house of Cyrus Horton was the place where town meetings were held in former days, and the first meetings of the Baptist society were also held there. Cyrus B. Horton, son of Isaac, was the last of the name in the valley. He died April 25th, 1885, leaving no chil- dren. All of this family were respected citizens and people of good moral and religious character. A family burying ground, on the old farm, contains the graves of the various generations. A plain red stone bears the inscription, " In Memory of Joshua Horton, who died Nov. 11th, 1811, aged 60 years, 1 month and 20 days." His wife, Phebe Swartwout, died September 8th, 1807, aged 47 years, 7 months and 23 days. Joshua Horton and his sons, Cyrus and Isaac, were all supervisors of Philipstown, and Cyrus Horton was also justice, town clerk, and judge of the Court of Common Pleas. Cyrus B. Horton, the last of the name here, was a staid and quiet old bachelor of the olden


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time. A good man and an able supporter of the Baptist Church, he was almost its last surviving member.


Among the early settlers in Canopus Hollow was John Likely, who came from Scotland. In early days, he was town clerk of Philipstown and the town meetings were sometimes held at his house. The old homestead, in Canopus Hollow, is now owned by Ebenezer Likely. John Likely had sons, William and John. The latter married Mary Cole. Their children were: William, James, Eleazer, John, Margaret, Esther, Delia, Sarah and Mary. Margaret married Thomas Utter, whose son, John E., is the keeper of the town hall, at Cold Spring.


BAPTIST CHURCH, CROFT'S CORNERS .- This church was the first and only church of this denomination established within the present limits of the town, and was constituted a District Church, May, 1841. The following list includes most if not all of the early members of the church: Samuel Sarles, Anna Sarles, Caleb Hazen, Wm. Adams, Phebe Adams, Mary Barrett, Phebe Adams, Hannah Buckbee, Polly Dobbs, Charles Smith, Margaret Light, Susan Colgrove, Margaret Smith, Nancy Odell, Mary Cummings, Esther Brewer, Comfort Chadwick, Sarah Horton, Abm. Odell, John Griffin, Mary Horton, Richard Moon, Catharine Steel, Ann C. Horton, Nancy Lookwood, Abraham Likely, Sarah Likely, Betsy Cole, Jane Odell.


The following is the record of the first church meeting, as found in the church book:


" April 16th, 1842. Church met according to appointment. Rev. John Noy, chosen Moderator, opened by prayer by Brother Noy. After inquiry found the brethren and sisters in unity, and a general desire amongst them, for the prosperity of Zion. Charles G. Smith was chosen Clerk."


"May 14th, church meeting called for the ordination of Bro. Samuel Sarles, Bro. John Noy, Brother Milden Adams, Caleb Hazen, Bro. Charles Smith chosen to sit in council with the brethren from Philipstown, Yorktown, Red Mills, Kent and Carmel, on the 3rd Wednesday in June next at brother Caleb Hazen's, in Peekskill Hollow."


Previous to this meetings were held at the house of Cyrus Horton, and the first meetings were said to have been held under the care of Elder Ebenezer Cole, who, like his brothers, was a zealous preacher of this denomination. The church was organ-


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TOWN OF PUTNAM VALLEY.


ized as a corporation, at a meeting " held at the house of widow Sarah Horton," March 4th, 1834, the presiding officers being Isaac Horton and Nathaniel Cole. The church was named " The Baptist Central Society in Philipstown," and the first trustees were Nathaniel Cole, Absalom Mead, Isaac Horton, Silas Chap- man, Josiah Mekeel and Marcus Griffin. The first church meet- ing, which is mentioned as being " held at the meeting house," was June 18th, 1842.


METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, CROFT'S CORNERS .- This church was originally one of the stations of the Philipstown Circuit, and meetings were held at the house of Ebenezer Wixom. When the subject of building a Baptist church was agitated, tradition states that the Methodists began " to take the alarum," and made such vigorous efforts that they succeeded in getting a church built before the Baptists. The society was organized as the "Fourth Methodist Episcopal Church of Philipstown," at a meeting held March 12th, 1834, and Lee Horton, Ebenezer Wixom and James H. Adams were chosen trustees. On the first of April of that year, William Sellick gave to the above trus- tees a deed for "a certain lot of land, bounded as follows: Be- ginning at the southwest corner of said lot at the road, running north 13 degrees east 91 links along the land of Robert Post, thence South 793 degrees east 2 chains along the land of Wm. Sellick thence South 15g degrees west along the land of Wm. Sellick 25 links, thence South 88g degrees east along the land of said Sellick 1 chain 70 links to the road, and thence along the road to the place of beginning, containing } acre. In trust that they shall erect a church or place of worship, for the members of the Methodist Episcopal Church."


In April, 1868, Peter Smith conveyed to the trustees of the several Methodist Episcopal churches of Putnam Valley, a lot of land containing four acres, on the south side of the highway leading from Croft's Corners to Peekskill Hollow road, by the Mill Brook. This is the present parsonage lot, which is very conveniently situated, and both the church and parsonage area credit to the people of the town.


Among the old records of Philipstown, we find the following entry of the laying out of a road. The landmarks here men- tioned are difficult to locate and we leave the task to those who feel an interest in the matter:


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HISTORY OF PUTNAM COUNTY.


"June 4th, 1785, Justus Nelson, Moses Dusenbury and Joshua Nelson, Commissioners of the highways of Philipstown, layed out a Road beginning at a white oak tree standing on the line between Post and Odell and Joseph Bard to the south of the bridge leading to Philip Steinback's, as the road goes by the Montrosses to Steinback's house on the east side of the Canopus river. Beginning up the said river on the west side of the cleared land of the said Steinback near the upper end of the farm. At the upper end of the farm the said Steinback is to cause it to be a good road up the hill, to the field of Dr. Stan- ley, from thence by the line of marked trees, to the road lead- ing from Peekskill Hollow, to the Post road by sunking meadow near the mill. To be 2 rods wide, which we allow the same to be entered in the town book."


MINES IN PUTNAM VALLEY .- The wild and rugged mountains of this town, though unfavorable to the agriculturalist, contain mineral wealth which has not yet been fully developed. The first attempt to explore for minerals was made in 1756, and in that year Col. Beverly Robinson granted permission to Jacobus Ter Boss and John Burnett "to dig and search for mines and ore for 21 years." The terms of this grant were, that they should pay "for the first year two fowls;" for the next ten, they were to give "one quarter of the ore;" and for the next ten years "one third of the ore, the same to be delivered at the river." From that time to the present, the iron mines of this town have been worked to a greater or less extent. In Peeks- kill Hollow, a mile or two above Tompkins' Corners, is a bed of Limonite or Hematite iron, and more than fifty years ago the mine was opened and considerable ore taken out, by one Na- thaniel Bradley, of Connecticut, who purchased a large amount of mineral property in the Highlands. The work was soon abandoned, as the ore contained too much silica to work well in the furnace. A vein of magnetic iron ore runs through the northern part of the town, and was known as the Philipse vein, as it ran through land which was purchased by Frederick Philipse, in the early part of the present century. This vein has been traced for a distance of eight miles, and is believed to be continuous, except where interrupted by dykes and trans- verse heaves of the strata. Many mines have been opened on this vein. The Cold Spring Turnpike crosses it, near the crest




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