History of Rockland County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 31

Author: Cole, David, 1822-1903, ed. cn; Beers, J. B., & co., New York, pub
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 993

USA > New York > Rockland County > History of Rockland County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men > Part 31

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"Good old colony days, When we lived under the King."

" An Act to enable the Precincts of Haverstraw in the County of Orange, to Chuse a Supervisor, a Collector, two Assessors, one Constable, and two Overseers of High - ways. Passed the 24 of June, 1719.

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HISTORY OF ROCKLAND COUNTY.

" Whereas several principall Freeholders and Inhabit- ants of Haverstraw in the County of Orange, in Behalf of themselves, and others, have by their Petitions to the General Assembly, prayed they may be enabled to elect one Supervisor, one Collector, two Assessors one Con- stable and two Overseers of the Highways, by Reason of their great Distance from Tappan, in the said County.

"I. Be it therefore enacted, by his Excellency the Governor, Council, and General Assembly, and by the authority of the same; That from and after the publication of this Act, it shall and may be lawful for the Inhabitants of the Districts and Precincts of Haverstraw in the County of Orange from the Northernmost bounds of Tappan to the northernmost bounds of Haverstraw, and they are hereby required and impowered to assemble and meet together, at the most Convenient place in the said Districts and Precincts, on the first Tuesday in April, annually, and then by a plurality of voices to elect and chuse among them one Supervisor, one Collector, two Assessors, one Constable, and two Overseers of the High- ways, and the said Officers so chosen shall be of the Principall Inhabitants and freeholders within the District above said, and also be invested with all the Powers and be obliged to such Services and Duties as all other and like officers in the County of Orange afore said, are im- powered and obliged to do. And the Assessors and Supervisor so chosen shall act in Conjunction with the rest of the like officers in the said County when and as often as occasion shall require, anything to the Contrary liere- of in any wise notwithstanding."

The term " Precincts " as used in the above Act, simply means what would now be termed " neighborhoods," and is often found in early laws to designate places where hamlets and settlements existed, although they had no separate organization. A glance at the map accompany- ing this sketch will show the various land grants or pat- ents which are embraced within the limits of the Precinct thus established. As these are the basis of all our local history, they should be carefully noticed, and the one which embraces the most fertile portion of the District is the great Patent of "Kakiat."

This patent was granted to Daniel Honan and Michael Howdon, on the 25th of June 1696, and it is recorded in the office of the Secretary of State, in Book of Patents No. 7. In this, William the Third, King of England, grants to the persons above named a tract of land which is thus described:

The term "Christians Patented Lands" denotes the patents granted to Jacobus De Harte which is now Haverstraw village), and the tract given to the inhabit- ants of Orange or Tappan.

Daniel Honan sold his half of this large tract to John McEvors, March 12th 1716, and he sold one-half of his share to Captain Lancaster Symes, January 9th 1717. Lancaster Symes, who was one of the most prominent men of those early days, died about 1723, and sales of large tracts of land belonging to him were made to various parties by his widow Catharine, and his son, John Hendrick Symes. Previous to this a division of the pat- ent had been made.

Michael Howden died about 1712, and John Johnston, Johannes Jansen, John Cook, and Nathaniel Marston, who were the executors of his estate, sold his half of the patent to Captain Cornelius Kuyper, Charles Mott, Tim- othy Halstead. Jonathan Seaman, Thomas Barker, Tim- othy Halstead jr., Caleb Halstead, James Searing, Jonah Halstead, Isaac Seaman, Abraham Denton, William Os- born, Nathaniel Osborne, John Searing, Thomas Wil- liams, John Wood, and Samuel Denton. All of these men, with the exception of Cornelius Kuyper, came from Long Island, most of them from the town of Hempstead, and those who are acquainted with the history of that part of the State, know the names as belonging to the most prominent families.

The account of the division of this tract is interesting as showing the method by which the large tracts were divided in those early times. After mentioning the above sales, it goes on to state that Daniel Honan was "absent and gone out of the Province for several years last past," that the persons mentioned by due and law- ful publication of the division of said tract, were "set upon the City Hall in New York, and likewise at Tap- pan," and that Albert Minnie, John Pew, and Abraham Hearing had been appointed to make the partition, which they did November 5th 1713. They first laid out a tract of 1,000 acres, to be sold to defray the expense of the survey. This tract "Began at Naranshaw creek, at a black oak tree marked, thence running north So degrees west 96 chains, thence to a Beech tree marked standing on Naranshaw creek 98 chains, then North 80 degrees east to a black oak tree by a small brook, 93 chains; thence by said brook and David Demarest's creek to Naranshaw brook, and by the brook to place of begin- ning." This tract was sold to Captain Cornelius Kuyper and Jonathan Seaman for £104, 45., March 6th 1713-4, O. S., Captain Kuyper owning two-thirds and Jonathan Seaman one-third. Jonathan Seaman sold his share in the patent (except his third in the expense lot above mentioned) to his son Joseph, May Ist 1715. Having laid out the expense lot, the commissioners then pro- ceeded to divide the patent into two lots. This was done by a " line run from a white oak tree marked W on the West South west side of Wesegrorap plain, to a cer-

"A tract of vacant land in the County of Orange, Commonly known by the name of Kackyachtaweke, bounded east by the Christians Patented land, North by a creek called Sheamaweck or Peasqua, which runs under a great Hill, from whence it continues a direct west course until the West South West side of a barren plain called Wesegrorap bears South, thence to the West South West side of the said plain, thence South South East until the said line comes to a creek that runs into David ' Demarest's creek, to the southward of the land | tain beech tree standing on a small creek at the South called Narranshaw, and thence down the said creek to the Christians Patented lands."

end of Mattasing or Welch's Island. The two parts thus made were called the " North moiety," and the "South

HAVERSTRAW-KAKIAT PATENT.

139

moiety," of Kakiat, and are thus constantly mentioned in old deeds. The north part fell to Captain Cornelius Kuyper and Charles Mott, with their partners, who rep- resented the share of Michael Howden, and the south part (called Lot No. 1) fell to Daniel Honan, who sold his share to McEvors and Symes, as above stated.

As usual in those days, the bounds of this great grant were, in some respects, indefinite, and there was a long dis- pute between the owners of Kakiat and the proprietors of Cheesecock's Patent, which lay to the north, as to the boundary line. This dispute was finally settled by an act of the Colonial Legislature, May 29th 1769, entitled an " Act for settling the contested boundaries between the patented lands called Cheesecocks and Kakiat." In accordance with the provisions of the act, William Wick- ham, John De Noyelles, Teunis Kuyper, John Coe, and Jonah Halstead were appointed a committee for Kakiat, and William Smith jr., William Livingston. Thomas Smith, Charles McEvors, and Augustus Van Cortland language of the grant. "David Demarest's" kill or were the committee for the owners of Cheesecocks. creek is Hackensack River. These persons appointed George Duncan Ludlow, Wil- liam Nicolls, Benjamin Kissam, Samuel Jones, and Thomas Hicks, commissioners to settle the controversy, and they determined

"That the boundaries between the two Patents should begin at the middle of a stream of water, commonly called Minnies Falls, from the easternmost extent of the two Patents, and running up the stream to where two streams are coming along, one along the north, and the other along the south side of Cheesecocks, commonly called Cheesecocks mountain, unite and form the stream called Minnies Falls. And from there along the middle of the stream which comes along the south side of the mountain, till a line North, 3 degrees 30 minutes West, strikes a certain white wood tree, on the northwest side of the stream near the southeast part of the mountain and on the north side, and at the edge of a large rock, partly in the stream and partly on the north bank, and from this tree a line South 86 degrees 30 minutes west, to a certain heap of stones erected by us for the North- west corner of Kakiat Patent, and from the heap of stones a line South 3 degrees 30 minutes east, to a certain white oak tree with a heap of stones, now commonly called John Wood's tree, which line runs over a mountain called the Round Hill and crosses a large Rock called the Horse Stable rock, lying on the mountain on the south side thereof, and from John Wood's tree a line run by John Alsop, in the year 1723, S. S. E. to a certain stream called Pascack."

This determination was made November 6th [771. Concerning these boundaries a few words may be said. The rock on the bank of the stream, from which the north line starts, is on the farm of Mr. J. J. Joncs, north of " Gurnee's Corners," and the south branch is the stream one crosses on the road from that village to the Quaker Church. The northwest corner of Kakiat is a pile of stones near the top of the mountain, at the tract of moun- tain land formerly owned by Henry Christie. From this place the line runs along the tops of the east range of the

Ramapo Mountains, and the "Horse Stable Rock," fa- mous as the scene of some of the exploits of the notorious Claudius Smith, of Revolutionary days, is west of the homestead and saw-mill of William Furman, south of Ladentown. "John Woods tree," a noted landmark, is near Tallman's Station on the Piermont Branch Railroad. The south part of the patent extended over the New Jersey line and the S. S. E. line of Kakiat crosses it at a place 7 chains and 43 links east of 9th mile stone; from this point to John Wood's tree is 335 chains, or 4 miles and 60 rods. "Naranshaw " is not properly the name of the creek which is mentioned in the description of the Expense lot, but of a tract of land in the vicinity. The small creek which is at the termination of the S. S. E. line is in New Jersey. Naranshaw Creek appears on the atlas maps by the name of Narashonk. It is needless to say that the name " Kakiat " is a corruption and contraction of the Indian word Kackyacktaweke, which appears in the

The widow and son of Captain Lancaster Symes sold to Carroll De Baun " of Scralenburg," in 1755. a tract of 400 acres, being the south part of Lot No. 2, accord- ing to a map made by John Alsop, August 15th 1727. This tract was bounded south by Lot No. 3, and extend- ed from Demarest's Kill (or Hackensack River) to Pas- quack Creek. The map of John Alsop has disappeared. and all that is known of his survey is from an occasional allusion. This is the first mention of the De Baun fam- ily owning land in this county. Jonah Halstead sold his I-18 share to John Allison, April roth 1722, for froo. The north moiety was divided into lots at different dates, [ but there is no definite information concerning it .* A deed from Thomas Smith to Rev. Robert Burns sells him land in Lot No. 6, " on Low's map," which is now owned by Dr. S. W. Allen, of West Haverstraw, but of this map nothing further is known. The chain of moun- tains running west from the Short Clove, and which presents so striking a feature in the landscape of Haver- straw, was a separate division, and a map of the lots is on file in the County Clerk's office at New City.

THE POND PATENT.

To the voyager ascending the Hudson River there is below the Highlands no more prominent feature in the landscape than the bold and lofty promontory called by the Dutch settlers "Verdrietig Hook," or "Tedious Point," from its being so long in view of their slow mov- ing vessels. The tract of land of which this is a part was a subject of controversy between "John Hutchins and Co." and " Jarvis Marshall & Co." Both obtained deeds from the Indians, but the latter probably had the priority, for a patent was granted September 27th 1694, to Jarvis Marshall and William Welch. This grant was for

"All that tract of land lying upon Hudson river, Called by the native Indians Quaspeck, Beginning on the

*The patent was surveyed and divided into lots by Cornelius Low in 1223, and a map made, which is lost.

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HISTORY OF ROCKLAND COUNTY.

east side of a certain kill, and from thence runs N. 60° E. to a certain Walnut tree inarked and so to Hudson | dated September Sth 1694, and the tract is described as river; and then southerly by the said Hudson river, as it runs, to the north line of Cornclius Claasen; and thence by his north bounds to the ridge or top of the mountains; then along the ridge southerly to the land of Thomas Dow; then by his land to a certain red oak tree standing on the East side of the kill aforesaid, thence by the said kill to the place where it began, Bounded North by Jo- " Beginning on the north side of the mouth of Matta- sinck kill, and running thence along the north side of the said kill west to a certain swamp at the head thereof, thence on the south side of the said swamp to Mahequa run, then by the said run to Demarest's kill, and soe by Demarest's kill as it runs to the mouth of Mattasinck kill, containing 500 acres." Apollonia Welch, and her children, James and Elizabeth, wife of Richard Warner, sold it to William Arison, "of the Bowery near the City of New York," October 19th 1796. He probably soon disposed of it, for Albert Minnie (son of Albert) sold three-tenths of it to William Campbell for £50, August 12th 1735.

* hannes Miller, East by Hudson river and land of Corne- lius Claasen, South by land of Cornelius Claasen and Thomas Dow and West by Demarest's kill."

This tract includes Rockland Lake, from which the patent derives its name. The Indian word Quaspeck probably means " Black Pond."

Jarvis Marshall sold his half to Thomas Burroughs, a merchant of New York, December 17th 1695. By his will, dated August 18th 1703, Mr. Burroughs left it to his youngest son Joel, and his daughter Mary, who mar- ried Brinley Sylvester, of Shelter Island. They divided it by a line running from the lake to Demarest's Kill, and Joel Burroughs had the north and Mary Sylvester the south part. The deed of partition is dated February 14th 1718, and is now in possession of Isaac De Baun, of Haverstraw. Joel Burroughs sold his part to Richard Stillwell, May 5th 1728, and he in turn sold it to Yoris Remsen, of Newtown, Long Island, November 6th 1728. He left it to his son, Theodorus, who left it to his two sons, George and Johannes, who divided it between them, June 16th 1766. Captain John Sands, of Long Island, came in possession of one-fourth of the patent, at the

north end, and he sold it to Tunis Snedeker, October of the grants in the present town of Haverstraw will be

23d 1707. He sold shares of this to Abraham and Tunis Snedeker; to the latter 388 acres, bounded south by Rcm Remsen, north by the mountains, and east by Abraham Snedeker and the lake; and to the former 403 acres, " the south end being at a road leading from the King's road to Sloughters Landing." Part of this estate is now in the hands of the Snedeker family. Tunis sold 185 acres to Theodorus Snedeker. He was a prominent Roy- alist in the Revolution and his large estate was confis- cated. His land in the Pond Patent was sold by Samuel Dodge, David Graham, and John Hathorn, August 18th 17.82, to Jacobus Swartwout, of Dutchess county, by whose descendants a part is now held. The deed is on file in the County Clerk's office. The house of Theo- dorus Snedeker, an old stone dwelling near Conger's Sta- tion, is still standing, and belongs to Abraham B. Conger. Tunis Sncdeker died before 1754, and his estate went to his children, Richard, Garret, Theodorus, Johannes, and Abraham. His estate was divided in 1789. His de- scendants are still numerous.

John Ryder, an early settler, also owned a large tract, and his descendants still reside on a portion of it at Val- ley Cottage station, on the West Shore Railroad.

WELCH'S ISLAND.

This was a grant for a tract of about 500 acres made to William Welch and wife Apollonia, " for the use of

the said Alpollonia and her children." The grant was

The last patent we shall describe in this place was one for the vacant river front north of the Pond Patent. This was granted April 23d 1703, to Lancaster Symes, Robert Walter, and Hendrick Ten Eyck. It is described as "beginning at the South bounds of Haverstraw, thence west to the north bounds of the land or island called Mattasinck, or Welch's Island, thence southerly to the southernmost end of said island, then east to the creek that runs out of the pond upon Verdrietig Hook and along the same to the Hudson, and then north to the place of beginning; except the grant to Honan and How- den."*

Such were the land grants that covered all the south part of the " Precinct of Haverstraw." The patents which are included within the limits of Stony Point will be found in the history of that town, while a full account given in this sketch. It will be seen that the above dc- scribed grants are nearly all included within the present limits of Clarkstown and Ramapo. The latter town is, however, for the greater part, included within the limits of grants made at a later day, and some of them since the Revolution.

THE EARLY INHABITANTS.

The first settlers were the Dutch, who came at an early date and established their "Bouweries " on the low flat lands which reminded them of their native Hol- land. At a late date a few families of Huguenots came, and lastly came a tide of immigration from other parts, but notably from Long Island. These, founding a set- tlement in the central part of the precinct, called it " New Hempstead," after the Long Island town from which most of them came. The following list is probably far from completc, but it embraces most of the settlers previous to 1745:

Dutch families: Captain Cornelius Kuyper, Klaas Cor- nelius Kuyper, Herman Dow, Florus Krom, Hendrick Riker, Johannes Minnie, Albert Minnie, Johannes Hey, Lawrence Ryderscn Van Ditmars, Hendrick Hogencamp, Rivers Kisarike, Jacob Archer, Matys Archer, Guisbert Crom, Rolef Van Houten, Wilheminus Crom, John Van

*This truet encroached greatly on the "Pond Patent" and only a small part was held by Symes and his partners.

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HAVERSTRAW-FIRST SETTLERS.

Horne, Paulus Yorkse, Thomas Husk, Hermanus Hoff- man, Nathaniel Yeomans, Tunis Snedeker, Samuel Spring- steen.

Huguenot families : Yost De Baun, John De Noyelles, Francis Gurnee, Francis Secor, Nathaniel Dubois, Hen- drick De Ronde.

English families : James Osborn, 1730; John Allison, 1720; Edward Conkling, 1725; John Conkling, 1725; Jo- seph Topping, 1725; Robert Hutchins, 1740; Resolvert Waldron,* 1760; Joseph Wood, 1720; Timothy Halstead, 1720; Richard Halstead, 1720; Jonah Halstead, 1720; Joseph Seaman, 1720; James Searing, 1720; Charles Mott, 1720; William Osborn, 1720; Caleb Halstead, 1720; William Hutchings, 1720; Abraham Denton, 1720; Jona- than Rose, 1720; Jonathan Owen, 1726; Jonathan Sea- man, 1720; Richard Cooms, 1726; Samuel Mills, 1726; Timothy Halstead, 1720; James Denton, 1726; Thomas Barker, 1720; John Wood, 1720; Thomas Williams, 1720; Isaac Seaman, 1720; John Palmer, 1720; Lodowick Post, 1718; Nathaniel Brewster, 1736; Daniel Miller, 1726.

Jonathan Seaman, in a deed of 1719, is mentioned as of "Jerusalem, Hempsted, Queens Co." This company settled on the most fertile part of the patent, and prob- ably at the place which was called, by the Indians, Kackyacktaweke. From the name of the village from which most of the company came they called their settle- ment New Hempstead; but the old name of Kakiat was retained in general use till the Revolution, and it was here that they established what has ever since been called the English Church, from its being the first in the pre- cinct in which the English language was used.

Such is a sketch of the early settlement of that part of the old Precinct of Haverstraw which is now included in Clarkstown.

In the " Act for dividing the Counties of this State into towns," the line between Haverstraw and Orange is thus described:

" Beginning on Hudson river at the north east corner of the farm late belonging to Harman Tallman, deceased, and running from thence westerly along the said farm to the tract of land formerly granted to Teunis D. Tall- man; and then Southerly and westerly along the bounds of the same tract to Demarest's kill or Hackensack river; and then down the stream thereof to the north east cor- ner of a tract of 1,000 acres of land, formerly sold for defraying the expense of dividing the Patent of Kakiat, and then westerly along the same to the northwest cor- ner thereof, and then northerly, westerly, and southerly along the land of Johannes Blauvelt to the Northeast corner of the land of John M. Hogencamp, and then westerly and southerly along the same to the north east corner of the land of John P. Maybie, and then westerly along his land to New Jersey." (March 7th 1788.)

The north line of the town, which was identical with the county line, is described as " Beginning at the mouth of the Poplopens kill, at Hudson river and running on a direct course to the southeast corner of the farm of Ste- phen Sloot, and along the south bounds of his farm to

the South west corner, and thence on the same course to New Jersey." The original town thus defined was re- duced by the Act of March 18th 1791, which established the towns of Clarkstown and New Hempstead. The line separating Clarkstown and New Hempstead is described as " Beginning at the north west corner of the land of John M. Hogenkamp, called his middle town lot, and running north three degrees west to the division line be- tween the north and south moiety of the Patent of Ka- kiat, and then along the same, east, to the line of division between the east and west 400 acre lots, of the north moiety, and along that line, and continuing the same to the line of division between the mountain lots upon the top of the Verdrietig Hook mountains." The line be- tween Haverstraw and Clarkstown begins at this point, and runs " along the line separating the mountain lots to the east end thereof, and from thence to the stream of water which runs from the long clove to Hudson river." The line between Haverstraw and New Hempstead was described as " Running from the north west corner of Clarkstown along the south bounds of the lands of Fran- cis Gurnee and Benjamin Coe, and along the north bounds of the land of Gabriel Conkling and Jonathan Seaman, and the same course continued to the town of New Cornwall." (The Orange county line.) The part of the original town not included in Clarkstown and New Hempstead was to retain the name of Haverstraw, and the first town meeting was to be held at the house of David Burns, who lived where the residence of Dr. Steven W. Allen now is, at Garnerville. The change of the name of New Hempstead to Ramapo was rec- ognized by Act of April 17th 1829. The later history of the parts thus separated from the original precinct will be found in the sketches of Clarkstown and Ramapo.

THE PRESENT TOWN OF HAVERSTRAW.

A person sailing by the village of Haverstraw will see what appears to be a low and level plain bounded on the west by the distant hills of the Highlands, and on the south by the rugged range of mountains that stretches far into the interior. This tract was the first land grant- ed in what is now Rockland county. Among the early Dutch emigrants to New Amsterdam were Balthazar De Harte and his brother Jacob, and previous to July 31st 1666, the former purchased from the Indians " All that tract of land lying on the west side of Hudson's river called Haverstraw, being on the north side of the hills called Verdrietig Hook, on the south side of the High- lands, on the east side of the mountains, so as the same is bounded by Hudson's river and round about by high mountains." At this time the boundary between the provinces of New York and New Jersey was not estab- lished, and believing that this tract was in the latter, Bal- thazar De Harte obtained fromn Phillip Carteret, governor of New Jersey, a confirmation of this purchase, which conveyed to him " A piece of land and meadow lying upon Hudson's river, in several parcels, called by the In- dians, Nawasink, Yandacap, Caquaney, and Aquamack, within the limits of Averstraw. Bounded west by a cer-

*The Waldrons were a German family.

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HISTORY OF ROCKLAND COUNTY.

tain creek called Menisakeungue, on the east and north by Hudson river, South by the mountains, containing 400 acres of land and meadow, English measure." The will of Balthazar De Harte is on record in the Surrogate's cobus Dehart his Heires and Assignes forever Yielding Rendring and Paying therefore unto our Soveraigne I.ord the Kings Majesty his Heirs or Successors or to such officer or officers as by himi shall be appointed to Receive office in New York. In this will, dated January 4th the Same foure bushells of Good Merchantable Wheate 1672, he leaves to his brother Jacobus De Harte "all the land of Haverstroo purchased of the Indians by the testator, and a Patent granted by Gov. Phillip Carteret."*

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History of Rockland County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 31

Author: Cole, David, 1822-1903, ed. cn; Beers, J. B., & co., New York, pub Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 993

Author: Cole, David, 1822-1903, ed. cn; Beers, J. B., & co., New York, pub
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 993