History of Rockland County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 33

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 33

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HISTORY OF ROCKLAND COUNTY.

partly by the land of Johannes Snedeker, north by the mountains and east by the land of Theodorus Snedeker." The original title of Tunis Snedeker to this part of the patent cannot be found. But in 1770 the proprie- tors of the north moiety of Kakiat Patent laid claim to certain portions of the north part of the Pond Patent. Probably on account of this, Garret Snedeker procured a new deed from John Sands, of Long Island (probably the heir-at-law of the original owner) October 23d 1770, and he then gave new deeds to the rest. To Tunis, the oldest son and heir-at-law of Theodorus Snedeker, who died in 1767, he deeded 388 acres, " bounded south by Rem Remsen, west by Garret Snedeker, north by the mountains, and east by Abraham Snedeker and the pond." To Abraham Snedeker he conveyed "403 acres bounded west by Tunis S., north and east by mountains, south by John Ryder and the pond, the pond end is at a road leading from the King's road to Slawter's Landing." Tunis Snedeker sold 185 acres of his part to his younger brother, Theodorus, and when he died, in 1773, he left him all his lands. This estate of Theodorus Snedeker was confiscated after the Revolu- tion, and sold by Samuel Dodge and Daniel Graham, commissioners, to Jacobus Swartwout, of Dutchess county, August 18th 1782. The original deed is now on file in the County Clerk's office ..

Abraham Snedeker died in 1771, and left his lands to Abraham Thew, his grandson. In his will he directed that the family burying ground should not be sold, but remain for ever for the Snedeker family.

Garret Snedeker died about 1776, and his estate was left to John Thew, and to Richard, Theodorus, Tunis, and Garret Snedeker. The estate was divided by com- missioners in 1789.

The only branch of the Snedeker family that owns any part of this large estate are the descendants of Johannes, one family of which still own a portion of the ancestral inheritance.

Johannes Snedeker died a prisoner in the Sugar House prison, in New York, September 28th 1779, aged 58. He left two sons, Garret and Tunis, and several daughters. Garret built the old stone house, in which his son, Abraham Snedeker, now lives, in 1793. This stands about forty rods west of the Kings road, and about a quarter of a mile northwest from the Presbyterian Church at Waldberg.

Abraham Snedeker was born March 15th 1793, and he is now living on the old homestead, the sole survivor of -the time when the family owned both the mountain and the plain, between the Hackensack and the Hudson. The various tracts of the original estates, had, in course of time, been divided into small parcels.

About 1840, Hon. Abraham B. Conger, by various pur- chases, became the owner of almost the whole of the original estate, and it is now in possession of his family.

The old stone house of Theodorus Snedeker is still standing, though dilapidatcd, a little southwest of Con- ger's Station on the West Shore Railroad .*

THE LANCASTER SYMES TRACT.

To the north of the Pond Patent was a tract granted to Lancaster Symes and others, April 23d 1708. The Snedekers always claimed nearly if not quite to the Short Clove, and the only known deed which refers to the Symes grant is one from William Lupton to Claas R. Van Houten, dated 1760. This conveys 102 acres bounded west by Demarest's Kill, north by the lands of John De Noyelles, east and south by the road to New City. This is now the farm of Barne Van Houten. A map of the farm made in 1813 b- David Pye bears the following note: " A map of the farm sold by William Lupton to Claas R. Van Houten, in patent of Lancaster Symes and others, one half at least of this patent is in the patent to Marshal and Welch. Calculation to be made on this 100 acres, as if the remainder was only 600 acres." The lots on the west side of Demarest's Kill run from that crcek to Wood Creek or the west branch of Hackensack. In a deed from Jacob Van Houten and other heirs of Claas R. Van Houten, to Isaac B. Van Houten, January 7th 1819, they are called the " Matta- sink or Contest Lots." The saw-mill by the bridge on the road to New City is probably on Lot 14. These lots are in the patent known as Welch's Island.

HAVERSTRAW IN 1800.

" My father removed from Tappan Sloat to Haver- straw in the year 1794. I was then 14 years old, which is 64 years ago. There was no village there then, only one house. Capt. John Shepherd bought the field where the village is built of Joseph Allison, for £10 an acre. When he moved there it was sown with rye. The river bank was the handsomest I ever saw. From Grassy Point down to where James Wood first set a brick yard, was a beautiful row of large chestnuts and oak trees, growing all along the banks. It was a beautiful walk. How dif- ferent now! A large village, and also a village of brick yards!"

Such is the description as given in a letter written in 1855, by Jacob Wandell to his sister, Catharine Van Houten.

Previous to the Revolution, the road that connected the fertile country back of the mountains, with the river, was through the Long Clove, and the person who travels it to-day in its present improved condition, can little realize the difficulty with which the ox carts of former times made the toilsome ascent. On the north side of the little stream which runs from the Short Clove to the river was a small lot of one acre, and here, during the Revolution, was the dock and landing of Major Edward William Kiers, who was prominent as an officer in the Continental army. It was the first landing in Haver- straw, and bore the same relation to the few inhabitants of those days that the steamboat wharves bear to the busy population of the present time. Until after the be- ginning of the present century, this was the only dock between " Slaughter's Landing," at Rockland Lake, and Stony Point, at the old Kings Ferry. After the death of Major Kiers, his executors sold it to George Suffern, who

*Another stone house standing on the east side of Kings road about balf a mile north of Waldberg Church was built by Abraham Storms, who married Altie, daughter of Johannes Snedeker. The mountain lands in this estale remained for a long time undivided.

147

HAVERSTRAW-DE NOYELLES BURYING GROUND.

conveyed it to John Suffern, February 28th 1791. He | purchasers of lots were Michael Hay, father of Thomas sold to William C. Thompson, and it was by him sold to Hay, Abraham Wandell, Amos Knapp, and John John- ston. The price of a lot on Front street was $50. John De Noyelles, including the dock and store house, and dwelling house, for £700, November 7th 1801. It is now the property of Felix McCabe. The old home- THE ALLISON FARM. stead of the De Noyelles stood somewhat north and a All the land now covered by the village of Haverstraw, exclusive of the land of the De Noyelles, and the ten acres sold to Thomas Smith, and extending to the ex- tremity of Grassy Point, was owned by John Allison, and for long years was known as Allison's Neck, or the Alli- son farin. John Allison died in 1754, and left the whole tract to his son, Joseph, describing it in his will as "the farm where I now live, being a tract purchased of Albert Minnie and others, bounded North and East by Hudson river, South by the mountains, and running westerly by Minisceongo Creek and the mountains." The house where Joseph Allison, and his father before him, lived, stood on the bank of the river, on the west side of what is now Allison street and about eight rods north of Main street. little back from the river, while the old road ran between the house of Major Kiers and his landing, where the brick yards now are. The old De Noyelles burying ground, which still remains on the top of a high hill, is the last relic of the elevated land which once extended all along the river. As this old cemetery will soon be a thing of the past, we feel it a duty to copy the dates that yet remain, though some of them are scarcely legible, and others are on broken tombstones. By the side of this ground is what is left of one of the largest trees in the county, and the last survivor of the huge chestnut trees that formed the original forest. The trunk is twelve feet in circumference, and bears all the indications of great age.

John Moore, died February 16th 1832, æ. 57. Jane, wife of John Moore, June 14th 1840, 54. " My dear, I am come to thee."

Harriet, wife of Joseph Knapp, died December 27th 1848, 76.

Andrew A. Hopper, died October 30th :838, æ. 54. Sarah, wife of John De Pue, April Ist 1811, 48.

John De Pue, December 11th 1822, æ. 58 y. 10 m. 5 d. John Stagg, November 21st 1856, 46 y. 3 m. 13 d.

Mary, wife of John Ryker Jr., and daughter of John De Noyelles, died March 7th 1839, a. 38.

John De Noyelles, died August 9th 1852, æ. 67.

John J. De Noyelles, July 13th 1843, 54 y. 3 m. Daniel W. Coe, son of Walter & Rachel D. N. Coe, died November 10th 1852, aged 22 y. 5 m. 13 d.

In memory of John De Noyelles, Esquire, A Member of the General Assembly for the County of Orange in the Province of New York, Departed this life January the Itth 1775, in the 41 year of his age.

The lot mentioned before as sold to Lawyer Thomas Smith, was, after his death, surveyed and divided into house lots, and a map was made by Teunis Smith, of Nyack, who was a noted surveyor in his day. A road, now called Middle street, was run through the center of the lot, from east to west, and numbered streets crossing this, commencing with First street, next the river front. This was done in 1803, and was the first attempt at a village of Haverstraw. The first house built on this lot was where the United States Hotel now stands. It was a two story house, with a flight of stairs on the outside running to the upper story. One of the first persons to buy lots was Jacob Wandell, who, as mentioned above, came here from Tappan Slote in 1794. A lot for a Methodist church was given before this time, and the church was built upon it in 1800. At the time when these building lots were laid out, the high banks of the river were covered with a thick growth of trees, prin- cipally cedars, which stood so thick that a person in the road could with difficulty see the river. Among the first

About 1812, a dock was built nearly in front of the house and became known as Allison's Landing. A fence separated it from the land sold to Thomas Smith, and it was also fenced along the old road which is now called Broadway; and so running to Minisceongo Creek. At the junction of Broad street and Broadway was a large gate which opened into what was called the old lane, that led nearly straight to the house, which was sur- rounded by a large orchard. The house itself was rather small, two stories in height, with an ample kitchen at- tached for the colored population, for John Allison and his son were quite large slave holders, and like the patri- arch Job had an "exceeding great household." The whole farm remained undivided till after the death of Joseph Allison, which occurred about January 2d 1796.

CROM PATENT.

The original purchase made by Balthazar De Harte included not only the land south of the creek, but also the low land to the north, which was in two different tracts, and known to the Indians by distinct names. His interest in this tract he sold to Nicholas Du Poins and Peter Jacob Marius. Nicholas Du Poins, " of the City of New York, weaver," sold his half to Florus Williamse Crom, October 17th 1685. The share of Peter Jacob Marius passed into the hands of Hendrick Van Bomell, and his widow, Rachel, sold it to Hendrick Ryker, Octo- ber 3d 1685. The new owners soon afterward presented to Governor Cornbury a petition which fully explains the facts, and of which the following is a copy:

" To his Excell'y Edward Viscount Cornbury Captain Generall and Governor in Chief of her Majtys Province of New York and Territoryes Depending thereon in America and Vice Admirall of the same, &c. In Coun- cill.

" The humble petition of Flores Crom in behalff of himself and these of the Inhabitants at Haverstraw in Orange County Showeth

" That, whereas, before the running of the line of parti-

148

HISTORY OF ROCKLAND COUNTY.

tion between this province and the province of East New New Jersey, in the year 1683, the Town of Haverstraw was taken to belong and appertain to the province of East New Jersey. For that the first purchaser thereof, to witt, Balthazer De Hart and Hendrick Van Bumell, about the year 1671, pattented the said Land under the proprietors of East New Jersey.

" That after the running of the aforesaid line of parti- tion the said Balthazer De Hart and Hendrick Bumell did take out patents under this government, and after- wards, in the year 1686, upon some complaint of the In- dians, were necessitated to renew their Indian purchase, as appears by the records of the Secry's Office in which Indian deed the meeds and bounds of the aforesaid land are much more certain and express than is compreliended in the aforesaid patents.

"Now for as much as yr Excellys petitioners by meane conveyances in the law are entitled too and in the quiett ordered that his lands at Haverstraw should be " divided possession of the above said land, and for severall yeares have cultivated and improved a considerable part thereof,

into four farms, or plantations, and sold at vendue to the highest bidder among my children." The part lying next south of Florus Falls was sold by the owners to John "May it therefore please your Excell'cy to grant unto Van Horne, and a release given by Johannes Hay, son ye petitioners under the seals of this province a confirma- of Harme Hay, November 23d 1705, for his undivided tion thereof according to the meeds and bounds of the aforesaid Indian deed at a moderate quitt rent for the whole.

" And as in duty bound shall ever pray " FLORIS CROM."

Appended to this petition is a list of names of persons who united with him in the petition, and this is the ear- liest list of persons actually living in Haverstraw. This list includes Johannes Minnie, Albert Minnie, Ryn Jans, Cryntie Jans, William Crom, John Pew, and Henry Van Hogencamp. A patent had already been granted them of Hendrick Riker. By this division it seems that all for the lands, by Gov. Dongan, of which the following is an abstract:

" James the Second by Thomas Dongan, Governor,

" To Florus Wm. Crom.

" December 13th, 1685,

"Conveys the moiety or half of a certain parcel of upland and meadow at a place called Averstraw, Begin- ning at a creek called Minnesceongo at a red oak marked on all four sides, running along as the creek runs, South South east, from thence running into the woods westerly sixty chains to the foot of the mountain, to a tree marked on all four sides, from thence running north north east seventy two chains upon a fresh brook coming from the mountains to a stake marked on all four sides planted by a walnut tree, from thence running as the fresh brook runs South east fifty chains to the first mentioned tree. Being esteemed with the meadow, four hundred and eighty acres English measure. Also another parcel of upland and meadow, joining to the same land on the north end of it, known by the name of Ahequerenoy, containing with the meadow two hundred and ten acres. In all 690 acres English measure. Also fifty acres niore of upland adjoining the aforesaid parcel and tract of land not yet appropriated as shall seem most convenient to him."

A patent for the other moiety or half was granted, at the same time, to Hendrick Ryker, and thus they became the owners of all the land bounded south by the creek, west by the hills, east by the river, and extending north almost to Stony Point. Between this tract and Stony Point was a small tract of 106 acres, granted to Richard Bradley, which will be described in another place.

Ryker and Crom were both natives of Flatbush, Long Island. The original patent granted to Florus Williamse Crom, beautifully written on parchment, and with the autograph of the Governor and the seal of the Province attached, is now in the possession of Wesley Weiant Esq., of Stony Point. So far as we can find, this is the only original document of the kind in existence in this county. Hendrick Ryer sold his half of the whole tract to Harme Hay, and Laurie Jans.

Florus Williamse Crom died in 1706, and by his will

share. This tract is described as " beginning on Florus creek, fronting to the meadows and creek, in breadth 130 paces, and joins on the west south west side to the land of Ryn Jans, and runs west to the foot of the hills." Van Horne and his wife, Catharine, sold it to Guisbert Crom, March ioth 1715. The land of Ryn Jans after- ward passed into the hands of the Croms, as will be seen.

In 1722 the owners of the whole patent agreed that it should be divided among its owners, and with the assigns the part north of Florus Falls was given to Johannes Hay.

It is not probable that the plan of dividing the patent into four farms and selling them at auction was ever car- ried into effect. The old deeds state that the part of Florus Williamse Crom passed to his son, William Florus Crom, who left it to his six children. Dirck, the eldest of these, bought the share of his brother William (who had previously died) of his heirs, June 15th 1732, so that when the division was made he owned one third. The share of Dirck Crom was 154 acres, and was at the south end, next to the brook called Minnies Falls .* This tract is described as " Beginning at the meadow and run- ning on a N. by W. course to the line that Kakiat people run back of Croms. Then south along that linet to a run or fall called Minisceongo, and by the falls to the place of beginning." Dirck Crom sold this farm to Mathew Benson, October 20th 1737, for £157, and he sold it to John Allison, April 26th 1742, "except the right to make a dam and set a mill on the creek, which

*Minnies Falls (so named after Johannes Minnie, who had owned the land in De Harte's patent. south of the stream) was the name given to Minisceongo Creek nbove tide water.

"The owners of Kakiat Patent at one time claimed the land north of the creek and west of Crom's Patent, and laid out lots, but this claim was not sustained

149

HAVERSTRAW-CROM PATENT.

Dirck Crom formerly granted to Jeremiah Heimans." It is upon this farm that the manufacturing establish- ments of Elisha Peck were erected, and the tract is now of immense value.

The next farm was that of Paulus Yorkse, who married Tryntie, one of the daughters of William Florus Crom. His tract was 94 acres. It was afterwards sold to Thomas

Mapes, and, in 1757, the south half was sold to Benjamin longed, as has been stated before, to Guisbert Crom; but

Benson, by John James, who had purchased it of the heirs of Thomas Mapes, for £150. The north half had been previously sold to Mathew Benson (father of Ben- jamin) by John Alsop. He left it to his son, and thus Benjamin Benson came in possession of the whole of the original farm.

The part of Thomas Husk, who is supposed to have married another daughter of William Florus Crom, came next. This was a farm of about roo acres. Before the Revolution it came into the possession of Michael Hay, and descended to his son, Thomas Hay, who was a very prominent man, and at one time sheriff of the county.

The land which is mentioned as the land of Ryn Jans was the next tract. This probably came to him as a part of the share of Laurie Jans, who bought a share of Ryker's half of the patent. It afterwards passed into the hands of Captain James Lamb, who was a very extensive land owner. This farm has a somewhat curious history. Captain James Lamb was a tory during the Revolution, and after the establishment of the State government his property was confiscated. The commissioners of for- feited lands made nu sale during his life. By one section of the Act of May 19th 1784, they were inhibited from selling his lands, and by another Act passed at the roth session (Chap. 93), his estate was given to his children. On November Ist 1784, James Lamb gave a deed “in consideration of the love and affection I have for my daughter Rachel, and my son-in-law John Crom," by which he conveyed to them " all the land and farm they now live upon and have for some time occupied."

Captain Lamb died about 1794 and left four daugh- ters; Elizabeth, wife of John Waldron; Catharine, wife of Jacob Waldron; Hannah, wife of John Armstrong; and Rachel, wife of John Crom. On June 14th 1797, Catha- rine, Elizabeth, and the children of John Armstrong, considering that the deed given by their father, who was attainted for treason, might not be valid, sold their right and title to John and Alexander Crom, sons of John Crom, who died in 1795.

The old house where John Crom lived, stood on the west side of this farm, nearly opposite the junction of the road running to Stony Point and the road running west to the mountains. Close to the site of the house is a large black walnut tree, evidently of great age, and it is one of the traditions of the place, that under this tree the American troops were paid off during the Revolution. The tradition that at this place the negro Pompey (a slave of Captain Lamb), took the lead of General Wayne's troops when advancing to the assault of Stony Point, is somewhat supported by the fact that the house and farm were at that time in Lamb's possession, and

may have been his actual place of residence, * although he is said to have lived near where the engine house of Tomkins brick yards now stands, south of Stony Point. The farm, whose value for brick making and other pur- poses can scarcely be over estimated, now belongs to Adam Lilburn.

The tract between the Crom farm and Florus Falls be-

in 1790 it was in possession of Robert Henry, and was sold, in 1802, by Robert Henry, and William Cooley (who may have been heirs to the Robert above men- tioned), to John and Alexander Crom. The latter sold his part, and also his share in the Crom farm, to George Weiant, and moved to the western part of the State, in 1815. John Crom, his brother, continued on the old homestead till his death, about 1820. In 1836, it was bought by two speculators, Murphy and Warner, who also bought part of Grassy Point, with the intention of laying out a village, a project which at that time was a mania along the Hudson. This enterprise, like many other similar ones, came to naught. Murphy and Warner failed in 1837, and the farm was sold by the special receiver to David Munn, a man whose life and acts are very important factors in the history of this part of the county. John Crom was the last of the name who owned any land in the Crom Patent. One of his grand- sons is now a tenant on the tract granted to his ancestor 200 years ago.

AHEQUERENOY.

The land north of the brook called Florus Falls and extending to Stony Point, and bounded west by the hills, was known to the Indians by this name. This tract, as mentioned before, at the time of the partition of the Crom Patent, came into the possession of Johannes Hay, and he sold it to Edward Blagge, July 29th 1723, for the sum of £135. The tract is described in the deed as "A tract of land at Haverstraw, bounded South by the land of Florus Crom, deceased, west by the hills or mountains, north by the run of water called in the Dutch Het Ra- sende Water, coming down from the mountains of the Highlands, and east by Hudson river; containing 200 acres." This sale was probably in the way of a mort- gage, or pledge for money loaned, for a deed given by Benjamin Blagge to James Lamb, March 7th 1761, re- cites that the above sale was made to Edward Blagge, for which he had paid no consideration, that the deed had not been redelivered, and that Benjamin Blagge, the son and heir of Edward Blagge, deceased, by this deed sells to James Lamb, who had purchased the said lands of Johannes Hay, all his right and claim to the premises.

James Lamb had made the purchase from Hay long before, for on the 10th of April, 1751, he sold the south part to Resolvert Waldron, " bounded south by the run of water known by the name of Florus falls, and the salt

* The statement in Lossing's " Field Book of the Revolution." Vol. 1. p. 744, so far as it refers to Pompey's master ns a " warin whig " is cer- tainiy erroneous. The fact of his being attainted and his property eon- flseated is ulluded to in n deed from Rachel Crom to her son John, con- veying her part of the property, October 27th 1815.

John W Heller

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HISTORY OF ROCKLAND COUNTY.

meadow, north by the land now in the occupation of Smith's field at 50 chains the S. E. corner of Thomas Catherine Miller, east by the river, and west by the un- Smith's house* bears N. 82 degrees west, 2 chains 94 links distant. At 55 chains the main road, at 65 chains 20 links the S. W. corner of John Crom's house bears S. 80 E. 74 links distant, at 81 chains the N. W. corner of Robert Henry's house bears S. 76 E. 45 links distant. At 90 chains the main road again. At 107 chains and 70 links allowance for a steep bank, marked a small birch tree with 3 notches on 4 sides leaning over Florus falls creek, and trimmed some hemlocks near it. Then S. 54 E. down said creek, 2 chains to a large buttonwood on the North side. At 4 chains 80 links to a stake by a fence on the N. side of the road. I chain N. of said creek and I chain West of a bridge, being the place of beginning of the second Haverstraw Patent.t Then N. 3 degrees W. at 7 chains 45 links a bunch of pear trees, on the West side of the line. At 17 chains 25 links, set a stake on the South side of a steep hill, at 22 chains the road to Jacob Waldron's house, t at 30 chains 35 links marked a black oak tree in the line with 3 notches on 2 sides. At 34 chains 20 links crossed a spring brook .¿ divided lands of Kakiat Patent or Cheesecock Patent, containing 135 acres." Resolvert Waldron was one of the early German settlers in the New World, and his name appears as one of the patentees of a tract of land at Harlem, as early as 1698. He died in 1761, and left his estate equally to his seven children: John, Jacob, Adrian, Anne, wife of Strauts Springsteen, Elisabeth, wife of Patrick Kine, Peggy, wife of Abraham Lent, and Catharine, wife of Alexander Bulsom. Adrian and his sisters conveyed the whole of the above tract to their brothers, Jacob and John, June 17th 1789. These brothers divided the land by deed, October 23d 1800, and Jacob had the part "where he now lives, on the north side of Florus falls and to the south of the road to the house of said Jacob Waldron." This is the road that leads east from the village of Stony Point. The house of Jacob Waldron is yet standing, though moved from its original site. It first stood east of the railroad, not far from the river, on a bank that has been dug away for brick making. An orchard was around it, and a few of At 44 chains 25 links, the S. W. corner of John Wal- the old trees are yet standing, but they will shortly dis- appear before the advance of the brick yards. The house itself is now on the west of the railroad, and on the south side of the old family burying ground, and is inhabited by foreign laborers. John Waldron had the north part, which extended as far as the road which now separates the property of William H. Rose and Frederick Tom- chains the stump formerly marked for the said Brewsters kins, and the house of John Waldron was on the site of the present mansion of Mr. Rose. The tract to the north of this, reaching to the end of the patent, or to the little stream called by the Dutch "Het Rasende Water," was sold to Samuel Brewster, by James Lamb, before 1790.

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History of Rockland County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 33

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