History of Rockland County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 35

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 35

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*He married Catharine, daughter of William Smith, and sister of Joshun Hett Smith, of Treason Hill.

*In this statement the writer follows the evidence as found in the case of Worall vs Munn. New York Court of Appeals. +This lot was 28 acres.

Residence of JAMES E. WEST,

WEST HAVERSTRAW,

ROCKLAND COUNTY, N. Y.

HAVERSTRAW-CHEESECOCKS PATENT.

155

THE WESTERN PART OF THE TOWN.

The entire western portion of the town, which lies to the north of Minisceongo Creek, west of the Crom Pat- ent, is a portion of the great Cheesecocks Patent, grant- ed in 1707. This immense tract covers also a large part of Orange county, and was originally held to include all the land between the New Jersey line and the west bounds of Kakiat. At a later date, when the boundaries of these patents were fully established, this last tract was held to lie beyond the true bounds of Cheesecocks. Be- fore proceeding to give the history of this patent a few words may be said concerning its northern boundary.

On September 12th 1694, a patent was granted by Governor Thomas Dongan to Captain John Evans, for a tract which included almost all the land between Stony Point and the bounds of Ulster county. This grant was composed of several tracts purchased from the Indians, and the Indian deed for the south tract thus describes it: " Beginning on the south side of the land that was bought by the said Thomas Dongan from the Esopus Indians, being about a place called by the Christians the Dancing Chamber, and from thence southward along the River to the south side of the Highlands, and the north side of the land called Haverstraw. And from thence North west along a hill called Skoonnenoghky to the bounds of his purchase from the Esopus Indians afore- said."

THE NORTHWEST LINE.

Stony Point was considered the south side of the High- lands and the north side of Haverstraw, so that a line running northwest from the south side of Stony Point was the south boundary of the grant to Captain John Evans. This line is called the "Northwest Line." It is a very important land mark in Rockland and Orange counties .* The patent granted to Evans was so ex- travagant in its extent, no consideration of any value having been given for it, that by an Act of the Provincial Legislature, May 12th 1699, it was annulled and the land was reassumed by the Crown. The whole tract was afterward granted in small tracts to different parties. The town of Stony Point is composed of several of these small tracts, and of lots in the Cheesecocks Patent. The " Northwest Line " still remained the boundary be- tween the Cheesecocks Patent and the smaller ones into which the great Evans Patent was divided. The follow- ing is a copy of the Indian deed for the land included in the Patent of Cheesecocks as found recorded in the rec- ords of Orange county.

INDIAN DEED.

" To all Xtian People, know yee that wee Maringo- mack, Yghquaw, Quickstapp and Avighquaherve native Indian Proprietors of a certain tract of land and meadow situate lying and being in the county, called Cheese- cocks, bounded to the North by the Patent lately granted unto Captain John Evans, to the West by the High Hills of the Highlands and to the South by Honan's Patent,t

to the East by the lands of Haverstraw and Hudson's river. For a certain sum of money and goods, to ns in hand paid, at and before the ensealing and delivery of these patents by Dr. John Bridges, Hendrick Ten Eyck, Dirck Vandenberg, John Cholwell, Xtopher Denn, Lan- caster Symes, and John Meritt, the receipt whereof we do hereby acknowledge and ourselves there with fully contented and paid, we have given, granted, conveyed, sold, and confirmed, and by these presents do grant and confirm unto the above named Dr. John Bridges, Hen- drick Ten Eyck, Dirck Vandenberg, John Cholwell, Xtopher Denn, Lancaster Symes and Jolin Meritt, all that certain parcel of land, bounded as above mentioned, To Have and to hold the before recited tract of upland and meadow, to the parties above named their Heirs and assigns for ever. * * In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals in the first year of her Majesties Reigne, Annoque Dom. 1702."

Dr. John Bridges, who was the Attorney-General of the Province of New York, died shortly after the date of the above deed. His claim was left to his wife, Anne Bridges, and in 1707 the tract was confirmed to the per- sons above named, by patent, of which the following is an abstract:

ANNE, Queen of England, &c., TO

ANNE BRIDGES, HENDRICK M. TEN EYCK, DIRCK VANDERBURGH, JOHN CHOLWELL, CHRISTOPHER DENNE, LANCASTER SYMES and JOHN MER- RITT, 1-7 part to each.

Grant Dated March 25th 1707, Re- corded in Of- nice of Sec. of State, in Book of Patents No. 7, pg. 298.

Conveys

A tract of upland & meadow situate in the County of Orange, called Cheesecocks, being bounded N'rd by the patented lands of Capt. John Evans & the patent of Doc- tor Bridges & Company, W'rd by the patent of the said Bridges & Co., & the west side of the high hills called the Highlands, & S'rd by the patented lands of Mr. Dan- iel Honan & Michael Howdon, & E'rd by the Christian patented lands of Haverstraw & Hudson's River.

Yielding and paying therefor yearly & every year unto us, our heirs & successors, at our Custome House at New York, to our Collector or Receiv'r Gen'II, upon the feast day of the Annunciation of the blessed Virgin Mary (Commonly called Lady Day), the rent or sume of twenty shillings Currant Money of our Province of New Yorke.

SURVEYS AND DIVISIONS OF THE PATENT.

For many years after the above grant was made the whole tract lay without inhabitants. Compared with the low lands of Haverstraw and the fertile plains of Kakiat, the high hills and mountain ranges of this region seem to present no attraction to the new settler, and as late as 1739 the only inhabitants were a few squatters, who had taken possession of small tracts, and built their log houses on the hills that overlooked the low lands of the Crom

* It extends from the Hudson to the Delaware River.

+ Kaklat.

156

HISTORY OF ROCKLAND COUNTY.

Patent, by the shore of the river. In 1738 the patent was surveyed and divided into lots by Charles Clinton, Esq., the ancestor of that family so famous in the history of our State and country.

Clinton was a man of acute observation, and very exact in his work. The whole region included in this grant was rough and mountainous, with the exception of a small portion in the eastern part. This part was laid out into comparatively small lots. But the mountains were divided into " Great Mountain Lots," of several thousand acres each, which extended far beyond our limits into Orange county. A map was made, and it is now in the office of the Secretary of State in Albany. The field book he made has not been found, but a copy of it exists and it is one of the most valuable of all documents re- lating to Rockland county. A glance at the map will| show the location of the lots, and the description is in |out their lots there.

Clinton's own words:

" Tuesday morning, September the 29th, 1738. Set out to Cheesecocks Patent with three helpers to survey. Saturday 30th went to the people of -Haverstraw to get them to show what boundaries they claimed. Dirck Crom and others claimed as far as Mr. Alsop went with the jury when they reviewed the Haverstraw claim in order to defend James Osborn, and Dirck Crom is now · settled on some of that land, and has sold his farm* in Haverstraw. We then went to James Lamb to find what boundaries that part of Haverstraw claimed. Their claim is from a brook called Florus Fall to a brook called Rasende water, and northerly to the foot of the mountains. Finding their claim so unreasonable, and that they would not show us their true line, I proceeded to run out a tier of Lots to butt on Haverstraw, and run their length backward perpendicular to the rear line of the first tract of Haverstraw, that if it be to be moved it may cut the end of all the Lots alike."

As the lines of this first tier of lots were not parallel with the " Northwest Line," which was the north bound- ary of the patent, the first lot (No. 1) was narrower at one end than the other, and hence was called the " Gore Lot," a name it still retains. This lot was supposed by Clinton to embrace a narrow strip on the south side of Stony Point, running to the river, but this was never held. The general direction of the lines between the lots was north 67°, 30' west. The direction of the line at the west end of this tier of lots was south 22°, 30' west, and the average length of each lot was 118 chains. of the Revolutionary landmarks.

The following description of each lot, as given by Clinton, shows their condition 150 years ago:

" Lot I. Along Evans Northwest Line is Rocky, broken and knolly. The S. W. side is the best of it. It takes in some of James Lamb's cleared land, and it has some meadow along the brook Rasende water where

there stood sonie stacks of hay when I surveyed it. It has a small spot of cleared land and a little house where Samuel Springsteen lives. It is but a poor Lot, but pretty well timbered.

" No. 3 has a little log house covered with bark built by Hendrick Derrick .* The Lot is a good middling one. " No. 4. John Conkling's house stands on the bank of Florus Falls at west end of this lot, a small log house, and a little spot of cleared land where John Conkling lives, which is the little house upon the road at the entrance to the mountain. A good middling Lot.

" No. 5 contains the greater part of James Osborn's cleared land, his house, barn and improvements. At the south east end of this Lot I found some trees marked in a course N. N. E., along Haverstraw, which I took to be the line marked by the men of Kakiat,t when they laid

" No. 6 has a log house where Samuel Conkling lives

"The Boundaries and Description of the Lots sur- and another near it where a widow lives. The land where veyed in Cheesecocks Patent on the south side of the the house stands is leased to Deliverance Conkling by Highlands, 1738 and 1739." Samuel Mills. As good as any of the Lots yet described.

" No. 7. Did not see any house on it. A good Lot, equal to any that butt on Haverstraw.

" No. 8. This lot has Jeremiah Yeoman's house on it, and John Haycock's house where Jeremiah Yeomans formerly lived.

" No. 9. Begins at a small Hickory tree standing 39 links off ye northeast bank of Minnesecongo brook and thence running N. 22° 30' E. 22 chains 50 links to a stake standing on the west corner of Lot 8, near a white oak tree marked with 3 notches on four sides and IX on ye Southwest side and VIII on ye N. E. side, and thence along the line of Lot No. 8 S. 67°, 30' E. 118 chains. Then S. 22° 30' W. 3 chains to Minnesecongo brook, and then along the brook to the place of beginning, con- taining 295 acres. This Lot has Samuel Conkling's, Dirck Crom's and John Haycock's houses on it. It is a good Lot equal to any yet described."

This last lot, of which the full description has been copied, is probably at the present time worth more than all the others. The immense buildings of the Rockland Print Works and a large part of the village of West Haver- straw stand on this lot. At the time Clinton made his survey, James Osborn had a small mill on the creek, and this was the first attempt to utilize the water power of the Minisceongo, which now propels much machinery.

Lot No. 7 has a historic interest. On it stands the house in which Arnold and Andre mnet and arranged their plans for the betrayal of West Point. This place is one

THE HAVERSTRAW COMMUNITY.

Lot No. 9 was sold by the original owner to John Jay, Augustus Van Cortland, John W. Livingston, and Thomas Martin, and it passed from them into the hands

*Thisallndes to his selling his tract ut thesouth end of the Crom Pat- ent to Matthew Henson, as stated before. The reference to James Os- born Is probably in relation to some suit against him for trespass by the owners of the patent.

* The residence of Watson Tomkins, Esq., stands on this lot. 15 aeres of the lot were sold to JJacob Waldron, by Jacob Rose, about 1.80 and the house of Abraham Waldron still stands on it.

tThe bounds ol Kakiat were long in dispute, and at one time they claimed almost to Stony Point, but their claimu was not established.

157

HAVERSTRAW-THE COMMUNITY.

of John I. Suffern, who sold to his son Andrew 157 acres into disorder, and although much money had been raised at the east end, June 11th 1797. This is described as and much received from external sources, yet the society collapsed after an existence of only five months. It was asserted by some of the members that dishonesty and bad management were the causes of the failure. To use the words of one of the members, "We wanted men and women of skillful industry, sober and honest, with a knowledge of themselves, and a disposition to command and to be commanded, and not men and women whose sole occupations are to parade and talk." The result of this singular episode in the history of Haverstraw was great pecuniary loss to the founders of the enterprise. Jacob Peterson, who had advanced so much, recovered only $300. " beginning at a flat rock about 2 chains north of the Church or meeting house, and running N. 70 W. 78 chains, and then south to Minnies Falls, and then along the same to the mill pond, and along the south bank to the breast work of the mill pond, and below the mill till a course N. 20 E. would reach the place of beginning." Andrew Suffern gave this tract to his brother, George, in exchange for land at Ramapo. The two brothers, John I. and George, had a rolling mill and nail factory on the creek. After the death of George Suffern, it fell to his father, John, who gave it to his son, John I. In 1824, Robert Owen, the celebrated socialist, came to this coun- try, and delivered a series of lectures on " Communism," The land which was mortgaged to John I. Suffern came again into his possession, and he left it to George W. Suffern, its present owner. The large farm house be- longing to him, near the New York and New Jersey Rail- road station, was the principal house of the community in the days of its glory. a term which then had not the bad significance it has at present. Under the influence of his preaching, several communities were started in different places, and one of them at Haverstraw. This society, which was established in 1826, took the name of the " Haverstraw Community." The founders were a Mr. Fay (an attorney), Jacob Pe- THE OLD TREASON HOUSE. terson, George Houston, of New York, and Robert L. Jennings, of Philadelphia. The principles and object of Hendrick Ten Eyck, who was one of the seven orig- inal patentees of Cheesecock's Patent, sold his share to Johannes Burger of New Jersey, February 10th 1707 (old style). He sold it to Daniel Miller, of East Hamp- ton, Long Island, and Jonathan Owen, of Brookhaven, November 10th 1716. Miller sold his part to Nathaniel Brewster, January 9th 1726, and it was sold to William Smith " by his eldest son and heir," Nathaniel Brewster, September 27th 1736, for £200. Jonathan Owen sold his part to William Smith, February 6th 1734 (old style), for £71. the society were: " to better the condition of themselves and their fellow men, which they believed could be done by living in community, having all things in common, giving equal rights to each, and abolishing the terms, mine and thine." The originators of the enterprise pur- chased of John I. Suffern about 130 acres of his tract. There were on the land two dwelling houses, twelve or fourteen outbuildings, one saw mill, and a rolling and slitting mill. The price was $18,000. Of this sumn, $6,000 was paid, and the rest secured by mortgage. To raise the $6,000, and to defray other expenses, Jacob

John Cholwell," another of the original patentees, died Peterson advanced $7,000, another person $300, and about 1716, and left his share to his surviving children, others subscribed various sums, some as low as $1o. John and Hannah, who sold their seventh part to Wil- liam Smith, December 6th 1734, for £48. Money, land, and everything was common stock for the benefit of the society. Among the members were men of

William Smith, who thus became the owner of two- various trades, and it was the general opinion that the sevenths of the immense tract covered by this patent, was the eldest son of Thomas Smith, a chandler of New- port, Pagnel, England. He came to this country with his father in 1715. He engaged in the profession of law, and was a lawyer and judge of great reputation. He died in 1769 at the age of 73, leaving six sons, William, Thomas, John W., James, Samuel, and Joshua Hett; and several daughters.

society, as a whole, was composed of men of large intel- ligence, and both men and women were of good moral character. Their number was eighty persons, including women and children. They founded a church, which they called the "Church of Reason," and on Sundays they held meetings, where lectures were delivered to them on morals, philosophy, agriculture, and various subjects, but they had no religious ceremonies or articles of. faith. They admitted members by ballot. The details of their rules and regulations were never printed, but according to the information obtainable, they had many rules and by-laws, but disagreed on these, as well as on other mat- ters. While the community lasted, they were well sup- plied with the necessaries of life, and their circumstances and condition were not inferior to those which they left when they joined the community. The rolling mill was not used, but farming and mechanical operations were carried on, and it was supposed that if the officers of the society had acted properly, the experiment would have succeeded. For some reason, however, their affairs fell

Lot No. 7, on which the " Treason House " stands, was one of the lots that fell to William Smith when the patent was divided by Charles Clinton. He also owned Lots 8 and 6, which lay on either side of the above, and Lot 7 was left to Thomas Smith, by his father. The house itself was probably built about 1770. Thomas Smith was a lawyer in New York, but made his home on his farm in Haverstraw. Although the house and farm were owned by Thomas Smith, yet his brother, Joshua Hett Smith, was living there at the time when the nego- tiations were carried on between Arnold and Andre. He

*Cholwells Landing, near the foot of Dunderberg, derives its name from him or his descendants.

158

HISTORY OF ROCKLAND COUNTY.

died in New York in 1818. Thomas Smith, the owner of Treason Hill, died in 1795, and it fell to his son, Thomas, who died in 1815. His heirs sold the old homestead, containing 90 acres, to William Nicolls, July 9th 1832, for $5,500. Mr. Nicolls sold the place to William C. log house on it, and a little patch of cleared land where Houseman, March 24th 1836, for $8,600, and he sold it to James A. Houseman, " of Alabama," in 1846. After the death of Mr. Houseman, it was sold by "A. Edward Suffern, Referee, &c.," to David Munn, February 13th 1864, and he conveyed it to his son-in-law, Adam Lil- burn, March 13th 1871. It remained in his possession till 1883, when he sold it to Brewster J. Allison, its pres- ent owner. This house, which is so closely connected with one of the most important events in our national history, has ever been an object of interest and curiosity. It is one of the few mansions that are left as mementos of the old and aristocratic families that owned vast es- tates on the banks of the Hudson before the Revolution. None of the Smith family, once so influential, are now residents of this county, but several descendants of the brothers are living in the city of New York .* There were many tenants living on their lands at the time of the Revolution, and as landlords the Smiths were not popular. Tradition speaks of them as reserved and aris- tocratic in their intercourse with their neighbors. The ancestor of one of the most numerous families now found ! in the town, when asked how he voted, was wont to say: "I find out how the Smiths vote, and then vote just the other way, and then I am sure to be right." No portion of the two-sevenths of the great patent of Cheesecocks, once owned by William Sinith, is now in the possession of any of his descendants. some spots of low land that appears to be good. This and No. 10 I take to be the best in the 2nd range of Lots.

During the night of September 22d 1780, Arnold and André made this house their place of meeting. From the window of the southeast room in the second story the two conspirators could see afar off on the river the English man-of-war from which Andre had landed. Smith, who was an attorney and counsellor-at-law, had, as a stu- dent, the celebrated Aaron Burr, and it is said that a mantel in one of the rooms has his initials marked there by him in boyish mood.

THE SECOND TIER OF LOTS IN CHEESECOCKS.

To the west of the lots from I to 9 inclusive, was laid out another tier, the location of which will appear by a glance at the map. These are now subdivided into large farms, and some of them are noted for their fertility, but at the time when Clinton surveyed them they were almost without an inhabitant. His running description is here given:

" No. 10 is accounted a good Lot by ye neighbors. It takes in a piece of low land upon the brook. Most of this Lot is plowable except what inountains it takes in. I call it a middling Lot.

"No. 11. A good middling Lot. It has about 10 acres of cleared land in it. It is well timbered but in many places stony. Up Cheesecocks brook there are

" No. 12. I take this to be a poor Lot. It has a small

John Yeomans lives.

"No. 13. A poor Lot of broken stony land and takes in a considerable part of the Kalkberg mountains.

" No. 14, begins at 2 maple trees on the southwest branch of a small brook called by the Indians Nappie kill, it runs into Florus falls.

"No. 15, a better lot than 14. It takes in some of the Kalkberg mountains, but it has some pretty good land capable of being planted. Hannes Hay was with us when I surveyed this and Lot 14. They have plow land in each of them sufficient for a small settlement. This Lot is hilly and uneven. It is a middling lot, but is very inferior to the first range of Lots.

" No. 16. This Lot takes in broken Rocky land and some mountains. The S. F. end of it is the best; it has some very good swamp for meadow, the best I met with, is very low, yet drainable and this is all I can commend that I saw in it. It is a very poor Lot."

The boundaries of these lots can still be traced, lines of stone fence in most cases marking the original lines. Lots 10 and 11 were purchased by Jacob Thiell, and were a part of the large landed estate he had at the time of his death. The west end of Lot 11 is the farm of Phin- feas Hedges, and the farm of George Knapp is the west, or northwest part of No. 10. The south half of Lot 15 was sold by John Taylor to Henry Clark, July 11th 1795, for £288. Jacob Rose bought it of him, and it is now owned by his descendants. Lot 17 was sold to David Springsteen, by Mathew M. Clarkson, of New York, No- vember 2d 1792, for £200. John McEvers, the surviv- ing executor of John McEvers, who had purchased from the original owners a share in the patent, sold to Samnel Goetchius the east half of Lot 5. This included Florus Falls. Of this purchase Abraham Blauvelt had one fourth. . The sale was made to Goetchins, March 19th 1794, and his descendants still own a portion of the tract. The mill and most of the village of " Thiells Cor- ners " are at the east end of Lot 10, and the house and farm of Samuel Secor is on Lot 12. The western line of this tier of lots runs on the brow of Cheesecocks Moun- tain, and on the south it terminates near the Table Rock, which is the beginning of the north boundary of the great Patent of Kakiat.

THE GREAT MOUNTAIN LOTS.

The largest part of the towns of Haverstraw and Stony Point is embraced within the limits of the four great mountain lots of Cheesecocks, which extend far into Or- ange County, and have their western boundaries on the "Yellow mountains," by the Ramapo River. These lots were surveyed by Clinton, in 1742. The following gives the full text of this portion of his survey: In his " Remarks on the survey of Lott No. 1 " Clinton says:

"Wednesday, 21st of April, 1742. Set out with Wil-

*Among these may be mentioned ex-Judge William E. Smith (son of Willlam Eugene, son of Thomas 2b, who has a popular hotel on Jerome uvenue, and Charles trainbridge Smith, a prominent lawyer.

FEED

HOMESTEAD OF JOSEPH B. ALLISON. BUILT. 1760.

La Fayettes

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BENJAMIN ALLISON, HOUSE. Built. 1754.

RELICS OF OLD HAVERSTRAW.

4 zaton rouge

PHOTO LITH BY ROBERT A WELCHE N'A WILLIAMSEN Y

159

HAVERSTRAW-SURVEY OF CHEESECOCKS PATENT.

liam Simpson and William Lindsey to survey the moun- tains. In running the last mentioned line, which is the S. W, side of the lott, I had no chain bearers, but was directed to keep my Journal with my watch, which I did, beginning at first Station within mentioned, On Thurs. day, the 22d of April, 1742, having William Thompson to mark the trees, and William Lindsey to carry our pro- visions, set off at 8 of the clock at *3 minutes crossed the road to Haverstraw.

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History of Rockland County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 35

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