History of Rockland County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 36

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 36

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"The Boundaries of the II Mountain Lott.

" Beginning at the most southerly corner of Lott No. I being the first mountain Lott where a Hickorie tree and white oak are marked with three notches on four sides and I on ye N. E. side and II on yc S. W. side of the Hickorie, and runs thence south 22° and 30 minutes west fifty-eight chains and forty-five links to the south- westerly corner of Lott number fourteen formerly laid out on the S. E. side of the mountains, then along the line of the said lot S. 67º 30' East six chains to the northwesterly corner of lot No. 13, then along the line of the westerly end of the said lot No. 13 and part of the westerly end of lot No. 12 south twenty-two degrees and thirty minutes west forty-six chains and forty-five links, to a stake and heap of stones, thence North forty-four degrees West a- long a line of marked trees to the line of the Easterly side of Lott number 17, twhich was formerly laid out in the clove, in the highlands to an Iron wood tree marked with three notches on four sides and II on ye N. E. side, and III on ye S. W. side which Ironwood tree stands 2 ch. 40 links S-Westerly of the S. E corner of lott number 14 thence North Easterly along the lines of Lotts num- ber 14 number 11 and number 8 to a large Hickorie tree marked with three notches on four sides, and nuniber I on ye N. E. and II on the S. W. sides, standing in the westerly corner of the first mountain lott (this lott being in breadth at right angle ninety-three chains) and runs thence from the said Hickorie south forty-four degrees East along a line of marked trees to the place of begin- ning, containing about 6152 acres of mountains.

" Remarks on running the survey of this Lott.

"Saturday 24th, Do. Having run out the breadth of the S. E. end of this lott, I began at a stake and heap of stones standing in the southerly corner thereof, and runs N. 44 W .; at 60 minutes I came to the high rocky moun- tain; at 100 mts. came to the top of a very high mountain where I found Iron ore in our line; at 180 minutes cross- ed a brook that runs N. E .; at 220 mts. crossed a stream that runs N. E .; at 245 mts. crossed another stream that runs N. E .; between the two last streams it is a very great thicket of Laurels and underwood, scarce passable; at 340 mts. came to ye S. W. end of the great pond where Haverstraw people bring cedar from. The line crossed the end of the pond and cuts off about 15 acres ot it in- to the next lott. I took a sighit across the Pond and went around the South end of it, here took a backsight to a tree we blazed in our line, at 400 mts. we niade a

wiggwam and lodged here till Monday, had a very wet night on Saturday.

" Monday, the 26th do. Set out at 30 mts. past six. The mountains here are the most brushy and rockey I ever saw, full of Laurels and underwood. At 60 mts. came to a great inirey clove, our course runs a piece along it; at 120 mts. crossed a brook in it that runs S. W .; at 145 mts. parted from the clove and assended a hill not very stoney; at 170 mts. crossed a branch of the former brook; at 180 mts. assended another ridge not very stoney; at 240 mts. passed some rockey broken mountains; at 270 mts. came to the road through the clove to Ramerpo and the line of the lots laid out there formerly where we marked an Iron wood tree for a corner which is already described in the boundaries of this lott. I noticed very little land in this lott that can be laboured. The Easterly cnd secms to be the best, it has good tim- ber in many places and will serve for pasture and range. There is a large pond about the middle of it; we crossed a point of it with the line; there is a cedar swamp in it that joins the west side of the pond. When we finished this lott sent to Mr. Smiths for some of our provisions which we left there, for we could bring no more with us into the mountains than a man carried on his back, it being impossible for a horse to follow us over the vast hills. When the provisions came we attempted to measure the breadth of the next lott but there came on a shower of rain and being late we made a wiggwam and lodged here.

"The Boundaries of the third lott laid out in the mountains.

"Beginning at the most westerly corner of the second lott laid in the mountains at an Iron wood tree marked with three notches on four sides and I on ye N. E. and II on the S. W. sides which corner is in the line of lott number 17 two chains and forty links westerly of the niost ;southerly corner of lott number fourteen formerly laid out in the clove and runs thence, along the lines of lott number 17 aforesaid and number 18, South 30° West 93 ch. 60 links to the most Easterly corner of said lott number 18, then along the line thereof North 60° West 33 chains to the westerly corner thereof, then south west 2 ch. 45 links to a leaning Red oak tree marked with three notches on four sides and III on the N. E. and IV on ye S. W. sides standing on ye side of a high Bank, then South 44° East along a line of marked trees to three Red Oak saplings and a Hickorie sapling all marked with three notches on four sides standing on the Easterly side of the mountain on a riseing bank in the line of lott number X twenty chains aud 59 links on a course N. 22° 30' E. from the South West corner of the said lott number ten, then North twenty-two degrees and thirty minutes East along the line of lott No. 10 aforesaid and lott number Eleven and part of the line of lott number 12 one hundred and eight chains to a stake and a heap of stones standing on the most southerly corner of the sec- ond lott laid out in the mountains and then along the line of the same north forty-four degrees West to the place of beginning containing about 6771 acres of mountains.

* (I suppose a minute may equal to two chains, though some places it will be more or less according to the difficulties we met with.) "This is in Orange County.

160

HISTORY OF ROCKLAND COUNTY.

" A Journal of the Survey of the S. W. side of said lott.

" Tuesday the 27 Do. Set out at 6 o' the Clock and run the breadth of the N. W. end of this lott to the S. W. corner thereof to a Red Oak tree in the above boun- daries described. Thence run south 44° East set off at 40 mts. past nine from this corner; at 5 mts. past Ramapo brook at 12, assended the first hill; at 60 mts. crossed a stream yt runs North; at 70 mts. came to the bottom of a very high mountain; at 80 mts. assended the hill; at 120 mts. crossed a Brook in a clove that runs North; at 120 mts. assended an exceeding high mountain very rocky; here I saw a pond in the next lott with a cedar or pine growing by it, from this hill descended into a low valley very mirey; at 215 mts. parted from the valley and as- sended an other hill almost as high as the former; at 245 " A Journal of the S. W. side of the above lott No. 4. " Thursday the 29th Do. Set out 30 mts. past 6, hav- mts. came to ye top of it; at 265 mts. came to the bottom where we crossed a brook that runs northerly in which I | ing run the breadth of the south East end of this lott. Begun at the Chestnut Oak having a chip cut off four sides standing on the line of lott number 26 on ye S. E. side of the mountains in the beginning of this lott and run thence N. 44° W. began this line 30 mts. past 8 o' the clock and assended a high hill; at 95 mts. entered a rough swamp about 6 chs. broad; at soo mts. met an other branch of it about the same breadth; at 140 mts. passed by a swamp in lott No. 5; at 150 mts. crossed a part of it, tis a wet swamp and has a brook in it that runs North it might be made into meadow if it lay in the plain coun- try; at 200 mts. met an other branch of the same swamp

found several stones some as large as I could lift of Iron ore, here crossed a wild meadow; at 450 mts. lodged on the side of a hill. Wednesday the 28th Do. Set off at 6 o' the Clock; at 75 mts. crossed a stream that runs South West and entered a swamp that might be made meadow; at 85 mts. met a well timbered Ridge and continued so a good way; at 150 mts. entered a good swamp full of Lau- rels; at 180 mts, entered into an other swamp that would make meadow, it has a brook running North through which it is damed up by the Beavers, we were very wet being obliged to wade middle deep to get through. The East side of it would be good meadow, it bears in some | about 5 chains broad; at 210 mts. came to a chestnut places a blue grass and is not very Hassokey. The greatest part of it is in lott No. 3 and also some of the good ridge of land last mentioned, the meadow is about Io chains broad its length is S. W and N. E. the land ber; at 250 mts. very Rockey flat mountain; at 270 mts. here is very well timbered. At 305 mts. crossed a Branch of Cheesecocks brook. It runs East. At 430 mts. came to the end of the line and marked the corner which I have in the boundaries of this lott before described, then run a line to find the breadth it holds out, here made a wiggwam and lodged.

" The Boundaries of the IVth lott laid out in the mountains.

"Beginning at a chestnut oak tree standing in the line of the Northwest side of lott number (26) twenty six, on the East side of the mountains, the said tree marked with a chip cut off four sides, and stands twenty six chains upon a course North forty four West from the most west- erly corner of lott number 18 * formerly laid out on ye East side of the mountains where a water ash standing in a swamp is marked with three notches on four sides and XVIII on ye northerly side and XIX on ye southerly side and runs from the said chestnut oak North 44° West along a line of marked trees, to a small Hickorie sapling marked with three notches on four sides and IV on ye N. E. side and V on ye S. W. side there being a heap of stones set about it, it stands on a high clift of a moun- tain on the north west side of the clove that runs through the mountains through which Ramerpo River is laid out.

Then North East 106 chains along a line of marked trees to leaning Red Oak marked with three notches on four sides and III on ye N. E. side and IV on ye south West side standing on ye west corner of the third mountain lott thence south forty four degrees East along the line of the said lott to three Red Oak saplings and a Hickorie sapling all marked with three notches on four sides on the Easterly side of the mountains on a rising Bank in the line of lott number X twenty chains and fifty nine links on a course N. 22° 30' E. from the south West cor- ner of the said lott and thence along the lines of lott number ten number Eighteen and number twenty six to the place of beginning this lott being in breadth at the S. E. end at right angles 105 chs. containing about 7386 acres of mountains.

ridge with good chestnut timber on it, but is stoney; at 230 mts. crossed a small swamp through which a stream runs S. W .; at 240 mts. came to a very good chestnut tim- came to a swamp; at 275 came to a large brook in it too deep to pass here set up a flagg at on ye top of a tree for an object to take a backsight to (for we could get no other certain object) and went S. W. down the brook a great way where we fell a tree and got over and had a great deal of trouble to see my object which stood in a very thick beaver dam swamp; at 305 mts. assended a well timbered ridge here set my compass several times untill by observing my object I set in the swamp I found my line then took a tree a considerable distance forward and in my way to it went to a tree that I observed to be in the line, I set the compass again (being in some doubt about the tree I had taken) and when the needle settled I could not take my former tree then I took a backsight to the station I left, and my compass would not agree to it, then returned to the said first sta- tion and set there again and found the same tree I had formerly taken to be in the line according to the position of the needle by which there was something at or near that station that attracted the needle, here set the com- pass a piece forward, took a backsight and found the variation 10 De went again back to the said first station and set the compass a few yards forward in the line and found I had there but 6 Degrees variation, and a piece further and found but 2 Degrees. I could not find

*This lot is in Orange county.

16Z

HAVERSTRAW-SURVEY OF CHEESECOCKS PATENT.

either iron ore or loadstone near this place nor many rocks, it appeared a plain ridge this is the first place I observed that minerals or ore in the earth will attract the needle. Dr. Colden having sent his son with me to make remarks on this curiosity (accounts of which I have given you) therefore will take no further notice of it here; at 400 mts. came to a pond and took a sight cross the north point of it, and went round the north end, here we lodged all night having spent above an hour and a half to get over the Beaver dam brook, and about the variation of the compass above mentioned.

" Friday the 30th set out at 6, at 30 mts. assended a very high hill but well timbered from this ridge found rockey broken mountains; at 180 mts. assended an exceed- ing high mountain the top of it being a flat rock like a floor, here we could see over all the mountains round us from this forward the timber for the most part is dead be- ing killed with fire; at 240 mts. came to the face of a rockey ore which would attract the needle as weak loadstone would. I brought pieces of it with me; at 360 mts. crossed a brook that runs north; the mountain here is miserable travelling being so full of Laurel and brush, which I suppose grow the more that the large timber is killed with the fire; at 380 mts. crossed the brook that runs southerly through the clove to Vanduzens called Ramapo brook; at 395 mts. crossed the road through the clove, here marked a white Oak on the East side of the road standing on a knowl to find this line by. Here not being able to get up the clift of Rocks on the West side of the clove we proceeded no further with the line but traversed the breadth by running in several courses Northeasterly and found it the breadth given in the before mentioned boundaries of this lott. Saturday May the first our provisions being expended we returned home."

These great lots were sold in large tracts to various parties, especially to those interested in the development of the iron mines which were found to exist. Among others, William Alexander, Lord Stirling, the famous general in the Revolution, owned 14,000 acres in Lots I and 2. He mortgaged them to William Livingston, June - 2d 1767, and they were assigned to Samuel Brewster, June 22d 1789. These lots were surveyed and sub- divided by John Dykman, a noted surveyor of that day. In this subdivision Lot 2 was 467 acres and Lot 4, 500 acres; these were sold by Brewster to Christopher Ming, in 1793. It was on these tracts that the Cedar Pond Iron Works were established. A portion of this vast tract is still known as "Brewster's Lots." Christopher Ming sold his land, iron works, and forges to Halstead Coe, in 1793, and he sold them to John De La Montagne in 1796.

Lot No. 3 was the share of William Smith, and in 1797, Elizabeth Smith and William Denning, as executors of the estate, sold to John Thorne, of Ulster county " 6,071 acres of mountains, for {290."

The 4th Lot, which contained 7,385 acres, was divided in 1805. At that time it was owned one-half by William Byard and James McEvers, who were the heirs or repre-

sentatives of John McEvers, the former owner, and the other one half by Jacob Hauptman and Leonard Fisher. The portion which lies in this town was laid out into four lots running lengthways of the lot, and numbered from north to south. No. I was 1,020 acres; No. 2 was also 1,020 acres. These lots fell to Byard and McEvers. Lot 3, 971 acres and Lot 4, 910 acres, fell to Hauptman and Fisher. The well known landmark, Table Rock, which is the corner between Kakiat and Cheesecocks, is also the corner of Lots r and 2 in the above subdivision. This is now on the farm of Jacob J. Jones. He pur- chased it from John I. Suffern, who bought large tracts of the original owners .*

The greater part of these vast mountain lots still re- main as rugged and wild as when Clinton walked on his survey.

The tract of land lying south of the creek and west of the road to Mount Repose Cemetery, and extending as bank and at the foot thereof found several stones of Iron far west as the road which runs through Garnerville, and crosses the creek at the stone bridge, was a part of Ka- kiat Patent, was purchased of the original owners by John Allison, and was left by him to his son, Benjamin, in 1754. The tract to the west of this road was a tier of 100 acre lots, each running from the Minisceongo Creek to the mountains of which No. 7t lay west of No. 8, and No. 6 was next west of No. 7. The 6th lot originally belonged to William Conkling. He gave it to his son William, who sold it to Lieutenant Nicholas Conk- ling, and he conveyed it to Dr. Cornelius Osborn. Dr. Osborn sold eight and a half acres of this lot to Rev. Robert Burns, January 6th 1765. It is described as " ly- ing east of the house forinerly William Conkling's and Robert Campbell's and bounded east by the road that leads to Dr. Cornelius Osborn's mill." This is the first notice of a mill at this place.

The greater part of Lot 6, and portions of the adjoining lot, were afterward the farm of Captain David Burns, and are now owned in part by his descendants. The east part of Lot 7 was owned by John Allison, and further mention will be found in the sketch of the Rockland Print Works. To the north of the house now owned by the heirs of David Burns, and about half way between the road and the creek, is a tract of low land upon which one or two pear trees are growing, and the relics of the foundation of a house, long since destroyed, are discern- ible. Just after the Revolution there resided on this spot a Frenchman and his son, who lived by themselves, and were supposed to be the possessors of some wealth Their ouly occupation was the cultivation of a garden in which they raised vegetables, which at that time had not been extensively introduced into this country. These unfortunate individuals were found one morning mur- dered in their solitary home by unknown persons, whose object was the gold they were supposed to have in their

* The map of the subdivisions of this lot is in Liber A. of Deeds in Rockland county clerk's office.

+The south part of Lot i belonged to John Allison, who left it to his son Benjamin, and he left it to his granddaughters Hannah and Rebecca. daughters of his son Thomas. The Garnerville Print Works are on this lot.

162

HISTORY OF ROCKLAND COUNTY.

possession. The names of the victims are not known, but the place has ever since borne the name of French- man's Meadows. It is mentioned in an old deed as " the place where the Frenchman lived who was mur- dered." The lines of stone wall mark very distinctly the boundaries of the lots in these ranges. Upon a map of the roads in this vicinity, made in 17So, the house of Paul Vandervoort is shown. This stood where the house of Edward Christie now stands, on the road leading from the main road, by the residence of Hon. John Felter, to Thiells Station.

At the time of Clinton's survey and division, in 1739, Cheesecocks Patent was owned by James Alexander, William Smith, Catharine Symes, Phillip Livingston, James McEvers, and John Chambers. The following table shows the number of each lot, the number of in 1831, and was buried on his farm, at Mount Ivy, which acres, and the original owners to whom they fell.

Number of Lot.

Number of Acres.

Names of Owners.

283

Symes and MeEvers.

243 8-10

Phillip Livingston.

251

James Alexander.

261

Phillip Livingston.

269

Symes and MeEvers.

William Smith.

295

John Chambers.

241

John Chambers.

982

James Alexander.

Symes and MeEvers.

William Smith.

265

James Alexander.

Smith and Alexander.

William Sinith,

231

John Chambers.

GREAT MOUNTAIN LOTS.

Number of Lot.

Names of Owners.

James Alexander.

Phillip Livingston.

3 and 5

William Smith.

McEvers, Alexander, and Smith.

MOUNT IVY.

At the place called Gurnee's Corners, or Mount Ivy, the main road divides, one branch running south to Spring Valley and Hempstead, the other turning north. This latter is the old road to Suffern and Ramapo, and was the route taken by part of the American army on the march from Kings Ferry to the "Head. of Elk," in Vir- ginia, when the move was made which resulted in the siege of Yorktown and the capture of Cornwallis.

The tract of Gurnee's Corners was the old seat of the Coe family, who, in former days, held a high position in this county. This family was originally from Queens county, Long Island, where many of the name are still found. The ancestor of the branch which settled here was Samuel Coe, whose son John, born December 7th 1719, came to Haverstraw long before the Revolution. In 1772 he was one of the commissioners, with David Pye and Peter Dusenberry, for assessing upon the lots in Kakiat, one- half of the sum of the costs of settling the contested boundaries between that patent and Cheese- cocks. By the ternis of the Act of the Colonial Legis- lature for this purpose, the lots upon which the assess- ment was not paid, were to be sold by auction, and in ac- cordance with this " two thirds of Lot No. 3, at the head

of the mountain in the Range of Conkling," were sold, December 24th 1772, to David Vandervoort, and by him to John Coe, January 26th 1773. This was afterward the homestead of his son, Benjamin Coe, and his numer- ous family. John Coe was a man of great prominence in his day; was a member of the Provincial Congress in 1775, and judge of Orange county at the same time. He was member of Assembly in 1778, 1779, and 1780. His son, Benjamin, was member in 1778, a case of father and son both in the Legislature at the same time. The father died about 1800. His son, Benjamin Coe, was member of Assembly for Orange county in 1778, 1779, and 179S, and was the first member from Rockland county in 1799. He was in the State Senate in 1807, 1809-12, and one of the Council of Appointment in 1808 and ISII. He died is now owned by the heirs of Jesse Gurnee. A very plain tombstone bears the following inscription: " Benja- min Coe, died May 14th 1831, aged 84 years, 6 months, and I day." He was one of the foremost men of Orange and Rockland counties .* Various members of the family of Gurnee bought land near here. The original homestead is the present residence of Josiah W. Conkling, just over the town line, in Ramapo. Beyond the old Coe home- stead and some distance from the road on the north side, is an old house that formerly belonged to Francis Gurnee, and was left to his daughter, Anna, the wife of John Hewitt. This house was the birthplace of Hon. Abram S. Hewitt, well known as a statesman and politician, and it still remains in his possession. A plain wooden build- ing, painted white, and enclosed with a neat fence, is the Quaker Church, which stands on the right hand of the road that runs to Ladentown. This edifice is on land which was given for the purpose by Benjamin Secor, and the house was built in 1816. Many of the early settlers belonged to the society of Friends, and for many years their meetings were held in private dwellings. One of the first preachers of this denomination here was William Conkling, son of Lewis Conkling, and many of the pres- ent representatives of that ancient family adopt this form of worship.

Between the Cheesecocks and Horsehock Mountains, and crossing the town at its geographical center, is a deep valley, the mountains rising abruptly on either hand. On the west side runs a small stream, the head waters of the Mahwah Creek, which empties into the Ramapo. The highway on the east is known as the Valley road. This deep clove in the mountains was one of the resorts of tory marauders during the Revolution, and the road was frequently traveled by the notorious Claudius Smith and his lawless gang. Notwithstanding the insinuations of some writers, there was no connection between this individual, and the Smiths of " Treason Hill." Claudius Smith was one of the descendants of Richard Smith, the founder of Smithtown, Long Island, whose family num- bers many of the most prominent and respectable citizens of that part of the State. Claudius Smith was born at

*John D. Coc, who was State Senator 1796, 1798. and member of As- seinbly 1789 to 1794, was a son of Daniel Coe, brother of Benjamin.

271

Smith and Alexander.

William Smith.

alonzoEdell

163

HAVERSTRAW-WAR OF THE REVOLUTION.

Brookhaven, Long Island, and came to Orange county before the Revolution. His dwelling place was at Smith's Clove, a valley in the mountains in the town of Monroe.

Beyond the Valley road the western part of the town is a succession of rugged mountains with few inhabitants, " I have been visiting the different battalions of militia, the only village being what is known as Johnsontown, a and I find them so uneasy that I am afraid, notwith- small hamlet near the borders of Orange county, and the surrounding country is comprised in the great mountain lots of Cheesecocks. standing everything that can be done many of them will go home. The situation of their families is so very dis- tressing that no argument can prevail with them. Many FIRST BLACKSMITH IN THE PRECINCT OF HAVER- STRAW. of them left their families without wood, without meal, and without fodder at home for their cattle. Many of their families without shoes and some of them little better here."

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History of Rockland County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 36

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