History of Rockland County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 65

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 65

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daughters conducted it very efficiently until the success of the Union Free School obliged thein to close. The property is now in the possession of the family of Ru- dolph Lexow.

Amity Lodge, No. 192, I. O. O. F., was instituted June 19th 1867, the installing officers being John Medoer, G. M .; W. Gould, G. S .; W. J. Gardner, G. W .; and Jacob Russell, G. T. The charter members were: Stephen H. Burr, Randall A. Tallinan, P. Van Houten, J. Johnson jr., Samuel V. Smith, J. D. White, Jacob E. Straut, and James B. White; the first officers elected being Stephen H. Burr, N. G .; and Peter D. Johnson, V. G. The lodge now numbers about fifty active members.

In the fall of 1867 the Fair View House was com- menced by Jacob A. Van Riper. It was completed in 1868 and opened for boarders in 1869. On the 30th of January 1871, D. D. Smith M. D., Nicholas C. Blauvelt, Andrew Smith, and I. Remsen Blauvelt, school trustees elected by the inhabitants of the village on the 27th in- stant, just previous, organized themselves into a Board of Education by electing D. D. Smith M. D., president; and I. Remsen Blauvelt, secretary; each to serve until the third Tuesday of October of that year, which date was the time regulated by law for the annual meeting of the board. On the 13th of the following February their or- ganization was completed by the election of Stephen H. Burr, treasurer, and P. D. Johnson, collector.

On Friday evening, the 24th of February 1871, it was decided by an unanimous vote of the taxpayers, as- semhled pursuant to due public notice, that a union school building should be erected according to the plans recom- mended by the board. It was subsequently voted that the structure should be of wood. The union school building accordingly was erected and has proved of great value to the place. The successive principals have been: Charles Smith, Mr. Storrs, Mr. Cowan, Thomas W. Suf- fern, H. D. Warner, W. D. Kerr, and Lamont Stillwell- At present Spring Valley, the largest village in the town, has four churches ( Reformed, Methodist Episcopal, Epis- copal, and Roman Catholic) (see History of Churches). about 200 houses, and a population of about 900. The industries are as follows: general stores, Smith & Burr,

*Mr. Samuel C. Springsteel, a man of 81 years who " still rends with- out glasses," from whom we have gathered the above facts, says that Mr. Stephen Stevens argued in the meeting for calling the place " None Such." Other old citizens say that the name was given because of a number of springs lo be found near by.

tAnother platform was built about the same time, a short distance southeast, called Laurel Hill. It wus soon abandoned.

282

HISTORY OF ROCKLAND COUNTY.

A. Van Houten, J. C. Wood and S. Odell; dry goods, Abraham D. Blauvelt; fancy goods and millinery, A. Smith & Co., and Mrs. M. A. Blauvelt; shoes, William Gertner and F. Bohr & Son; books and stationery, W. Forshee; barbers, W. Steffan jr., and George Demarest; blacksmiths, J. R. Westervelt, A. R. De Vore, Theunis Tallman, Samuel Tallman, and A. Wandle; wheelwright, J. The old stone house, which was situated at this point until within the last decade, when it was torn down by Mr. Abram A. Forshay, was one of the polling places of of the town of Ramapo, prior to the formation of the three election districts as now constituted. During the Revolution it was owned by Joseph Conklin, who there ran a distillery in the early part of the present century. Frederick; painters, Sugden & Ingliss, W. M. White, and It was afterward purchased by Abram I. Forshay, father of the present owner.

H. L. Paget; drugs, John D. Blauvelt; bakery, John F. Haight;butchers E. Young, J. Johnson jr., and I. Keesler; clothing, H. S. Vanderbilt; dressmaking, Osborn & Out- water; tinstore, A. Ruppell; jewelers, A. Voucher and W. H. Whitney; restaurants, A. Goetchius, S. Westervelt, and W. W. Oldfield; hotel, W. H. Hill; carpet weaver, Robert Walker; grist mill, A. Cooper & Son; cigar manu- factory, P. Tallman; harness-makers, M. Person and J. Van Zandt; ice dealer, G. W. Wood; milk dealers, L. Van Zandt and G. W. Underhill; livery. P. Van Houten and Scott & Wandle; undertaker, P. S. Van Orden.

The physicians at this place are: J. S. Wigton, J. A. Dingman, and H. D. Grindle; and H. B. Fenton and Garrett Z. Snider, are the resident attorneys.

About half a mile north of Spring Valley on the English Church road is the grist mill of Abbot Cooper & Son. The original building, erected many years ago, was used as a woolen mill. It was situated a little northwest of the present site.

Near by, though on the road to Mechanicsville, is the woollen mill of Cornelius E. Blauvelt.

This mill was built about the year 1860, by Joseph C. Blauvelt, father of the present owner, on the site of a previous mill of the saine general character. A building now used as a dye house, and erected soon after the war of 1812, was the first mill at this point.

SCOTLAND.

About a mile and one-half south of Spring Valley, we come to what was formerly known as Scotland, after the Scotch people settled thereabout.

Here, as early as December 29th 1827, a post office was established, with Peter D. Tallman as postmaster, to which mails came once a week from Hackensack. In 1848, Mr. Tallman, the veteran postmaster, was not a lit- tle displeased, when the demand for a daily mail caused this office to be moved to Spring Valley. A hill in this neigliborhood is now known as the Scotland Hill. There is also, near by, an old burying ground, long since aban- doned, in which lie the remains of some of the early set- tlers. The names of some of these, as copied from the gravestones, are Alex. McDougall, Henry Gooltrap, W. Clark, and Wm. Ferdon Harping.

FORSHAY'S CORNERS,

Returning now to Suffern, we journey thence north- ward along the Haverstraw road. At one mile we pass, on the right, what formerly was the old road-the road now leading to Wannamaker's cider mill, and the resi- dence of David Groesbeck; and at two and one-half miles reach Forshay's Corners.

Here the road branches, the old or Kings Ferry road (which we have called the New City road) turning to the east, and the "New " or Haverstraw road to the north. Taking first the New City road we come to the

MILL OF ABBOT COOPER.

This mill was built about 1808, by a man by the name of Pullish, purchased by Captain Theunis Cooper in 1814, run first as a grist and saw mill, and now by Abbot Cooper as a grist and cider mill.

VIOLA.

Leaving the inill of Abbot Cooper, and passing along the New City road toward the east, by the Baptist churches, we reach, after a mile and a half, what was originally known as Mechanicsville, but since the estab- lishment of a post office at this point, in 1882, as Viola.

Here, about the year 1824, a number of industries be- gan to congregate. Luke Osborn established a black- smith shop; Theunis Crum, and Henry, his brother, a silver plating works; Henry Shuart, a wheelwright shop; and Cornelius Demarest, a tannery.

On account of these and other industries, the precise date and order of the establishing of which we have not been able to ascertain, the place, "at the suggestion of Mrs. Dominie Demarest " (the parsonage farm was then located here), was called Mechanicsville.

In 1829, when the name of our town was changed to Ramapo, Mechanicsville was perhaps the most important village in size and influence outside of the Clove. What it would have grown to be, had the railroad not left it to the north, no one can tell.

In 1837, July 27th, the parsonage farm of the Brick Church was sold to the county, through the Commission- ers of the Poor, and the poor house was established at this point. The keepers, with the dates of their appoint- ments, are as follows. Harman Blauvelt, January Ist 1838; Valentine Flagler, March 15th 1841; W. Forshee, March 15th 1843; Thomas Onderdonk, August 21st 1847; J. J. Haring, April 13th 1854; John P. Van Hou- ten, April Ist 1861; John V. Matthews, April Ist 1876; and Samson Marks, April ist 1878, who is the present keeper.

In 1856, a Methodist church was organized (see His- tory of Churches).

In the spring of 1863, an armory was built for Con- pany I of the 17th regiment of N. Y. S. N. G.

Company I was sworn into service at Yonkers, New York, on the 8th of July 1863, to serve thirty days, and went from there to Fort Mchenry, Baltimore, Maryland.

283

RAMAPO-VILLAGES AND HAMLETS.

In August 1866, Mr. John H. Goetchius built and started the store still run by him.

The tannery built about 60 years ago by Cornelius and Matthew Demarest is now owned by William Ohme. The name Viola was selected for the village at the suggestion of J. H. Hopper.

FORSHAY'S.

In 1851, Mr. W. S. Forshay erected, about one mile north of Viola, a small shop for the manufacture of ci- gars, which, in 1860, was supplanted by the present en- larged structure. Mr. Forshay employs about twelve men, and turns out 600,000 cigars per year.

In 1812, there were seven persons in the town by the name of Forsheur (Forshay). Dr. Cole, in his exhaustive history of the Cole family, claims that the original name was Forsieur, and that it is French. "Traditions say that the first American ancestors came to this country during religious persecutions in France, not far from 1700. There is a tradition in the family that a far back ancestor bore the name Jan (of course this form was given here, and not in France); that he followed the sea; that he lived to the great age of 110 years, and in his 110th year walked one day with a grandson, and proved himself the better walker of the two."

CASSADY'S CORNERS.

About one mile east of Viola, on the New City road, we come to a well known landmark of our town, Cassa- dy's Corners. Located almost in the center of the town, at a point where several roads intersect, this, for over 60 years, was the place for town meetings. Marking the site at present are but two houses, and a blacksmith shop built about 1850, and now owned and run by Mr. W. H. Rose.

It may be of interest to know that, during the 94 years of our existence as a town, town meetings have been held for 11 years, or between 1791 and 18or, at the house of Theunis Cuyper, just southeast of the brick church; for 6t years, or between 1802 and 1862 inclusive, at Cassa- dy's Corners; and for 22 years, from 1863 to 1884 in- clusive, at Monsey.

While at Cassady's Corners, they were held from 1802-18, at Archibald Cassady's; from 1819-29, at Elizabeth Cassady's, his widow; from 1830-36, at Isaac Finch's; from 1837-51, at Archibald Cassady's (son of former); from 1852-54, at Oliver Crum's; in 1855, at Cor- nelius B. Haring's; in 1856, at John Onderdonk's; in 1857 and 1858, at Joseph Washburn's; from 1859-62, at David D. Ackerman's.

KAKIAT.

From Cassady's Corners, passing along the New City road to the north and east, we reach at about half a mile the "Brick Church," with its historic burying ground and the school near by.

At two miles we come to "Summit Park " grave yard, incorporated in 1882, with Andrew Johnson, president;

William H. Parsons, secretary; Aaron D. Johnson, treas- urer; and these three, with the addition of John F. Hauptman, W. P. Hope, Peter S. Van Orden. John Haring, J. E. Jersey, and William R. Pitt, trustees; and owning one acre and a half of ground, principally deeded by Erastus Johnson. And then crossing the New Jersey and New York Railroad at about two and three-fourths miles, we reach the corner upon which the English Church now stands.

Here formerly was located the oldest village in the town-the village whose English name, New Hempstead (though the mass of the people always called it by its Indian name of Kakiat), gave to the town her name of New Hempstead in 1791.

Here opposite the church to the west stood the old homestead of the Coe's, with their family burying ground not far distant. In this house John D. Coe kept the vil- lage store and tavern, from some of the products of which store he paid the salary of the minister of the English Church (see history of that church), and here, too, in 1829, the West Hempstead Post Office was established, with Amasa Coe as postmaster. In the acts of the Leg- islature for December 30th 1769, we read, "Whereas, the Court House at Orange Town, being the place appointed for annual meeting of the Supervisors of the County of Orange, in October, is found by experience to be very inconvenient on account of its situation: For Remedy Whereof, I. Be it enacted by his Honour the Lieutenant Governor, the Council, and General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That it shall and may be lawful for the Supervisors of said County of Orange, and they are hereby directed to meet at the house of Daniel Coe, at Cakiate, in said county, on the first Tuesday of October next, and from thence adjourn to any other place, as near the center of said County as shall seem most convenient to them, for the good of the Public Service; any law, usage, or custom to the contrary thereof, in any wise notwithstanding."

In Thatcher's Military Journal, under date of Decem- ber 29th, 1778, we read: "Our division under General Putnam, arrived at King's Ferry and encamped; 29th, crossed the river in batteaux; 30th, Marched 12 miles in a storm of snow and sleet, and encamped near the small town of Kakiat."

There is little now to mark the site of this once his- toric place, save the English Church, the history of which is elsewhere given.

BLAUVELT'S FOUNDRY:

Returning now to Forshay's Corners on the Haverstraw road and journeying north ward from that point we reach after one mile, or three and one-half miles from Suffern, what is known as Blauvelt's Foundry.

This is located on the Mahwah one eighth of a mile west of the highway and few casual travellers know of its existence.

On early maps the house of Aaron Blauvelt is marked as situated at this point. Mr. Blauvelt must have settled here from Tappan, prior to the Revolution; and it is

284

HISTORY OF ROCKLAND COUNTY.

probably by him that the first saw and grist mill was county maps, we come next to Ladentown. This village built. Aaron had two sons; Cornelius A., who inherited of about a dozen houses is situated on the Haverstraw the estate, and John, who moved to Onondaga county.

To Cornelius A., were born, Richard, Aaron, George, Rachel (Mrs. Harman Blauvelt), Maria (Mrs. John S. Gurnee), Rebecca (Mrs. Edward Denoyelles), Letty (Mrs. Leonard Gurnee), and Catherine (Mrs. Hollis Holman.) About 1830, Mr. Richard Blauvelt who had come into possession of this property from his father added to the grist and saw mill, a foundry for the manufacture of ploughs. The mills are now run by Edward Blauvelt, son of Richard. Richard was a man of large influence and usefulness, and is said to have been the first one in this section to burn hard coal.

In those days, it was the custom of the farmers to carry their own vegetables to New York and there personally to dispose of them on the streets of the city. At New York upon one of these visits (about 1832) Mr. Blauvelt purchased a few bushels of hard coal. To the day of his death he used to delight to tell of the amazement of the farmers on the Haverstraw boat at the thought of " Those black stones burning" and how after reaching the dock at Haverstraw they built a fire of wood, cast some of these "black stones" upon it, and then exclaimed "Oh! Oh! Nonsense to think of running a foundry with such stones! You'll have to burn wood to keep them hot, and then see-you can only get them red-hot."

SHERWOODVILLE.

Less than a mile from Mr. Blauvelt's foundry, and four miles from Suffern, we come to what is known as Sher- woodville. Here on a branch of the Mahwah are two mills. One, built before the Revolution (by Jacobus Van Buskirk, it is said, who owned a similar mill on the Mah- wah, near Suffern) was operated until the Revolution as a grist mill; then, until 1825 as a bark mill; after that till 1845 by J. Sherwood as a mill for carding wool and ful- ling cloth; and then to the present time by Jonathan and Elias Sherwood as a mill for the manufacture of cot . ton bats. The old white oak frame of this building is still in good condition.

The other, a grist mill, was built about the year 1800 by Gilbert Cooper, son of Judge Theunis Cooper, and is now owned by Abram Cooper.

"Wesley Chapel" of the Methodist Episcopal Church, built in 1829, is also located here. West of the mills, on Round Mountain, near the top, is a noted rock called "Horse Stable Rock " (see history of Patent of Kakiat p. 138) so called because, during and after the Revolution, Tory horse thieves were wont to stable their horses under its shelving sides. Claudius Smith is said to have been in charge of this band as also of a similar one in Orange county.

LADENTOWN.

Passing on the left the saw mill, etc., of Mr. William Furman, to which the name of Furmanville is given on

road, seven miles from both Suffern and Haverstraw. It derives its name from Michael Laden, or Leyden, an Irishman, once employed as a nail cutter in the Ramapo Works, who, about the year 1816, started a store and tavern near the present home of Mr. Charles Hedges. His old house may still be seen a short distance west of Mr. Hedges' residence. As a part of his business, Mr. Laden purchased baskets, wooden bowls, etc., from the dwellers in the mountains, and upon moving to New York city, in 1836, continued this branch of his business. In the earlier days of its history, Ladentown, the half- way point between Suffern and Haverstraw, was a favor- ite stopping place for teamsters on their journeys to and from the river; and, as liquor could there be had in abundance, the village soon came to possess an unenvi- able reputation. Indeed, " The worst place in the coun- try," "Sodom," and the like, were no infrequent titles given to it. We are glad, however, to record that Laden- town has long ere this outgrown its bad reputation. Up- on the departure of Michael Laden, in 1836, the property was purchased by John J. Secor, who left it to Mrs. Charles Hedges, his wife's niece.

In 1865, the Methodist Episcopal church was built. (See history of Churches.)

In 1871, a post office was established. (See history of Post Offices.)

There are at present three stores, kept by David John- son, Henry S. Burton, and Gaven Mathers.

CAMP HILL.

About three-quarters of a mile northeast from Laden- town, we come to what is known as Camp Hill, where we find a blacksmith shop and a school house. The place received its name from the fact that here, during the Revolution, the American troops were encamped. Visit the spot, and see what a superb place it is for a camp. Camp Hill, originally included in Lot No. 4 of "Seaman's Range," was the old home of the Bishop fam- ily, and in a small burying ground on the farm are found the monuments of its fornier owners. Among these in- scriptions we note the following: Ebenezer Bishop was born July 9th 1749, and died October 2d 1829; Eliza- beth (his wife), daughter of James and Debora Johnson, was born January 3d 1746, and died October 28th 1817. They had three sons: John, born 1780, died 1837; Peter, born 1782, died 1826; Ebenezer, born 1785, died 1824. The old farm, including Camp Hill, is now owned by Mr. J. Wilcox.

We have only to mention, in closing this section on Villages and Hamlets, the names of the stations on the New Jersey and New York Railroad: Union, New Hempstead, Summit Park, Alexis, and Pomona; none of these have any history, save that at the last mentioned point a post office has been established since 1876.

285

RAMAPO-CHURCH HISTORY.

CHURCHES.

OUTLINE OF DATES.

English (Presb.), Hempstead,

established before 1754

Brick (Reformed) " established in 1774

Presbyterian, Ramapo Works,

¥ 1810

Baptist (Old School), Viola,

1824

Wesley Chapel (M. E.), Sherwoodville,

1829

Union Sunday School, Spring Valley,

1830

Methodist, Sloatsburg,

1837

Reformed, Spring Valley,

1852

Baptist (Liberal), Viola,

1854

Lutheran, Masonicus,

1855

Methodist, Viola,

1856

Spring Valley,

1859

Christ's (Episcopal). Suffern,

1860

Methodist, Ladentown,

1867

1868

St. Agnes, Spring Valley,

1869

Baptist, Spring Valley,

IS70

Methodist, Monsey,

1871

Congregational, Tallman's,

1874

THE ENGLISH CHURCH (PRESBYTERIAN), HEMPSTEAD.

A deed dated December 12th 1754, and recorded in the Clerk's office of Rockland county, July 7th 1846, "Between Samuel Coe of New Hempsted of the pre- cinct of Harvuerstraw in the County of orange and prov- ince of New York yeoman of the one part and Jacob Hallsted, Jonah Hallsted, Guysbert Cuyper, Samuel Coe, John Coe, Alexander Mcnoght, alexander montgomery, Francis Garnee, John Secar, and william coe, Elders and Deacons in the Presbyterian Church or Congrega- tion of Said New Hempsted on the other part," by which, " for and in consideration of twenty six pounds two shil- lings and six pence Currant Lawfull money of New York " a portion of land was deeded to the Congregation for a parsonage farm, speaks of " Forty and eight square rods whereon the meeting house stands which is my free gift to the Presbyterian Church and Congregation for their use and benefit forever." At that date therefore, December 12th 1754, the English Presbyterian Church, not only had been organized with a regular body of elders and deacons but had also a house of worship already erected. It would be interesting to know more concerning the early history of this the first church in the town of Ramapo. Precisely when was it organized? Who were its founders? Why did it chance to be a Pres- byterian church? Why was it called "The English Pres- byterian Church "? These and a host of other ques- tions concerning the first years of this church crowd to our mind; but all must forever remain unanswered. No record either of church or Presbytery are left to tell the tale.

In the absence of authentic facts, however, we may perhaps be permitted to venture the following conjec- ture, based in part upon traditions which still linger in the memory of the old in this neighborhood, viz: that about the year 1750 (possibly in the case of the English church a trifle earlier) two churches were organized in the neighborhood *: the one in what was afterward Clarkstown,t the other in what was afterward Ramapo; the one for the Dutcht and so designated; the other for the English|| and so designated; the one a Reformed church; the other a Presbyterian; the natural result of the denominational preferences which the different founders had brought with them from their native lands. In such case the original founders were all the inhab- itants of the neighborhood.

The "Meeting House" of this regularly organized English Presbyterian Church, spoken of in the deed already quoted, as standing in 1754, was situated about 25 feet north of the present church building. It was a wooden structure, and was said to have been used during the Revolution as a stable.§ In its vicinity the French troops were at one time stationed, and from " near " this " Kakiat Meeting House " General Lafayette dated sev- eral official letters. The " Meeting House " stood until 1827, when it was torn down to give place to the present structure.

An old book now in the possession of Mr. Erastus Johnson gives us our next item concerning this church. | It is in the shape of an account kept for eleven months between the minister of the church, the Rev. John Linds- ley, and the board of trustees. The account, which we quote below, is interesting as giving the names of 25 per- sons who contributed to the support of the gospel; as tell- ing the amount paid the minister for these eleven | months, about $118 ;** as showing how this amount was paid, about $33 in cash and the rest in sundries; as illustrating the sentiment of the time upon the temper- ance question, and for other reasons. The account is as follows:

*There could not have been more than about 300 people in the viein- ity at the time, for in all the Precinct of Haverstraw, which then in- cluded Ramapo, Clarkstown, Haverstraw, and Stony Point there were but 654 inhabitants. See Documentary History of New York, Vol. iv, p. 119.

t The Reformed church of West New Hempstead, familiarly known as the " Briek Church," was not nrganized till a quarter of a century after this. See History of that Church.

# The services in this church in early years, as In the " Briek Church." were in Duteh. The early records are also in Dutch.

" Snme speak of the name " English," as given to the Presbyterian church to distinguish it from the "Briek Church." This may be true. But we are of the opinion that at the ffirst the name distinguished it from the church in Clarkstown,

& This fact may account for the absenec of all early records.

"The clerk of the Presbytery of New York writes: "John Lindsley was ordained by the Presbytery of New York November 12th 1788, and was afterwards a member of the Presbytery of Albany." At the time Mr. Lindsley served this church he was, therefore, a young man not yet ordained; probably a student.

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History of Rockland County, New York : with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 65

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