USA > New York > Orange County > The history of Orange County, New York > Part 22
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Joshua Mulock, of Minisink (now Greenville ) was one of the men on deck, and he said that when he first heard the women and children scream in the cabin, he tried to break a grating in the deck to let them out and the boat went down so quick that it carried a part of his vest with it which caught fast. That held him and he went down under the boat. Luckily his vest tore loose, and he floated out from under the boat and came to the surface, where he was rescued. Jesse Green from present Greenville, and a man named Carey from present Wawayanda neighbor- hood, were also saved. Among those drowned were John Greenleaf. George Evertson, Matilda Helms and William Kelly and child from Minisink. The next year the bodies of Matilda Helms and Mr. Green- leaf were found among others at Cold Spring some distance down the
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river. They were buried by the coroner of Putnam County. The sloop was afterwards raised by its owners.
Next to the battle of Minisink this disaster furnished the greatest sen- sation of those early times. Mr. Mulock was a great humorist. On one occasion, a Mr. and Mrs. Lee, of Greenville, made Mr. and Mrs. Mulock an evening visit. When the visitors were seated in their wagon ready to start for home, one of them said to their host and hostess, "Now you must come and see us as soon as you can." "We'll promise to do so, sure !" said Mr. Mulock.
When Mr. and Mrs. Lee had arrived home, and she was in the house with a lighted candle looking at the clock and wondering how they came to stay until after midnight, and he was returning from the stables where he had placed the horse, they were surprised to hear a wagon driving up to the door. How much greater was their surprise when they both went to the gate to see who it was, and saw there Mr. and Mrs. Mulock. "You told us," said the former, "that we must come and see you as soon as we could, and here we are." Then after a laugh at Mr. and Mrs. Lee's ap- parent discomfiture, they went home, and told the joke round about to their friends. We give it to illustrate the jollity of those times.
From the years 1836 to 1854 the post office regulations for the three towns, under the name of Minisink, were a mail delivery Tuesdays and Fridays of each week. The mail was carried by a contractor, who left Goshen on those days in the morning in a one horse sulky or gig which easily carried the driver and mail bags. He came across the Wallkill at Pellet's Island to Ridgeberry ; thence to Westtown, Unionville, Minisink (Greenville) and back through Bushville, South Centerville, Brookfield- Slate Hill, Denton and to Goshen. The trip was made in one day. Some- times the carrier would have a young woman on the seat with him which invariably made him late and caused lots of grumbling among the people waiting for the mail. Few letters were received, and the only newspapers taken generally were the Goshen Democrat and Independent Republican, of Goshen. Not a daily paper then found its way in this region except at intervals. The rates of postage were, up to 1845, for a letter of a single sheet, not exceeding thirty miles, six cents ; over thirty and not exceeding eighty miles, ten cents ; over eighty and not over 150, twlve and one-half cents ; over 150 and not over 400 miles, eighteen and three-quarter cents ; over 400 miles, twenty-five cents. If the letter had two sheets of paper it
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was charged double, and if three sheets, triple rates; for.each newspaper carried not over 100 miles, one cent ; to any office in the State where printed, one cent ; otherwise over 100 miles, one and a half cents. Pamph- lets 100 miles, one and a half cent- a sheet; over 100 miles, two and a half cents a sheet ; if not published periodically, four and six cents a sheet, as to distance. Everything else was paid at letter postage at a quar- ter ounce rate. The letters then were sent without envelopes, folded so as to conceal the writing, and sealed with wax usually. The postage was col- lected on delivery. In 1854 the rates were reduced considerably, but all other features retained. In 1855, the writer, then a boy, was left tempo- rarily in charge of the post-office at Slate Hill, which then paid the post- master, a storekeeper, about $10 a year percentage. He then kept a store and the keeper of the office was considered a help to the store trade. A woman came in and asked if there was a letter for her. There was. She asked how much postage was due on it. There was eighteen cents. Then she asked to look at it. The verdant young man handed it to her. She opened it, glanced over the contents, then handed it back, saying. "I won't take it. There's nothing in it worth the money." The postmaster when informed of the incident later. said, "Boy, next time don't you hand out the letter till they hand over the money."
In 1852 the postage was reduced and a little later envelopes came in fashion. The Middletown, Unionville and Watergap Railroad was com- pleted from Middletown to Unionville, June 2nd, 1868. That changed mail arrangements throughout the three towns. Slate Hill, Johnsons, Westtown and Unionville got a daily mail, Waterloo Mills. Denton and Bushville were abandoned, and Ridgeberry and South Centerville were supplied from Slate Hill. The railroad is now known as the New York. Susquenhanna & Western, under control of the Erie. The increase in the amount of mail matter handled has been wonderful, and the offices which once had their mail matter carried on a two-wheel sulky twice a week easily, would now require a team of horses and a big wagon to move it every day.
The 4th and 5th days of January, 1835, were remarkably cold days and that winter was a terribly severe one. We have no thermometer records for our three towns of those days, but in New York City it was 5 de- grees, in Newark 13 and Elizabethtown 18 degrees below zero for both days. In 1857 the 23rd of January was a remarkably cold day, the ther-
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mometer standing at 23 below in the early morning, 17 at noon, and 12 at night, when it began to snow and a deep snow came.
Orange County gave 3,541 votes for Van Buren, and 2,242 for Har- rison for President in 1836.
The local option law in our three towns has resulted in a continual no-license majority for about twenty-five years in Wawayanda ; occasional no-license in Greenville and Minisink. The result of the election in 1907 gave no-license a majority in Minisink.
In ancient times elections were held in the spring for local officers, and in the fall for county, State and national officers. All the officers in the State are now elected in November on one day. In 1837, the States held election : Maine, 2nd Monday of September ; Alabama, Mississippi, Ken- tucky, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, Ist Monday in August; Delaware, Ist Tuesday of October; Louisiana, Ist Monday of July ; Tennessee and North Carolina, Ist Thursday in August ; Vermont, Ist Tuesday in Sep- tember ; Georgia and Maryland, Ist Monday in October; New York, Ist Monday in November; Massachusetts, 2nd Monday in November ; New Hampshire, 2nd Tuesday in March; Virginia and Connecticut in April; Rhode Island in August ; South Carolina, 2nd Monday in October.
During the first early years of our history, where farmers kept large dairies, they made butter, which was the mainstay of their farming. They used a tread-wheel about twelve feet in diameter set at a steep incline, on one side of which a horse or bull climbed to furnish the power for churn- ing. Similar dairies used sheep or calves. About 1834 to 1840 (tradition ) George F. Reeve, of near Middletown, invented an endless chain-power on which a good-sized dog would furnish as much power as an animal twice as large.
Lights for many years were furnished of dip tallow candles. These were made by melting a wash boiler full of tallow, into which six candle- wicks hung on a stick were dipped and hung on a rack to cool. Enough sticks were used so that by the time the last one was dipped the first one was cool enough to dip again, and so the process was continued until the candles had accumulated enough tallow to be of the right size. When- ever the tallow in the boiler began to get low hot water was added to make the tallow float to the top of the boiler. When beeves were killed in the fall the good housewives were careful to dip candles for a whole year's supply. About 1852 camphene began to be used for lights, and in
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some instances alcohol and some other dangerous compounds. About 1860 the use of kerosene came into family and public lighting, and is still the great illuminant.
In 1777 a real estate ownership of one hundred pounds value was a necessary qualification for a voter who desired to vote for a Governor. Senator and Assemblyman, while only twenty pounds worth of real estate was requisite in order to qualify a person to vote for a representa- tive in Congress. For town officials and resolutions all male citizens were allowed to vote, and this was generally done at town meetings viva voce. or by division to the right and left. A Governor then held office three years and had to be a real estate owner. Senators held office four years and had to be owners of one hundred pounds worth of real estate. Judges were appointed by the Governor and council and hell office during good behavior. but were disqualified when sixty years old. They could be removed by the Governor when requested by a two-thirds vote of the legislature. Clergymen were then excluded from holding office, and from the legislature. In 1821 a new State constitution was framed and the property qualifications removed. Ballots were then introduced generally in town elections.
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CHAPTER XVIII.
TOWN OF HAMPTONBURGH.
BY MARGARET CRAWFORD JACKSON.
O N March 5, 1703, in the reign of Queen Anne, the Wawayanda patent was signed. The grantors were twelve Indians named Rapingonick, Wawastawa, Moghopuck, Comelawaw, Manawitt, Ariwimack, Rumbout, Clauss, Chonckhass, Chingapaw, Oshaquemonus and Quiliapaw, and among the twelve patentees was Christafer Denn. He was a Frenchman and a carpenter, then living on the eastern shore of Staten Island with his wife, Elizabeth, and a young girl sixteen years of age, Sarah Wells, who had been taken by them as an infant and brought up as their own, although she did not receive their name, nor at their deaths did they mention her in their wills, probably because she had received one hundred acres after her marriage.
Christofer Denn, as his name is spelled by Mr. Eager in his history, or "Denne," as spelled by Mr. Ruttenber, the latter says, was a resident of New York in 1701, and one of the signers of the "Protestant Peti- tion" to William III, in that year. In 1702 his name appears appended to the congratulatory address to Lord Cornbury as one "of the chiefest inhabitants of the City and County on New York." And in 1705 he was one of the signers of a petition by the merchants of that city. He was still a resident of New York in 1722-1723, and it was in that city his wife Elizabeth died. It should be noticed that it is said Denn was a resi- dent of the county of New York, even when not living in the city.
SARAH WELLS.
Around Sarah Wells much of the history of Hamptonburgh is woven. She was born in New Jersey, opposite Staten Island, April 6, 1694, and died April 21, 1796, aged 102 years, leaving 355 living descendants. Her husband was William Bull, an Englishman from Wolverhampton. The family left there for Dublin in February, 1689. At Wolverhampton the church register shows the records of the family back to 900 A. D. The
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late claim is that William Bull, son of John Bull, and grandson of Josias Bull, of Kingshurst Hall, who emigrated in 1715, settling at Hampton- burgh, Orange County, New York, is identical with the husband of Sarah Wells. But whether Kingshurst Hall is in Wolverhampton we cannot say at this moment. However, the coat-of-arms belonging to the Bulls of Kingshurst Hall has been engraved and virtually accepted by Mr. Ebenezer Bull, of Hamptonburgh, as that of his ancestors.
Christofer Denn's share of 2,000 acres in the Wawayanda patent hay- ing been set apart, he visited the location and made friends with the Indians living there. The claim was surveyed by Peter Berian and lay touching the northeasterly bounds of the town lots of the village of Goshen. Its bounds run thus: "Beginning at a stake and stones about east of and ten chains from the dwelling-house of General Abraham Vail in East Division ; thence northwesterly along the northeasterly bounds of the Goshen town lots, and until it meets with a line supposed to divide the old counties of Ulster and Orange; thence east along the same to a stake and stones known to be standing near the top of the highland, or mountain above Charles Heard's in Hamptonburgh ; thence on a course about thirty-six degrees west to the place of beginning.
Some difficulty arose later in running the survey of other lines which interfered with Denn's claim.
To settle it a grant was made after his death in the name of his wife, Elizabeth "Denne," of 1,140 acres, December 12, 1734. Although the patent had been signed there was a condition that unless a settlement was made on the Wawayanda patent by the end of May, 1712, the title was to lapse. Add to this that six hundred acres were to be given to the first settler and we may find a sufficient motive for Christofer Denn to become the needed pioneer.
His affairs were embarrassed at the time, and this change from the city to the wilderness probably offered a much needed retreat for a time at least. He took with him on his return to the city after his inspection of the land, three young Indians, sons of those whom he had visited and of the tribe which had parted with their land to the patentees. They had befriended the surveyors while running out the patent and had kindly volunteered their services to help him remove from the city to the patent. All accounts say that three young Indians went with him to the city and helped to direct the party.
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It was Sarah Wells, this slender, dark-eyed little girl of sixteen, whom Denn chose to go forth alone with the men to conquer the wilderness. When he told her, she was sick with terror at the thought that in the latter part of her journey her only companions would be the carpenters and half-naked savages, who might attack her at any moment.
The carpenters sent to build the log house, of whom there were two, knew nothing of the country, and had treachery been intended the whites must have been defenseless.
Denn, being in straitened circumstances at the time, the other patentees came to his assistance and supplied the sloop and crew and cows and horses to assist in the settlement which, according to Eager, was to hold the Wawayanda Patent.
The present family believe him to have been correct in regard to their history, for he was a descendant on his mother's side. He gives a full and romantic account of this journey, from which we can only give ex- tracts.
He says: "As this portion of our narrative was derived from Sarah in after life, we purpose to place an inventory of the various articles of outfit before the reader, that he may judge of its nature, extent and value, which are as follows: Two pack horses with bells on, two milk cows with bells, two dogs, two Irish brahmas, one spade, two pails, two beds and bedding, one small and one large kettle, wood trenches and bowls, can- dlesticks and candles, a pair of trammels, a frying pan, small tin plates for saucers, coffee pot with coffee, teapot, chocolate, tin canister with tea, silver teaspoons and sugar tongs, small china teacups and saucers, bundle of cloths, saddlebags, pillow saddles, knives and forks, some potatoes, wallets, medical cordials in vials, refined sugar in small pieces, brown sugar in rolls, flour, biscuit, ham in small sacks, some trinkets, ribbons and small knives for the Indians."
There may have been other articles not enumerated. As Denn bade Sarah good-bye in a subdued voice an 1 tones of affectionate regard, he said : "Sarah, you have been kind and dutiful to us thus far, and your present conduct confirms us in your kindness. The duty you have to per- form is new and may be fatiguing, but must if possible be accomplished now or the season may be lost. The workmen will take care of you while on the boat and afterwards, while the Indians, of whose friendship I have no doubt, will guide you through the woods to the place selected for
William Bull.
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our dwelling. This work is very important and what you do for Madam Denn and me is also done for the benefit of the company." He ended thus: "God save and bless you, Sarah."
The Indians faithfully performed their part and the one who was given especial charge over Sarah's horse (after the party landed on the banks of the Hudson near Cornwall), although half-naked, as were the other two, watched carefully her comfort. Their eyes were piercing, their voices harsh and grating, yet Sarah's attendant showed a deference and gentle anxiety to please that many white men of to-day might envy.
Sarah mounted on the second horse, sat upon beds and bedding with many small articles around her and managed her horse with great diffi- culty. The Indian marched close by her side, helped her on and off her horse, and pointed out many things in the woods calculated to interest her attention and draw her out in conversation. Not infrequently he plucked an early flower as it sprang up by the wayside, and calling her attention to it. tasted its leaves and then presented it for acceptance.
They arrived on the bank of the stream, now the Otterkill. opposite the spot which Christofer Denn had selected as the place of his residence. Thus the journey in full twenty miles of pathless forest, with occa- sional thick underwood, was performed in a single day.
They built a fire beneath a tree whose branchies guarded them from dampness. They put boughs of trees upon forked sticks driven into the ground and laid the beds there to escape the snakes, and the car- penters lay down and slept well till morning, but Sarah dreamed and slept fitfully, while the Indians threw themselves on the ground with their feet to the fire and slept all night. Whenever Sarah roused herself to look about, "her Indian" made signs to her that all was well and he was guarding her. The next day the carpenters built a wigwam of split logs resting on end against a frame of poles 16 by 18 feet with a ditch about it to carry off rain. It had a slanting roof with a hole three feet square in the peak for the escape of smoke. the fireplace being below it.
The goods were first unpacked and plates set on the table for supper the second evening of their arrival, when one of the Indians saw two people at a distance, and going to reconnoiter, found Madam Denn and her hus- band. They had been so overcome by the parting from Sarah and the enormity of their conduct in sending her on such a perilous adventure. that they had followed her on horseback up through New Jersey as fast
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as they could, and arrived in time for the first meal in the new wigwam. On seeing them at the door she fainted at their feet.
It is only just to say that the friendship thus begun between Sarah and the Indians continued to the end.
When the Indians were most hostile to others in the neighborhood the family could always give a safe refuge to the many who sought a shelter under their roof when night came.
WILLIAM BULL.
In 1716 William Bull entered on the scene. Born in Wolverhampton, England, February, 1689, his youth was, however, passed in Dublin, where his father moved when he was small.
He was apprenticed to learn the trade of a mason and stone cutter. When his apprenticeship ended he and a young friend took the contract to build a large arch for a bridge being constructed near Dublin. Tradi- tion says: One Saturday night the work was nearly done and the arch finished but for the keystone. Hle begged the men to remain and put it in place, so completing the work, but they refused. On going down to see it on the next morning he found it fallen and his fortunes with it. It had carried with it his all and imprisonment for debt-as far as he knew it might be for life-stared him in the face.
There was a ship lying at the dock which he knew was sailing that day for New York. He searched his pockets and discovered five guineas with which and a few books he boarded the vessel. The captain on being asked if that much money would take him to America, answered it would. On reaching New York the captain told him the money had brought him, but had not paid his full passage and he must be sold for the balance. Bull was highly indignant and refused to leave the ship. Ile replied that he would return to Ireland and face his debts. Daniel Cromline, who also had a share in the Wawayanda patent, heard that an Irish ship was in dock, and hoping to procure some workmen had it proclaimed on board the ship. Bull felt that Providence and strangers would help him, and on telling his story to Mr. Cromline the money was advanced and they traveled together as far as Greycourt. Here he did the mason work on the old stone Greycourt house in 1716.
This was long a public inn on the way from the Hudson to New Jer- sey, and was a famous resort for the people around.
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William Bull lived in the Cromline family, whose patent was not far from that part of the Wawayanda patent on which Mr. Denn had set- tled. They were in fact neighboring families, and so William Bull met Sarah Wells. They loved each other and were married in 1718.
The ceremony took place in the new double log house of Christofer Denn. and as Bull was an Episcopalian and desired to be married by the rites of his church they did not know how to proceed. There was no church nor a clergyman who could proclaim the bands three weeks, but courts of justice had been established and a magistrate was in the neigh- borhood.
They decided that circumstances alter cases and summoned their guests. All being assembled the magistrate carrying the prayer book proceeded first to the front door and proclaimed the bans to the trees of the for- est, then through the hall to the back door where he proclaimed it to the cattle and the outbuildings. He made proclamation then once more from the front door to the wilderness at large and then performed the mar- riage ceremony. The wedding dress was of homespun linen delicately embroidered by the bride, and is now in the possession of one of her de- scendants, who has exhibited it at the family picnic held each year on the last Wednesday in August in the grove at Campbell Hall.
Later Sarah Wells Bull asked for and received the promised reward of 100 acres from Christofer Denn for having gone alone at his bidding to settle his claim and save his title.
William Bull and Richard Gerard received a grant joining Denn's of 2.600 acres, August 10, 1723.
On the 100 acres given to Sarah, Bull built a barn of hand-sawed planks. These were of ash, rived, and the shingles of split pine and put on each with two pegs. This barn is still in use and never has been painted. Afterwards he built the stone house in 1727 on his own land near by, and it is still occupied by the family and probably will stan 1 for generations to come. It is built on a rock, with a spring in the cellar. and before the house was quite finished in September, 1727, an earthquake which was felt for 1,500 miles, cracked the east side of the house an l the crack can still be seen. The lightning struck it in 1767-8, but only slight damage was done to its thick stone walls. The house has two stories of eleven feet each, with basement and a good-sized garret. It is a truly fine house for those times. Mr. Bull calle 1 his place Hampton-
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burgii, from Wolverhampton where he was born. There were eight chil- dren born to him.
FEATURES AND SETTLERS.
Hamptonburgh township as it now stands was set apart in 1830 from the towns bounding it. It is in the form of an irregular hexagon, its northern extremity a point and Montgomery bounding it on the north- east and northwest, with the Wallkill River running between Wallkill township on the west and Montgomery on the northwest, while Goshen is on the southwest, Blooming Grove the southeast and New Windsor on the east.
The Otterkill circles through the town adding picturesqueness to the fields it waters, while high ridges and fertile valleys vary the scene. The Goshen and Montgomery State road runs northeast through the western part of the town and the Little Britain State road joins it at Clark's Crossing. Mr. Clark's farm, once the Denniston Bull farm, is now in the hands of the New York and New Jersey Railroad, and the road is being constructed. It is claimed that this will put Campbell Hall within one hour of New York City, instead of the three days' journey by sloop and horseback which Sarah Wells had to undergo.
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