USA > New York > Orange County > The history of Orange County, New York > Part 40
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446
THE COUNTY OF ORANGE.
Educational matters early claimed the attention of the settlers of Flor- ida, Samuel S. Seward, De Witt C. Jayne, Robert Armstrong and Jonas Seely serving respectively as school commissioners from 1813 to 1843. Judge Samuel S. Seward founded the S. S. Seward Institute in 1848 as a classical school, endowing it with the sum of $20,000. This school was held in the old Randolph hotel. After Judge Seward's death, a young ladies' seminary was established, opposite the original school building, and for years Florida was noted for its superior boarding school.
With the improved common school advantages of later years came the lesire of the citizens to widen the influence of the school as originally designed, and accordingly a new edifice was erected bearing the name of S. S. Seward Institute, receiving the benefit of the reserve fund, and also the State appropriation for high schools, thus fulfilling in a greater sense the beneficent plans of the original founder.
A prominent factor in agricultural development has been the influx of many Poles and Germans of thrifty type. whose business, at first confined to onion and celery growth, is gradually reaching out to other industries and professions. Under their management largely the value of the black dirt land during the past thirty years has increased from $10 to $200 per acre.
Within the last year brick making has been revived. In July, 1905, the Florida Civic Improvement Club was organized.
A sketch of Florida would hardly be complete, without mention of Glen- mere, a beautiful sheet of water, furnishing the village water supply, lo- cated one mile cast of the village.
From the date of its early christening as Thompson's Pond, its clear waters have furnished pleasure to the boatman and fisherman.
CHURCHES.
The Reformed Church of Warwick was organized by a committee of the Classis of Paramus in 1804, and was duly incorporated on March 18. 1807. under the corporate name and title of "The Consistory of the Re- formed Protestant Dutch Church and Congregation of Warwick." It was the successor of the Presbyterian Church and occupies the same site of the earlier society. In 1904 it celebrated its centennial.
During Mr. Crispell's ministry the present stone church was built and
Stott Mills.
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TOWN OF WARWICK.
furnished at a cost of about $40,000. The new edifice was begun in 1889. and dedicated June 26, 1890.
Union African Methodist Episcopal Church .- This organization was begun in the winter of 1906. The church was incorporated under the above name on March 12, 1906. Rev. Joseph Stiles was the first pastor. During the year that Rev. Stiles had charge a new church was built on McEwan street at a cost of something like $2.000.
The Roman Catholic Church of St. Stephen .- In Shea's history we read. Father Steinmeyer. S. J. better known as Father Farmer, crossed over from his New Jersey missions into Orange County and baptized seven near Warwick. After his death. other priests may have visited the neighborhood, but there is no record of the fact.
In 1849. Father Ward was appointed resident pastor at Goshen, with charge of all Orange County, except the strip along the Hudson. The building formerly occupied by the Methodist church in Church street was purchased by the denomination, but was not taken possession of until 1867.
In June. 1887, the Presbyterian church at Florida was purchased.
In May, 1887, the cemetery ground was purchased at Warwick for $350. about an acre and a half.
Father Minogue erected the present church on South street in the year 1903. at a cost of $16,000.
The Calvary Baptist Church of Warwick .- This church was formed on the 4th of January. 1866. Very soon after its organization, measures were taken to erect a house of worship. A lot was purchased on West street. in the village of Warwick. in 1867, and the edifice was dedicated August 26. 1868. The parsonage was built the following year-1800. Total expenditure about $20.000. In 1902 the house of worship was remodeled and a large addition made to the eastern side for the use of the Sunday school. Total expenditure, including new seats and pipe organ. about $10,000. Society incorporated February. 1872.
The Methodist Episcopal Church of Warwick .- The list of pastors since 1880 is as follows. William Coller. 1880-1882: Cyrus W. Mc- Pherson, 1883-1884: E. S. Bishop. 1885-1887: Philip M. Waters, 1888- ISSO; Arthur Thompson, 1800-1804 : Frank Beale, 1805-1896; Edwin H. Carr. 1897-1899: Elmer E. Count. 1900-1902: David McCartney, 1903- 1904: J. C. Codington. 1005-1906: E. Stirling Potter, 1907.
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THE COUNTY OF ORANGE.
In 1891, $5,500 was expended on improving church and parsonage. In 1906, $7,250 additional was expended, increasing the value of the property to nearly $13,000. The present membership is 240, an increase of 102.
The Old School Baptist Church in Warwick .- The principal historical events since 1880, when a history of the church was published in Rut- tenber's history of the county, are as follows: Elder James Benedict resigned his charge on June 29, 1786, instead of 1777, as stated in the published history. A centennial celebration of the organization of the church was held on October 5, 1865. Elder Lebbeus Lathrop preached the first sermon in the meeting house still standing on May 19, 18II. The burying ground belonging to the church and still in use was started in 1795, and lies nearly opposite the former burying ground, on the road from Warwick to Bellvale.
Christ Church (Episcopal) .- The first attempt to start an Episcopal church in Warwick was in 1804, but the plan was not consummated. In 1854 another effort was made, and services were held in the former Meth- odist Episcopal church until 1859, under the Rev. W. H. Carter, when again the project was abandoned.
In 1862 the Rev. George Zabriskie Gray, then in deacon's orders, held services in Warwick for about six months, when he was called to another charge.
In 1864 Rev. N. F. Ludlum was called, and a certificate of incorpora- tion of the parish was executed under the name of Christ Church, War- wick, N. Y. In 1865 a building committee was appointed, composed of Grinnell Burt, John Cowdrey and J. Mason McJimsey. The building was opened for divine worship the ensuing year, 1866.
The V. M. C. A. of Warzvick .- This organization was begun in 1879, incorporated in 1885, and in 1907 owns a building and lot on Main street. with a new gymnasium, costing about $6,000, entirely free of debt. It also owns a library of over 1,200 volumes, part donated and part pur- chased by the association. The library is registered at Albany, and is the only free public library in the village.
BURIAL PLACES.
For over a century the tract of land lying to the north of the Reformed church was used as a burying ground. The deeds of conveyance to the
.
William B. Sayer.
449
TOWN OF WARWICK.
then trustees of the Presbyterian church, the predecessor of the Re- formed church-Francis Baird, John Simson and George Vance, dated January II, and April 23, 1793-recite that in still earlier conveyances from William Wickham and John Morin Scott, one of which was dated March 14, 1770, to William Wisner, of forty-five acres of land, "one acre thereof was excepted and reserved thereout for a burial ground for the use and benefit of the Presbyterian Church of Warwick." In 1889, at the time when the new stone church was built, there had been no interments here for perhaps twenty years, and accordingly a consent was obtained from at least three-fourths of the congregations of the Presbyterian and Reformed Dutch Churches for the removal of all the remains interred therein, as required by law. The Reformed Church purchased a lot in the Warwick Cemetery and received deed from the latter, dated June 15, 1889, to which lot the remains of all those interred in the church burying ground were removed, and also the headstones marking the graves. There are 116 of these stones; doubtless there were many buried there without any stones to mark them, and there were other burials there which were afterwards removed to family lots in the Warwick Cemetery when the latter was dedicated in 1867. The oldest stone is one erected to the memory of AAnna, the wife of William Eagles, who departed this life July 8, 1771. There are interred there Revolutionary soldiers, members of consistory and many prominent citizens. To William Culver, a donor to the church. was erected by the church a monument, bearing this in- scription : "Sacred to the memory of William Culver, who departed this life, at South Hampton, Long Island, October 27, 1822, aged 37 years, in hope of a blessed immortality."
The last interment of which there is a gravestone is that of Daniel Sinsabaugh, who died November 19, 1869, aged thirty-eight years. It is believed that there were later interments than this, but if so there are no stones marking the graves.
It is said that Jacob Gaul, a colored man, the sexton of the church for over twenty years, was one of the last burials in the old church graveyard.
The Old School Baptist burying ground, situated at the corner of Gal- loway road and Lake street, was first used for burial purposes in about 1774, when the meeting house was built there.
This plot of lan 1 was given to the Baptist Church by Elder James Benedict, by deed dated September 12, 1791. The trustees of the said
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THE COUNTY OF ORANGE.
church at that time were James Burt, John Morris Foght and John Sut- ton ; consideration mentioned in deed, forty shillings current money ; con- tains seventy-nine perches of land.
Elder James Benedict died September 9, 1792, aged seventy-two years, six months, eighteen days, and was buried in this plot of ground, but 110 stone marks the spot. This plot was used as a burial ground until 1795.
SCHOOLS.
The Warwick Institute continued as an academy until October 1, 1868. when the entire property was transferred to the board of education of Union Free School District No. 12. The district at that time consisted of the school districts Nos. UI and 12. Since 1880 two other districts have been annexed, Nos. 10 and 23.
In 1893 the board of education built a new brick school house, in the place of the old wooden structure and upon the same site, at a total cost of $23,000. Again in 1901, another brick building was built, at a cost of about $16,000, to take care of the increased demands for more school facilities. The latter building was erected upon a new site and is called the High School.
According to the last census ( 1906) there are 512 children of school age in the district ; the actual number enrolled is 450.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Lehigh & Hudson River Railway Company .- This company was first organized under the name of the Warwick Valley Railroad Company, April 20, 1859, for the purpose of building a road from the village of Warwick to the line of the New York & Erie Railroad, at or near the village of Chester.
May, 1879, steps were taken to extend this road to McAfee, Sussex County, and in December, 1880, the Lehigh & Hudson River Railway Company was formed for the purpose of extending it to Belvidere. N. J., on the Delaware River, and connecting with the Pennsylvania Railroad at that point. The line was built and the road opened for business through to Belvidere in August, 1882.
In 1889 an extension was built from a point near Greycourt, N. Y., to Maybrook, N. Y., connecting at that place with the Poughkeepsie Bridge
George W. Sanfall
451
TOWN OF WARWICK.
Road. Arrangements were made to use the tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad to Phillipsburg. N. J. A bridge was built across the Delaware River at that point to Easton, making a continuous line from Easton, Pa .. to Maybrook. N. Y.
The First National Bank of Warwick .- This bank was organized at a meeting of citizens held in January, 1864, at the Warwick Valley House. After a canvass for subscriptions to its stock, which was to be $75.000. on January 21, 1864, its articles of association were adopted. On January 28. the first board of directors was chosen. On January 29, John L. Welling was chosen president, and on February 6, John Cowdrey was chosen vice-president. On March 14 it was voted to increase its capital stock by $25,000, making it $100.000 as it stands to-day. At the same date Grinnell Burt was sent to Washington to have this bank made a depository for the internal revenue of this Congressional District. The bank commenced business April 1, 1864.
The Warwick Savings Bank was the first one incorporated under the general law of 1875. It commenced business January 3, 1876. James H. Holly has been president since January 7, 1879. Thomas Burt has served as secretary and treasurer from the organization to the present time, and has had the general care and management. There has been a steady in- crease in deposits year by year, and there is now ( July 1. 1907 ) on deposit $1.264.636.24 belonging to 3.483 depositors, and a surplus of $40.083.97.
The Warwick Cemetery Association was incorporated in 1865. The land purchased, graded, surveyed and plotted in 1866, was dedicated July 2, 1867, Leonard Cox delivering an appropriate poetical address, and Rev. Cyrus G. Van Derveer the oration on that occasion. The twenty- seven acres of ground have a pleasing elevated contour, which were plotted by Mr. B. F. Hatheway, of Stamford, Conn ..
The lands cost about $7,000 and improvements about $5.000. The funds were provided by citizens' notes of $100 and $200, which were canceled by deeds for lots to the makers of notes. The purchase of a cottage, building a vault and entrance gates and bringing in the public water for fountains were accomplished in the few following years and the Association was free from debt. and in 1881 had $2,000 invested. In 1907 its investments in bonds and mortgages and Government bonds are over $30,000.
George W. Sanford was president from its organization until his deatii
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THE COUNTY OF ORANGE.
in 1900-for thirty-five years. He was succeeded by Sidney H. Sanford and the latter by Nicholas L. Furman.
Nearly all lot enclosures have been removed, graves leveled and a fine sward maintained and treated as a lawn, without expense to the lot owners. Its picturesque appearance, fine monuments and well kept grounds command the admiration of its visitors.
Water-Works .- The village was first supplied with water in 1872. The brook running north through the Thomas Welling and P. E. Sanford farms to the Wawayanda creek furnishes the supply, and is called Mis- tucky. This name is an Indian one, from an Indian village located near the reservoirs, originally called Miskoutucky, signifying red hills or plains.
In 1871 preparations were made for the building of a dam of 131 feet across this brook, which when completed made a reservoir of 1 90/100 acres on the Welling farm and I 50/100 acres on the Sanford farm, both of which pieces of land were acquired by the village. Upon the completion of the work and the introduction of water in the village, a celebration took place in honor of the event in January, 1872.
This reservoir is situated one and a half miles south from the center of the village and covers over three acres of land, with a capacity of eight million gallons of water. The works were constructed at a cost of $25,000.
In 1890 the village had outgrown the old supply and steps were taken to increase the same. Accordingly a second reservoir was constructed about a quarter of a mile to the south of the first dam, with a capacity of thirty million gallons.
In 1903 the sum of $23,000 was appropriated for the enlargement of water mains and the construction of new ones.
Fire Department .- The fire department consists of two hose companies -Excelsior No. I and Raymond Hose Company, and the Goodwill Hook and Ladder Company. The fire council consists of the chief engineer and two warders elected from each of the companies. Inspection day is held each year in the month of September, at which time the rooms and appa- tatus of the various companies are inspected by the president and trustees of the village, and a parade of the whole department takes place.
Grand Army of the Republic .- A post of the Grand Army of the Re- public was organized at Warwick on November 16, 1885, with thirty-three
Wm. B. Sayer House, Warwick, Erected 1766.
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TOWN OF WARWICK.
charter members. James W. Mullery was commander, and the post was named for Michael Mullery, a brother of the commander, who served in a New Jersey regiment. The number of the post is 575.
Some years after its organization the name was changed to John J. Wheeler Post, in honor of Colonel John J. Wheeler, a native of the town of Warwick, who served with honor and distinction in the 56th New York Regiment.
454
THE COUNTY OF ORANGE.
CHAPTER XXX.
TOWN OF WAWAYANDA.
BY CHARLES E. STICKNEY.
T HE name Wawayanda is a corruption of the general salutation between white settlers and Indians in pioneer times. This we take to be illustrated by the example given in Gabriel Thomas's "East and West Jersey," published in 1698. He evidently was familiar with the Indian language and lived in Philadelphia where he was a fre- quent participant in the conversations when a white man and an Indian met. He reports it as follows: "When meeting, the white man would say in the Indian language 'Hitah takoman?' ( Whence comest thou?) The Indian would reply, 'Andagowa a nee weekin' (over yonder). Then the white man, 'Tony andagowa a kee weekin ?' ( Where yonder?) The broad Indian accent coupled with the recurrence of the words 'over yonder' was very probably the true derivation of the word 'Wawayanda.' "
There is not much doubt that the town of Wawayanda was formed out of Minisink for political reasons. In 1849 the board of supervisors in Orange County was Whig by a considerable majority. The town of Minisink was and had been considered Democratic for a long time. Never- theless that year Daniel Fullerton, a Whig, was elected Supervisor of Minisink. By taking off the northern part of Minisink the Whigs hoped to be able to elect the officials in the new town universally. Dr. D. C. Hallock made a survey for it. The signers of the petition were mostly Whigs. November 27th, Mr. Fullerton made the motion in the board of supervisors for the division of the town and the creation of the new town to be called Wawayanda. The motion carried by a strict party vote of ten Whigs for, to five Democrats against it. The name was selected from the old Wawayanda patent, without any particular reference to its meaning. The town has ever since been mostly Democratic in its elec- tions. At the first election in the spring of 1850, $200 was ordered raised for roads and bridges.
The population of the town in 1855, the first census taken after it was formed, showed it to contain 2,069 inhabitants. Ten years later it had
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TOWN. OF WAAWAYAND.A.
1,906, a decrease of 163. In 1905, the last censuis taken, it had 1.574, a decrease since the first census of 1855 (fifty years) of 495. There were only 34 aliens in the last census.
The assessment of this town in 1865 was 19,677 acres, valued at $706,- 250, and in 1906. forty-one years later, its assessment was 20,175 acres, valued at $695.060, and in 1907 it was the same. The town expenses in 1907 were $1.067.88. besides $2.250 for highways and $400 for bridges.
THE DROWNED LAND WAR.
A feature of the towns of Minisink and Wawayanda is the Drowned Lands. These comprise the valley of the Wallkill, or, as named by the Indians, the "Twischsawkin," extending from Hamburg, N. J., to Denton in this State. The westerly part of that valley is the part of it in the territory of which we write. When the Wallings, who, so far as we can ascertain were the first permanent settlers at the head and on the west shore of these drowned lands, located here, they found them covered with water the greater part of each year, and of little value except for grazing purposes, and for the wood upon them. Their total acreage was about 40,000 acres, of which 10,000 acres were in New Jersey. From the high grounds of the west shore to the river the distance will average about half a mile. The great Cedar Swamp on the eastern shore of the lands comprised about 15,000 acres. It was covered with water more or less the year round, and, when the ice was strong enough in winter. farmers drove for many miles to it to get a supply of rails and wood. In spring floods the water was often from eight to twenty feet deep over the entire drowned lands. They were the homes of innumerable flocks of wild geese and ducks, and the flocks were often composed of thousands of members. They raised their young by thousands in the great swamp -. Fish were also very abundant.
In 1804 the farmers who owned lands along this vast morass, as well as the rich speculators who had bought, for a trifle, huge tracts of it. agitated the plan for a drainage. They got up petitions and appeale 1 to the legislature for help so persistently, that, in 1807. that boly passed an act authorizing money to be raised to drain the drowned lands. The act empowered five commissioners to be elected annually in Goshen. They were to assess property owners along the drowned lands for expenses.
A large ditch was dng by them from Turtle Bay (a wide and deep place
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THE COUNTY OF ORANGE.
in the river opposite the present farm of Reeves B. Wickham and the former Van Bomel farm), to the junction of Rutger's Creek with the Wallkill, a distance of about two miles in a direct line up stream. The in- tention was for this ditch to carry the river's water mainly, especially at high tides. Other work was done, so that in nineteen years it is estimated that $40,000 had been expended. Little good resulted from it, for the ditches rapidly filled with mud. The ruins of this ditch are easily traced at this time.
Gabriel N. Phillips was then the owner of the great woolen factory and an immense dani at what is now called New Hampton, but which was then called Phillipses'.
MISCELLANEOUS.
The Erie Railroad, completed through New Hampton in 1835, caused that village to become a business place. Many farmers who then brought their produce to Goshen for shipment, changed to New Hampton and some large business houses started up. The large manufactories which soon started in Middletown and the completion of railroads from Sussex County, N. J., to New York, drew off trade and New Hampton is to-day of less importance than it was in former days.
Denton, named from the family that founded it, has been subject to much the same influences as New Hampton. It is about three-quarters of a mile southwest of the latter place. Once there were drug stores, hotels and a vigorous church there. Under the local option law there have been no licenses for hotels issued in Wawayanda for the past twenty-five years. The business of Denton has, like other villages, drifted away from it.
Centerville, now called South Centerville, was named from its central location in the old town of Minisink. Its trade has, much like that of other villages in proximity to Middletown, very much lessened of late years.
Slate Hill is one of the very early settled places in this town. It was before the days of post-offices called Brookfield. Some say that this name was adapted from the circumstance of a brook winding around the village.
Ridgeberry, named from the high ridge east of it, famous for berries, was an early settled place and once had two hotels, two stores, two
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TOWN OF WAWAYAND ..
churches and was quite a business place. Owing to the same causes which have taken away the trade of many other villages, Ridgeberry has now only one good store.
The Old School Baptist Church at Slate Hill deserves more than a passing notice. Built over 100 years ago it stands there to-day as it was built, but its congregation has nearly melted away. We give it a more extended notice elsewhere. The Methodists have a chapel in the village and conduct services weekly. The Presbyterians have purchased a site for a church in the village and it is only a question of time when an edifice will be built upon it. Millsburg on Boudinot's Creek, and Gardners- ville on Rutger's Creek, are shorn to a great extent of their former glory. The Manning Company has feed and saw mills at the latter place, while in the former place the mills of Frank Mead are its distinguishing features.
The first town meeting held in the town after its organization was at the hotel of D. C. Hallock in Brookfield-Slate Hill in the spring of 1850. This was in the building now occupied by Kinney Skinner as a store. The other hotel, then kept in the place, was on the opposite corner now owned by Dr. F. D. Myers as a private dwelling. That hotel was then kept by William Bell. There was then no fence in the space between the hotels and the square was often the scene of lively scraps in the good old days.
An Indian, Keghgekapowell, one of the grantors of the Evans patent under Governor Dongan. was commonly called by the whites "Jo-Gee." After signing away his rights to the lands under that patent he moved to the foot of the hill, about a mile and a half west of what is now Brook- field-Slate Hill, and resided there for some years. The hill in the rear of his wigwam became known as "Jo-Gee" from that circumstance. . 1 spring by his wigwam furnished him water, and an apple tree which he is said to have set there, bore fruit for several generations after his depar- ture. The fruit was of a peculiar variety and excellent. He is reported to have been a good old man and kept up his friendship for the whites until a party of his tribe came on a visit and coaxed him to go away with them. which was the last seen of him in this town.
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