USA > New York > Orange County > The history of Orange County, New York > Part 58
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The first class to be organized (1807) as a church was the one at Vail's Gate under the name of the Union M. E. Church of New Windsor. In 1819 the Newburgh circuit was divided and another circuit created, including the societies at Bethel. Bloomingburgh, Middletown, Mont- gomery, Walden, Burlingham, Sam's Point and Walker Valley.
In 1837 Sugar Loaf circuit came into existence. This embraced Sugar Loaf, Florida, Ellenville, Bellevale, Chester, Monroe, Oxford, Satterly- town, Washingtonville, Blagg's Corner. Highland Mills, Little Long Pond and Greenwood Lake.
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THE BAPTIST CHURCHES.
The Baptist denomination, we are informed by Dr. A. R Fuller of the First Baptist Church, Newburgh. N. Y., has at the present time, March, 1907, cleven churches. One in Cornwall, Unionville, Port Jervis, War- wick, Walden, Maybrook, two in Middletown and three in Newburgh. It has church property valued at $162.500.
The first minister of this persuasion to preach its tenets in the county was Mr. Halstead, pastor of a society at Fishkill. Dutchess County. April 24. 1790, a society was organized in Newburgh. In 1806 another society erected a place of worship at Luptondale, and established a burying ground.
The Baptist congregation at Warwick originated with the settlers from Connecticut. These organized what has since been known as the Old School Baptist Body. The first place of worship was erected on what is now the junction of the road leading from the village of Warwick, and the road leading from the Welling schoolhouse to Bellevale. In 1809 and 1810 the society bought land in Warwick, and erected the building which it now occupies.
THIE LUTHERAN CHURCHES.
The Lutheran churches are St. Peter's, Port Jervis, and St. Paul's, Newburgh. This society was founded by the immigrants from the Pala- tine, who were sent here in the reign of Queen Anne.
THE UNITARIAN CHURCHI.
A Unitarian church, named the Church of Our Father, was organ- ized at Fishkill-on-the-Hudson in 1847, at a private residence. The first meetings were held at the DeWitt homestead, and afterward in the public liall of the village. The congregation included men and women of culture, public spirit and unquestioned high character. It was ministered to by such men of repute for ability and piety as Revs. William H. Channing, Edward Turner. F. A. Farley and H. W. Bellows among others. Oc- casional services were held at Low Point. Channingville and other points in the neighborhood of Fishkill for eight years. About 1855, in conse- quence of the increasing attendance from Newburgh. the church was re-
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organized in that city, where services were held in the court house and the Universalist church, and there was preaching by some of the ablest ministers of the denomination. There were so many accessions to the church that in 1869 a committee was chosen to consider the subject of building a house of worship. This consisted of William W. Carson, John Heron, George Lamey, Benjamin Dumville, George H. Southard, J. N. Dichey, George W. Peters and William Stocker. Warren Delano was afterwards added, and made chairman. The deliberations and resulting efforts brought about the erection of the present building at a cost of $16,000, and it was consecrated in 1870. The first pastor was Rev. F. W. Holland, and the present pastor is Rev. Alson H. Robinson.
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN ORANGE.
The first Catholic missions in Orange County seem to have been estab- lished in 1817 and 1818. The Rev. Dr. French came in 1817, and the Rev. Father Langdill arrived about a year later.
The first Catholic church, St. Patrick's, was organized at Newburgh in 1826, and the parochial school in connection with that church was started soon afterward.
The introduction of Roman Catholicism in this State during the colonial period is fraught with much interest. The history of these initial efforts covers the incidents of the French and Indian wars, beginning in 1687 and terminating in the French domination of Canada. Even as far back as 1608, the work was begun among some of the northern Indian tribes. But the conversion of the Six Nations met with little success until after the accession of James II to the English throne. He instructed the province governors to aid the French missionaries and grant them every facility in the prosecution of their work.
But these privileges were also used to advance their national cause among the Iroquois, and the King was compelled to modify his zeal for the propagation of the Catholic faith, which he professed.
This policy of the English government was entirely changed, however, on the accession of William and Mary. Trade with the Indians had been seriously affected by the influence of these French priests, and the alliance between the English and the Iroquois was greatly weakened in conse- quence. Even the toleration of Catholicism was now forbidden ; not from
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CHURCHES OF ORANGE COUNTY.
any hostility to the faith in itself, but for political reasons which affected the nation and its interests. Severe measures of repression were adopted. Catholic priests who came into the provinces voluntarily were subject to the death penalty.
This practically was the state of affairs until after the breaking out of the Revolutionary War. Then, by the terms of the first State constitution. freedom of opinion was permitted to all who subscribed to the oath of allegiance. When Ireland was appealed to for aid in the war, and the subsequent assistance of Catholic France was asked, the prejudices of the people were materially affected. This made it possible to engraft upon the federal constitution of 1787 the full and complete equality of all religious faiths. This of course opened the door to Catholicism, and yet the church authorities seem to have made little effort to extend their faith until after the Irish rebellion of 1798. Then the Catholic immigrants began to ar- rive in America.
The first priest stationed in New York City was the Rev. Charles Whalen, an Irish Franciscan, who had been a chaplain in the French fleet. He settled here after the war, and his brother, Dr. Joseph Whalen, purchased a plot of land from the Schuyler patent in Montgomery in April, 1788. The Rev. Luke Concanen was the first Bishop of New York, but he died before entering upon his duties. The Rev. John Conelly, his successor, was consecrated in 1814. And the first thing he did was to establish missions in the Hudson River valley. He is said to have sought "to prevent the children of Catholics conforming to the persuasions of their neighbors."
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THE COUNTY OF ORANGE.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
ORANGE COUNTY AGRICULTURE.
BY DAVID A. MORRISON.
T T HE success and well-being of the American farmer is always a matter of vital concern to the entire country. The agricultural interest of any country, any State, or any county, being the funda- mental condition upon which all other branches of human effort are based and must depend, is therefore of paramount concern to all classes.
In the county of Orange in 1899 the figures of the national census show there were 13,584 acres devoted to corn, which yielded 589,730 bushels of this cereal that year. Two thousand eight hundred and forty-four acres were sown to wheat and 42,430 bushels were gathered. The acreage of rye was 4,453, and the total yield was 79,980 bushels. Oats were grown upon 5,156 acres and the product was 126,540 bushels. One thousand three hundred and eighty-three acres were in buckwheat, and the pancake crop that year was 23,640 bushels.
The decrease in the rural population of Orange County homes is smaller than most other counties of the State, and the depreciation of farm lands is not so apparent. In fact the general property valuation of the county seems to be increasing something like two and one-half million dollars per year, being rated at $43,804,861.40 for 1907.
The population of the county. according to the State enumeration of 1905, was 107,267. This was an increase over the report of the national census for 1900 of 3,408. Of this number, 41,014 lived in the cities of Newburgh and Middletown. In 1880 the county ranked eleventh in the State for population, ninth in the value of its farms, and third in the value of its farm buildings. It was second in the yield of hay, second also in corn, and third in wheat and potatoes. In the dairy department it stood right at the head, being first in cows and also in the average yield per cow. Even in its production of wool the county had fourth place.
Samuel W. Eager, the early and conscientious historian of Orange County, speaking of the agricultural aspect of the county in 1847, says :
"The soil is above medium character for all agricultural purposes, and
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ORANGE COUNTY AGRICULTURE.
while the agriculture of the county is above mediocrity, the soil may be considered worn out and exhausted, as respects growing large or profitable crops of wheat, without manuring too expensively. That article must be purchased of the western farmer, who yet drives his ploughshare through a strong and virgin soil. That this crop must be abandoned for the pres- ent, and the land employed to raise grass, or other grains, is a dictate of common sense, and we trust our farmers are wise enough to see it, and not struggle in an unequal contest against the easy culture and large crops of the West."
While this advice was doubtless justified, statistics show it was not fol- lowed. The wheat crop of 1874 was greater than that of 1840. and the yield per acre was better under the improved culture. No attempt is made to compete with the vast wheat fields of the far West in the produc- tion of this great staple grain, which in fact is only grown to a very lim- ited extent in this county to-day.
Small fruits, peaches, apples and other orchard fruits are extensively grown in some parts of the county, especially in the upper river section, about Newburgh and Cornwall. The peach industry began in the New- burgh district about 1880, and in the Pine Island section about 1895, and for a time some fine crops were gathered when the winters were not too severe. But of late the orchards are less promising because of the devas- tations of the San Jose scale, which, together with the severe winters, make peach growing a precarious business in this section. The leaf curl and peach yellows are other discouraging features, and it takes an intelli- gent and industrious grower to succeed in the business. He must spray ard spray, and also dig the borers from the base of the tree trunks dili- gently.
Among the largest peach growers in the Warwick. New Milford and Pine Island districts are E. G. Stiebeling. 6.000 trees ; J. B. Rhodes. 4.000 ; J. R. Feagles, 4,000 : Harvey Vil. 6,000; E. D. Waterbury, 3,000: J. C. Drew. 2.000; G. W. Hyatt, 6,000 ; W. S. Layton, 4.000 : Henry Demorest, 4.000 : Barry Walch, 3,000; Henry Patton, 2,000 : Thomas Willing, 2,000; H. F. Wheeler, 2.000: Knapp & Husted. 1.500; George Benedict, 1,000; J. E. Sanford. 2.000. Florida District : J. O. Gable, 3.000; H. D. Jessup, 3.000: Charles Jessup. 3.000 o Houston. 2.000 . Lovett. 2,000. Chester District: E. N. Demorest, 2,000. The largest fruit growers in the Middlehope section are E. D. Barns, Nathaniel Barns. Nat. C. Barns.
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John W. Bingham, W. J. Fowler, V. J. Kohl and many others. Barnyard manure, muriate of potash and ground bone are the fertilizers used. It is found by these growers that the peach can only be grown upon high, dry land with profit. The flavor of the fruit produced here is like that of the lower Ulster and northern Orange section, of high quality, and it brings the best price.
Red raspberries and strawberries were very successfully grown in different parts of the county some years ago, especially about Cornwall and Newburgh, and the northern river section. And both these popular fruits are still produced to a large extent. Among these small fruit en- thusiasts there were the late Rev. E. P. Roe and N. P. Willis, of Cornwall. North of Newburgh was the home of Andrew J. Downing and Charles Downing, his brother, whose standard work on "The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America" has been the recognized authority upon nomenclature and description of fruits in America, ever since it was written.
THE ORANGE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
This society is one of the oldest and best known organizations in the county. It had its beginning at a meeting of citizens called pursuant to law by Lebbeus L. Vail, county clerk, to organize a county agricultural society, and held in the Old Stone Court House at Goshen, September II, 1841. Of the persons who attended that meeting the names of the following have been rescued from oblivion : Jolin Caldwell, Jesse Bull, Nicholas Dederer, Blooming Grove ; William Sayer, Cornwall ; Alexander Thompson, Crawford; Aaron Van Duzer, Charles Monell, John Wilson, Hezekiah H. Strong, Phineas Rumsey, James W. Carpenter, Goshen ; Hamilton Morrison, Samuel Wait, Jr., John Wait. Gideon Pelton. John A. Smith, Montgomery ; Frederic J. Betts, Charles Downing, Henry Rob- inson, Newburgh: Leonard Lee, John R. Caldwell, New Windsor ; William Hurtin, Israel H. Wickham, Wallkill; Jeffrey Wisner, Warwick.
At that meeting a constitution and by-laws were adopted, and at the adjourned meeting, held at the same place, October 13, 1841, the organiza- tion of the society was completed by the election of the following officers : President, John Caldwell, Blooming Grove. Vice-presidents, Captain Henry Robinson, Newburgh : John R. Caldwell, New Windsor ; William Saver, Cornwall; Jeffrey Wisner, Warwick; Lewis H. Roe, Monroe ;
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ORANGE COUNTY AGRICULTURE.
Hulet Clark, Minisink : James D. Bull. Hamptonburgh : Richard Sears, Goshen : Gideon Pelton, Montgomery ; David C. Bull, Crawford ; William Hurtin ; Wallkill; William S. Little, Mount Hope; Thomas Van Etten. Deer Park. Recording secretary. John Wilson, Goshen. Corresponding secretary, Joseph W. Gott. Goshen. Treasurer, Charles Monell. Goshen. Executive committee, Frederic J. Betts, Samuel Wait, Jr., Leonard Lec. Phineas Rumsey, Alexander Thompson, Charles Dill, Thomas W. Bradner.
Of the officers then elected not one survives. So long has been the time that has passed, and so many and so great the changes that have taken place since its organization, that the management of the society is now in the hands of men, few of whom knew any of its founders. Although they were prominent men, well-known in their day and generation, even their names are not familiar to a majority of its members to-day.
The first fair was held at Goshen, November 17. 1841 ; and although it was very late in the season, and there had been but little time for prepara- tion, it gave such general satisfaction that the success of the society was assured. The cattle, sheep and swine were shown on the grounds adjacent to the Presbyterian church; the horses were exhibited on Main street. and the other exhibits in the Oldl court house. Ninety-seven premiums were awarded amounting to $210. besides twenty-one agricultural peri- odicals.
The second fair was held at Goshen, October 12. 1842. The premiums offered amounted to $333. exclusive of thirty-five agricultural books and papers, distributed as follows: Farms, $45, cattle. $113: horses. $38; sheep. $31 ; swine. $8 : butter, $44 ; agricultural products, $54. The county newspapers of that time said "The exhibition was in the highest degree creditable to the agricultural interests of the county. The people assem- bled in thousands to witness the exhibition, and thronged the streets in numbers equaled on but few occasions before. The exhibition of domestic manufactures graced the interior of the new court house."
The third fair was held October 4. 1843. Five thousand persons were estimated to have been in attendance. One hundred and thirteen premi- ums were awarded amounting to $325. besides twenty-eight publications. The following extract from the annual report of the president. Hon. Frederic J. Betts, is a reminder of changed conditions : "About thirty samples of butter were exhibited, and the committee of judges announced
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THE COUNTY OF ORANGE.
that twenty-six of the specimens they believed could not be beat in the world. In superlatives there is no comparative degree, and it is difficult to say, therefore, who stands first in such a category. Our wives and our daughters are our dairy-women, and while they so ably sustain the agri- cultural reputation of the county, Old Orange need have no fears for her rank as a farming county."
In 1846 the society for the first time held its fair on two days. In that year the first plowing match took place and was an interesting feature of the exhibition. Each competitor was required to plow one-fourth of an acre in seventy-five minutes, including two rests of five minutes each.
At the annual meeting in 1847, mainly through the efforts of the New- burgh members, the constitution of the society was so amended that the annual fair was thereafter to be held at Goshen every alternate year and the rest of the time at other places.
In 1848 it was held at Newburgh. The mechanical display was made on the porch of the court house, the grain and vegetables in the main hall, the fruit and domestic manufactures in the court room and within the railing, the horses were shown on Liberty street, and the cattle on a lot west of it. The plowing match took place on the farm of Captain Rob- inson. County Judge A. M. Sherman was one of the competitors-he held his own plow, performed his work in the shortest time, and received one of the premiums.
In 1850 the fair was held at Montgomery. The articles were exhibited under a tent, the cattle were loose in an adjoining field, the horses were shown on Union street ; 95 were awarded in premiums on cattle, $57 on horses, $60 on sheep and swine, $14 on butter and $27 on plowing.
At Middletown in 1852, the fair grounds were located in the eastern part of the village and were known as the Ogden Track. At the sugges- tion of Colonel Israel H. Wickham (then president ), the society had pur- chased a large tent, in which all articles were exhibited. Nearly all the cattle were tied to posts, and the horses for the first time were exhibited on a track.
The fourteenth fair was held at Chester.
The second fair held at Newburgh, October 8 and 9, 1856, was a great success. The society's tent was erected on grounds attached to Washing- ton's Headquarters, north of which were posts with ties for cattle and pens for other animals, the adjacent lot on the south was used for loose
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ORANGE COUNTY AGRICULTURE.
cattle. Arrangements were made with the trustees of the village, and with the owners of property on South Wilham, Liberty and other streets, for the exclusive use of portions of these streets for the exhibition of horses. The plowing match and a trial of plows took place a short dis- tance south of Headquarters. Special attractions were for the first time provided-there was a parade of the entire fire department of the village and a boat race under the auspices of the Newburgh Regatta Association.
In 1858 the second fair at Montgomery was said to have been one of the best then held in the county. One hundred and ninety-seven premiums were awarded.
In 1860 the fair was again held at Middletown. The published accounts represent it to have been still more successful than it had been eight years before.
During these first twenty years of the society's existence it was cus- tomary for the executive committee to meet at an early day, fix a date for the fair. prepare a premium list, select judges, and have all published gratuitously in the newspapers of the county. These early fairs were generally satisfactory. The grounds not being inclosed, no admission fee was charged. AArticles were exhibited in public halls until 1850, and after that in a tent. The expenses were light, the premiums few and payment was obtained from membership fees and the State appropriation, supple- mented by private contributions procured by personal importunity.
At the annual meeting in 1861 the executive committee was empowered to raise by stock subscription a sum of money sufficient to purchase or lease suitable grounds, and to erect buildings and fences thereon-the grounds to be in the vicinity of Goshen. The committee leased the grounds known as the Goshen Driving Park, and issued certificates of stock. in shares of $25 each. bearing interest at the rate of ten per cent. per annum. The number of shares was fixed at 100. and no person was permitted to subscribe for more than one share. All the stock was promptly taken, and the building ( Agricultural Hall ) occupied by the society from 1862 to 1874. During this period the interests of the turf were predominant and not entirely regarded as creditable exhibitions of the products of the farm. the workshop, or the home.
In 1866 the society was reorganized and incorporated Having failed! to secure a renewal of the lease for the grounds. it was determined that the fair buikdling should be sold at auction, and on the 20th of December
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it was sold for $300. The proceeds of the sale were in part applied to the payment of debts, the balance was divided pro rata among the stock- holders, who, as an element of the society, then ceased to exist.
In 1874 the society was therefore composed only of members. It was without grounds. It was out of funds and cut of debt-having neither assets nor liabilities. Its exhibitions held many years at Goshen, the resi- dents of that village had tired of them, and the people in other sections of the county took but little interest in them. Several of its leading man- agers were so absorbed in horse trotting that other departments had been neglected. The number of entries had been reduced to less than 400. The attendance of visitors was comparatively small, and the membership had dwindled to about seventy.
Under these discouraging circumstances, such of the officers as con- tinued to take an interest in the society accepted the invitation of citizens of Montgomery to hold the thirty-fourth fair in that village. The result fully vindicated the wisdom of their action. More than 1,000 entries were made. Many new members were enrolled, prominent among whom was the Rev. L. L. Comfort, whose influence and example did much to elevate it from the condition into which it had fallen. The fairs continued to be held at Montgomery for four years, during which time the treasury was replenished and a surplus fund formed which in 1887 amounted to about $8,000.
The memorable fair in 1878, held at Washingtonville, was the beginning of a new era. For the first time in twenty years no trotting or racing was seen on the grounds. It was in all respects a legitimate and successful exhibition, and was only excelled by that of the following year, held at the same place, when nearly 2,600 entries were made, and 800 premiums, amounting to more than $1.500, awarded. During these two years the Orange County fair was raised to the high plane that it has since occupied.
At Warwick in 1880 and 1881 the excellence of its exhibitions were fully maintained. The additions then made to the society's membership rolls, and to its council board, were of great value, and were largely instrumental in securing the successes of subsequent vears.
In 1882 the fair was located at Middletown, where it remained three vears, exceeding in magnitude of display all former ones. The record of over 1,100 membership fees received, and of 379 entries of horses the third year, have not since been broken.
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ORANGE COUNTY AGRICULTURE.
The status of the society not being in harmony with the articles of association, at the annual meeting in 18844, new articles of association were adopted and signed, and a new certificate of incorporation and reorganization filed with the secretary of state and with the county clerk.
The next three fairs held at Newburgh witnessed such exhibitions of the results of industry and skill as had never before been seen in this county. The visit of Governor Hill in 1887, was the first time the society had been honored with the presence of the chief executive of the State on its fair grounds.
In 1888 and 1889 the fairs were held at Goshen. The number of entries was fully up to the average of recent fairs, while the quality of the exhibits in several departments had never been better. At the first of these fairs the society was honored with an address by the Hon. Norman J. Coleman. United States Commissioner of Agriculture.
The semi-centennial fair at Port Jervis in 1890, and that of 1891, were in all respects very successful. In the latter year the whole number of entries was 5,120, nearly 700 more than at any former fair. In the domestic department nearly 1,200 entries were made, evincing in many ways woman's inventive genius and patient industry. The exhibition of articles of historic interest has never been equaled in this county.
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