USA > New York > Rockland County > The history of Rockland County > Part 17
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As may be imagined, these men now sided with their long time politi- cal companion and pointed out every weak place in the proposed new Constitution, magnified every clause which leaned toward centralization and roused every passion of fear, jealousy and anger against nationality, which still smouldered from the late war. By a tremendous vote, they with the two others before named, were sent to the Convention with in- structions to cast their suffrage against the proposed Federation. This three of them did, but as we know, without success. Jesse Woodhull, alone, among the delegates from Orange, voted for the Federal form of government. His object in so doing, is not apparent. In 1772, he was appointed Sheriff of Orange, and served. Re-appointed in May, 1777, he obtained no commission, but held over till the first State Legislature met in September of that year, and then was succeeded by Isaac Nicoll. From September 9th, 1777, to July Ist, 1781, he was a member of the State
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Senate. That his vote was contrary to the wishes of his constituents would appear from the fact that he never again held public office.
I have dwelt at length on the topic of the feeling in this section toward the National Constitution, because it explains Rockland's stand in poli- tics. Two creeds are transmitted from parents to children through gene- rations, that of their religion and that of their political faith, and it is sel- dom that either is changed. The question of Federation or not, found our County Anti-Federal. Incensed by defeat, the opposition to centraliza- tion grew, became stronger as the years passed, and at last, found its party affiliation and name in the rise of Democracy. The spirit of County love, the intermarriages between members of long resident families, have kept an unusually large proportion of natives in the County, and those old families still retain their reverence for the political faith of their fathers.
Another political change, altogether local, was beginning to agitate our people. From a howling wilderness, inhabited only by savages and wild beasts, the section of Orange County north of the mountain had slowly become populated and cultivated by the ever advancing pioneer. The population of twenty families for the whole County, in 1693, had gradually increased, till at the time of the adoption of the Federal Consti- tution 14,062 occupied this territory, and in 1790, 18,492, and the increase north of the mountains, though slow during the intervening years, had at length reached and excelled that in our southern section, till the census now gave 12,491 above and 6,001 below the natural division line.
In 1723, only three Supervisors met at Tappan for the whole County. This continued to be the place for meeting till 1764, when the following act was passed by the General Assembly :
"WHEREAS, The Court House at Orangetown, being the place appointed for the annual meet- ing 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: 1. Be it enacted by his Honor, the Lientenant-Governor, the Commissioners 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 there adjourn to any other place as near the centre of said County as shall seem most convenient to them for the good of the public ser- vice."
ABRAHAM HARING and HENRY WISNER, Members from Orange.
The events preceding and during the Revolution, led them to change their place of meeting to Goshen, where they continued till more peaceful times. From 1789 till 1797, the Board met at New City. But, instead of four, there were now eight townships, an equal number for each sec- tion.
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During the war the brunt of the invasion in Orange had fallen on the southern towns, and to relieve the distress of the people in our section the Supervisors voted, at the annual meeting in 1779, that $14.730 be taken off the quotas of Orangetown and Haverstraw, and added, $8,552 to the quota of Goshen, and $6,177 to the quota of Cornwall, which left the quota of the four precinets :
Goshen,
$123,662
Cornwall, -
58,637
Haverstraw, -
55,000
Orangetown, -
25,000
Again, on March 31st, 1780, it was ordered that $20,000 be taken off the quotas of the lower towns and added to the upper precincts, leaving the quotas :
Goshen, $161,049 Haverstraw, - $92,437
Cornwall, 73,578
Orangetown,
34,573
These considerations led to a desire, on the part of the people on both sides of the mountain, to form separate counties. Those in the northern towns pointed out that their population was now greater than that of the lower towns, and was increasing more rapidly, yet their Supervisors had to make a long trip to meet those of the southern section, and that, in- stead of being met half way, these lower town officers fell back on the situation of their county seat, and could be gotten to advance no further. To be sure, the journey was not like that of 1723, when it took their dele- gate to the Board, James Osborn, four days to get from Goshen to Tappan and back, but still it was very long and unpleasant. Then they failed to see why they should be called on to support two sets of County Courts. They could not and did not blame the people in the lower towns for want. ing court buildings on their side of the mountains, but when they had paid for their own at Goshen, they did not feel called on to be taxed for others. Becoming more annoyed, they passed from complaint to unpleasant hints, that the lower towns were either extremely selfish or else little better than ungrateful paupers. Had they not suffered as much in the Revolution as their brothers in the south. Had not Brant and his Tory allies fallen upon their western borders and, besides killing many of their people, wiped hamlets and whole villages out of existence. Yet they had not only borne this loss without murmur, but had given aid to the people be- low the mountain, by assuming great part of their tax, as well.
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To these complaints the residents of Orangetown, Clarkestown, Rama- po and Haverstraw made answer in kind. You complain, they said, about your Supervisors coming south to meet ours. Why, before you had even a log hut for the Board to assemble in we gave your delegate comfortable quarters, and the bill for the entertainment of the Board, 19s. 71/2d, was largely incurred for his board and lodging. For years afterward we outnumbered you three to one, paid taxes to aid you in clearing away the wilderness and exterminating predatory beasts, and now, forsooth, when through our endeavors your success is rendered pos- sible, you at once demand that we, the parent settlement, shall send our delegates over the mountain to save you the trouble of coming here.
You pay taxes for our County buildings ! Has it slipped your mem- ory that when the first court-house and jail were built in this County, we were scarcely aware of your existence so small was your number. Is it willful mendacity or madness that leads you to forget that this section has been taxed for its own court-house, as you have for yours, and that with you we have been equally assessed for court officers. As to not blaming us for wanting something which we pay for and which ante-dated your court buildings by more than a decade, consider us as truly thankful for your tender thoughtfulness. You regard us as ungrateful paupers. You feel that your sufferings were greater than ours. To answer the second complaint first : Did you, during those dark days of horror, when anarchy and rapine had full sway within our towns, which served as a bulwark to your section, did you then feel that you were suffering greatly ? Orange- town was for periods in the hands of the enemy, her patriots in flight or seized, her autonomy destroyed. Haverstraw had sent her sons to battle the oppressor, little hesitating, in the call to arms, whether as militiamen they fought in the defence of their homes or as soldiers, in the Continental army, for the defence of the Confederation. We bore the brunt of the battle, the heat and burden of a long weary day to protect, to save you ; and now you reward us in this way. Is not the evidence in your hands convincing ? So overrun were these townships that the Supervisors dare not meet here, and adjourned to Goshen, and yet you essay to enter this plaint against us.
Your frontier hamlets suffered from Brant's incursion. Have you visited our towns to see how the violence of war has devastated them, how our brothers have been swept away until there is scarcely a patriot home unbroken. Come, and we will take you to many a dwelling which was visited by Claudius Smith and his followers, who made their home in your territory, and when you have hearkened to tales of agony that would make
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demons shudder, perhaps you may realize that even the dread Brant was more merciful than the band you harbored.
You have exercised charity toward us! You have exercised charity toward us ! A set of roaring swash-bucklers, who had no existence yes- terday and may have none to-morrow, whose soil belongs to us-referring to the fact that, owing to the great influx of poor immigrants to the north- ern towns in the years after the war, the people north of the mountain had borrowed largely of those south, to start new forms of business, and those individual loans were so great as to virtually make our people the owners of that land-whose very existence is in our hands, you complain of the fact that in laboring to save you and others we were so crushed as not to be able to meet, for a moment only, our financial obligation. Let us remind you of the conduct of the evil spirits that your dominies have told you of that came, reinforced, to rend and destroy.
You feel that you alone have cause for complaint. Stop a moment and look at our view of your conduct. Since the formation of the State government, there have been one hundred and twenty-six Senators from the Middle Senatorial District of which you have had thirty-five and we but thirty-two. Seven and seventy members of Assembly have been elected of which you to the north of the mountain have had forty-six while we have only had thirty-one.
Or take our County officers. Eight men have held the Shrievalty since 1777, and all have been from your section ; two County clerks have been appointed, both from the northern towns. And as if to make your selfishness more noticeable, the only Representative to Congress, since its organization under the new Constitution, from Orange County, John Hathorn, is a resident in your section.
Such, as I have been informed by old people, in both Orange and Rockland counties, whose fathers were active participants in the contro- versy which led to the erection of our County of Rockland, were the feel- ings of the people in the northern and southern towns toward each other, and such the causes for those feelings. The ridge of mountains which separated the sections was a natural division line that, while it might be overcome in the days of weakness in population, was sure to prove an in- superable obstacle to unity of interests, when the number of residents in the County had sufficiently increased. That period had now arrived, and the people on each side of the mountains were anxious for separate County existence. Accordingly, in 1798, the residents of the present Orange County appointed Captain John Luthill and Richard Goldsmith a committee to go to Captain Sloat's to consult with a County Committee from the present Rockland County regarding the terms of separation.
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At length the Legislature, being influenced by the representations of the members from Orange County and the petitions of its residents, passed, on Feb. 23d, 1798, the following :
Be it enacted by the people of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly. That all that tract of land in the County of Orange, lying northward of a line beginning at the mouth of Poplopens kill, on Hudson's River, and running from thence on a direct course to the southeasternmost corner of the farm of Stephen Sloat, and then along the said bounds of his farm, to the southwest corner thereof, and then on the same course to the bounds of the State of New Jersey, shall be and hereby is erected into a separate County and shall be called and known by the name of Orange.
And be it further enacted. That all that part of the said County of Orange, lying southward of the above described line, shall be erected into a separate County, and be called and known by the name of Rockland.
The County of Rockland to contain all that part of this south, bounded southerly and south- westerly hy the line of the County west where the same crosses Hudson's River, and the division line between this State and New Jersey. Easterly by the middle of Hudson's River, and north- erly and northwesterly by a line drawn from the middle of the said river, west to the mouth of Poplopens kill, and from thence on a direct course to the east end of the mill-dam now or late of Michael Weiman, across the Ramapongh River, and from thence a direct course to the 20 mile stone standing in the said division line between this State and New Jersey.
All that part of the County of Rockland, bounded easterly by the middle of Hudson's River, southerly hy New Jersey, and westerly and northerly by a line beginning on Hudson's River, at the northeast corner of the farm late belonging to Harman Tallman, deceased, and running from thence east to the middle of the said river, and westerly along the said farm to the tract of land formerly granted to T. D. Tallman, and then southerly and westerly along the bounds of the same tract to Demarie's kill, or Hackensack River, and then down the stream thereof to the northeast corner of a tract of 1,000 acres of land formerly sold for defraying the expenses of dividing the patent of Kakiat, and then westerly along the same to the northwest corner thereof, and then northerly and westerly and southerly along the land now or late belonging to J. J. Blauvelt, to the northeast corner of the land now or late belonging to John M. Hogencamp, and then westerly and southerly along the same to the northeast corner of the land now or late belonging to John P. Mabic, and then westerly along his land to New Jersey, shall be and continue a town by the name of Orangetown.
All that part of the said County of Rockland bounded westerly by a line beginning at the north-west corner of the land of John M. Hogencamp called his middletown lot, and running from thence north 3º west to the division line between the north and south moiety of the patent of Kakiat, and then along the same east to the line of division between the east and west 400 acre lots of the said north moiety, and then along the last mentioned division line, and con- tinuing the same to the line of division between the mountain lots upon the top of the Verdrietege hook mountain, and northerly by the line running along the top of the said mountain between the said mountain lots to the east end thereof, and from thence to the head of the stream of water which runs from the Long Clove to Hudson's River easterly by the middle of Hudson's River, and sontherly by Orangetown, shall be and continue a town by the name of Clarkstown.
All that part of the said County of Rockland bounded easterly by Clarkstown and Orangetown, southerly by Orangetown and New Jersey, westerly by New Jersey and Orange County, and northerly by a line running from the north-west corner of Clarkstown, along the south bounds of the lands how or late of Francis Gurnee and Benjamin Coe, and along the south bonnds of the land now or late of Gabriel Conklin, and the same course continued to the bounds of Orange County, shall be and continue a town by the name of Hampstead.
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All that part of the said County of Rockland, bounded southerly by Hampstead and Clarkstown and easterly, northerly, and westerly by the bounds of the County, shall be and continue a town by the name of Haverstraw."
John D. Coe was Senator and James Burt, Benjamin Coe and Moses Hatfield were Assembly - men from Orange County in the Legislature that erected Rockland County, both John D. and Benjamin Coe being from our territory.
The new County was placed in the Third Congressional District, com- posed of the 7th Ward of New York City and Westchester County. In the Middle Senatorial District of the State, and sent John Suffern as her first Senator. Allowed one member of Assembly, Hendrick Smith re- mained during 1798 and was succeeded by her first Assemblyman, Ben- jamin Coe. For County Officers, John Suffern was appointed County Judge ; Peter Taulman, Surrogate; Jacob Wood, Sheriff; David Pye, County Clerk ; and in the towns: Orangetown elected James Perry ; Haverstraw, Benjamin Coe; Clarkstown, Claus R. Van Houten; and Ramapo. James Onderdonk, Supervisors. The last meeting of the old Orange County Board of Supervisors occurred at the residence of Ste- phen Sloat, in the Ramapo Valley, October 2d, 1798, and there were present : James Perry, Claus R. Van Houten, Benjamin Coe, James On- derdonk, of Rockland County.
For over a score of years after the erection of Rockland-till 1821 --- the Supervisors of the two counties, together with a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of each county, met together at the house of Stephen Sloat annually, "for the purpose of inspecting and examining the mort- gages, minutes and accounts of the loan officers appointed in the County of Orange, under the act for loaning monies belonging to the State." In 1853 a Legislative Act was passed, directing that copics of all deeds and wills that affected titles in Rockland County previous to the division, should be taken from the Orange County records and placed in the County Clerk's office of the first named county.
The census of electors in the new county, according to the property qualifications of the first Constitution was, in 1801 and till the Constitu- tion was changed in 1821, as follows :
1801. Electors worth £100 or over, - - - 599
between £20 and £100,
- 59
paying an annual rental of 40S.,
- 166
1807.
worth £100 or over, -
- - 766
between £20 and £100, 65
= paying an annual rental of 40S., 153
1814.
worth £100 or over, -
-
- 838
158
1814. Electors worth between £20 and £100, -
- 63
paying an annual rental of 40s.,
245
1821. worth $250 or more, - - 817 - -
between $50 and $250, -
59
who pay a rental of $5.00 or more, - 298
The population of Rockland County in 1800 was 6,353, of which the towns had :
Orangetown,
- 1,337
Haverstraw,
-
- 1,229
Clarkstown,
1,806
Hampstead,
- 1,981
REPRESENTATIVES IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
SEVENTH SESSION.
SENATE.
William Allison,
John Haring,
Jacobus Swartwout,
ASSEMBLY.
Jeremiah Clarke, Gilbert Cooper,
John Hathorn, William Sickles,
EIGHTH SESSION.
William Allison,
SENATE. John Haring, ASSEMBLY.
Jacobus Swartwout.
Jeremiah Clarke, Gilbert Cooper,
John Hathorn, William Sickles.
NINTH SESSION. SENATE.
William Allison,
John Haring, ASSEMBLY.
Jacobus Swartwout.
John Bradner, Gilbert Cooper,
Nathaniel Satterly, Henry Wisner, 3d.
TENTH SESSION. SENATE.
John Haring,
Jacobus Swartwout,
ASSEMBLY.
Gilbert Cooper, Peter Taulman,
ELEVENTH SESSION.
SENATE.
John Haring,
Jacobus Swartwout.
Robert Armstrong, Jeremiah Clark,
159
ASSEMBLY.
Jeremiah Clark, Peter Taulman,
William Thompson, Henry Wisner, Jr.
TWELFTH SESSION.
John Haring,
ASSEMBLY.
Jeremiah Clark, Henry Wisner. Jr.
THIRTEENTH SESSION. SENATE. Jacobus Swartwout.
ASSEMBLY.
John Carpenter, John D. Coe,
Seth Marvin, William Sickles.
FOURTEENTH SESSION.
SENATE.
David Pye,
Jacobus Swartwout,
ASSEMBLY.
John Carpenter, John D. Coe,
Seth Marvin, John Smith.
FIFTEENTH SESSION. SENATE.
David Pye,
Jacobus Swartwout.
ASSEMBLY.
Seth Marvin, John Smith.
SIXTEENTH SESSION.
SENATE.
David Pye,
Jacobus Swartwout,
ASSEMBLY.
Reuben Hopkins, John Smith, Daniel Thew.
SEVENTEENTH SESSION.
SENATE.
Jacobus Swartwout.
David Pye,
ASSEMBLY. Seth Marvin, John Wheeler.
John D. Coe,
EIGHTEENTH SESSION. SENATE.
Jacobus Swartwout.
John D. Coe,
ASSEMBLY. John Hathorn, David Pye.
William Allison,
NINETEENTH SESSION.
SENATE.
John D. Coe,
SENATE.
Jacobus Swartwout,
John Carpenter,
160
John D. Coe.
ASSEMBLY.
David Pye, James W. Wilkin.
Seth Marvin,
TWENTIETH SESSION. SENATE.
John D. Coe. ASSEMBLY.
Jonathan Cooley, Seth Marvin.
TWENTY-FIRST SESSION.
SENATE. John D. Coe. ASSEMBLY.
James Burt,
Benjamin Coe, Moses Hatfield.
TWENTY-SECOND SESSION. SENATE. None.
ASSEMBLY.
John Blake. Jr.
James Burt,
Moses Philips, Hendrick Smith.
David W. Westcott. Adjourned sine die April 3d, 1799.
REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS.
FIRST CONGRESS. John Hathorn, FOURTH CONGRESS. John Hathorn.
Authorities referred to : " Field Book of the Revolution," Vols. II., B. J. Lossing. "New York Civil List," "History of Orange County," S. W. Eager. "Documents Relating to the Colonial History, S. N. Y.," Vols. XIV. "Session Laws."
Isaac Blanch,
CHAPTER X.
EARLY INDUSTRIES O OF ROCKLAND COUNTY.
THE HASSENCLEVER IRON MINE AND ROCKLAND NICKEL COMPANY MINE- CONGLOMERATE SANDSTONE AND) FREESTONE QUARRIES-DATER'S WORKS-WORKS AT SLOATSBURG-RAMAPO WORKS-BRICK MANUFAC- TURE-KNICKERBOCKER ICE COMPANY.
In the middle of the 18th century, between 1730-50, a company of German miners, under the direction of Peter Hassenclever, visited this Colony and explored the mountains of Orange County for ore. Either with this. exploring party or shortly afterward, Hassenclever came to America and at once set to work to organize capital for the development of the great iron veins in the colonies. In a short time he became the proprietor of mines in this Colony and that of New Jersey, and, with a partner named Scton, started several foundries. Before 1768, Hassenclever sailed for England and was given a letter of introduction to the Lords of Trade by Governor Moore, who stated that his wide range of knowledge, concerning the affairs of the Colony, would make his visit one of value to that body. In a short time he returned to this Continent, and in 1769, with sixteen others, obtained a patent for 18,000 acres of land situated in the present Herkimer county.
Among the mines which Peter Hassenclever developed was that which bears his name, situated on lot No. 3 of the Cheesecocks patent. The exact date of opening of the Hassenclever Mine has escaped my most earnest search, but the following data may lead to an approximation. The mine was first worked by the London Mining and Improvement Company. On March 12th, 1768, the Earl of Hillsborough wrote to Sir Henry Moore, Governor of this Colony : " I am desired by Major-General Greeme and other gentlemen concerned in carrying on iron works in New York, under the direction of Mr. Hassenclever, to inform you that that gentleman misbehaves towards them and refuses to come to account, for which reason it is their intention to supercede him, and to appoint another Person in his place, and as these Works are represented to me to be of great Publick Utility, I think it my duty to recommend to you to give all the support and protection you can to the Person they mean to appoint, and to give any assistance in your Power towards bringing Mr. Hassen- clever to a due performance of his Engagements." I believe this letter to
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refer to the Hassenclever Mine, and judge from it that work was begun there as early as 1766. In conjunction with the mine a furnace, situated on Cedar Pond Brook, and called Cedar Pond Furnace, was worked. The second owner of the mine was Captain Samuel Brewster, who worked it during the Revolution, and from it iron for the chain that crossed the Hudson at Fort Montgomery is said to have been taken.
On the death of Captain Samuel Brewster, in 1821, the Hassenclever Mine passed into the hands of his son James, and was conducted by him till his death. After him the mine was bought by Bradley, who, after working it a short time, failed, making an assignment of the property to Blackstick. The assignee sold the mine to Wm. Knight, who sold it to a company, organized about 1844, and known as the Haverstraw Iron & Mining Company.
Under this Company considerable change was made. Besides the old works, they bought eleven acres of the lowlands above the bridge, which had formerly been connected with the mine, and crected on it a large brick building near the site of the old furnace. The company intended this building as a place where the ore was to be converted into the iron of com- merce without the intermediate process of puddling. The works were not a success; the company failed, and the building was torn down. The mine then passed into the hands of Colfax & Co., who still hold it. The works erected because of this mine, consisted of a furnace a short distance above the present lowland bridge; a foundry on Florus Falls Creek, a half mile further west ; a forge or bloomery on the property now owned by Henry Goetschius ; a bloomery a short distance from the old Slutton House, and still another bloomery and furnace just below the outlet of Cedar Pond.
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