USA > New York > Rockland County > The history of Rockland County > Part 42
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46
The first post-office established at this place was opened as Pierson's Depot, April Ist, 1847, with George Mapes as post-master. The office was discontinued June 16th of the same year. On July Ist, 1882, an office was again opened as Sterlington, with John C. Messimer as post- master. The Sterling Mountain Railroad, 7-6 miles in length, was built to carry ore from the Sterling iron mines and furnaces to the Erie Rail- road. The company was organized May 18th, 1864, and the road opened
398
November Ist, 1865. The western terminus of this railway is at Lake- ville, formerly Sterling Lake, another in the many instances of change in name without improvement. As originally built, the gauge of the road was six feet, but in 1882 it was altered to four feet, eight and one-half inches.
RAMAPO WORKS-RAMAPO.
For previous history of industries sce Chapter X. In 1852, a new move in manufacturing interest was attempted here. A large building for a file factory was erected by Davis, Evans & Co. For some reason the enterprise fell through. In 1864, the manufacturing interests of this vil- lage were revived by C. T Pierson, who started the Ramapo Car Works in the building formerly occupied by Davis, Evans & Co., standing just west of the church.
In 1866, the Ramapo Wheel and Foundry Company was organized, with H. L. Pierson, President; George W. Church, Treasurer ; C. T. Pierson, Secretary, and W. W. Snow, Superintendent. The company leased the old cotton mill, and is now manufacturing car-wheels and rail- road castings. Beside those used in this country, many of the wheels from this shop are shipped to Cuba and South America.
The first store opened at this place was in the old Pierson homestead, shortly after the completion of the works. In 1805, the building at present occupied by William Van Wagenen, was built for a store. The post-office was established on November 11th, 1807, as the Ramapo Works, with J. H. Pierson, post-master. In 1821, Silas Sprague became post-master, and held the office while J. H. Pierson was a Member of Congress. In 1823, J. H. Pierson was again appointed, and held the office till 1844, when George W. Suffern was appointed. He was succeeded, in 1847, by John C. Suffern, who remained post-master till 1849, and was followed by Edward V. Lord. In 1850, J. H. Pierson was again appointed, and was followed by John W. Ten Eyck in 1851, and he by Lucius D. Isham in 1853. In 1857, J. G. Pierson was appointed post-master, and remained in control of the office till 1862, when Abram Cornelius took charge. In 1863, Charles T. Pierson became post-master, and held that position till 1880, when he was succeeded by George B. Pierson. The name of the office was changed from Ramapo Works to Ramapo in 1879.
WOODBURN OR HILBURN.
In 1795, John Suffern erected a saw-mill on the Ramapo, about one mile south of the present Ramapo. This was followed in 1848, by a char-
399
coal forge, for the manufacture of merchant-iron and to this, a rolling-mill was added in 1852. These works employed about 25 hands. The works were abandoned in 1872.
In August of that year, George Coffin, George Church and W. W. Snow purchased property at this place from James Suffern, and planned and began to lay out a village, to build houses, and to encourage and as- sist their employees to purchase lots, and erect homes. The place was first called Woodburn, but, when an application was made in 1882 for a post office, it was found that a place with a similar name already existed in the State, and the appellation of Hilburn was chosen instead.
The first school in this hamlet was erected in 1873, through the efforts of Rev. Peres B. Bonney and the generosity of the subscribers, on a plot of ground given by J. B. Suffern, and was used for both Sunday and day school, and also for church purposes. In 1884, it was found necessary to build a large addition to the edifice. In 1873, water was carried into the village, and every dwelling supplied. In 1876, a brass band was formed, under the leadership of Charles G. Hoar. The post office was established here on July 18th, 1882, with Wm. W. Snow as first post master.
On July 13th, 1881, the Ramapo Iron Works were started in buildings erected near the Erie Railroad. W. B. Wilkins was elected President, George Church, Treasurer, R. J. Davidson, Secretary, and F. W. Snow, Superintendent.
Turning now to that part of the town, which lies between Clarkstown and the mountain, we find an abrupt change from the mountain scenery of Ramapo Clove, to a fertile, agricultural country, well watered by the Mahwah, formerly Haverstraw, Saddle, and Pearl Rivers, formerly Pascack Brook, and the head streams of the Hackensack. And it can cause no wonder in our minds, that in the early days of our history, before man had touched the dark and rugged fastnesses, and wrested from this forbid- ding gorge, nature's aid, had toiled and moiled to win the fickle goddess, Fortune, and at last had succeeded in so combining art and nature, that the Clove has now become a spot as beautiful as any the world can show. It can cause no wonder, that when the pioneers appeared in our County, they shunned this repellant pass, and selected sites for homes in the open country to the east.
But the infelicity of the soil was not the only cause which led the first settlers to avoid the Clove. Uncertainty as to titles, as we have seen in- fluenced them also. For these reasons the valley to the east of the mountains was first settled. Philip Vors, (English Fox), is supposed to have been the first white man to locate in this section and he, in 1700,
400
built a log house about a hundred yards from the present dwelling of David Fox, near the 14th mile stone. In 1726, he built his third and per- manent house, a stone building 20 feet square.
Fox was not long alone, for in 1712, arrived the band of immigrants from Long Island, who made Kakiat their home. On September 21st, 1739, when Charles Clinton, in surveying Cheesecocks patent, came to " the houseof Edward Jeffers," from " Van Dusers, in ye Clove," situated about a half mile east of Sufferns, he notes in his journal: "Observed houses and settlements on every side." The first of the Kakiat settlers was Abram Denton, and his child, Jacomiah, is claimed to have been the first white child born in the town.
KAKIAT OR NEW HEMPSTEAD.
At the beginning of this chapter I have spoken of the origin of the name of this hamlet. Here was built before 1754, the first Presbyterian Church in the County and the first church in which divine service was conducted in English ; here John D. Coe kept a store and tavern at which in 1769, the Board of Supervisors met and in 1780 John Andre, stopped to dine, with his guard on the way to Tappan.
The first post office established at this place was on September 1 Ith, 1813, under the name of Kakiat. No business was ever transacted at this office. In 1829, the office was. re-established under the name of West Hempstead, with Amasa Coe as post master.
SHERWOODVILLE.
Jacobus Van Buskirk, it is said, built a grist mill on a branch of the Mahwah, at this place, before the Revolution, and operated it for some years; the business was then changed and the building used as a bark mill until 1825. At that time J. Sherwood obtained the property and turned the old building into a factory for fulling cloth and carding wool, a business he continued till 1845. Since 1845, the mill has been used for the manufacture of cotton bats, by Jonathan and Elias Sherwood.
About 1800, a grist mill was erected, near the one above mentioned, by Gilbert Cooper and carried on for many years. It is now owned by Abram Cooper. The junction of the roads near this mill formerly was known as Cooper's Corners.
Less than a mile southwest of Sherwoodville, and one-eighth of a mile west of the Sufferns and Haverstraw road, stands Blauvelt's foundry. The first industry started here was a saw and grist mill, probably in the last century. About 18.30, Richard Blauvelt, who had inherited the property,
401
added to this mill a foundry for the manufacture of ploughs. In this foundry, it is claimed, was burned the first hard coal used in this section, by Richard Blauvelt. The works are now carried on by Edward Blau- velt, son of the originator.
LADENTOWN.
A generation passing away, only recognized this name as locating a section where ignorance, lawlessness, and Godlessness held full sway ; where every crime known in the calendar was committed, and where, if a stranger inadvertently entered, it behooved him well to "leave all hope behind." As usually happens, when a section obtains a bad name, the further removed the people were, who conversed on the topic, the worse grew the reputa- tion of this locality, and none painted it so black as those who had never been near it. I speak entirely within the bounds of truth when stating, that so ill-favored did the name of Ladentown become to the inhabitants of this County, residing in other sections, that an unintentional stigma is cast upon people born there, and the expression "a Ladentowner " denoted and to a certain extent still denotes, a social pariah.
Situated midway between Suffern and Haverstraw on the highway, is a collection of some dozen houses and three stores. This hamlet is Laden- town. The name of the place is derived from Michael Laden, an Irish- man, who at one time was employed as a nail cutter in the Ramapo works and who, in 1816, left that employment and opened a store and tavern near the present residence of Charles Hedges. Laden's old building still standing a short distance west of Hedge's dwelling.
Owing to his acquaintance with the teamsters of Pierson's works, to the fact that the liquor traffic in the Clove had been stopped, and because of its location midway on the road to and from the landing at Haverstraw, Laden's tavern at once became the stopping place on the road. Here the teamsters partook freely of the liquors they could not get at home, and, adding to their supply in Haverstraw, either disturbed that village with their riots or else returned to Laden's and created trouble there. With this unruly condition of affairs was added the fact, that not infrequently dances were held at the tavern to which the mountaincers came, and these usually ended in brutal fights and noisy confusion. Such seems to have been the only sins that the hamlet proper can be held responsible for.
But the name of Ladentown was applied to a far wider section. Throughout the mountains which stretched in almost primeval wildness from Laden's tavern north and west, dwelt a population so sunken in ig- norance, so isolated from civilization that it seemed foreign to our century, and tales of this people, were attributed without regard to exactness to
402
all the residents of this neighborhood. This population of the Ladentown mountains maintained an existence by burning charcoal, getting out hoop poles, or making bockies, baskets, and other wooden ware. Squatters in these wilds in early days had had children and grandchildren born to them, who had rarely if ever been outside of their mountain homes. Too few schools have ever been in the County, and those schools that did exist were near the thicker settlements. The good work of churches has ever been going on, but the wild and inaccessible mountains were far distant from the early houses of God.
So it had come to pass, that the little knowledge originally possessed by those who had first settled in the mountains, had been lost in their child- ren till at last a population existed but little removed from barbarity. Of this population strange tales are told of promiscuous association of the sexes, of children born out of wedlock, of ignorance so dense, that on at least two occasions women over twenty one years of age confessed, when called to the witness stand, that they had never heard of and knew not the meaning of the name of God, and of moral perceptions so blunted, that the difference between mine and thine, when applied to the property of non-residents was not considered. As in every human population so here, there were gatherings of the residents at which too free a use of stimulants would be indulged in followed by the usual orgies which occur on such occasions. Serious as these social and moral defects were, they seem to have been the only sins committed. It must rest with the reader to judge whether these people were more sinning in their ignorance or more sinned against by a civilization, that for nearly a hundred years passed them by.
Large tracts of these mountain lands were owned as they still are by non-residents of the County, and these owners made constant complaint regarding and often employed men to prevent the cutting of their forests. This led to ingenious devices on the part of the mountaincers, and the watchers reported, that by tying his coat tightly about the trunk of the tree above the line of cutting, the woodman could so deaden the sound of his axe blows as to render it impossible to hear a sound a few hundred feet away. Tunis Smith, sometime Surrogate and a noted surveyor, from whom this information regarding the Ladentown mountains was obtained, related that on one occasion he accompanied Mr. Lorillard through a por- tion of his property. One night they lodged at one of the better houses and Lorillard, sitting before the fire after supper, complained bitterly of the way his wood was stolen to make baskets. The owner of the house and whilom host thereupon stated, that he had never made a basket in his life. Tunis Smith rose earlier than his companion next morning, and in walking
403
about before breakfast came upon an out-house filled from floor to rafters with bockies. As he turned away his host came upon him and said : " Mr. Smith, I said I never made baskets. I didn't say anything about bockies. Don't bring Mr. Lorillard around this way."
The first missionary who entered these mountains probably and laid the foundation for the spread of civilization was, paradoxical as it may seem, Michael Laden. In the furtherance of business he began barter with the mountaineers, exchanging his groceries and dry goods for the wooden ware made by the residents in the woods. As the business grew, he had stated days of the week on which he would visit certain localities, and at last the exchange grew so great that more than one wagon had to be sent out. In 1836, Laden sold his property to John J. Secor, and re- moved to New York City, where he opened a wooden ware house.
Ere many years had elapsed, baskets and later wooden ware began to be made by machinery, the old charcoal forges passed from existence, and those sources of income were removed from the people dwelling in the mountains. Then came another important civilizing epoch for the moun- taincers, one as paradoxical as Laden's influence, I refer to the Civil War. Volunteers from this wild territory were numerous. When the War ended or their term of enlistment expired, these volunteers returned to their mountain homes with new ideas and broader views of their mission in life and they leavened the whole section. In 1865, the Methodist de- nomination, which had been at work in this locality for half a century, built a house for worship at Ladentown, and met with success. In 1869, Rev. E. Gay had his attention drawn to those living further north, and started Sunday schools at the Sandfield, on the old Haverstraw and Mon- roe Turnpike, in the school house and at the bark mill in the woods. At the latter place a log cabin was fitted up for services and Sunday school. Margaret E. Zimmerman of New York becoming interested in this mission proposed the erection of a church and with her aid the corner-stone of the present church edifice at St. John's was laid June 23d, 1880, by Rev. E. Gay, Jr. In the fall of that year the building was opened with appropriate services. By the kindness of Mrs. Zimmerman a day school is maintained and regular services are held in the church. A post-office was established at St. Johns in 1882. The Ladentown post-office was established on Dec. 15th, 1871, with Charles A. Hedges as postmaster. The office was soon discontinued.
404
MECHANICSVILLE OR VIOLA.
About the year 1824, Luke Osborn started a blacksmith shop, The- unis and Henry Crum opened a silver plating factory, Henry Shuart erected a wheelwright shop, and Cornelius and Matthew Demarest began a tannery, on the road leading from the present Forshay's Corners to New Hempstead, and on account of these industries, the wife of Dominie Demarest suggested Mechanicsville as the name of the hamlet. The place grew with such rapidity, that at the town meeting called in 1828, to select a name for the township, a plurality of those present decided on Mechanicstown.
In 1866, John H. Goetchius built and opened the store still managed by him. On April 3d, 1882, a post office was established at this hamlet, by the name of Viola, a name selected by J. H. Hopper, the relevancy of which, it is difficult to discover. John H. Goetchius was appointed post master.
FORSHAY'S, FORSHAY'S CORNERS-ACKERMAN'S OR CASSADY'S CORNERS.
In 1851, W. S. Forshay built a small shop for the manufacture of segars, about a mile north of Viola. The business proved profitable, and in 1860, more room having become necessary, the present factory was erected. The industry now employs twelve hands and turns out 600,000 segars annually.
Two and a half miles from Sufferns, on the road to Haverstraw, a road leaves the Haverstraw highway and runs east, through Viola and New Hempstead to New City. This was the military road of the Revo- lution. From the long residence of members of the Forshay family at this spot, the junction has taken its name. During the early days of the century, Joseph Conklin conducted a distillery here. A short distance east of the Haverstraw road, on this road to New City, stands a grist and cider mill, which was built about 1808 by a man named Pullish. In 1814, Theunis Cooper bought this structure and used it as a grist and saw mill. It is now conducted by Abbot Cooper.
A mile east of Viola is Cassady's Corners. I have used the name of Ackerman's Corners also, because at one time the place was so called from D. D. Ackerman, who lived at the junction; priority, however, undoubtedly entitles Cassidy to the name. At this place Archibald Cas- sady dwelt before the beginning of this century, and at his house town meetings were held for seven and twenty years.
405
SPRING VALLEY.
In the year 1842, a meeting of the farmers of this neighborhood took place, to petition the Erie Railroad Company for a railway station. In reply, the company assented to stop their freight trains, if the residents would build a house. A plot of ground was obtained, the necessary money and material subscribed, and under the superintendence of Samuel C. Springsteel and Jacob Straut, a platform, with a wooden building io by 12 feet upon it, was erected. Henry Iserman at once occupied the station house, and established in it the first store in the village, an act which, as he had not thought it necessary to obtain the consent of the builders, caused no little annoyance.
At the meeting to decide upon a name for the nascent village, Samuel Coe Springsteel suggested that of Spring Valley, and after some discussion that name was adopted. Previous to the adoption of this name, the rail- road people had called the place Pascack, while to another station, built a little further southeast, the name Laurel Hill was given; both of these names were eventually dropped.
Following Iserman, Jacob T. Eckerson opened a small store, and was succeeded by Isaac Conklin, who later built the brick store, now occupied by Smith & Burr. The Fairview House was begun in 1868 by Jacob A. Van Riper, and opened to the public in the following year. In 1884, Spring Valley contained 29 stores, 3 restaurants, 2 hotels, 2 livery stables, &c., and had a population of some 900 people. At the present time its inhabitants are discussing the advisability of becoming incorporated.
The post- office at Spring Valley was established June 5th, 1848, with Aaron Johnson as the first post-master. Previous to that year, Monsey had been the post-office village for that neighborhood, and Johnson the post-master at Monsey. He remained at the head of the Spring Valley office but eleven days, and was succeeded by Levi Carman, June 16th, 1848. In June, 1849, Richard W. Coe was appointed post-master, and held the office till December of that year, when he was succeeded by Gerritt DeBaun, who filled the position till 1851. At that time, Erastus Van Zandt became post-master till 1858; John A. Johnson, from March Ioth till October 2d, 1858; Andrew Smith, from October 2d, 1858 till 1869 ; Stephen H. Burr, till 1873, Egbert B. Johnson, from 1873 till 1879, Jacob E. Haring, from 1879 till 1882; Stephen H. Burr, in 1882, and John D. Blauvelt in August, 1885.
Columbian Fire Engine Company, No. I, was organized June 24th, 1861, with Andrew Smith, Foreman; John G. Cooper, Assistant Fore-
1 1
406
man. The company was named after Columbian Hook & Ladder Com- pany, No. 14, of New York City. The first machine was paid for by subscription.
MONSEY.
This hamlet is five miles east of Suffern, on the railway between that place and Sparkill. In 1840, Eleazar Lord, then President of the Erie Railroad, bought 812 acres of land at this place, upon which a station platform was built. Kakiat was cut upon this platform, as the name of the to-be village, but when the road began operations, the station, at the suggestion of Judge Sarven, was called Monsey, after an Indian chief by that name.
In a short time Angus McLaughlin built a twelve foot square shanty at this place, which he opened as a restaurant. The following year, 1843, Dr. Lord sold the property he had bought here to Aaron Johnson, who built and opened the first store in the village. The place has now six stores, two blacksmith shops, one carpenter shop, a lumber and coal yard, a steam feed mill, and a hotel.
The post-office was first established here February 13th, 1846, with Aaron Johnson first post-master. In June, 1848, as we have seen, it was moved to Spring Valley. On July 10th, 1848, the office was re-estab- lished at Monsey, with Aaron Johnson as post-master. In 1855, John H. Wigton was appointed to the office and held it till 1859, when he was suc- ceeded by Levi Sherwood, who remained in charge till 1862, when Samuel G. Ellsworth became post-master. On September 10th, 1885, Levi Sher- wood was again appointed.
Brewer Fire Engine Company, No. I, was organized April 22d, 1879, with H. E. Sherwood, Foreman, S. H. Secor, Assistant Foreman. The first apparatus was a Babcock Chemical Engine, which was retained till the present Hook and Ladder Truck was obtained. A fire bell was pre- sented to the firemen in 1885.
The Monsey Division of the Sons of Temperance was organized De- cember 27th, 1883, with the following officers: Levi Sherwood, W. P .; Mrs. M. Brady, W. A .; E. C. Brady, R. S .; D. B. Smith, A. R. S .; W. Van Houten, F. S. ; Rev. P. D. Day, Chaplain ; Edwin Dicks, Conductor ; Cassie Palmer, Assistant Conductor ; Julia Rhinesmith, I. S .; Edward Ketchum, O. S.
407
TALLMANS.
This place, three miles east of Suffern, takes its name from Tunis I. Tallman, who settled here in 1836, and opened a store and tavern. The first station was built in 1844 by Tallman, but was soon after abandoned. In 1856, Henry T. Tallman built a second station at Tallmans, which stood till 1868, when the present house was erected by the neighbors. The first store in the village, built in 1860 by H. T. Tallman, is now occu- pied by T. R. Montrose. The first blacksmith shop was started in 1860 by Henry Van Orden, and the first wheelwright shop was opened in 1867 by Stephen Van Orden. The village now contains a church, three stores, two grist mills and twenty houses.
The post-office was established here June Ist, 1860, with Henry T. Tallman first post-master. He retained the office till 1878, when Garret Wortendyke was appointed. Thomas R. Montrose became post-master in 1879.
At the opening of the New Jersey and New York Railroad in 1875, six stations were located in the town -- Spring Valley, Union, New Hemp- stead, Summit Park, Alexis, Pomona. Any one who is familiar with our County's history, will doubtless recognize the pertinence of these names at once. Only one station calls for notice-Pomona-where a post-office was established June 21st, 1876, with John Brockway as post-master. In 1880, Isaac L. Secor became post-master, and was followed, in 1883, by George E. Potts.
In the southeast corner of Ramapo township, a mile and a half south of Spring Valley, on the old post road, is the neighborhood known as Scotland, from the nationality of the first settlers. On Pascack Brook, south of Scotland, and on the stream, which runs parallel with and on the west side of the old road, many branches of industry were formerly con- ducted. On the latter brook there was a feed, a saw and a grist mill, and Carson & May's slitting mill. On the former, beside three saw and grist mills, George and Benjamin Hill had a foundry and machine shop.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.