USA > New York > Ulster County > The history of Ulster County, New York > Part 32
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The following is a sample of pioneer life in Shandaken. Old Peter Crispell, came to the town as a pioneer settler from Marbletown before 1800. He settled at Shandaken Center, as the village of Shandaken was formerly called, on the property now owned by Bernard Garrety, where he built a stone house, which is still standing. The country was then a wilderness, and he depended on Marbletown for his supply of pro- visions. A horse owned by him, named "Figure" and a boy living in the family, made frequent visits to Marbletown and brought back such sup- plies as were most needed. On one occasion, in the spring of the year, after they had planted potatoes, they found that their stock of provisions was nearly exhausted. The boy was placed on Figure's back and started for Marbletown, which he reached in safety, but before he was ready to return, a heavy fall of rain so flooded the streams that they could not be forded, hence the boy and Figure were detained in Marbletown until it was considered safe for them to return. In the meantime, the Crispell family were compelled to dig up the potatoes they had planted and use them for food. This was in the "good old times," but, really, were there ever any "good old times?" We think not. "Good old times" may do for sentiment, but has no foundation in fact.
Modern Shandaken, according to the census taken in 1905, has a popu- lation of 3,045, of which 2,988 are citizens and 57 aliens. It has a voting population of 925, and is divided into three election districts. Its town meetings for the election of town officers are held biennially in connection with the general elections. That portion of the town which has been brought under cultivation is mostly a long, winding, narrow valley, extending from the town of Olive to the Delaware County line on the top of Pine Hill, a distance of nineteen miles, with here and there a smaller valley branching from the main valley, studded on either side by grand and lofty mountains. The soil, especially in the valleys, is mostly a sandy loam, which, if well fertilized, brings a quick and generous crop. Both soil and climate are well adapted to fruit. All kinds do well, except peaches and grapes, al- though fine peaches have been grown. Apples do well.
The Esopus is the largest stream of water. It rises on the western slope of Slide Mountain, flows down Big Indian Valley, is joined by Birch Creek, near the village of Big Indian, and from thence moves down
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Shandaken valley to the town of Olive. It is subject to great rise and fall, sometimes swelling to the dimensions of a flood, carrying away bridges and doing material damage. In times of extreme drouth it recedes to the proportions of a modest brook.
Its next tributary, after leaving Big Indian, is the Bushnellville Creek, which meets it at Shandaken, three miles further down the stream. This creek takes its rise in a genuine canyon called Deep Notch, about two miles from West Kill, Greene County. Traveling about one mile farther down the Esopus we come to the Peck Bushkill, which empties into the Esopus from the north, and the Fox Hollow stream, which reaches it from the south.
Its next tributary, called the Bradstreet Hollow stream, meets the Esopus from the north near Elm Shade two miles below Shandaken. About two miles further down the Woodland valley stream empties into the Esopus from the southwest. One mile below at Phoenicia the Barber Bushkili mingles its waters with the Esopus. The next and last tribu- tary is the Little Shandaken Creek, which flows down the valley from West Woodstock, better known as Little Shandaken. All these streams are subject to sudden rise and fall. Melting snows and prolonged rains swell them far beyond their normal size, and protracted drouths reduce them to mere brooks; they are all well stocked with Brook, California and German Brown Trout.
There is a legend connected with Big Indian which is well worth relating. Tradition has it that in the time of the Revolution, there lived in Big Indian valley an Indian of enormous stature and strength who was an implacable enemy of the whites. He would suddenly emerge from his retreat and, after depredations, as suddenly retreat to his hiding place. The whites resolved that he must die, and when he was discovered prowling about near where Birch Creek empties into the Esopus, he was killed. They held him up against the body of a large pine tree, and, in a rude way, cut his profile upon it, which lasted until the tree was cut down, long after the Revolution, and worked up into shingles by a local Meth- odist preacher. Ever since, the valley has been called Big Indian. The railroad station and village post-office bear the same name. The Ulster and Delaware Railroad traverses the whole length of the town.
Before the woodman's axe began its destructive work there were thou- sands of acres of bark-lands in Shandaken, which attracted the attention
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of men who wished to embark in the tanning business. Large tracts of hemlock forest were bought up and tanneries were built. The first tan- nery built in the town was erected on Birch Creek, at Pine Hill, in 1831, by Augustus A. Guigou, a Frenchman, who came to this country in 1827, from Marseilles, France. He served nine years as a private and officer in the army of the first Napoleon, and had been a tanner and manufacturer of paper in his native country. He was succeeded in business by his son, the late Theodore Guigou, in 1846, and died about the year 1851. His was the Empire tannery, which was destroyed by fire in 1858, and never rebuilt.
Following Birch Creek two miles from Pine Hill, we come to Smith- ville. Here Smith and Ferman built a tannery in 1844.
Passing down Birch Creek, about half a mile further, we come to the Esopus. Here, not far from the junction of the two streams, Robert Humphrey built a tannery in 1835, which he operated till about 1845, when it passed to George W. Tuttle, and afterward to S. R. and T. C. Wey, who operated it till the supply of bark gave out.
The next tannery, down the Esopus, was built at Shandaken by Bushnell and Dewey, and was one of the first to be erected. They were succeeded by Isham & Co., who afterward took in Eliakim Sherrill as a partner. Sherrill came to the tannery from Greene County, where he had failed in business as a tanner and hired out as a teamster. He was a man of great shrewdness and perseverance, and after awhile Isham & Co. took him as a partner and finally sold out to him and Simeon Gallop; later on he bought out Gallop and became the sole owner. In 1856 he sold to Hiram Whitney and moved to Geneva, N. Y. When the Civil War broke out he raised a regiment, which he commanded, and was killed in the battle of Gettysburg. The next tannery, down the Esopus, was built near Phoen- icia, six miles below Shandaken, by Moore and Ellis about 1836, and was known as the Phoenix tannery. Other parties afterward operated it. The late James A. Simpson operated it for forty years and was the last proprietor. Simpson was a man of much originality. The late Col. H. D. H. Snyder built a tannery in Woodland valley, two miles from Phoenicia, in 1851, and operated it till the bark was exhausted. The next was at The Corner, owned and operated for many years by the late H. A. Ladew. A tannery was built at Bushnellville at an early period by Capt. Aaron Bushnell, and conducted by him for many years. Not one of these old tanneries is now standing. They were for many years the scene of
James lo Cornish
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much life and activity, but belong to the past. Their very existence is fast fading from memory. To keep these tanneries going, took a vast quantity of bark. No use was made of the trees after the bark was stripped, except. to a limited extent. Millions of these choice trees were left to rot on the ground where they fell, or to be consumed by forest fires.
Slide Mountain, so called on account of a landslide which carried away a portion of it on the south side many years ago, is within the town. and is the highest peak of the Catskills. It affords a view from its summit that must be seen to be appreciated. Its altitude is 4,220 feet, and it is: reached by way of Big Indian valley. The Wittenburgh comes next, and is one of the grandest mountains of the Catskill range; it is reached by way of Woodland valley. Other mountains are Mt. Sheridan, Balsam Mountain, and Mt. Garfield. Monka Hill, modest and unassuming, is worthy of mention on its own merits. It is easy of ascent and is reached by a path leading from the Grand Hotel to its summit. The view is far- reaching and magnificent. There is a stretch of shelving rocks on the west, standing upon which one looks down hundreds of feet into the valley below upon the tops of giant trees that add sublimity to the view.
There are fifteen neat and substantial church edifices in the town, of which the Methodist Episcopal denomination has five. The Roman Cath- olics have three, one at Phoenicia, one at Elm Shade, and another at Pine Hill. The Episcopalians have three; the Dutch Reformed have one at The Corner, built in 1836, which gives it rank as the oldest church in the town. The Wesleyan Methodists have one at Chichester. The Baptists have one at Phoenicia, and the Free Methodists have one at Elm Shade.
The industries of the town are farming, lumbering, quarrying blue- stone for flagging and building purposes, and entertaining city people through the summer, if that can be called an industry. There is one chair factory in the town, located at Shandaken. At Chichester, two miles from Phoenicia, there is a furniture manufactory, owned and operated by Wm. O. Schwarzwalder. Both of these factories are large. The Ulster and Delaware Bluestone Co., incorporated in 1894, is located at Allaben and has branch mills at West Hurley. This company deals in all kinds of bluestone and is under the management of Edmund Riseley. The Pine Hill Crystal Spring Water Company, incorporated in 1901, is located at Pine Hill, employs about twenty hands, and ships to New York from six to nine carloads of this water per week. E. C. Clifford is the general
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manager. Besides there are excelsior and heading mills in the town which do considerable business.
The residence of the late Davis Winne, is located along the State road about six miles below Phoenicia. Here it was that a fort was erected in May, 1779, by order of Governor George Clinton, as a protection against the incursion of the Tories and Indians. It was built of logs, and Major Adrian Wynkoop had charge of its construction. It was large enough for two hundred troops and stood a short distance beyond the barn of Mr. Winne towards the residence of H. B. Hudler. John Winne, grandfather of Davis Winne, came from Holland, and lived in the old fort while he was building his house.
There is an incident bearing upon this old fort which I will relate. Old Peter Crispell, to whom reference has been made, has a brother Abram who was a sergeant in the War of the Revolution, and stationed at the Shandaken fort. On an occasion before the close of the war Sergeant Crispell, with a party of men, started from the fort on an expedition to hunt Indians. They went westward as far as the Cockburn place near Margaretville, when they fell in with a party of Tories and Indians led by one Shaver. Each party supposing the other to be the stronger, fell back. But Crispell and Shaver knew each other, and both at the same time sprang behind trees to cover themselves. There they stood for some time, neither being willing to retreat or expose himself lest the other might get a shot at him. After waiting awhile, Shaver saw a small portion of Crispell's body exposed from behind the tree and fired at it and ran. Crispell was not hit and, springing from behind the tree that had covered him, fired at Shaver as he ran. The ball took effect and Shaver fell severely wounded, and was taken prisoner by the Crispell party. It being near night they took him to the house of one Van Wagenor on the Dimmick place at Arkville. He was placed on some deer skins for a bed, and the next day they carried him a prisoner to the fort in Shandaken. The wound was probed, the ball extracted, and Shaver recovered. Cris- pell kept Shaver's gun and gave it to Benjamin Crispell, and it remained in the Crispell family for many years. After the war Crispell and Shaver became good friends.
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CHAPTER XXXI. TOWN OF SHAWANGUNK.
By CHARLES E. FOOTE.
T HE town of Shawangunk, as well as the mountains and creek bear- ing that name, were so called from the Indian appellation of the country lying between the Shawangunk Kill and mountains. It lies along the southern borders of the county and is bounded on the north by Gardiner and Plattekill, on the east by Plattekill and Orange County, on the south and southwest by Orange and Sullivan Counties, and on the northwest by the town of Wawarsing. It is a broken and hilly upland, with the high ridge of the Shawangunk mountains along the northwest border, and has an area of 33,851 acres.
The Wallkill crosses the eastern portion of the town from south to north, and has Dwaar's Kill as a tributary from the southwest. Sha- wangunk Creek or Kill, rising in Sullivan County, flows northeasterly along an irregular boundary of the town, crosses the town at its narrowest point, about midway between its eastern and western boundaries, and empties into the Wallkill in the town of Gardiner, some miles northeast. It is fed by Verkeerder Kill, Platte Kill, and Dwaar's Kill, all from the northwest; this Dwaar's Kill not being the same stream as that which empties into the Wallkill a few miles east.
The date of the earliest settlement has been lost in obscurity, but it must have been between 1670 and 1680. Jacob Bruyn and his wife, Ger- truyd, were among the earliest settlers, and there is a record of the bap- tism of a son, Jan, in the Kingston church records of October 6, 1678. As they were not known to have lived in Kingston, it may be inferred that they had settled in Shawangunk. On March 2, 1682, Jacob Bruyn and Michael Modt petitioned the Court at Kingston for permission to pur- chase a tract of land "behind the Paltz," from the Indians. Whether this is the same tract afterward secured by his widow, for herself and children, and afterward known as the "Gertruyd Bruyn patent," cannot now be stated with certainty, though it seems the most probable deduction. The
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son Jan does not appear further in the records. There were two other children, Jacobus and Esther. Gertruyd Bruyn, after the death of her husband, Jacob, married Severyn Tenhout in 1694. He was a baker who formerly lived at Kingston, and had acquired the Lloyd tract. They had no children, and at his death Tenhout left his property to his wife's children. The Lloyd farm, left by Tenhout, was settled on by Jacobus Bruyn, who married Katrina Schoonmaker, and raised a large family of children, said to be fifteen in number.
Esther married Zachariah Hoffman, October 19, 1707, and lived on the east side of Shawangunk Kill. They had five children.
Among the earliest settlers, besides Jacob Bruyn (oldest documents spell it Bruin), were Cornelius Schoonmaker, Abraham Schutt, Zacharias Hoffman, Benjamin Smedes, Jacob Decker, John Terwilliger, Johannes C. Decker, Robert Kain, Robert Graham, David Davis, Daniel Winfield, Hendrick VanWegen, and James Pennock. On November 14, 1709, Jacob Bruyn and Benjamin Smedes jointly petitioned for and presented a survey of a tract of 400 acres in Shawangunk, "near a small hill." On the 28th of the same month Zacharias Hoffman presented a description of 330 acres of land laid out for him on the east side of the Shawangunk River, and on the same date John McClean did the same regarding a tract of 300 acres on the northwest side of the Paltz Kill, in Shawangunk; and Matthias Mott presented a petition that Sovereign Tenhout be compelled to divide up some of "the good land upon the said (Shawangunk) river," which he had previously secured. The records do not show that the desired relief was given.
One of the first stone houses in the town was erected by Cornelius Schoonmaker. The Bevier family settled first at "Muddy Kill." George Graham, a north-of-Ireland native, settled on land located near what is now Shawangunk village, and the family has since been prominent in the affairs of the county.
Thomas and Johannes Jansen were among the early settlers, and erected stone houses about two miles apart, in the northwestern portion of the town.
In 1728, the following persons comprised the list of Freeholders of Shawangunk, according to the list as returned July 7 of that year, by Sheriff VanDyke to the Court at Kingston :
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Capt. Jacobus Bruyn,
Capt. Zacharias Hoffman,
Benjamin Smedes,
Abraham Schutt,
Jacob Decker,
Evert ter Willige,
Josua Smedes,
Cornelius Schoonmaker,
Evert ter Willige,
Hendrick Decker,
Mattys Slimmer,
Hendrick Newkirk,
Hendrick Kraus, Gallatian,
Edward Gatehouse,
Johannes Decker,
Jerommus Weller, John Howard,
James Spennick,
Cornelius Cool,
Henry Wileman, (attorney)
John North,
George Andrew,
John Macknell,
Jerommus Minigus,
Thomas Mackolm,
Christophel Moul, John Williams, Caleb Knap, Jr.,
Samuel Neely,
Caleb Knap, Sr.,
Coll Cortland,
Alaxander Neely.
There seems something about this list which needs an explanation which cannot be made after the lapse of years. From a comparison of records there seems to be omissions of importance. The Hardenbergh patent, issued in 1719, called for land on Verkeerder Kill, and another tract four miles from Shawangunk Kill; the Peter Barberie patent is dated March 24, 1709; the John Rutzen patent, June 16, 1712. Beside these were patents given in 1709 to Beckman, Van Dam, Phillipse, Deyo, Ver- noye, Teunis Jacobsen Clearwater, Jacob Clearwater, and a number of others; the Stephen DuBois patent on Verkeeder's Kill was dated 1722, and the Sacket and Hazard patents in 1727. These names and others appear constantly in the records of that period, and it is apparent that many of them resided in the town with their families at the time the list was made.
The civic organization of Shawangunk was established in 1709. The boundaries, as stated in the Court order creating the precinct, read: "On the west by the foot of the Shawangunk mountains; on the south and west by the precinct of Wallkill; on the east by the line or bounds of three thousand five hundred acres, granted to Rip Van Dam and others, by the east bounds or line of two thousand acres of land granted to Bar- berie, and by the east bounds or line of two thousand acres granted to Huddleston; and on the north by the north bounds or line of the said two thousand acres granted to Huddleston, by the north bounds of the two thousand acres granted to Peter Mathews and others; on the south by a line crossing the said Wallkill river to the mouth of the Shawangunk ; and running thence south westerly all along the northwest side of Shaw-
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angunk river to the southwest corner of the land granted to Col. Jacob Rutzen, and on the west by the westerly bounds or line of said land granted to Rutzen to a salt pond called "the Great Salt Pond," and from thence upon a west line to the foot of Shawangunk mountains aforesaid."
The first meeting for the election of a Supervisor and other local officials was held at the house of Benjamin Smedes, Jr. At the beginning the precinct was attached to New Paltz for administrative purposes. It was given an independent jurisdiction in December 27, 1743. Some changes were made in the boundaries in 1846, 1848 and 1853. At the latter change, a part of Gardiner was taken off. The other changes gave some land to Plattekill, and restored it to Shawangunk two years later.
The first record of a town meeting in the town for public purposes, is that following :
"Att an Election held for Chusing of Officers for the Precinct of Shawangunk, on the first Tuesday in April, Anno Domini 1746, at the house of Abraham Ter- willeger, at Shawangunk, The following Persons were Chosen, Viz: Jacobus Bruyn, Supervisor and Clerk; Thomas Jansen, Isaac Hasbrouck, Assessors; Hendrick Van Wegen, Constable and Collector; William Deder, Overseer of the Shawangunk Road; George Graham, Overseer of the Wallkill Road; Benjamin Smedes, David Davis, Overseers of the Poor."
"Agreed that the Election for the Ensuing year be held at the house of Robert Kerr, at the Wallkill."
"J. BRUYN, Clerk."
The people of Shawangunk were well represented in the War of the Revolution. Johannes Jansen was Lieutenant Colonel of the Fourth, (Hardenbergh's) regiment of Militia. Among the line officers of the same regiment, were Captain Isaac Davis, Matthew Jansen, Cornelius and Matthew Masten, David Ostrander, Peter Roosa, Lieutenants Jaco- bus S. Bruyn, Peter Decker, William Ostrander and various others. The lists of privates in that regiment seems to embrace the names of nearly every family in the town, though there are some who belonged to other organizations.
The roads of the town were given much attention at a very early day. They were made and kept in repair by an assessment of as many days' work as the property of each freeholder or male inhabitant over twenty- one years of age should justify. In 1817 there were three divisions of road, one "West of the Kills," in which there were twenty-four road districts; "between the Kills," with fourteen districts, and "the New Hurley road," with twelve districts.
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TOWN OF SHAWANGUNK.
There is an entry in the old records which must appeal strongly to the modern politician, as an illustration of how "things in politics" were done "in the good old days" when every one, as seen through the reversed telescope of history, was supposed to have been sober, industrious, re- ligious, and personally and politically pure ; when votes were "counted as cast," etc. The extract is as follows :
"April, 1773." "A motion then being made by several persons to Remove the place of election for the Chusing of officers for this precinct for the Ensuing Year to the house of Henry Goetschius, The Clerk began to take the votes, and after he had Entered Down Nineteen Votes for Removing the place of Election and two votes against it, a great Disturbance and Confusion Arising, The Tables was taken away from the Clerk, and Night Comeng on, and Many of the people being Intoxi- cated with Liquor, they were not able to proceed any farther."
"Entered from the proceedings of the Election p. me.
"J. BRUYN, Clerk."
The town of Shawangunk is rich in the records of men who have attained special distinction. Several members of the Bruyn family have been in the legislature. Johannes Bruyn was a member of the Assembly in 1781, 1782, 1783, 1796-97, and in 1800. Severyn T. Bruyn occupied the office in 1789-90, 1792-93, and 1795, and Charles Bruyn in 1826.
Another family of special prominence was the Grahams. Dr. John G. Graham was a member of the Assembly in 1791, and of the State Senate from this district for the four year terms beginning in 1798, and in 1806. His son, George G. Graham, was a member of the Assembly in 1841, and a member of the Constitutional Convention in 1846. His son, James G. Graham, was member of Assembly from Ulster County in 1849 and in 1866, and he moved to Orange County later, which he represented in the same body in 1877 and 1878.
The Schoonmaker family has left its impress upon the historical affairs in Shawangunk as well as other sections of the county. Cornelius C. Schoonmaker was a member of the first Assembly, in 1777, and held that office throughout the Revolutionary War and until 1790, when he was elected a member of the House of Representatives of the Second Congress of the United States. He was again member of the State Assembly in 1795. He was born in Shawangunk, married Sarah Hoff- man, and left a considerable family.
The old Indian fort, which was destroyed by Captain Kreiger and his men, while pursuing the Indians for the recapture of the prisoners taken at the Esopus and Hurley massacres in 1663, is supposed to have been on
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the Shawangunk Kill, on the property now owned by Mrs. Laura Varick, of Poughkeepsie.
The firm of James B. Crowell & Son was established by the senior member of the firm in 1872, and began the manufacture of hand sleighs, ox bows and baker peels, to which later they added brick moulds and bearers, and they now make nearly all kinds of brickmakers' supplies. The firm first started in an old saw mill, which was converted to their needs, which, with various additions that had been made, was destroyed by fire in 1896. A new plant was erected, and again burned in 1899. It was at once rebuilt, on a larger scale than before, and is doing a pros- perous business. The plant includes the large shop, a saw mill, store houses, and lumber sheds, and employs some twenty-five men throughout the year. It is located about two miles west of the village of Wallkill.
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