USA > New York > Greene County > The "old times" corner : first series, 1929-1930 > Part 3
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"Still its growth was comparatively slow-but sure-until the dawn of the great Industrial Revolution. From 1775, when the population was 17,000, it had grown so rapidly that by 1801, its inhabitants numbered 53,000. Twenty years later Leeds had 83,000 citizens, and in 1861, the population had risen to 207,000. And now the estimated population totals 482,600.
"This growth of the city, of course, ran parallel with its increasing industrial development. The manufacture of clothing on a vast scale, the extension of iron and steel works, printing, engineering of all kinds, the manufacture of boots and shoes, chemicals, soap, furniture, proprietary medicines -- these are but a few, though the more important, of its manifold industries.
"Granted the first Charter of Incorporation in 1626 by Charles 1., in 1893 Leeds was raised to the dignity of a city, and four years later the Chief Magistrate was elevated to the status of Lord Mayor.
"This is a sketch, rough and ready but accurate, of the evolution of Leeds, Yorkshire. We should be happy to receive a message from you, on behalf of your Leeds, expressing goodwill to our citizens and giving a short account of your township's history.
"We are joined in the greetings we send you by the Lord Mayor of Leeds ( Mr. N. G. Morrison )."
(Signed ) Your sincerely, W. COWPER BARRONS, Editor. "Yorkshire Evening News."
Our Historian's Address [1710-1770] at the memorial marking of the grave of Lieut. Abraham Overbagh on Sunday afternoon is of such interest that we give her address in full.
Mrs. Vedder said: "We come here to-day to mark the grave of a soldier of the Revolution, a grandson of one of the pioneers of the beautiful Kykuit and Imboght districts which probably more than any other spot in Greene County suffered from fear of Indians and Tories during that long period of unrest, upheaval and conflict. The great waterway on the one side and the Esopus road running through it made easy access to its grassy plain of fertile farm land where here and there the pioneer had built his home and lived for years without fear of the Catskill or Esopus Indians who had never molested them.
"The Imboght was along the pathway of the foe and it would seem
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THE OVERBAGHS
to us to have taken greater courage to leave home and family to an un- certain fate to answer the call of one's country, than for any other conflict since that time. It also took courage to stay at home with the great responsibility it entailed of protecting the women and children from harm, the crops from destruction, and what was still worse, the danger of being carried captive to Canada which was a daily menace ..
"On an old map of 1770 fourteen houses are shown as being in this vicinity, four of which were those of the Overbaghs, and during the Revo- lution one at least was used as a refuge where the inhabitants went for greater safety when the Mohawks were abroad, or the Tory encouraged by some recent victory of the British army threw caution to the winds and boldly proclaimed their intentions of confiscating their neighbor's property. At such times cattle were driven to the woods, the women and children taken to the strongest house for safety while the old men and boys patrolled the roads and paths, watched the country from the Kykuit or lookout for signal fires, or smoke from burning settlements. When Vaughn came up the river there were many anxious hours and frequent trips to the hill above, for not only were their homes threatened but they feared for friends and relatives at Esopus, Wiltwyck, Katsbaan and other places in the path of the dreaded enemy. John Overbagh is said to have "heard the beating of drums at sunrise on the hostile ships at East Camp, and from the lookout saw the smoke rising from the burning house in Livingston Manor." Their Tory neighbors refused to sell them food and gave them much trouble, but this side of life during the Revolution is best passed lightly over. The descendants of these same Tories are to-day loyal citizens and if need arose would, and have, fought for this country.
"While we have come here to mark the grave of Abraham Overbagh, soldier of the American Revolution, yet it is fitting that we should give some thought to the pioneer who preceded him and paved the way for future development of the district. It was these pioneers and their wives who after all endured all things, for the poorest of us live a life of luxury compared to that of the real pioneer who had no thought of commercial gain, or ready money for landed estates, but came seeking a home for him- self and his children where they might enjoy liberty of thought and purpose. "The log cabin of the pioneer had no heat excepting that which came from the fireplace. Their sleeping rooms were not as comfortable as our garages, water must be brought from the spring winter and summer, light was that from a tallow candle which first had to be moulded by the "hus vrouw" or housewife, whose days of toil and anxiety far exceeded that of the men. No physician to call at a minute's notice, often a matter of days, if at all, no anesthetic to soothe the pain. Imagine if you can this one phase of pioneer life, you who call the family doctor for the slightest illness, the wife or mother watching beside the sick bed withont physician or nurse excepting perhaps some neighbor skilled in the use of simple remedies, unable to ease their suffering, a situation which wonkl unnerve the strongest of us and those contagions diseases which struck the com- munity from time to time, for which, there was no known effective remedy. often carrying off three and four children in one family during a week. Truly they must have been stont of heart and abounding in faith.
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OLD TIMES CORNER
"Johan or John Pieter Overbagh is said to have been a soldier in France, sent to Cologne and Holland by Queen Anne, and came to America in 1710, at which date his name appears in the list of Palatines at West Camp, a company worthy of the highest honor, not excepting the Pilgrim Fathers, former thriving burghers of the Rhine, an asset to the country. His wife was Maria ( Polly) Thonius who died in 1732.
"John Pieter's name also appears in the first list of pew owners,-No. 9, near the main entrance-in the Dutch church built in 1733 at Old Kats- kill. As the first service was held in February of that year he was not long a member. . for he died in 1734, but very likely attended services at West Camp and Katsbaan previous to this for the pioneer did not draw the line closely as to creeds when there was no church of his own partienlai faith at hand, nor did distance or bad roads hinder his attendance.
"He was one of three of that name ( which means "over the brook" ). who bought land in the second division of the Loveridge Patent in 1728. The estate of John Pieter consisted of "140 acres at the Kykuit." He lived but six years after the purchase and there is therefore little record of his life in this vicinity to be found. Nearly 200 years ago he built the first house of logs at the foot of this hill on the north as you enter the present road. The second house had a frame of heavy timber, and planks formed the walls which were plastered with thick elay and chopped straw. It was still standing when the third house was built in 1801 and which is the stone house you see to-day.
"Rev. George Michael Weiss was the first domine at Old Katskill and we assume the last rites for the dead were held on this very spot in Sep- tember of 1734. It was then a meadow which the hands of John Pieter had helped clear of forest trees, and in imagination we can see the mournful procession, the coffin upon a bier borne upon the shoulders of his neighbors. as was the custom of that day, his six children following with relatives in order of kinship, and neighbors from all parts of "Kocks-Hackie" and the Great Imboght District. Their clothing was homespun, their shoes made on the farm, their stockings made by patient fingers, here and there some cherished garment of rich material brought from the homeland, the knee breeches of the men, low shoes with silver buckles, wigs and three cornered hats would be a enrious sight to-day. They returned to the house in inverse order where tobacco, pipes, rum and olecokes were furnished in abundauce. Here they lingered to talk in hushed tones of the virtues of the dead, the probable disposal of his property, or of the crops lately gathered into their barns or exchanged the news of the day, mounting their horses or disposing themselves in ox carts as the sun warned them, unless they hastened, of a dark and lonely drive through the forest.
"At this late day the life of lohn Pieter Overbagh can only be judged by the lives of his descendants. The farm was divided between his two sons and they and their descendants are recorded in history as possess- ing the virtues of "prudence, moderation and contentment." patriots. always ready to serve their church or country. The service of his grandson has been given and Manhattan Chapter. Daughters of the American Revolution are honoring him to-day by a marker that shall perpetuate his memory for years to come.
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DRUMMOND FALLS
'We are proud of their deeds of valor, Of their service to church and state,
Proud when we see their names enrolled
With the names of the good and great; But prouder still of their daily lives,
Simple, steadfast, grand, Swerving not from the path of right,
Faithful to God's command.'" *__ V. May 23, 1930.
* Verses by Carrie Chase Nesmith.
Drummond Falls. [1718-1796] Hidden from the eye of man as he passes along the highway south of Palenville, near the Ulster county line a little stream, Black Creek it is called, slips silently over low rock terraces and disappears under a farm bridge, without a hint of future greatness which is just around the corner, where one can look down into a deep glen half circled with steep ledges, moss covered and irregular, over which the water spreads its dainty skirts. now turned to filmy whiteness as it falls into two black pools, separated by a gravelly bank which rises half the height between them.
Trees, shrubs and wild flowers grow as nature intended around and below, shutting in this fascinating spot with no attempt on the part of man to improve on nature. The little stream comes from the mountain side below Pine Orchard and gives unceasingly of its waters, more or less as prospered by the rains of heaven, but never failing in the years that have passed to send down a white veil of beauty over at least one side of the precipice.
Looking down, one cannot doubt the nightly visitation of fairies dancing in the moonlight on the little beach, or that the spirit of the Indian, who is said to have made year after year the long journey from central New York, that he might sit for a day in meditation at the foot of one of the oldest trees, comes back in Indian Summer time although no hmman eye sees him. His last earthly farewell to the spot in the flesh was made possible by a young Indian of his tribe, who supported his feeble frame that he might once more look upon the scene of his youth before going to the "Happy Hunting Ground."
The Old Grist Mill.
This stream in the far off past before the Revolution and for many years after, gave a part of its waters to a mill race which ran the grist mill of Hezekiah Wynkoop, famons as the place where Jacob Schermerhorn carried his grist from Round Top to be ground, and returning next day found his home in ruins and the charred bodies of his wife's parents, but no trace of wife or children. After a long search he found his family at Timmerman's some distance away, she having hid in the corn field when she saw the Indians coming. His young brother, Frederick Schermerhorn, was carried captive to Canada.
The mill was always supposed to have been on the Kaaterskill, but that stream runs just below the spot where the old mill Vet stands and
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OLD TIMES CORNER
it was the little Black Creek which furnished the power for grinding the grain of the Wynkoops and their neighbors for miles around. Traces of the old mill race can still be plainly seen. The old mill stones now rest on the lawn of the present owner. Charles T. Gwynne, executive vice-presi- dent of the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York.
The ruins of the stone honse of the Wynkoops is not far away, and still shows that it was a large house of the Dutch pattern of that day, with its kitchen and place for slaves, the larger part occupied by the fam- ily. Below and fronting the house once ran the highway, now a farm road and the Kaaterskill beyond. The frame work of the first barn is still intact, with renewed roof and sidfng. The present house is divided against itself, half being in Greene County, and half in Ulster County. Few land owners can sit on their doorstep and be in two counties at the same time.
The Old Map.
The Patent of "Kiskatominashe" included 2370 acres and a map of 1796 shows 1666 34 acres as subdivided between Hezekiah. Tobias, and Peter Wynkoop, Christian and Johannes Myer. The grant was confirmed by Governor Hunter June 11, 1719. to Henry Beekman and Gilbert Livings- ton, the first patent to Beekman being 370 acres granted in 1718. It lay in the southern part of the town of Catskill and adjoined the C'atskill Patent.
On the map of 1796 the Christian Myer house is shown as on the road south from Britt's or Story's Corners, and back of it a burial place. This is now the home of an artist. A short distance farther on is that of Tobias Wynkoop recently sold by Mrs. Mary E. Hummel to Emerson Hull of Yonkers. Between these two houses and along the highway is an old stone which has Albany on one side and Ulster on the other, signify- ing that it was the boundary line between these two counties before Greene County was formed. These stone houses are also known as Abeel and Saile houses. Along the Kaaterskill nearly opposite the Christian Myer house is a small lot of two acres, designated as "Scap-an-es" or perhaps "aw-es."
There seem to have been two saw mills and falls on the Kaaterskill in this patent. How or when the Wynkoop Falls came to be known as Drummond Falls has not yet been determined. The house which belonged to the Drummonds is shown on the map of 1796 as near these falls, but on the Ulster County side of the line, and this map also shows that the Drummonds laids claim to a large piece of the Wynkoop Patent which included these falls.
This part of the town of Catskill has been neglected by local histo- rians, very likely for the reason that it borders on Uister County, and much of desired information would have to be sought in Kingston. Mrs. Thomas F. Rae of New Canaan, Conn., is interested in any information old residents might be able to give, and also where the Drummond family is buried. It is known that some are buried in the cemetery [above mien- tioned] south of Britt's Corners, but it was found impossible early in the season by members of the Historical Society to get a list of burials there because of deep grass, shrubs, and berry bushes. This will be attempted later .-- V. Sept. 25, 19.30.
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BOND OF ABRAHAM PERSEN
Some Old Documents [1762]
found in the papers of the late William H. Van Orden reveal some hitherto unknown matters of legal importance. It is evident from them that a ques- tion arose in 1762 as to the line between Lots 4 and 5 of the Loveridge Patent, belonging respectively to William Van Orden and Abraham Persen, that each of these gave to the other a bond of 800 Pounds to abide by the decision of arbitrators, and that the commissioners chosen to settle the dispute were Robert Livingston, Jr., Harmanus Wendell, and John R. Bleecker. The award of the judges will be printed next week; by courtesy of Mrs. Van Orden we give this time the contents of a letter accompanying the award, and the
Bond of Abraham Persen
(Minuted on outside: "Ab Persons Bond")
Know all men by these presents that I Abraham Persen of the Grote In- bought in the County of Albany yeomen am held and Firmly Bound unto Will:m Van Orden of the place and County Af:d Yeomen in the sum of Eight Hundred pounds of good and Lawfull money of the Colony of New- york to be paid to the said Will:m Van Orden or his Certain AAttorney his Exc:ts adm.rs or assigns to which payment well and truly to be made and Done I bind myself my heirs Exc.rs and Adin.rs firmly by these presents Sealed with my Seal Dated this sixth Day of March in the second year of the Reign of our sovereign lord George the Third of Great Brittain France and Ireland King Defander of the faith and so forth one thousand seven hundred and sixty-two
The Condition of this Obligation is such that if the above Bounden Abraham Persen his heirs Exc.rs and Adm.rs for his and their Parts and Behalf Shall and Do in all things well and truely stand to obey abide observe per- form fulfil and keep the award order Arbitrement Judgement final End and Determination of Robert Livingston Junr. Lord of the Manor of Livingston Harmanus Wendell of the City of Albany Merchant and John R. Bleecher [sic] of the said City Merchant or any two of them Arbitrators Indifferent- ly Chosen Elected and Named (as well on the part and Behalf of the above Named Abraham Persen as on the part and Behalf of the above Named Will:m Van Orden to arbitrate Award order Judge and Determine of for upon and Concerning all and all Manner of action and actions Cause and Causes of actions Law suits Differences. Disputes Ejeetments Quarrels Controversions Traspasses and Damages Concerning Certain boundaries of two Lotts of Land No: four and No: five Lying in the County af.d on the west side of Hudsons River att a place Called Grote Inbought and within the Limits and Boundaries of a Pattent formerly Granted to William Loveridge so always as the said award arbitrement order Deter- mination final End and Judgement of the said Arbitrators or of any two of them for or upon the premisses be made and Given up in Writeing In- dented under their hands and seals Ready to be Delivered to the said parties in Difference on or Before the first Day of April now next Ensuing the Date
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OLD TIMES CORNER
hereof then this obligation to be void and of none Effect or Else to stand and Remain in full force and Virtue.
(Signed ) Abram Persn (Seal)
Signed sealed and Delivered in the presence off
(Signed ) Dirck Jansen
(Signed) Elias Hasbrouck -C. Aug. 14, 1930.
The Award of the Arbitrators
fixes with precision the boundary line between Lots 4 and 5, owned by Van Orden and Persen respectively. This document of 1742 has never been made of record, it would appear. It is the property of the Van Orden family and now in possession of Dr. C. S. Van Orden, who owns the farmi. On the line as thus awarded was laid out Van Orden's Lane, running west- ward from Van Orden's Point (Green Point) to the Saugerties road at the "red schoolhouse." past the old house of Abraham Persen. The exact wording of this award follows:
"To all people to whom this present writing of award Indented shall Come Robert Livingston Jun:r Esq.r Lord of the Manor Livingston Harmanus Wendell of the City of Albany Merch't and John R. Bleecher of the said City Merchant Arbitrators Indifferently Chosen Elected and named by and Between William Van Orden of the Grote Inbought in the County of Al- bany Yeomen and Abraham Persen of the same place and County Yeomen . to Arbitrate award order Judge and Determine all and all manner of actions Cause and Causes of actions Lawsuits Differences Disputes Ejectments Quarrels Controversions Traspasses and Damages Concerning Certain Boun- daries of the Lotts of Land No four and N:o five Lying in the County Af.d on the west side of Hudsons River att a place Called Grote Inbought within the Limits and Boundaries of a Pattent Granted to William Love- ridge att any time before our said Election had made moved Brought Com- menced sned Prosecuted Done Suffered Committed or Depending by or Between the said parties as by their several Mutual Bonds or Writeings Obligatory of the said Parties with Conditions Therein Bearing Date the sixth Day of March 1762 Relation being thereto had may more fully and at Large appear not know ye that we the said Arbitrators in pursuance of our said Election and the power given us thereby for Ending of all the matters to us therein submitted and for the future peace and Quiet of the said parties Concerning the Premisses do Arbitrate award order Judge and Determine thereup as followeth. first we Arbitrate award order Judge and Determine that the Devision Line Between the said Lotts Nio four and N:o five shall from henceforth and for Ever hereafter be and Remain in Manner following that is to say A Line shall be Drawn from the Extreme part of green point att high waters mark on the south end of said green point on a north sixty Degrees East Course Three Chains and from the End of the said three Chains A Line Shall be Runn North fifty five Degrees west from the River Back to a Creek Called Katers Kill and the Land to the North of said Last mentioned Line shall be and appertain to the said Lott Nto four and the Land on the south side of said Line shall be and apper- tain to the said Lott Nio five and Lastly we do arbitrate award order Judge and Determine that the said parties or their Respective Exc.rs or Adm.rs shall Each of them pay the one full and Just half of all Charges
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THE AWARD OF THE ARBITRATORS
Incured on this Dispute until this day In Wittness whereof we the said Arbitrators have to these our present Indentures of award Interchangeably set our hands and seals this Eleventh Day of March in the second year of his Majesties Reign one thousand seven hundred and sixty two
(Signed ) Harmanis Wendell (Seal) Jn:o R: Bleecker (Seal)
Signed Sealed and Delivered
in the presence off
Rob. Livingston Jun (Seal)
[Robert Livingston having set his signature in the space intended for the witnesses, these signed a new statement written vertically into the broad left margin, thus: ]
Signed sealed and Delivered
In the presence off us
Dirck Jansen
Petrus Wynkoop Jun"
The handwriting of the last (Wynkoop) is that of the award and of the bond of Abraham Persen, but not that of the accompanying letter. Nor does the handwriting of the letter agree with any of the signatures, though the grand flourish on the initial of Gentlemen is like the flourish on the first initial in John R. Bleecker's signature to this letter-lacking on his signature to the award. The nearest hand is that of Elias Hasbrouck, and it is possible that he penned the letter .-- (. Sept. 1, 19.30.
With the Award was the following letter, which refers to the place on the Kaaters Kill formerly crossed by a covered bridge on the way to High Falls, where, in the Indian language, the "water all goes in a hole."
Gentlemen
In the Dispute Between yon, Concerning the Devision Line of the Lotts No. four and five was the only thing that was Left to our Judge- ment as may appear by your Respective Bonds. Nevertheless we think it Incumbent on us to give you our opinion about the place on Caters Kill called Quatawighnack as it appeared by the natural marks and appearances to us when we were upon the premisses, which place we take to be the hole on the East Side of Said Creek near where Spans Fench [Spaan's fence?] now Stands and not the Little hole where MeDowals Line Brought us to the Said Creek; this we Inform son of Gentlemen to prevent as much as in us Lays further Disputes that may arize about the Same. Manor Livingston the Eleventh of March 1762
To Mess. William Van orden . and Abraham persen
(Signed ) Rob:t Livingston Jun Harmanis Wendell Jno. R: Bleecker
-- C. Aug. 11, 1930.
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OLD TIMES CORNER
Why "Indenture" ? [1767]
The answer is given by an old deed of 1767 found among the papers of the late William H. Van Orden and now in possession of his brother, Dr. Chauncey S. Van Orden of the Emboght. The top of this large single sheet (larger than a page of this newspaper) is cut in a wavy line-with indentations, so to speak. Someone else received a perfect duplicate of this deed, whose indentations will fit exactly into those of this one. Hence "indenture."
F
Since this document has been recorded at Albany, we do not print all the tiresome "metes and bounds," but only such portions as may have interest for our general readers.
A Deed of Temperance.
This Indenture made this twenty fourth Day of Jully in the year of our Lord one thousand seven Hundred Sixty Seven Between Temperance Van Orden of the Great Imboght in the County of Albany and Province of New York Widow of William Van Orden late of the same Place Weaver Deceased of the one Part, and Egenadeus Van Orden of the same place of the other Part
Whereas William Loveridge of perth Amboy in the Province of New Jersey Deceased Father of the said Temperance Van Orden Stood possessed in his Life Time of a Certain Tract or Parcel of Land in Fce Simple, Situate lying and being on the West Side of Hudson's River or the North River in the County of Albany and Province of New York Stretching from the Mouth of Catskill or the Kill where the said William Loveredge's House and Barn stands Southward along Hudson's River or the North River till over the half of the Great [blank space] or Bay where the Trees are marked WL. and runs up from the Said River Westward to a Falls of Water called the Katers Kill, the Fall of water being called by the Indians Quatawichnaach and so along the last [? east] Side of Katers Kill or Creek till where the said Creek runs into the Creek Called Kats Kill and so along Kats Kill till a Man comes to the House and Barn of William Loveredge aforesaid and from thence to the Great River And Whereas the Said William Loveredge did by his Will & Testament in Writing bearing Date the 18.th Day of February anno Domine 1702 Give Devise and Be- queath unto his Wife Margaret Loveredge all his real Estate to be Sold by her or otherwise Dispose of as she shon'd think fit. and further that the Lands remaining unsold or undisposed of after the Decease of his said Wife Margaret shon'd be equally divided amongst his surviving Children, And Whereas the said surviving Children who were five in Number, Will- iam Loveredge, Waldran Loveredge. Margaret the wife of Alexander M:cDowall, Temperance the wife of William Van Orden & Hannah Love- redge (which sd Win & Waldron Loveredge having first conveyed their right or Share to Michiel Van Veghten & Jannetje his Wife. - . .. after Derease of their said Mother Margaret, mutually agreed to divide the above said Tract or Parcel of Land, into five Equal Lots. . .. made and executed 14.th Day of April anno Domine 1719 Together with Maps returned by their Surveyor . ... and by Division Lot N.o Four fell unto the said Temperance Van Orden the Wife of William Van Orden.
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