History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 149

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904. 4n
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 1438

USA > Pennsylvania > Monroe County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 149
USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 149
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania > Part 149

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).

1 See Chapter VII. of General History.

2 See Penn. Archives, vol. viii. pp. 202 and 386. See also chapter on Revolutionary Period.

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near by. The instrument was signed in the presence of Daniel Dimmick and Samuel An- derson. One of the corners of the plot is the State road, which once passed below the site of the Reformed Church. When the State with- drew its aid from academics this property was turned over to the school directors, and is now used for public school purposes.

The Dutch Reformed Church was organized in four places in the Minisink as early as 1737. Although the first churches were on the Jersey side of the river, the congregation was drawn from both Pennsylvania and New Jer- sey. We find the name of Andries Dingen- man as a member of the consistory in 1748, in the following action :

" October 22, 1748 .- We, the undersigned, lawfully and ecclesiastically assembled, have resolved to sell the present residence of the Dominie, with its appur- tenances, to the Dominie, provided we can agree with the Elders and Deacons, who are now absent, at the approaching meeting in November next.

" To establish the above, we sign our names,-

" CORNELIS VAN AKEN,

" WILLIAM ENNIS, 1748. " LAMBART BRINCK.

" ANDRIES DINGENMAN.

"JAN VAN ETTEN.

" BENJAMIN DEPUY.

" DIRCK VAN VLIET."

" November 5, 1748 .- In an ecclesiastical and law- ful assembly the following resolution was passed :

" That Dominie Fryenmoet shall keep the deed of his house and lot, and shall lend it to nobody, nor let any one read it or hear it read, except to some church officer, at his own discretion.

" For the establishment of the above we append our signatures,-

" J. C. FRYENMOET, President. " LAMBART BRYNCK. " ANDRIES DINGENMAN. " CORNELIS WESTBROEK. "JA. SWARTWOUDT."

Rev. George Wilhelmus Mancius, pastor of the Reformed Dutch Church of Kingston, first preached the gospel here and organized churches both along the Neversink and Delaware. There were four churches organized, probably about the same time, viz .: Machackemech (now the Reformed Church at Port Jervis) ; Menissinck, at Montague, N. J .; Walpack, with which Dingman and Bushkill were connected ; and

Smithfield, in Monroe County. The consistory minutes of these churches commence August 23, 1737. Mancius came regularly twice a year, in May and November. June 1, 1841, at the age of twenty, Rev. Johannes Casparus Fryenmoet was chosen as the first regular pas- tor of these four churches. He was found among the people here, a lad of but sixteen, of much promise, a native of Switzerland, who had received a partial education for the minis- try before coming to this country. In the scarcity of ministers they desired him to become their spiritual teacher, though only a boy and his education imperfect, while the regulations of the churches are very strict in requiring an educated ministry. As there were no schools of theology in this country, the churches raised money sufficient and sent young Fryenmoet to Holland to complete his studies and receive or- dination from the Classis of Amsterdamn, upon which the Reformed Churches in this country were then all dependent. Four years later he returned and began his work among them. He labored for fifteen years in the churches, during which time a large number were added to their membership. He received seventy pounds in equal proportion from these four churches and one hundred schepels of oats for his horse (a schepel is three pecks). They all paid in New York money, except the Smithfield Church, which tendered him "Proclamation Money." The next year two of the churches agreed to pay forty pounds if he married and thirty-five pounds if he continued unmarried. He was married to Lena Van Etten, by Justice Abram Van Campen, July 23, 1742. Rev. Thomas Romeyn was their next pastor, from 1760 till 1772. After this they were for thirteen years without a pastor. Rev. Elias Van Benschoten, or Van Bunschooten, as he usually wrote it, had charge from May 11, 1785, till about 1800. He preached in Dutch and English. Mr. Van Benschoten's labors were greatly blessed. He was a man of some eccentricities, many excel- lencies and was held in high esteem. He was remarkable for his frugality and strict honesty.

He gave seventeen thousand dollars, which has since increased to twenty thousand dollars, to Rutgers College, and over one hundred and

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twenty-five Dutch Reformed ministers have been educated by this fund. It should have been mentioned that in 1753 Smithfield Church withdrew and Mr. Van Benschoten was the last minister who supplied the pulpit of the three remaining churches.

Rev. James G. Force, who came in 1808, was the fourth minister at Walpack and vi- cinity. In 1827 a division arose and the Lower Church of Walpack, as a result, was organized. Rev. Isaac S. Demund was the fifth pastor of these churches, in 1827, the only church being at Flatbrookville. The other places of worship were school-houses at Peters' Valley, Pleasant Valley, the academy at Dingman's Ferry, Hornbeck's barn near his tavern, at Mr. Schoonover's house at Bushkill and at Peters' Tavern. Rev. David Cushing, the next minis- ter, was settled in 1831. During his brief stay a deep religious interest manifested itself in the congregation and one hundred and four were added to the church. Prominent among those engaged in the good work were John Nyce, Esq., Jacob Westbrook and Daniel Schoonover. They were greatly assisted by the faithful and devoted Rev. C. C. Elting, of Port Jervis, who spent days and weeks laboring among them. One man eighty years of age and one tavern- keeper were converted. Rev. Garret C. Schenck succeeded Mr. Cushing, a devoted young man, who left in 1835. Immediately after the rela- tions of the church were changed from the Classis of New Brunswick to the Classis of Orange. Rev. James B. Hyndshaw was in- stalled pastor January 17, 1836. In 1841 Rev. Robert Pitts became stated supply and remained as such until 1860. October 17, 1855, Upper and Lower Walpack were divided. Upper Walpack has the two congregations at Dingman's Ferry and Peters' Valley respec- tively, and Lower Walpack has the two congre- gations at Bushkill and Walpack. Rev. Alex- ander McWilliam was the first minister of Lower Walpack, in 1861. In 1870 he was succeeded by Rev. John F. Shaw, and Rev. Henry Rex is the present pastor. Rev. Nathan W. Jones was the first minister of Upper Wal- pack under the new arrangement in 1861. He was succeeded by Rev. Gilbert S. Garretson.

CHURCH FARM .- On May 24, 1752, James Alexander, by direction of the Council of Pro- prietors of the. Eastern Division of New Jer- sey, conveyed to Abraham Van Campen and Garret Brink, for the use of the Reformed Church of Walpack and Pahaquarry, professing the doctrines of Calvin, two hundred and ten acres in Sandyston, the consideration being " six pence and a pint of spring water yearly " from the large spring on the premises, " if de- manded." The income from this farm was to be devoted to the support of the preaching of the Gospel in the church. The farm has been sold for twelve thousand five hundred and six dollars and the proceeds invested for the benefit of the church. The first movement towards erecting a church edifice at Dingman's Ferry which we find on record was on May 1, 1837, but this project seems to have slept for over twelve years, when it was revived, and Rev. R. Pitts and John I. Westbrook were appointed to raise money for this purpose. The effort was successful, and the church was erected in 1850, at a cost of one thousand three hundred dollars. The building committee consisted of John I. Westbrook, Albert S. Stoll and John Van Gor- den, W. F. Brodhead being contractor.

THE METHODIST CHURCH AT DINGMAN'S FERRY .- Rev. Jolin Retallick, a Methodist local preacher, aged eighty-four, says, when he first came, in 1830, Rev. Bromwell Andrews and another man preached in Sandyston, N. J., Milford and Dingman's Ferry. The first Methodists at Dingman's were Andrew Adams, who lived on the place that Solomon Dingman now owns, and his wife and two daughters. His- house was a home for preachers. The strongest class was at Milford. Benjamin Drake, John Drake, William Watson, Judge John Brink, Jonathan Doolittle and wife and Mrs. Suter were prominent. About 1830 John Westbrook and wife joined the Dingman class. Daniel Buckley and wife, William Hooker and George Reese have been prominent members since. Joseph Buckley is now superintendent of the Sunday-school.

There are seventy members, and the Sunday- school numbers about forty attendants. The church edifice was erected in 1870. Rev. John

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WAYNE, PIKE AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA.

Retallick came to Dingman's Ferry from Eng- land in 1830, and has preached for fifty years, during which time he has performed the marriage office for fifty couples and attended one hundred and eighty or more funerals. Mr. Retallick, who lives with his son John, on the homestead farm, in summer, and with his son- in-law, S. L. Sarles, at Dingman's Ferry, in winter, is an intelligent, well-preserved old gentleman. Thomas and John Gustin were among the old residents at Dingman's. Joseplı Brooks, an Englishman, bought three hundred and twenty-seven acres of land of the Gustins, on the Dingman Creek, in 1820, and built a woolen factory of stone in 1822. It is forty by sixty- five feet, and three and one-half stories high. He employed a number of hands and operated the factory until he died, in 1835. The children being young, the works were closed. Bettie Brooks, his widow, who is still living, aged ninety-eight, retains her faculties to a remarka- ble degree. She says her father, whose name was Holding, helped pnt up the first machinery for manufacturing purposes in Yorkshire and Lancashire, England. She could ride the swiftest horse when a girl, and received many compliments for her graceful appearance on horseback.

There is a water-fall at the factory called the Factory Falls. The Brooks, or Fulmer Falls are near by and the Deer Leap Falls are just below, so-called from the fact that a deer leaped from the rocks above the falls when pursued by a hound and broke his neck. The next falls below are the Dingman, or High Falls. These falls were very beautiful when the writer saw them, in winter, covered with a white robe of snow and ice, while the rocks were lined with a frosty incrustation and the trees and bushes were drooping with frost-petals, hanging pend- ant from every branch and glowing resplendent in the morning sun. Just below the Dingman Falls a little stream flows over the gorge be- tween perpendicular rocks about six or eight feet apart, in a series of cascades and rapids, a distance of about one hundred and fifty feet, and enters the Dingman Creek. It rolls and tumbles between these rocks in such a manner as to gain the name of the " Soap Trough," but

since summer visitors have visited the spot it has been called the "Silver Thread." It is a very unique and beautiful fall. John Fulmer built a sole-leather tannery on Dingman Creek in 1851, and operated it till 1866, when it was sold to William Bell, who soon closed the busi- ness. They tanned abont twenty thousand sides per year while in operation. The Fulmerville post-office was established in 1853. John Ful- mer is still living, aged ninety-five. Dr. Philip F. Fulmer, his son, graduated from the Univer- sity of Pennsylvania in 1852. He was super- intendent of the schools of Pike County from 1852 to 1863, and is the first resident physician at Dingman's Ferry. He also purchased the old Dingman Hotel and enlarged it until it has a capacity for two hundred guests. Randall Van Gordon has the Delaware Honse, and a Frenchman has the Bellevue. These hotels al- together will accommodate one hundred and fifty guests. The natural beauty of some parts of Pike County is making it a favorite water- ing-place. The Hornbeck Creek has a dozen falls in succession, which, like steps, have led to their being termed the "Indian Ladder." There are also beautiful falls on the Adams' Creek, but they are dangerous to visit. In fact, every stream that rises in the highlands of Pike County has a fall of about two hundred feet before it reaches the level of the Delaware ; con- sequently there are falls on all the streams that enter the Delaware. Cornelius McCarty built the honse and store now owned by Judge Ev- art Hornbeck, in 1849. Thomas Courtright, who was postmaster for many years at Ding- man's Ferry, is descended from an old New Jersey family. Dr. Fulmer has the post-office now, and William Brooks, son of Joseph Brooks, is his deputy.

According to Dingman's papers, John Rosen- crance, of New Jersey, had a stone fort just below the ferry. This property was subsequently owned by. Solomon Westbrook, grandson of Antony Westbrook and son of Jacob Westbrook. Moses V. C. Shoemaker lives on the property now, and recently tore down the old stone house.

COLONEL JOHN WESTBROOK, as he was gen- erally addressed was born in Sussex County, N. J., January 9, 1789, and departed this life

PIKE COUNTY.

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October 8, 1852, in the sixty-third year of his age, near Dingman's Ferry, having removed to Pike County, Penna., with his father when three years of age, where he resided until his death.

When nineteen years of age, February 14, 1808, he married Sarah, daughter of Judge Richard Brodhead, and sister of United States

nah, widow of William T. Wilson, being in her seventy-eighth year; Jacob B., died in 1852 of pneumonia in the thirty-sixth year of his age ; Richard B., resides in Philadelphia, and Jane B., wife of Dr. Vincent Emerson, resides in Milford.

The business of Colonel Westbrook was farm- ing though at times he engaged in mercantile pur-

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Senator, Richard Brodhead, all of Pike County, she then being sixteen years of age, having been born February 12, 1792. She survived her husband twenty-seven years, departing Jan- uary 21, 1879, aged eighty-seven years, having been the wife of Rev. John Lee, of Newark, N. J., for a few years, whom she also survived. Four of Colonel Westbrook's descendants reached adult age, and three still survive ; Han-

suits and in lumbering. In his twenty-sixth year (1817), he was elected sheriff of his county. Before he reached twenty-one, he held office in the State militia which at that time was in a flourishing condition, inspired by the war of 1812. At one time he was Colonel of the regiment, in which his brother Jacob was major, and his brother Solomon a captain. The annual " General Training-day," and the occa-

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sional parades and drills are well remembered by many still living. In these "Field-days," he was always a conspicuous figure, and was distinguished for his commanding manners, his perfect knowledge of military tactics, and his dashing horsemanship-the latter being an ac- complishment for which many members of the family have been noted for several generations.

In 1833 he was a member of the Pennsylva- nia Legislature, and while at Harrisburg made the acquaintance of James Buchanan and other men who have become noted in history. Thad- deus Stevens was a member of Assembly at the same time. It was then that the great " Anti- Masonic " controversy took place which was followed by the well remembered " Buck-shot War," at Harrisburg. Colonel Westbrook was a mason of " high-degree," and a Jeffersonian Democrat all liis life. He was proud of his personal acquaintance with Major-General Andrew Jackson, and often made eloquent speeches at the "Jackson Feasts," that were held January 8th, in memory of the battle of New Orleans. He was accustomed to tell amusing stories of his conversations with Pres- ident Martin Van Buren, in Low-Dutch, to the great discomfiture of surrounding politicians.

In 1840 he was elected to Congress, where lie served with faithfulness and acceptance. While in Congress his health broke down, and though he lived for ten years afterward, he was never quite himself again. He was the first per- son ever elected to Congress from Pike County, and declined a second term because of failing health. James Buchanan was United States Senator when Colonel Westbrook was a mem- ber of the twenty-seventh Congress, and a strong political friendship grew up between them, to which Mr. Buchanan referred when Presi- dent of the United States in a letter to a mem- ber of the family, carefully preserved as a relic. Two incidents only connected with Colonel Westbrook's Congressional career can here be noticed.

dent Tyler, to secure on his own personal rec- ommendation the appointment to the vacant office of the widow of the deceased postmaster, whose daughters continued the management of the office under their mother as they had done under their father. The disappointed politi- cians grumbled, but the people were pleased and were as well served as before. It is very common now to appoint women postmistresses, but forty years ago, it required some courage and political independence to favor such an appointment in a place like Easton. The writer to whom this case was related by Presi- dent Tyler himself, is not informed how many, if any, women were appointed to post-offices, before the widow Horn of Easton, Penna.

The Morse telegraph was publicly inaugu- rated while Colonel Westbrook was in Con- gress, and the first appropriation to further this enterprise, was advocated by him, though a plain farmer from Pike County, while Cave Johnson, a learned lawyer and judge from Tennesee, and afterward a member of President Polk's Cabinet, ridiculed the telegraph by mov- ing an amendment that one-half of the pro- posed appropriation should be given to a show- man, then giving experiments in Mesmerism at Washington. General Samuel Houston, after- wards United States Senator, proposed from his seat in Congress, that a portion of the ap- propriation should be given to the Millerites, who at that time (1843) were predicting the near end of the world. Twenty-two members voted for the amendment ! The Pike county farmer was not one of them.

What would the congressional sceptics of 1843, now say of the triumph of telegraphy ?

Colonel Westbrook had very small oppor- tunities for school learning, yet he kept fully up with the progress of his times. He never saw a grammar until his children carried one home from school, and yet he had a wonderful knowledge of the English language, though his vernacular was Holland Dutch. This was the language used in common in his father's family. An oration delivered by him July 4, 1816, when in his twenty-seventh year, is now before the writer. It is truly an able production,

Northampton County was then in the same district with Pike. The postmaster of Easton died. While the politicians were getting their petitions ready to fill the vacancy, Colonel Westbrook had influence enough with Presi- I full of historic illustrations, and philosophical re-

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flections, with frequent bursts of true patriotism and impassioned eloquence. There is not a single grammatical error in the composition. It shows a wonderful command of language. Even the punctuation is strictly accurate, and all quotations are marked as such, and there is not an i without its dot, nor a t without its cross. It is a MS., of which his children are proud. His perceptions were quick and clear, his judgment excellent, and his intuition truly remarkable. He was a natural lawyer, though never engaged in litigation. He probably wrote more legal documents than the average lawyer in the county. People came from many miles and even from New Jersey to have him write their wills, deeds, etc., and county justices of the peace, wrestling with legal questions, were accustomed to consult him instead of the regular lawyers. For these services he made no charge. He was not a money maker nor a money hoarder. Benevolence was his distin- guishing characteristic, next to his uncom- promising honesty. No man ever suspected, much less charged him with a dishonest act. He often gave and loaned money which he could ill spare. His disposition to oblige was exces- sive. It was hard for him to say no. He con- fided in everybody, endorsed the paper of too many of his friends, and was cheated and deceived by men from whom better things might have been expected. He died a poor man, but left his children a rich legacy, in his high sense of honor and undoubted integrity. He was baptized by the celebrated Dominic Van Benschoten, of the Reformed Dutch Church, but he joined the Methodists, while a member of the Legislature in 1833, of which church he was a member until the close of life.

THE WESTBROOK GENEALOGY.

The subject of the above sketch was the second son of Solomon Westbrook, who was born October 6, 17.62, and died March 30, 1824. He married Margaret De Witt, Septem- ber 24, 1782. They had five children ; Jacob, John, Solomon, Margaret and Sofferine. The family residence, a large stone house, was loca- ted on the stage road two miles below Ding- man's Ferrry, Delaware township, Pike coun-

ty, Penna. He located there in 1792 upon a tract of land, of about seven hundred acres situate upon the western bank of the Delaware River.

The father of Solomon Westbrook was Ja- cob Westbrook. He occupied a large tract of land on the eastern bank of the Delaware, about eight miles below Port Jervis, in what is now Montague township, N. J. His substantial stone house was often used as a fort, in troub- lous times as was the stone house of his son, Johannes, which was located three miles further down the Delaware River. Jacob Westbrook married Lydia Westfall, March 24, 1746, and they had six children, named Blandina, Johan- nes, Sofferine, Solomon, Maria and Jane. It seems strange that so beautiful a name as Blan- dina has not been perpetuated in the family, and also the names Magdalena and Helletie, found in early Westbrook records.

The father of Jacob, was Anthony West- brook. He resided in Minisink, and seems to have been a leading man in this pioneer settle- ment on the Delaware. In 1737, he was a justice of the peace, and an elder in the Re- formed Dutch Church. The maiden name of his wife was Antie Van Etten. Nothing is known of their children, except Jacob and Johannes above mentioned. Anthony Westbrook came from Guilford, Ulster county, N. Y., and settled in Minisink, and became a large land owner. He was preceded by his brother Johannes who became an infin- ential man in the settlement. Here we lose the line of direct descent, but there is abundant evidence that the Westbrook family on both sides of the Delaware were descendants of the family of the same name in Ulster county, New York. Several members of that family early joined the train of emigration through the Mamakating valley, to the rich flat lands of the Minisink region. Some of them served with distinction in the Indian wars and in that of the Revolution.

The name Westbrook has long been recog- nized as one of the representative pioncer names of this country. It is of pure Anglo- Saxon origin, and the representatives of the family though early associated with the

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WAYNE, PIKE AND MONROE COUNTIES, PENNSYLVANIA.

Dutch, have continued to manifest the Saxon characteristics. As early as 1630 those bearing the name were at Albany, having come over with the Dutch from Holland where they had flcd for the sake of religious freedom, to scttle on the manor-lands of the patroon Van Rensselaer. John Westbrook was at Ports- mouth, N. H., October 9, 1665, and Job and Jolin were there in 1689-90. In 1721 Colonel Thomas Westbrook said to have come from Stroudwater, Gloucestershire, England, was a large land owner and ship builder in the State of Maine, and the town of Westbrook in that State, is named after him. In that year he com- manded the expedition against Norridgewock, which broke up the settlement of the famous Jesuit priest, Father Ralle, and captured his papers. In 1723 he was appointed by Gov- ernor Dunmore chief in command of the east- ern frontier.

Many existing records show that the distin- guishing characteristic of the Westbrook family lias ever been love of liberty and resistance to tyranny.

Brodhead Westbrook, as he was always called in youth, is a son of the Hon. John Westbrook, whose biography, with a genealogi- cal sketch of the family, may be found in this volume. He was born February 8, 1820, near Dingman's Ferry, in Pike county, where he lived with his parents until his twentieth year. His early educational advantages were limited to the common district schools and the old Delaware Academy. He became practically familiar with farming and horsemanship in liis boyhood, and cannot remember the time when he was not expected to make himself useful about the wood-pile, the barn and the farm. He taught a common district school and " boarded around " before he was seventeen, and soon after taught in the Delaware and Milford Academies. About this time he commenced the study of theology under the preceptorship of the Rev. Alexander Gilmore. He received license to preach on September 6, 1839, and was admitted on trial as an itinerant preacher in the New Jersey Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, at Burlington, N. J., April 18, 1840. He was appointed by the Confer-

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History of Wayne, Pike, and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Part 149

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904. 4n Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co. Number of Pages: 1438

Author: Mathews, Alfred, 1852-1904. 4n
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 1438