Newburgh has been remarkably free from crime, which is in part due to

the character of its citizens and in part to its uniformly excellent

police force, which now consists of one marshal, two sergeants, two

roundsmen and fifteen patrolmen.

The Volunteer Fire Department of Newburgh is one of the oldest in the

State, and also one of the most efficient. Therefore there have been

few very damaging fires, and the insurance rates are low. From its

organization, over a hundred years ago, until now, it has had on its

records of membership some of the leading business and professional

men in the community, and they have promptly responded to the call

for service when their service was required.

The department was started, by authority of an act of Legislature, in

the spring of 1797. This was three years before the village was

incorporated, and the five trustees which the act required to be

elected annually for controlling managers were the first form of

government in the village. Their power was transferred to the village

trustees by the incorporating act. There were at first a suction

engine and a bucket brigade to keep it supplied with water. In 1805

a company of "bagmen" was formed, whose duty it was to take charge of

goods. The first engine house was erected about the same time, and a

record of the two engine companies of 1806 furnishes the following

names:

No. 1--William I. Smith, Enoch E. Tilton, Walter Burling, Henry

Tudor, Ward M. Gazlay, Gilbert N. Clement, Minard Harris, John

Carskaden, Caleb Sutton, George E. Hulse, John Coleman, John

Hoagland, William Adee, Andrew Preston, Nicholas Wright, John

Forsyth, Walter Case.

No. 2--John Harris, Jonathan Fisk, John Anderson, Jr., Leonard

Carpenter, Selah Reeve, James Hamilton, Samuel I. Gregory, William

Gardiner, Nathaniel Burling, Solomon Sleight, Jonathan Carter, Hiram

Weller, Samuel Wright, Hugh Spier, Thomas Powell, Cornelius De Witt,

Joseph Hoffman. Cadwallader Roe, Daniel Niven, Jr., Benoni H. Howell,

Sylvanus Jessup, Joseph Reeve, John Richardson.

[Illustration: John Dales.]

The interesting history of the department from its interesting

beginnings cannot be followed here. Coming down to the present time

its heads consist of a chief engineer and two assistant engineers,

the foreman and assistant foreman of the various companies, and the

trustees of the Fire Department fund. The names of the companies are:

Highland Steamer Co. No. 3, Washington Steamer Co. No. 4, Brewster

Hook and Ladder Co. No. 1, Ringgold Hose Co. No. 1, Columbian Hose

Co. No. 2, C. M. Leonard Steamer Co. No. 2, Chapman Steamer Co. No.

1, Lawson Hose Co. No. 5, Washington Heights Chemical Engine Co. No.

3.

The city is divided into five fire districts, and thirty-two alarm

boxes connect with the engine houses.

Newburgh is essentially progressive and modern in its educational

system, now made free, from the primary to the end of the academic

course. Its Board of Education consists of nine members. It has seven

public school buildings and one public library building. Other

officers besides the board, are its president, vice-president, clerk,

who is also superintendent, librarian, counsel and attendance

officer. There are also three Glebe trustees and three Glebe

auditors. The courses of study are similar to those in other city

schools, and the graduate from the Free Academy may be prepared to

enter one of the leading colleges, while the Manual Training School

is a physical safeguard as well as a means for harmonious muscular

development. For reading helps apart from text-books the good library

of nearly 35,000 volumes is an opening into general literature.

The reason for the Glebe trustees and auditors referred to dates back

to ancient conditions which have been mentioned. The act to amend the

charter of the Glebe passed by the Legislature in 1803, directed that

$200 should be paid annually to the trustees of the academy, and that

the remainder of the money from the Glebe income should be paid to

the other schools on the Glebe lands, as the inhabitants should

direct. It was applied to the juvenile school which was established

in the old Lutheran church in 1803, the last teacher of which was

John L. Lyon, who taught from 1843 to 1845, when the school was

removed to the academy. In 1849, after the Clinton street school

building was erected and became officially known as the Glebe school,

it received the revenues of the Glebe above the sum required by law

to be paid to the academy. The High school was incorporated in 1829,

and opened the next year. The number of pupils registered in this

1851-1852 was 348, and the number in the Glebe school about 120.

During the first year of the new order of things, provided for in the

act of 1852, the number of pupils was doubled.

Besides the present public schools there are several parish and

private schools, the former being under the care of the Roman

Catholic Church. Of these St. Mary's Academy, founded in 1883, has

become very prominent and useful.

The library, with its 35,000 volumes, is free to the people of

Newburgh, and the building includes a teachers' reading room supplied

with books adapted to the professional needs of the teachers, and may

also be used by citizens and strangers for study and literary work.

The library was started in 1852, and is among the oldest of the free

circulating libraries. Previous to 1850 there were but four in the

State, ten in the New England States, six besides these in the

United States, and none in Great Britain, and but one of the

libraries then organized has as many books or as large a circulation

as the Newburgh library. In September, 1852, the Board of Education

resolved that all the school libraries in the village should be

consolidated and placed together in the academy room, then ready to

receive them, and William N. Reid, first principal of the academy

under the new system, was appointed librarian. There were 924 volumes

from the high school, 737 from the Glebe and 418 from the academy. In

1862 the books of the Mechanics' Library Association were transferred

to the Board of Education, which added 2,801 volumes to the library.

Other donations and the purchases have brought the library to its

present valuable condition in the number and quality of its books.

The fine building which now contains them was completed in 1877.

CHURCHES.

Of Newburgh's churches the oldest is the _First Presbyterian,_ whose

legal existence began a few months after the close of the

Revolutionary War, although its informal existence had started a

score of years before, and been kept up in an irregular and feeble

way. The formal organization as a Presbyterian society under the laws

of the Slate took place July 12, 1884, with these trustees: Adolph

Degrove, Daniel Hudson, Thomas Palmer, Joseph Coleman, Isaac Belknap.

The first stated supply was Rev. John Close, who served from 1785 to

1796. His successor was Rev. Isaac Lewis, who continued until 1800

and was followed by Rev. John Freeman, and Mr. Freeman by Rev.

Eleazer Burnet. Then came the long and very successful pastorate of

Rev. John Johnston, which lasted from July 5, 1807, until his death,

August 23, 1855. Nearly a thousand members were added to the church

roll during his ministry.

[Illustration: Thomas Coldwell.]

The congregation of the _First Associate Reformed Church_ was formed

in 1798, and the society was legally incorporated February 7, 1803.

The first pastor, Rev. Robert Kerr, was installed April 6, 1799. The

first trustees were: Derick Amerman, Hugh Walsh, Daniel Niven, Robert

Gourley, Robert Boyd, John Brown, Isaac Belknap, Jr., John Coulter

and Robert W. Jones. The ruling elders were John Currie, Samuel

Belknap, Hugh Speir and John Shaw.

_The First Reformed Presbyterian Church_ was planted in Newburgh

by several families of the Covenanter faith in 1793, who held

services in their homes on Sundays, and, with others, organized a

Covenanter society in 1802. This became a branch of the Coldenham

congregation, and the connection was continued until 1824, when it

separated, and James Clark, Samuel Wright and John Lawson were

chosen elders and John Crawford, deacon.

_Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church_ was organized in 1808, when Rev.

Samuel Fowler became the first pastor.

_St. George's Episcopal Church_ has been elsewhere referred to in the

early history of Newburgh. The parish was reincorporated, after a

long period of adversity, in 1805, and the minister who more than any

one else built it up afterward in the early years of the nineteenth

century was Rev. John Brown. He became its regular rector in the fall

of 1815.

_The African M. E. Church_ was organized in 1827, by Rev. George

Matthews.

A Baptist Church was organized in 1821, and after a feeble existence,

ending in dissolution in 1828, was formally reorganized in December,

1834.

Of the later churches the organizations were as follows:

_American Reformed Church,_ September 24, 1835; _St. Patrick's Roman

Catholic Church,_ 1838; _Union Church,_ July 13, 1837; _Shiloh

Baptist Church,_ 1848; _St. John's M. E. Church,_ May 23, 1852;

_Westminstcr Reformed Presbyterian Church,_ November 12, 1854;

_Calvary Presbyterian Church,_ September 1, 1856; _First United

Presbyterian Church,_ December 6, 1859; _Congregation Beth Jacob,_

about 1860; _St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal Church,_ May, 1860;

_Grace M. E. Church,_ April 25, 1868; _Church of our Father_

(Unitarian), 1855; _St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church,_ May 19, 1875;

_Church of the Corner Stone_ (Reformed Episcopal), December 2, 1873;

_German Evangelical Lutheran Church,_ spring of 1876; _Church of the

Good Shepard_ (Episcopal), June, 1871; _First Congregational Church,_

January 3, 1889.

OTHER HELPFUL ORGANIZATIONS.

A Young Men's Christian Association of Newburgh was organized

September 17, 1858, and the next week officers were elected. The time

of organization was less than six years after the Y. M. C. A.

movement started. The association dissolved about 1861, and after the

lapse of seven years the present association was organized. It did

not have a vigorous existence for several years, and was reorganized

in January, 1879. A few months later General Secretary J. T. Browne

came to Newburgh and put new life into it, and it has been prosperous

and progressive since. Its president, E. S. Tanner, was largely

instrumental in raising the money for the new building, first

occupied in 1883, and costing $17,000.

At a public meeting held April 24, 1888, after an address by the

national secretary, Miss Nettie Dunn, Newburgh's Young Women's

Christian Association was organized, and 105 members enrolled. The

elected officers were: President, Mrs. Susan McMasters;

vice-presidents, Mrs. Isaac Garrison, Miss Mary E. Gouldy and Mrs.

Charles S. Jenkins; recording secretary, Miss Augusta Lester;

treasurer, Mrs. M. C. Belknap. The association has been prosperous

and useful.

St. Luke's Home and Hospital was incorporated in 1876. Its object is

to provide for the care and medical treatment of the sick and

disabled, and also a home for aged women. It has a training school

for nurses, established in 1893, and a medical board of nearly a

score of physicians and specialists.

[Illustration: Valentine Kohl.]

There are two institutions under the care of Alms House

Commissioners--the City and Town Home and Children's Home. The

former is on a farm in the southwestern corner of the city, and the

latter is a building in High Street. These are city benefactions,

well managed and helpful to the aged and orphaned.

An office and employment bureau was organized in 1875, and

reorganized in 1886. It is primarily an organization to help the poor

to help themselves. Members pay $5 annually and agree to abstain from

indiscriminate alms giving. The society is otherwise supported by

voluntary contributions.

The Woman's Christian Temperance Union and Young Women's Christian

Temperance Union labor to teach the boys and younger men the

principles of temperance and morality, and have restrained and

reformed many of them.

There are two military companies in Newburgh--the Fifth Separate and

Tenth Separate Companies, originating in the Seventeenth Battalion,

which was organized in 1878. Lieutenant Colonel E. D. Hayt,

commanding. January 11, 1882, Companies B, C and D were mustered out

and Company A, Captain James T. Chase, continued as Fifth Separate

Company, and Company E, Captain James M. Dickey, continued as Tenth

Separate Company.

The Lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows are Acme No. 469;

Bismarck No. 420; Highland No. 65 and Mount Olive Encampment No. 65.

The Elks have Lodge No. 247, B. P. O. E.

The Grand Army of the Republic is represented in Newburgh by Ellis

Post No. 52. and Fullerton Post No. 589. The Sons of Veterans have

A. S. Cassedy Post No. 18.

The Knights of Pythias have Storm King Lodge No. 11, Olive Branch

Lodge No. 133, Endowment Rank Section No. 206 and Charles T. Goodrich

Division No. 25, Uniform Rank.

The Knights of Honor have Hudson River Lodge No. 1218.

The Ancient Order of Foresters has Court Newburgh No. 7256 and Court

Pride of the Hudson No. 7718.

The Improved Order of Red Men has Muchattoes Tribe No. 54, and Orange

Council No. 50, Degree of Pocahontas.

Of temperance societies there are Orange Council No. 186, Royal

Templars of Temperance, Prohibition Alliance; Junior Prohibition

Club, St. George's Company No. 62, Knights of Temperance, St. Paul's

Company No. 62. Mission Lodge No. 639 I. O. of G. T., Newburgh Lodge

No. 282 I. O. of G. T., and Victory Lodge I. O. of G. T.

Among the many other societies are United Friends, Sons of St.

George, Ancient Order of Hibernians, Royal Arcanum, Order of United

American Mechanics, Sexennial League, Knights and Ladies of the

Golden Star, Knights of Honor, Orange Men, several Catholic

societies, labor and trade unions, Newburgh Bible Society,

Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands, Society for the

Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Society for Instruction in First

Aid to the Injured, and Horse Thief Detecting Society.

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.

Newburgh has solid financial institutions. Highland Bank was

chartered April 26, 1834, with a capital of $200,000. In January,

1865, the capital was increased to $350,000, and the following April

was reorganized as a National Bank with a capital of $450,000, which

was reduced to $300,000 in 1888. The first president was Gilbert O.

Fowler.

Quassaick National Bank was organized March 31, 1852, and began

business with a capital of $130,000. The first president was E. W.

Farrington, and the first cashier Jonathan N. Weed. In June of the

year of organization the capital stock was increased to $200,000, and

in June of 1853 to $300,000. In 1895 Mr. Weed was chosen president.

The National Bank of Newburgh is the successor of the Bank of

Newburgh, incorporated March 22, 1811. The capital of the first bank

was $120,000. The first president was Isaac Belknap, Jr., and the

first cashier was John S. Hunn. In February, 1820, a branch bank was

opened at Ithaca and continued till 1830, when its charter expired.

The Bank of Newburgh was then reorganized under the Safety Fund law

with a capital of $140,000. In 1851 it was again reorganized under

the general banking law with a capital of $200,000, which was

increased the next year to $300,000. July 3, 1864, the bank divided

its capital and 60 per cent, profits among its stockholders, and

closed business, and two days afterward the National Bank of Newburgh

more than took its place in the business community, with the large

capital of $800,000, the stock of which was promptly taken. June 3,

1890, the stockholders voted to reduce the capital to $400,000, and

the additional $400,000 with 40 per cent profits was divided among

them. The bank has continued to prosper.

[Illustration: Jos. H. Wetler]

The Newburgh Savings Hank was chartered April 13, 1852, and was

opened January 1, 1853. Its present building was completed in 1868,

and cost $115,527. It has been a helpful institution to the people of

Newburgh and vicinity. Its first president was Robert L. Case.

Joseph Chadwick is now its president.

The Columbus Trust Company began to do business March 1, 1893, at No.

82 Broadway, with a capital stock of $100,000 divided among 144

shareholders. Semi-annual dividends of 3 per cent, have been

regularly paid since 1895. In 1901 the directors decided to purchase

No. 78 Broadway for a banking house. The building was remodeled, and

April 20, 1902, the company moved to its present quarters. This

company has prospered beyond the reasonable expectations of its

friends. The statement of December 31, 1893, showed $117,249.17 on

deposit, and $20,238.36 surplus and undivided profits. June 29, 1907,

deposits amounted to $2,941,587.13 and surplus and undivided profits

to $121,527.26. The total number of accounts is 5,300. The present

officers are: Joseph Van Cleft, president; David A. Morrison, first

vice-president; Charles K. Bull, second vice-president; Henry M.

Leonard, treasurer; Barclay Van Cleft, secretary; Walter C. Anthony,

counsel.

The Board of Trade was organized February 22, 1882, Mayor A. S.

Cassedy presiding at the meeting. Daniel S. Waring was chosen

president and the other officers were: vice-presidents, William B.

Brockaw and John Schoonmaker; treasurer, Jonathan N. Weed. This

organization helped in many ways to advance the city's interests. It

was succeeded by the Business Men's Association, organized October

16, 1900, with the following officers: Samuel V. Schoonmaker,

president; James Chadwick, W. C. Belknap, Hiram B. Odell,

vice-presidents; John F. Tucker, secretary: H. A. Bartlett,

treasurer. It was incorporated March 30, 1904. Among the larger

plants it has secured for Newburgh may be mentioned (1901) the

Abendroth & Root Co., of Brooklyn manufacturers of spiral pipe,

automobiles, etc.; (1901-1902) the Fabrikoid Co., formerly doing

business in New Jersey, which purchased the property known as Haigh

Mills at West Newburgh. Their products are shipped to all parts of

the world; (1903) William C. Gregg Co., of Minneapolis, Minn.,

manufacturers of sugar plantation machinery. William Johnston McKay

was chosen president of the association in 1907. This organization is

in charge of Newburgh's portion of the Ter-Centenary celebration of

the discovery of the Hudson River, and has already arranged for

special exercises, September 25, 26 and 27, 1909.

TRANSPORTATION AVENUES.

The transportation facilities of Newburgh are almost unsurpassed.

In front is its fine harbor, bay and river, with steamship lines up

and down and across. These lines are a restraint upon the tendencies

of the railroads towards high freight rates. The river trade is large

and within a few miles of Newburgh are about fifteen village ports

which are more or less tributary to it. The local traffic of the

Hudson is mostly by lines of steamers, some of which carry both

freight and passengers and others only passengers. Sloops and

schooners, which long ago did nearly all the carrying trade, still do

service.

The Central Hudson Steamboat Company has two night lines of steamers

to New York, which carry passengers and freight. Boats of this line

leave Newburgh and New York in the evening and afford charming water

trips to residents and others. The company also provides the

Newburgh, Albany and Troy line, the steamers of which leave Newburgh

for the upward trips every morning, except Sundays, and arrive from

Albany in the evening. The captains of the boats on the Newburgh and

New York lines are Zach Roosa, William Meakim, Weston L. Dennis and

E. N. Gage. Those on the Newburgh, Albany & Troy line are Fred L.

Simpson and Egbert Van Wagner.

The Newburgh and Fishkill ferry, for which a line of steamers was

started in 1835, continues business, its steamers leaving Newburgh

about every half hour between 5.45 a. m. and 10.45 p. m.

H. Stockbridge Ramsdell is the agent.

Newburgh and Haverstraw Steamboat Company has the steamer _Emeline,_

Captain D. C. Woolsey, which starts for Haverstraw and intermediate

landings each mid-afternoon and Haverstraw for Newburgh in the

evening.

Newburgh and Poughkeepsie line's steamer _Hudson Taylor,_ Captain

George Walker, leaves Newburgh for Poughkeepsie every morning.

Wappinger's Falls and Newburgh line's steamer _Messenger_ leaves

Newburgh forenoons and early evenings.

The West Shore Railroad, which extends north and west to Albany and

Buffalo and south to New York, connects at Newburgh with the line and

the New York and the New England systems, and at Buffalo with the

Grand Trunk and the Lake Shore Railroads. Over thirty trains a day

arrive and depart on this road. It has facilities for transporting

cars across the river.

One Erie Railroad branch extends to a junction with the main line at

Greycourt, eighteen miles distant, and affords a direct route to the

Pennsylvania coal fields and across the southern tier of New York

counties to the west. Another Erie branch connects with the main line

at Newburgh Junction, fifteen miles distant, and passes through a

number of Orange County villages. About twenty passenger trains a day

arrive and depart over these branches.

The New York Central's Hudson River line of railroad across the river

from Newburgh is reached by the ferry, the boats of which make close

connection with all through passenger trains.

The Lehigh and Hudson River Railway extends from a junction with the

Newburgh branch and the Erie's main line at Greycourt to Belvedere.

The Newburgh branch is operated as a part of the system controlled by

the Central Railroad of New Jersey.

There is also the line of the Orange County Traction Company,

extending to Walden.

Newburgh is the principal gateway for the coal traffic between

Pennsylvania fields and the New England States, which consume six

million tons of coal annually. The loaded cars on reaching the river

front are quickly ferried across to Fishkill on the transfer boat,

and the roads coming to Fishkill distribute them. Much coal is also

shipped from Newburgh by water to all parts of the northern country,

and to the ports of Long Island and the New England coast.

CEMETERIES.

Newburgh has six cemeteries--the Newburgh, or Old Town, St. George's,

St. Patrick's, the Hebrew, and in the suburbs, Woodlawn and Cedar

Hill.

The Newburgh has many old headstones, and is in the block where stood

the church of the old Palatine settlers.

St. George's is under the care of St. George's Protestant Episcopal

Church.

St. Patrick's is for the remains of the Roman Catholic dead and the

Hebrew for the Jewish dead.

Woodlawn Cemetery is controlled by the Newburgh Woodlawn Cemetery

Association, which was incorporated October 22, 1870. It is in the

town of New Windsor, a mile from the city, and is reached by a

delightful avenue. It is an ideal location for a cemetery, with

extended river and mountain views. Quassaick avenue, leading from the

city to Woodlawn, is lined with elegant country residences in the

midst of spacious grounds studded with fine trees and beautified in

the warm season with wide lawns and varieties of beautiful flowers.

The cemetery grounds contain fifty acres, laid out with excellent

artistic taste and skill, and carefully looked after and kept in

order by the superintendent, MacLeod Rogers, who has occupied the

position from the beginning. Some of its features are a row of fine

cedars along the northern boundary, a dense grove on the western

side, scattered ancient oaks, also maples, pines, elms and other

kinds of trees, varieties of shrubs and flowers, and a natural

stream. There are several imposing monuments and many fine designs

in sculptured marble and granite.

Cedar Hill Cemetery is about five miles north of the center of the

city, and contains 100 acres in the midst of a picturesque landscape.

It has about three miles of driveways through its park-like grounds,

there is a stream of spring water which supplies a little lake of two

and one-half acres, and there are many handsome monuments. The Cedar

Hill Cemetery Association was organized in 1870.

THE CIVIL WAR.

Regarding enlistments from Newburgh and the money raised for the

Civil War, the recapitulation in Ruttenber and Clark's History is

here quoted:

"1. Company B. 3d Regiment, recruited in March and April, 1861. 2.

Company B, 36th Regiment, recruited in May and June. 1861. 3. Company

I, 71st Regiment Militia, recruited principally from Company I, 19th

Regiment. 4. Companies A and B., and parts of C, D and G, 56th

Regiment, recruited between July and October, 1861. 5. Seventh

Independent Battery, in part, recruited with 56th Regiment. 6.

Companies D, E, F, I and L, 19th Regiment Militia; miscellaneous

enlistments prior to July, 1862, 111. Under the calls of July and

August, 1862, 470 men were required from the town, and 501 furnished,

217 of whom were enrolled in the 124th and 106 in the 168th

Regiments. The call of July, 1863 required 443 men, of whom ninety

were furnished; but it was merged in the calls of October 1863, and

of February, March and July, 1864, requiring 756; number furnished,

827, of whom seventy-one were not credited. The total of enlistments,

including re-enlistments, was 2,250; the total of men required,

1,226. The public subscriptions and loans of the town, including at

that time the village, for the promotion of enlistments and for

bounties were: 1861, by individual subscriptions, $7,385; bonds of

the village, $5,000; 1862, individual subscriptions, $17,512; 1864,

town bonds, $175,100; total, $204,997. In addition to this sum the

town expended for special relief--1863-1864--$1,075.50; expended by

aid society, and in contributions to the Christian Commission,

$12,387.31; raising the total to $218,459.81, and the further sum of

$321,320 (partly estimated) for special income and internal revenue

taxes to January 1, 1865--a grand total of $539.779.81."

[Illustration: James J. Leonard.]

POST-OFFICE.

The Newburgh post-office was the first to be established in this part

of the State, and passed the centennial of its organization in

December, 1895. Prior to that date letters and other articles which

now go by mail were carried by post riders, who delivered and

deposited letters at appointed stations. The first post-carrier

station in this district is supposed to have been what was known as

"the glass house" in the ancient village of New Windsor, where

letters were addressed as early as 1755. One of the early stations

was the tavern of Michael Wiegand on present Liberty street, and the

regular accounting post-office of 1895 was its successor. At that

time, we are told, the Newburgh office included in its deliveries

Marlborough, Montgomery, Plattekill, New Windsor and other nearby

settlements, and received mails by carriers on the established post

roads, the main trunk lines being the old King's Highway, now Liberty

street, the old road from Kingston to Goshen, running through

Montgomery, from which a cross mail was carried through Coldenham to

Newburgh, and there was a main cross mail running east through

Fishkill into New England and to Boston, which intersected a cross

line on the east side of the river extending from New York to Albany.

The Newburgh post-office had various locations in town until 1897,

when it was moved into its permanent home in the new Government

building, then just completed. The equipment here was modern and

complete and the space sufficient, but the rapid growth of the city's

industrial business and other changing conditions have been such that

the building is already too small for the increased and increasing

post-office business. Note the changes in five years. On March 1,

1900, there were connected with the office eight clerks, thirteen

letter carriers and one substitute carrier, and in 1905 there were

thirteen clerks, two substitute clerks, sixteen carriers, four

substitute carriers, and four rural delivery carriers. The receipts

of the office for the year ending March 31, 1901, were $52,263.12,

and for the year ending March 31, 1906, they were $73,232.79, an

increase of $20,969.37. or 40.12 per cent.

A list of postmasters from the beginning until now, with the dates of

their appointment, follows:

Ebenezer Foote, appointed January 1, 1796; Harry Caldwell, October 1,

1797; Daniel Birdsall, October 1, 1802; Chester Clark, July 1, 1810;

Aaron Belknap, March 26, 1812; Tooker Wygant, November 26, 1830;

A. C. Mullin, May 23, 1833; B. H. Mace, November 23, 1836; Oliver

Davis, June 11, 1841; James Belknap, May 18, 1843; Samuel W. Eager,

August 6, 1849; Joseph Casterline, Jr., May 4, 1853; Ezre Farrington,

May 22, 1861; James H. Reeve, November 1, 1866; Henry Major, May 7,

1867; Joseph Lomas, August 22, 1867; Ezra Farrington, July 19, 1869;

John C. Adams, April 1, 1875; Joseph M. Dickey, March 21, 1883;

William R. Brown, April 8, 1877; William G. Taggart, April 2, 1891;

Joseph A. Sneed, February 1, 1892; Lewis W. S. McCroskery, March 1,

1896; Hiram B. Odell, March 1, 1900, reappointed 1904 and January,

1908.

[Illustration: Henry P. Clauson.]

CITY OFFICERS.

A list of the mayors, etc., of Newburgh with their terms of service

since its incorporation as a city in 1865 are here given:

_Mayors._

George Clark, four terms, from March 11, 1860, to March 8, 1870.

Robert Sterling, from March 8, 1870. Died April 30, 1870.

Alexander McCann, president of the common council, acting mayor the

rest of term, to March 7, 1871.

William W. Carson, from March 7, 1871, to March 6, 1872.

Samuel E. Shutes, two terms, from March 6, 1872, to March 10. 1874.

Chauncey M. Leonard, from March 10, 1874. Died December 3, 1874.

Nathaniel B. Hayt, acting mayor rest of term, to March 10, 1875.

John S. McCroskery, three terms, from March 10, 1875, to March 12,

1878.

Charles H. Weygant, two terms, from March 12, 1878, to March 8, 1880.

Abram S. Cassedy, two terms, from March 8, 1880, to March 13, 1882.

Peter Ward, two terms, from March 13, 1882, to March 11, 1884.

Benjamin B. Odell, six terms, from March 11, 1884, to March 11, 1890.

Michael Doyle, two terms, from March 11, 1890, to March 11, 1894.

Benjamin B. Odell, six terms, from 1894 to 1900.

Jonathan D. Wilson, six terms, from 1900 to 1906.

Charles D. Robinson, 1906 to 1908.

Benjamin McClung, 1908. Term expires March, 1910.

_Treasurers._

Francis Scott, 1866-1868, 1870, 1873-1875.

Lewis M. Smith, 1869-1870.

James N. Dickey, 1872, 1879-1891.

Ring A. Smith, 1876-1878.

Jonathan N. Weed, 1891-1894.

J. N. Dickey, 1894-1906.

H. M. Leonard, 1906. Term expires March, 1909.

_Recorders._

Joseph D. Shafer, 1866-1870.

Charles B. Titus, 1871-1874

John B. Kerr, 1875-1878.

Cornelius L. Waring, 1879-1890.

L. W. Y. McCroskery, 1891-1895.

W. H. Hyndman, 1895. Term expires December 31, 1910.

_Corporation Counsel._

James W. Taylor, 1865-1869.

John H. Fenton, 1870-1871.

William D. Dickey, 1872, 1878-1880.

J. G. Graham, 1873-1874, 1885-1890.

Abram S. Cassedy, 1875-1876.

George H. Clark, 1880-1881.

Russel Headley, 1881-1884.

Eugene A. Brewster, 1890-1892.

C. L. Waring, 1892. Resigned 1907.

W. F. Cassedy, 1907-1908.

_City Surveyor._

Charles Caldwell, 1866-1902.

Everett Garrison, 1902-1906.

William J. Blake, Jr., 1907 to present time.

_Supervisors._

Supervisors from 1763 to inauguration of first city officers, March

12, 1866: Jonathan Hasbrouck, 1763; Lewis Du Bois, 1764; John Wandal,

1765; Benjamin Carpenter, 1766; Lewis Du Bois, 1767; Edward Hallock,

1768; Latting Carpenter, 1769-1771; Jonathan Hasbrouck, 1772; John

Flewwelling, 1773; Samuel Prowler, 1774; Wolvert Acker, 1775; Morris

Flewwelling, 1776; Wolvert Acker, 1777-1780; Thomas Palmer,

1781-1786; John Robinson, 1787-1788; Isaac Fowler, Jr., 1789; John

Robinson, 1790-1791; Isaac Fowler, 1792-1795; Reuben Tooker,

1796-1807; Isaac Belknap, Jr., 1808; William Ross, 1809-1810;

Jonathan Fisk, 1811; Leonard Smith, 1812-1818; Daniel Tooker,

1819-1820; Leonard Smith, 1822; William Wear, Jr., 1823; William

Walsh, 1824-1831; Robert Lawson, 1832-1833; William Walsh, 1834;

James G. Clinton, 1835-1836; Daniel Tooker, 1837; David W. Bate,

1838; Jackson Oakley, 1839; David W. Bate, 1840-1844: John W. Brown,

1842; David W. Bate, 1843-1846; Odell S. Hathaway, 1847-1849; Enoch

Carter, 1850; Odell S. Hathaway, 1851; Enoch Carter, 1852; Samuel J.

Farnum, 1853; Henry Walsh, 1854; Stephen W. Fullerton, 1855; Odell S.

Hathaway, 1856; Albert Noe, 1857; Enoch Carter, 1838; Albert Noe,

1850-1860; Odell S. Hathaway, 1861-1863; William H. Beede, 1864;

George W. Underhill, 1865; C. Gilbert Fowler, 1866.

[Illustration: William D. Barnes.]

A Few Briefs.

August 3, 1809, two acres were added to the grounds of Washington's

Headquarters.

November 20, 1870, unparalleled rainstorm and destructive hurricane.

In 1870 population, 17,094.

November 4, 1871, Newburgh's contribution to Chicago's relief fund

over $5,500.

January 1, 1872, Newburgh's first steam fire engine tested.

May 11, 1873, board of trustees created for Washington's

Headquarters.

February 13, 1878, new public library opened.

May 30, 1878, first exhibition of the phonograph in Newburgh.

September 25, 1878, Newburgh's contribution for relief of yellow

fever sufferers in the South, $2,613.

July 5, 1879, mastodon unearthed at Little Britain.

July 28, 1879, movement to erect poles for first Newburgh telephone.

June 25, 1880, armory opened.

In 1880 population 18,049.

May 30, 1881, soldiers' and sailors' monument at Woodlawn Cemetery

unveiled.

June 4, 1883, first train on West Shore Railroad from Newburgh to

New York.

October 1, 1884, beginning of free mail delivery.

October 31, 1885, Moody and Sankey evangelistic meetings.

November 24, 1885, West Shore Railroad sold at Newburgh courthouse

for $22,000,000.

September 2, 1886, new academy dedicated.

December 23, 1886, street railroad opened.

March 12, 1888, unprecedented snowstorm and blizzard.

September 17, 1888, Academy of Music opened.

March 19, 1889, electric fire alarm system adopted.

July 1, 1889, Newburgh's contribution for relief of Johnstown flood

sufferers, $5,164.

September 27, 1889, display of national flag over the school

buildings began.

In 1890 population 23,087.

October 6, 1896, unveiling of General George Clinton statue.

May 9, 1900, centennial celebration of Newburgh municipality.

[Illustration: Dr. C. A. Gorse.]

CHAPTER XXVI.

TOWN OF NEW WINDSOR.

By Dr. C. A. Gorse.

Less than three centuries ago, to be accurate in 1609, Hendrick

Hudson sailed up the beautiful river to which he gave his name, and

anchored in the broad bay above the Highlands to trade with the

aboriginal inhabitants, who then inhabited the primeval forests which

lined its banks.

It is probable that he and some portion of his crew were the first

men who set foot upon the virgin soil of New Windsor, but it was not

until more than half a century later, in 1685, that a company of

Scotch and Irish emigrants to the number of twenty-five families,

with their servants, under the leadership of Colonel Patrick

McGregorie, accompanied by his sons-in-law, David Foshack and

Captain Evens, settled upon the extreme eastern extremity of the

town, now known as Plum Point, an elevation of 118 feet above the

river and consisting of eighty acres at the mouth of the Moodna

Creek.

Here they erected a commodious cabin and established a trading post;

this is the earliest recorded settlement in the county. Colonel

McGregorie was appointed muster general of the militia of the

province and after his death, in 1691, in an endeavor to suppress an

insurrection by the Leister party, his sons-in-law and their families

continued to reside here until 1789. The patent which the Colonel

obtained to the land passed into the possession of his son, Patrick

McGregorie, Jr.

The town is wedge-shaped, its sharp edge of about five miles in

extent resting upon the river. There is but a small extent of

comparatively level land along the river bank upon which the village

of New Windsor stands, back of which there rises a steep bluff with a

surface of sand and gravel, and a substratum of clay, which is used

in the manufacture of an excellent quality of brick, which at the

present time is the principal industry of the place. The township is

bounded on the north by the city and town of Newburgh, from which it

is separated by Quassaick Creek, an outlet of Washington Lake,

formerly known as Little Pond, also a portion of the town of

Montgomery; on the west by the towns of Montgomery and Hamptonburgh;

on the south by Blooming Grove and Cornwall. From the latter town it

is separated by Moodna Creek, near its mouth. On the east it is

bounded by the Hudson River.

The soil is of a sandy and gravelly nature, interspersed in some

portions by rocks and large stones, of a diversified surface, being

rolling and hilly. After leaving the river the surface gradually

ascends for a distance of two or three miles, interspersed with

gentle elevations which have been utilized by retired business men

of New York for sightly country residences, most of which command a

magnificent view of the noble Hudson, and the picturesque Highlands

in the distance.

On the northern edge of the town rises Snake Hill, or more recently

called Muchattoes Hill, an elevation of 600 feet above the river. It

lies north and south and is almost perpendicular on its eastern

extremity, but slopes gradually on the west, from which the surface

is again rolling and adapted to agricultural purposes. At the

distance of about five miles from the river the town is crossed north

and south by two ridges, rising in amphitheatre form, from whose

summit is obtained a most elegant view of the surrounding country.

The Highlands on the south, the Fishkill Mountains on the east, the

Shawangunk Mountains on the north, and the Sugar Loaf and Schunnemunk

Mountains on the west.

PATENTS.

The earliest recorded patent was issued to Patrick McGregorie in

1685. Others were as follows: 1,000 acres to William Chambers and

William Southerland, September 2, 1709; 4,000 acres (in part) to

Charles Huddy and Phillip Brooks, February 20, 1709; this included

subsequently a portion granted to Mary Ingoldsby and her daughter,

Mary Pinkhorn, August 12, 1720; 4,000 acres to John Haskell of the

dates of April 9, 1719, and April 24, 1721; 800 acres to Vincent

Matthews, June 17, 1720; 1,000 acres to John Johnson, February 3,

1720; 1184 acres to James Henderson, February 12, 1722; 1,000 acres

to Vincent Price (in part), July 21, 1721; 2,000 acres to Andrew

Johnson, July 19, 1719; 1,000 acres to Louis Morris, July 21, 1721;

2,000 acres to Patrick Hume, November 29, 1721; 3,292 acres to

Cornelius Low & Co. (mainly), March 20, 1720; 1,000 acres to Richard

Van Dam (in part), June 30, 1720; 2,000 acres to Phineas Mcintosh

(mainly) April 9, 1719, and some portions of the patent granted to

Cadwallader Colden, April 9, 1719, some portions of which and the Low

& McIntosh patents were cut off in 1830, when the town of

Hamptonburgh was created.

On the 7th of October, 1734, Dr. John Nicoll, of New York, purchased

of John Waldron, Cornelius Van Horn and James Livingston 7,500 acres.

The Chamber and Southerland patents were divided November 7, 1723,

into three equal parts. Chambers occupying the northern part,

Matthews the central Part and Southerland the southern part, on the

death of the latter in 1738, his portion passed to his two sons,

William and John. On the death of William, without issue, John

inherited and also obtained, in 1753, the water front from the

village of New Windsor to Quassaick Creek. He sold this to Nathaniel

Smith, of Kingston in 1738, together with a portion of the Ingoldsby

patent, purchased by his father in 1726; also a portion of the

German patent purchased by himself in 1742. Smith sold a portion to

Robert Boyd, Jr., and another to George Clinton upon which the latter

erected a house in 1769, and resided here until elected Governor in

1777, when he removed to Poughkeepsie. From him was purchased what is

known as the Walsh farm on the Quassaick Creek, recently in the

possession of his grandson, E. J. Dewitt Walsh. On this portion of

the tract was Admiral William Chambers; Associate Judge John

Chambers, 1751; Governor George Clinton, 1776; Captain Charles

Ludlow, U. S. N. The central portion held by Matthews was purchased

by John Aslop, 1724, whose son John Aslop, Jr., was prominent in the

Revolution, and grandfather of Governor John Aslop King, in 1749. He

also sold that portion on which the village of New Windsor stands to

the company called the "Proprietors" of New Windsor, September 9,

1749. Their names were Vincent Matthews, Ebenezer Seely, Michael

Jackson, Joseph Sackett, David Marvin, Evan Jones and Brant Schuyler.

The Southerlands tract came into the possession of Thomas Ellison in

May, 1723, who erected a stone mansion on the bluff overlooking the

river; also a storehouse and dock on the river, and conducted a

prosperous business for over a century. His mansion was the

headquarters of General Washington from 1779; until he moved to the

Hasbrouck House in Newburgh.

He also purchased the Vincent Matthews patent, adjoining, at Vail's

Gate, in May, 1724, upon which his son, Thomas Ellison, Jr., erected

in 1754 the stone mansion and a mill, which subsequently came into

the possession of his son John, and is now known as General Knox

headquarters.

The fourth patent was on the Ingoldsby patent in 1726, by John Gate,

who sold to Thomas Ellison in 1736. He sold a portion to James

Edmonston in 1727, upon which the latter erected a stone house in

1754, just west of Vail's Gate, which figured conspicuously in the

Revolution.

Dr. John Nicoll came into possession of a considerable tract, from

one Peter Post in 1738, which extended from New Windsor village to

the base of Snake Hill; his great-grandson now resides upon a portion

of it on the river road.

David Mandeville purchased the Mary Ingoldsby patent May 1st, 1728,

and sold to Samuel and Nathaniel Hazard who erected a mill which is

still standing.

A patent was granted to Colonel John Haskell in 1719 of 2,000 acres

and another 2,000 acres in 1721 upon which he settled in 1726. He

erected a log cabin on what was known as the Dusenberry farm, upon

which the army erected the Temple when encamped there. Other early

settlers upon this tract were: Even Jones, Samuel Brewster, Elizabeth

Stollard, Andrew Crawford and Neil McArthur.

The first settler upon the McIntosh patent was John Davis, July 5th,

1726; others about this time were Robert Boyd and the Dill families.

Through his wife, Sarah McIntosh, Nathan Smith came into possession

of a considerable portion of this tract and erected thereon a grist

mill, a fulling mill and a store.

The first settler upon the Andrew Johnson patent upon which Little

Britain now stands was John Humphrey, 1724; Peter Mullinder, 1729;

also Mary McClaughry, John Read, Robert Burnett, in the same year;

Charles Clinton, Alexander Denniston, John Young, Andrew McDowell,

1731.

The Mailler family were here prior to 1730, who sold to Robert

Carscadden. Among others who settled here with the Clintons were the

Armstrongs, Beatty, Barkly, Brooks, Denniston, Davis, Dunlap, Frazer,

Gordon, Gray, Hamilton, Little, Mitchell, McDowell, McClaughry,

Oliver, Nicholson, Thompson, Wilson and Young, whose descendants are

numerous in the county.

The Low and Co.'s patent of 3,292 acres was granted to Peter Low,

Garret Schuyler and John Schuyler and was divided among them. The

third portion of John Schuyler passed by will to his nephews, Brant

and Samuel Schuyler. Brant Schuyler eventually becoming sole

possessor. Low and Garret Schuyler sold a considerable portion to

Allen Jarrett, April 5th, 1720, Low sold 600 acres to John Vance,

September 1st, 1734, and 200 acres to Jarvis Tompkins, May 22, 1738.

Other settlers on this patent were: John Slaughter, 1720; Thomas

Shaw, 1729; William Miller, 200 acres, November 12th, 1746: Charles

Beatty, 200 acres of Brant Schuyler's, August 22nd, 1744, which he

sold to James McClaughry, July 14th, 1749, the latter the colonel of

the 3rd Regiment of Militia, who fought at the Highland forts in

1777. Beatty, the son of a sister of Charles Clinton, became a

distinguished clergyman, some of whose descendants still reside at

Salisbury Mills in this county.

James Gambell and John Humphrey purchased of the Hume patent 300

acres, April 6, 1730, and divided it equally between them. Gambell

sold to Patrick Byrne, March 12, 1744, and Humphrey sold to Patrick

McClaughry, February 22, 1769. The remaining portion of this patent

was sold by James Ludlow, a nephew of the patentee, to James Neely,

Henry M. Neely, William Young and Patrick McClaughry. William Young

sold to Samuel Sly 233 acres, and Gambell and Humphrey sold their

portion to William Tilford and Samuel Falls.

Cadwallader Colden became the owner of the John Johnson patent of

2,000 acres at the date of its issue. A portion of the Belknap family

settled upon it in 1750.

The Van Dam patent of 5,000 acres passed into the possession of

Jessie Woodhull in 1753, also a portion to Peter Gallatin, John

Moffat and the Walling Brothers. This tract is now included in the

present town of Blooming Grove.

The small Henderson patent early passed into the possession of John

Wandel and David Edmonston.

The Lewis Morris patent of 1,000 acres was owned by Alexander

Denniston, Francis Crawford, Thomas Cook and William Denniston in

1786, purchased from earlier settlers.

We have already mentioned under the head of patents, many of the

early settlers. The earliest were those of Colonel McGregorie at Plum

Point in 1685, and the Reverend Richard Charlton, sent out by the

London Missionary Society in 1732, for the parish of New Windsor,

which was connected with the Church of England. Among the names of

the owners of the village were: Ebenezer Seeley, Brant Schuyler,

Henry Case, Vincent Matthews, Michael Jackson, Daniel Everet, Even

Jones, Hezekiah Howell, Joseph Sackett, Jr., James Tuthill, John

Sackett, Jr., Colonel Charles Clinton, 1731; Dr. John Nicoll, 1734;

William Ellison, 1732; John Ellison, Captain Jas. Jackson, William

Jackson, Thomas Ellison, Isaac Shultz, Messrs. Logan, Bryam,

Halstead, Denniston and others. At Little Britain, John Humphrey,

1724; Peter Mulliner, 1729, who gave it the name from Windsor Castle

in England; Robert Burnett, John Reid, 1729; Charles Clinton, John

and James McClaughry, Alexander Denniston and John Young in 1731.

Among those who came from Ireland were James Edmonston, 1720; the

Clintons, Alsop, Chambers, Lawrence, Haskins, etc., 1731, who settled

in the eastern portion of the town, while the Coldens, Matthews,

Wileman, Mcintosh, Bulls, settled in the more western portion.

NOTED RESIDENTS.

The most noted residents of this town were those of the Clinton

family. Charles Clinton, the father of James and George, was a native

of Langford, Ireland, of Scotch-English descent. He sailed with a

company of relatives and friends in 1729, to escape persecution.

Having espoused the cause of the Stewarts at the accession of the

House of Hanover in 1689, he settled at Little Britain in 1731. He

was a highly educated man and gave his sons a good education. He was

a surveyor and a judge of the court of common pleas and fought in the

French and Indian Wars, 1759 to 1763, was public spirited, had five

sons and two daughters, lived to the ripe old age of eighty-three and

died at home, November 19th, 1773.

One son and a daughter died at sea. Two of his oldest sons, Alexander

and Charles, were physicians. James and George figured conspicuously

in the early history of the Empire State. James, born in 1756,

preferred the army to politics. He served with his father in the

taking of Fort Frontenac in Canada, also in the invasion by the

Indians of Orange and Ulster Counties, rose to major-general in the

war of the Revolution, was in charge of the northern department, led

an expedition against the Iroquois, cut a road from the Mohawk to

Lake Otsego, dammed the outlet of the lake and floated the boats over

the upper Susquehanna to reach the lower country with his command,

was at the siege of Yorktown, member of the assembly, ratified the

Constitution of the United Slates, and was a member of the convention

of 1804 to amend the State Constitution; died at his home December

12th, 1812, 75 years of age; was buried in the family burying ground

by the side of his father.

[Illustration: Rev. Charles Gorse.]

George Clinton, while a very young man, sailed in a privateer in the

French War, was with his father and brother at the siege of Fort

Frontenac, studied law under Judge William Smith, was clerk of Ulster

County in 1759, member of the assembly in 1780, elected to the

Continental Congress in 1775, Brigadier-General in 1776, first

Governor of New York in 1777; commanded a brigade at the defense of

New York City in 1776. He was in command of the forts in the

Highlands which he nobly defended with 600 raw militia against 5,000

veteran British troops, and was overwhelmed and obliged to surrender

in 1777; was Governor of the State for eighteen years, administering

its trying duties with conspicuous ability; was president of the

convention which met at Poughkeepsie in 1788; Vice-President of the

United States in 1804; died soon after his re-election in 1808; has

been designated as the father of the State. On the beautiful monument

in the old Dutch Churchyard in Kingston, N. Y., is the following:

"To the memory of George Clinton, born in the State of New York, 26th

day of July, 1738, died at the City of Washington the 20th of April,

1812, in the 73rd year of his age. Soldier and Statesman of the

Revolution, eminent in council, distinguished in war, he filled with

unexampled usefulness, purity and ability, among other high offices

those of Governor of his native State, and Vice-President of the

United States. While he lived, his virtue, wisdom and valor were the

pride, the ornament and security of his country, and when he died he

left an illustrious instance and example of a well-spent life, worthy

of all imitation."

DeWitt Clinton, a son of James, was born March 2nd, 1769, the exact

place, being in dispute, some authorities claim at Fort DeWitt in

Deer Park, while his mother was there on a visit; others claim at the

home of his father, either at Little Britain or while he was residing

in the village of New Windsor. Perhaps it doesn't matter so much

where a man is born as what he may make of himself by strenuous

efforts, as was the case with the illustrious Lincoln and the subject

of this sketch. After graduation at Columbia College in 1786, he

studied law with Samuel Jones; was admitted to the bar in 1789;

became soon after secretary to the Governor, his uncle, and became

devoted to politics; subsequently filled with great ability the

following honorable positions: Member of the Assembly, State Senator,

member of the council of appointment, United States Senator, Mayor of

the City of New York, many times member of the council board,

Governor of the State for two terms, candidate for President of the

United States, being defeated by Madison, and was invited by Mr.

Adams to serve as minister to England, and was the author of

twenty-six acts which became incorporated in the laws of the State

and nation. The following panegyric was given by William H. Seward,

the political successor to the Clintons in New York State, in 1871.

"Only next after Alexander Hamilton, DeWitt Clinton was the wisest

statesman, the greatest public benefactor, that in all her history

the State of New York has produced." This was from the man who ten

years after sat in his chair and persevered in carrying out his

policies which established for New York the political leadership of

the land.

Alexander Denniston came over with Charles Clinton and settled at

Little Britain in 1731.

Robert Burnett came from Scotland in 1725, and purchased 200 acres at

Little Britain in 1729.

Colonel James McClaughry, born in Philadelphia, when nine years old

was brought by his uncle, John McClaughry, to Little Britain, all the

way behind his uncle on horseback. He married Kate, a sister of

Governor Clinton, received a colonel's commission at the commencement

of the war, commanded a regiment at Fort Montgomery, 1777, where he

was taken prisoner and sent to a hospital in New York, where he would

have perished but for the extra care and comforts provided by his

good wife, who ministered also to many others there. He returned to

his farm at the close of the war and lived until 1790, dying at the

age of 69.

Martin Dubois, a neighbor of Robert Burnett and General James

Clinton, was an assistant quarter-master during the war.

Cadwallader Colden, Jr., of Coldenham, who married Betsy, a daughter

of Thomas Ellison, of New Windsor, was a son of Cadwallader Colden,

Sr. He was lieutenant-governor of the State from 1760 to 1770. He was

arrested as a Tory in June, 1776, by the council of safety of the

towns of New Windsor and Newburgh, and after due trial was confined

in jail at Kingston, where he remained, for over a year, after which

he was liberated on parole. The town of Coldenham is named after his

family.

REVOLUTIONARY HISTORY.

This town is rich in Revolutionary lore. A portion of the troops of

Colonel James Clinton were organized here in 1775. A battery of

fourteen guns were mounted at Plum Point in 1776. The militia were

rallied here in 1777, after the fall of the Highland forts and during

the winter of 1779, 1780, 1781, 1782 and 1783, nine brigades under

command of General Heath, were encamped at the foot of the ridge just

west of Snake Hill and just south of the square at Little Britain.

Washington concentrated his forces here in 1779 and made his

headquarters at the William Ellison house at New Windsor village, and

remained there until 1782, when he removed to the Hasbrouck House in

Newburgh and remained there until the army was disbanded in 1783.

Other generals of the army were quartered at John Ellison's. Here

were Generals Knox and Greene, while Gates and St. Claire were at the

Edmonston House, Wayne at Newburgh and Baron Stuben at Fishkill,

Lafayette at William Ellison's at the foot of Forge Hill. Other

generals were quartered at the old Stone Hotel just west of

Edmonston's. When Washington brought his army from New Jersey in

1779, he probably marched over the road from Goshen or Chester to New

Windsor now known as the Vail's Gate-Chester State road, but which at

that time must have been in a very rough and primitive condition, for

a hill just west of Vail's Gate derives its name of Pork Hill from

the fact that one of the commissary wagons loaded with salt pork was

overturned on this hill, a conspicuous example how names will stick

to places as well as to individuals. When Colonel Morgan marched

through New Windsor with his three thousand riflemen to join

Washington at Boston, a man preceded him who represented himself as

Colonel Morgan to Mr. John Ellison, but when the Colonel himself

arrived soon afterwards, the impostor was detected and was given over

to his men for punishment, who gave him an effectual coat of tar and

feathers.

At the camp grounds between Vail's Gate and Little Britain, the

writer has traced the foundations of many of the huts in which the

army was encamped from 1779 to 1782. The foundations were of stone,

surmounted by hewn logs. A level meadow in front of the barracks was

cleared for this purpose and utilized as a parade ground, but was of

so marshy a character that for marching and drilling it required

paving with flat stones, many of which are still in evidence. This

must have been a labor of infinite difficulty and shows of what

sturdy material these men were made. At the lower border of this

parade ground was also constructed a causeway to the ridge opposite,

upon which was erected a temple or public building, near which were

also the barracks for some of the minor officers, a hospital, bakery,

and a little further east the burying ground. To commemorate the site

of this temple the Newburgh Revolutionary Monument Association has

erected a rough stone monument on the farm of the late William L.

McGill, now owned and occupied by his married daughter, Mrs. Richard

Smith. It commands an uninterrupted view of the Hudson Highlands and

the majestic river rolling between, offering exceptional advantages

for watching the approach of any vessel on the river or of any

considerable body of men from that direction.

NOTED BUILDINGS.

At Plum Point, formerly a portion of the Nicholl estate, still stands

the stately mansion of the late Phillips Verplank. On the river side

is the earthwork for the protection of the Chevaux-de-frise, one of

five obstructions placed in the river at various points to prevent

the ascent of the British fleet, but which proved ineffectual, as the

ships of the enemy broke them all, and ascended the river to

Kingston, which it burned.

Some portion of this boom and chain are now to be seen at

Washington's Headquarters at Newburgh. A Scotchman by the name of

McEvers, also located here, built a log cabin or tenement long prior

to the Revolution; the excavation for the cellar, as well as the

embankment, are still plainly visible.

The point is approached by a natural causeway from the river road,

upon the opposite side of which stands the old-fashioned homestead of

Dr. Nicoll, who purchased 500 acres of Peter Post and settled here in

1730.

On the bluff just south of the village of New Windsor stood the stone

house erected and occupied by William Ellison and also by Washington

as his headquarters from 1779 to 1782. This is now replaced by a

modern Queen Anne building the residence of his grandson, Thomas

Ellison.

Martha Washington is said to have visited the General while here.

His estrangement from Hamilton also occurred here in 1781.

The Brewster House, known as Lafayette's headquarters, is situated

just across the Moodna at the foot of Forge Hill.

The steep hill which ascends from this point to Vail's Gate derives

its name from this circumstance. The iron used in its construction

was transported on the backs of mules or horses from the forests of

Dean Mines in Monroe. As you ascend Forge Hill just at its top you

come to the most noted Revolutionary building now in existence in the

town, known as General Knox's headquarters. It was built for Mr. John

Ellison in 1735, and was in the possession of the Morton family for a

number of years, who endeavored to change the name of the place to

Mortonville, and for a time the post-office was known by this name,

but on the death of the major it reverted back to the old name of

Vail's Gate, from the toll gate stationed here, kept by the Vail

family, father and son, for many years; this gate was still in

existence in 1872.

Generals Knox and Greene, Colonels Riddle and Wadsworih were

quartered here in 1779 to 1781 and General Rochambeau was also a

visitor here to Washington.

The Edmonston building near the short cut crossing on the Erie at

Vail's Gate, was built by James Edmonston in 1755. During the

encampment of the Continental Army in this vicinity, it was made the

headquarters of Generals Gates and St. Claire, and some of the other

officers; also the hospital and military stores were kept here. When

Washington arrived here with his army, he consulted with Edmonston as

to the best place to locate his camp and was conducted over a bridle

path by his son William to the Square which became their camp.

At the Square, so-called from being surrounded by four roads, is the

Falls' House, occupied by the Widow Falls in 1777, when it was the

rallying point for the scattered militia by General Clinton after the

fall of the Highland forts. It is a wooden structure just opposite

the Silver Stream school-house, now occupied by Mr. Charles Merritt.

It was while General Clinton was here that the incident of the silver

ball occurred. Major Daniel Taylor had been sent with dispatches

concealed in a small silver ball by Sir Henry Clinton for Burgoyne.

He was captured October 10th, 1777. After he had been conducted to

the presence of General George Clinton, instead of Sir Henry, as he

supposed, he swallowed the ball. Dr. Moses Higby, who was in the

neighborhood, administered an emetic and it was soon disgorged. It

contained the following on very thin paper:

Fort Montgomery, Oct. 8th. 1777.

"_Nous y, voici_, and nothing now between us but Gates. I sincerely

hope this little success of ours will facilitate your operations. In

answer to your letter of September 28th by C. C., I shall only say,

I cannot presume to order or even advise, for obvious reasons. I

heartily wish you success.

"Faithfully, yours,

"H. Clinton."

Taylor was tried, condemned and executed as a spy.

THE TEMPLE.

It was upon what was then known as the Dusenberry farm, formerly a

portion of the General Haskins' estate, an English officer who

settled 4,000 acres, during the old French War, that this building

was erected under the supervision of General Heath, for the use of

the army and for Masonic meetings.

It was here that General Lafayette was made a Mason by the American

Union League, which accompanied the army. It was built of hewn logs,

80 X 40 ft., with a barrack roof, first known as the Temple of

Virtues, but on account of a carousal of the officers after the

departure of Washington, on the night of its dedication, it was

afterwards known simply as the temple.

It was also used for public services on the Sabbath. At the close of

the war, a proclamation by Congress of the cessation of hostilities

was read from its door and a celebration on a grand scale was held.

Here also was held the meeting to consider the Newburgh letters,

written by a Major Armstrong, to determine, "whether the army should

rise superior to the grievances under which it had long suffered, and

precipitate a separation between the military and civil powers." It

was a vital crisis in the history of the republic, and a tragic

ending prevented by an address of Washington to the officers at this

time, which is a lasting monument to his unselfish patriotism,

profound wisdom, superior ability and marked discretion. The Society

of the Cincinnati was founded here in 1783. "To perpetuate among the

officers of the army and their descendants, the memory of their

toils, trials, friendships and triumphs, for succeeding ages." The

following were among the signers: Lieutenant Robert Burnett,

Brigadier James Clinton, Lieutenant Alexander Clinton, Lieutenant

Daniel Denniston, Lieutenant George J. Denniston, Captain James

Gregg, Captain Jonathan Lawrence, Major Samuel Logan, Ensign Joseph

Morrell, Lieutenant William Stranahan, Lieutenant William Scudder,

many of whose descendants are residents of the county.

On the northern side of the monument spoken of as marking the site of

the temple, is the following inscription: "Erected by the Newburgh

Revolutionary Monument Association, 1891. E. M. Ruttenber, president;

James M. Dickey, vice-president; A. A. McLean, treasurer; Russell

Headley, secretary."

On the western face is the following: "_Omnia reliquit servere

rempublicam._ On this site the Society of the Cincinnati was born May

10th, 1783, at the last cantonment occupied by the American Army, and

it still lives to perpetuate the memories of the Revolution.

Committee of the New York State Society of the Cincinnati, Fourth of

July, 1802. T. M L. Christy, chairman, William Simm Keese, John

Shayler."

On the southern face: "On this ground was erected the temple or

public building by the army of the Revolution, 1782-1783--the

birthplace of the republic. This tablet is inscribed by the Masonic

Fraternity of Newburgh, and its Masonic confreres under whose

direction and plans the temple was constructed, and in which

communications of the fraternity were held, 1783."

The Clinton homestead was situated about two miles north of

Washingtonville, on the road to Little Britain.

VILLAGES.

New Windsor, in its early history, was the scene of great commercial

activity and the outlet by the river for the produce of the country

for miles around and promised to be the site of a flourishing town,

but the limited extent of land between the river and the high bluff,

of about 120 feet in length, but a short distance from the river,

precluded the possibility of building any large towns between. This

high bluff is composed of clay which is utilized in the manufacture

of a fine quality of brick. Mr. William Lahey, who has two

brick yards, is the leading manufacturer. Mr. Hugh Davidson and the

late Mr. Walsh each owned one. The remains of several docks on the

river front are still in evidence of its former business activity. A

ferry to Fishkill was maintained for a number of years and until

Newburgh sprang up and superseded it in commercial life it was a

flourishing town. At the present time there are some thirty houses,

stores and saloons, scattered along the river bank, occupied by about

two hundred inhabitants. The first glass factory in this country was

also built here.

Moodna, formerly called Orangeville, situated at the mouth of the

Moodna Creek, is a small hamlet of perhaps thirty houses. There are

also two factories at this place, a paper mill, formerly that of

Townsend, now owned by the Hemmingway Paper Co., and a cotton mill

owned by Mr. John Broadhead, of Firthcliffe, which is now closed.

Plum Point, of Revolutionary fame, juts out into the river just north

of the village and is frequently visited by tourists.

Vail's Gate, four and a half miles from Newburgh, contains about

thirty-five houses, a Methodist Episcopal church, three hotels, and a

general store, where Mr. Thomas Gushing has a new building.

The General Knox headquarters, the Edmonston house, and the old hotel

buildings of stone are the most noted Revolutionary relics. The

population is probably about four hundred.

Little Britain, made famous as the home of the Clintons, extends from

the Square to the Little Britain creamery. At the Square are a dozen

houses, most prominent among which is the Alexander Falls house. Here

General Washington was a frequent visitor during the encampment of

the army just south.

Rocklet, a small hamlet in the extreme western part of town, has a

store and post-office, kept by Mr. Frank Mulliner.

The Ontario and Western railroad intersects the township for a

distance of seven miles and is taxed for $85,000; Erie, six miles,

assessed for $42,000; West Shore, five miles, assessed for $22,000.

The schools are--District No. 1, New Windsor; No. 2, Moodna; No. 3,

Vail's Gate; No. 4, Mount Arie; No. 5, Silver Stream; No. 6, Little

Britain; No. 7, Alexander Neighborhood; No. 8, Rocklet.

CHURCHES.

_St. Thomas._--By the will of Thomas Ettson, Jr., fifty-six acres of

land and the sum of six thousand pounds, English money, was

bequeathed to his brother, William, and nephew Thomas, to be held in

trust for the maintenance of a Glebe and minister under the

jurisdiction of the Protestant Episcopal Church at New Windsor, the

interest of said lands and sum to be paid yearly to the minister when

in active service; when there was no service the interest therefrom

was to be added to the principal. When a religious organization

should be effected, the said lands and sum were to be conveyed to it.

Such an organization was established, April 18, 1818, under the title

of St. Thomas' Church, and the Rev. John Brown, then a resident of

New Windsor, also serving St. George's Church at Newburgh, became its

rector and continued so up to 1847.

In 1844, the old church having been destroyed by fire, a new one was

started in 1847, and the present church completed in 1849. The old

rectory having been burned, a new one was built in 1849. The value of

the church property is estimated at $13,000. Among the prominent

members who have been here for a good many years are, Messrs. Aymar

Van Buren, J. Abner Harper, John Harper, F. W. Senff, R. D. Jeffreys,

W. C. Gregg, the Misses Morton, Mrs. Leonard F. Nicol and others.

_New Windsor Presbyterian._--This church was organized in 1794. It

was associated with Newburgh or Bethlehem churches. From 1828 to 1834

the Rev. J. H. Thomas, of the Canterbury Presbyterian Church, served

also this church, and from 1834 to 1835 he served this church

exclusively. The first building was used by the Continentals as a

hospital. This was subsequently destroyed by fire and the present

structure was erected in 1807.

_M. E. Church at Vail's Gate._--This church celebrated the centennial

of its existence in the fall of 1806. the present building having

been erected in 1706, and is the oldest church edifice. Its society

originated from a union class started by John Ellison in 1789, and

was conducted in one of his tenements for a quarter of a century.

_Little Britain M. E. Church_ was erected in 1853 and occupied in

1854, and has been associated with other churches mostly during its

existence. Services were held here up to 1885, since which it has

remained closed.

_Little Britain Presbyterian Church_ was organized in 1760 as

Associated Reformed by Scotch and Irish emigrants. The first edifice

was erected in 1765, and rebuilt in 1826. Its first pastor, Robert

Annan, was installed in 1768, and served until 1783. Rev. Thomas J.

Smith was his successor in 1791, who served until 1812, when Rev.

James Schringeour, a Scotchman, was installed, and served until his

death in 1825.

CEMETERIES.

The two principal cemeteries in this town are "Calvary," at the

junction of Quassaic avenue and the Walsh road, established within

the last decade by the Catholics, and "Woodlawn," a half mile further

west, which contains about thirty acres and has been in existence

about twenty-five years.

In the ancient burying ground connected with the Presbyterian church

at the village of New Windsor, are the graves of James Williams and

wife, Abigale Brewster; John Yelverton, one of the original settlers,

who died in 1767 at the age of 74; Joseph Morrell, one of the heroes

of the Revolution. Other early settlers whose names are recorded on

tombstones are the Moores, Walshes, Logans, Brewsters and others. In

connection with the M. E. Church at Vail's Gate is also another old

burial ground. Here are the Mortons, the Stills, the Vails and many

others of the forefathers of the hamlet who "rest from their labors

and their works do follow them."

James Clinton, the father of DeWitt Clinton, was buried in the

family burying ground on the Clinton estate. When the patriotic

citizens of Newburgh thought to remove his remains to Woodlawn and

erect a monument to his memory, all that could be found was the

coffin plate. The following epitaph to the memory of his father was

written by his son, DeWitt: "He had filled with fidelity and honor

several distinguished civil offices, was an officer of the

Revolutionary War, and the war preceding, and at the close of the

former was a major general in the army of the United States. He was a

good man and a sincere patriot, performing in a most exemplary manner

all the duties of life, and he died as he lived, without fear and

without reproach."

CHAPTER XXVII.

TOWN OF TUXEDO.

This triangular township is in the southeast corner of Orange County.

It is bounded on the north by the towns of Monroe and Woodbury, on

the east and south by Rockland County and on the west by the town of

Warwick. Its area as given in the latest supervisors' report is

27,839 acres, and the assessed valuation of real estate is placed at

$2,510,500. The title to the soil is derived from the Chesekook

patent.

The general topographical features are invested with peculiar charm.

The towering mountain crags and scattered bits of valley, the

wildwood and forests primeval, are dimpled with beautiful lakes and

threaded with purling streams. The Ramapo, which is made up wholly by

the surplus waters of these lakes, has its head in Round Island Pond

and flows thence southerly, through the valley which bears its name,

into Rockland County.

The name Tuxedo is, undoubtedly, the corruption of one or more Indian

words. In the language of the Algonquins, who occupied this region,

it is found that to or tough mean "a place." A frequent habit of the

Indians was to name a place after the chief whose tribe occupied it,

and there was a sachem named P'tauk-seet, "the bear," who, in the

seventeenth century, ruled over a tract of country including the

present town of Tuxedo. Uniting his name with tough, the Algonquin

for place, we should infer the original spelling to have been

P'tauk-seet-tough, and its meaning "Place of Bears." The earliest

mention of the name occurs in Sargeant's survey of 1754 where

reference is made to Tuxedo Pond. In Chesekook's patent of 1769 it is

written Potuckett. Erskine, in his survey of 1778-1779, writes it

Tuxedo and Toxedo. In Eager's and Ruttenber's histories written

respectively in 1847 and 1875 the name is corrupted to Duck Cedar,

with the explanation that its margin is over-thrown with cedars and

that it is a favorite haunt of wild ducks.

The first description of this region is written by the Marquis de

Chastellux, a French officer who came to America with Lafayette, and

who, on December 19, 1780, following the Continental road through

the gorge south of the lake, then called "The Clove," presently came

in view of Tuxedo. He mentions that at Ringwood he stopped to ask his

way, and that at Erskine's house they gave him full information about

the roads and wood-paths, and also "a glass of Madeira, in accordance

with a custom of the country, which will not allow you to leave a

house without taking something." Having been thus refreshed, he says:

"I got on horseback and penetrated afresh into the woods, mounting

and descending precipitous hills until I found myself at the edge of

a lake so secluded that it is hardly visible from the surrounding

thicket. Its banks are so steep that if a deer made a false step on

the top he would infallibly roll into the lake. This lake, which is

not marked upon the charts, and is called Duck Sider, is about three

miles long and two miles wide (sic!), and is in the wildest and most

deserted country I have yet passed through. My poetic imagination was

enjoying the solitude, when, at a distance, I perceived in an open

spot, a quadruped, which a nearer observation showed to be not the

elk or caribou, for which I at first mistook him, but a horse grazing

peaceably in a field belonging to a new settlement."

SETTLEMENT.

Following the grant of the Chesekook patent in 1702 there was no

settlement in this territory for many years. The families who came

were mostly of English ancestry and moved from Long Island and the

Eastern States. The Smiths are supposed to have explored this region

as early as 1727. The first settlement in the vicinity of Tuxedo Lake

was made at the northern extremity of this body of water. Prior to

1765, a woodcutter named Hasenclever enclosed a ten-acre tract lying

equally on both sides of the outlet. On a survey made in 1778 is

shown his enclosure and the dam built by him, and also the position

of the house, situated fifty yards northeasterly from the dam, and

built by a man named Howard, who was probably "the original settler."

During the Revolution, when the iron works on the Ramapo were liable

to interruption by the British, Hasenclever's dam was raised several

feet, and the overflow turned southwest to supply the Ringwood

furnaces in New Jersey. During this period, Tuxedo Lake was the

resort of a band of cowboys who at times found shelter among some

rocks which they named after their leader, "Claudius Smith's Cave."

(See general history.)

Vicent Helms was chosen constable in 1775. Phineas and Brewster Helms

are also mentioned in the records of the old Town of Cornwall of

which this locality was then a part. The hamlet Helmsburgh indicates

the place where the families of that name lived before the

Revolution. Moses Cunningham was a member of the first board of

assessors of the town of Monroe erected in 1709. He lived at

Greenwood Iron Works. Richard Wilkes, school commissioner in 1709,

also lived here. Adam Belcher, school commissioner in 1800, lived at

Southfields.

The survey and construction of the Continental road was performed by

the military engineers of the Continental Army in 1778. It entered

the park at the present south gate and followed the east lake shore

at a somewhat lower level than the present road. From the Hoffman

corner it continued up to the east slope of the Alexander place to

the top of Tower Hill, where it crossed to the Coster place, thence

to the Griswold place, which it crossed to the end of what is now the

Wee Wah Lake and left the park near the present north gate where it

joined the main turnpike road of the Ramapo valley. There was also a

wood road from the present east gate to the Continental road at the

Hoffman corner.

CHANGING CONDITIONS.

Up to 1864 the territory now embraced in the town of Tuxedo belonged

to the town of Monroe. In the fall of 1883 a petition was sent to the

board of supervisors requesting that the town be divided into three

towns. The request was granted and the new towns were named

respectively Monroe, Southfield and Highland. Monroe held its town

meeting March 22, 1864, electing Chauncey B. Knight, supervisor.

Southfield did likewise, electing Josiah Patterson, supervisor, while

Highland chose its old favorite Morgan Smith. This piece of political

surgery did not prove satisfactory, and in 1865 the Legislature

overruled the action of the board of supervisors and restored to its

citizens the old town of Monroe.

Again in December of 1889 the board of supervisors were prevailed

upon to effect a triple division of the town. The reason advanced for

this re-division was that the town was too large and its interests too

diverse for harmonious government. It was resolved that the division

should be made on the old lines, but that the names Tuxedo and

Woodbury should be substituted for Southfield and Highland. This was

duly passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor. The lines

were run so as to give Monroe 12,101 acres, Tuxedo 27,839 acres and

Woodbury 23,839 acres. However, the boundary line between Monroe and

Tuxedo had not been clearly determined or marked by monuments. When

the Heine Club desired to build a road from Mombasha to Southfield,

it became a practical question how much of this road must be paid for

by each town. Hence the question as to the dividing line. The men who

were with the 1863 surveyor said: "It crossed Mombasha Pond, but they

did not know where." A survey was then made by F. J. Knight, who

established a true line, demonstrating that the line of 1863 had been

a trial or random line. This decision placed Mombasha in the

territory of Monroe.

In January 1890, J. Spencer Ford represented the town of Tuxedo in

the board of supervisors; in 1894, Paul Tuckerman was elected

supervisor; Mahlon J. Brooks filled the office in 1896 and 1897, and

Charles S. Patterson, the present incumbent, has served continuously

since 1898. Daniel F. Clark, the veteran bookkeeper, has held the

office of town clerk since 1890. Gillmore O. Bush, the present

postmaster and captain of the park police, held the office of town

collector in 1890 and from 1894 to 1899. The assessors for 1907 are

M. J. Brooks, Joseph W. Conklin and Benjamin Moffatt. The highway

commissioners are George Griswold, Benjamin Moffatt and William

Viner. District schools are located at Arden, Southfields, Eagle

Valley, Scott Mines, and in Tuxedo Village are the primary and union

free schools. Of the latter institutions, Mr. James Cronon has been

the efficient clerk of the board since 1891. A private preparatory

school is conducted within the limits of the park.

Episcopal churches are located at Arden and Tuxedo, Methodist

Episcopal churches at Southfields, Tuxedo and Scott Mines. The Roman

Catholic church is in Tuxedo village.

The main line of the Erie Railroad parallels the Ramapo river through

the entire length of the town, and was opened in September, 1841. In

this valley are the hamlets that took part in the iron industry of a

century ago. Augusta was the seat of the "Augusta Works" founded at

the close of the Revolution, 1783-1784, by Solomon Townsend of New

York, to make bar iron and anchors. It was an important enterprise

but not permanently successful. In later years the works came into

the ownership of P. Lorillard, who allowed them to remain idle.

Thirteen thousand acres of land were attached to the works.

Southfield was the name of the locality of the "Southfield" and

"Monroe" works. These enterprises were established about 1805 to make

pig iron. The early proprietors were William and Peter Townsend.

Stirling Furnace, of which the Southfield plant became an important

branch, was in operation a century and a half ago. (See Warwick). The

Sterling Iron & Railway Company filed their annual report with the

county clerk January 17, 1865. They purchased mines, manufactories and

other property in southern Orange. Greenwood Iron Works was

established in 1811 by the Messrs. Cunningham to make pig-iron. Mr.

P. P. Parrott became the subsequent owner. The Parrott Iron Company

was formed by a certificate verified June 23, 1880. It engaged in

mining and selling of iron ore and the manufacture of pig iron and

steel. The capital stock was stated as $500,000. The trustees named

were Peter P., Edward M., and R. D. A. Parrott. The locality is now

known as Arden, and is the headquarters of the Arden Dairy Farms, of

which Mr. William A. McClellan is manager. A short distance

northeast, bordering Echo Lake, is the home of Mr. E. H. Harriman,

who owns vast tracts of land throughout this region. Helmsburgh is a

rural mountain locality west of Southfields. Eagle Valley is a

station on the Erie Railroad, in the extreme southern angle of the

town, near the New Jersey line.

TUXEDO PARK.

The tract of land containing this park consists of 7,000 acres, and

came into the possession of the Lorillard family in 1812. Shafts were

sunk in various places in an attempt to find iron ore, but the

property was otherwise undeveloped until the advent of the Erie

Railroad in 1841. The locomotives burned wood in those days, and an

arrangement was made to supply the railroad with fuel. The hills and

valleys were covered with large forest trees, all of which were

sacrificed, excepting a few along the Continental road. The station

here was for years known as the "Wood Pile."

About 1860 Tuxedo Lake was stocked with black bass, and from that

time the fishing was carefully preserved for the Lorillard family and

their friends. Up to 1885 no better bass fishing could be found

anywhere than that afforded by this beautiful lake. This suggested to

Mr. P. Lorillard (deceased, 1901), the idea of establishing here a

shooting and fishing club. He bought out the other members of the

family, and acquired a clear title to the whole tract. Five thousand

acres were enclosed in a wire fence eight feet high. Deer were bought

and turned loose. English pheasant eggs were procured in large

quantities and several pheasant hatcheries were located. A fine trout

hatchery was also built.

Having made a start on the preserve, Mr. Lorillard proceeded to

organize the club. He gave a dinner to his sporting friends at the

Union Club, New York, and his idea met with an enthusiastic

reception. Twenty gentlemen were appointed a board of governors.

Invitations to join the club were sent out, and temporary

headquarters secured in New York.

The foundations of the clubhouse were laid, and about 1,800 men were

employed in road-making. Before the new work was begun there was but

the Continental road through the park. The first park road

constructed was the Station road. The construction of the road around

the lake was then undertaken. As the work progressed Mr. Lorillard

decided, instead of a mere game preserve, to lay out a residential

park. This plan involved enormous expense. Many roads were required

to develop the building sites. A complete sewer and water system was

constructed. A village for shops and employees and a large livery

stable were built. An office in the village for the transaction of

the park business was opened. At the same time Mr. Lorillard formed a

stock company called the Tuxedo Park Association, to which he turned

over all the lands and other assets of the park. The officers chosen

were: Mr. P. Lorillard, president; P. Lorillard, Jr., vice-president;

George D. Findley, treasurer, and William Kent, secretary. This

company leased the clubhouse and grounds to the members for

twenty-one years, and guaranteed the new club against loss for the

first ten years of its existence and subsequently during the term of

the lease. Fourteen houses were built and advertised for sale or

rent. Twelve were located on Tower Hill and two across the dam at the

foot of the lake.

The first sale of park property to a resident was made in February,

1886, when Dr. Morris H. Henry, Mr. Lorillard's personal physician,

purchased Lot No. 101 on the map of Tuxedo Park. This was followed

in March, the same year, by the purchase of Lot No. 120 by Allen T.

Rice, the editor of the _North American Review,_ and the same year

Lot No. 121 was sold to William Waldorf Astor, Lot No. 123 to

Pierre Lorillard and Lot. No. 103 to Travis C. Van Buren, all of

which persons are now deceased, the land having in every instance

passed into other hands.

That same year, Francis D. Carley, James L. Breese, Josephine Lee

Price, James Brown Potter, Margaret S. E. Cameron and Mary L. Barbey

also purchased land in the order named. Of these Mrs. Price, Mrs.

Barbey and Mr. Potter still hold interests in the real estate.

The first person actually to take up his residence at Tuxedo with his

family was Mr. Grenville Kane, who leased the cottage he subsequently

purchased and is now the oldest resident of the park proper. Mrs.

Price and William Kent, in the order named, being the next arrivals.

Thus the park as a place of residence became an accomplished fact,

through the indomitable pluck and energy of Mr. Lorillard. Each year

has shown a steady and substantial gain in residents. The present

officers of the association are: P. Lorillard, president; George

Griswold, vice-president; George D. Findley, treasurer; and William

Kent, secretary.

As an organization the Tuxedo Club is very strong. The club book of

1908 shows a membership of 374, of which seventy-seven were resident

members. Among them are found the family names of those not only

prominent in business and financial circles, but also who have been

identified with the society of the State since the earliest periods.

The club is self-supporting, has renewed its lease with the Tuxedo

Park Association for a term of years, and bids fair to become a great

center of social life.

TUXEDO VALLEY.

So comprehensive was the scope of the original plan of development,

that a whole village was created at the time of the founding, near

the entrance gate, containing stores, cottages, and subsequently a

town hall, schoolhouses, churches, library, and a $30,000 hospital

now in course of construction.

The Tuxedo Stores Company was organized March, 1894. Each resident of

the park was invited to subscribe to the stock, and the company began

business April 1, 1894.

The Tuxedo electric light plant was organized in 1899, and is owned

and controlled by the residents of Tuxedo.

_St. Mary's-in-Tuxedo._--In 1887 Mr. Henry T. Barbey obtained from

the association a grant of land, on which he erected the first church

building at Tuxedo, since which time it has been greatly enlarged by

additions from time to time including a large parish house--until it

had grown into the present beautiful church edifice. It was

consecrated October 14, 1888, and the Rev. Mr. Colston placed in

charge. The present rector is the Rev. William Fitzsimon.

_Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel._--The cornerstone of this church

was laid June, 1895. The edifice cost $7,000. Rev. James Quinn was

the first pastor. In July, 1899, the church and rectory were

completely destroyed by fire. A year later it was rebuilt, and on

September 23, 1900, was solemnly dedicated by the Most Rev.

Archbishop Corrigan.

The Tuxedo police force was organized May 1, 1886. John Pederson was

captain until 1891, when he was succeeded by Gillmore O. Bush. The

residential part of the park is patrolled regularly day and night.

[Illustration: William B. Royce]

CHAPTER XXVIII.

TOWN OF WALLKILL.

By William B. Royce.

The town of Wallkill is the second largest town in the county of

Orange, and, exclusive of the area in the city of Middletown,

contains 38,030 acres, as shown by the equalization table of the

board of supervisors for the year 1906. This area would be

considerably increased if an accurate estimate could be obtained of

the amount of land not included in farm and lot descriptions and

being used for church, cemetery, school and road purposes.

The town is bounded northerly by Crawford and Montgomery, easterly by

Hamptonburgh, southerly by Goshen and Wawayanda, and westerly by

Mount Hope and the Shawangunk Kill, which separates it, for about

half the distance, on its westerly border, from the town of

Mamakating, Sullivan County. The Wallkill River forms part of its

easterly boundary, dividing it from the town of Hamptonburgh. This

stream also passes through the southeast corner of the town, and is

the only large stream flowing within its borders. Both the Wallkill

and Shawangunk Kill flow in a northerly direction and find their way

into the Hudson River at Rondout. The other streams in the town of

Wallkill are small; the principal ones being Monhagen Creek, flowing

through the city of Middletown; the Bullhack, rising near Circleville

and emptying into the Wallkill near Phillipsburgh; and the Mayunk,

flowing through the easterly portion of the town and emptying into

the Wallkill in the town of Montgomery. Notwithstanding the fact that

there are no important streams, the town is well watered by small

streams and springs, so that there is never danger to agriculture

from this source.

The topography of the town of Wallkill is very irregular, varying in

elevation from 335 feet above sea level in the easterly portion of

the town along the Wallkill to 1,035 feet in the westerly, about

three miles west of the city of Middletown and about half a mile

north of the old Mount Hope turnpike. All the principal ridges and

valleys of the town run in a northerly and southerly direction.

EARLY CHANGES AND GOVERNMENT.

The precinct of Wallkill, of which the present town is the legal

successor, was erected December 17, 1743, by an act of the Colonial

Legislature. The three towns of Crawford, Montgomery and Wallkill,

and portions of Mount Hope and Hamptonburgh, were embraced in the

area of this precinct. In 1772 the precinct of Hanover was erected,

or set off, from the precinct of Wallkill, and included the towns of

Crawford and Montgomery and a portion of Hamptonburgh, and, while it

was generally supposed that Wallkill became a new precinct, legally

Hanover was set off from the old precinct, and the statute directed

that the rest of the territory "should remain" the precinct of

Wallkill. It is also a fact that the town records of the precinct of

Wallkill were left with, and became a part of, the records of

Hanover, and, from the date of the separation, the precinct of

Wallkill opened a new record, which is still preserved. Up to the

time of the erection of the precinct of Hanover, the town or precinct

meetings were held for the whole precinct, including all territory

originally forming the precinct of Wallkill.

The first town meeting in the precinct of Wallkill, after the

division, was held at the house of Samuel Watkins, April 7, 1772, and

the following is the record of the officers chosen:

William Dunn, clerk and supervisor; Benjamin Booth, James Wilkins,

Elijah Reeve, commissioners for regulating and laying out public

highways; Stephen Harlow, William Watkins, David Moore, commissioners

for laying out the money raised by act of Assembly on the highways;

David Crawford, Moses Phillips, assessors; John McGarrah, John

Patterson, constables and collectors; Abel Wells, George Booth,

poor-masters; Jonathan Smith, Esq., Isaiah Vail, John Ketchum,

Benjamin Vail, Jr., fence viewers and damage appraisers. Fences were

to be four and one-half feet high, staked and ridered; five rails

high or otherwise equivalent as the fence viewers shall judge.

Many items of interest could be gleaned from these old records, one

of the principal being the fact that many of the persons in Wallkill

to-day, occupying prominent social, business and official positions,

are the direct descendants of these sturdy pioneers of earlier days.

The construction and care of the roads then, as now, seemed to be one

of the principal subjects in which the people were interested. In

order to demonstrate this, and at the same time preserve the names of

many of those who then assumed the long-enduring business of road

building in Wallkill, we make the following quotations from the

records:

"Precinct to be divided in three districts, viz: The east side of the

Wallkill, one; the west side, two, to be divided by the new northwest

line."

"Samuel Watkins, from the Widow McBride's corner to Thomas Simeril's,

and thence along the road to Campbell's bridge."

"William Bodle, from Esquire Smith's to the Minisink road, and from

the schoolhouse on the road to Hezekiah Gale's; from thence to John

McGarrah's, and thence to the schoolhouse; to work also on David

Crawford's road to the bridge one day."

"John Hill, from Esquire Smith's road along the Minisink road to the

middle of Connor's bridge; also a piece of road leading from the

Minisink road to Orange County."

"James Rogers, Jr., from the precinct line to the Widow McCord's

north gate."

"Captain William Faulkner, from his own house to Thomas Simeril's."

"Henry Savage, from the Widow McCord's north gate to Arzuble

McCurdy's house."

"Daniel Tears, from the precinct line to John McHenry's house."

"Edward Campbell, from the John McHenry's to Arzuble McCurdy's, and

Peter McLaughlin, from the corner of Edward McNeal's lot to Phillips

house."

"Tilton Eastman, from Connor's bridge to the Pine Swamp."

"Stacy Beakes, from Minisink road to Dunning's road that leads to

Pine Swamp."

"George Smith, from the middle of the white-oak bridge to the top of

the round hill beyond Corey's."

"John Ketchum, from the top of round hill to the west end of the

precinct."

"Abraham Taylor and John Daily, Jr., from the white-oak bridge by

Elijah Reeve's to the precinct line."

"There was raised by direct taxation for the following purposes:"

"L. S. D.

"For the poor 10 0 0

"For highways 46 16 0"

For the year 1906 there was raised by direct taxation in the town of

Wallkill, which contains only about one-third of the acreage of the

precinct of Wallkill, for the support of the poor, $1,000, and there

was expended in the town for road purposes, exclusive of the care of

State roads, and exclusive of the territory embraced in the City of

Middletown, about $4,500. Presumably many of our taxpayers would

prefer the olden days so far as taxes are concerned.

SOME EARLY HISTORY.

Very little is known of the aboriginal days of the town of Wallkill.

While various tribes of Indians occupied different parts of Orange

County, from the names of certain of the streams in the town of

Wallkill, it is evident that they made their home, at least part of

the time, in this town. However, outside of tradition and a few

individual cases of contact with them, which had very little, if any,

influence on the future history of the town, nothing reliable is

known that would be of interest at the present time.

The earliest record of the patenting of lands, now included within

the town of Wallkill, was some time before the year 1724, and seems

to have been embraced in two patents, one known as the Minisink

Angle, and the other a part of what is known as the John Evans

patent. The latter tract was subsequently re-patented at dates

commencing December 14, 1724, and ending May 13, 1761. The actual

settlement of the town did not occur until about the close of the

period mentioned, and therefore, Wallkill was not settled as early as

a number of the other towns in the county.

It is only necessary to refer to the assessment roll of the town of

Wallkill of to-day to find many property owners whose names are the

same as those of their ancestors who subdued the wilderness and made

Wallkill one of the most attractive and wealthy towns in the county.

When we mention such names as Bull, Harlow, Borland, Wisner, Houston,

Carpenter, Reeve, Mills, Green, Wickham, Connor, Mapes and Horton,

taken from the assessment rolls of to-day, we could almost imagine we

were reading a roll call of the names of the sturdy pioneers who

subdued the wilderness and caused the valleys of this town to blossom

as the rose.

Previous histories of this town and the numerous writings of other

persons have made all these facts so familiar that it would seem

idle to burden these pages with any repetition of the history of the

early settlement of the town and its inhabitants.

[Illustration: Samuel Wickham Mills, D.D.]

From the time of settlement, during the entire Colonial period to the

Revolutionary War, there was little of moment that happened here. The

settlements gradually progressed in different directions, but, as

before stated, not as rapidly as in some other towns. During the

Revolutionary War, a number of its citizens were with the army at

various times, but the town, by its location, was far removed from

the din and strife of participation in any events of the struggle;

no battles occurred within its limits, and it is not known that any

organized bodies of the British or their allies ever set foot within

its borders. From the close of the Revolutionary War until 1803,

there was a steady growth in population, so that the assessment roll

for that year contained 462 names of those who were assessed for

either real or personal property, or both.

On March 29, 1799, the State Legislature passed an act for the

gradual abolition of slavery, and a number of citizens recorded a

formal act of freeing Negroes held by them. The first one of these

seems to have been made in 1800, and is in the following form:

"I do hereby certify that I have manumitted and set free my Negro

slave, Otis, as fully and amply as I am authorized by the act of the

Legislature entitled, 'An act for the gradual abolition of slavery,'

passed the 29th day of March, 1799."

"Given under my hand and seal this 1st day of November, 1800."

"Tabetha Borland."

Similar acts of manumission were entered by Jonathan Smith, Stephen

Smith, Henry G. Wisner, John Wilkin, William Phillips and Israel

Wickham, and it is a fact that the descendants of these people,

bearing in many cases the identical names, were the strongest

opponents of slavery, and the most loyal supporters of the government

during the Civil War.

As early as 1828, the temperance question began to agitate the people

of the town of Wallkill, possibly more thoroughly than it is doing in

the present day, for the reason that, in 1824, there were just three

times as many taverns (as they were called in that day) within the

limits of the town as there are hotels at present (1908). Many of the

questions involved in the temperance agitation of that time are the

chief object of argument at present, and we have only to quote a

resolution passed at a meeting of the town of Wallkill, held in that

year, to show this fact conclusively:

"Whereas, pauperism has increased in the town of Wallkill to an

alarming extent; and whereas intemperance is one of the greatest

progressing causes, inasmuch as more than three-fourths of the

paupers emanate directly or indirectly from that source, and whereas

tippling-houses, dram-shops, and groceries have a direct tendency to

increase the evils; therefore,

"Resolved, (as the sense of this town meeting), That the board of

excise be requested to refuse granting licenses to those persons

whose principal object is to retail intoxicating liquors and not

having suitable accommodations for public entertainment."

"Resolved, that the foregoing be entered on the records of said town

and published in two newspapers printed in Goshen."

"Dated Wallkill, this 1st day of April, 1828."

The town of Wallkill continued to grow steadily, without any change

in territorial boundaries, until 1848, when the village of Middletown

was incorporated within its limits, but, outside of certain local

matters, such as schools, streets, police, and a few other minor

matters, the village continued to form a part of the town until the

erection of the city of Middletown, in 1889. All the town officers

were elected to represent the village and town in all things,

excepting the purely local matters, applicable especially to the

village.

IN THE CIVIL WAR.

At the outbreak of the Civil War, in 1861, the fires of patriotism

seemed to burn as brightly in the town of Wallkill and village of

Middletown as in any corresponding section of the country. Meetings

were called, resolutions adopted, and steps immediately taken to form

a company for the defense of the Union. Aid societies were

established by the women, supplies sent forward to suffering

soldiers, and everything was done that love and patriotism could

suggest for the care of those in the army and for the preservation of

the Union.

As near as can be estimated, Wallkill and Middletown combined sent to

the front some 787 soldiers. Liberal bounties were paid to those who

went, either as volunteers or substitutes, and the best of care was

taken of the families of the absent soldiers. When we take into

consideration the fact that, at the beginning of the war, the

population of the town of Wallkill and village of Middletown,

combined, was less than 7,000, it will be seen that more than, 10

per cent. of the entire population proved its loyalty by going to the

front, and the percentage who went and never returned was far

greater than the proportion, in comparison to population. That

Wallkill proved its loyalty by devotion and blood, this record most

amply proves.

In the year 1879, the citizens of Wallkill and Middletown erected to

the memory of the soldiers of Wallkill, a most graceful and

impressive monument. It was first located at the junction of North

and Orchard streets, but subsequently removed to Thrall Park, on the

corner of Wickham avenue and Grove street, which is a much better

location than the original. Mrs. Thrall, who generously donated and

bequeathed the money for the erection of Thrall Library and Thrall

Hospital, also gave the city the land for Thrall Park, which is

situated north of and adjoining the hospital.

HAMLETS.

The present town of Wallkill contains no incorporated village, and

only four hamlets, which might be dignified by the name of village,

as follows: Circleville, Howells, Scotchtown and Mechanicstown. The

rest of the town is entirely devoted to agriculture, and, since the

erection of the city of Middletown, has not shown any increase in

population. Its farms are largely occupied by the owners, in many

cases heirs and descendants of original and colonial possessors, and

it possibly shows a less number of farms under rental than do many

other towns in the county.

CHURCHES.

There are three churches and one chapel at present in the town of

Wallkill. A Congregational church is located at Howells, and was

incorporated under its present name on July 6, 1847. This church had

existed for many years previous to this, under other names, and at

different locations.

The Presbyterian church at Scotchtown was organized some time before

1798, but the precise date seems to be unknown. The first official

record that a church was regularly organized seems to be in the

minutes of the Presbytery of Hudson, when, on April 19, 1798, Jacob

Mills and George Houston appeared as commissioners from the

Presbyterian church in the town of Wallkill and requested that said

church be taken under the care of the Presbytery, and that supplies

might be appointed them. This request was granted and the services of

the church continued, under supplies, until June 30, 1803, when Rev.

Methuselah Baldwin became pastor. Previous, however, to the

appearance of the commissioners before the Presbytery, a meeting had

been held, on December 24, 1795, at the house of George Houston,

apparently for the organization of a church, and at this meeting it

was resolved that a subscription be opened for building a

meeting-house at the corner of the roads above the house of George

Houston, and that the new congregation should be under the care of

the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church. This church was

erected, enclosed and painted in 1797, and thus remained, without

plastering, pews, pulpit or stoves, until 1806, when it was finished,

at a cost of $515. This building was used for about fifty-seven

years, when it was succeeded by the present church edifice. The

church was, for many years, a leading one in the Presbytery of

Hudson, and is still doing active work.

_The Circleville Presbyterian Church_ was organized on January 4,

1842, and became a part of the Presbytery of Hudson. Its house of

worship was erected in 1842, and a large part of the expense of such

erection seems to have been contributed by donations in the way of

labor, timber, lumber and mason work. The land, consisting of five

acres, was donated by Samuel Bull, who, in addition to his gift of

land, contributed much in labor, material and money, and to him the

community is largely indebted for benefits derived from this church

through its past years and at the present time.

The chapel previously referred to was erected near Rockville through

the liberality of Robert A. Harrat and his neighbors in the immediate

vicinity, and is used for Sunday-schools and special church services

by clergymen from any denomination who desire to preach within its

walls.

RAILROADS.

Wallkill has excellent railroad facilities. The Erie runs through

from Howells Depot, passing out at its southern border. The Ontario

& Western comes in at the northwesterly end of the town, running

thence in a general southeasterly direction to the city of

Middletown, thence easterly through the town of Wallkill, passing out

into the town of Hamptonburgh near Stony Ford. The Middletown &

Crawford branch diverges from the Ontario & Western Railroad about

two miles north of Middletown, passes through the town in a

northeasterly direction to the town of Crawford near Bullville and

runs thence to Pine Bush. The Susquehanna & Western Railroad passes

into the town from the southerly border of the city of Middletown and

runs in a southwesterly direction in the town of Wawayanda. In

addition to the above, the Erie & Jersey Railroad Company is now

building a low-grade road which enters the town near Howells and runs

in a general easterly direction through the town, passing about one

mile north of the city of Middletown, thence leaving the town and

passing into the town of Hamptonburgh in the vicinity of Stony Ford.

[Illustration: Theo. D. Mills, M. D.]

There is also a trolley line owned by the Wallkill Transit Company,

which is operated in the city of Middletown and extends from the

city, through the town of Wallkill, to the town of Goshen, and thence

to the village of Goshen.