Having been solicited by certain individuals of the first settlers in
the neighborhood of my residence, in the town of Deerpark, for a
written information in relation to their respective ancestry, both of
those who now reside in this town and of those residing in other
parts of our country, and feeling desirous to gratify their wishes
and save from oblivion the knowledge I possess relative to their
forefathers, I have thought proper to make out a small work of the
same and get it printed, so that all who shall be desirous of such
information can obtain the same, which undoubtedly must be a great
satisfaction to many who have not had the opportunity of becoming
informed in relation thereto, especially the descendants of those
whose parents at an early day of the settlement of our western
country emigrated into it. The general topics of conversation have
changed much in this vicinity within my time of life. At the
termination of the Revolutionary war this change commenced. The
attention of the young people was generally directed towards the
passing scenes of their time, and they remained ignorant of what had
transpired during the lives of their forefathers. In the early part
of my life some of the old people, whenever they came together,
generally introduced the occurrences of former times, in relation to
the ancient inhabitants of this valley, who inhabited it for a
distance of eighty miles. From these discourses and my own
observations and researches, I have become enabled to write this
history. Capt. Cuddeback, Esq., Depuy and my own mother were the
greatest historians. Of what had materially transpired throughout
this valley from the first and last of these I have had my greatest
source of information.