The most interesting subjects in relation to the town of Deerpark are
contained in Eager's "History of Orange County." These are not
embraced in this work, excepting a few articles for making a
connection of certain matters therein contained, with additional
materials herein introduced.
All mankind generally are desirous to possess a knowledge of their
ancestry their characters, occupations, manner and circumstances of
life, the lineal descent of the most anterior of them, the different
scenes through which the successive generations have passed, &c. All
of which is embraced in this small work, as far as my information and
knowledge in relation thereto extends; and, being an old man, and
having in early life had great opportunities to become informed in
respect to the early settlement of this town and of the people, who,
from time to time settled in it, and their descendants from
generation to generation, down to the parentage of the fourth of
those who first settled in Peenpack, and of the third who settled in
the lower neighborhood. I, myself, have also been a spectator of the
transpiring occurrences from the commencement of the Revolutionary
war until the present time.
Very different have been the scenes of life through which the
successive generations have passed, and, considering myself to
possess the greatest fund of knowledge relating to the same, I have
viewed it as incumbent on me to write this history and save from
oblivion the matter therein contained, in such manner as the
incompetency of my abilities will admit, which, even if not in the
best manner, still comprehend the substance I deemed necessary to be
embodied in it, with much diffidence, however, in respect to some
parts of the same, in which I have been too lavish in introducing
unnecessary matter. But as this work is only intended for the present
and future descendants of the first pioneers in the district of the
present town of Deerpark, I have thought proper to enter some minute
matters to inform the readers how their forefathers have progressed
through life. They came here poor and ventured their lives among the
Indians to enjoy the lands they took in possession and afterwards
bought.
The materials furnished in this work are the following: My views
relative to an alteration supposed to have, in very remote times,
occurred in this valley and created the formation of it, so as our
forefathers found it; also the time they settled here and the
inhabitants who then occupied it; their manner of life and means of
supporting themselves, and other different matters and conjectures in
relation to them; also the wild animals, fowls and fishes which were
in this part of the country; the names of the first seven settlers,
and the time they procured a patent for the land they intended to
occupy; also the names of those who first settled in the lower
neighborhood, and, as near as can be ascertained, the time they
settled there and the places where all of both neighborhoods
severally located; also the names of their respective descendants to
the third generation of the Peenpack neighborhood, their marriages
and manner of living, and the ages to which they respectively
arrived, as near as I could ascertain the same. Also certain matters
in relation to a late emigration into this town of inhabitants who
have built up the village of Port Jervis, which commenced about the
year 1827; the great diminution of birds, snakes, frogs and toads,
within the last thirty years; also the commencement and continuance
from time to time of religious worship, and the first introduction of
Justices of the Peace, &c.; the anterior prices of farmers'
productions, and of wages, together with some speculative and
interesting matters in relation to the same.
Note.--There were some members of families in both neighborhoods
whose names I did not know, and have left blanks for the same, so
that the purchaser of a book can write the names of his respective
relatives, omitted in the blanks left for that purpose.
[The committee on publication have supplied these names, so far as
they have been able, and have included them in brackets in their
proper places.]
The "History of Deerpark" was written by Mr. Gumaer between the years
of 1858 and 1862 from materials collected by him during many years of
close observation and after much diligence and painstaking in the
collection of facts derived from frequent intercourse with others. It
is safe to say that no other person in the town of Deerpark, within
the last fifteen years, has been so well qualified by the possession
of historical facts and other considerations to write its history as
was Mr. Gumaer. Samuel W. Eager, in his history of Orange county,
published in 1846 and 1847, says that he is more indebted to Mr.
Gumaer than to any one person in the county for his "good will and
assistance" in preparing his history. This work, prepared with so
much care, has been very generously donated by his son, Peter L.
Gumaer, to the Minisink Valley Historical Society, who have deemed it
of sufficient value to publish, and appointed a committee to
superintend its publication. This committee have found it necessary
to make a few changes in the correction of dates, which have been
found to be erroneous, as also in a few instances in the names of
persons and of places occupied by them. Where blanks have been left
by the author in the names of families, to which he alludes in his
introduction, the committee have endeavored to fill them, so far as
they have been able, from church records and other sources. Where any
blanks remain unfilled, or where there may be any errors in the
filling up, or in the original, the committee will esteem it a favor
to be informed of the same. The changes that have been thus made are
indicated either by the names being enclosed in brackets or by
explanatory notes at the bottom of the page. As the history was
written about thirty years ago, Mr. Gumaer designates particular
places by their then owners and occupants. As these have, in many
instances, undergone changes by death and removal, the committee have
added notes indicating the present owners and occupants. With these
exceptions and an occasional word or two, the history is published as
originally written.
The committee close this statement with a brief sketch of the author:
Peter E. Gumaer was born in the town of Deerpark, at or near Fort
Gumaer, May 28, 1771, and died December 18, 1869, at the age of 98
years, 6 months and 20 days. His parents were Ezekiel Gumaer and
Naomi Low. He was a descendant of the French Huguenots, who fled from
France at the time of their persecution. His father, being a farmer,
he inherited the business and also learned the art of surveying,
which he followed for more than fifty years. He surveyed most of the
lands in the town of Deerpark, and also of adjoining towns. He was
plain and unassuming in manner and deportment, much attached to his
home and family, and, during his whole lifetime, lived in the town of
Deerpark, having never visited the city of New York. In his
principles he was regarded as a man of great integrity, always
manifesting a conscientious regard for right, and nothing but strict
and exact justice would satisfy him. His habits of living were
extremely temperate, using but little animal food and no stimulants,
except tea. He was a man of great industry, never idle and never
seeking pleasure or enjoyment outside of business or study. He was of
a literary turn of mind, and devoted as much of his time to reading
and study as his pursuits would allow. He took great delight in the
study of astronomy and philosophy. He was especially interested in
Sir Isaac Newton's theory of the motions of the heavenly bodies, and
said if it was correct, perpetual motion was possible and sought for
a long time to demonstrate it practically. In 1851 he published a
small volume upon astronomy. During his life he held many positions
of public trust, which were filled with credit to himself and to the
satisfaction of his constituents. It is said that among the many
instruments of writing drawn by him not one was ever broken in a
court of law, nor were any of his surveys of land found to be
incorrect.
He held in high esteem his ancestry, whose remains are buried in the
Gumaer Cemetery, and a few years previous to his death, as a token of
regard for them, he erected monuments to their memory with appropriate
inscriptions.
In his early life it was customary for the ministers in the Reformed
Dutch Church, which he attended, to preach in the Holland (Dutch) and
English languages on alternate Sabbaths, and so familiar was he with
the former that upon returning home he was at a loss to say, when
asked, in which language the services had been held. A bit of romance
has been related concerning his marriage. It is said that when he was
a young man he visited the house of his future mother-in-law, and
that she had a little child in the cradle which she was rocking, and
that she said to him: "Peter, I want you to rock the cradle, and when
this child growls up to be a young woman you may have her for a
wife." It so proved that he married this same child that he had thus
rocked in the cradle.
The names and ages of Mr. Gumaer's children are as follows:
Morgan, born January 27th, 1815, and died July 5th, 1855.
Ezekiel P., born May 10th, 1817, and died June 25th, 1877.
Jacob C. E., born October 18th, 1820, living at Ovid, Mich.
Peter L., born January 29th, 1827, living at Guymard, N. Y.
Naomi, born January 20th, 1830, and died May 2d, 1862.
Andrew J., born November 4th, 1833, living at Guymard, N. Y.
Esther Harriet, born August 30th, 1835, living at Brooklyn, N. Y.,
widow of Isaac Mulock.