Читать книгу The History of Orange County New York - Группа авторов - Страница 23

Chester is one of the interior towns of Orange County, situated on the main line Erie Railroad, which together with the Newburgh branch, Lehigh and Hudson and Orange County Railroads, make up the chief commercial outlets to the ports on the Hudson and Delaware Rivers.

It consists of over sixteen thousand acres of fine farming land and is a noted dairy and stock farming section of the Empire State. Considerable enterprise has been shown in recent years in the culture of onions, celery and lettuce on the Greycourt meadows, which are among the most fertile of all the alluvial deposits of the country.

The title of most of the land of the township is from the famous Wawayanda patent, which covered the land deeded by the twelve native Indian proprietors, who signed a deed, March 5, 1703, for all the land from the high hills of the Hudson to the Shawangunk Mountains and the Jersey line. The highest points of vantage in Chester township, from which magnificent views may be obtained of the whole Wawayanda country, are Sugar Loaf Mountain, 1,220 feet elevation, and Goose Pond Mountain, 826 feet above the sea level. From these pinnacles may be seen the Catskills, which are much higher and further removed than the Shawangunk range of mountains.

The elevation in Chester village at Durland Square is 485 feet, and on the ridge back of the Presbyterian Church, extending toward Craigville, may be obtained extended views of a large portion of Orange County, spread out in every direction.

The H. W. Wood hills at East Chester, the T. S. Durland ridge at Greycourt, and the Guy Miller gravel hill, each have a magnificent outlook over a large scope of the country from Schunnemunk to Shawangunk. In the valleys between these ridges are the old highways following in some instances, Indian trails. It is but natural that along these roads the present village should have grown up.

The road from Newburgh through Chester to Trenton and Morristown, N. J., is often spoken of in the Clinton papers and in more recent years it has been known as the King's Highway. It has been a noted road since Colonial days, having often been used by General Washington during the Revolutionary War. It is the natural avenue for intercourse between Newburgh and New Jersey. Crossing this road at Durland's Square is the old Albany and New York stage road, which enters the town of Chester at the Goshen line and to the metropolis continues its course southward near Greycourt. Leaving this old stage road at Nanowitt Park, which has been recently donated to the town of Chester by Rev. E. T. Sanford, pastor of the North Baptist Church of New York City, is the old Indian trail, which became a popular road during the Colonial days and leads to Greenwood Lake and to the ancient Sterling Iron Works. This road was traveled by Peter Townsend, one of the owners of the Sterling Iron Works, who lived in Chester during the Revolution, and whose descendants continued to reside here for many years.

There is also the new State road, No. 600, following quite closely the old Albany and New York road, excepting the course from Monroe to Chester is changed from the east to the west side of the Erie Railroad. The famous Glenmere Lake, formerly known as Thompson's Pond, is partly in the town of Chester, and is noted for its pickerel and bass fishing. Its area is about 400 acres.

The streams of the town are known as the Otter Kill, which flows through West Chester and is joined at Lincolndale by the Cromeline Creek, which was known in Colonial days as the "River."

The Cromeline has its sources of supply near the northern headwaters of Greenwood Lake in the watershed known as "Dutch Hollow;" also from the outlet of Walton Lake, known in Colonial days as the "Little Long Pond" to distinguish it from Greenwood Lake, which in the early period of our history was known as Long Pond. Along the Cromeline Creek are the fertile meadows formerly known as the Great Beaver meadows.

Since the erection of the Cromeline house in the year 1716, which stood on the south side of the road opposite the present home of W. R. Conklin, the meadows have been known as the Greycourt meadows, from the fact that this Cromeline house was known as the Greycourt Inn. This name was also given to the cemetery, near this old inn, and when the Erie Railroad was built in 1841, this name was applied to the junction of the Erie Railroad with the Newburgh branch and the Warwick Valley, first called East and West Junction, afterwards Chesterville, and finally the euphonious name of Greycourt was decided upon as the name appropriate for the station adjoining these famous Greycourt meadows.

COLONIAL AND REVOLUTIONARY HISTORY.

On the 22nd of August, 1775, the Provincial Congress of New York passed a law under which the militia of the Revolution was organized.

The several companies so formed were directed to be joined into regiments to consist of not less than five nor more than ten companies. When the organization was perfected, the companies of Orange formed the Fourth Brigade under Brigadier General George Clinton. This brigade was composed of four companies of Ulster and five of Orange County, commanded respectively by Colonel Allison, whose regimental district included Goshen, of which Chester was then a part, and the western part of the county. There were Colonel Hathorn, whose district embraced Warwick and the settlements; Colonel Woodhull, the district which is now Monroe and Blooming Grove; Colonel Hasbrouck's district, embracing Newburgh and vicinity; Colonel Clinton's of New Windsor, Montgomery and Wallkill.

During the early years of the war our people (located, as they were, not far removed from the Hudson) were almost constantly under arms or engaged in the construction of the forts of the Highlands, or preparing the obstructions to navigation through these Highlands.

The contract for the making of the last chain drawn across the Hudson at West Point, on April 30, 1778, was awarded at the home of Mr. Peter Townsend, who resided at this time in the old homestead opposite the Presbyterian Church, in Chester village, by Secretary of War, Mr. Pickering. Mr. Townsend, of the firm of Townsend & Noble, at this time was one of the owners of the Sterling furnace, where the chain was made.

During the years 1776 to 1779 our troops were very active and were kept informed by the aid of cannon firing by day and beacon fires by night. From December, 1776, to April, 1778, our militia was called out no less than twelve times and spent 292 days in the field.

At a meeting of the County Delegates called to meet at the Yelverton Inn (still standing in Chester), on September 17, 1774, Henry Wisner was elected and sent as a delegate to the Continental Congress at Philadelphia, "to protest against the unjust taxation." On December 9, 1776, General Clinton was ordered to co-operate with Generals Lee and Gates to harass the enemy, who had then entered northern New Jersey. The resolution read as follows: "That all the militia of Orange and Ulster Counties be forthwith ordered to march properly armed and accoutered with four days' provision to Chester, Orange County, N. Y."

This fixes the date of the encampment of these troops on the hill where the present new modern school-house is being erected, as being about the latter part of December, 1776, or January, 1777. The encampment probably consisted of part of the four regiments, under Colonels Allison, Hathorn, Woodhull and Clinton. An order was issued on January 4, 1777, dismissing part of these troops, leaving about 300 men in the above camp for the winter.

One of the first engagements in which our Chester patriots took part, occurred at Suffern, October 3, 1777, when Major Thomas Moffatt ordered Captain Wood and twenty men to cover the pass through the mountains at this point, where they intercepted a band of Tories, with the result of one robber killed and three wounded.

Our company was engaged under Colonel Allison later on at Forts Montgomery and Clinton. While these events were transpiring on the Hudson, the western frontier was harassed by the incursions of the Indians and Tories under the leadership of the educated half-breed Brant, together with Butler the Tory. Our troops becoming alarmed by the fugitives' accounts of the massacres and burnings taking place on the frontier, Colonel Hathorn, together with Lieutenant Colonel Tusten, of Colonel Allison's Goshen Regiment, and with such numbers of the commands as could be brought together in so brief a time, proceeded at once to Minisink, on July 22, 1779, to take part in that bloody battle on this date. Several of our Chester Company were among the brave troops.

SUBSEQUENT HISTORICAL INCIDENTS.

After the Revolutionary War and until 1845, the village of Chester was a part of the township of Goshen, and had become quite an important trading center, being at the junction of the two leading State roads. Up to the time of the building of the Warwick Valley road, in 1863, now the Lehigh and Hudson, the pig iron from Wawayanda Lake forge was carted to Chester for shipment on the Erie, the butter and other farm produce from the Vernon Valley, extending as far as Newton, N. J., was also brought to this point for shipment. It was but natural that the trial to decide the boundaries of the Chesekook and Wawayanda Indian patents should have been held at this place. In the year 1785, in the barn connected with the Yelverton Inn, erected in the year 1765, still standing, in good state of preservation, and owned by Joseph Durland, some of the older inhabitants and pioneers of Orange County met with the nation's most famous lawyers, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. The Wawayanda patentees were fortunate in securing these men during this trial, and many historical facts were brought out, through the witnesses sworn at this trial. In their testimony concerning what they knew about the early settlement of the country and the relations of the whites to the native Indians, the evidence was set forth. The burden of the testimony seemed to prove that Schunnemunk was not considered by the pioneers as the high hills of the Hudson. On this trial, Judge Elihu Marvin stated "that he was born in 1719 and moved in what is now known as the town of Chester in 1742. Whenever he visited Haverstraw and returned as far as the Ramapo River, it was always called beyond the High Hills of the Hudson."

Hugh Dobbin, aged seventy-six, stated "that he lived near Sugar Loaf Mountain since 1738."

Deliverance Conkling, who lived near Wickham's Pond, stated "that he was 71 years old, and has known personally Lancaster Symes, one of the Wawayanda patentees, and the pond at Goose Pond Mountain used to be called Cromeline Pond, and abounded in wild geese."

Samuel Gale was born in 1737, and testified "that the Chesekooks line had always been disputed."

William Thompson was born in 1723, was chain bearer for Colonel Clinton and usually stopped, when surveying the Chesekook patent, at Perry's near Wickham's Pond. He had talked with the Indians and remained at times in their wigwams.

Ebenezer Holly, born 1698, stated that he knew Captain Symes, Captain Aske, Christopher Denn and Daniel Cromeline. In dispute with the Indians, Governor Burnet had decided that the Indians must move off the land; among the Indians who still claimed land were Rondout, Hons and Romer. He stated that Cromeline made his first improvement at Greycourt.

John Kinner, a Chester resident, held land in this disputed tract under Mr. Wisner, Dr. Baird and Mr. Scott.

James Board, aged sixty-five, born in England in 1720, came to this country with his father, Cornelius, and brother, David, in 1730; sent by Alexander, Lord Sterling, to discover copper mines; discovered iron ore deposits at Sterling, built there a forge in 1735, and in the year of 1740 removed to Ringwood. The mountains west toward Warwick were called by that name. The Sugar Loaf Mountain was called by that name as long as he remembered.

Soon after the forge was going it was sold by Cornelius Board & Sons to Coldon & Ward.

During this trial Burr and Hamilton were guests at the old Yelverton Inn. The court adjourned to meet again at Chester, in Yelverton barn, in October, 1785, at which session it was decided that Chesekook patent should comprise all the land east of Goose Pond Mountain and the great Beaver Meadows, to the western line of Evans patent and the Hudson River.

In the early part of the nineteenth century, living in and about West Chester, were Joseph Durland, born in 1762, Benjamin Dunning, Daniel Denton, James Roe and Michael Renton. On the Florida road lived Thaddeus Seely and Major Holbert. At Chester lived Asa Vail opposite the second academy, Edmund Seely, Seth Satterly and Dr. Townsend Seely. Peter Townsend lived opposite the Presbyterian church. Isaac and William Townsend on the C. B. Wood ridge, Elmer Cooper and Dr. Dodd, Aaron Cox, the hatter, and Stephen Cooper, born in 1788; David G. Drake, born in 1760. The old Samuel Satterly house stood on the brow of the hill, nearly opposite the joining of Old New York road, near the new State road; from this point at the bridge, which was called in these early days the "Purgatory Bridge," the most popular amusement was running races. The course lay from this bridge to the oak tree, which is still standing near H. W. Wood's residence. On special days, July 4, and in the autumn, the people from miles around fairly lined the short course in numbers from three to four hundred people. In fact, nearly double the number of our whole population at that period. Purses were usually made up at such times at the course, and great horses contested. Among them were Webber's "Kentucky Whip," a great running sire from Kentucky; Tom Thumb and Saltrum. The visitation of such noted running stock to Chester was the beginning of an improvement in the racing stock of this section. This development found its climax in the birth of Hambletonian, the progenitor of the American trotter.

When the old "Hero of Chester" died in 1876, he was buried on the hill on the W. M. Rysdyck place. Since that time a granite shaft costing $3,000, has been erected, to mark the resting place of this notable sire.

About 100 years ago Isaac Kinner and Daniel Cooley lived on the western foothills of the Goose Pond Mountains.

On the Craigville road lived Dr. John Boulton, Birdseye Young, Albert Seely, Samuel Denton, Hezekiah Moffatt and Jesse Carpenter.

THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

About 1721, we find John Yelverton, of New Windsor, in this section. The deed recorded, 1765, by his grandson and executor, Abijah Yelverton, who kept the Yelverton Inn, in old Chester village, conveys three parcels of land in 1721 in Goshen to John Yelverton, in trust "for a parsonage, minister's house and burying place; also to build a meeting house thereon or a public edifice for the worship of God in the way and manner of those of the Presbyterian persuasion," signed by twenty-four land owners in the different parts of the Wawayanda patent. This has reference to the Goshen Presbyterian church. During this period Chester, with the rest of this part of the county, was included in the precinct of Goshen.

Richard Edsall's survey, made in 1741, mentions William Seely and Rulof Swartwout as living in this neighborhood.

The township of Chester is well arranged for the transaction of public business, and is the practical outcome of the ambitions of a progressive century. In 1845 from the towns of Goshen, Warwick, Blooming Grove and Monroe, the township was organized with James Gray as its first supervisor, 1845.

The first deed that we find made mention of was John Beers as owning 120 acres of the Cromeline patent; he sold the same June 16, 1751, to John Ensign, who in turn sold 42-3/4 acres of the tract, on May 19, 1755, to John Yelverton, gentleman, for the sum of 97L. and 4S. current money. Upon this land the village of Chester is located.

Many familiar names of the families living in our township to-day are found on the assessment rolls of dist. No. 4, town of Goshen, of September, 1775, signed by Nathaniel Roe.

This district may be described as running from Greycourt to Satterlytown, Sugar Loaf to Summerville, to Fort Hill, with no less than 119 land owners with an assessed valuation of 370L. 8S. 17D.

Abijah Yelverton, in the year of 1783, gave an acre of ground for church purposes. The year 1797 saw the beginning of the first meeting house. In 1708 the first minister began his labors in the Presbyterian church at $75 per annum, "with the privilege of teaching to piece out his support." This meeting house stood on the high ground in the rear of the residence of Dr. S. G. Carpenter, in the old village of Chester. It was commodious for the time, with square pews, but was used without being heated. The next church was built in 1829, and was located about the center of the present cemetery at East Chester.

Our earliest district school-house stood opposite the Dr. Edmonston home in the old village. It was erected during the latter part of 1700. Another was located on the Goshen road near Dr. A. T. Sanden's residence. Long before the noise of railroads disturbed the quiet of our hamlet, the mails were brought by the old stage coach.

Chester was favorably situated for the exchange of mails, the Goshen stage running through here to meet the Newburgh and New York stage line at Southfield and the Warwick stage line, using our road to connect with the same line at Washingtonville.

The first post-office was established in Chester in 1794. Joseph Wickham being the first postmaster located at West Chester, then and now a part of Chester village, afterward it was moved to the old village and in 1842 was removed to the building opposite the present Erie Railroad tower at Chester Station. The idea of offering fresh milk from the country to the distant consumer in the city originated with a road contractor named Selleck who interested some of our leading farmers in the project and succeeded in getting a supply sent by the Erie in the spring of 1842. It was shipped in the blue pyramid churns of that day. The first shipment were about six cans per day and freight charges were by weight, twenty cents per hundred pounds. The price paid the producer was two cents per quart, placed on the cars at Chester. The farmers soon finding that there was more money to be made from milk at two cents per quart than butter at fifteen cents per pound, began sending milk to Selleck. Thus the milk business of the county was born, and in spite of the many difficulties, this business has alone been the means of building four railroads in Orange County and returned to it over $100,000,000.

In 1784 mention is made of a saw-mill on the trout brook, on the Sterling road. These mills are now known as Bull's Mills. A grist-mill was then operated on the opposite side of the stream. The old flouring mill at West Chester was established soon after the settlement was made. As late as the year 1820, an old mill stood upon the ground just above the present Chester mills. During these times they used two run of stone and never were compelled to shut down for lack of water.

Chester's first library was incorporated November 17, 1779, with seven trustees, and was verified before Judge Wickham and recorded the same year. Abijah Yelverton was the first librarian.

The war of 1861 occasioned a great demand for onions and our onion culture on the black meadows began about that time. Our average yearly production has been about 60,000 bushels. During revolutionary times a part of these meadows were cultivated for raising hemp; later on, potatoes and corn.