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DUTCHESS COUNTY. 271
bordered by swamps upon the greater part of its course. The limestone ridge extends N, and s.
through the center of the principal valley. Along its course several marble quarries have been
opened.1 Iron ore is found in abundance.2 The soil is a fine quality of sandy, gravelly, and slaty
loam. The small streams flowing from the w. hills have worn deep ravines, and in several places
form beautiful cascades. The most noted of these is known as “Dover Stone Church.”3 Hover
Plains, (Dover p.o.,) a r. r. station, in the n. part of the town, contains 3 churches, a gristmill,
and plaster mill. Pop. 375. iSositla Hover, (p.v.,) on Ten,Mile River, contains 2 churches, a
grist and saw mill, and 30 houses. USiestnnt BMg'e (p. o.) and Wing Station (p. o.) are ham¬
lets. The first settlements are said to have been made by the Dutch from the river towns. Among
the early settlers are found the names of Knickerhacker, Osterhout, Dutcher, and Yan Duzen.
The first settlers upon the Oblong tract were from Conn. The first church (Ref. Prot. D.) is said
to have been formed about 1770.4
PAST FISISM.IIili—was formed from Eishkill, Nov. 29, 1849. It is the center town upon
the s. border of the co. Its surface is mountainous in the s. and e. and hilly in the n. and w. The
highest points of the Fishkill Mts., in the s., are 1000 to 1200 ft. ahove tide.5 The principal streams
are the Eishkill and its tributaries, Wortel Kil and Sprout Creek. Black Pond is a small sheet
of water near the s. line. The intervales along the streams are generally wide, and bordered hy
steep hillsides in the s. and more gradual slopes in the N. The soil is a gravelly loam. Fatting
cattle for the NewYork market is one of the leading pursuits. East Fisiikill, (p.v.,) near
the center, contains a grist and sawmill and 15 houses; Jolmsville, (p. v.,) near the w. border,
1 church and 14 houses; Storm ville, (p.v.,) in the e. 1 Ch. 20 houses; Fishkill Plains,
(p.v.,) in the n.w., 1 church and 15 houses; and Shenandoah Corners, in the s., a church
and 15 houses. Pecksville, Hopewell, (Adriance p.o.,) and Fishkill Furnace6 are
hamlets. The first settlers were Garret, Geo. and Isaac Storm, about the year 1733; Cornelius
Wiltsie and Isaac Adrience came in about 1739. There are 5 churches in town.7
FISHIAIFP—was formed as a town, March 7, 1788. A part of “ Freedom” (now La Grange)
was taken off in 1821, and East Fishkill in 1849. A part of Philipstown (Putnam co.) was
annexed March 14, 1806. It lies upon the Hudson, in the s. w. corner of the co. Its surface is
mountainous in the s. and hilly in the N. The Eishkill Mts., extending along the s. border, are
high, rocky, and precipitous. Old Beacon and Grand Sachem, in the s. e. corner, the highest sum¬
mits, are respectively 1471 and 1685 ft. ahove tide. A break in these mountains, in the e. part,
opening toward the s., is known as the Wiecopee Pass.8 The Eishkill flows s. w. through near the
center of the town, skirting the foot of the mountains and separating them from the hilly region in
the n.w. Wappingers Creek forms the w. boundary. A high rolling ridge lies between these
two streams, and the highest point is Mt. Hope, 1000 ft. ahove tide, near the e. border.9 Sprout
Creek, a tributary of the Eishkill, forms a portion of the e. boundary. A series of bluffs, 150 to
200 ft. high, extends along the river, broken by the valleys of the streams. The soil is a clay and
gravelly loam. Fishkill Fan ding', (p.v.,) on the Hudson, opposite Newburgh, contains a
newspaper office, 2 machine shops, and 4 churches. Brinckerhoff’s Nursery, the largest on the
Hudson, and occupying 50 acres, is at this place. Pop. 1,100. It is a r. r. station and steamboat
landing, and is connected with Newburgh by a steam ferry. Matteawan, (p. v.,) on Eishkill
Creek, 1 mi. above the landing, is an important manufacturing village. It was formerly the seat
of extensive cotton mills; hut these have mostly been converted to other purposes.10 It contains 4
8 The highest point on the s. border is locally known as “ Wic-
copee,” or “Long Hill,” and the highest on the e. border as
“jLooking Rock.”
6 A furnace at this place, manufactures pig iron from the ore.
It employs 40 hands, and makes about 400 tons of iron per
annum. The ore is obtained from the mine near Silver Lake, in
Beekman. A mine on the e. line, after being worked 20 years,
was exhausted.
7 2 Bap., M. E., and Ref. Prot. D. The last named has an
endowment of $5000.
8 This pass was carefully guarded during the Revolution, to
prevent the British from turning the American works at West
Point. A considerable American force was stationed at its upper
extremity during the campaign of 1777.
9 Mt. Hope is i mi. s. of Myers Corners. A beautiful and ex¬
tended view Is obtained from its summit. A beacon has been
erected here hy the Coast Survey, to serve as a point in the tri¬
angulation of the Hudson River Valley.
10 Among the most important manufactories are “The Seam¬
less Clothing Manufacturing Co.,” incorporated with a capital of
$50,000. It gives employment to 320 hands, and turns out $500,000
worth of goods annually. The Matteawan Machine Works, S. B.
Schenck, proprietor, gives employment to 200 hands, and turns
out annually goods to the amount of $500,000. j. Rotherv’s
file factory employs 70 hands, and manufactures goods to tha
1
The principal quarries are between Dover Plains and South
Dover.
2
White’s ore bed, 3 mi. n. w. of South Dover, has been exten¬
sively worked, and the ore produced is of good quality. The
Dover Iron Works formerly did an extensive business: they
closed about 2 years since. White’s Furnace, halfway between
South Dover and Dover Plains, is making 5 to 6 tons of iron
per day.
3
This ravine is about a i mi. W. of Dover Plains. It is 20 to
25 feet wide at the bottom and 1 to 3 feet at the top, and the
rocks that border it are 40 to 50 feet high. It extends into the
hill 30 to 40 feet, and at its farther extremity the stream flows
from the mountain above in a succession of rapids. The name
was given in consequence of its resemblance to the Gothic arch.
In another ravine, about £ mi. s. of Stone Church, are the
“ Wells.” A small stream here flows down from the mountain
in a succession of rapids 3 to 12 feet in height; and at the foot
of each fall smooth, rounded holes, called the Wells, have been
worn in the rocks to the depth of 3 to 8 feet. The holes occupy
the whole width of the bottom of the ravine, and the rocks on
each side are shelving and slippery, rendering a near approach
difficult and dangerous. These two localities are frequently
visited hy the lovers of nature during the summer season.
4
This is now a Union church. A Friends meeting house was
5
built here about the same time.
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