|
DUTCHESS COUNTY. 273
Kil, in the N. E. comer, contains 1 church and 25 houses; RocIiCity1 (p.v.) a^rist and saw mill
and 20 houses; Mllillivlllc (Milan p.o.) 12 houses; and ILa, Fayetteville (p.v.) 16houses.
SSaooliVille and Thomville are hamlets. The first settlements were principally made by
tenants under the original proprietors, about 1760,2 and a large share of the land is still held by
leasehold tenure. The first church (M. E.) was formed about 1790. The census reports 4 churches*
NORTHEAST3—was formed as a town, March 7, 1788. Milan was taken off in 1818, and
Pine Plains in 1823. It is the n. e. corner town of the co. A tongue of land 1J mi. wide, upon
the e. border, extends 4 mi. N. of the remaining part of the town. The surface is a hilly and
broken upland. The Taghkanick Mts., extending along the e. border, are rocky and broken, and are
1000 to 1200 ft. above tide. The highest point in the valley w. of the mountains, forming the sum¬
mit level of the N. Y. & H. It. R., is 771 feet above tide. Ten Mile River, the principal stream,
flows s. through nearly the whole length of the town. Chekomiko Creek flows n. through the w.
part. Indian Pond, on the E. line, Round Pond, on the s. line, and Ruds Pond are the principal
bodies of water. The valleys have generally a gravelly and clayey soil, but the hills in some
places are rocky and fit only for pasturage. An extensive bed of iron ore has been opened 1 mi.
n.e. of Millerton, near the Conn. line.4 Northeast Center (p.v.) contains 2 churches and
20 houses; Millerton,5(p. v.,) a rail road station, contains 1 church and 27 houses; and
Spencers Corners (Northeast p. o.) a church and 12 houses. Coleman Station is in
the s. part. Federal Store and ©Wong1 are p. offices. The pioneer settlers were mostly from
Conn., and located here from 1725 to 1730.6 The first religious services were held by Moravian
missionaries, at an Indian mission house at the n. end of Indian Lake.7 There are 4 churches in
town.9
PAWIillCr10—was formed as a town, March 7,1788. Dover was taken off in 1807. It is the
s. e. corner town in the co. A high range of hills extends along the e. border, and another occupies
the w. part. A fine, broad valley occupies the central portions and separates the .two highland
regions.8 Swamp and Croton Rivers take their rise in the valley, the former flowing n. and the
latter s. Whaleys and Little Ponds—the sources of the Fishkill—lie near the w. border, and Ob¬
long Pond lies in the n. e. part. The ridge of limestone from which marble is quarried extends
into the N. part from Dover. The soil is a slaty and gravelly loam. Large quantities of milk are
daily sent to the New York market. Pawling', (p.v.,) a station on the H. & N. Y. R. R., con¬
tains a bank, 2 churches, and 25 houses. Campibellvilie, (p.v.,) in the N. part, contains 14
houses. Quaker Hill (p.o.) and Farmers Mill (p.o.) are hamlets. Settlements are sup¬
posed to have commenced at Quaker Hill between 1720 and 1730, by Friends from R. I., who
organized the first religious society soon after their arrival.9 There are 3 churches in town; M. E.,
Bap., and Friends.
PINE PSjAINS13—was formed from Northeast, March 26, 1823. It lies on the n. border
of the co., E. of the center. The surface is a hilly upland, the ridges being separated by broad
valleys. The highest summit is Stissing Mt., in the w. part, 400 to 500 feet above the valleys.
Its declivities are steep, and it is crowned with a mass of naked rock. Roeliff Jansens Kil crosses
the N. w. corner, and the Shekomeko or Cheecomico flows N. through near the center. Thompsons,
Stissing, and Mud Ponds lie at the e. foot of Stissing Mt., and Buttermilk Pond and several smaller
ones are in the s. part. The soil is generally a productive, gravelly loam. Marl is found in several
|
6 Large quantities of milk are daily sent to the N. Y. market
r Baltus Lott and Adam Showerman first settled in the s. part
of the town. Barzillai Rudd, Elder Dakin, and - Spencer
were also early settlers.
3 The remains of this old mission house are still visible on the
farm of Douglas Clark.
9 2 M. E., Bap., and Cong.
Pawling Precinct was formed from Beekman Precinct, Dec.
31, 1768.
n Mt. Tom, a prominent peak J mi. w. of Pawling Station, is
about 300 feet above the valley.
12 The Friends meeting house on Quaker Hill was used as a
hospital during the Revolution, and a considerable number of
soldiers were buried in the vicinity. A body of troops were
stationed here for some time; and Gen. Washington spent a
short time here in 1778.
13 This town formed a portion of the “ Little Nine Partners”
tract. Many of the farms are still owned by the heirs of the
original proprietors, and are leased to the occupants. All efforts
to convert the leasehold tenure into a freehold have proved
unsuccessful. |
1
Named from the rock which crops out in the adjacent hills
and along the streams.
2
In 1760, Johannes Rowe bought of Robert Livingston 911
acres a little n. of La Fayetteville, and located upon it. Among
the other early settlers we find the names of Clark, Stewart,
Simons, and Herrick, a part of whom were from Conn.
3
* Named from its geographical position in the co. Northeast
Precinct was formed from the North Precinct, Dec. 16,1746, and
embraced the Little or Upper Nine Partners Tract. The North
Precinct was extended across the Oblong Tract to the Conn. line,
Dec. 17, 1743.
4
3 The Dakin ore bed was opened in 1846 by the proprietor,
5
who erected a furnace in the vicinity and run it until 1856.
6
The mine is at the foot of the Taghkanick Mt., where it makes
7
a bend into Conn., and about 1£ mi. above the Salisbury (Conn.)
8
mi. n. w. of Millerton, makes 5 tons of pig iron daily, principally
from Salisbury ore. A cupola furnace has also been erected
9
here, and the manufacture of car wheels commenced. A slate
|
