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GREENE COUNTY.
of the town, contains 3 churches, the Greenville Academy, and 35 houses; FreeSaold, (p.v.,) in
the s.w. part, 1 church and 24 houses; Norton Hill, (p.v.,) in the n.w. part, 16 houses; Green¬
ville Center 15; and East Greenville 1 church and 10 houses. Gay Mead is a p.
office. In 1768 the British Government granted 2 patents—one for 2000 and one for 5000 acres, located
together in the w. part of the town—to Major Augustine Prevost, of the 6th British infantry, who
served in this country during the Old French War.1 Stephen Lantiman, Godfrey Brandow, and
Hans Overpaugh, who settled in the town in 1774, were among the earliest settlers.2 There are 7
churches in town.2
HALCOTT—was formed from Lexington, Nov. 19, 1851,. and named from George W. Hal¬
cott, then sheriff of Greene co. It is situated in the s. w. corner of the co., and is separated from
the other towns of the co. by a mountain ridge 1000 feet high. This ridge is crossed by difficult
and unfrequented roads. A considerable portion of the territory is covered with forests. The sur¬
face is mountainous, comprising four valleys, in which rise the sources of the e. branch of the
Delaware. The soil is chiefly a gravelly loam of medium quality, and stony, hut is well adapted
to grazing. From its isolated position among the mountains,3 the chief avenue of communication
with the outside world is on the s., hy way of Middletown, Delaware co. West Eexington
(p. o.) is in fhe central part of the town. The first settlement was made on the Bush Kil, in 1790,
by Reuben Crysler, Thurston, Joseph Brooks, and Timothy Tyler.4 There are 2 churches in
town; 0. S. Bap. and M. E.
HUATER6—was formed from Windham as “ Greenland,” Jan. 27, 1813. Its name was
changed April 15,1814, a part of Saugerties was taken off in 1814, and a part of Jewett in 1849. The
surface is rocky and mountainous, not more than one-fourth being susceptible of cultivation. Several
of the highest peaks of the Catskills—among which are High Peak, Round Top, and Pine Orchard—,
lie within the limits of this town.5 Two narrow valleys extend quite through the mountains and cross
each other at nearly right angles near the center of the town. The first of these is the valley of Scho-
narie Creek and its southerly continuation, that of the Platte Kil; and the second, that of the Kaaters
Kil and Stony Clove. The soil is generally a heavy, clayey and shaly loam, very stony, and poorly
adapted to agriculture. Hunter, (p.v.,) situated on Schoharie Creek, in the n.w. part of the
town, contains 2 churches and several manufacturing establishments. Pop. 393. Tanners-
ville, near the center, is a p. office. Settlements were made during the Revolution, hy “cowboys”
from Putnam co. Their property was confiscated hy the Whigs.6 Col. Wm. W. Edwards and his
son Wm. W., from Northampton, Mass., moved into town in July, 1817, and erected the first ex¬
tensive tannery in the State in which the then new method of tanning was adopted. Within a few
years after, other tanneries were built, and a very large amount of leather was made in the town
annually for a long series of years, until the hemlock bark was exhausted. Most of the establish¬
ments are now abandoned. There are 3 churches in town; Presb., M.E., and R. C.
JEWETT7—was formed from Lexington and Hunter, Nov. 14,1849. A part of Lexington
was taken off in 1858. It lies near the center of the w. half of the co. High and rocky spurs extend
w. from the principal n. branch of the Catskills; and a high and almost precipitous ridge extends
along the s. w. border. Schoharie Creek and its tributary East Kil are the principal streams.
The soil is a heavy, reddish, gravelly loam of medium quality, often stony and rocky, and largely
underlaid by a tough hardpan. Jewett,8 (p.v.,) in the n.w. part of the town, contains 2
churches and 14 houses. Jewett Center, at the junction-of East Kil and Schoharie Creek,
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below the lakes, are the Kaaters Kil Ealls, where the stream
plunges down a perpendicular descent of 175 ft., and, in a few
rods, another of 85 ft., felling into a deep, rocky ravine or clove,
and finally finding its Way into Catskiil Creek. The views from
the Mountain House, and the scenery among the mountains, ara
among the finest in the country, and the place is visited annually
by thousands of tourists.
8 Samuel, Elisha, and John Haines, and Gershon .Griffin, en¬
tered the mountains by way of Kingston and Mink Hollow, and
settled on Schoharie Kil. Their location was discovered a year
or two after by some Dutchmen from the e. side of the moun¬
tain, while hunting bears. They were followed, in 1786, by a
number of Shay’s followers, from Mass., who, on the suppression
of his rebellion, fled to the mountains. James and Jacob Carl
settled in the town in 1785; Sami. Merritt, and Sami, and Wm.
Hayes, in 1791. Roger Bronson was the first settler at the village
of Hunter. The first birth was that of John Haines. Mr. Olm¬
sted built the first gristmill, in 1794, and subsequently the firs
tannery, and kept the first store and inn.
9 Named from Freeborn G. Jewett, then a justice of the Su¬
preme Court. 19 Formerly called “Lexington Heights.” |
1
Major Prevost erected a fine mansion on one of these tracts,
a little w, of the village of Greenville, in which he resided until
his death.
2
8 2 Bap., 2 M. E., Prot. E., Presb., and Christian.
3
Wild game is still found in the mountains, and the pure,
limpid streams abound in trout.
4
8 Kalph Coe and Henry Hosford built the first sawmill, in
5
first store. There is now no tavern, lawyer, nor doctor in town.
6
Named from John Hunter, an early proprietor of a part of
the Hardenburgh Patent.
7
1 The Catskiil Mountain House, upon Pine Orchard, is situated
upon a precipice overlooking the Hudson, and is 2212 ft. above
tide. It was built by the Catskiil Mountain Asso’n, at a cost of
$22,000, for tho accommodation of visitors. Among the hills, 5 mi.
8
W. of the house, are 2 small lakes, each 1-J- mi. in circumference,
—their outlet forming the Kaaters Kil. Upon this stream, a little
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