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ORANGE COUNTY. 507
Anne, March 5, 1703. The first church (Presb.) was formed in 1721; Rev. John Bradner was
the first pastor.1
GREEWVXEEE—was formed from Minisink, Dec. 2,1853. It lies on the s. w. border of the
co., w. of the center. Its surface is a hilly and broken upland. The Shawangunk Mts., extending
along the w. border, are 400 to 600 ft. above the valleys and 1,400 to 1,600 ft. above tide. The e.
slopes of the mountains are generally gradual, and the hills are arable to their summits. The
principal stream is Shawangunk River, which takes its rise near the center and flows N. e. Benin
Water Pond is a small body of water in the N. part. The soil is a sandy, gravelly, and clayey loam.
(Ireenville, (Minisink p. o.,) in the w. part, contains 2 churches and 12houses; and SmitSss
4 'orners, n. of Greenville, contains 15 houses. Center Point, 1} mi. s. e. of Greenville, is
a p. o. Woods ville is a hamlet in the e. part. The first settlements were probably made from
1720 to 1730.2 There are 2 churches in town; Bap. and M. E.
HAMPTOIVBIJRCSM3—was formed from Goshen, Blooming Grove, Montgomery, New
Windsor, and Wallkill, April 5, 1830. It is an interior town, lying a little n. of the center of the
co. Its surface is rolling and moderately hilly. The principal streams are Wall Kil, forming the
n. w. boundary, and Otter Kil, flowing n. e. through near the center. The soil is a gravelly and
slaty loam. Otter ville, (p. o.,) on Otter Kil, near the e. boundary, is a hamlet, ©tterlilll,
s. of Otterville, contains 12 dwellings. Campbell Hall, near the center, and Hampton*
fotirgli, 1 mi. s., are hamlets. The first settlement was made by Wm. Bull, in 1719 or ’20. In
1727 he erected a stone house, which is still standing. There are 2 churches in town; Presb. and
Asso. Reformed.,
MINIS INK4—was formed March 7, 1788. A part of “ Calhoun” (now Mount Hope) was
taken off in 1825, Wawayanda in 1849, and Greenville in 1853. It lies upon the N. J. line, s. w.
of the center of the co. Its surface is rolling and hilly. The slopes are generally gradual, and the
hills are arable to their summits. The principal streams are Wall Kil and Rutgers Creek,
each of which forms some portion of the sr. and e. boundaries. Tho Drowned Lands oc¬
cupy a small portion of the e. angle. The soil is principally a gravelly loam, Union Ville,
(p.v.,) in the s. part, contains 2 churches and 25 dwellings; and West Town, (p.v.,) 3 mi. sr.
of Unionville, 2 churches and 15 dwellings. Waterloo Mills (p. o.) is a hamlet, containing
1 church and 6 dwellings. No records of the early settlement have been preserved. There are
5 churches in town.5
MOlfROE6—was formed from Cornwall, March 23, 1799, as “ Chesecocks.” Its name was
changed to “ Southfield,” April 3, 1801, and to Monroe, April 6, 1808. A part of Chester was
taken off in 1845. It is the s.e. corner town in the co. It lies mostly among the Highlands; and
its surface is a hilly and mountainous upland. The principal ranges are Schunemunk Mts., in the
N., Black and Bear Mts., in the E., and the Southfield Mts., near the center,—all extending n. e. and
s. w.T Their declivities are steep and in many places precipitous, and their summits are rough,
rocky, and broken. A large share of the whole town is unfit for cultivation. In the n. w. part
are several valleys containing arable land. The principal streams are Ramapo River, flowing s.,
and Murderers Creek, flowing n. The Eorest-of-Dean Creek drains the e. part and discharges its
waters into the Hudson. Among the mountains are a great number of fine, small lakes and ponds.8
The soil in the valleys is a sandy and gravelly loam. The mountains are too rough for cultivation.
Monroe, (p. v.,) in the N. w. part of the town, contains 2 churches and 266 inhabitants. It is a
station upon the Erie R. R. Turners,9 (p. v.,) a station upon the r. r., near the center, contains
18 dwellings. Greenwood WorliS (p.v.) is a station upon the r.r., 3 mi. s. of Turners
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Denton, many of whose descendants still reside in the town.
The first marriage was that of Wm. Bull and Sarah Wells, in
1718. The first inn was kept by Birdseye Yarrington. Noah
Webster, author of Webster’s Dictionaries, taught the first
academic school, in the village of Goshen, in 1782. De Witt
Clinton was a pupil at the. academy at one time. William H.
Seward studied law at the office of Judge Duer, in this village.
1 There are now 4 churches in town; M. E., Prot. E., Presb.,
and R. C.
2 Eacts relating to the early history of this town could not be
accurately ascertained.
8 Named from Wolverhampton, the birthplace of Wm. Bull,
the first settler.
4 Tradition says that long ago, before the Delaware River broke
through the mountain at the Water Gap, the lands for 30 or 40
mi. bordering upon it were covered by a lake, but became
drained by the breaking down of that part of the dam which
confined it, and that a part of a tribe of Indians from New Jersey
settled upon these lands from which the waters had retired.
The lands were called “Minsies,” signifying “lands from which
the waters had gone,” and the name was afterward applied to
the Indians living upon it. From this name the term “ Minisink”
is derived.—Eagers Hid. Orange Co., p. 408. |
6 3 Presb., Bap., and Christian.
6 Named in honor of James Monroe, afterward President of
the U. S.
t Among the principal mountain peaks are Black Top, Black
Cup, and Long Hills, in the n. ; Torn Mt. and Cape Hill, in the
E.; Tom Jones Mt. and Hemlock Hill, in tho s. E.; Pine and
Prickly Ash Hills, in the s.; and Hogback, Hall, Tiger Cedar,
Burned, Rocky, and Macannon Hills, in the center
8 Among the principal ponds are Hazard Pond, in the rr.,
Slaughters, Two Pond, Bull, Poplopens, and Cedar Ponds, iu the
E.; Little, Long, and Duck Cedar Ponds, in the S.; and Little
Long, Round, and Mt. Basha Ponds, in the W.
8 Formerly called “ Centerville.” |
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