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SULLIVAN COUNTY. 647
is very hilly and to a considerable degree covered with forests. It is watered by the Neversink #
and its branches, and by the Lackawack, or w. branch of the Rondout, which flows to the Hudson.
Denman Hill, 3300 feet, and Thunder Hill, 2500, above tide, are the principal elevations: the latter
received its name from the fact that one of the early settlers was frightened away from the place by
loud thunder. The soil is generally a gravelly loam, and best adapted to pasturage. The people
are chiefly engaged in lumbering, tanning,1 and dairying. ©raliamsville2 (p. v.) contains 40
houses, Merersink Flats (Neversink p.o.) 35, and Clary ville (p.v.) 30. The first settle¬
ment was commenced on the Lackawack, 2 mi. below Grahamsville, by the Hornbecks, Clines,
Clearwaters, and- Lowes, who obtained an Indian title in 1743, and were driven off during the
Revolution. Mr. Larrabee, on Thunder Hill, and Benj. Gillett, John Hall, and Wm. Parks, on the
1000 acre lot, were the pioneer settlers after the war.3 The first church (Meth.) was located at
Grahamsville; and the first preacher was Rev. Samuel M. Knapp.4
ROCRIiAlVD—was formed from Neversink, March 29,1809. It lies upon the headwaters
of the Pepacton, or e. branch of the Delaware, in the extreme n. part of the co. It is a rough, wild
region, very hilly and mostly covered with forests. Its principal streams are Beaver Kil and
Williwemack Creek. A chain of small lakes extends through the town, the principal of which are
Upper, Mongaup, and Hodge Ponds in the e., Big and North Ponds in the s. e., Shaw Pond in the
s., Burnt Hill and Jenkins Ponds in the w., and Sand, Mud, and Knapp Ponds in the center.
Lumbering, farming, and tanning5 are the principal pursuits of the people. Westfield. Flats
(Rockland p. o.) contains 28 houses, and Morsston (p. v.) about 12. Beaver Kill, Parvis,
and Slim Creek are p. offices. Settlement was begun in 1789, by two families named Stewart
and West, from Middletown, Conn.; they located near the middle of the Big Beaver Kil Flat.6
Rev. Mr. Conkey (Meth.) was the first preacher.7
THOMPSOBf—was formed from Mamakating, March 9,1803, and named in honor of Wm. A.
Thompson, first judge of the co. A part of Fallsburgh was taken off in 1826, and a part of Forest-
burgh in 1837. It lies principally upon the highlands between Neversink and Mongaup Rivers,
and is less hilly than most of the towns of the co. The hills rise 100 to 300 feet above Moniicello.
Neversink and Mongaup Rivers, with several small lakes and streams, constitute the waters of the
town. Kiamesha, or “ Clearwater,” better known as Pleasant Pond, is a beautiful little lake near
Monticello. The other principal ponds are Dutch in the n.e., Lords and Mud in the e., Wolf in the
s. E., and Sackets (named from Ananias Sacket, an early settler near it) in the s. w. The quiet
scenery of these lakes is becoming appreciated by the lovers of nature and those seeking a retreat
from the heat and dust of cities in summer. The soil is a reddish loam. The people are principally
engaged in stock raising, lumbering, and tanning.8 Monticello,9 (p. v.,) the principal village, was
incorp. April 20, 1830. Pop. 629. It is beautifully situated upon a ridge of highlands 1387 feet
above tide, and is surrounded by hills. It is finely laid out, the main street being 1 mi. long and
8 rods wide, with flagged walks and ornamented with shade trees. It contains a courthouse, jail, co.
clerk’s and surrogate offices, and a banking house, all of stone; 3 churches, the Monticello Academy,
3 hotels, 10 stores, 3 printing offices, and an iron foundery. Tkompsonville (p. v.) and
Bridg'eville (p. v.) each contain about a dozen houses, ©ales and ©lea Wild are p. offices.
The first settlers were Wm. A. Thompson, John Knapp, and Timothy Childs, at Thompson ville.10
Rev. John Boyd (Presb.) was the first preacher.11
TFSTEJV—was formed from Lumberland, Dec. 17, 1853, and was named in honor of Col.
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others to he so named because the stream is less affected by
drought than others.
1 About 95,000 sides of leather are manufactured each year.
2 Named in honor of Lieut. Graham, who was killed in a
skirmish with the Indians near the present site of the villag-e.
8 The first child bom was Elijah Parks. Christopher Darrow
taught the first school; Mr. Larrabee kept the first inn, on
Thunder Hill; Richard Childs kept the first store; and Wm.
Parks built the first gristmill, 3 mi. s. e. of the Flats. There
are no town records earlier than 1814.
4 The census reports 5 churches; 3 M.E., 2 Ref. Prot. D.
6 One of the most extensive tanneries in the State is in the w.
part of the town. About 170,000 sides of leather are manu¬
factured each year in town.
6 Another account says the first settlers were Robert Cochran,
Jehiel and Luther Stewart. In the following year, Peter Wil¬
liams and Cornelius Cochran came in from Mass. Mr. Bascom
settled 1 mi. w. of Purvis p. office, and Thomas Nott and James
Overton 1 mi. S. of the same. The first child born was Susan
Thorn; the first marriage was that of Ebenezer White and Cla¬
rissa Field; and the first death was that of Sylvanus Stewart. |
Sylvanus Bascom taught the first school, at Westfield Flats;
Jehiel Stewart kept the first inn, Mr. Loveland the first store;
and Luther Stewart built the first mill, at Westfield Flats.. The
settlers are said to have obtained their first seed corn frcm the
Indians on the Susquehanna Flats, and this stock has been con
tinued till the present time. The lumber trade began in 1798.
I The census reports 3 churches; M. E., Presb., and Union.
8 About 35,000 sides of leather are manufactured annually.
9 Named by J. P. Jones, from the residence of Thos. Jefferson.
The first settlement of this village was made in 1804, by Samuel
F. and John P. Jones, from New Lebanon, (Columbia co.,) who
located art this place in anticipation of its becoming the co. seat
of a new co. to be erected from Ulster. J. P. Jones erected the first
house, in 1804, and opened the first store; Curtis Linsley kept the
first inn.
10 A. Sacket and A. D. Kinne were the first settlers in the w.
part of the town, and John Wetherlow and John Simson on the
Neversink. Asa Hall kept the first school, at Bridgeville; Judge
Thompson built the first mill and factory, at Thompsonville.
II The census reports 4churches; M. E,, Presb., Prot. E., and
Union. |
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