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ULSTER COUNTY.
center and w. The Shawangunk Mts. extend along the w. border.1 The Wall Kil flows x. e. through
near the center apd receives Shawangunk Kil from the s. w. The soil is principally a gravelly loam,
with clay and alluvium along the streams. Lumber and leather are manufactured to some extent.
Tutliilltown, (Tutbill p. o.,) upon Shawangunk Kil, near its mouth, contains 20 dwellings.2
liberty ville, (p.o.,) on the n. line, and Jenkinstown are hamlets. The first settlement
was made at an early period, by a colony of French Huguenots. The first church was formed in
1833; Rev. Wm. Brush was the first preacher.
IIARDEIBURUH 3—was formed from Denning and Shandaken, April 15, 1859. It lie
in the extreme w. corner of the co. Its surface is a broken and mountainous upland, tbe highest
summits being 2,000 ft. above tide. It occupies a portion of the watershed between the Hudson
and Delaware. Beaver Kil, Mill Brook, and Dry Brook take their rise in the town. Dl'J
Brook (West Shandaken p. o.) is a hamlet.
HURLEY*—was granted by patent Oct. 19, 1708.5 A part of the Hardenburgh Patent was
released by Margaret Livingston, and was annexed March 3, 1789; and a part of New Paltz was
taken off in 1809, a part of Esopus in 1818, a part of Olive in 1823, a part of Rosendale in 1844,
and a part of Woodstock in 1853. It is an interior town, lying x. e. of the center of the co. The
surface is a rolling and moderately hilly upland, the highest summits being about 700 ft. above
tide. Esopus Creek flows n. e. through the s. part. Along its course are extensive fertile fiats.
The soil is a sandy loam, a considerable portion lying x. of the creek being unfit for cultivation.
Stone quarrying is extensively carried on.4 Hurley, (p.v.,) on Esopus Creek, contains a church
and 160 inhabitants;5 and West Hurley, (p.v.,) in tbe x. part, 2 churches and 25 dwellings.
The first settlements were made by the Dutch, about 1680.6 This town became the refuge of the
inhabitants of Kingston when the latter place was taken by the British in 1777. The first church
(Ref. Prot. D.) was formed in 1800; Rev. Thos. O. Smith was the first pastor.7
KJUVCJSTOIV—was incorp. by patent May 19, 1667, and was recognized as a town May 1,
1702.8 Fox Hall Patent was annexed March 12,1787.11 Esopus and Saugerties were taken off in
1811; a part of Esopus was annexed in 1818, and a part was annexed to Saugerties in 1832. It
lies upon the Hudson, x. of the center of the co. Its surface is broken and hilly, the highest
summit being Kuykuyt or Lookout Mt., about 600 ft. above tide. Esopus Creek flows n. e. through
near the center, receiving Saw Kil from the w. as tributary. Rondout Creek forms the s. boundary.
The soil is principally a clayey loam. A large business in coal, ice, and stone is carried on by
the canal and river. Hmg'ston, (p.v.,) upon Esopus Creek, 2 mi. w. of the Hudson, was
incorp. April 6, 1805. Besides the co. buildings, it contains 8 churches, the Kingston Academy,
several private seminaries,9 3 banks, 1 savings bank, 4 newspaper offices, and several small
manufactories.10 Pop. 3,971. Rondout,15 (p.v.,) upon the Hudson, at the mouth of Rondout
Creek, was incorp. April 4,1849. It is the center of an extensive trade upon the river and canal.11
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1° Called by the Indians “Atlcankarten,”—said to signify smooth
land. It was more commonly called Esopus, from a tribe of In¬
dians that inhabited it. Gov. Stuyvesant granted it a charter,
May 16, 1661, under the name of Wiltwyck. (Indian Town,) and
relieved it from dependence upon Port Orange. Its affairs were
to be managed by a sheriff and 3 schepens. Roeloff Swart¬
wout was appointed first sheriff, and Evert Pels, Cornelius
Barentsen Sleight, and Elbert Heymans Roosa, the first
schepens. Appeals from their decisions might be made to
the Director General and Council in New Netherlands. Tho
sheriff and commissioners were to hold a court every fortnight,
except in harvest time, unless occasion or necessity might other¬
wise require. All criminal cases were to be referred directly to
the Director General and Council, except the lesser crimes,—as
quarrels, injuries, scolding, kicking, beating, threatenings, simply
drawing a knife or sword, without assault or bloodshed,—which
might be prosecuted in the lower court.
11 Fox Hall Patent was issued to Thomas Chambers, May 21,
1667, with manorial privileges. Chambers first settled on the
tract now occupied by Troy, as a tenant under Van Rensselaer
He removed in 1652 to Esopus, acquired a large estate by trade,
and rendered efficient service in the war against the Indians.
He died in 1698. The district still bears the name of “ Fox Hall.”
12 The Golden Hill Seminary and the Brookside Female Semi
nary, two private boarding schools, are located at this place.
is The Newark Lime and Cement Manufacturing Co., organized
in 1848, has 2 manufactories at Newark, N. J., and one at Ron
dout, N. Y., producing in the aggregate 750,000 barrels annually.
14 The principal trade is that of stone, obtained fls'an the neigh
boring quarries.
15 Formerly named “The Strand” and “Kingston Landing.”
When the canal was located, it was named “Bolton,” from the
then president of the canal company; but its present name was
adopted soon after. It is the Dutch name for redout. It was, |
1
“The Traps” is a deep pass or gully, 650 ft. wide, extending
through these mountains.
2
A woolen factory was built at this place at an early period.
3
Named in honor of Johannes Hardenburgh, the patentee of
an immense tract in this and adjoining cos. This town has
been formed since the statistics for this work were obtained.
4
The patentees of this tract were Cornelius Kool, Adrien Gar-
retsie, Matthew Ten Eyck, Jacobus Du Bois, Johannes Schep-
moes, Roeloff Swartwout, Cornelius Lammerse, Peter Petersies,
Lawrence Osterhoudt, and Jannetie Newkirk. The successors of
the original trustees afterward bought 300 acres for the-benefit
of the corporation. An act of April 4,1806, appointed John A.
De Witt, Levi Johnston, and a third person, to be named by the
freeholders, to sell these lands and make a partition among the
owners.
6 The stone obtained from these quarries is used for building
and flagging. The business gives employment to several hun¬
dred men.
5
Some of the buildings at this place are nearly 200 years old.
A wire suspension bridge 160 ft. long here crosses the Esopus.
6
Among the early settlers were families named Crispell, Du
Bois, Cole, Newkirk, Schepmoes, Ten Eyck, Wynkoop, Elmen-
7
dorf, Roo3a, Constable, Louw, Delamater, and others,—mostly
from Holland and Belgium. In 1719 the following persons held
8
the office of trustees of the corporation:—Cornelius Kool, Adrien
9
is definite knowledge was kept about 1760, by Charles De
10
Witt, at Hurley Village. Two gristmills were erected soon after
11
the first settlement.
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