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ULSTER COUNTY.
about 300. West Camp, (p.v.,) upon the Hudson, in the n. part, contains a church and 15
houses. Quarry ville, (p.v.,) in the n. part, and Union ville, near the center, each con¬
tains about 300 inhabitants, who are mostly engaged in getting out stone from the neighboring
quarries. Glenerie, upon the s. line, Van Aliens Mills, near the center, and Ash¬
bury, are small villages. The first settlements were made by the Dutch, at an early period; but
the largest immigration was that of the German Palatinates,1 a colony of whom located at West
Camp in 1710. The first church (Luth.) was organized at West Camp, in 1711. There are now
15 churches in town.2 * •
SHASTDAEEI3—was formed from Woodstock, April 9, 1804. A part was annexed from
Neversink (Sullivan co.) in 1809. A part of Olive was taken off in 1823, Denning in 1849, and
a part of' Hardenburgh in 1859. It is the n. w. corner town of the co. Its surface is mostly a
mountainous upland, broken by deep ravines. The declivities are steep and rocky, and a large
share of the surfaee is too rough for profitable cultivation. The town is not inhabited except
along the valleys, the mountain region being left to wild beasts and hunters. The soil in the
valleys is a clay and sandy loam. The principal branches of business pursued are lumbering,
shingle making, and tanning. Shandaken,1 (p. v.,) in the N. part, contains a church, a large
tannery, a sawmill, gristmill, and 20 houses; Pine Hill, (p.v.,) in the n. w. part, a sawmill,
gristmill, tannery, and 15 houses. Ladews Corners, (The Corner p. o.,) in the extreme e.
angle of the town; Phoenicia, (p. o.,) in the n.e. corner; and Woodland, (p. o.,) s.e. of
the center, are hamlets. At each of these places, and at several other points in town, are exten¬
sive tanneries.5 The first settlements were made before the Revolution.4 There are 2 churches
in town; Ref. Prot. D. and M.E.
SHAWAICTIR5—was formed as a precinct Dec. 17, 1743, and as a town March 7, 1788.
A part of Gardiner was taken off in 1853, a part was annexed to Plattekill in 1846 and restored in
1848. It is the central town upon the s. border of the co. The surface is a hilly and broken up¬
land. The Shawangunk Mts., extending along the w. border, are about 2,000 ft. above tide. Tho
Shawangunk River forms about J of the s. boundary, and flows n. e. through near the center, re¬
ceiving Dwaars Kil6 from the w. Wall Kil flows n. e. through the e. part, receiving Muddy Kil from
the e. and Dwaars Kil from the w. The soil is generally a gravelly loam. Shawangunk,
(p.v.,) in the s. e. part, contains a gristmill, sawmill, spoke factory, and 20 houses; Ulsterville,
(p.o.,) in the s.w. part, 10 houses; and Galeville Mills, (p.o.,) on Wall Kil, a church,
sawmill, gristmill, and 10 houses. Pwaarsfclll, near the center, is a p. o. Bruynswicli,
(p.o.,) on the n. line, contains a church and 10 houses; Jamesburgb, (p. v.,) near the extreme
w. angle, a church and 12 houses. Mew Hurley (p. o.) is a hamlet, on the line of Plattekill.
The first settlements were made along the valley of Shawangunk River, by the Dutch, between
1680 and 1700.® New Port is a locality where two Indian battles were fought in 1663. The first
church (Ref. Prot. D.) was formed Oct. 10, 1753 ; Rev. V. Yrooman was the first pastor.10
WAWARSIMG11—was formed from Rochester, March 14, 1806. A part was re-annexed to
Rochester in 1823. It is the s. w. corner town in the co. . Its surface is mostly a mountainous
upland, broken by several deep valleys. The Shawangunk Mts. extend along the e. border; and
spurs of the Catskills occupy the central and w. parts. The highest peaks are 2,000 to 3,000 ft.
above tide. The mountainous portions in the e. and sr. w. corners are rocky and precipitous and
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t Pronounced Shawn-gum, and said to mean “ white rocks.”
The kil or creek receives this name from large white rocks at
its junction with Wall Kil; and it was applied from the stream to
the mountain and town. Another version is that it is named
from the Shawan, a southern tribe, and gunk, a mountain,
or, The mountain that extends toward the south.
8 The Dutch applied the term Dwaar to streams that flowed
sometimes in one direction and sometimes in another. This
phenomenon is true of waters at the mouth only of the stream.
9 Among the early settlers were Jacobus Bruyn, Cornelius
Schoonmaker, Abram Schutt, Zachariah Hoffman, Benjamin
Smedes, Jacob Decker, John Terwilliger, and Johannes Decker.
Along Wall Kil, Robert Kain, Robert Graham, David Davis,
Daniel Winfield, Hendrick Van Wegen, and James Penneck
settled from 1710 to ’30. A school was taught near Bruyns-
wick p. o., between 1730 and ’40. The first mill was probably
at the junction of Wall and Dwaars Kils, 1 mi. below Shawang¬
unk Village.
10 There are 4 churches in town; 2 Ref. Prot. D. and 2 M.
E.
11 Usually abbreviated to “War-sink.” It is an Indian word,
and said to signify “black bird’s nest.” |
1
Christ’n Myers and brothers settled at a place called “ Church-
land,” just w. of Saugerties Village. Martin Snyder settled at
the same place, and G. W. Dedriek at West Camp, Aaron New¬
kirk and Felte i'iero in the same vicinity,—-all in 1700, Dedriek
Marrtesstock settled at “ Kaatsban” in 1728. Peter Winne,
Edward W oods, Myndert Mynderse, B. Barham, Jacobus Pearsen,
Myndert Schutt, Godfrey Denolfen, and others, were early
settlers. On the 18th of May, 1711, there were 14 Palatinates at
“Elizabethtown,” 111 at “Georgetown,” and 321 at “New Vil¬
lage,” in this town. The settlers afterward mostly removed to
the valleys of the Schoharie and Mohawk.
2
4 Bef. Prot. D., 4 M. E., Germ. Meth., Bap., Cong., Prot. E.,
R. C., Luth., and Presb.
3
200,000 sides of leather are annually manufactured in this
town.
4
John Longyear, Cornelius Furlough, Jacob Brink, Coonradt
5
Wisner, and Frederick Markle, all settled before the war. -
6
Witherspoon taught school at The Corner at an early period.
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