Proprietors and Settlers of Kingsbury
- The "Kingsbury patent," embracing a territory about six and a half miles square, the same which is now comprehended in the town of Kingsbury, was granted on the 11th of May, 1762, to James Bradshaw, of New Milford, Conn., and twenty-two associates, mostly from the same State; these being Daniel Taylor, Nathaniel Taylor, Samuel Brownson, Comfort Star, John Warner, Kent Wright, Abel Wright, Benjamin Seelye, Preserved Porter, Ebenezer Seelye, Gideon Noble, Thomas Noble, Partridge Thatcher, Daniel Bostwick, Samuel Canfield, Isaac Hitchcock, John Prindle, Benjamin Wildman, Jonathan Hitchcock, John Hitchcock, Amos Northup, and Israel Camp. All these lands, comprising more than twenty-six thousand acres, were divided into lots, numbers--commencing on the south line--from 1 to 93, and these were allotted among the several owners, excepting No. 93,--covering the limits of the present corporation of Sandy Hill,--which included the entire river frontage, and on this account was held in common by the patentees.
- Into this wilderness tract, which was for years known generally as "Bradshaw's township," the first to enter was Bradshaw himself, who came in 1763, and made preparations for settlement, but did not remove his family hither until 1765. The next one who came is supposed to have been Oliver Colvin, Sr., who settled in the north part of the town. The third settler in Kingsbury and the first at Sandy Hill was Albert Baker, who, in the year 1768, came here from New York City, bringing his young wife and their two sons, Albert and Charles, aged respectively three years and three months, locating in this humble dwelling upon the site now occupied by the residence of Hiram Allen, near those noble falls of the Hudson which have since borne his name, and upon which he then constructed a short wing dam (all that was necessary on such a fall) and built a saw-mill, this being the first wheel turned by waterpower in the town of Kingsbury. His son Caleb, born a year of two later, was the first white child born in the town.
- About the same time came Michael Hufnogel, also from New York, and for a time occupied the house with Mr. Baker, whose business partner he was for several years. He afterwards built a house near where Mr. Wait now lives, but this was burnt before the Revolution. Other settlers who followed very soon after were Samuel Brownson (original patentee), Joseph Smith, Thomas Grant, Benjamin Underhill, Solomon King, Henry Franklin, William Smith, Sylvanus Dillingham, Ennis Graham, George Wray, Moses Smith, John Moss, Timothy Harris, Moses Harris, Gilbert Harris, Nehemiah Seelye, John Griffith, John Munroe, Leonard Deklyn, Amos McKeney, Asa Richardson, Samuel Sherwood, Andrew Sherwood, Samuel Sherwood, Jr., John Phillips, Adam Wint, Samuel Harris, Adiel Sherwood, and the Jones family, which consisted of a widow and her six sons--John, Jonathan, Dunham, Daniel, David and Solomon.
- This family, of which John Jones appears to have been the head, settled in the northwest part of the township, near the present village of Patten's Mills, and afterwards became widely known, not only on account of their pronounced toryism, but still more from the fact that the fifth son, David, was the affianced lover of Jane McCrea, with whom he probably became acquainted in Leamington, N.J., from which place both their families had emigrated. He, with another brother, afterwards held commissions in Jessup's Loyalist Battalion, under Burgoyne, and both he and Daniel became proprietors of lands on Bond's creek, about one mile southeast of Moss street. John Moss settled at Moss street, and gave the name to the locality. Samuel Harris married a daughter of Hufnogel, and settled at Moss street. Timothy Harris purchased lot No. 28 of the survey, and small lot No. 9, adjoining No. 93, and he also leased from the proprietors a tract of twenty-seven acres, being a part of No. 93, and bounding upon the river; but we are uncertain upon which he first settled. John Griffith located and made improvements on lot No. 62 (Wood Creek, below and near Smith's Basin), and this land and improvements he sold to John Munroe on the 13th of June, 1772, for one hundred and fifty pounds.
- In the "Survey of Washington County" by Asa Fitch, M.D., the doctor remarks that he was able to gather but few definite particulars concerning the first settlement of the town of Kingsbury, and such has also been our experience,--a fact which is chiefly due to the destruction of records and the disorganization and depopulation of the town which resulted from Burgoyne's invasion, and the still more desolating one led by Carleton in 1780.
Extracted from Sleeper News, volume 3, number 4, November 1995. Copyright 1995.
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from C:\Documents and Settings\owner\Desktop\new stuff to backup\NYGenWeb Putnam County, NY -- History Amos Josep Moses Northrop.htm
NYGenWeb's
Putnam County, New York
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History of Putnam County
Chapter XXVII
Town of Kent
Settlement
THIS town is bounded north by the line of Dutchess county, east by Patterson, south by Carmel and west by Putnam Valley and Philipstown. It includes the north half of Lot 6, of Philipse Patent, which belonged to Philip Philipse; Lot 5, which belonged to Roger Morris and his wife, Mary Philipse; and a small portion of Lot 4, which was in possession of Beverly Robinson. It was originally a part of Frederickstown, which was established March 7th, 1788, and was separated from it and made a new town, under the name of Fredericks in 1795, and this name was changed to Kent by Act of April 15th, 1817. This town was not settled as early as the neighboring towns, as its rough mountainous lands were not attractive, and as late as the Revolution the population did not number more than two or three hundred. Among the first settlers of whom there is any knowledge was Joseph Merritt, who was a tenant of Roger Morris, and some years later bought a farm of Col. Morris and his wife, Mary Philipse. This deed is dated September 18th, 1771, and the land is described as "part of farm 76, beginning at a black oak tree, the corner of farm 75." It included 200 acres and is supposed to lie a short distance west of the reservoir at Boyd's Corners.
At the same date Roger Morris sold to John Rhodes 225 acres, being part of farm 75, situated on the west side of a branch of Croton River. This farm is believed to be south of the farm sold to Joseph Merritt and is probably the homestead of the late Dr. Joseph Bailey.
Among the early settlers in the western part of the town was Peleg Wixon, who came from Cape Cod probably about 1754. He had a son Daniel, whose son Reuben died in June, 1828, at the age of 60, and his son, Bently Wixon, is now living on the old homestead about a mile northwest from Boyd's Corners. The descendants of the various branches of this family are numerous.
Throughout the northern and western portions of the town, the Highlands are seen in all their wildness and grandeur. The mountains are steep and rocky, and the streams that flow down their valleys are uncontaminated and glide on in their crystalline purity.
The lots both of Roger Morris and Philip Philipse were surveyed and divided into farms at an early day, but, so far as the portions which lay in this town were concerned, did not readily find tenants, and while the lower land to the south and east were beginning to be settled they remained with scarcely an in habitant.
From the Field Book of Survey of Lot 6, made in 1762, by Benjamin Morgan, the following persons were living at that time on the north part of the lot, which is now included in the town of Kent: William Colwell, Hope Covey, Isaiah Bennett, Amos Northrop, Joseph Northrop, Moses Northrop, William Daley, Nehemiah Barlow, Elisha Calkins, Stephen Osborn, Samuel Daley, Aaron Calkins, Edward Dolph, Jacob Phillips, Joshua Burdox, Samuel Carter, Jonathan Tuttle, Jonathan Hill, Jonathan Gray, William Borden.
May 3d, 1767, Philip Philipse gave a lease to Malcom Morrison for a tract of 688 acres in the northeast part of the town, described as farm 93, bounded north by Jonathan Hill, east by Joshua Burdox, south by Moses Northrop, and west by William Borden. Malcom Morrison was a son-in-law of Rev. Elisha Kent, the first minister in Southeast. As he was a Tory during the Revolution, his property was confiscated, and he went to England and died there.
To locate any of these early settlers seems a difficult task, The Northrop family settled in the south part of the town, a short distance east of the present county farm. Jonathan Tuttle had a mill near the head spring of what was then called "Philipse Mill River," but now denominated "Whang Brook." Samuel Carter also had a mill, on "Townsend Mill River," or the middle branch of the Croton. There are no villages of any size in this town, and the few neighborhoods, which are designated by local names, we will describe in turn.
COLE'S MILLS
In the southern part of this town, on the Croton River, about a mile south of the reservoir, is a place known as Cole's Mills. It was here that the first settlement was made by Elisha Cole, who came from Cape Cod, in 1747. A mill was built on the outlet of Barrett Pond before the Revolution. After the war the family bought the farm, which they had long occupied, from the commissioners of forfeiture and also a large tract adjoining. Soon after the Revolution, two of his sons, Daniel and Elisha, built a mill on the Croton near by, at which a large business for those times was carried on. Connected with the grist mill was a saw and fulling mill, and to the latter, cloth of the good honest homespun of former days was brought from far and. near.
Elisha Cole married Hannah Smalley and they were the parents of twelve children: John, who moved to the western part of the State; Joseph, born in 1746; Joshua, who went away and was never heard from; Ebenezer, born in 1754, died August 18th, 1815; Elisha, 2d, born September 3d, 1742, died February 3d, 1826; Daniel, born 1744, died December 10th, 1831; Nathan, born 1745, died February 6th, 1805; Hannah, wife of Freeman Hopkins; Eunice, wife of Hackaliah Merrick; Priscilla, wife of Gen. James Townsend; Mercy, wife of Tracy Ballard; and Naomi, wife of Jesse Smith. Ebenezer, Daniel and Nathan were Baptist preachers and were justly esteemed as good and worthy men. Daniel Cole inherited the old homestead at Cole's Mills, where Theodore Cole now lives. He married Susannah Ogden, who, according to the tombstone inscription in the old burying ground at Carmel, died November 3d, 1857, at the age of 102 years, 4 months and 8 days. Their children were John, Elisha, Daniel and Jesse, who all settled near each other near Cole's Mills. The house and farm is now owned by his son, Hiram. Daniel lived where the brick house now stands near the mill, now owned by Tillott Cole, while the house of Jesse Cole is where Cornelius B. Nichols now lives. The various branches of the family are numerous and widely scattered, and include many of the best citizens of the county.
Elisha Cole, son of Elisha, the first settler, married Charity, daughter of Caleb Hazen. His homestead was a farm in the town of Carmel, about a mile and a half southwest of Cole's Mills, and now owned by Henry Cole. A few tombstones in a field on the south side of the road mark the last resting place of Elisha Cole and some of his family. His son, Elisha 3d, was and born in 1776, died July 19th, 1851.
Although the mill yet stands, the business of the place is no longer what it was, and the changes produced by the railroad have affected this, as they have many other like localities. South of Cole's Mills, on the road to Carmel, is the old homestead farm, which originally belonged to the Hopkins family. It was here that Capt. Solomon Hopkins lived during the Revolution. He was the brother-in-law of Enoch Crosby, the hero of Cooper's "Spy," and after the war he purchased 341 acres of land in the Morris Lot No. 5 from the commissioners of forfeiture. The homestead descended from Solomon Hopkins (who died September 22d, 1792, aged 52) to his son, Jeremiah, who in turn left it to his son, Abraham, who sold it to his brother, Solomon, and it came to his son, Addison J., who sold it in 1869 to Polly D. Haight, wife of Joseph Haight, to whom it now belongs. It was in the old house which stood on the site of the present residence of Mr. Haight that the murderous attack was made upon Enoch Crosby, which came near ending his days. The old house was torn down and the present residence built about 1874.
It was on this farm that the first school house in Kent was built. This stood about eight rods east of the present school house, and was torn down more than sixty years ago. In its place was built another, for which purpose Abraham, Nathaniel, Reuben and Jeremiah Hopkins leased "for one pepper-corn, to be paid annually 4 rods square of ground, five rods north westerly of the old school house, and south westerly of Daniel F. Cole's mills for the term of forty years." This in turn became unfit for use and pretty well hacked to pieces by several generations of jack knives, and the present school house was erected, a few rods west of the former one, on land bought from Stephen Townsend, December 15th, 1865, in exchange for the former site.
BOYD'S CORNERS
The valley which is now covered by the Croton Reservoir was the best tract of farming land in this portion of the town. The place derived its name from Ebenezer Boyd, who was of Scotch parentage, and born about 1735. He was a captain in the Revolution and a brave and gallant officer. About 1780, he removed from his home in Westchester county, came to Kent and bought several tracts of land in Lot 5 from the commissioners of forfeiture. Here he built a house, and kept a tavern till the time of his death which occurred June 29th, 1792. He was buried in the old cemetery which is now covered by the waters of the reservoir. The homestead was left to his oldest son, Ebenezer, who died March 27th, 1848, at the age of 82 after which it fell to his sons, Ebenezer and Stillman. The latter sold it in 1853, and moved to Jefferson Valley where he now resides. The place now belongs to John Bennett and his house stands on the site of the old mansion.
At this place is located the First Baptist Church of Kent. This church was constituted October 4th, 1810, by a Council called by the First Baptist Church in Philipstown, and held at the house of Isaac Drew. Of this meeting, Elder Ebenezer Cole was moderator and among the members present were Elders Job Foss, Jonathan Sturdevaut, and Simeon Barrett. The new society was known as the "Second Baptist Church in Fredericktown." Elder Moseman Barrett was the first pastor, and Abijah Yeomans, clerk. From July, 1818, to February, 1819, 58 members were added to the church. November 30th, 1826, Peter Robinson was ordained deacon in the church. By a revival in 1828, 50 more members were added to the church by baptism, and another large addition was made in 1836. March 2d, 1844, Elder John Warren was engaged as pastor and November 30th of the same year the church dismissed a number of the members to form the Second Baptist Church of Kent. Up to 1831 the meetings had been held in school houses or private dwellings, and in that year the first meeting house was built on land said to have been given by Ebenezer Boyd, Jr. This building stood on the old road, across the Croton and directly east of the present church 1, and near it was the old burying ground. In February 1846, another revival increased the membership and on August 4th, 1849, the church voted to unite with the Union Baptist Association. Rev. John J. Eberle was ordained pastor March 13th, 1850, and was succeeded by Elder David James July 5th, 1851. Rev. James C. Smalley was licensed to preach the gospel July 31st, 1852, and on the 13th of December, 1854, he was ordained pastor. James J. Townsend was licensed to preach, May 1st, 1858, and in January of the same year a new revival added 40 members to the church. February 5th, 1859, Allen Barrett and Charles Patrick were elected deacons. Henry Light and Allen Light were elected deacons February 4th, 1865. Rev. James C. Smalley resigned the pastorship February 6th, 1869. The construction of the new reservoir rendered the removal of the church necessary and a new meeting house was built and dedicated on the 29th of September, 1869. This building stands directly west of the former church on land given by Platt Parker.
1 This church was dedicated November 16th, 1881.
On the 6th of August, 1870, Rev. Allen E. Light was licensed to preach the gospel. In January, 1874, Rev. W. S. Clapp was invited to act as pastor and accepted but preached there only twice a month. He was succeeded by the present pastor, Rev. Henry Light, who was ordained January 26th, 1876, and still continues to labor in this place. During his term of service he has baptized 129 persons. At the present time he also supplies the church at Dykeman's Station and his labors, though arduous, are crowned with success.
West of the church is a new burying ground, to which the remains were moved from the old one now covered by the reservoir. From the oldest stones we give the following names and dates:
Sarah, wife of Jacob Knapp, died Jan. 2d, 1878, age 73;
Solomon Williams, Jan. 1st, 1873, 77;
Rachel, wife, April 11th, 1872, 79;
Josephine Townsend, Nov. 9th, 1858, 71;
Stephen Brown, April 20th, 1852, 73;
Jan wife April 2d, 1856, 70;
Nathaniel Nichols, April 8th, 1861, 60;
Elizabeth, wife, Oct. 3d, 1855, 53;
Moses Adams, May 20th, 1851, 82;
Phebe, wife, Aug. 19th, 1849, 71;
John Mead, March 4th, 1826, 77;
John S. Mead, Aug. 22d, 1840, 66;
Hannah, wife, Sept. 6th, 1830, 59.
"In Memory of Isaiah Smalley, who died July 7th, 1856, aged 100 years three months and 14 days."
On the west side of the reservoir and at the corner of the road running down Peekskill Hollow, is the old homestead of the Bailey family. Rowland Bailey, who came to this part of the country in the latter part of the last century, was the county clerk in 1820. He purchased several tracts lands, and was a very extensive owner of real estate. He died in the summer of 1839. The homestead was the residence of his son, Dr. Joseph H. Bailey, during his whole life, and few of the citizens of the town or county were more prominently known than he. Dr. Bailey was a surgeon in the United States Army, and a practicing physician in the county. The homestead was sold to William H. Stevens in 1885, by the executors of the estate.
The Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist is located at this place and was built principally through the liberality of Dr. Bailey. The church was organized March 8th, 1878, with Dr. Bailey and Andrew John Bennett, as wardens. The church lot was given by Dr. Bailey, November 26th, 1881, and the edifice was built soon afterward. Rev. Matthew A. Bailey was the officiating clergyman till the decease of his father, who in his will bequeathed to the church the family burying ground on the estate and certain lands adjoining the church edifice.
On the road running northwest from Boyd's Corners, is a small neighborhood known as Richardville. Through the public spirit and liberality of Dr. Bailey, a chapel has been erected here. The land where it stands, on the north side of the road, about half a mile from the corner, was given by Dr. Bailey to "Jackson Bennett, Darius Williams, John P. Williams and Corigan Tompkins, trustees of the Richardville Chapel, " June 27th, 1873, and the building was erected soon after. A large number of people attended the dedication, and the Sunday school established was doubtless productive of great good, and redounds to the credit of the liberal donor.
The neighborhood of Boyd's Corners is now more generally known as " Kent Cliffs," a name which has been given to it in later years.
Source: pages 675 through 681.
Return to the Table of Contents for Chapter XXVII .
Return to the Table of Contents for the History of Putnam County .
Return to the main Putnam County page.
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LEWISBORO (Town)
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Formerly known as Salem, Lewisboro includes the village of South Salem
Lewisboro is part of the "oblong" which was under different state jurisdictions at various times. If you do not find references to your ancestors in New York State records, try Connecticut since many people of this town had relationships with churches in New Canaan, Ridgefield and Wilton. Any weddings or baptisms performed at churches in these towns might have been registered in the State of Connecticut. Many land transactions were also recorded in Ridgefield, CT.
"Lewisboro' was first organized under the Van Cortlandt patent as Salem, and then included the present town of North Salem. To distinguish it from the upper part of the tow, it was called Lower Salem up to 1806. In 1783 the town was divided by act of Legislatue, Long Pond Mountain being the dividing line. The part south of the mountain retained the name of Lower Salem. In 1806 the name was changed to South Salem, and in 1840 again changed to Lewisboro', in honor of John Lewis, a leading citizen, who had contributed largely to the growth of the public schools. Most of the early settlers came from Connecticut, -- Norwalk, Stamford, Greenwich, etc. "
[Source: Excerpts from Scharf's History of Westchester County,..., Volume 2, Chapter IX, Lewisboro, page 535]
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from C:\Documents and Settings\owner\Desktop\new stuff to backup\The Settlers of the Beekman Patent, Volume 1 [Dutchess Co_, NY] - New England Historic Genealogical Society.htm
New England Ancestors
in order to Enable them to issue out his Majesties Letters Patent for six Thousand Acres thereof. Your petitioners therefore, most humbly pray your Honour would be favourably pleased to grant them your Honours Lycence to purchase the said tract or Parcel of Land of the Native Indian Proprietors of the said vacant Land; that they may be enabled to obtain his Majesties Letters Patent for Six Thousand Acres thereof, in order to cultivate & improve; & pay the usual quit rent to his Majesty for the same; And your Petitioner as in Duty bound shall ever pray, &c." (Signed) Moses Northrup Abigail Northrup Moses Northrup Jr. [Colonial Land Papers, NY xiii:139]. The second petition offers a little more detail: "That your Honours Petitioner having with much cost and trouble discovered that there are Certain Vacant lands containing by estimation about ten thousand acres lying & being in the county of Dutchess upon part whereof your Petitioner's dwelling house now stands, And that the rest of the same Vacancy lyes all round their said house. And your Petitioners, to the intent that your Honour, and his Majesties Council for this Province may be fully Certified that there are Such Vacant Lands as aforesaid, and how much they contain, do propose, at their own Costs and Charges to get such of the lines of Every Patent as adjoin to the same vacancy; to be run out by the Surveyor General of this Province and his Certificate thereof to be delivered to this Honourable Board concerning the same. Which vacant lands remaining as yet unpurchased of the Native Indian Proprietors thereof, Your petitioners are desirous to purchase of them in his Majesties name (as soon as the Surveyor General shall, at your Petitioners costs, have found and certified to this Honourable Board that there is such Vacancy and how much it contains) in order to enable your petitioner to issue out his Majesties letters Patent for four thousand acres thereof, lying next adjoining to, and including that part whereon your Petitioners dwelling house now stands." [Colonial Land Papers, NY xiii:140-1]. It does not appear that the Northrups were able to get the patent they petitioned for. Their farm was in the Gore area and in 1767 their right to live there was challenged by Beverly Robinson. On 30 April 1767 Robinson began suits in ejectment against Moses and Amos Northrup. [NY Supreme Court of Judicature LDS MF 1018633]. - 385 -
Beginning of Beekman Patent
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The "Kingsbury patent," embracing
a territory about six and a half miles square, the same which is now comprehended
in the town of Kingsbury (NY), was granted on the 11th
of May, 1762, to James Bradshaw, of New Milford, Conn.,
and twenty-two associates, mostly from the same State; these being Daniel
Taylor, Nathaniel Taylor, Samuel Brownson, Comfort Star, John Warner,
Kent Wright, Abel Wright, Benjamin Seelye, Preserved Porter, Ebenezer
Seelye, Gideon Noble, Thomas Noble, Partridge Thatcher, Daniel Bostwick,
Samuel Canfield, Isaac Hitchcock, John Prindle, Benjamin Wildman, Jonathan
Hitchcock, John Hitchcock, Amos Northup, and
Israel Camp. All these lands, comprising more than twenty-six
thousand acres, were divided into lots, numbers--commencing on the south
line--from 1 to 93, and these were allotted among the several owners,
excepting No. 93,--covering the limits of the present corporation of Sandy
Hill,--which included the entire river frontage, and on this account was
held in common by the patentees.
Into this wilderness tract, which was for years known generally as "Bradshaw's
township," the first to enter was Bradshaw himself, who came in 1763,
and made preparations for settlement, but did not remove his family hither
until 1765. The next one who came is supposed to have been Oliver Colvin,
Sr., who settled in the north part of the town. The third settler in Kingsbury
and the first at Sandy Hill was Albert Baker, who, in the year 1768, came
here from New York City, bringing his young wife and their two sons, Albert
and Charles, aged respectively three years and three months, locating
in this humble dwelling upon the site now occupied by the residence of
Hiram Allen, near those noble falls of the Hudson which have since borne
his name, and upon which he then constructed a short wing dam (all that
was necessary on such a fall) and built a saw-mill, this being the first
wheel turned by waterpower in the town of Kingsbury. His son Caleb, born
a year of two later, was the first white child born in the town. Extracted from Sleeper News, volume 3, number 4, November 1995. Copyright
1995.
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and Settlers of Kinsbury, NY Amos Northup by Lake Geoge.htm |
File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com May 23, 2005, 4:16 pmBook Title: HISTORY OF THE TOWNS OF NEW MILFORD AND BRIDGEWATER,
CONNECTICUT, 1703-1882CHAPTER XIII.
NEW PRESTON.
1722-1760.
LOVE for the woods and the wilderness must have been an almost innate
quality of
mind in the first settlers of the western part of Connecticut. When
Massachusetts had been settled but about one hundred years, one of its
strong
families emigrated to the town of Preston. New London County, in Connecticut,
which was a country more recently settled than the former, supposing that
here
they should find a home for life; but scarcely a dozen years had passed
before
the father hears of the western lands in the forests of Connecticut, and
removes
with a part of his family now grown up, and again plants the standard
of
civilization in the picturesque, but then wild wilderness country, known
now for
many years by the name of New Preston, Litchfield County, Ct. The tract of land called "New Milford North Purchase" was
bought in 1722, of
the agents for western lands, for Windsor and Hartford, and the whole
of it was
taken from Waraumaugs Reserve: for that Reserve was bounded, originally,
on the
south by the old township of New Milford. But the North Purchase was bounded,
when laid out, east on the Reserve, so that this "Purchase"
did not extend as
far east as the Reserve. The "Purchase" was six and a half miles
in length, and
one and a half in width, and the eastern boundary may have been half or
three-fourths of a mile east of the present meeting-house at New Preston
village. The northern boundary of that "Purchase" passed east
and west near or a
little north of the outlet of Waraumaug Lake, so that the present village
of New
Preston lies in what was the northeast corner of the New Milford North
Purchase. In dividing this tract among sixty-four owners, it was attempted to
complete
the work in one survey, making two tiers of lots the whole length, and
thirty-two lots in each tier; but when they were through with the first
survey,
there was so much land left that two other surveys were made, giving each
of the
sixty-four owners an equal amount each time. The thirty-second and thirty-third
lots in the first survey are said to have been at the east end of the
purchase,
and hence bounded east by the Reserve. Considerable attention has been given to learn who first settled within
the
bounds of this North Purchase, without obtaining satisfactory knowledge
on the
question. For nine years after the deed was secured, no attempt, apparently,
was
made to settle any one on this land. Then the first division was made
and a
petition presented to the Assembly to have the tract annexed to New Milford
and
become a part of that township; but this failed, and all that was done
during
the next ten years was the buying and selling of some of the shares of
the
Purchase. In 1741, by an act of the Assembly, this tract of land was made
a part
of New Milford township, and immediately land speculations became a specialty,
and the transactions increased until 1747, when the settlement began at
what is
now New Preston village. Two or three years before this last date, a few
settlers had located on the western part of this North Purchase, the locality
being called Merryall, and it is possible that some had settled in the
southwest
corner of this tract at or near what is now Merwinsville.First Settlers at New Preston. "Mr. Edward Cogswell of Preston, New London county, Conn.,"bought
of John
Baker of Woodbury, and Caleb Mallery of New Milford, Sep. 10, 1745, a
tract of
land in the North Purchase, the "thirty-third lot in the south tier
of lots,"
which must have been near the southeast corner of the purchase extending
northward from the southeast corner, three-fourths of a mile, or to where
the
New Preston Cemetery now is. In the next three years he purchased other
pieces
of land in the vicinity, amounting in value to several hundred pounds
money. He
at once erected what was called then the Iron Works, one-half of which
he sold
in 1747 to Matthew Whipple; these works standing on the river just above
the
road that goes to New Preston Hill. Samuel Cogswell of Preston, New London county, bought of Caleb Mallery,
June
9, 1746, "two shares;—lots 30 and 31, for £300 old tenor."
The next day Edward
Cogswell received a deed of land in the same vicinity, and the next spring
both
of these families were residing here, and therefore they probably settled
here
in the spring or summer of 1746. Jacob Kennie of Preston, New London county, bought of Jerusha Boardman
(widow
of Rev. Daniel), "lot 32 in N. M. N. Purchase, Jan. 20, 1746-7, for
£200 old
tenor," and the next April purchased of Samuel Cogswell 187 acres,
for £150. He
settled here that spring (1747), and made several other purchases of lands
within two or three years. He had a family, and they remained in the vicinity
many years. Jacob Kennie was an influential, benevolent citizen. Zephaniah Branch purchased for £139, land of Samuel Cogswell and
Edward
Cogswell, and made his home here about 1749, and was in the place some
years;
but all the family seem to have disappeared long ago. Matthew Whipple, of "Ipswich in the county of Essex, in the province
of the
Massachusetts Bay, yeoman," purchased of Edward Cogswell, October
24, 1747,"one-half of the Iron Works in New Milford North Purchase, standing
on a stream
called Aspetuck, that comes out of a large pond, commonly called the West
Pond;
also one-half of the stream from the dam southwardly ten rods, with all
the
appurtenances, privileges, and accommodations belonging thereunto, with
the
privilege of the iron ore, as I the said Edward Cogswell have of Elisha
Williams
and Martin Kellogg; likewise, . . . . full liberty to use any spot of
ground
that is near said Iron Works that may be convenient to build a house or
houses
upon, necessary to the carrying on the half of said Iron Works; also,
land for a
garden and orchard or pasture near the Works, on the west side of the
river, not
to exceed ten acres." Whatever there were of these Iron Works at this time, they had been
erected
within two years previous, probably within one, and the two partners,
Edward
Cogswell, and Matthew Whipple, composed the first manufacturing enterprise
within the North Purchase, and the second one within the bounds of New
Milford,
except that of leather. Nathaniel Bozworth of Rehoboth, county of Bristol, province of the
Massachusetts Bay, bought of Jonathan Noble about ninety acres of land,
the
thirty-fourth lot, for £130, old tenor, November 7, 1743. He did
not settle on
this land, but on the 23d of May, 1749, he deeded one-half of it, "for
love and
goodwill and divers other good causes," to his son Nathaniel Bozworth,
Jr.,
blacksmith, then already settled in New Milford. The boundaries of this
thirty-fourth lot, in part, are: "Beginning at the southeast corner,
. . . and
running westerly by the highway till it comes to Steep Brook, and then
bounded
by said brook. Then beginning again at the said southeast corner and running
northeasterly by the highway till it comes to a brook that runs across
said
highway into said Right of land, then by said brook westwardly until it
comes
within ten rods of East Aspetuck, then southwesterly ten rods for a corner,
then
northwesterly twenty rods, if it doth reach East Aspetuck River; then
northeasterly till it comes to said river, then down stream by said river
southeasterly from said river to Steep Brook, including forty-five acres;
and I
also convey to him fully one quarter part of the stream and land left
and
reserved, for building and improving water-mills and works, reserving
a
sufficient cart-way to and from the place proposed for said mills or works
to
the highway at the east side of said lot." The southeast corner of
this lot must
have been near,—perhaps a little northwest of—the Episcopal
Church in Marbledale. Henry Dean of Preston, in the county of New London tanner, came to New
Milford
and. purchased at this place, May 1, 1749, of Edward Cogswell, land "on
the east
side of the stream called Aspetuck, near the new Iron Works," and
in the
description of boundaries is mentioned "a black oak tree, standing
by the pond
made to soak hydes in," showing that already the Tan Works were commenced. When the settlement had attained to these proportions a movement was
successfully made for religious privileges in the community.Winter Privileges. Merriall Merryall "Oct., 1748. Upon the memorial of Samuel Averil and others, living
in the southeast part of Kent, and Edward Cogswell and others,
living in the northeast
part of the town of New Milford, shewing this Assembly that they
are situate at
a great distance from the public worship in the towns to which they respectively
belong, and praying liberty of this Assembly to hire an orthodox minister
to
preach among themselves six months in the year for such term of years
as this
Assembly shall think fit, with exemption from taxes, &c.: Resolved
by this
Assembly, that the said memorialists have liberty to hire an orthodox
minister
amongst themselves six months in a year for the space of four years next
coming,
with exemption from any ministerial charges in the towns to which they
respectively belong for such of time only as they shall hire among themselves." In the spring of 1753, a petition was sent to the Assembly,— as
hereafter
follows,—which resulted in the establishment of an ecclesiastical
society,
according to the boundaries of the petition, by the name of New Preston,
which
name was in honor of the fact that a number of the leading men had come
from
Preston in this state, and therefore it was agreeable and appropriate
to call it
New Preston.Petition for an Ecclesiastical Society. "To the Honorable ye Generall Assembly to be Holden at Newhaven
in ye Colony of
Connecticut on The Second thursday of October Next A. D. 1753— The memorial of us the Subscribers Being Inhabitants of ye Northern
Part of New
milford and ye South and Southeast Part of Kent and a Place Called Meriall
in ye
County of Litchfield Humbly Begg Leave to observe— That your Honrs. Memorialists Live a Great Distance from ye Publick
Worship of
God by Reason Whereof we Labour Under Great Difficulty to attend Publick
Worship. With our families many of us having Considerable families of
Small
Children Which many of them by Reason of ye Difficulty wee Labour under
are,
Destitute of the Benefit of Attending the Worship of God in any Place
by Reason
Whereof this Honorable Assembly hath in times Past Been Pleased to Grant
to us
the Liberty of winter Preaching Whereby we and our families have had the
opportunity of Enjoying the Benefit of a Preached Gospel Amongst our Selves
to
Great Satisfaction and that time being Limited and now Ended—thereupon
your
Honours memorialist humbly Pray that this Honorable assembly would be
Pleased in
your Wonted Goodness to Grant us Release from our Difficulty and Grant
to us the
Privilidge of Being an Ecclesiastical Society with the Powers and Privilidges
that other Ecclesiastical Societys in this Colony here With the Limits
and
Boundarys as hereafter Discribed (viz.) Beginning at the Southeast Corner of the new milford North Purchis then
Run-mg
Southerly Joyning upon Woodbury Line one mile, from thence runing a West
Line to
the foot of the Long Mountain Southwest of Capt. Joseph Bostwicks, from
thence a
North Line to a Place Called the Rockhouse Cobble and so that Course to
Meriall
Line and then a Cross Meriall to Kent Line and then runing East to 4e
Southwest
Corner of James Lakes fame then Northerly to the Northwest Corner of John
Henderson's farme that he now lives upon then Runing East to East Greenwich
Line
then Runing South to the Southwest Corner of East Greenwich then Runing
East
upon East Greenwich Line to Shipauge River thence Runing Southardly on
sd River
to Woodbury Line Then Runing westerly on woodbury line to the first mentioned
Bounds or such other Lines and Boundaries as your Honours shall think
most
Convenient, or to appoint a Comtcc to Now Settle and asartain the Same
or in
some other way Grant Relieve to your memorialist as you in your Grate
Wisdom
think fit and your memorialists as in Duty Bound shall Ever Pray. Dated
September ye 12th A. D. 1753.Jacob Kinne,
Josiah Churchill,
Samuel Cogswell,
David Mackwethy,
Mica Palmer,
Samuel Cogswell,
John Cobb,
Caleb Rude,
Joseph Miles,
Nathan Hawley,
David Averill,
Moses Averill,
Thomas Morris,
Samuel Waller,
John Bemen,
_____ _______
_____ _______
Stephen Noble,
John Keeny?
nathnel case, his
enoch X _____
mark,Jeremy Dawes ?
Benjamin Darling,
Joseph Corey,
Josiah Caswell,
Ichabod Palmer,
thomas hotchkiss,
Gilead Sperry
John hawniss
Reuben Mackwethy,
Thomas Bemon,
John Benedict,
Daniel Farrill,
Jehiel Murry,
John Bostwick,
Benajah Bostwick,
Samuel Averill,
Samuel Lake' Of these names, Joseph Miles, Nathan Hawley, Stephen Noble, John Bostwick,
and
Benajah Bostwick, were from New Milford. Capt. Joseph Bostwick was within
the
boundaries of the society, and his name may be one of the two which could
not be
copied from the original petition at Hartford, they being covered by repairs
on
the manuscript. Two or three others may have been originally from New
Milford,
and living in the western part of the new society. The names of all the men within the limits of the society are not on
this
petition; the reason is not apparent. Nathaniel Bozworth was one; his
brother
William received land here in 1751, from his father; and Edward Cogswell
and
Zephaniah Branch do not appear. William Cogswell came a few years later,
but was
here in 1757. Since writing the above, it has been ascertained that Nathaniel Bozworth,
Zephaniah Branch, and several others, resident in New Preston at that
time, were
adherents to the Episcopal Church; and hence as early as 1766 or 7, an
Episcopal
house of worship was erected in that place—a further account of
which may be
seen in connection with the sketch of St. Andrew's Church, of
Marbledale.Site for a Meeting-house. "Dec. 21, 1754. I, Jacob Kene, . . . in consideration of love and
good will
towards the society of New Preston, and in view of setting up or accommodating
the public worship of God in said society, . . . do freely give . . .
one acre
of land to erect a meeting-house upon for the public worship of God, .
. . part
of the farm I now live upon, . . . that part on which the County Court's
committee have affixed a stake for the meeting-house of said society,
together
with a two-rod highway from said stake southeast, unto a ten-rod highway
that is
between the 1st and 2d tier of lots in the New Milford North Purchase." This was the site of the first meeting-house on New Preston Hill, it
being but
a little distance from the present church edifice at that place. In December,
1753, the society voted to lay a tax of twelve pence on the pound to Eire
a
minister for the season; and to build two school-houses by subscription,
for the
use of the society. In November, 1754, it was voted to build a meeting-house
36
by 26 feet, with five windows, of twelve lights each. In December, 1766,
it was
voted to build another meeting-house forty by fifty feet, which was inclosed
three years later, but was not entirely finished until 1798. The Rev. Noah Wadham was the first settled minister in the society,
beginning
in 1757. He was induced to resign his place and accept the position of
pastor in
the settlement of the first colony in the Wyoming Valley, Pa., in 1768.
The Rev.
Jeremiah Day was the next pastor in New Preston, beginning in January,
1770, and
continuing until 1806. This family have become very widely known through
their
professional positions for many years in Yale College. During the labors of the Rev. Charles A. Boardman, from New Milford,
for
twelve years, from 1818, the New Preston Society was known as one of the
most
efficient and successful of Western Connecticut.New Preston Burying-Place. On February 1, 1757, Benjamin Mallery, of Kent, and James Terrill, of
New
Milford, as a committee of the New Preston Society, purchased of, Samuel
Cogswell, for twenty shillings, lawful money, a certain piece of land,
"bounded
west by Joseph Wheaton's, south and east by said Cogswell's land, and
north on
highway;" said land is purchased and devoted for a burying-place
for the east
end of New Preston. [1] For this land a warrantee deed was given, without
reservation or consideration except as above stated. The ten rod highway
running
through the north purchase east and west, passed this burying-place on
the north
side. [1] New Milford land records, B. ix., 320. The following secured the site of the first school-house, which doubtless
was
near the present one, near the dwelling of Mr. Gould C. Whittlesey:— "December 13, 1762. Voted that the inhabitants of New Preston Society
may have
liberty to build a school-house on the highway near Captain Nathaniel
Bozworth's
shop, in the most convenient place as they shall judge, so as not to incommode
the public road." Captain Bozworth's blacksmith's shop stood, probably, north side of
the
highway, a little way west from the present school-house, in New Preston
Village. In that part of the New Preston Society which lay within the bounds
of New
Milford township, the following names are found on the assessment list
for 1800:Ichabod, Bostwick, Justus Dimon,
Oliver Bostwick, Eli Daton,
Zachariah Bostwick, Ebenezer Edwards,
Richard Barnum, David Hill,
David Bostwick, Jonathan Hill,
Thomas Buckley, John Hatch,
Joseph Bostwick, Samuel Hill, Jr.,
Andrew Bostwick, Ephraim Lyon,
Joseph E. Bostwick, Read Marsh,
John Cogswell, Wanzer Marsh,
Edmund Clark, Stephen Morehouse, Jr.,
Stephen Morehouse, Henry Straight,
John Morehouse, Jr., Benajah Stone,
John Morehouse, Gideon Starr, Benjamin Northrop, Jared Sperry,
William Nickerson, Canfield Stone,
Epenetus Platt, Jr., Daniel Stone,
Elnathan Peet, 3d, Ithiel Stone,
Daniel Peet, James Terrill, Jr.,
Elnathan Peet, 2d, Leman Terrill,
Joseph Peet, Jared Terrill,
Samuel W. Peet, Job Terrill, Jr.,
Julius Stone, Joseph Waller,
Benjamin Stone, Jr., Winthrop Woodin,
Ebenezer Smith, Eseck Wheaton. The total assessment on the New Preston list in New Milford town for
1800 was
$10,129.71. The total assessments of the New Milford township for 1800, including
Bridgewater, and excluding New Preston, was $75,982.04. The total assessment within the Bridgewater Society in 1804, the first
year of
their organization, was $15,158.43. The total assessment of that part of Newbury (now Brookfield) Society,
lying
within New Milford township, in 1787, the last assessment before the
organization of the town of Brook-field was .£2,371 22s. 6d. The valuation of church property and the Town House in 1822, was recorded
on
the Assessor's list as follows:Congregational, Old Society, $1,500.
Congregational, Bridgewater, 1,000.
Episcopal, First Society, 1,000.
Baptist, First Society, 500.
Friends, First Society, 300.
Town House, 200.
14 School-houses, 700.
_______
5,200. For many years the assessment list contained the valuation of the property
in
the town, and also a percentage of the same as the list upon which taxes
were
collected. These two lists stood, in 1822, as follows: "Total amount of the whole town for 1822. Valuation. Taxable.
First Society, $1,055,765.00 $44,971.56
New Preston, 133,694.00 5,874.48
Bridgewater, 233,844.00 9,976.67
$1,423,303.00 $60,822.71Additional Comments:
Extracted from: HISTORY OF THE TOWNS OF NEW MILFORD AND BRIDGEWATER, CONNECTICUT, 1703-1882,
BY
SAMUEL ORCUTT AUTHOR OF THE HISTORIES OF TORRINGTON, WOLCOTT, AND DERBY, AND THE INDIANS
OF
THE HOUSATONIC AND NAUGATUCK VALLEYS, CONNECTICUT.HARTFORD, CONN.: PRESS OF THE CASE, LOCKWOOD AND BRAINARD COMPANY.
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THE OBLONG |
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The Oblong, a narrow strip of land, 61,440 acres, along the eastern boarders of Duchess, Putnam and Westchester counties, which was ceded to New York by Connecticut in 1731, in return for a rectangular strip along Long Island Sound and west of the boundary line that had been confirmed by the crown in 1700. The survey of the boundary line made at this time was satisfactory to neither NY or CT, bickering continued until 1860, when a survey was made that satisfied both states. (Dictionary of Am. History) Deuel Hollow is part of the Oblong and the area the Deuel's lived in Duchess County. |
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A marker denotes the western boundary of Connecticut under an agreement reached in 1683 between Governor Thomas Dongan of NY and Governor Robert Treat of Connecticut. Later the Treaty of Dover signed on May 14, 1731 moved the western border of Connecticut about two miles farther east to the present border known as "The Oblong" sixty miles long and approximately two miles wide extending from the southern border of Massachusetts to Long Island Sound. Erected by the Historical Society of Quaker Hill and Vicinity, 1976. Families living in Connecticut when they went to sleep found when they woke up in the morning they were now living in New York. |
The statement "The Oblong has acquired the reputation of being a genealogical "black hole". Some information may be included among records of the 'parent' Connecticut towns and other information may be in New York town and/or county records, but some families residing in The Oblong appear to have been missed by both states." made me wonder exactly what cities would have been considered part of The Oblong. |
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