FAMILY OF JACOB R. DE WITT AND WIFE, JANE DEPUY.
They removed from Neponaugh (Napanock), in Ulster county, into the neighborhood of Peenpack about the year 1760. He was a son of Egbert De Witt, of the former place, and she was a daughter of Moses Depuy, of Rochester. He built the old stone and frame house at the Neversink river, and a grist mill near the present aqueduct across the river, and owned the farm he formerly occupied, together with those premises. In the commencement of the Revolutionary War a fort was built contiguous to his house, which has been termed Fort De Witt, [FN] and he was commissioned Captain of a Company of Rangers for guarding this frontier. According to Eager's History, it is satisfactorily ascertained that De Witt Clinton was born in this house. The writer has also been informed by a near neighbor, formerly of the Clinton family, that he was born at that place.
[FN] Fort De Witt was located near the Suspension Bridge which crosses the Neversink river, on the road leading from Port Jervis to Cuddebackville, about one mile south of Cuddebackville. The small house standing (1889) near the present dwelling of Jesse Tillson, is on the foundation of this fort.
The family of Jacob R. De Witt and wife consisted of three sons—Moses (bap. Dec. 12, 1766), Egbert and Jacob, and seven daughters—Mary, Rachel, ____, Margaret, Jane, Hannah and Esther.
Moses had a suitable genius for obtaining scientific knowledge, and an uncommon relish for the same; he also was naturally a very persevering student and of an amiable disposition. His opportunities for obtaining education were small; but he acquired much in view of the disadvantages under which he labored, and far beyond that of any of his contemporaries in this part of our country who had the same opportunities with himself. He became employed as one of the under-surveyors to run the line between the State of New York and Pennsylvania, and afterwards one of the Surveyors to survey the military lands in the State of New York. He died about the age of 27 years, possessed of a very valuable property of unsettled lands in the district of military lands in this State. He and his brother Egbert both died unmarried.
Youngest son, Jacob, removed from this neighborhood before he arrived to manhood.
Daughter Mary De Witt married William Rose, from Little Britain or its vicinity. In the time of the Revolutionary War he was commissioned a Captain to enlist a company of soldiers to serve in that war, and, after it ended, he became Captain of a company of militia. He, in the latter part of his life, owned the farm, mill, &c., of his father-in-law, then deceased.
Daughter Rachel De Witt married Robert Burnet, of Little Britain, where he owned and occupied a farm. He has served in different county and State offices.
One daughter married ____ ____; daughters Margaret and Jane married Cuddeback, as has been mentioned. (For their history refer back to their names.)
Daughter Hannah De Witt married James Ennes, son of Daniel Ennes, of New Jersey. They became owners of a farm near the outlet of Skaneateles lake.
Daughter Esther De Witt married James Depuy, son of Benjamin Depuy, Esq., of the Peenpack neighborhood. They settled at Onondaga, where they owned and occupied a farm. He served in civil and military offices.
Abraham Westfall and wife, Blandina Van Etten, became residents in the southwest end of the Peenpack neighborhood, in the latter part of the Revolutionary War, and he became owner of a small, ancient Westfall farm, now included in the farm occupied by Capt. Henry Swartwout. A few rods east of his dwelling house stood the old stone house of Westfall. This was the house where the fort was in the time of the French war, and which the Indians attacked and killed part of a company of soldiers who were traveling from New Jersey to Esopus, and, just before the attack, had stopped in to rest and take refreshments. The particulars of this are stated in Eager's History of Orange County.
Abraham Westfall was a son of ____ Westfall, and his wife was a daughter of Anthony Van Etten, Esq., of the lower neighborhood. In the latter part of the Revolutionary War, Westfall was commissioned a Captain of the soldiers, who, from time to time, were stationed on this frontier. Near the end of the war he built a small fort at his house, and, with a few soldiers and one or two families, occupied the same. Sometime after the war ended, he removed with his family to one of the Southern States. [FN-1] {tn}
(Children, Joseph, baptized Aug. 18th, 1782; Annatje, baptized April 20th, 1784. Mahackamack church records.) [FN-2] {tn}
[FN-1] Ohio
[FN-2] Catherine Married Jacob Patrick in New Philadelphia, O., 1801.
{Transcriber's note: Both footnotes are hand-written.}
FAMILY OF JAMES DAVIS AND WIFE, ELIZABETH KATER.
They removed from the lower neighborhood into the Peenpack neighborhood soon after the Revolutionary War ended. She was originally from Rochester or its vicinity. They had three sons—Solomon, James and Daniel, and ____ daughters—Leah, Elizabeth, Anna, ____ and Polly. They all removed into the western part of this State, excepting some of the daughters.
FAMILY OF WILLIAM GEEGGE AND WIFE, LEAH DAVIS.
He was originally from Ireland and by trade a millwright. His wife was a daughter of James Davis, father of the preceding family. They were married a few years after the Revolutionary War ended. He built and occupied a grist-mill on a farm he purchased. The mill seat and farm is now owned by John Van Etten, Esq. They had one son, William, and a daughter.
There were a few other families in the vicinity of the Peenpack neighborhood.
ANCIENT FAMILIESOF THE LOWER NEIGHBORHOOD.
The following were ancient families who resided in the lower neighborhood of this town, who, as near as can be ascertained, must have commenced to settle in the same more than 20 years after the first settlement was made at Peenpack:
FAMILY OF HENRY CORTRIGHT AND WIFE, MARGARET DECKER.
She probably was a sister of Thomas Decker. He must have been from Rochester. They resided where Aaron Whitlock now lives, and became owners of his present farm.
One son, Daniel Cortright (bap. May 3, 1743), married ____ ____. They first resided on the east side of Shawangunk mountain, in the town of Minisink, and from thence removed into the western part of York State. They had ____ sons, ____ ____, and ____ daughters.
Another son, Moses Cortright (bap. March 24,1745), married ____ Van Etten, daughter of Anthony Van Etten, Esq. They continued to reside in the house of his father, and he became owner of his homestead farm. A few years after the Revolutionary War ended, he with his family removed into the western part of this State. They had ____ sons, namely, ____, ____, and ____ daughters.
FAMILY OF ABRAHAM VAN AUKEN AND WIFE.
They resided between the present residences of David Swartwout and Joseph Cuddeback, where he owned a farm. They had three sons—Cornelius, Josias and Abraham. They, or two of them, moved into the western part of this State soon after it began to be settled. They had ____ daughters, namely ____, ____.
FAMILY OF JOHN WESTBROOK AND WIFE, MAGDELENA WESTBROOK.
He owned the farms now of Abraham J. and Isaac Cuddeback, and resided where the old house of the former now stands, in a stone house. He for some years kept a small store for Indian trade and a tavern. He was Captain of a company of militia. He had (six) sons, namely—(Anthonie, bap. Oct. 31, 1738; Johannes, bap. Sept. 19, 1740; Johannes, bap. Nov. 16, 1746; Samuel, bap. March 12, 1749; Joel, bap. April 11, 1756; Gideon, bap. Nov. 21, 1759), and (four) daughters, namely—(Antje, bap. Dec. 23, 1744; Alida, bap. June 21, 1747; Elizabeth, bap. March 24, 1751; Sara, bap. June 17, 1753.) Nearly all his descendants have removed from this place.
FAMILIES OF VAN AUKEN—HENRY DECKER,
And another individual were early settlers on the farm heretofore occupied by Benjamin Cuddeback, Esq., now by his sons, Elting and Dr. Thomas Cuddeback. Van Auken resided at the former residence of Jacob Shimer, Decker where Elting now resides, and the other near the mouth of the brook. The two latter had grist-mills. None of their descendants have remained in this town. The wife of Jacob Shimer was a daughter or granddaughter of Van Auken. They had one son, Richard, who married a daughter of Daniel Ennes, and two daughters, one of whom married Hezekiah Fredenburgh, and the other ____ ____. They, all of this family, removed into the western part of this State.
FAMILY OF JAMES VAN AUKEN AND WIFE,
Settled at the present residence of James D. Swartwout, Esq., and owned his farm. He was the first Justice of the Peace in the present town of Deerpark which office he probably derived from the government, of the State of New Jersey. He was a brother of Van Auken mentioned.
His son, Daniel Van Auken, married Leah Kettle, daughter of ____ ____. He became owner of his father's farm, and occupant of his house, at which a fort was built in the time of the Revolutionary War; and when the Indians invaded this neighborhood, they attacked the fort and two Indians were shot. They shot old James Van Auken as he looked through a window on the chamber. They had ____ sons—Elijah, Nathaniel, Nathan, Absolum, Joshua, Daniel, Jeremiah, ____, and ____ daughters, namely, ____, ____, ____, ____, ____, ____, whole number fifteen. One of his sons, a school teacher, was killed by the Indians when they invaded the lower neighborhood. These descendants became dispersed into different parts of our country.
SOLOMON KUYKENDALL AND WIFE, SARAH COLE,
Resided at the present residence of the widow Elting and her family, and owned their present farm. He was a Justice of the Peace in the time of the Revolutionary War and after it ended. James Van Fliet, Jr., became owner of his real estate. From which I infer that the former had no children living at the time of his decease. Van Fliet had two sons—Solomon, who married a daughter of Benjamin Carpenter, and the other, Daniel, married a daughter of Jacob Westbrook.
Van Fliet, after some years' occupation of the premises, sold and removed with his family west into Pennsylvania or York State.
FAMILY OF SIMON WESTFALL AND WIFE, JANE (JANNETJE) WESTBROOK.
They resided in the old stone house now or lately occupied by James Bennet, Esq. He owned a gristmill there and some land. They had (eight) sons—Simeon (bap. Feb. 12, 1749); Wilhelmus (bap. July 8, 1753); John De Witt (bap. May 19, 1751); Jury (bap. April 23, 1744); Jury (bap. Jan. 24, 1748); Solomon (bap. Jan. 27, 1759); Daniel (bap. June 5, 1763); and Reuben (bap. April 8, 1764.) Also (three) daughters, namely—Aeltje (bap. Oct. 6, 1745); Aeltje (bap. Feb. 1756); and Blandina (bap. Nov. 9, 1760.) Wilhelmus settled east of the Shawangunk mountain, near Deckertown, in the State of New Jersey.
His son, Simeon Westfall, married Sarah Cole, daughter of David Cole. They became residents in the old stone house at Port Jervis, in Pennsylvania, where he had a good farm, now possessed by different occupants, Samuel Fowler, Simeon Westfall, Dimmick and others. Westfall and wife had three sons, Simon (bap. Feb. 9, 1766), David and George, and two daughters, Jane and ____.
Son John D. Westfall married Mary Davis, daughter of Samuel Davis. They resided in the stone house now occupied by (David) Westfall, in the Clove, in the north part of New Jersey, where he became owner of a good farm. They had sons, Samuel De Witt Westfall (bap. Oct. 29, 780), ____, ____.
They all removed into the western part of York State.
Son Reuben Westfall married (Tjaetje) Kuykendall, daughter of Jacob Kuykendall. They remained in the old homestead and he remained in possession of the farm and mill of his father. They had ____ daughters ____, ____.
One daughter (Blandina) Westfall, married John Brink. They and family have moved into western countries. (The Mahackamack church records contain the baptism of two children—Femmetje, Oct. 29,1780; Reuben Westfall, April 22, 1784.)
FAMILY OF WILLIAM COLE AND WIFE.
They settled near the present dwelling house of Eli Van Inwegen, Esq., and owned a farm there.
His son, Wilhelmus Cole, married Leah Westbrook, daughter of Cornelius Westbrook, of Jersey State. He occupied the house of his father until he built a new one after the war ended at the same place; and owned his father's farm. They had two sons-Josias (bap. Nov. 21, 1764), and Cornelius Westbrook Cole (bap. Feb. 7, 1767), and two daughters—Maria, (bap. Oct. 16, 1772), ____.
Solomon Decker, from Old Shawangunk, and wife, Eleanor Quick, daughter of ____ Quick, an early resident of the present township of Westfall, in Pennsylvania, settled with their family in the lower neighborhood in the time of the Revolutionary War, near the present residence of David Swartwout. [FN] They had seven sons—Solomon (bap. Feb. 9, 1746), Jacob (bap. Sept. 13, 1761), Thomas (bap. Aug. 19, 1759), James (bap. Feb. 2, 1752), Joseph (bap. July 4, 1756), Peter (bap. June 21, 1767), and Isaac M. Decker, and three daughters—Margaret (bap. April 14,1754), Lydia (bap. Oct. 11, 1747), and Mary (bap. March 4, 1750.) None of this family have remained in the present town of Deerpark. Youngest son, Isaac M. Decker, is yet living and now in 1859 is 92 years old.
[FN] Now (1889) the residence of Peter D. Swartwout.
FAMILY OF PETER KUYKENDALL AND WIFE, FAMITJE DECKER.
They resided in now Port Jervis, where Elias Kuykendall formerly lived, and he was owner of a farm there; all, or nearly all, of which is now covered by the Village of Port Jervis. (The Kingston church book records the baptism of a son, Martinas, June 18, 1734, and the Mahackamack records that of Jacob, Aug. 23, 1737, and a second Jacob, Oct. 30, 1739.)
Son Peter Kuykendall married (Catharina) Kettel. He continued to live with his father and became owner of his farm. They had four sons—Wilhelmus, Martin (bap. April 8, 1764), Solomon (bap. Oct. 21, 1753), and Elias, and (three) daughters, namely—Elizabeth (bap. June 19, 1757), Christyntje, (bap. Aug. 28, 1759), and Lea (bap. Dec. 8, 1765.) Their descendants are dispersed into different parts of our country.
FAMILY OF JOHN DECKER AND WIFE.
He owned an extensive farm or tract of land along the Delaware river, the southeast part of which bounded on the land of Kuykendall, near which he probably first settled. [FN]
[FN] It is now a few years over a century since the fall of the deepest snow ever known in this part of our country; and before it fell Peter Kuykendall and wife went to Esopus and left their children home, where John Decker and his wife were to go daily and see to them and render such assistance as would be necessary. Two or three days after they started this snow fell, and the morning after its falling John Decker commenced to shovel and make a footpath through the snow to Kuykendall's house. He worked all that day and the greatest part of the next day before he got to it, and found the door shut so that the children could not get out of the house. The door opened to the outside, and the snow laid so deep against it that it could not be opened from the inside before the snow was removed. It is probable that they first settled as near to each other as their situations of ground, water, &c., would admit. No victuals had been prepared for the children on the previous day to serve them for the next. They contrived to get meal, mix it up with water, bake it some on the hearth before the fire, and lived on it till they were otherwise provided for.
One son, Martin Decker, married ____ ____. They lived in the old stone house of Stephen St. John, and he became owner of a part of his father's farm. They had two sons-John and Richard, and ____ daughter, ____.
FAMILY OF SOLOMON DAVIS AND WIFE, LEAH DECKER.
They resided near the present grist-mill of Thomas Van Etten, Esq., and he owned a grist-mill at that place. They had sons—James, Daniel, Joel, ____, and ____ daughters—Beletje, ____. (The following is the baptismal record of the children of Solomon Davis and Leah Decker: Kingston records—Lea, March 26, 1735; Jacobus, May 18, 1736. Mahackamack records—Beletje, May 31, 1738; Daniel, June 18, 1740; Joel, April 23, 1744; Jonas, June 16, 1745; Catharina, June 21, 1747; Elizabeth, Jan. 20, 1748; Petrus, April 15, 1750; Salomon, April 5, 1752.)
Oldest son, James Davis, married Elizabeth Kater. For their history refer back to their names.
Second son, Daniel Davis, was the strongest man of his time in the present town of Deerpark.
FAMILIES OF ____ WESTFALL AND DAVID COLE
were the first settlers on the present farms of Levi and Thomas Van Etten, Esq.
George Davis and wife, Deborah Schoonover, had one son, Samuel, who became owner of the ancient grist-mill at T. Van Etten's mill seat.
Very little is now known respecting these four last mentioned ancient families.
Some of the families in the lower neighborhood, who, by marriages had become connected with certain families in the Peenpack neighborhood, are included in the history of the latter and here omitted.
It will be seen by this history of the ancient citizens of the lower neighborhood that they, as well as the others mentioned, were farmers, and they have also obtained their livings by the cultivation of the earth (a laborer's business), and not only provided a competency for their respective families, but also a surplus for the markets of our country to support those in other pursuits of life; but there now are of the present generations of the descendants of both neighborhoods some in nearly all the different occupations of life in our country.
From the length of time which intervened between the first settlement nearest at Peenpack and that made in the lower neighborhood, it appears probable that the latter was prevented by the Indian chief who resided on the land now of Levi or Thomas Van Etten, Esq.
LONGEVITY OF THE FIRST AND SECOND GENERATIONS.
The ages to which the first and second generations arrived, cannot all be correctly ascertained for want of records of the times of their several births and deaths. The only record of which the writer is in possession, is that of the families of the first and second Peter Gumaer, relative to the births of their respective children. These two records are a guide to get into the neighborhood of the times of the births of the members of the other families, and from what I have obtained from inscriptions on tombstones and the information I have had relative to the times to which some of them lived, I can correctly determine the ages of some of them and within a few years of others.
It was said of Jacob Cuddeback, by his grandson, Capt. Cuddeback, that he lived to the age of 100 years and retained his faculties good to the end of his life. In 1686, when Peter Gumaer was 20 years old, and he and Cuddeback had to leave France, the latter cannot have been less than 20 or 25 years of age. It appears he lived until after the inhabitants of this neighborhood had to buy some land out of Expense lot number two, in the Minisink patent, for a supply of fuel, rail timber, &c., which must have been about the year 1766. From all of which it appears that the age of Cuddeback cannot have been less than 100 years, and that the answer he made to his son William, heretofore mentioned, near the end of his life, shows that his intellect was yet good at that time.
AGES OF FIRST GENERATION.
FAMILY OF JACOB CUDDEBACK.
AGES OF THE SECOND GENERATION.
FAMILY OF WILLIAM CUDDEBACK.
These are all the descendants of the ancient Cuddeback family who remained in the present town of Deerpark.
FIRST GENERATION.
FAMILY OF ANTHONY SWARTWOUT.
SECOND GENERATION.
FAMILY OF SAMUEL SWARTWOUT.
FAMILY OF JAMES SWARTWOUT.
These two last individuals were contemporary with the second generation, though James was of the next descent.
FIRST GENERATION.
FAMILY OF PETER GUMAER.
It is not known to what ages his five daughters arrived, but none of them became old. They all lived till after married and had children. Two of them had each one child, one had two, another three and the other four. All their husbands became widowers and two or more of them had second wives. It is probable that they all died between the ages of 30 and 60 years. It was said that in the days of their youth they labored very hard, both on the farm and to manufacture their cloth and do their housework, and yet had a delicate appearance and very fair skin. It was said of one of them that she would plough a whole week and become very dirty, and on Sunday wash and clean herself and put on clean clothes and appear in their reading meetings with skin as fair and white as that of any lady who was kept housed out of the sun's influence. Peter Gumaer, their brother, is the only one of the family I have seen. He also was a fair complexioned man. It was said that the ancient Cuddebacks were also fair complexioned, and that Major Swartwout and his sons Esqs. Swartwout, were not only fair complexioned but large and very fine, portly men when young in prime of life, and that the appearance of the Major on military parades was dignified and noble.
SECOND GENERATION.
FAMILY OF THE SECOND PETER GUMAER.
FIRST GENERATION.
FAMILY OF HARMANUS VAN INWEGEN.
SECOND GENERATION.
FAMILY OF GERARDUS VAN INWEGEN.
HEADS OF FAMILIES.
The ages of the following heads of families of this neighborhood, contemporary with the second generation, were as follows, to wit:
SLAVES.
The ages of the following slaves who were in this neighborhood, contemporary with the second generation, were as follows, to wit:
The first two generations of the four ancient families had the small-pox naturally, without vaccination or dieting and without the attendance of a physician, and generally had it light. A few individuals, it was said, had only light symptoms of the disease and few pox; yet certain individuals of two families had them hard. A few of the oldest of Depuy's family were considerably pock-marked, and a few of the oldest of Van Inwegen's family. The Cuddebacks and Gumaers were not pock-marked, and the Swartwouts very trifling.
There was in this neighborhood a contagious fever between the years 1750 and 1760, which was here termed "the long fever." It commenced in one of the summers near the end of harvest time, and was more mortal to the black people than the whites. Depuy lost several slaves, who died of this fever. He said the cause had been attributed to eating too many pigeons.
The second generation of the four ancient families, with few exceptions, remained healthy. Rheumatism sometimes afflicted the members of the second Gumaer family, but still were able to perform much labor and were strong, though not equal in strength to the Swartwout or Cuddeback families. All were men of six feet stature, excepting two of the Gumaer and one of the Van Inwegen family, and averaging near 200 lbs. weight.
LOWER NEIGHBORHOOD.
The following are the ages of the first generation of descendants of this neighborhood who were contemporary with the second of the other, viz.:
POPULATION OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF PEENPACK.
MANNER OF LIVING, ETC., DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, AND FOR SOME YEARS THEREAFTER.
The second generation came on the stage of action and were married and had their farms granted to them in the intervening time between the French and Revolutionary wars, and commenced their business transactions when this part of our country was in a more thriving condition than it ever had been, in consequence of the circulation of a paper currency, which had become plentiful, and farmers made money faster than at any previous time; but when the scale turned by its depreciation, its previous value was lost, which, together with the destruction the enemy made in the war, greatly reduced the property of the inhabitants.
In 1777,three forts were built in this neighborhood: one at the house of Esq. Depuy was vacated the 13th October, 1778, on which day the enemy invaded this neighborhood and burned this house, fort and other buildings of Depuy, in consequence of which all the inhabitants of this neighborhood were collected in the fort at Gumaer's and in Fort De Witt, to wit:
At Gumaer's the following families: