Note.—There were some members of families in both neighborhoods whose names I did not know, and have left blanks for the same, so that the purchaser of a book can write the names of his respective relatives, omitted in the blanks left for that purpose.
The "History of Deerpark" was written by Mr. Gumaer between the years of 1858 and 1862 from materials collected by him during many years of close observation and after much diligence and painstaking in the collection of facts derived from frequent intercourse with others. It is safe to say that no other person in the town of Deerpark, within the last fifteen years, has been so well qualified by the possession of historical facts and other considerations to write its history as was Mr. Gumaer. Samuel W. Eager, in his history of Orange county, published in 1846 and 1847, says that he is more indebted to Mr. Gumaer than to any one person in the county for his "good will and assistance" in preparing his history. This work, prepared with so much care, has been very generously donated by his son, Peter L. Gumaer, to the Minisink Valley Historical Society, who have deemed it of sufficient value to publish, and appointed a committee to superintend its publication. This committee have found it necessary to make a few changes in the correction of dates, which have been found to be erroneous, as also in a few instances in the names of persons and of places occupied by them. Where blanks have been left by the author in the names of families, to which he alludes in his introduction, the committee have endeavored to fill them, so far as they have been able, from church records and other sources. Where any blanks remain unfilled, or where there may be any errors in the filling up, or in the original, the committee will esteem it a favor to be informed of the same. The changes that have been thus made are indicated either by the names being enclosed in brackets or by explanatory notes at the bottom of the page. As the history was written about thirty years ago, Mr. Gumaer designates particular places by their then owners and occupants. As these have, in many instances, undergone changes by death and removal, the committee have added notes indicating the present owners and occupants. With these exceptions and an occasional word or two, the history is published as originally written.
The committee close this statement with a brief sketch of the author:
Peter E. Gumaer was born in the town of Deerpark, at or near Fort Gumaer, May 28, 1771, and died December 18, 1869, at the age of 98 years, 6 months and 20 days. His parents were Ezekiel Gumaer and Naomi Low. He was a descendant of the French Huguenots, who fled from France at the time of their persecution. His father, being a farmer, he inherited the business and also learned the art of surveying, which he followed for more than fifty years. He surveyed most of the lands in the town of Deerpark, and also of adjoining towns. He was plain and unassuming in manner and deportment, much attached to his home and family, and, during his whole lifetime, lived in the town of Deerpark, having never visited the city of New York. In his principles he was regarded as a man of great integrity, always manifesting a conscientious regard for right, and nothing but strict and exact justice would satisfy him. His habits of living were extremely temperate, using but little animal food and no stimulants, except tea. He was a man of great industry, never idle and never seeking pleasure or enjoyment outside of business or study. He was of a literary turn of mind, and devoted as much of his time to reading and study as his pursuits would allow. He took great delight in the study of astronomy and philosophy. He was especially interested in Sir Isaac Newton's theory of the motions of the heavenly bodies, and said if it was correct, perpetual motion was possible and sought for a long time to demonstrate it practically. In 1851 he published a small volume upon astronomy. During his life he held many positions of public trust, which were filled with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of his constituents. It is said that among the many instruments of writing drawn by him not one was ever broken in a court of law, nor were any of his surveys of land found to be incorrect.
He held in high esteem his ancestry, whose remains are buried in the Gumaer Cemetery, and a few years previous to his death, as a token of regard for them, he erected monuments to their memory with appropriate inscriptions.
In his early life it was customary for the ministers in the Reformed Dutch Church, which he attended, to preach in the Holland (Dutch) and English languages on alternate Sabbaths, and so familiar was he with the former that upon returning home he was at a loss to say, when asked, in which language the services had been held. A bit of romance has been related concerning his marriage. It is said that when he was a young man he visited the house of his future mother-in-law, and that she had a little child in the cradle which she was rocking, and that she said to him: "Peter, I want you to rock the cradle, and when this child growls up to be a young woman you may have her for a wife." It so proved that he married this same child that he had thus rocked in the cradle.
The names and ages of Mr. Gumaer's children are as follows:
Morgan, born January 27th, 1815, and died July 5th, 1855. Ezekiel P., born May 10th, 1817, and died June 25th, 1877. Jacob C. E., born October 18th, 1820, living at Ovid, Mich. Peter L., born January 29th, 1827, living at Guymard, N. Y. Naomi, born January 20th, 1830, and died May 2d, 1862. Andrew J., born November 4th, 1833, living at Guymard, N. Y. Esther Harriet, born August 30th, 1835, living at Brooklyn, N. Y., widow of Isaac Mulock.