This town became important also because of the long dispute over the boundary line between the States of New York and New Jersey. The variance of this line over which the conflict arose was in this township. The owners of the Minisink and the 1,200 acre patents were much disturbed for years by the New Jersey State authorities, who claimed the line ran considerably farther north of the Delaware River than the Deer Park people had established it. The New Jersey people claimed a large portion of this 1,200 acre patent through which they insisted the line ran, they procured a colony title to this disputed portion of that patent. The precise location of the line being vague and uncertain, no action at law could be maintained by either side, but a bitter struggle ensued and lasted for many years. The trouble seems to have arisen over the meaning of the phrase "the northernmost branch of the Delaware River," which was the language used in the description of title. There was a big triangular gore of land in dispute. This conflict lasted nearly seventy-five years, and then it was finally settled by an equitable division of the land in question.
Among the residents on this disputed land was Major Swartwout, and the Jersey claimants planned to oust him from the property by force. He was prepared for such an attack, but in spite of all his loaded guns it seems that about 1730 the Jerseyites routed him from the house and threw out all his goods. But with the assistance of friends in Goshen the major was reinstated, and he afterward successfully repelled another attack made about ten years later. He was, however, captured and imprisoned, together with Johannes Westbrook, another resident of the battleground, some time between 1764 and 1767, by a strong force of Jersey men who surrounded his church on the Sabbath, and seized the two men at the close of the service, after a fierce struggle.
Soon after this a new line was agreed upon and the fight ended by the passage of a royal edict at the Court of St. James in September, 1773. Commissioners of the two States afterward ran the line in accordance with that agreement.
In 1874, one hundred years later, commissioners representing the two States made a resurvey with the assistance of the United States Coast Survey officials, which finally settled the great controversy for all time.
In 1775, an old assessment roll of district No. 3, which was the southern portion of Deer Park, comprising the present territory of Port Jervis and vicinity, contained forty-eight names of property holders. The largest of these was Johannes Decker, who was assessed for 17 pounds 8 shillings and 7 pence. Next in order was Anthony Van Etten, John Wells, Abraham Van Auken and Johannes Decker, Jr.
The De Witt family of this town were descendants of Tjerck Clausson De Witt, who came from Holland and settled in Wiltwyck, now Kingston, at a very early date. It was a very prominent family here and many of its members achieved distinction.
Among other prominent settlers in this region were Peter Gumaer, Jan Tyse, Bernardus Swartwout, Jacob Cuddeback, Anthony Swartwout, David Jameson, and Hermanns Van Inwegen.
The very earliest physician in this region was Doctor Chattle, and he settled near Carpenter's Point and practiced there until his death, many years later. He came in at the opening of the nineteenth century.
CIVIL ORGANIZATION.
Just when the civil organization of Deer Park was formed is not definitely known. The Legislative act of October 18, 1701, provided that the "people of Maghachemeck, the Great and Little Minisink, should vote in the County of Ulster." This would imply that they were outside of that county. This territory covered what is since known as Cuddebackville and vicinity. Eight years later the boundary between the counties was more definitely fixed by the Legislature. Soon after this the territory went under the name of Maghachemeck, remaining under this jaw-breaking title until 1743, when the precinct of Mamakating was erected, which was at least a slight improvement upon the old name.