The History of Orange County New York

by Unknown

The Goshen Presbyterian Church was organized in 1720, and Rev. John Bradner, to whom more extended reference is made later in this article, became its pastor in 1721. Two hundred acres of land were deeded to him on April 17, 1722, and recorded at the request of his widow on April 8, 1742. In 1724 the erection of a house of worship was begun on the spot where now stands the court house. The first court was convened in Goshen in 1727, and on December 16, of that year an act was passed providing for the building of a court house and jail, which were erected and completed in 1740, on the site of the present Orange Hotel. On October 24, 1754, the General Assembly appropriated 100 pounds for an addition to it, and in 1775 it was demolished and a new one built at a point where now stands the county clerk's office. The arms of King George III were placed upon its front, but were torn down by indignant citizens.

A schoolhouse was built in 1801 on the church plot, the same spot where the public school building on Greenwich street now stands. Here Noah Webster taught for a time before he published his first dictionary in 1806.

Goshen, after its original settlement, soon became the most important and populous district of the county, and a census taken in 1738 showed a total of 319 males above the age of ten. These were stirring times for the people and most of the affairs were of a warlike nature. There was frequent trouble with the Indians. The frontier was only four miles away. Block houses were built at Dolsontown and Scotchtown, and tradition has it that a block house once stood back of the present race course on the property known to-day as the Parkway Farm. In those days the settlers west of the Wallkill made Goshen their rendezvous when Indian raids were feared.

In the reign of George II, when Hon. George Clinton was Governor, the General Assembly passed an act to enable the inhabitants of Goshen in the County of Orange to elect two additional constables. This act explained that the inhabitants of the Precinct of Goshen had liberty to elect only one constable and as the precinct had considerably increased in numbers of inhabitants and settlements, it was necessary that an increased number be elected. The act was passed December 17, 1743, and provided that one of the constables "be elected and chosen from and out of such of the inhabitants as have habitations in the south part of Goshen, commonly called Wawayanda, and the other from and out of such of the inhabitants as have habitations northward near the meeting house, commonly called the Water-Side Meeting House."

On September 21, 1744, the General Assembly passed an act to authorize justices of the peace in the counties of Dutchess and Orange to "direct so many constables and overseers of the highways to be chosen, in the several precincts as to them shall seem meet." On the same day an act was passed for the relief of the poor in the counties of Orange and Suffolk.

Covenant Chain Treaty.

During these years the settlers had as allies two tribes of Indians, sometimes known as the Cashigton Indians, whose principal lodges were located near where now stands the village of Cochecton in Sullivan County, They formed a part of the Lenni Lenape, or Delaware Confederacy, once powerful, but at that time reduced in numbers. From time immemorial Western Orange had been their hunting ground, but late in the year 1744 they showed signs of distrust and retired to their lodges on the upper Delaware. The colonists were loath to lose these faithful allies, for their withdrawal left the outlying settlements on the frontiers exposed to attack of hostile savages, incited to rapine and murder by the French.

The attention of the Colonial Government was called to this matter and Colonel DeKay was ordered to take a party and visit the Indians in the hope that friendly relations might be restored and the red men induced to return to their old hunting grounds. As a result of this visit the Indian Treaty of Orange County was enacted and the ceremony of the Covenant Chain performed at Goshen. Colonel Thomas De Kay took with him, upon this expedition, Major Swartwout, Ensign Coleman, Adam Weisner, who acted as interpreter, Benjamin Thompson, and two Minisink Indians as guides. The pilgrimage was made in the depth of winter. The Indians were found and agreed to come back, claiming that they left because they were afraid of the people of Orange County, who were always under arms. When it was explained that this was by order of the Governor and for protection against the French and their allies, the Indians rejoiced. They explained that they were of two tribes, using for totems the signs of Minsi, or Wolf, and Uralachtgo, or Turkey, and that their sachem had recently died. They were about to choose a new sachem to govern all, and they promised that when he had been chosen they would send representatives to make a treaty. New Year's Day was fixed upon as the date.

On January 3, 1745, two days late, the Wolves and Turkeys, a dozen of the head men in all, led by the new sachem, came into the village of Goshen and marched in savage bravery up its main street. Just where the ceremony took place is unknown, but the old manuscript record says that the weather was severe, and it is probable that the meeting was held in the rude court house. The Indians by their spokesman explained that they had brought a Belt of Wampum that friendship and brotherhood might be restored. They asked that some one be appointed to enact with them the ceremony of the Covenant Chain.