Richard Williams, of Cornwall; Robert Armstrong, of Sussex County, N. J.; Benjamin Rose, December 1, 1785; John Dunlap, of Ulster County, September 6, 1788; and Thomas North, of Cornwall, November 22, 1704. North also purchased an adjoining tract on the south from Isaiah Smith, June 3, 1790, and he held the whole tract for nearly thirty years. Then it passed to Oliver Gridley, of Bergen County, N. J., December 28, 1819. who deeded the same to the United States, May 13, 1824, in accordance with the act of Congress, approved March 10, of that year.
At the time of the purchase of the Congreve and Moore grants by the Government, Hugh McClellan, a Revolutionary soldier, occupied a small house on the property. In recognition of his patriotic services in that war he was permitted to remain and cultivate his garden by Secretary of War John Knox. The old soldier spent the rest of his life there, leaving a wife and a daughter on the premises. They finally claimed the domicile by right of undisputed possession under the laws of the State. But they were finally dispossessed by the National Government in 1830, in an action for ejectment. {sic}
In addition to the patents already named the following list of grants, covering other parts of this town of Highlands, are found on the record: Gabriel and William Ludlow, 991 acres, October 13, 1731; Alexander Phoenix, 1,000 acres, July 13, 1750; Thomas Moore and Lewis Pintard, 1,100 acres, December 27, 1762; Samuel Staats, 400 acres, June 5, 1712; Thomas Ellison, 770 acres, November 12, 1750; Richard Bradley, 800 acres, July 30, 1743; Gabriel and William Ludlow, 407 acres, October 18, 1731; Vincent and David Matthews, 1,000 acres, November 26, 1761; Gabriel and William Ludlow, 1,437 acres, October 18, 1731; Bradley children, 4,290 acres, October 30, 1749; Vincent and David Matthews, 800 acres, November 26, 1768; William and Edward Wilkin, 1,305 acres, April 15, 1768; John Osborne, 1,850 acres, March 14, 1775; Thomas Moore and Lewis Pintard 2,900 acres, December 23, 1762; Smith and Wilkin 100 acres, April 15, 1768; Moore and Osborne, 150 acres, March 14, 1775; Smith and Wilkin, 190 acres, April 15, 1768; John Nelson, 550 acres, October 4, 1752; Henry Townsend, 2,000 acres; Thomas Smith, 250 acres, June 14, 1750; the Hassenclever & Co.'s tract, 1,000 acres, 1705.
Captain Horace M. Reeve, of the general staff of the United States Army, in his history of West Point during the Revolution, says: "Until the American troops began to cut timber for military purposes, and to crown the surrounding hills with forts and redoubts, West Point and the neighboring Highlands were little else than a wilderness of rugged hills and virgin forests, presenting about the same appearance as first greeted Hendrik Hudson when, in 1609, he sailed up the river which now bears his name."
Hudson anchored near West Point September 14, 1609, and he was probably the first European that ever saw that section.
Continuing, Captain Reeve says: "Although this tract of country could never lend itself kindly to the agriculturist, yet before the advent of the American soldier there were several houses standing at or near West Point, which were subsequently used for purposes very foreign to the peaceful intentions of their builders. Two of these became noted. One was 'Moore's House' at West Point, used by Washington as his headquarters during the whole, or a part, of the time he was stationed at West Point—from July 21, 1779, until November 28. The other was the 'Robinson House,' and was situated on the eastern shore of the Hudson, about two miles below West Point. It was used as a military hospital and afterward as the headquarters of several successive general officers, among whom was Benedict Arnold, who was in this house when apprised of Andre's capture. It was from this house that Arnold made his escape."
The Moore house stood in Washington Valley, near the river, a short distance from the northeast corner of the present cemetery. It was built prior to 1749, and was a pretentious structure for that period, being known as "Moore's Folly."
Every foot of land in these Highlands has its memories of the Revolutionary War, and this town contains the culminating features of native grandeur not only, but also the vital strategic point on the famous river which figured so conspicuously in the war for independence, and will continue to fill so many important pages of our national history for all time to come.
These great hills of grandeur and beauty extend along the entire river front from Stony Point on the south to old Storm King on the north. Scientists tell us that these vast mountains of primitive rock are composed of granite, gneiss and syenite, with veins of trap. But regarding the formation of these towering masses of rock both geologists and laymen have only speculated and guessed for more than a century, as their descendants and successors will continue to do for ages to come, and leave the maze of mystery as dark and deep as ever. We can only wonder and admire, while scientists wrestle with the mighty problem of creation here presented.
Just now, as the writer is gathering these data for this connected record, he finds that the great mystery concerning the formation of this particular region has become even more obscure than ever through the developments of the vast engineering project now under way off Storm King Mountain. In the effort to find a solid rock bottom beneath the Hudson at this gate of the Highlands, through which to construct the great aqueduct which is to convey the Catskill Mountain water to New York City, the engineers have bored the river bottom to a depth of 700 feet, and are still baffled. Geologists predicted that this rock would be found at least at 500 feet. But now they are all at sea and frankly admit that their supposed knowledge as to the bed of the Hudson at this point was totally wrong. Some expected that rock would be reached even at 100 feet. But now the engineers say they may have to go down 4,000 feet before they can find proper rock through which to build their aqueduct which is to carry 800,000,000 gallons of water daily at a pressure of 200 feet per square inch. {sic} The old bed of the river is evidently covered with the drift and silt of ages. And who will say when and how this vast body of water broke through these adamantine hills, or by what Cyclopean process of upheaval they were formed?