By M. N. Kane.
The territory comprising the present town of Monroe is part of the Chesekook Patent granted by Queen Anne, March 25, 1707. The Chesekook tract was surveyed by Charles Clinton, father of George and James Clinton, and grandfather of Dewitt Clinton. His field book, the original of which is in the possession of Hon. MacGrane Cox, of Southfield, N. Y. (Mr. Fred J. Knight, Civil Engineer, of Monroe, N. Y., having a copy), contains much information and many interesting incidents of the early history of this section.
The town was set off from the precinct of Goshen in 1764 and named Chesekook. This name continued until 1801, when it was changed to Southfield. On April 6th, 1808, it took the present name Monroe, in honor of James Monroe, the fifth President of the United States.
In 1863, the town (like ancient Gaul), was divided into three parts by the erection of the three towns of Monroe, Highland and Southfield, which division was the same as the present towns of Monroe, Woodbury and Tuxedo, except that the then town of Monroe embraced a small portion of the present town of Woodbury.
In 1865 the three towns were dissolved and the whole original territory restored to the town of Monroe. In 1889 it again underwent the Gaelic operation resulting in the creation of the present towns of Monroe, Woodbury and Tuxedo. Monroe contains an area of 11,500 acres, Woodbury 23,000 acres and Tuxedo 50,000 acres.
The history of this town was written by Rev. Daniel Niles Freeland, who was the beloved and scholarly pastor of the Presbyterian Church from 1847 to 1881, and his volume of two hundred and fifty pages, entitled "Chronicles of Monroe in the Olden Times," is a history of the town up to 1898.
LAKES AND MOUNTAINS.
Monroe has in recent years, because of its rugged beauties, its beautiful lakes and mountain scenery, its high altitude, pure water and healthfulness, and its proximity to the Metropolitan district, become a favorite resort for the people of New York and nearby cities, and has made very rapid growth. It is the lake region of the county and located on the crest of the mountain divide, the village being the highest station except Otisville on the Erie Railroad between Jersey City and Port Jervis. There are four beautiful natural lakes, located from one to three miles from the village, namely, Mombasha, having an area of 340 acres and an elevation of 860 feet, from which Monroe village gets it water supply; Walton Lake, having an area of 125 acres and an elevation of 720 feet, from which Chester obtains its water supply; Round Island Lake, ninety acres in area and 660 feet elevation, upon the eastern bluff of which Mr. W. M. Haight's beautiful Cedar Cliff Inn is located, and Cromwell Lake with an area of fifty-three acres and an elevation of 740 feet. There are a number of smaller lakes which add to the beauty of this region. Among them should be mentioned, the Mountain Lake recently built to the east of the village, with an area of twenty acres and an elevation of 550 feet, and Lake Winape, a most charming mountain lake near Mombasha Lake, with an area of eleven acres and an elevation of 760 feet, just completed by Mr. George R. Conklin. The construction of other lakes is contemplated.
The village of Monroe is in the pass on the mountain crest, the waters from the northern part of the village flowing northeast into the Hudson near Newburgh, and from the southern part of the village flowing southeast through the Ramapo, which rises in Round Island Lake, into the Passaic River.