This being one of the newer towns of the County, having been taken from the towns of Wallkill and Deer Park in 1825, the details pertaining to its early settlement are of course embodied in the history of those towns and cannot well be treated separately in this place at much length.
Among the early pioneers in this section was John Finch, who settled in what was afterward known as Finchville. The records show he was there in 1733 at least. He came from Horseneck, Conn., settling first at Goshen, where it was said in after years he was the first adult person to receive burial in the Goshen churchyard.
Jasper Writer came from Germany, and after spending a few years in Philadelphia he removed to this section and settled on what was afterward known as the Writer farm. This was probably before 1763, as he was over a hundred years old when he died in 1842.
Ashbel Cadwell was another early settler here, and his grandson, Harvey R. Cadwell, in later years became a prominent citizen of Otisville.
The Green family was also among the early settlers here. Israel Green, the pioneer, started at Middletown, and he had many children, some of whom lived in the Otisville section. Daniel Green, his brother, settled near Finchville. William Shaw must also be numbered with the well known Mount Hope pioneers, and he settled near Howells some years before the Revolution and left many worthy descendants in that region.
Stephen St. John was another enterprising and public spirited citizen of that little village. James Finch served in the militia during the Revolution for more than three months, and also in the French and Indian war in 1755 and 1756. In his youthful days he served as valet to General Abercrombie at Fort Stanwix.
Benjamin Woodward, already mentioned, came into the section in 1773 from Stonington, Conn. He served several sessions in the Legislature, was a member of the Constitutional Convention in 1821, and was state senator from 1827 to 1830. His son Charles also represented his town in the Legislature in 1863 and 1864.
Joshua Corwin was another Mount Hope pioneer who came there sometime before the Revolution, coming from Southold, L. I. He had eight children, who settled on an extensive tract of land in that region.
Jacob Wiggins came very soon after the Revolution and settled two miles south of Otisville.
ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWN.