New Milford.
The hamlet of New Milford lies southwest of Warwick, and forms a part of the boundary line between New York and New Jersey. It was formerly called Jockey Hollow. It comprises an area of a little more than 2,000 acres of the most fertile and well watered land in Warwick Valley. When the Wawayanda patent was deeded by the Indians to twelve white men in 1702, the twelfth part deed to Cornelius Christiance included what is now known as New Milford. Cornelius Christiance sold his share to Derrick Vanderburgh in 1704, and the latter sold to Everett & Glows, land speculators, in 1714, for a little more than $500. In 1724, the land was purchased by Thomas DeKay and Benjamin Aske. Settlers now began to come and they were quick to take advantage of the superior water facilities. The land was intersected by Wawayanda Creek, and flowing into this stream were four rushing mountain streams, all capable of furnishing fine water power, the largest of which was the Doublekill, so named because it is the outlet of Double Pond, or Wawayanda Lake. But not until about the year 1770 were any mills operated, excepting a saw mill and the forge on Wawayanda Creek on the farm recently owned by the Edward L. Davis heirs. During the year 1780, we find among the settlers the DeKays, the Davises, the Demarests, the Lazears, and Wood. The first excise money was paid into the treasury from the New Milford tavern in 1790 by Cornelius Lazear. A grist mill was built that year on the west side of the Doublekill, on the farm known as the Kiernan farm, and much further up the stream than the present mill. This mill was operated many years.
In 1802 John Lazear built a grist mill on the site of the present mill. In connection with the mill he had a factory for manufacturing axe and shovel handles. Between the years 1805 and 1825 New Milford was an exceedingly busy place. The original and only town at the time was where the post-office is at present.
There were six mills on the Doublekill, and four on the stream covered by the arch bridge, near the post-office, known as Green Mine Brook. On the Doublekill there were the grist mill, or axe handle factory, and tannery owned by S. W. Clason, now owned by E. M. Bahrmann; further down the stream a feed mill, a saw mill and a fulling or wool-carding mill. Then on the Green Mine stream there were a clover seed mill, plaster mill, cider mill with distillery, and about where William T. Vandervort's barn is located there was a large saw mill run by David Demarest. A very good schoolhouse was situated just west of the present Methodist church. A post-office was established in 1815—the first postmaster was Merritt Coleman. The turnpike running between New York and Port Jervis left the main road near the present home of Darius Fancher, crossed the E. L. Davis farm, continued northward over a bridge which was east of the present site of Borden's creamery, and up the hill to the road which now passes west of the house known as Peachblow. This was the main road to the northwest. Mr. E. L. Davis built a fulling and carding mill near the bridge and operated that as well as a saw mill.
Further down on Wawayanda Creek there were a saw mill, cider mill and distillery owned by John Ryerson. The "covered bridge" was built about 1830. In 1835, a boarding school for young ladies was opened in the house now occupied by John Lines. The principal, Charles G. Winfield, was a man of profound learning. Here the best people of Warwick and vicinity sent their daughters to be educated. It was a classical school of the highest order. The Methodist church was opened in 1838. In 1861, When there was a call for volunteers. New Milford, with a population of only 150 persons, responded with twenty-eight men.
With the growth of the dairy business in Orange County, less attention was paid to milling interests. In 1866, a factory for condensing milk was built where the Kiernan fulling and carding mill stood. This was abandoned after the railroad was built in 1879. In 1898 a fire swept away the business portion of New Milford, and it has not been entirely rebuilt.
At present the town is regaining some of the business prosperity it enjoyed one hundred years ago. There are two grist mills and a saw mill, and one of the largest creameries for bottling and condensing milk in the county, owned by Borden's Milk Company, where 4,500 gallons of milk are received and shipped daily. There are several old cemeteries scattered throughout New Milford, where one may read the names of those who lived when the "years were young."
Pine Island.
Pine Island is a village lying two miles northwest of Amity at the terminus of the Goshen and Deckertown railroad, leased by the Erie. It has a public school, a hotel, a store and post-office.
Greenwood Lake and Sterling.