Some years after its organization the name was changed to John J. Wheeler Post, in honor of Colonel John J. Wheeler, a native of the town of Warwick, who served with honor and distinction in the 56th New York Regiment.
[CHAPTER XXX.]
TOWN OF WAWAYANDA.
By Charles E. Stickney.
The name Wawayanda is a corruption of the general salutation between white settlers and Indians in pioneer times. This we take to be illustrated by the example given in Gabriel Thomas' "East and West Jersey," published in 1698. He evidently was familiar with the Indian language and lived in Philadelphia where he was a frequent participant in the conversations when a white man and an Indian met. He reports it as follows: "When meeting, the white man would say in the Indian language 'Hitah takoman?' (Whence comest thou?) The Indian would reply, 'Andagowa a nee weekin' (over yonder). Then the white man, 'Tony andagowa a kee weekin?' (Where yonder?) The broad Indian accent coupled with the recurrence of the words 'over yonder' was very probably the true derivation of the word 'Wawayanda.'"
There is not much doubt that the town of Wawayanda was formed out of Minisink for political reasons. In 1849 the board of supervisors in Orange County was Whig by a considerable majority. The town of Minisink was and had been considered Democratic for a long time. Nevertheless that year Daniel Fullerton, a Whig, was elected Supervisor of Minisink. By taking off the northern part of Minisink the Whigs hoped to be able to elect the officials in the new town universally. Dr. D. C. Hallock made a survey for it. The signers of the petition were mostly Whigs. November 27th, Mr. Fullerton made the motion in the board of supervisors for the division of the town and the creation of the new town to be called Wawayanda. The motion carried by a strict party vote of ten Whigs for, to five Democrats against it. The name was selected from the old Wawayanda patent, with out any particular reference to its meaning. The town has ever since been mostly Democratic in its elections. At the first election in the spring of 1850, $200 was ordered raised for roads and bridges.
The population of the town in 1855, the first census taken after it was formed, showed it to contain 2,069 inhabitants. Ten years later it had 1,906, a decrease of 163. In 1905, the last census taken, it had 1,574, a decrease since the first census of 1855 (fifty years) of 495. There were only 34 aliens in the last census.
The assessment of this town in 1865 was 19,677 acres, valued at $706,250. and in 1906, forty-one years later, its assessment was 20,175 acres, valued at $695,060, and in 1907 it was the same. The town expenses in 1907 were $1,067.88, besides $2,250 for highways and $400 for bridges.
THE DROWNED LAND WAR.