The farm of Captain Christopher Van Duzer at Warwick, descending from father to son, has been the home of Christopher, John, Charles Reeve and George Morehouse (the present owner), who Has a son, Christopher Tusten. At this old homestead on April 25, 1907, was celebrated the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Van Duzer family in Warwick.
Shadrack Van Duzer lived in Cornwall during the Revolution. His two sons, Isaac and Henry, served in Captain Van Duzer's company. Henry's grandson, 'Squire Henry Van Duzer, of Cornwall, still lives on a part of the land bought by Isaac Van Duzer in 1748, and has the original patent in his possession.
Shadrack is supposed to be a descendant of Isaac of Ramapo, though no proof can as yet be found. On the other hand, several grandchildren of his son Isaac, who married Martha Tusten and moved to Goshen, claim that Shadrack came from Holland when his son Isaac was twelve years of age, that is, 1767. This may be true, as no record of him in Cornwall or elsewhere has been found prior to that date, though I have searched for it during the past ten years and will now leave the question to his descendants, who are very numerous in Orange County, to determine for themselves.
Isaac Van Duzer, of Ramapo, was a grandson of Abraham Pietersen Van Deursen, the original ancestor of the Van Dusen and Van Duzer families in America. We find him mentioned first in a Holland document complaining of the English, which says: "They encroach westerly below Cape Cod, on the Dutch limits, absorbing Rhode Island and Martin's Vineyard, howbeit possession had been taken thereof for this Company in 1636 by Abraham Pietersen Van Deursen."
He was the miller of New Amsterdam in 1638, one of the "Twelve Men" in 1641, was afterward elected one of the "Eight Men," and was also a Burgher. In 1664 he took the oath of Allegiance to England.
HENRY VAN DUZER, justice of the peace of the town of Cornwall, resides on a farm near Cornwall Station. Mr. Van Duzer is a descendant of one of Orange County's old and prominent families. His great grandfather, Isaac Van Duzer, secured the patent to the homestead farm in Cornwall in 1735. This document is in the possession of Henry Van Duzer, who has been identified with public affairs in his native town for thirty-five years. He was born in 1835 and educated at public and private schools. His father, John S. Van Duzer, died in 1830 and Henry learned the trade of piano maker, which he followed for a number of years both in this section and in the west. He has served thirty years as justice of the peace; three years justice of sessions; thirteen years as U. S. loan commissioner, and one term as supervisor. In 1860 he married Miss Catherine Cox and three children were born to them; his son, Henry J., is agent for the Erie Railroad at Cornwall Station.
JAMES HARRY VAN DUZER, son of Isaac Van Duzer and Mary Case, was born in the town of Chester, N. Y., December 12, 1839. At the age of eighteen he entered as clerk in a general store with the firm of Woodhull and Vandervort at the corner store, Warwick, N. Y.; he became a member of that firm in 1864; he succeeded to the business in 1873, continuing until 1883; in 1884 he engaged in the wholesale hardware business at Newburgh, N. Y.; in 1895 William E. Sayer and F. Clinton Van Duzer (his son) became members of the firm, and it is known as J. H. Van Duzer & Co. He was married to Sarah A. Taylor December 20, 1865. daughter of Isaac Taylor and Margaret Smith, Warwick, N. Y. Their children are Ella T. (deceased), F. Clinton and Marie L., wife of Thomas Welling.
DR. SOLOMON VAN ETTEN, one of the most prominent physicians and surgeons in the county, was born in the town of Deer Park, Orange County, N. Y., July 30, 1829. He was the son of Levi Van Etten and Eleanor Carpenter.
The family was of Dutch descent and the doctor was of the eighth generation in the direct line, from Jacob Van Etten, who came from North Brabant, Holland, about 1656, and located at Wiltwyck, now Kingston, N. Y. He grew up on the farm, attended the district school, and later the Farmers' Hall Academy at Goshen, and was graduated from the Albany Medical College, June 12, 1855.
Locating in Port Jervis, he soon acquired a fine practice, but when the Civil War broke out the traditions of the family and the staunch loyalty and patriotism which had been its characteristic for generations would not permit him to stay at home.