John Kinner, a Chester resident, held land in this disputed tract under Mr. Wisner, Dr. Baird and Mr. Scott.
James Board, aged sixty-five, born in England in 1720, came to this country with his father, Cornelius, and brother, David, in 1730; sent by Alexander, Lord Sterling, to discover copper mines; discovered iron ore deposits at Sterling, built there a forge in 1735, and in the year of 1740 removed to Ringwood. The mountains west toward Warwick were called by that name. The Sugar Loaf Mountain was called by that name as long as he remembered.
Soon after the forge was going it was sold by Cornelius Board & Sons to Coldon & Ward.
During this trial Burr and Hamilton were guests at the old Yelverton Inn. The court adjourned to meet again at Chester, in Yelverton barn, in October, 1785, at which session it was decided that Chesekook patent should comprise all the land east of Goose Pond Mountain and the great Beaver Meadows, to the western line of Evans patent and the Hudson River.
In the early part of the nineteenth century, living in and about West Chester, were Joseph Durland, born in 1762, Benjamin Dunning, Daniel Denton, James Roe and Michael Renton. On the Florida road lived Thaddeus Seely and Major Holbert. At Chester lived Asa Vail opposite the second academy, Edmund Seely, Seth Satterly and Dr. Townsend Seely. Peter Townsend lived opposite the Presbyterian church. Isaac and William Townsend on the C. B. Wood ridge, Elmer Cooper and Dr. Dodd, Aaron Cox, the hatter, and Stephen Cooper, born in 1788; David G. Drake, born in 1760. The old Samuel Satterly house stood on the brow of the hill, nearly opposite the joining of Old New York road, near the new State road; from this point at the bridge, which was called in these early days the "Purgatory Bridge," the most popular amusement was running races. The course lay from this bridge to the oak tree, which is still standing near H. W. Wood's residence. On special days, July 4, and in the autumn, the people from miles around fairly lined the short course in numbers from three to four hundred people. In fact, nearly double the number of our whole population at that period. Purses were usually made up at such times at the course, and great horses contested. Among them were Webber's "Kentucky Whip," a great running sire from Kentucky; Tom Thumb and Saltrum. The visitation of such noted running stock to Chester was the beginning of an improvement in the racing stock of this section. This development found its climax in the birth of Hambletonian, the progenitor of the American trotter.
When the old "Hero of Chester" died in 1876, he was buried on the hill on the W. M. Rysdyck place. Since that time a granite shaft costing $3,000, has been erected, to mark the resting place of this notable sire.
About 100 years ago Isaac Kinner and Daniel Cooley lived on the western foothills of the Goose Pond Mountains.
On the Craigville road lived Dr. John Boulton, Birdseye Young, Albert Seely, Samuel Denton, Hezekiah Moffatt and Jesse Carpenter.
THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.