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History of Orange County
Agriculture Society
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In the summer of 1841 the citizens of the County formed another Society under the provisions of this act, which has continued to hold annual meetings—a fair and cattle show— and *awarded premiums to the present time. The meetings have been generally well attended, and the show of the cattle, agricultural products, and household manufactures, very creditable to the County. The meetings are held in October in the village of Goshen, when an address is delivered by the President to the Society before the citizens in attendance. These addresses have been generally well received by the farming interest, and constitute a very valuable part of the doings of the Society, and are in fact lectures on agriculture and domestic manufactures. We have heard it intimated that the citizens of Orange are flow canvassing the question, as well in public conversation as in their own mind—aught this Society be permitted to live or suffered to die? We are not in possession of the public opinion sufficiently to judge of its probable fate, yet we hope the citizens will not, by their indifference and neglect, allow it to perish without some strong and noble efforts to save it. We raise our feeble voice in favor of life, and hope it may live a thousand years
FARMERS’ ASSOCIATION.—This Institution was incorporated by an act of the Legislature, April, 1825, for the purpose of transporting produce and passengers, by steam and towboats on the Hudson, to and from New York, &c. The following persons composed the company, and if numbers, wealth and respectability could accomplish the object, it would have been done. The company went into operation, continued a few years, but went down by its own weight—an admonition to all much future efforts. They honestly supposed the slooping and steamer transportation of country produce on the river a profitable business, and that by a number of farmers clubbing together, having individually a large amount of products to be carried to market; and by exerting their wide and extended influence in favor of the concern, they could give it a good support, and if not realize large dividends at least save their freight. The idea was very plausible, and presented to the farming interest of the County a fair case to be tested by experiment. The experiment was made under circumstances ordinarily favorable, and proved a failure in their own judgment of the matter,—when they sold out and went into liquidation; since which the experiment has not been renewed by another company. The immediate or remote cause of failure we are not apprised of, but are of opinion that minute, daily and personal attention of those directly interested have much to do in the profitable management of all such diversified and complicated matters.
Stephen Ingersoll, Walkill,
James Belknap, Newburgh,
Isaac Schultz, do.
Wm. Wear, do.
Jonathan Hasbrouck, do.
Joseph Decker, Montgomery,
Dr. Hornbeck, Walkill,
Eli Roberts, Sullivan,
H. Butterworth, Newburgh,
Benj. Woodworth, Calhoun,
Cornelius Decker, Walkill,
Maurice Brown, Shawangunk,
Wm. Otis, Calhoun,
Doct. Fowler, Montgomery,
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Stacey Beakes, Walkill,
Samuel Monell, Coldenham.
James Sloan, Sullivan,
S. Woolsey, New Windsor,
Stephen Fullerton, Minisink, H. Morrison, New Windsor,
Sloan & Hunter, Sullivan,
Sam’l Waite, Montgomery.
John Dorrance, Sullivan,
Wheeler Case, Goshen,
Nathan Hulse, Minisink,
John I. Brooks, Blooming Grove,
Samuel Shaw, Walkill,
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NOTE.—We intended to publish the original formation of the Medical and Bible Societies of the County, with a list of the Judges, Sheriffs, Attorneys. Surrogates and Clerks; but have not been able (though we have taken some trouble to accomplish it) to procure the necessary materials. They will, therefore, be placed at the end of our paper.
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*Errata read award