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History of Orange County
Agriculture Society
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  In 1818 the subject was renewed and the following proceedings bad:

     At a meeting of the inhabitants from all the towns in the County of Orange, convened at the house of Isaac Reeve, Innkeeper, in Goshen, on Thursday, the 9th of April, 1818, for the purpose of forming an Agricultural Society for the County of Orange—DAVID R. ARNELL, Chairman, HECTOR CRAIG, Secretary:
     Resolved, That a committee of one person from each town be appointed to prepare and report a Constitution for the government of an Agricultural Society, and that the following persons he said committee
     For Goshen, Dr. David R. Arnell; Walkill, William Hurtin, Esq.; Montgomery, Samuel W. Eager, Esq.; Newburgh, Thomas Powell; New Windsor, John D. Nicoll; Cornwall, Thomas Townsend; Blooming Grove, Hector Craig, Esq.; Monroe, Roger Parmelee, Esq.; Warwick, James Burt, Esq; Minisink, Peter Holbert, Esq.; Deerpark, James Finch, Jr.
     Resolved, That the committee chosen call a general County meeting on the 28th of May next, at 12 o’clock, at the Court House in Goshen, &c.

     Pursuant to the proceedings above mentioned, a large and respectable meeting was held at the Court House on the 28th of May.  William Thompson, Esq., was called to the Chair, and John Caldwell appointed Secretary.
     The committee having the duty in charge laid before the meeting the form of a Constitution, which, being read, underwent some immaterial alterations and was adopted.
     In order to give place to the business of the Court, the meeting adjourned to the house of Isaac Reeve, to receive subscribers to the Constitution and choose officers.  After a reasonable time allowed for subscribers, the members proceeded to ballot for their officers and members of the respective committees.  On counting the ballots the following gentlemen appeared to be duly elected, to wit:
William Thompson, President.
Selah Tuthill, 1st Vice President.
George D. Wickham, 2nd Vice President.
David R. Arnell, Treasurer.
John Caldwell, Corresponding Secretary.
Hector Craig, Recording Secretary.
Peter Holbert, Committee on Agriculture.
Thomas Townsend, Committee on Agriculture.
Hezekiah Moffat, Committee on Agriculture.
William Phillips, Committee on Manufactures.
James W. Carpenter, Committee on Manufactures.
Hector Craig, Committee on Manufactures.
William Hurtin, Committee on Domestic Animals.
James Strong, Committee on Domestic Animals.
Josiah Decker, Committee on Domestic Animals.
     The officers of the society, agreeably to the Constitution, meet on the first Monday in July next, when a committee will be appointed for each town to receive the subscriptions of gentlemen who wish to become members; until then the object will be answered by calling on any of the gentlemen above named.
     At the meeting in July preparatory arrangements will he made for the first exhibition of domestic animals and articles intended for premium.— Agreeably to the Constitution, none but members can exhibit any article for premium.

 We have the testimony of Hendrick Hudson that the Indians above the Highlands were kind and friendly to him and his crew, and the more so the further he proceeded up the river.  This, we presume, related to those on both sides of the river, though below the Highlands they were of a more hostile character.  We have understood, as coming from some of the early settlers, who first located in Westchester and Dutchess and afterwards removed here, as many of them did, the impression there was very general, that the Indians on that side were less hostile and more friendly to the white settlers than those on the west; and this was given as a reason for settling there, which accounts in some measure, for the earlier settlement of that side of the river.  We infer, from the absence of all written accounts of any thing very peculiar or different in the habits and customs of the Indians of the County from others in the State, and from the poverty of tradition in this respect, that there were no such peculiar differences, but were similar and identical with those of the heathen Indian at Onondaga and Buffalo, before modified and changed by white association.  We have recently seen the proposals of Dr. Arnell, in 1818, to publish a history of the County, and in them he proposed to treat of Indian character, habits and manners.  The Dr. perhaps had seen some of them, at least he lived half a century nearer the fountain of information, and may have learned many things of small and particular interest in relation to them from some of the early settlers then living, of which he would have told us, but which now lie buried with him in the grave, never to be disintered.   In conclusion, we are of opinion that it is a point out of which very little could have been made at any time, much less at the present, because of the similarity between the Indians of Orange and those of the State, whom all of this generation have heard of and read about.  Under this impression, and that nothing of great interest could be found in the County and brought out to public view, we have not very deeply nor extensively enquired on the subject.  If we have been mistaken in opinion, and shall be judged remiss in the execution of this part of our paper, we have honestly assigned our reasons in justification of our course, and shall only be satisfied of our error when some future writer shall produce the facts necessary to convict us, and spread them before the public; when we shall be among the first to make acknowledgements of our error, based on an ignorance of the subject.