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History of Orange County
Town of Crawford
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From the little experience that we have gained in getting up a paper like this, we are abundantly satisfied that it cannot be done with a degree of fulness and accuracy, without going into every locality in the county and gleaning materials up by personal inquiry and inspection. Short of this, imperfection and error may be the result. The knowledge wanted is secreted and treasured up in the memory of the aged, scattered throughout, the limits of the county; and personal application and enquiry are the only keys by which these treasures can be unlocked and their wealth obtained. A kindred institution in the centre or south-western part of the county, would largely facilitate the objects, generally, of this association. This must be done now, or never. This day the golden hours on eagle wings are passing away—tomorrow they are lost forever.
Big Pekonasink.—Little Pekonasink.—These are small streams in the western part of the town—run north, and enter the Shawangunk Kill. The name is Indian ; the meaning not known. The land along these streams in Ulster county is called Pekonasink, from the stream running through it. This word is a corruption of the Indian word Peakadasank. We have seen an old patent, dated 1694, of land in that vicinity, where the word is thus spelled; and if we are any judge of the matter, pronounce it very pleasant and good Indian.
Judging from some Indian names found in this town, there must have been many tribes residing along its streams; but as there is little tradition in relation to them and their several localities, we will not detain the reader with any enumeration of them.
BENJAMIN SEARS, ESQ.—This gentleman was rather a remarkable man: Nature had done a good deal for him; and if his natural talents had been cultivated and enlarged by a suitable education, few men in the county would have excelled him in business operations. The reach of his mind was extensive, and his head clear, and could see the end from the beginning. But his education was very limited, and his memory his account book. His power of recollection was astonishing; somewhat owing, perhaps, to great cultivation and exercise. Whatever he once knew he never forgot; so deeply was it engraven on his memory.
Mr. Sears, in the early period of his life, had been a constable of the town of Montgomery, then including Crawford. Of the hundreds of executions in his hands during that time, thirty years afterwards he could tell by the force of memory every person he had had one against, and the amount mark by the Justice on the back of it in pounds, shillings and pence. Mr. Sears kept store for many years, and in the fall was in the habit of taking cattle from his customers in payment of their accounts. One hundred head might be delivered to him in this way in the course of a few days, and if they were passed through a pair of bars singly, so as to be distinctly seen, he could tell the precise age, the person from whom purchased, and the one or more lost, if any, with the color, age and a minute description of each. We need not he astonished at this, for every faculty if daily cultivated and depended on as this was, is capable of exhibiting the same wonderful results. Let all appreciate the truth of this remark and be benefited thereby. The family were pilgrims.
Of this family there were five brothers, Benjamin, Samuel, John, James and Elnathan, all of whom were among the early settlers of Montgomery, and performed military duty during the Revolution. Their descendents are numerous, and found in every calling and pursuit of life, and while some are abroad many of them are still in their native town.
JOSEPH ELDER, ESQ.—This individual was of Irish origin, but at what time the family came into the country or town, we are not informed. During the Revolution he was a young man and some militia troops to which he belonged were ordered to the north. At a fixed time they were to be at Newburgh or New Windsor, and transported up the river on board a sloop provided for the purpose. Mr. Elder, for some cause, did not arrive at the place of rendezvous till too late to take his passage, the sloop had left with a fair wind *and out of sight above the Danskammer. Go he must or be called a tory, and there was no recourse left him but to try the distance on foot. Elder, young, patriotic and of an iron frame of body, buckled on his knapsack, shouldered his musket and started. Though the sloop made a good passage for those times and had the best of the start, Elder beat her to Albany by several hours.
The farm on which he lived was quite stony, though when cleared the land was kind and productive, and Elder like the rest of his neighbors, converted his useless stones into wall to fence his farm. In building these he scarcely ever used a team to gather and convey the stones to their destination. We have seen him with a large leather apron girt about his loins, holding the end gathered up in one hand, while tumbling the stones into it with the other, and when full raise himself erect, and without apparent effort, carry them off to the wall and put them in place. This course he would pursue from time to time till the walls were finished. He was industrious and eminently robust and powerful. Looking on his muscular and giant frame he reminded one of ancient Milo, who could lift a grown bullock over an ordinarily high fence. His children, of whom several are sons, partake of the magnitude and physical character of the father, with great family similitude in other respects.
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*Errata--read and was out