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Deerpark and Mount Hope   
Deerpark and Mount Hope
Page 14
     FIRST AND OTHER EARLY SETTLERS.—The following left hand column exhibits the names of the first settlers, and the right hand column the names of the present residents and owners of the several farms of the former in the lower neighborhood:


ANCIENT OWNERS.
PRESENT OWNERS.
Henry Cortright,
Joel Whitloch,
Thomas Decker,
Henry Cuddeback.
Solomon Davis,
a mill seat now owned by
Thomas Van Etten.
                 Westfall,
Levi Van Etten and
Thomas Van Etten,
                 Cole,
John Van Vliet,
Michael Van Vleit,
Solomon Van Vleit.
James D. Swartwout,
William Cole,
Cornelius W. Cole, and
Eli Van Inwegen.
Peter Cuykendall,
Gilbert F. Mondon,
John Decker,
Stephen St. John
Henry Decker,
Mill seat,
Benjamin Cuddeback.
John Decker, jun.,
Simon Westfall, jun.
John Westbrook,
Abraham J. Cuddeback, and Isaac Cuddeback.
Evert Hornbeck,
Joseph Cuddeback,
Abraham Van Auken,
David Swartwout,
     These men were Holland Dutch, and their ancestors from that country.  They emigrated from Rochester and other places between this and Kingston into the lower neighborhood, and their descendents remained on the premises of their forefathers till after the Revolutionary war, and until many of them emigrated into new countries.
     The first residence of the seven men who settled at Peenpack—Jacob Cuddeback, Peter Gumaer, Thomas Swartwout, Gerardus Swartwout, Jon or John Tys and David Jamison—was on the farm now owned by Peter E. Gumaer.
     De Witt Family.—We have understood that there were four brothers of that name, who emigrated from Holland to this country.  One settled at the town of Hurley, one at Membacker’s in the town of Rochester; one at Naponach in Ulster county, and the fourth on the North River, probably in Dutchess county.  Each of the first three owned a fine farm of the best river land.  Jacob Rutsen De Witt, who lived in the Peenpack neighborhood, was a descendent of the one who settled at Naponach and the grandson of that brother.  The father of Jacob R. De Witt had nine sons and one daughter.  The daughter was the wife of Gen. James Clinton.  These nine brothers and sister were contemporary with the children of the first settlers in Deerpark.  One of these nine brothers, Doct. Andrew De Witt, was the father of Simeon De Witt, who was for many years Surveyor General of the State.  He had another son—we believe, a physician—in the city of New York; and Dr. De Witt, of the Dutch Church in that city, is a descendent of one of the nine brothers.
     We are not certain what the name of the father of the nine sons was, but infer it was Egbert.  The old people of former times in this neighborhood, when speaking of him, called him Abbert De Witt, as the Dutch would speak it.  Jacob R. De Witt, his son, married Jane Depuy, daughter of Moses Depuy of Rochester, a very respectable and wealthy farmer.  He called his oldest son Moses, after his father-in-law, and his second Egbert, which, according to custom, would be after his own father.  This speculation must go for what it is worth.
     Jacob R. De Witt’s oldest son was Moses De Witt; in person large and well favored, very social and agreeable in his manner and conversation.  The Indians esteemed him highly, and when he died deeply lamented his death.  This speaks a thousand facts in his favor, for one man like this, in a new settlement, surrounded by Indians, liable to be excited and provoked to revenge and murder by the least and unintended injury, was like a garment to the settlement which covered up a multitude of their offences against them.  This young man obtained his education from an individual by the name of Thomas White, an Englishman who came to the neighborhood about the beginning of the war.  A mutual attachment grew up between him and the people, and during the period of hostilities he took shelter with his wife in Fort Gumaer to abide the result.  As the condition of things in the settlement and state of the country justified it, he kept school in a small house built for the purpose near the fort.— What DeWitt failed to learn here he afterwards accomplished in the family of General Clinton.
He died early, but when we do not know.   We are informed that Peter E. Gumaer, Esq., in the winter of 1787 studied surveying with Mr. De Witt, who, during the previous summer, had been out on the line then being run to divide the States of New York and Pennsylvania. He was then about twenty-two years old.
     We are not skilled in tracing out genealogy, and will be content to leave it to the biographer of the family.  It is sufficient for our purpose to know and state that this family was respectable, and very early in Ulster and Orange, and largely contributed to clear up and settle the country;—that when the war of the Revolution came, they with their fellow citizens, patriotically endured its hardships and perils, and that we this day are partakers of the benefits they secured to us.  The descendents of these four brothers are very numerous, highly respectable, and found in every station and pursuit in life, but we have not the necessary information to trace down a line of descent.

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      *The farms of these men are on the land which was owned by the Indian chief Penhausen.  There still are remains of an Indian burying ground at or near the resident place of Penhausen.