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Deerpark and Mount Hope

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These two towns taken together may be described as follows:—the Shawangunk mountain as it runs from Southwest to Northeast constitutes the dividing line between them.— As it falls off to the west it meets the narrow flats along the Neversink River in Deerpark, which were partially alluvial and productive. The nature and condition of the land on the opposite side of the river, and up the Bashes Kill, are of the same quality, and compose the major part of good level land in Deerpark. The western and northern portions of the town, as they are situated upon the southern slope of the mountain, are elevated, rough and broken, and useful principally for grass and wood. It is bounded on the Southwest by the Delaware and Mongaup Rivers, while the Neversink runs through the whole length of it from North to South, uniting with the Delaware at Carpenter’s Point. There are other small streams which wind their devious and rapid courses through the town, such as Basher’s Kill, Shingle Kill, Grassy Swamp Brook and Fall Brook. The small streams, having their origin in the mountains at the North, determine their southern direction. The Hudson Canal runs through the whole length of the town from Port Jervis at the South on the Delaware to Cuddebackville, and on to the line of the town at the North. This Canal is really a godsend to this remote and insulated town, and her citizens unquestionably will use to their future advantage the convenience and market facilities afforded by it.

We believe the whole of Deerpark is covered by the Minisink Patent. The name is said to have been caused by the following circumstance: A man by the name of McDaniel or McDonald owned a small tract of land within the limits of the town, but where exactly we are not informed, and lie enclosed it by a fence made of brush and small trees lopped down. The enclosure was called McDonald’s "Deerpark," and was supposed to contain many deer. The tradition has great probability, for that animal was very numerous in that region at the settlement of the town.

The Mount Hope portion of the old town is an exact diamond in shape, and among the least of her sisters. Its situation and physical character are ruled by the same laws which govern Deerpark, as it lies on the eastern slope of the mountain, shelving pretty suddenly down to the Shawangunk creek. The location of the town and the bed of the creek are among the highest portions of the county. This fact is alluded to in the name, borrowed, as we suppose, from the older village of Mount Hope, and expresses a high location and a mind buoyant and hopeful. Mount is from the Latin Mons, a mountain; and Hope from the Saxon Hopa, the expectation of future good. The Shawangunk Kill, here a small stream, runs through the whole length of the town from South to North, and is the only one worth mentioning. This town may be considered hard to till, and not very productive in grains under any state of husbandry. The spots which have the benefit of mountain wash may be excepted; still the culture of stock and its produce in various ways must, in the nature of things in this climate, be the most advantageous husbandry. A shepherd will thrive better than a horticulturalist.

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

We may, say perhaps, with truth, that the earliest settlement within the present limits of this county, were made at a place called Peenpack in this town, and on the southerly portion of that long and narrow valley of partially alluvial land, known as Mamakating Hollow.

Some of the original settlers in this remote and secluded locality came from the earliest settlement of the Dutch and Huguenots on the Hudson, at Kingston and its vicinity; from whence, following the flat lands on the banks of the streams to the southward, wandered along the valley just mentioned to the Delaware River, where they were probably met by other early adventurers, who, coming from New Jersey, had followed up that river and made settlements on both sides of it.

These tenants of the valley took possession and occupied such portions of the country as suited their tastes, regardless of the real ownership, and without knowing or enquiring whether they were under the authority of the Dutch government of New Netherlands, or the Quaker rule of William Penn.

In the year 1697 a patent was granted to Arent Schuyler for “A certain tract of land in the Minisink country, in the province of New York, called by the native Indians Warensaghskemick, otherwise called Maghawaemus; also a certain parcel of meadow or vly, called by the Indians Warensaghskemick, situate, lying and being upon a certain run, called by the Indians, and known by the name of Minisink, before a certain island, called Menayack, which is adjacent to, or near unto, a certain tract of land called by the natives Maghakaneck, containing the quantity of one thousand acres and no more.”

In the same year another patent was granted to Jacob Codebeck, Thomas Swartwout, Anthony Swartwout, Bernardus Swartwout, Jan Tys, Peter Germar and David Jamison, and included “a certain quantity of land at a place called Waghaghkemick, being the quantity of one thousand two hundred acres; beginning at the Western bounds of the lands called Nepeneck to a small run of water called by the Indian name Assawaghkemeck, and so along said run of water and the lands of Mansjoor the Indian.”

The lands included in the two patents are situated in the valley of the Peenpack. It will be perceived that they are described in such a loose and imperfect manner as to make it impossible to fix any particular location for either of them, and the patentees seem to have considered them as "floating" patents, under which they were authorised to take possession of any unappropriated lands in any part of the valley. Indeed, in after years, when it was necessary to make a partition of the Minisink patent—within the general bounds of which these two patents were included, but in which they were expressly excepted—the commissioners appointed to make the partition found great difficulty in making a location of them. With respect to the patent to Codeback and others, they remark that, “It contains no particular boundaries, but appears rather to be a description of a certain tract of country in which the 1200 acres were to be taken up at the election of the parties, which election having been made many years ago, and being evidenced by the actual possession of the parties, consists of five distinct small tracts.” These five tracts lie along the Neversink River, and the Bashes Kill from near the Delaware River, to within the bounds of the county of Sullivan. about the distance of eleven miles. Portions of this patent still remain in the possession of the descendents of some of the original patentees, as we shall see more particularly hereafter.

Some of these names have been slightly changed: Germar is now spelt Gumaer, and Codebeck, Cuddeback. Cuddebackville is situated on one of the five tracts composing the patent.