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Deerpark and Mount Hope

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At that early day the people along the valley of the Neversink and Delaware, for the distance of forty or fifty miles, having a desire to hear the gospel preached among them, concluded that by forming four congregations within that distance, they could support one preacher; but as there was no one qualified in the settlement to officiate in that station, and the people, generally being from Holland, of the Dutch Reformed Church, they agreed with a young man—John Casparus Fryenmuth—who had previously studied for the ministry, to furnish him with money to go to Holland, finish his studies and procure his ordination, and he, in return, to become their minister. He went, finished his studies, was ordained, and became the minister of the four congregations in 1742. Each was to have the one-fourth of his services. The ministrations of this gentleman were very agreeable to the people, and most gratefully remembered along the line of tradition. They continued till about 1755, when the French and Indian war commenced; when, from the exposed condition of this frontier to Indian attack, it was judged imprudent to continue his services: he discontinued, and retired to another part of the country.

While these times show a lamentable poverty of educated men, as well in other as in this department of learning, we cannot but applaud the pious and Christian sacrifices made by these early settlers to enjoy the now too unprised privilege of a gospel ministry.

For some years before 1700, and till as late as 1765 or ‘70, the owners of this 1200 acre patent, and of the Minisink patent, were doomed to be troubled and afflicted with a tedious and oftentimes ferocious conflict with their neighbors, the inhabitants of New Jersey, growing out of the uncertain location of the line between New York and New Jersey:—one side claiming it to be farther South, to a certain point on the Delaware River; and the other, farther North, to a certain point on the same river. It so happened that the line claimed by New Jersey ran through the 1200 acre patent in this county, and certain evil disposed persons in that State procured a Jersey Colony title for a tract of land extending up North to this claimed line, and covered a large portion of the 1200 acres. As the line remained unsettled, no action at law could be maintained by either party, and consequently many hard and personal struggles took place, to maintain or get possession of the lands in question; and a lawless violence was permitted to reign in triumph over the disputed territory for more than three-fourths of a century.

As some of the proceedings and incidents were not only of a serious and dangerous character, but ludicrous in the extreme, we will extract a few from the notes of our friend Mr. Gumaer, premising them with a statement of the case as we have collected it from the records of the Colonial Assembly of New York, by which the reader will be in possession of an accurate notion in relation to this ancient and truly pestilent border warfare.

EXTRACTS FROM PROCEEDINGS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

“November 1, 1700. That whereas some differences do arise between the county of Orange, within this province, and the province of East New Jersey,

“They, therefore, humbly pray your Excellency, (Richard, Earl of Bellamont, Governor,) to take into consideration the settling of the bounds between this province and said province of East New Jersey.”

By order of the House of Representatives, Abraham Gouverneur, Speaker.

Ordered, that Mr. Morgan and Captain Hunt do carry up to his Excellency and Council the act for confirming a certain agreement made by Thomas Swartwout and company of the one part, and Garret Aertson and company of the other part, for their assent, and the address of this house to settle the bounds between this province and the province of East New Jersey.

We hear nothing more of settling this line in the record, of the Assembly, till October 20, 1748, at which time the colony of New Jersey had passed an act to run and ascertain the line, and had laid it before the Assembly of New York for their objections, if any. Before the House had acted upon it, the inhabitants of Orange all along the line got up a petition against the act, which they presented to the house and desired to be heard by counsel. This was granted, and on the 28th of October, 1748, the petitioners were heard by their counsel against the New Jersey act. On the 29th, the House considered the objections against the act, and

“Resolved that they were strong and well grounded; that the petitioners take measures, if they think fit, to oppose it; and that the Speaker transmit their objections to Mr. Charles, agent for the colony in Great Britain, with directions to oppose said act, when it shall be transmitted for his Majesty’s royal assent.”

Mr. Charles wrote here to know whether the expense of opposing the law was to be borne by the individuals or the public; whereupon, the House “Resolved, that they be paid by the public.”