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History of Orange County
Towns of Goshen, Hamptonburgh and Chester
Page 30
     We previously referred to a spring found on the land of David M. Westcott, Esq., in the village, a few years since, the history of which is lost. This was found several feet under the surface, regularly stoned up, and covered over with a large stone. The location is just east of his late residence, and where (be land falls off in hight from a dry to a meadow soil. The subsequent cultivation of the land covered up the spring, and placed it in the condition it was when found. The question is, when was it dug and stoned up, by whom and for what purpose. We have heard it suggested that it was done by some Frenchmen, who were travelling from the south to the north, or visa versa, early after the discovery of the country, and perhaps after France took possession of Canada, got lost in the wilderness, and to defend themselves against the Indians, made an erection of some kind, dug out and stoned up this spring.  We think the theory fanciful, and unsupported by any tradition warranting its belief. Besides, they traversed the country along or by the western rivers, and not by land through this part of the country. We have made one suggestion to account for the fact, and now make another.
     During the old French and Indian war of 1756, all history and tradition concur in proving the hostile attitude of the Indians.  We have referred to instances of the services of the citizens of Goshen during that period; we now suggest, that before or during that war, the citizens of Goshen, by themselves or by authority of the colonial government, erected a block house or other building for defence, on that spot, and the spring in question was dug and stoned for its accommodation.  That after the war was over, the worthless and temporary log house was permitted to go down at an early day, and now its history is unknown to the present inhabitants.  To illustrate such a fact we give an instance: This well was found by the abundance and verdure of the grass which grew over it and in the immediate vicinity.  There is an old rule about digging a well to ensure the finding of water, which is to dig "where the grass grows the greenest and the dew lies the longest.''
      Pausanias, in his Attics, chapter 26, mentions a well in the citadel, in the temple of Erech'theus at Athens, cut in the rock, said to contain salt water and to yield the sound of waves when the south wind blew.
     This well, after remaining closed up and unknown for one thousand years, was discovered in 1828.  The war between the Turks and the Greeks was then raging.  The Turks were shut up in this citadel: the want of provisions and water forced them to surrender.  The Greeks, after being in possession, foresaw that they might be in the same situation; but observing, while besieging the Turks, some water filtering through the soil at the foot of the rock, dug down from above the spot whence it seemed to proceed, and soon came to a subterraneous stairs of 150 steps, conducting to a small square room, in which was a well yielding abundance of pure water.”
     If this town is divested of the adornment of villages, ponds and streams of water, she is equally free from rocky eminences and mountain elevations, which too often intercept an inland view, and too generally spoil the beauty of an agricultural district.  Of the latter we know but one.
     Mount Lookout.-This rough and stony eminence is situated on the public road leading from Goshen to Florida, about three miles south of the former place, and is a limestone formation.  Though the lime burnt from it is not of first quality, it yields a durable and beautiful building stone, of a handsome dove color.  The Orange County Poor House is situated on the west side and close to its base.  The reason why so sailed we have not been able to learn.  The name is from the Latin a mountain.  Like all limestone formations, this is open and cavernous.  If you want to find a cave, as a general rule, you must examine a locality like this.  On the east side there is a small summer stream, which usually vents itself into a low spot in the vicinity, but when the stream is large and the spot so full as to overflow, it vents itself through the base of the bill, discolors and muds the fine large spring, upon which the Poor House establishment mainly relies for water.     
     The brooks and ponds of this town have been previously mentioned in other towns, or will be hereafter, and we know of no other locality worth naming.