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History of Orange County
Town of Minisink
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On this article we refer the reader to the letter of Samuel Preston, Esq., from which it appears that from thirty to forty miles along both sides of the Delaware were settled before New York, Pennsylvania or New Jersey knew anything about it, and only found it out in about 1729. That at that time there were no inhabitants in Bucks and Northampton counties in Pennsylvania, yet the settlers there had a grove of apple trees larger than any near Philadelphia, and had been there so long that some could only be understood in Indian. That the settlers were miners from Holland, who dug ore at a minehole somewhere in New Jersey, near Paaquarry flats, and also at a place about halfway to Esopus, which latter no doubt was at the present lead mine in Mamakating in Sullivan county. That they built or assisted to build the old mine road leading from Minisink to Esopus, through Mamakating Hollow, and that when the colony of New York was surrendered by the government of Holland to the English in 1664, the settlement was at least partially broken up and the mining business closed. We cannot say that this settlement was within the present limits of this town, though a portion of it may have been. At this day particular old localities which come down to us by vague and uncertain descriptions cannot be distinctly pointed out.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY, DIE SABBATI, -May 11, 1734.-The petition of Jacobus Swartwonds, (probably Swartwout,) William Proovost, William Coel, and others, the freeholders and inhabitants residing and living in Minisink, in the county of Orange, and part of Ulster county, was presented to the house, &c., setting forth that several persons in West Jersey and Pennsylvania having no other way to transport their produce than through the Minisink road, and that there was but about 40 miles more to repair before they came to Esopus, &c., and that they be compelled to work on said road and assist in repairing it to the house of Ebbert Dewitt, in the town of Rochester, in the county of Ulster.
“Resolved, That leave be given to bring in a bill according to the prayer of the petition.”
This was the old mine or Esopus road made by the Hollanders previously mentioned, and is the same now travelled upon through the Hollow.
To a certain extent, but how far we do not know, the early settlement of Deerpark extensively spread before the reader must be considered a portion of the History of this town, especially all that part of it which relates to the controversies between the settlers on the Minisink and Wawayanda patents with the people in New Jersey about the possession of the lands along the disputed line, which we thought best to give in one town and not to divide it. The names of the individuals who were at that time in the town and nobly defended their possessions, and the places upon which they settled have not, come down to us in such a manner as to be relied on, and therefore they cannot be stated with the accuracy desired.-- The settlement however must have been very early, and to some extent before 1700, for settlements were made by inhabitants of New Jersey north of that, and complaints against them brought before the colonial assembly for their direction as early as that period.
In our account of that border warfare we endeavored make a concise and plain statement thereof, and give the reader the benefit of all that had been done by authority relating to it: but to supply a deficiency there made we remark that in 1755 a bill was passed “to impower certain trustees to dispose of any quantity of unappropriated lands within the patents of Minisink and Wawayanda to raise a sum not exceeding £1000 on each, to defend the title and possessions of the proprietors of the patents against the encroachments of the people of East New Jersey, and to defray the expense already accrued. We do not know that we can add any other fact by way of illustration, and shall consider the history of that warfare closed. While old Minisink, perhaps in a historical point of view, is as much entitled to the honor of it as ancient Deerpark; we still are inclined from our knowledge of the matter to divide the honor about equally between them.
Independent of that early location which in all probability was a mere thread of scattered population along the southern portion of the now town of Minisink, and did not aid much the subsequent settlement of the town, we remark that the true settlement commenced at the north and gradually diffused itself from year to year further and further south till the whole land became sparsely populated. This was chiefly effected by the residents of the eastern portion of the old town of Goshen and from about the village with some from Walkill and other places. This population of course was of English origin, and had already passed one stage of settlement on Long Island and another in Goshen, and now began in the persons of their descendents to roll a feeble wave over the beautiful and undulating surface of this town.
We cannot be very particular in our remarks on this head, and must content ourselves with pointing to a few persons and localities only, leaving the aged and intelligent reader to supply the omission from his own knowledge and local tradition.
Denton.-In old times this locality was called “the outlet.” it has its present name from Mr. Henry W. Denton, an old resident of the place, now about 79 years of age, and who has been in many ways instrumental in building up and otherwise benefitting the place.
Down till some ten years since the moral character of the place was not of the purest or most desirable character, and a censorious person might say it was profligate. The Sabbath was little regarded and treated as a secular day, and spent in fishing, hunting, drinking, &c. It was concluded that the erection of a Church and stated preaching might have their legitimate effect upon the population of the place and its vicinity, by gathering them into the Church at least occasionally, and in the end wean them from vicious habits to a general observance of the duties and proprieties of life, becoming a civilized community. The object was effected and Denton Church is the living evidence of this virtuous and noble reformation. The congregation was small and the preacher divided his time between it and Ridgeberry. The village is pleasantly situated on the west bank of the Walkill, and appears fresh and growing. The bank of the river is high with a good prospect in all directions.