Page 11
History of Orange County
Town of Montgomery
Page 11
This old Scotch lady that would be, in despite of public opinion, was always in trouble with Mr. William Wilson, a neighbor and countryman of her's. They used to fight, quarrel, and come to blows, in which Miriam frequently had the best of the fight. Mr. Wilson, perhaps, in respect to her sex and frailty, had forborne to use his powers to the extent he was capable of, at last concluded there was no virtue in longer forbearance. One day they met on the highway, and after the exchange of a few sharp long shot, by way of preparation came to blows. Mr. Wilson threw her down and intentionally broke her arm, and there the battle ended. Miriam sued him at the law, which frightened him lest it might take his farm to pay the damages. He proposed to leave it to men; the proposition was accepted, and early one morning, Mr. Wilson called on the writer’s father to get him to act as one of the men. He stated his case and ended by saying, “that he and Mrs. Hall had agreed to leave the decision of the matter to Capt. Tremble and Squire Eager, and trouble no honest people with it, and he would be much obliged if he would serve him.” This compliment ensured a compliance.
With the reader’s permission we return to Neelytown.— We establish the date of this settlement by the age of William Eager, the second son of the first settler of that name. He was born on the ocean while his parents were coming to the country, and died in 1813, aged 85. When the family arrived they went into Westchester county and remained there for thirteen years, when they removed to Neelytown. If William had lived till 1846, he would have been 118 years old, which taken from 1846 leaves 1728, the year of arrival.
Subtract the 13 years spent in Westchester and it leaves 105 years, which taken from 1846 gives 1741, the year the family came to the place. When they came, they found Mr. Neely on the farm now owned and occupied by Mrs. Mary Tremble and Mr. Charles Booth, at the north end of the Tamarack Swamp, beside a beautiful spring of clear water. When these two individuals came we do not know—probably but a few years before. The Booths are English; the Neelys and Eagers, Irish.
The first stock the family owned in their new residence were two heifer calves; to support which through the winter, they went over to the Tamarack Swamp, some two miles off, in the vicinity of Mr. Booth, at the proper season, and cut the long grass which grew there for fodder, which, in the winter, they drove home on a hand sled with the aid of snow shoes. Their first house was a log one, and situated in the orchard west of the present tan yard and bark house of Mr. James Peck. The second was of stone and is the kitchen of the dwelling house of Mr. Mulford, the present owner of the farm. This was built before the Revolution. The land was cultivated for a year or two with the hoe and spade, as they had no horses or oxen; a plough could not have been used if they had one. Wheat was the first, and, for many years, the principal crop. Rye was not raised by the family till after 1800. The land, till then, would produce as much wheat as rye, and one was twice the value of the other. For many years after settlement there was no mill on the Walkill, where grain was ground; and their first flour was made at Madam Brett’s mill at the mouth of the Fishkill creek in Dutchess county. There was no mill, at this time, between the settlement and Newburgh. After a few years the roads became somewhat improved; the quantity of grain raised exceeded home consumption, and was carried to market. The market places were either at the village of New Windsor, or John Ellison's mill, now Major Morton’s. When grain was first taken to either of those places, there was nothing but a foot path through the woods, along a line of marked trees as guides. The usual mode was to load three horses with bags, ride one and lead two. Returning home, the two were turned loose to follow the rider. The usual price of wheat was fifty cents. With the increase of population and cultivation of the soil the price advanced: but, as these matters are within the knowledge of the present inhabitants, we will not stop to relate them.
We remark that Jas. McBride, the grandfather of Gen. John McBride, of Hamptonburgh, and Mr. White, the grand-father of Major John White, of Walkill, were passengers on board the same vessel with William Eager, Capt. James McBride, of the Revolution, married the daughter of William Eager, son of the first settler. The lands first purchased by these families are in part possessed by their descendents.— These families arrived in 1728, and have been in the State 118 years.
We have mentioned that Charles Booth was an early settler at Neelytown. He had two sons, Charles and George, each of whom married a daughter of William and Sarah Bull, the first settlers in the town of Goshen as is supposed. This individual was the ancestor of all the Booths in the county, and the families are very numerous at the present time. Mr. Booth purchased one thousand acres and located it. The spot occupied by his first house, at the north end of the Tamarack Swamp, was recently occupied by Mr. William Conning, of Scotch descent, who married in the family.