Town of New Windsor

This ancient town is small in dimentions, lies east and west, is wedge shaped, and driven in as it were, between Newburgh and Cornwall, with the small end resting on the river. Being in the vicinity of the Highlands, like some other towns, its physical condition is a little effected by such locality, and consequently has a diversified surface. The soil is generally thin, hard and ungenial, and demands skilful and continuous good tillage, when it produces well. The same tasteful spirit of agriculture, which is witnessed in other towns, in clearing up unsightly spots, draining off stagnant and surplus waters, and building up durable fences, &c., is not as generally visible through the town as we could wish. The lands in the vicinity of the river are an exception from this remark. Lands so near the Hudson and head of the market, cannot be permitted to lie idle, and be slovenly cultivated without unpardonable negligence. Their proximity to market and the daily consumption of a mammoth city almost within sight, and which begins to affect the price of vegetables and chickens in the gardens and barn-yards along the river, would seem to force a high condition of agriculture whether the owners of the lands submit to it or not. This increasing demand will influence the price not only of many small vendable products, but of the great staples of the most expensive husbandry. The present prices of farming products, which will probably be maintained for some time to come, added to the obligation ever binding upon all to be industrious and to improve their condition, ought, we think, to admonish the farming interest of the town at large, to put forth its best and most enduring energies. Besides, there is a pride, which properly belongs to the cultivator of mother earth, which like some friendly but unseen guardian spirit, urges him on in the pleasant path of useful and ornamental improvement, which if kindly cherished, will be productive of much private and public benefit.

The population of this town are eminently agricultural in their pursuits, many of whom, by steady industry and laudable economy, are independent in their circumstances, and growing every day more and more so. Wealth thus hardly and deservedly earned, is apt to be most profitable and enduring.

The town is very deficient in brooks and streams of water, and has nothing which furnishes hydraulic power of any extent, except Murderer's Creek, and that only for a few miles above its month. It contains one beautiful sheet of watery called the “Little Pond,” its outlet affords no milling privileges, yet it is being well stocked with the delightful Pickerel, put in some years since by the owners of the adjoining lands. The ice from this pond not unfrequently is transported to Newburgh to supply the ice houses and cool the water of Cold Spring.

The general surface of the land is rolling, with an occasional high ridge running north and south, and for the most part, except in a few locations, quite stony. We do not know that there is any quarry or lime stone of any great value in the town at large. Snake Hill is the only mountain elevation within her limits. This is a steep rocky eminence, covered with wood, about two miles west of the village of New Windsor. Its direction is north and south, and near the south line of Newburgh. The east front of the hill is almost perpendicular, while the west side is smooth and of gentle declivity. It is a primitive formation, and of the kind denominated Gniess, a stratified granite. The name, by tradition, was from the fact of being infested by snakes at the early settlement of the town. In some letters on the Natural History and Internal Resources of the State of New York, written in 1820 by De Witt Clinton, under the signature of Hibernicus, and afterwards published in pamphlet form, he remarks, that “the Rattle Snake, among other localities, is found at Snake Hill, in Orange county,” leaving it to be inferred the hilt derived its name from being infested by this snake. Mr. Clinton, from the fact of his having been brought up in the town, and from his connection with, and residence in the county for many years, would seem to be good authority for this fact; but we think him in error on the point, for the facts of the case as far as known, with tradition, are otherwise.

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Table of Contents Town of New Windsor Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Orange County AHGP/ALHN New York AHGP/ALHN AHGP ALHN	History of Orange County
	Town of New Windsor This ancient town is small in dimentions, lies east and west, is wedge shaped, and driven in as it were, between Newburgh and Cornwall, with the small end resting on the river. Being in the vicinity of the Highlands, like some other towns, its physical condition is a little effected by such locality, and consequently has a diversified surface. The soil is generally thin, hard and ungenial, and demands skilful and continuous good tillage, when it produces well. The same tasteful spirit of agriculture, which is witnessed in other towns, in clearing up unsightly spots, draining off stagnant and surplus waters, and building up durable fences, &c., is not as generally visible through the town as we could wish. The lands in the vicinity of the river are an exception from this remark. Lands so near the Hudson and head of the market, cannot be permitted to lie idle, and be slovenly cultivated without unpardonable negligence. Their proximity to market and the daily consumption of a mammoth city almost within sight, and which begins to affect the price of vegetables and chickens in the gardens and barn-yards along the river, would seem to force a high condition of agriculture whether the owners of the lands submit to it or not. This increasing demand will influence the price not only of many small vendable products, but of the great staples of the most expensive husbandry. The present prices of farming products, which will probably be maintained for some time to come, added to the obligation ever binding upon all to be industrious and to improve their condition, ought, we think, to admonish the farming interest of the town at large, to put forth its best and most enduring energies. Besides, there is a pride, which properly belongs to the cultivator of mother earth, which like some friendly but unseen guardian spirit, urges him on in the pleasant path of useful and ornamental improvement, which if kindly cherished, will be productive of much private and public benefit. The population of this town are eminently agricultural in their pursuits, many of whom, by steady industry and laudable economy, are independent in their circumstances, and growing every day more and more so. Wealth thus hardly and deservedly earned, is apt to be most profitable and enduring. The town is very deficient in brooks and streams of water, and has nothing which furnishes hydraulic power of any extent, except Murderer's Creek, and that only for a few miles above its month. It contains one beautiful sheet of watery called the “Little Pond,” its outlet affords no milling privileges, yet it is being well stocked with the delightful Pickerel, put in some years since by the owners of the adjoining lands. The ice from this pond not unfrequently is transported to Newburgh to supply the ice houses and cool the water of Cold Spring. The general surface of the land is rolling, with an occasional high ridge running north and south, and for the most part, except in a few locations, quite stony. We do not know that there is any quarry or lime stone of any great value in the town at large. Snake Hill is the only mountain elevation within her limits. This is a steep rocky eminence, covered with wood, about two miles west of the village of New Windsor. Its direction is north and south, and near the south line of Newburgh. The east front of the hill is almost perpendicular, while the west side is smooth and of gentle declivity. It is a primitive formation, and of the kind denominated Gniess, a stratified granite. The name, by tradition, was from the fact of being infested by snakes at the early settlement of the town. In some letters on the Natural History and Internal Resources of the State of New York, written in 1820 by De Witt Clinton, under the signature of Hibernicus, and afterwards published in pamphlet form, he remarks, that “the Rattle Snake, among other localities, is found at Snake Hill, in Orange county,” leaving it to be inferred the hilt derived its name from being infested by this snake. Mr. Clinton, from the fact of his having been brought up in the town, and from his connection with, and residence in the county for many years, would seem to be good authority for this fact; but we think him in error on the point, for the facts of the case as far as known, with tradition, are otherwise. 768th