The township of Chester is well arranged for the transaction of public business, and is the practical outcome of the ambitions of a progressive century. In 1845 from the towns of Goshen, Warwick, Blooming Grove and Monroe, the township was organized with James Gray as its first supervisor, 1845. [Illustration: C. B. Wood] The first deed that we find made mention of was John Beers as owning 120 acres of the Cromeline patent; he sold the same June 16, 1751, to John Ensign, who in turn sold 42-3/4 acres of the tract, on May 19, 1755, to John Yelverton, gentleman, for the sum of 97L. and 4S. current money. Upon this land the village of Chester is located. Many familiar names of the families living in our township to-day are found on the assessment rolls of dist. No. 4, town of Goshen, of September, 1775, signed by Nathaniel Roe. This district may be described as running from Greycourt to Satterlytown, Sugar Loaf to Summerville, to Fort Hill, with no less than 119 land owners with an assessed valuation of 370L. 8S. 17D. Abijah Yelverton, in the year of 1783, gave an acre of ground for church purposes. The year 1797 saw the beginning of the first meeting house. In 1708 the first minister began his labors in the Presbyterian church at $75 per annum, "with the privilege of teaching to piece out his support." This meeting house stood on the high ground in the rear of the residence of Dr. S. G. Carpenter, in the old village of Chester. It was commodious for the time, with square pews, but was used without being heated. The next church was built in 1829, and was located about the center of the present cemetery at East Chester. Our earliest district school-house stood opposite the Dr. Edmonston home in the old village. It was erected during the latter part of 1700. Another was located on the Goshen road near Dr. A. T. Sanden's residence. Long before the noise of railroads disturbed the quiet of our hamlet, the mails were brought by the old stage coach. Chester was favorably situated for the exchange of mails, the Goshen stage running through here to meet the Newburgh and New York stage line at Southfield and the Warwick stage line, using our road to connect with the same line at Washingtonville.