We will take the right hand road past the post-office, presided over
by Miss Young, and ascend a rather steep hill. After we leave the
little bridge we are shut out from the sight of civilization. At our
right rises an almost perpendicular hill darkly clothed in fir, pine
and hemlock. On the left is a substantial hand rail protecting us
from the rocky gorge below. It is cool and dark here and we will stay
long enough to review a little of Cornwall's early history.
As the _Half Moon_ anchored in the broad bay south of Newburgh, the
swift canoes of the Indians shot out from the shore to investigate
what kind of a bird their white winged visitors might be. They were
of the tribe Warwaronecks, afterwards known as the Murderer's Kill
Indians.
On April 15, 1685, Governor Dongan purchased the tract claimed by
this tribe, extending from Murderer's Creek to Stony Point, the river
forming the eastern boundary. A year previous to this a Scotchman
named McGregorie had brought his own and several families to settle
here. A document is extant in which Margaret McGregorie states:
"They were not only the first Christians that had settled thereon but
also peaceably and quietly and enjoyed their land during the term of
their natural lives."
McGregorie was placed in command of the militia and marched with his
men to fight the Indians. Before he left he was assured by Governor
Dongan the patent for his land should be issued. It never was. He was
killed in 1691 and during the trouble with the Leisler government and
that of Governor Fletcher his property was sold to Captain Evans.
After a great deal of trouble in getting back to his family, who held
it until 1727, it was sold to Thomas Ellison.
There is no record of the names of any of his family after his death
except his and that of his wife's brother Tosusk, the Laird of
Minnevard. The boundaries of this tract were very indefinite until in
1799 when Monroe and Blooming Grove were erected into separate towns.
Buttermilk Falls still formed part of our territory, but the mountain
made business intercourse so very inconvenient that in 1872 a
petition was granted by the Legislature severing this connection,
the new village taking the name of Highland Falls.
FREIGHTING.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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