The census of the county in 1756 showed it to have a population of 4,446 whites and 430 slaves. In 1771 there were 9,430 whites and 662 Negroes. The Horton family were early residents of this territory, but we have no positive data of their first advent. October 20, 1764, a line run to divide the county into two precincts was described as "beginning near the new dwelling house of John Manno, and thence on a course which will leave the house of Barnabus Horton, Jr., ten chains to the westward." His house we do not think was in this town. A Barnabus Horton in 1813 lived near what is now South Centerville in Wawayanda. Gabriel Horton, justice of the peace, 1839-1843, lived about a mile and a half west of present Slate Hill in Wawayanda. William Horton in this town was a holder of important local offices, and his son Charles W. Horton, former supervisor, is now one of the leading citizens, as is also his neighbor, Reeves Horton. In 1835, ten years after the town of Calhoun (Mount Hope) had been set off, the remainder of the territory in old Minisink had 4,439 inhabitants, and the present limits of this town about 1,000. In 1850 the town of Wawayanda was taken off, and in 1853 the town of Greenville. In 1855, by the first census after their elimination, this town had a population of 1,295. Since then its limits have remained unchanged. In 1860 its population was 1,266; in 1865, 1,209, a decrease owing to the civil war; in 1880, 1,360, including the incorporated village of Unionville, which had 316; in 1905, the last census taken, 1,354, including Unionville--a gain in 50 years of 59, which may be mainly said to be in Unionville. The first incorporated company to do business in the town was the Goshen and Westtown Turnpike Company, chartered June 1, 1812, consisting of Reuben Hopkins, Freegift Tuthill, Benjamin Strong, Stephen Jackson, James Carpenter, D. M. Westcott, "and such other persons as they shall associate with them." The purpose was to build a turnpike road from the State line to Rutger's Kill near the mill of Jones & Vancleft (at Gardnersville). Thence it ran to Pellet's round hill and the Goshen and Minisink turnpike. The Middletown, Unionville & Watergap Railroad Company was incorporated and completed ready for business by June 10, 1868, from Unionville to Middletown. Later it was leased to the Oswego Midland Railway, and still later its 13.30 miles of track were leased by the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad Company, by which it is now operated, under Erie Railroad supervision. MILITARY.