Some notes on the History of the Town of Beekman

Written by Town Historian Mary Hoag

Sometime during the years of World War II

(Copied verbatim)

Beekman was first known by that name when Henry Beekman was given a crown patent to that section of the Duchess of York’s County between Rombout Patent and the Connecticut line, covering that section of Dutchess County which is now the towns of Beekman, Pawling, Dover, Union Vale and the eastern part of LaGrange.  At present, the name applies to Beekman Township, which is bordered on the south by the Putnam County line, on the west by East Fishkill, on the north by Union Vale and on the east by Pawling and Dover.

The original inhabitants of the area were Wappingers Indians, a part of the Lenni Lenape tribe.  The Indians in the eastern part of the patent were Pequot’s.  They were peaceful Indians and sold land to the white men.

The section was at first claimed by the English, the French and the Dutch in overlapping claims due to discovery by Cabot, Verazzano and Hudson, but the Dutch occupied parts of their claim.  They made a treaty with the Indians and though they made three settlements along the Hudson, none were made as far inland as Beekman.

Eventually the territory, with the rest of New York, was granted to the Duke of York and the Dutch gave up possession when an English squadron arrived in 1664.

Soon after this, the Crown gave patents to various people, among them Henry Beekman, who was given the first patent to this land in 1699.  He paid the Crown an annual rent of forty shillings a year.  He surrendered the patent and received a new one in 1703.  In 1743, the section of the Oblong along the east border of the patent was added to it.

Beekman became a precinct in December 1737 and a government was set up.  Then in 1769, the section was divided into Pawling Precinct (the present towns of Pawling and Dover) and Beekman Precinct.

In March 1788, Beekman Precinct became a Town, since the new State of New York was divided into counties and towns.  In 1821, the part of the town of LaGrange called Freedom was set off from Beekman and on March 1, 1827, the town of Union Vale was set off and Beekman became the present town.

The land in Beekman is rolling and in some places hilly.  The soil is fertile and has made it an agricultural township.  It is well watered by streams, which are branches of the Fishkill Creek, which flows across the town from northeast to southwest, going into the Fishkill and reaching the Hudson near Fishkill Landing.  There is only one lake of any size.  That is Sylvan Lake of about 100 A. in the southwest section.  It is a very beautiful lake being surrounded on three sides by wooded shores.  It is entirely spring fed, very deep and very cold.

Nicholas Emigh, who originally bought the land from Fishkill to Poughkeepsie and from the Hudson to Connecticut from the Indians, was undoubtedly the first settler.  When he first came, he lived at Fishkill but when he found the section was covered by patents, he bought about 1500 A. of Henry Beekman in the section known as the Clove.  He probably settled about 1690 at first in what is still Beekman as many of his family are buried in the township, but he later moved to North Clove where he built a stone house in 1740.  The house is still in use.  (NOT NOW)  His daughter, Katrina, married a Lossing, an ancestor of the historian Benson J. Lossing.  Lossing was born in the town near the hamlet of Beekmanville.

James Vanderburgh, a colonel of the 5^th Regiment, Dutchess County Militia in the Revolution, lived near Poughquag.  The house has been gone many years, but he and his family are buried on the farm.

Other noted residents of the town were a Delong who became Minister to Japan and two Bishops Potter.

Among the names in the Revolutionary Rolls, which are still known in the town, are Emigh, Gardner, Brill, Cornell, Cornwall, Baker, Sweet, Davis, Doughty, Draper, Holmes, Odell, Haxtun, Reynolds, Adriance, Tanner, VanWyck, White, Wilcox, Cooper Hoag and Pray.  These same names appear on gravestones in the old burying grounds along with many others.

The original villages were probably Gardner Hollow, Green Haven and then Poughquag and Beekmanville.  Gardner Hollow had a church, school, store and smithy very early.  There was a mill and evidently a tavern at Green Haven as a DeLong kept a tavern there in 1716, according to historical information.  Poughquag became a village soon after and also Beekmanville.  Probably the oldest building in the town is the stone end of our (Hoag) house.  Its exact age is not known.  Part of the Gardner house at Poughquag was an inn many years ago.  Part of the garage on the Millard place at Gardner Hollow was the old Gardner Hollow School (NEAR LAURA THOMPSON’S HOUSE) and was used as a store when the new school was built about 1837.  The Stowe house and the Gardner house nearby were built in 1804.  The house where General George Van der Burgh, son of Colonel James Van der Burgh, lived at Gardner Hollow burned a few years ago.

The records of Beekman go back to 1772.  That book covers to 1835.  The books between it and the beginning of this century were unfortunately destroyed.  All we know about those years is what was recorded in the histories.  The first book, however, gives the path-master districts, the overseers of the poor, the residents of the school districts, etc.  There are Prudential Laws governing fences, animals, ear marks for cattle, requiring the confining of hogs as they are “no commoners” and binding out of the poor.  Vital statistics apply only to birth and manumission of slaves.  In 1787, a tax of $350 was raised for the poor.  In 1835, teachers were paid from $11 to $20 per term.  The names in this record agree with those from other lists.

The industries of the town, other than agriculture, have been varied but short lived.  There were grist mills for many years as they were closely associated with agriculture.  There was a fulling mill at Poughquag and also hat shops.  Some of its present houses had their origins as hat shops.  There were iron mines and smelting furnaces for a few years but with the advent of better transportation, they became unprofitable and were discontinued.  They stayed long enough, however, to start progress.

The first railroad in the town was built to Clove furnaces to make a means of taking out pig iron, other than horse drawn vehicles.  This railroad ran from Fishkill to the Clove and the rough grading to take it to the Harlem at Brewster was well started when the company failed in 1873.  The New England, the present New York, New Haven and Hartford was built through the town in 1881.  Then the railroad coach replaced the old stage lines.  Some years ago, passenger service was discontinued on the road and now the transportation is by motor bus and automobiles.

In 1696, during a French and Indian War, a law was passed giving six pounds for any Frenchman killed within three miles of any farmhouse in Dutchess County.  In 1746, there was a call for 200 men.  How many answered from Beekman we do not know.  However, the Dutchess County Militia was called out in 1756.  During that campaign, the Connecticut Militia crossed Beekman on its way to reinforce the Army of the North.  When the people of Beekman were asked to sign the Articles of Association, 257 signed and 135 refused.  This was better than average.

During the Revolution, Colonel James Vanderburgh commanded the 5^th Regiment of Dutchess County Militia.  This was comprised largely of Beekman men.  The precinct furnished many men for the Line and Levies.  Then, in addition, there was a 5^th Regiment of Dutchess County (Land Bounty Rights) which was a home guard and furnished replacement for the regular militia.

Probably the only shots fired in the town were fired by Vaughn’s Cowboys (Tories) who tried to kill Colonel Van der Burgh when he was home wounded, but his wife put beds and furniture against the walls of his room and he was not harmed.

Washington marched his army through Beekman after it had encamped overnight near Dover.  They were on the way from Hartford to Newburgh.  General Washington’s notebook says that he stopped for dinner with Colonel Vanderburgh.  When Marquis de Lafayette came across the town on his way to visit Washington, he took dinner there too; and Marquis de Chastellux describes his trip across the town and his stop with Van der Burgh in his “Travels”.

There are no records of enlistments in the War of 1812, but Beekman undoubtedly did its share as it had before.  General George Vanderburgh, who died in 1822, was probably a general in 1812.

Likewise, we have no records of enlistments in the Civil War, though many families had fathers and uncles, etc., in the war and they were well known by tradition.  We do know, however, that Beekman’s quota in 1862 was 21; that in 1863 Philo Baker was made an enrolling officer.  There were two quotas that year.  Beekman’s first was 26, her second 21.  On the draft order in 1864, Beekman’s deficiency was nine (9).  Beekman enrolled 131.  Her quota was again 21.  There is a list of the towns where the quota was not met and the draft had to be used.  Beekman was not in that list.  The town also raised $35,000 for volunteers and substitutes and sent supplies to the hospitals.  The Ladies Aid Society of Beekman was thanked for helping with the hospital supplies.

I have been unable to find out how many went into the Spanish American War, but it was of short duration and volunteers soon finished the job.

During the punitive action against Mexico prior to World War I, the National Guard units trained at Green Haven, but otherwise Beekman took no part in it.

There were several volunteers and enlisted men from Beekman in World War I, of course.  They served in various branches of the service and in various places.  Again, Green Haven was used as a training center for units of infantry.  The 15^th Infantry Division and the Fighting 69^th were there.  The people of the town subscribed generously to the Liberty Loans and the women spend much time knitting, sewing and making dressings for the Red Cross.  Support was also given to the Salvation Army, the YMCA, K of C and other societies doing war work.

(THIS DATES THIS)  During the present war we have an ever growing list of men and women in the services.  There has been a comprehensive plan of Disaster Relief carried on by the Red Cross, the OCD, and the welfare organizations of the county.  Beekman has prepared men and women for First Aid Home Nursing, emergency housing and rationing in case of evacuees from New York City or other cities.  Much Home Service work has been done in the town and likewise much sewing and knitting for the Red Cross and British Relief.  Much money has been raised for the Red Cross and many bonds sold.

While no troops have trained in Green Haven (the Green Haven Prison having been built there in the meantime), the prison is in use as a disciplinary barracks and an installation built up for guards and other services.

Beekman sent James Vanderburgh as a deputy to the Provincial Congress in 1776.

Samuel Dodge, Ebenezer Cary, Henry Dodge, Benjamin Haxtun, Elnathan Haxtun and Andrew Pray are Beekman names of Members of Assembly.  Henry Van der Burgh and Wilson B. Sheldon have served the county as county clerks.  Charles H. Slocum served as County Treasurer.

Among the Quakers enrolled in 1755 were 49 from Beekman Precinct.  Part of them were from the Gardner Hollow section, part from the Quaker Hill section and the rest from Oswego (J. MOORE’S MILLS) in what later became Freedom township.  In 1774, a monthly meeting was set up at the Oblong, the meetinghouse having been built in 1742.  Oswego meeting was allowed in 1750 and Apoquague was allowed in 1771.  It was made preparatory in 1773.  It was transferred from Oblong Monthly Meeting to Oswego Monthly Meeting in 1803.  At the Separation in 1828, the Orthodox Church laid down.  The Hicksite laid down in 1874.  At the Separation, there were 157 members in Beekman.  At that time, of course, Beekman was the same size it is now.  The meeting house and burying ground were erected on land leased from Morgan Lewis for “one peppercorn a year if demanded.”  This was at Gardner Hollow.  A second meeting house was built nearer the Clove but still in Beekman.  It was torn down and used to build an addition to the Elnathan Miller House.  (MINELLA’S)

The Methodist Episcopal Church at Poughquag was founded in 1839.  The church was built that year and dedicated in 1840.  It cost $3,000 and was paid for the same year.  It has been in service all these years with very few changes.  (UNTIL 19??)

The Catholic Church which serves the Town of Beekman was built at Sylvan Lake in 1860.  It was a Select Schoolhouse in Beekman and moved there in sections.  It was added to in 1872.  It burned a few years ago and has been replaced by a fine new church.  It does not actually stand in Beekman but a few hundred yards over the line in East Fishkill.

An Episcopal Church was erected in Poughquag in 1852, but was torn down in 1872.

There was a Union Church at Green Haven about 1800, but we do not know exactly where.  At present, there is a Negro Church (MT. ZION BAPTIST) there.

The Dutchess County Medical Society was organized in 1806.  Among the organizers were Ebenezer Cary and Thomas Laffin of Beekman.  Cary was elected a censor and Laffin a member of the committee to draft by-laws.  In 1808, it was resolved to hold examinations for licenses and that licensees were to take an oath (Hippocratic).  Members from Beekman during its early years were Ebenezer Cary, Egbert Cary, Jeremiah Dodge, David Dodge, Thomas Lassing, ____________ Lassing, Federal Van der Burgh, John Vermilyea and Shadrach Ricketson.  Dr. Ricketson became a member in 1815.  (We have his eye glasses)

Sylvan Grange has been active in Beekman for about 40 years.  At first they met in Beekman Baptist church and then built their own hall in Beekmanville.  (IT HAS SINCE MOVED TO EAST FISHKILL)

The Beekman branch of the American Red Cross has been active since 1914.  While there are members of many social organizations in Beekman, there are no lodge rooms in the town.  There are a Beekman 4-H Club, Beekman Home Demonstration Club and a Beekman Health Committee.  A few Years ago, a volunteer Fire Company was organized.

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