V. - CIVIL ORGANIZATION

The civil government of New Paltz differed entirely from the system in vogue at Wiltwyck and other Dutch municipalities. The twelve patentees - the "Duzine," as they were called - were constituted the legislative and judicial body of the miniature State. The number was supplied after the death of the original members by annual election. Decisions in all cases referred to them seem to have been accepted as final; for, though we must assume the right of appeal to the colonial government, no such appeal is known to have been made, or disputed boundary or internal feud to have disturbed the absolute harmony of the settlement. There was no civil government other than that of the Duzine in operation at New Paltz for a period of more than one hundred years.

On March 31, 1785, the township was incorporated under the State government. The boundaries of the tract had been enlarged by act passed April 1, 1775. A part of Hurley was annexed Feb., 2, 1809. A portion of Esopus was taken off in 1842, a part of Rosendale in 1844, Lloyd in 1845, and a part of Gardiner in 1853.

The name of the town, New Paltz (in German Pfalz), was conferred upon it in honor of the Nouveau Palatinat, or second place of refuge of the first settlers. It was the first place of safety which they reached. The name of the Palatinate has long since passed from the maps of Germany. It was well that it should be preserved by those who were given shelter there. Besides New Paltz, the name is given only to a very small island in the river Rhine. There once a robber chief levied a pirateís tax upon passing boats. But it is now wholly occupied by a mill for grinding grain, and a light-house, or lantern, for the guidance of boats in this very rapid portion of the majestic river.

The first "Twelve Men" chosen by the owners of the patent, on the first Tuesday of April, 1738, were Jacob Hasbrouck, Roelof Eltinge, John Lefever, Daniel Du Bois, Samuel Bevier, Daniel Hasbrouck, John Tarepening, Solomon Hasbrouck, Abraham Dojou, John Een, Isaac Lefever, and Josiah Eltinge.

The "Twelve Men," chosen by the freeholders and inhabitants of the patent, in1751, were Samuel Bevier, Daniel Du Bois, Isaac Lefever, Solomon Ahasbrouck, Daniel Hasbrouck, Jonas Freer, Abraham Dojo, Josias Eltinge, Mathias Allen, and Louis Bevier.

A copy of the book of grants and partitions of these men and their successors is filed in the clerkís office of Ulster County, and another is in the possession of the Huguenot Bank, at New Paltz. It is obviously impossible here to give these grants, as they fill a large book, and are set out at length by metes and bounds following oftentimes monuments which, having passed away, would convey no intelligent idea to us of the present day. They were confirmed by act of the Legislature passed March 31, 1785. The records of the "common book" kept by the "Twelve Men" up to the passage of this act are accepted as authentic evidence in court. The Duzine at that time consisted of Simon Du Bois, Jacobus Hasbrouck, Johannes Freer, Jacob Hasbrouck, Jr., Abraham Donaldson, Abraham Eltinge, Petrus Hasbrouck, Samuel Bevier, Benjamin Deyo, Isaac Lefever, Matthew Lefever, and Abraham Ein.

The records of the precinct are in a bad condition, being a number of loose sheets sewed together. The consequence is that breaks occur, and the records from 1766 to 1817 are entirely missing. The first entry to be found is as follows:

"Att the annual Election of the freeholders and Inhabitants of the precinct of the New Paltz on the first Tuesday of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven Hundred and fifty-one, the following persons were Elected and Chosen to Serve in the Several offices, as is hereunder Written, viz.: Constable, Nathaniel Lefever, 7; Benjamin Du Bois, 1; Abraham Bevier, 2; Gerret Freer, Jr., 1; Abraham Lefever, 2; Adriaan Newkork, 1. Supervisor, Abraham Hardenburgh, 8. Assessors, Hugo Freer, 1; Simon Du Bois, 1; Adriaan Newkork, 7; Abraham Bevier, Jr., 10; Jacob Hasbrouck, 3; Benjamin Du Bois, 1; Noe Eltinge, 2; Daniel Hasbrouck, 1; Johannes Low, 2. Colector, Jacob Hasbrouck, 4. Overseers of the Highway, Peter Dojo, 2; Christian Dojo, 10; Hugo Freer, 1. Overseers of the Poor, Hendrikus Du Bois, 8; Abraham Lefever, 9; Adriaan Newkork, 1."

The principal officers since, so far as the can be ascertained in the absence of the records, have been:

SUPERVISORS.

1751-62, Abraham Hardenburgh; 1763-64, Jacob Hasbrouck, Jr.; 1765, Abraham Hardenburgh; 1766, Andreas Lefever; 1770, Abraham Hardenburgh; 1771-76, Jacob Hasbrouck, Jr., 1777, Maj. Joseph Hasbrouck; 1778-79, Capt John A. Hardenburgh; 1780-87-92, Nathaniel Du Bois; 1781, Andreas L Fever; 1782-83, Col. Joseph hasbrouck; 1784-86, Josiah Hasbrouck; 1793-94, Josiah Hasbrouck; 1795-96, Petrus Le Fever; 1797-98, Peter Le Fever, Jr.; 1799-1805, Josiah Hasbrouck; 1806, Abraham J. Hardenburgh; 1807-13, Isaac Le Fever; 1808-10, Abraham J. Hardenburgh; 1811-12, Joseph Deyo; 1814-15, 18363, Joseph Deyo; 1816-17, John I. Le Fever; 1818-19, Wells Lake; 1820, Jonathan Du Bois; 1821-24, Wells Lake; 1825-28, Jacob I. Schoonmaker; 1829-32, 1834, John Bogardus; 1835, Daniel Le Fever; 1836-37, Solomon E. Eltinge; 1838, Abraham P. Le Fever; 1839, Solomon P. Hasbrouck; 1840, Reuben Deyo; 1841-44, Ralph Le Fever; 1842, Reuben H. Hine; 1845-47, Maurice Wurtz; 1848-50, David Wurtz; 1849, 1854, 1856, Mathusalem Elting; 1851-53, Josiah P. Le Fever; 1855, 1860, William H. De Garmo; 1857, Hiram Hasbrouck; 1858-59, David Wurtz; 1861-62, Jacob Le Fever; 1863, Jacob M. Hasbrouck; 1864-66, Josiah P. Le Fever; 1867, William, H. De Garmo; 1868, Josiah P. Le Fever; 1869-71, Josiah J. Hasbrouck; 1872, Peter Le Fever; 1873-74, Andrew J. Abrams; 1875, William Wehitney; 1876, Isaac Bevier; 1877-79, Jacob D. Wurtz.

TOWN CLERKS.

1817-27, Jacob J. Hasbrouck; 1828-29, Maurice Hasbrouck; 1830-39, Daniel Du Bois; 1840, Jacob Hardenburgh; 1841, George Wurts; 1842-43, Aldert Schoonmaker; 1844, Daniel Hasbrouck; 1845, Lewis Hardenburgh; 1846-51, Daniel Du Bois; 1852, Benjamin D. Smedes; 1853-54, Aldert Schoonmaker; 1855, Benjamin D. Smedes; 1856-57, Aldert Schoonmaker; 1858, William H. De Garmo; 1859, Matthew J. Smedes; 1860-64, Aldert Schoonmaker; 1865, Josiah J. Hasbrouck; 1866, Aldert Schoonmaker; 1867, Oscar Hasbrouck; 1868, Aldert Schoonmaker; 1869, Andrew J. Abrams; 1870, John C. Shaffer; 1871, Andrew J. Abrams; 1872, David Judkins; 1873-76, Charles J. Ackert; 1877, Garret C. Tallman; 1878, George W. Bush; 1879, Charles J. Ackert.

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.*

1830, Jonathan Du Bois, John J. Ferris; 1831, David Woolley, George W. Lynch; 1832, John H. Coe, George W. Lynch; 1833, John H. Coe, Benjamin Van Wagenen; 1834, Solomon E. Eltinge; 1835, David Woolley; 1836, Henry G. Du Bois; 1837, Jacob Scryver; 1838, Otis Church, Crines Jenkins; 1840, Crines Jenkins, John B. Du Bois; 1841, Crines Jenkins, Exekiel Brodhead; 1842, Otis Church; 1843, Stephen Lake, Philip S. Hasbrouck; 1844, Crines Jenkins; 1845, Silas Saxton; 1846, Otis Church, Philip S. Hasbrouck, Luther Le Fever; 1847, Christopher H. Hyde; 1848, Calvin McKinney; 1849, Philip S. Hasbrouck; 1850, Corneliues H. Le Fever, Lewis Coe; 1851, Corneliues H. Le Fever; 1852, Samuel D.B. Stokes, Alexander Du Bois; 1853, Moses Hood; 1854, Samuel D.B. Stokes, Josiah Le Fever, Easton Van Wagenen; 1855, Henry Burnett, Philip S. Hasbrouck; 1856, Jesse Wood, Josiah Le Fever; 1857, Josiah Le Fever; 1858, Philip S. Hasbrouck; 1859, Zachariah Bruyn; 1860, Jesse Hood; 1861, Jonathan Deyo; 1862, Philip S. Hasbrouck; 1863, Abram V.N. Elting; 1864, Jacob Roberts; 1865, Jesse Hood, John Vradenbergh; 1866, Jesse Hood; 1867, A.V.N. Elting, Luther Van Wagenen; 1868, Hyler Miller; 1869, Zachariah Bruyn, Josiah Le Fever; 1870, John C. Deyo; 1871, William E. Briggs; 1872, Jesse Hood; 1873, Nathan Van Wagenen, Elihu Schoonmaker; 1874, John N. Vanderlyn; 1875, William E. Briggs, Jonas F. Atkins; 1876, Peter Eltinge; 1877, Abram D. Craig, Elihu Schoonmaker, John C. Shaffer; 1878, John N. Vanderlyn, Nathan Van Wagenen; 1879, Ira Abrams.

*Since their election by the people.

NOTES FROM THE RECORDS.

"April, 1757. - And by Plurality of Voices it is Carried, That the money given for the Collectorship shall be applyíd to the Benefit of the Church in the New Paltz, and there is a bid for the Collectorship the sum of 44/6 by John Terwilger.

"The abovesaid 44/6 is paid."

In the year 1759 the "Collectorship" was sold to John Hasbrouck for 57 shillings, and the money "applied for buying a Pall for the Precinct of the New Paltz." In 1760 the office was sold to Jonathan Terwilliger fo 68 shillings, the money to be "applied to Bie a Pall, and the over Plush to Bie a Silver Braker to the use and Benefit of the New Paltz Precinct." In 1761 the office was sold to Mr. Terwilliger agan for 4 pounds and 11 shillings, to be applied "For a Silver Cup for the use of the Reformed Dutch Church at the New Paltz." In 1763 this money was applied to the payment of the assessors "for their trouble for the ensuing year."

"April, 1766. - "For Fence-Viewers for the New Settlement on Hudsonís River, N. Paltz, Peleg Ransom, James Tuttle, Eleazor Cole."

In 1771 the town voted to raise "33 pounds current money of New York, for the purposes hereinafter mentioned," which was 30 pounds for the supoort of the poor and 3 pounds for the town clerk.

In accordance with the provisions of a statute quoted, "Persons within the said District who have no visible way of getting an honesty livelihood shall, by the overseers of the poor for the time being, be compelled to work at the rate of 2 shillings per day for an able-bodied man, and a shilling per day for a man of less ability of body." Girls were to be bound out until eighteen, and boys until twenty-one years of age.

In 1722, Ebenezer Perkins and Johanees Freer were chosen overseers of the poor. In the margin of the record stands this entry: "But the said Johannes Freer refusing to serve, the freeholders and inhabitants of said District, by the appointment of Noah Eltinge, Benjamin Smedes, Jr., and Johannes Jansen, Jun., Esqrs., thereof, his Majistyís Justices of the Peace for said County, met together on Thursday, the 30th inst., and by a majority of voices elected Abraham Vander Warker for overseer of the poor, to supply the vacancy."

In 1773 the freeholders ordered that "All persons, as well women as men, who have no visible wat of getting an honest livelihood, shall, by the overseers of the poor, be compelkled to work at such rates as the overseer of the poor may be able to get for them."

STATISTICAL.

By the census of 1875, there were 373 dwelling-houses, having a value of $447,180. The value of the farms of the town is given at $1,365, 481, and of farm buildings $221,300. The area plowed in 1875 was 4212 Acres.