Tryon County, New York

“ On the 22d of April, 1775, Lewis, having relinquished business, was elected by a convention of delegates from Kings, Queens, New York, and the other counties, to [252] represent the province in the Continental Congress to assemble in Philadelphia. At this time Lewis lived on Long Island. The colony had two governors. Tryon represented the Crown and the Royalists, and General Nathaniel Woodhull, of Suffolk County, was president pro tem. ”

“ New York in 1770— Total popnlation of the colony at that period— Tryon and Charlotte counties erected— Their extent— Population of Tryon— First settlement German Palatines— Settlements made by them— Heldeburgh Hills— Origin of the name— Schoharie valleyIts settlement— Settlement at Cherry Valley— Privations of the settlers the first winter— Hair-breadth escape from starvation— Succored by a friendly Indian— Nativity of the early settlers— Harper family— Settle in Cherry Valley— Their influence with the Indians Harpers found a new settlement—Called Harpersfield—Obtain a patent—Surveyed—Mrs. ”

“ Cherry Valley, 1878. Campbell, Douglas : The Puritan in Holland, England, and America. 2 vols., 8vo. New York, 1892. Campbell, W. W. : The Annals of Tryon County. 12mo. New York, 1831. Chase, Philander P. : Reminiscences: an Autobiography. 2 vols., 8vo. New York, 1848. Churchill, John C. : Landmarks of Oswego County. 8vo. Syracuse: D. Mason & Co. Clinton, George : First Governor of New York. Public Papers of, 1777 – 1779. 4 vols., 8vo. Edited by Hugh Hastings. Albany, 1899 – 1900. Cobb, S. H. : The Story of the Palatines. 12mo. New York, 1896. Colden, Cadwalader : History of the Five Nations. ”

“ A firm administrator, he led in person a force against some formidable rioters in the province, who called themselves ‘regulators,’ and summarily crushed the insurrection (1770) . By a policy of blandishment in which he was aided by his wife, he extracted a large sum from the assembly towards the erection of a governor's house (Tryon's Carolina Letter-book, 1764–71, was bought for Harvard College in 1845) . In July 1771 Tryon effected an exchange with the Earl of Dunmore, and became governor of New York, whither he arrived in the sloop Sukey on 8 July. ”

“ On May 19th Governor Tryon sent a letter to the Grants proposing a conference and promising amnesty to all those who had taken an active part in the raids of the Green Mountain Boys excepting Ethan Allen, Seth Warner, Baker and Robert Cochran. The King had commanded that New York do nothing further toward surveying or settling the lands east of Lake Champlain and the Twenty-Mile Line until the difficulty could be properly adjusted, and Tryon promised that the land-grabbers should be kept away from the Grants. ”

“ Tryon of York."
"I am thinking you are right."
"If we do not placate Allen he will make terms with New York."
"But would Tryon agree to terms?"
"The Yorkers would make Allen deputy-governor, and Allen could take all the land west of the Connecticut over with him."
"What would you have me do?"
"Send for Allen; make him a deputy in the mountain district; give him more power than any other man in the district, and then tell Gov. Tryon to capture Allen if he can."
"Your advice may be good; I will think over it and will decide before I see these men on the morrow." ”

“ Great and embarrassing as were the difficulties already noticed, they were augmented by the disaffection of the city of New York, and of the adjacent islands. Although Governor Tryon had found it necessary to take refuge on board some ships lying in the harbour, he had been permitted to continue an open intercourse with the inhabitants, which enabled him to communicate freely with the royalists ”

“ A garrison of 1000 men was left at Stony Point, and one of 5000 men at Fort Lafayette, but Clinton determined to draw the American army, so he sent Tryon with 2600 men into Connecticut. After pillaging New Haven and destroying property at Fairfield, Norwalk and Greenfield, laying the towns in ashes, and treating the people with the greatest brutality, he essayed to treat New London in the same manner, but the people were roused to such a degree, by the reports from their neighboring towns, that they opposed Tryon successfully. Hence he returned to New York to boast of his exploits. ”

“ The justices of the peace, for services in courts of sessions, shall be paid a per diem allowance out of the county treasury. In counties having a population exceeding forty thousand, the legislature may provide for the election of a separate officer to perform the duties of the office of surrogate. The legislature may confer equity jurisdiction in special cases upon the county judge. Inferior local courts of civil and criminal jurisdiction may be established by the legislature in cities ”

“ No town, except a town having more than a full ratio of apportionment, and no block in a city inclosed by streets or public ways, shall be divided in the formation of senate districts; nor shall any district contain a greater excess in population over an adjoining district in the same county, than the population of a town or block therein adjoining such district. Counties, towns or blocks which, from their location, may be included in either of two districts, shall be so placed as to make said districts most nearly equal in number of inhabitants, excluding aliens. ”

“ The state shall he divided into eight judicial districts, of which the city of New York shall be one; the others to be bounded by county lines, and to be compact and equal in population, as nearly as may be. There shall be four justices of the supreme court in each district, and as many more in the district composed of the city of New York as may, from time to time, be authorized by law, but not to exceed in the whole such number in proportion to its population as shall be in conformity. with the number of such judges in the residue of the state, in proportion to its population. ”

“ From 1771 nominally until the 22nd of March 1780 he was governor of New York. While he was on a visit to England the War of Independence broke out, and on the 19th of October 1775, several months after his return, he was compelled to seek refuge on the sloop of war “Halifax” in New York Harbour, but was restored to power when the British took possession of New York City in September 1776, though his actual authority did not extend beyond the British lines. ”

“ When it is considered that once in every generation the entire wealth of the county, including vast fortunes amassed elsewhere by those who die residing in it, is administered upon in this court and that nearly all the intricate and perplexing questions involved in its distribution are passed upon by the surrogate, it will readily be seen that the duties and responsibilities of this office are among the most important, extensive and onerous that can devolve upon judicial officers. ”

“ The holding of party primaries in the cities is regulated by statute. The Legislature consists of a Senate of 50 members, chosen for two years, and an Assembly of 150 members, chosen annually. Of the latter, sixty are elected in New York City. The Assembly districts are single-member districts. Each county, except Fulton and Herkimer, has at least one representative. The more populous counties are formed into Assembly districts, but county lines are not crossed. The members of either House receive a salary of $1500 and mileage. The capital of the State is Albany. ”

“ The narratives of the lives of men and their acts constitute all there is of history. If it be true that all that our county shows in the way of growth and development, is entirely due to the men and women who originally peopled this region, and worthily performed those parts allotted to them in the general scheme of life, during their existence here, it is equally true that their successors who still abide with us, took up the burden where it fell from the hands of the fathers, and most signally continued the work, and carried it forward to success. ”

“ This was the same Tryon, afterward governor of New York, haughty, innately cruel, fond of show, obsequious when wishing favors, and tyrannical when independent; he was entirely incompetent to govern a people like the free, outspoken colonists of the Upper Carolinas.
"For several years previous to the Stamp Act excitement, rebellion had been ripening among the people in the western counties. The rapacity of public officers, and the corrupt character of ministers of justice, weighed heavily upon 4 the property and spirits of the people. ”

“ When Tryon was transferred to New York in 1771, Martin was appointed governor of North Carolina, and was the last royal chief magistrate of that colony. He was a man of considerable ability, urbane in manners, and sincerely desirous of promoting the best interests of the colony. After going to New York with Sir Henry Clinton, when driven from the colony, he joined the army, under Cornwallis, and was in the battle near Camden, where Gates was defeated. He was with Cornwallis in Virginia, as late as March, 1781, when impaired health caused him to leave. ”

“ No law establishing the district court for an entire county shall become effective unless approved at a general election on the question of the approval of such law by a majority of the votes cast thereon by the electors within the area of any cities in the county considered as one unit and by a majority of the votes cast thereon by the electors within the area outside of cities in the county considered as one unit. ”

“ Governor Tryon asked of Ashe, in private conversation, what the House would do as to the new law." We will resist its execution to the death," said he, and that very day Governor Tryon sent them all home by proroguing the session. Nor did he permit them to assemble again until late in the next year, after the repeal of the Stamp Act. By this means he prevented the election of delegates from North Carolina to the Continental Congress which met in New York in 1765 to organize the opposition to that oppressive measure. ”

“ Not only has Orange County sent forth many lawyers whose names have become famous throughout the world, but Orange County is the Mecca to which many of the country's ablest lawyers repair to spend their declining years, attracted by its beauty and invigorated by its atmosphere. Benjamin F. Tracy, once secretary of the navy and long one of the leading advocates of the bar of Brooklyn and New York, now spends much of his time upon his beloved farm near Goshen. ”

“ For town officials and resolutions all male citizens were allowed to vote, and this was generally done at town meetings viva voce, or by division to the right and left. A Governor then held office three years and had to be a real estate owner. Senators held office four years and had to be owners of one hundred pounds worth of real estate. Judges were appointed by the Governor and council and held office during good behavior, but were disqualified when sixty years old. They could be removed by the Governor when requested by a two-thirds vote of the legislature. ”

“ Possibly it is because Orange County labors under the misfortune of being a half-shire county—a calamity to any bar for the reason, besides many others, that it effectually destroys the possibility of having a suitable court house—that a spirit of comradeship among its lawyers has never grown up. It is noticeable that in counties where the legal interests converge in one central county seat the brotherly spirit is more active. ”

“ Trenton, city of Hunterdon county, New Jersey, and capital of the state, is situated on the east bank of the river Delaware, opposite the falls, thirty-one miles from Philadelphia, and sixty from New York. It is a handsome town, standing nearly in the centre of the state, from north to south, and at the head of sloop navigation; the river not being navigable above the falls, except for boats carrying from five to seven hundred bushels of wheat. The streets are very commodious, and the houses neatly built. ”

“ The New York State Branch now has twelve sub-divisions. Since the April number of the Bulletin, four new sub-divisions have been organized, namely: Chautauqua County, Columbia County, Duchess County and New York County. It is probable that organization will be effected soon in Chemung, Oswego and St. Lawrence Counties. Work is now progressing and organization is under consideration in seven other Counties, namely: Broome, Greene, Orange, Nassau, Suffolk, Tompkins and Jefferson. ”

“ The decrease in the rural population of Orange County homes is smaller than most other counties of the State, and the depreciation of farm lands is not so apparent. In fact the general property valuation of the county seems to be increasing something like two and one-half million dollars per year, being rated at $43,804,861.40 for 1907.
The population of the county, according to the State enumeration of 1905, was 107,267. This was an increase over the report of the national census for 1900 of 3,408. Of this number, 41,014 lived in the cities of Newburgh and Middletown. ”

“ Just remember that there's thirty-five Assembly districts in New York County, and thirty-six district leaders reachin' out for the Tammany dough-bag for somethin' to keep up the patriotism of ten thousand workers, and you wouldn't wonder that the cry for more, more, is goin' up from every district organization now and forevermore. ”