Around Crawford

By Fritz G. Meier

The town of Crawford was initially settled by German, Dutch, Irish, and Scottish families who built mills along the Hudson River tributaries. By the early 1800s, the area was known as "the Butter Capital of the World." Nestled along the base of the Shawangunk Mountains, the town of Crawford has transitioned from a rural farming community to a residential oasis. Along the way, farmlands have become housing developments, local industry has given way to chain stores, and dirt roads have become paved highways. A collection of images from as early as the 1860s depicts the transformation of the communities of Searsville, Bullville, Thompson Ridge, and Pine Bush. Although the surroundings have changed, the hearts of area residents have remained loyal to the small-town ideals that define the town of Crawford.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Sep 18, 2012
• ISBN: 9781439623589

Fritz G. Meier

Fritz G. Meier has lived in or around the town of Crawford for his entire life and has served the community as a local physical therapist. Through images from the Town of Crawford Historical Society, the Pine Bush Area Public Library, and many local residents, Around Crawford preserves the past for future generations to enjoy.

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INTRODUCTION

The land area that is the town of Crawford was once part of Ulster County, one of the original counties created by the English government in 1683. In 1694, Capt. John Evans, commander of the HMS Richmond was granted a land patent from the King of England. The Evans Patent was a large tract of land that included what is now the town of Crawford. The Evans Patent was divided over the years and smaller patents were created. In 1709, Jacobus Bruyn received a patent for the tract of land, which included parts of the present-day town of Crawford. In an effort to centralize government, the southwest corner of Ulster County became part of Orange County. This section of land was originally the town of Montgomery, which would later divide again to become the town of Crawford and the town of Montgomery. This division is further explained below.

In 1823, Moses Crawford petitioned New York State to divide from the town of Montgomery, since the land covered by the town of Montgomery was too vast to conduct business in an efficient manner. On March 4, 1823, the State of New York granted this request, and the Town of Crawford was established. The town is named after the Crawford family, early settlers of Irish descent who were well respected in the area. The first town meeting was held at the home of Edward Schoonmaker on April 1, 1823. The first town supervisor chosen was William Crawford. The first town meeting selected a full list of town officials, including the offices of town clerk, assessor, collector, overseer of the poor, commissioner of highways, constable, school commissioner, school inspector, and fence viewer. It was also decided that they would place a $25 bounty on any wolf killed within the town. Searsville was the geographic and population center of the town, thus it was considered to be where town meetings would be held. In later years, town hall was established in Pine Bush, where it remains today.

There are several communities within the town of Crawford, including Searsville, Thompson Ridge, Pine Bush, Hopewell, Collabar, and Bullvillle. There are several rivers and streams that run through the town and they contributed to the settlement of the area. The Shawangunk Kill (kill is the Dutch word for river or stream), the Dwaarkill, and the Little and Big Paughcaughnaughsink Creeks all travel through the town. It was on these rivers that lumber mills and gristmills were established.

One of the first areas of settlement was along the Dwaarkill in Searsville. In 1768, Johannes Snyder built a lumber mill on the Dwaarkill and the area was first known as Snyder’s Mill. He also built one of the first churches in the area that was constructed out of logs. The church services were presented in Dutch. This church was no longer in use by the Revolutionary War. Benjamin Sears built another sawmill and a gristmill on the Dwaarkill, and this area was known as Searsburgh, which later evolved into present-day Searsville.

There is a small community between Thompson Ridge and Burlingham that is known as Hopewell. The people that settled here were from the Goodwill Presbyterian Church congregation in Montgomery. It is in this area where the Hopewell Presbyterian Church had its start. When the congregation of Hopewell grew, it moved to Thompson Ridge. The site of the original church is not known. The Hopewell Cemetery is located on Orange County Road 48, and it has the graves of many of the town of Crawford’s early settlers. Although Hopewell did not have substantial commerce, it was a busy farming community.

Bullville is named after Thomas Bull, the son of William Bull who was an early settler in Hamptonburgh. Thomas Bull’s son Daniel Bull started farming his father’s land in Bullville and upon his father’s death was bequeathed the land. Daniel Bull married Catharine Miller in 1780, and the two built their stone house on what is now Roberson Avenue in Bullville. Daniel and Catherine Bull had 13 children who helped farm their land. In 1810, the Newburgh to Cochecton Turnpike was built. The turnpike was a toll road that was privately owned and maintained, and teamsters had to pay a toll to travel on it. Daniel Bull was the director of the turnpike for around 40 years. The Newburgh to Cochecton Turnpike helped establish Bullville and the community of Collabar as the center of commerce within Crawford. The turnpike was utilized until 1871 when the Middletown and Crawford Railroad began operating. Today the Newburgh to Cochecton Turnpike is known