Page:History of Delaware County (1856).djvu/227

DELAAVARE COUNTY. 203 herding the cattle, and hearing the report and seeing the deer fall, she went immediately to her husband, who was justice of the peace, and said, ^ Esquire Rose, what do you think Esquire Webster has heen doing ^ I don't know,' said he, ^ my dear, what has he ?' ' Why, he has heen shooting a deer on the Lord's day /' Next morning Esquire Webster received a polite note from Justice Rose, setting forth the charge against him, and inviting him to call up and pay the fine/' The following information in relation to the early settle- ments, was derived principally from Cyrus Burr, a highly respectable citizen of Andes, and formerly, and for a number of years, supervisor of that town. The family of Mr. Burr moved into the county in 1794, and settled in what was then called Middletown, Ulster County, but now Andes, Delaware County, at which time the entire town, except a few farms along the river, was one unbroken wilderness. The first farm bordering on the river below the Middletown line, was owned by James Phenix, who was among the first that emigrated after the Revolution. He had occu- pied the place before the war, but had retired for safety during that period. A man by the name of Olmstead, who came in about the same time, possessed the second farm. The third farm had been originally taken up by a man named Burgher, whose unfortunate end we have related in a previous chapter. The next farm was occupied by Joseph Erksine, an English soldier, who was taken prisoner and afterwards enlisted in the American service. The next in course, following down the river, were Silas Parish, from Dutchess County, who had emi- grated at an early day, E. Washburn, from the same place, and a few years later, Eli Sears, father of T. B. Sears, of Tompkins County, delegate to the state convention in 1846. At Shavertown, were several families, among whom were" Jacob Shaver, Adam Shaver and J ohn Shaver, from Dutchess County, and Philip Barnhart from Schoharie County, all of