The Methodist Episcopal Society of North Salem, was first organized in the early part of the present century, and incorporated 6th of January, 1832; Jonas Keeler, Abel Smith, William Cable and Stephen Ryder, trustees. The church edifice was erected in 1833.

The Baptist congregation in this village was incorporated on the 1st of April, 1833; Ebenezer Whelppy, Edward Ganong, John Wesley Searles, John Braden and James Mills trustees.b

An Universalist Society was incorporated upon the 23d of January, 1832; Levi Smith, Epenetus Howe, William Howe, Henry Hunt, Samuel Hunt and Thomas Smith, trustees; Gilbert Hunt, collector; Jesse Smith, treasurer. The church was erected in 1833, its pastor is the Rev. T. J. Hillyer.

The Friend's meeting house is erected in the north east part of the town.

Boulder Stone.

One of the most interesting objects in the village of North Salem, is an immense granitic boulder or rock, weighing sixty tons, or upwards, supported about three feet from the ground on the projecting points of five smaller lime stone rocks. This immense block viewed from the valley beneath has much the

weather beaten sides the Indian magician and priest is presumed to have deciphered the destinies of his tribe. It stands on the land of T. C. Quick.

In the vicinity of the rock is situated the paper mill of Epenetus Howe, Esq.; also the saw and grist mill of Mr. D. Hunt. We must not omit to mention there is a very fine chalybeate spring, on the property of Mr. Howe, issuing from a bank, upon the side of Mutighticoos river; the waters of which are said to be highly medicinal.

Upon the old parsonage property, west of the Presbyterian church, resides Epenetus Wallace, M. D., a distinguished member of the medical profession, and for many years a magistrate of this town. Dr. Wallace is the youngest son of John Wallace, Esq., for a long period senior warden of St. James's church, and grand-son of James Wallace, formerly of Ridgefield, Connecticut, a native of Lanarkshire, Scotland, and a scion of the parent stock from which the renowned Sir William Wallace descended. Directly opposite the Episcopal church stands the hotel of A. and J. Close, a well known resort for travellers. Near the junction of the Croton and Mutighticoos rivers is situated the North Salem depôt. Immediately north-east of this depôt is the farm and residence of Joshua Purdy, Esq., formerly one of the associate judges of the county.

In the north-east corner of the town is located the Croton falls depôt and the hotel of Messrs. Smith and Mead. From the road that passes over the summit of Long Pond mountain, in the south-east corner of the town, a fine panoramic view is obtained of the great valley of the Mutighticoos and the surrounding country. The evening is the most propitious season to enjoy the scene, when the valley and neighboring hills are richly illuminated by the setting sun, imparting an effect that surpasses description. To those who have read Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, it will bear strong resemblance to the "Delectable Mountains," mentioned in that beautiful similitude.

a The Close family have long been seated here and descend from Thomas Close of Greenwich, Connecticut, who emigrated from England in 1666. For a further account of this family, see pedigree.

OSSIN-ING.

THIS township is bounded on the east and south by Mount Pleasant, (of which it once formed a part,a) on the west by the Hudson river, and on the north by New Castle and the Croton river. Like the neighboring townships it was originally included within the honour and fee of Philipsburgh.

Ossin-ing, the proper Indian orthography of the word variously written Sin-sing, Sing Sing, Sin Sinck and Sink Sink, is derived from ossin (a stone) and ing (a place) or "stone upon stone:"b-a name exceedingly characteristic of this beautiful town, whose coast is guarded by a vast munition of rocks and ancient boulders. At a very early period Ossin-ing constituted a part of the possessions of a powerful Mohegan clan called the Sint Sings.

April the 22d, 1643, appeared before the Dutch Director General Kieft in Fort Amsterdam, Oratatrim, sachem of Ack-kin-kashacky, who declared he was deputed by those of Tappan, Reekgawanck, Kicktawanc and Sint Sinck, to conclude a peace with the Dutch in the following manner, viz.: that all the injustices committed by the said nations against the Netherlanders, or by the Netherlanders against said nations, shall be forgiven and forgotten for ever; reciprocally promising one another to cause no trouble the one to the other; but whenever the savages understand that any nation not mentioned in this treaty might be plotting mischief against the Christians, then they will give to them timely warning, and not admit such a nation within their own limits. To secure and confirm this peace, presents

This town was separately organized, May 2, 1845. Laws of N. Y. 1845. Also 69 Session, 1846, chap. xxx., 265 section.

b N. Y. Hist. Soc. Pro. 1844, 101. Ossin in the Chippeway denotes "a stone," and Ossineen "stones." Trans. Amer. Antiq. Soc. vol. ii., 70.

were given on both sides, while God is prayed that this peace may be duly observed by the savages.a

30 August, 1645. Aepjen, chief sachem of the Mohegans, personally appeared at Fort Amsterdam, as a delegate to the general council held there, in behalf of the Wappinecks, the Weckquaesqueecks, the Sint Sings and the Kicktawancks.b

In the year A. D. 1663, the Sint Sings appear to have been without a chief.c

Between the Indian village of Sin-sing and the Kitchawanck, (Croton,) the early Dutch maps place another Indian settlement called in Van der Donck's map of 1656, Kestaubuiuck; in that of Nicolaus Johannes Visschers, 1659, Kestauboiuck.d

"Along the east shores of the Tappan, says Mr. Schoolcraft, is the village of Kastoniuck, (a term still surviving in the opposite village of Niuck or Nyack.) The name of Nyack does not occur, continues the same authority, in records of the earliest period for the position of the present town. The word is found in an opposite Indian village of Kastoniuck."e

The first grantee, under the Indians of Ossin-ing, was Frederick Philipse to whom on the 24th of August, 1685, they released "all that tract or parcel of land situate, lying, and being by the northermost part of the land late purchased by Frederick Philipse, and so running alongst Hudson's river to the creek or river called Ketchawan, and called by the Indians Sint Sinck, with the use of half the said creek, and from thence running up the country upon a due east line till it comes to a creek called Nepperan, by the Christians Younckers creek, and so running alongst the said creek till it comes to the northerly bounds of the said land of Mr. Frederick Philipse, and from thence alongst the said

a See map attached to the now series of the N. Y. Hist. Soc. vol. i. ; also Dutch map, printed by Thomas Starling, Wilmington Square, London, from the original in the possession of S. Converse, publisher, NY.

land till it comes to Hudson's river, together with, &c., &c. The

white wampum,

Here followeth the schedule or particular of the goods paid by

the grantee for the abovesaid lands.

50 feet of black wampum,

100 do.

12 blankets,

12 fathom of stroudwater,

50 lb. of powder,

30 bars of lead,

15

fathom of trade cloth, 20

axes,

This Indian purchase was confirmed to his son Philip Philipse by royal patent, dated 12th January, 1686, under the hand and seal of his Excellency Thomas Dongan, Governor of the Province.

"For all that land situate upon Hudson river to the northward of land purchased by Frederick Philipse, and reaches to Kitchawan creek, (Croton,) and is called by the Indians Sinck Sinckes, which is to run upon an east line to Bronx river, the northerly bounds thereof to be Kitchawan creek. And whereas the aforesaid Philip Philipse hath by virtue of the said license, and by my approbation, according to the law and practice of this government, for a valuable consideration purchased of the natives and Indian owners all their right, title and interest, claim and demand, of, in and to a certain tract or parcel of land, being a part of the land aforementioned within the aforesaid license, and situate and being by the northermost part of the land purchased by Mr. Frederick Philipse of the city of New York, mer

Alb. Book of Pat. v. 90.