Description of New Paltz
For my composition this afternoon, I shall endeavour to give a description of the village of New Paltz. It is situa- ted on the east bank of the Wallkill, a branch of the Hudson. It is surrounded on all sides by a beautiful and fertile country, which is called the Paltz Flats. It is said that when this country was inhabited by Indians, with only a few white men to be found, the wife of one of them was taken by the savages, who carried her to their wigwams, and the husband together with a few others, took one of the Indians captive, and they promised him his life and his liberty, if he would direct them to the place where the stolen woman was to be found. The savage told them to follow the course of a certain stream, on the bank of which they would find the captive. They immedi- ately followed the course he directed them, and in follow- ing the course of the Wallkill, those flats were discovered, and when they returned they resolved to settle here. The first settlers of this town bought the land of the Mohe- gan Indians, and while the adjoining towns, who had taken their land by force, were continually fighting with the natives, they lived in peace with them, and were not constantly disturbed by war. The village is chiefly com- posed of stone houses, which were built at the first set- element of this place. The walls of the fort are still standing, and several port holes are still to be seen. A few rods out of the village is the New Paltz Academy, which is a beautiful brick building, with a steeple on the top, and in front are stretched the Shawangunk Mountains, and directly opposite is the highest peak, which is generally called the Paltz Point. It is visited by a great number of people, as it commands a very extensive view of the surrounding country. It can be seen very plan from the village, as it is not more than 4 or 5 miles distant.
Nov. 25 [1835] Sarah Maria
