At the request of Nate Carter, I am sending this information to all of the
subscribers at Gen-NYS-L. At this point I can't give you exact names of
places in Fishkill but if you can wait a week or so, I promise to deliver.
Some of my distant relatives live in Wappingers Falls (very close to
Fishkill) and as soon as I can get in touch with them (they are now in route
to Florida to spend the holidays), I will send you the names of places that
you need. I do know that Fishkill has a good library and also, if you have
ancestors who happened to be members of the Dutch Church, there is a large
Dutch Reformed Church in Fishkill - called "The First Reformed Dutch Church
of Fishkill". Two other Dutch Reformed Churches in the area are New
Hackensack and Hopewell.
If it will be of any help, I have a copy of "History of Duchess County" by
James H. Smith, published 1882. It has an index that does list quite a few
names (and gives some information about the people) of people who lived in
the County at the time the book was written. I have "The Records of the
Reformed Dutch Church of New Hackensack" comprising the Baptismal register
and Marriage register, years 1765-1906 and I also have (on floppy disks) the
marriages and baptisms of RDC Hopewell from the middle 1700's to the early
1900's (marriage records missing from the late 1700's to early 1800's). I
also have "Roberts: New York in the Revolution."
You mentioned that Fishkill was formerly known as Matteawan. I have never
heard that. Most of my ancestors came from Fishkill and some in later
generations lived in Matteawan but no where have I seen mention that the
towns were one and the same. I am the first to admit tho' that I am most
definitely not a historian. "History of Duchess County" says: (pgs. 505-506)
"Fishkill is intimately connected with the earliest and most sacred historic
associations of the County. Its name, which is a modification of the Dutch
word Vis-Kill, meaning Fish-Creek, and is derived from the creek which flows
centrally through it... The town was formed March 7, 1788, a century after
its settlement began, and embraced a much greater extent of territory than
at present. Its proportions have been curtailed at different times; first
Feb. 9, 1821, when a part of Freedom, now LaGrange, ws set off. Nov. 29,
1849, the eastern portion was set off to form the town of East Fishkill; and
May 20, 1875, the town of Wappinger was frormed from the northern portion...
Fishkill lies in the southwest corner of the County, mainly within the angle
formed by the Hudson River and the Fishkill or Matteawan Mountains...
It seems that there was the TOWN OF FISHKILL and then within the town were
many villages and two of the VILLAGES were Fishkill and Matteawan.
Vince and Nate - and all subscribers: if I can look up any names for you in
any of the books that I have listed above, please feel free to email me and
I would be happy to see if I can find any information for you.
Have a fantastic rest of the evening
At 03:46 PM 12/11/96 -0500, you wrote:
>Hello all,
>
>I will be in NY for the holidays and I have some info on ancestors from
>Fishkill, NY, formerly known as Mattewan. Does anyone now of any good
>resources in Fishkill, like libraries of Genealogical societies?
>
>thanx,
>
>Vince Amodeo
>
>
>