Mystery of ancient land patents to be revealed

Cuddebackville —In 1684, the colonial governor Thomas Dongan purchased from the Esopus Indians a vast tract of land in Ulster and Orange counties between the Hudson River and Shawangunk Mountains. The tract was later granted to Captain John Evans and became known as the Evans Patent. Its southwest corner was described in the deed as “a water pond lyeing upon the hills called Meratange.” The location and identity of this pond, and therefore the boundary between the Dongan purchase and the neighboring Minisink Patent, was the subject of claims, counter-claims and intense litigation through much of the 18th century. This dispute and the circumstances by which the name was transferred to the lake near Sam’s Point in Ulster County — Lake Maratanza — make a fascinating story. Marc B. Fried, a local author and scholar of Shawangunk region history, will analyze the evidence and solve the age-old mysteries concerning this area, its ponds, and the ancient name Meratange. He will give the presentation “The Minisink Angle, the Evans Patent and the Search for Dongan’s Pond” at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 15, at the D&H Canal Park Visitor’s Center, located at 58 Hoag Road (just off Route 209) in Cuddebackville. A question-and-answer period and book signing will follow the presentation. Fried has written several books on the Shawangunks, including “The Huckleberry Pickers : A Raucous History of the Shawangunk Mountains,” now in its third printing; two books of literary nature writing; and an account of Kingston and Ulster County’s early years under Dutch colonial rule. His latest book is “Shawangunk Place-Names: Indian, Dutch and English Geographical Names of the Shawangunk Mountain Region: Their Origin, Interpretation and Historical Evolution.” The presentation, sponsored by the Neversink Valley Area Museum in Cuddebackville, is free and open to the public. Fried’s books will be available for purchase at the event. The museum is open Thursday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. from April 1 through Oct. 29 and by appointment. For more information about the museum call 754-8870 or visit www.neversinkmuseum.org.