The Ledge Where the Bear Jumped Off

THE LEDGE WHERE THE BEAR JUMPED OFF

Clifford M. Buck

In the 1930's while I was doing some research in the County Clerk's office at the Courthouse, William Moerke asked me if I would like to see an interesting deed. He had marked a liber and page number on the wall. The interesting part of the deed he found for me was in the description where it referred to a point "where the bear jumped off." In due course the room was painted covering up the notation on the wall. Frank Mylod remembered seeing the deed, but he too had not noted its location.

I remembered that it had something to do with a man named Wing, and so I decided to look through all the Wing deeds. I finally came across the following deed: Liber 34, page 80, June 30, 1825, Jackson Wing and Hannah, John Preston and Amy, Henry Wheeler and Catherine, Mary Wing, Benjamin Wing, all of Dover, to Luke Bowdish $100.00. The description follows: In Dover, adjoins lot that Luke Bowdish purchased of Thomas Soule. Begins at a two pronged chestnut tree with stones laid thereat standing under the ledge where the bear jumped off south 79 degrees 10' west 9 chains 20 links to a walnut bush with stones around it standing a little east of a path and adjoining the land Bowdish bought of Soule; thence south along a line with Luke Bowdish deeded land to the beginning, 3 acres. I was curious to know if the ledge could be located with a meager description of a small parcel and the many ledges in the Town of Dover.

Searching wills, I found Liber G, page 192, the Will of Thomas Wing of Dover made March 28, 1818 and proved March 7, 1825. He had a wife Hannah, seven children, a granddaughter Nancy Bowdish, and the children of his deceased daughter, Bethia. And from "Old Gravestones of Dutchess County" by Poucher and Reynolds, we have recorded graves in the cemetery two miles east of Webatuck of Thomas Wing, died 1823, December 10, age 82-2-7, and Hannah Wing, died 1825, June 3, age 83-3 mo. It appears that the 3 acre parcel was part of Thomas Wing's estate. Described in a deed, Liber 9:463 April 5, 1783, Andrew Morehouse and Judith of Pawling sold to Thomas Wing, blacksmith 296 acres in the Oblong. The deed is not complete enough to give an accurate map, but it does locate part of the property as crossing the north end of Allis Pond, now Lake Ellis, and the brook that empties into the pond.

If the three acre parcel came from this 296 acre farm, it might be somewhere in this area that the Ledge Where the Bear Jumped Off could be found, for there was a definite landmark of Allis Pond. Next I looked up deeds for various parcels of the farm and sketched them. Deed Liber 34:86, June 30, 1825, Wing heirs to Benjamin Wing, parcel #2 mentions "East 6 chains 17 links under Bear Ledge," and deed Liber 34:98, June 20, 1825, Wing heirs to Mary Wing, parcel #3 there is a measurement "East 6 chains 17 links to a stake and stones under Bear Ledge". And several

other deeds of this same date mentioned in the descriptions the "Stake and stones under Bear Ledge". By making sketches of many descriptions I was able to establish continuous pieces of land touching each other from the 28 mile monument area over to the 3 acre parcel "where the Bear jumped off", but there was still a vacant area east of Jackson Wing's 32 acre parcel west of Benjamin and Mary Wing's 141/2 acre parcel and to the south. Thinking that this might be the parcel known as "Unity Camp", I traced that deed back, Liber 1242, page 533, May 7, 1968, Loujack Camp Corp. to Hilda, Jere, and Robert L. Hunt and as a result I was able to complete a fairly accurate sketch of the whole area.

I interviewed several people who were familiar with the area, but I was unable to find anyone who had ever heard of the Bear Ledge. John Dingee who was over eighty and lived on the Unity Camp Road was able to point out where there is a ledge in the woods. Mrs. Priscella Van Horn, who had owned and mapped out several parcels, was very helpful. She went with me to find the Bear Ledge. From Wingdale we went north on Old Route 22, right on Webatuck Road, then left crossing Ten Mile River, passing the Hunt Country Furniture. Continuing on Dog Tail Corners Road, to Dog Tail Four Corners, we turned left and followed Unity Camp Road to its end at the entrance to former Unity Camp. Leaving the car there, we walked in a northeasterly direction into the woods with a stream on the west, and soon there is a high ledge of rocks on the east running for some distance in a northeasterly direction. The area at the foot of the ledge is very rocky and there are some hemlock trees. At least two sections of large flat rocks are in evidence, Bear Ledge without doubt, and at the southerly end "The Ledge Where the Bear Jumped Off".

"History is world's memory ammassing and too late". preservation. It is the office of a historian to keep the alive, and he does an everlasting service to humanity by preserving historical material within reach before it is

From an address by Dr. James F. Baldwin of Vassar College to the Historical Society, January 16th 1915

A Bill is now before the Legilature and without doubt will become a Law, to exempt manufacturers in this City from all local taxes. "Where to Live", advertisement by Harvey G. Eastman, 1872.