This was included in the Loverage patent. Beekman's, already alluded to, was in Kiskatom, adjoining Greene s. The land where the village of Catskill stands was included in Lindsay's patent. Silvester Salsbury and Martin G. Bergen, in 1677, purchased a large tract of land from the Indians. Salsbury was a British captain, who had charge of the fort at Albany in the time of Governor Nicoll. A patent for this land was not obtained till 1688, when Salsbury

The Catskill Region 487

was no longer living; but his widow held his ])ortion of the estate, which la}' on Catskill Creek. Neither of the original patentees lived upon the land thus ac-

\V(;<)I)LAND KROOK NEAR CATSKILL

{From the painting by A. B. Durand, in the Lenox Library. By pe

quired, but continued residents of Albany; their sons, however, moved into the Catskill wilderness. Francis Salsbury, in 1705, built upon his portion of

4^3 The Hudson River

the domain a stone house that was a sufficient protection against the arms or military science of the redskins and also proof against the ravages of two centuries. For many years this dwelling enjoyed the distinction of being the largest house between Newburgh and Albany. The Van Bergen mansion, though equally enduring, was somewhat altered architecturally a number of years ago. It was built of brick, being a unique example of the use of this material in old Catskill. Benjamin Dubois had a wooden house, probably a roomy log-cabin, near the mouth of the creek; and others of the prominent men of the settlement were similarly housed. Among the names of the older Catskill families are Van Ordens, Van Vechtens, Overbaghs, Abeels, Oothoudts, Schunemans, Wynkoops, Fieros, Webers, Plancks, Newkirks -- a mingling of Dutch and German ap]3ellations still to be found in the Catskill directory.