Ulster County 733 



In 1710 a company of Palatines were given about S00 acres at 

 '" Wc.m Camp," in the northern part of the county, in return for 

 which they were expected to obtain naval supplies for the queen 

 from the pine forests. The business proving unprofitable for the 

 colonists, about two years later many of the company traveled 

 through the forests to Schoharie and other places and took up land 

 for themselves. 



In Kingston (April 20, 1777) the first constitution of the state 

 of New York Was adopted. On July 30, 1777, Governor Clinton, 

 first governor of the state under the constitution, took the oath of 

 office and was inaugurated in this city. In August of the same 

 year the state legislature convened here, the Senate organizing in 

 the old Senate House, which is still standing. The regular sessions 

 of the legislature were held in this house until the meetings were 

 broken up by the near approach of the British forces after the 

 capture of Fort ^Montgomery in the Highlands, when the legisla- 

 ture appointed a new council of safety and dispersed, the members 

 rushing to join the patriot army and to defend their families. In 

 this city also John Jay, the first chief justice of the United States 

 Supreme Court, opened the first court in the state and impaneled 

 the first jury. 



Immediately after Burgoyne's surrender, Kingston was in- 

 vaded and burned, with the exception of one house — the Van 

 Steenburg house. This building is still standing. 



Since the close of the war the county has made steady progress. 

 The completion of the Delaware and Hudson Canal, in 1828, was 

 a marked era in the industrial history of the county. Kingston at 

 once became important, since it was a direct outlet for Pennsyl- 

 vania coal. At about this time water limestone was accidentally 

 discovered and Ulster County cement was first made, which, with 

 quarrying and the opening of railroads, greatly added to its 

 prosperity. 



Passengers were regularly carried in sailing vessels as late as 

 1S20. The first steamboat to enter Rondout Creek was the " New 

 London," in 182G. There had then been regular steamboat traffic 

 on the river for some fifteen years or more. Little having then 

 been heard of the scenery along the Hudson, river trips were 

 mostly made by night. It was not until some years later that the 



