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have a name. What shall it be? There is Dolsentown on the south, Goshen on the east, Scotchtown on the north and a place... on the west called Shawangunk. We will call it Middletown, it being in the center.'" A pleasant story, to be sure, but the place had been named prior to the "raising."
Ruttenber and Clark, in their 1881 county history, reported: "It is said to have received its name from the fact that the place is midway between Montgomery and Mount Hope." About midway between Mr. hasbrouck's and Messrs. Ruttenber and clark's histories, or 1870, another historian suggested Middletown was named "not because it is in the middle of Wallkill, nor is it the centre of creation, but in staging days...it was a point of special interest to hungry travelers between the Hudson and the Delaware."
Over 50 years later, lively discussions ensued among local historians when a theory similar to the one above was put forth. According to this account, Middletown's first hotel was located on the south corner of North and John Streets. This was later where Sweet's Hotel was located and is now the site of the brick building which houses Grippe Pet. Products, 86-90 North Street. The name of the Hotel was the Half Way House, being midpoint on the stage route. "Half Way" suggested middle and consequently Middletown. While the first part of the story is not very believable, the rest of it is much like the 1870 explanation.
In 1923, Charles J. Boyd, speaking at the first annual dinner of the Historical Society, presented another story which involved the First Congregational Church. When this church was built in 1786, other nearby churches were at Goshen and at Brookfield (slate Hill). The church here became known as the Middle Church, and soon the community was known by that name. Shortly after this, a number
e area from Connecticut. Under their influence, the name was changed from Middle Church to Middletown, after Middletown, Connecticut. An interesting story, although it seems somewhat less than factual. Most historians seem to believe the place was named as it is approximately halfway between the Delaware and Hudson River.
Many property owners in the Town of Wallkill, including the hamlet of Middletown owned slaves. After the Revolution, it was believed "slaves were more numerous than horses" in this area. Phillipsburg was a slave center and a slave cemetery Mechanics town. Middletown also had a slave cemetery; this was located at Wisner and Grand Avenues (where the Junior High School is).
Some settlers grew opposed to the practice, freeing their slaves. Finally, opposition against slavery grew and on March 29, 1799, the Legislature passed a law which would gradually free the slaves. Under this law, slave owners were required to record the birth of children of slaves. It was also recorded when a slave was freed. By 1810, the practice of slavery had greatly declined,