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being practically extinct by the late 1820's in this area.
Middletown's growth continued after the congregational church was built in 1786. A private school was established about 1790 on South Street, and also around that time the hamlet had several stores, a blacksmith shop, and a small tannery. On February 23, 1798, the Legislature passed the law which moves the boundaries between Orange and Ulster Counties to their present location. Middletown was now part of Orange County. Early settlers had originally built log cabins in which to live and although quickly replaced by frame structures some remained into the early 1800's.
A post office was established here October 23, 1816 with Stacy Beakes as the first post master. This is believed to have been located in his first store which, along with Hector Craig, he ran at West Main and North Streets. The first post office itself, a cabinet with boxes forma il survive and may be seen at the Historical Society. It should be noted almost all histories give October 22nd, rather than the 23rd. However, the United States government recognizes the 23rd as the day the post office of Middletown was established, and is therefore used here.
Stacy Beakes was one of the most significant people in Middletown's early history. Born 1778 in a log cabin just above Middletown, he was our first postmaster, Town of Wallkill clerk and later supervisor and sheriff. A prominent merchant, he served on an early committee of the Erie Railroad. He was a trustee of the Wallkill Academy, and director of the Middletown Bank. In 1848, he became the first Village President. Mr. Beakes has no Marker erected in a prominent place bearing his name; no one important to our history does, but the contributions by him, and others like him, were responsible for the degree of prominence Middletown attained. He died in 1849. In the absence of any great natural resource that might be used to advantage, Middletown's fate was dependent upon the enterprise of its citizens.
le Mail arrived twice a week, brought by a post-rider. The name of the post office was changed to South Middletown on June 23, 1829. This was to avoid confusion with another Middletown. This other Middletown was named as it was located about half way between Newburgh and Marlborough, and is now called Middle Hope. It was noted that, "in general conversation," the name South Middletown was rarely used. After the arrival of the Erie in 1843 and the subsequent growth, on September 10, 1849, South Middletown again became Middletown.
In May, 1843, the Erie finally arrived and Middletown flourished on the smoke of the steam locomotive and the clatter of its wheels. Growth of the village, actually, began somewhat before the road's actual arrival, during it construction. Middletown's first bank, the Middletown Bank, was chartered July 1, 1839. In
April 1841, A. A. Bensel (1818-1899) from Sullivan County published Middletown's first newspaper. This continued until about April,