History of the Town of Flatbush

1634, the settlement of Flatbush commenced. It then comprised a tract of woodland bounded on the north by the Hills, on the south by Flatlands, and extending east and west in one continual forest. This tract was evidently purchased by the governor of the colony, or by the first settlers, from the native Indian proprietors, but the amount of consideration paid cannot now be ascertained. At the time of the purchase, it was heavily covered with timber, (consisting principally of hickory and white and black oak,) with the exception of two small parcels which were clear and destitute of trees, lying to the east of the town, then called by the names of Corlaer's and Twiller's Flats, and another on the south of the town adjoining Flatlands, called the Little Flats. The land thus described, from its being principally covered with timber, and from its peculiar location, having the hills on the north and Flatlands on the south, was appropriately called by the first settlers, by the name of Midwout, or Middlewoods.

The first settlements in the town were made along an Indian path leading from the Hills to New-Amersfort, which is now the present highway or street through the village of Flatbush. All subsequent settlements were principally confined to the same path, and will readily account for the crooked direction of the present road. The first settlers were intent upon making agriculture their principal means of subsistence. In order therefore to concentrate their dwellings as much as possible, so as to protect their families from Indian intrusions or other depredations, and to form a village of farmers, they determined to lay out their farms in narrow oblongs fronting on both sides of the path above mentioned. The farms were accordingly laid out into forty-eight lots or tracts of land, extending six hundred Dutch rods on each side of the Indian path, and having severally an average width of about twenty-seven rods. The lots or farms on the east side of the path, were all laid out in a direction running east and west: while those on the west side thereof, had a south-westerly inclination so as to correspond with the direction of the Hills adjoining the north-westerly side of the town. An allotment was then made between the several proprietors of mostly two lots or more a piece, and for the support of the gospel among them according to their own religious faith, the most central and eligible lots were reserved and set apart for their church. The distribution among the proprietors, was probably made by lot, which appears to have been the almost invariable practice of the Dutch in dividing the lands which they patented. A considerable portion of wood-lands lying on the west, north and east sides of the towns, together with Corlaer's and Twiller's Flats, were left in common and remained for years undivided.

There can be no doubt that the existing governor in order to secure the inhabitants of Midwout in the quiet possession of their purchase from the native Indian proprietors, confirmed the same to them by his Ground Brief or Letters Patent. But when this was granted cannot now be ascertained with entire certainty. In the year 1684, twenty years after the surrender of the Colony to the English, an order was issued by the Governor and Council, commanding all the inhabitants of the Dutch towns in the provinces of New-York and New-Jersey to bring their Dutch Patents and Indian Deeds into the Secretary's Office in New-York. This order was no doubt complied with by this as well as the other Dutch towns on Long-Island, and thus the original patent with those of the other towns, except Gravesend,