David Teachman owned a small piece of property east-southeast of Bellvale. |
David Teachman seems to have lived all of his life in the Greenwood Lake area of Warwick Town in Orange County. He and his sons, at least early in their lives, were carpenters and farmers. David did his share to serve his community. In 1831, 1832 and 1835, he was elected Overseer of Highway District 72. The 1850 federal census lists the family:
Name | Age | Occupation | Place of Birth |
---|---|---|---|
David Teachman | 65 (?) | Carpenter | New York |
Julia A. | 65 (?) | New York | |
Nicholas | 18 | Carpenter | New York |
Uriah B. | 15 | Carpenter | New York |
Gabriel | 13 | New York | |
Margt. | 12 | New York | |
David J. | 10 | New York | |
Martin | 20 | New York |
In 1860, the value of David's property was $500. Sons Nicholas and Uriah had married and lived nearby. Both worked as carpenters. By 1870, Julia had died. David and his son, Martin, and family - wife Elizabeth and sons Charles and David J. - lived in David's house, now valued at $1,000. The house became something of a classic as it was mentioned in the 1850 travel-outdoor book, The Warwick woodlands; or, Things as they were there twenty years ago, by Frank Forester (pseud). David and his sons, Martin, Nicholas and Uriah were all carpenters.
Upon his death, David left his house to Martin and houses to Uriah and Nicholas. He gave his son, David James, $60 and his only daughter, Margaret, $10. Any expenses were to be paid by Martin, Uriah and Nicholas.
Nicholas Teachman lived all his life Greenwood Lake area. It provided a livelyhood, in addition to building area homes, for he and his brother, Uriah, and some of their children. Nicholas and Sarah's son, Gabriel was chosen an inspector of election for the 4th Distric, Town of Warwick, in 1886. In the late 1880s, Gabe was proprietor of the Eagle Hotel. Nicholas is last found in the 1900 census living with his son George and wife, Harriet, in Warwick Town, Orange Co., NY. George is a laborer and Nicholas, a carpenter.
Uriah Teachman was active in his community. He provided a house for the "annual donation for our pastor (Greenwood Lake)" and helped to clean the grave yard. Beginning the summer of 1887, Uriah was the proprietor of the Traphagen House, a Greenwood Lake guesthouse for vacationers from the city. In October 1889, while helping with the construction of a new school school house, he fell "through or across" some beams and was badly injured. Blood poisoning set in and he died, 12 November.