Grand Gorge, New York
Encyclopedia
Grand Gorge is a hamlet in Roxbury
, Delaware County
, New York
, United States
. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office
, with the ZIP code
of 12434. It was the location of the Grand Gorge Railroad Station
before the railroad station was torn down.
. After being run out by Native Americans, they sought refuge in Catskill, New York
. They spent several years there and the patriarch of the family, John More, organized a group of minutemen
during the American Revolution
to help guard the Hudson River
.
In 1786 John More, his wife Betty Taylor More, and their seven children decided to return to Harpersfield. On the way they met John Clark, and they traded claims, and John More received the land that in now the Grand Gorge village.
Their last child, Edward Livingston More, born in 1788, was the first white child to be born in the town.
Families began to settle the place and by 1790 the community was well begun. John More became the leading man in the community. He operated the tavern. He was appointed by the Governor as "Magistrate" or Justice of the Peace
, as magistrate he settled many disputes and married many couples.
On Sundays John More held divine worship in his tavern for his family and neighbors. In his spare time he also taught the children of the town.
John More (February 24, 1745 - January 1, 1840) and his wife Betty Taylor More (1738 - October 13, 1823) had eight children:
From their eight children came 89 grandchildren, and well over 100 great-grandchildren. Today there are 14,000 recorded descendants. Among them are railroad baron Jay Gould
, whose mother was a More, and James Hadley Billington, the U.S. Librarian of Congress. The More Family is accredited as the most well recorded family in all of American history.
, Grand Gorge has a population of 663.
Roxbury, New York
Roxbury is a town in Delaware County, New York, United States. The population was 2,509 at the 2000 census.The Town of Roxbury is at the eastern end of the county.- History :...
, Delaware County
Delaware County, New York
Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of 2010 the population was 47,980. The county seat is Delhi. It is named after the Delaware River, which was named in honor of Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, appointed governor of Virginia in 1609.-History:When counties...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, with the ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
of 12434. It was the location of the Grand Gorge Railroad Station
Grand Gorge Railroad Station
Grand Gorge Station, MP 65.5 on the Ulster and Delaware Railroad , originally known as Moresville, is a train station that had more freight service than passenger service. Its main business was the freight coming from the local farms and dairy products from the Decker-Slawson Creamery, which later...
before the railroad station was torn down.
The Mores
Grand Gorge was originally named Moresville after the More Family which was the first family to settle what is now the Township of Roxbury. The family came from Scotland in 1772, and first settled in Harpersfield, New YorkHarpersfield, New York
Harpersfield is a town in Delaware County, New York, United States. The population was 1,603 at the 2000 census.The Town of Harpersfield is on the northern border of the county.- History :...
. After being run out by Native Americans, they sought refuge in Catskill, New York
Catskill (town), New York
Catskill is a town in the southeast part of Greene County, New York, United States. The population was 11,775 at the 2010 census. The western part of the town is in the Catskill Park....
. They spent several years there and the patriarch of the family, John More, organized a group of minutemen
Minutemen
Minutemen were members of teams of select men from the American colonial partisan militia during the American Revolutionary War. They provided a highly mobile, rapidly deployed force that allowed the colonies to respond immediately to war threats, hence the name.The minutemen were among the first...
during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
to help guard the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
.
In 1786 John More, his wife Betty Taylor More, and their seven children decided to return to Harpersfield. On the way they met John Clark, and they traded claims, and John More received the land that in now the Grand Gorge village.
Their last child, Edward Livingston More, born in 1788, was the first white child to be born in the town.
Families began to settle the place and by 1790 the community was well begun. John More became the leading man in the community. He operated the tavern. He was appointed by the Governor as "Magistrate" or Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, as magistrate he settled many disputes and married many couples.
On Sundays John More held divine worship in his tavern for his family and neighbors. In his spare time he also taught the children of the town.
John More (February 24, 1745 - January 1, 1840) and his wife Betty Taylor More (1738 - October 13, 1823) had eight children:
- John Taylor MoreJohn Taylor MoreJohn Taylor More was a man of considerable influence in the Catskill region of the state of New York. He served in several political capacities in the Township of Roxbury, NY and in the State of New York.-Early life:...
(February 27, 1771 - June 23, 1857) - Robert MoreRobert MoreSir Robert More was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1601.More was the eldest son of Sir George More of Loseley and his first wife Anne Poynings, daughter of Sir Adrian Poynings. He enterd Corpus Christi College, Oxford in 1595 and was awarded BA in 1598. In 1600 he...
(July 8, 1772 - February 19, 1849) - Alexander Taylor More (January 5, 1775 - March 11, 1854)
- Jonas More (March 22, 1778 - March 5, 1852)
- Jean More Smith (April 3, 1780 - June 5, 1861)
- James More (January 10, 1782 - May 9, 1866)
- David MoreDavid MoreDavid More has been a botanical illustrator for many years. Books he has illustrated are Collins GEM Trees , Trees of North America , with the late Alan Mitchell, and the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Trees by John White...
(January 11, 1786 - November 29, 1873) - Edward Livingston More (August 1, 1788 - August 13, 1867)
From their eight children came 89 grandchildren, and well over 100 great-grandchildren. Today there are 14,000 recorded descendants. Among them are railroad baron Jay Gould
Jay Gould
Jason "Jay" Gould was a leading American railroad developer and speculator. He has long been vilified as an archetypal robber baron, whose successes made him the ninth richest American in history. Condé Nast Portfolio ranked Gould as the 8th worst American CEO of all time...
, whose mother was a More, and James Hadley Billington, the U.S. Librarian of Congress. The More Family is accredited as the most well recorded family in all of American history.
Demographics
As of the 2000 CensusUnited States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, Grand Gorge has a population of 663.