The Scotchtown Mastodon

In the summer of 1843 the fossil remains of a Mastodon were discovered on a farm about a quarter of a mile east of the Scotchtown Presbyterian Church. The discovery was reported in several Orange County newspapers and a detailed story based on these accounts appeared in the August 19 edition of the New-York Observer, a popular religious periodical published in New York City.

That the news of the discovery reached as far as New York cannot be wholly attributed to the obscure nature of the event. The article was supplemented with extracts from a letter written by a “literary friend residing in the vicinity.” [1] Presumably the author of the letter was Rev. Edward Prime, then serving as co-pastor of the Scotchtown Presbyterian Church. His brother, Samuel Irenaeus Prime, was an assistant editor of the Observer at the time (1840–49), and he later went on to become editor (1851–85). [2] During his pastorate in Scotchtown, Rev. Prime wrote a series of letters for the Observer entitled “Letters from the Country” at the suggestion of his brother. [3] Given the family connection and his penchant for literary contribution, it seems very likely that Rev. Prime was the anonymous reporter that contributed to the account of the Mastodon discovery.

According to Samuel Eager, the author of the first history of Orange County, the Mastodon was discovered by a group of men digging a marl bed on the farm of William Connor. A later and more precise scientific analysis reveal that the Mastodon remains had been covered over by a layer of gravel, then by a layer of marl, and lastly by a layer of peat. [4] Marl is an off-white, clay-like substance that is often found in marshy areas and commonly below peat deposits. It was highly valued by farmers as a fertilizer for lime-deficient soils and as a soil conditioner for sandy soils. [5]

The owner of the farm, William Connor, was the son of John Connor, a veteran of the war of the Revolution, who had emigrated from Castle Pollard, County of Westmeath, Ireland and settled in Scotchtown in 1767. William was a soldier in the war of 1812, [6] ran the first real tavern in Scotchtown, [7] and was variously employed as a mason, distiller and farmer during his lifetime. [8]

A map of Orange County from 1850 shows a structure owned by a “W. Conner” on the outskirts of the hamlet of Scotchtown. [9] However, this area seems to be too close to the hamlet to correspond to the location of the Mastodon discovery that was described in the Observer article and in Eager’s History as being about one fourth of a mile from the Scotchtown Presbyterian Church. Although the landscape may have been altered significantly since that time, it should also be noted that the land in that area lacks the wet or marshy areas in which marl is often found. The location of the building in the hamlet itself suggests this could have been the location of the tavern run by Connor.

A map of farms in the Town of Wallkill dating to 1862, however, shows a farm owned by an “H. Connor” just north of what is now the intersection of Cross Road and Scotchtown Collabar Road. [10] An 1875 map of the town from F.W. Beers, County Atlas of Orange, New York also shows a structure owned by a “H. Connor” in that area, [11] and a map of Orange and Rockland Counties from 1859 similarly labels this building. [12] William did have a son named Hezekiah who seems to have inherited the family farm. [13] Unlike the location on the 1850 map, this farm is about a fourth of a mile from the church and even today features wet and marshy areas. Considering this evidence, it is likely that the Mastodon was discovered at or near this spot.

On Friday, August 18, 1843 an article in The Goshen Democrat, a newspaper published near Scotchtown in the village of Goshen, reported “On Saturday last, we paid a visit to the venerable fossil skeleton, that has, within a few days past, been exhumed on the premises of Mr. Wm. Connor, near Scotchtown, in this county.” Measurements taken by the reporter give the length of the head as 4 feet, 2 inches. The circumference of a tusk, at its base, was 1 foot, 10 inches. Twenty-four ribs were uncovered (the longest measuring 4 feet, 6 inches), and thirteen “vertebers”. [14]

According to the Observer, the tusks were measured at 4 feet 9 inches in length. The skull, including the tusks, was measured at 7 feet 9 inches. Unfortunately, one of the tusks was broken when a yoke of oxen was used to extricate the head. At the end of the article, the author introduces the material provided by the local source. “Since compiling the above we have received a letter from a literary friend residing in the vicinity, from which we make the following extracts:

The anonymous contributor, who we believe to be Rev. Prime, then describes the skull in detail, indicating a careful examination of the bones:

The author also informs us that the skull was somehow suspended so that the jaws could be moved, giving the appearance of “a large grinding machine.” The article in the Democrat further describes this display of bones:

When the Observer article was published, the discoverers at Connor’s farm were apparently still unsure if the remains were that of a Mastodon or a Mammoth. [18] The reporter from the Democrat described some debate about the identity of the find:

The appearance of the Mastodon skull and other fossils was certainly a unique and rare event for the residents of Scotchtown. We can only speculate as to the reaction of individuals, but the overall sentiment expressed in the Democrat may have been similar to the thoughts running through the minds of many in Scotchtown and the surrounding region:

The last contemporary reference to the location of the fossils dates to 1846 when Eager reported in his History, “They are now in the cabinet of Professor Emmons of Albany.” [21] The professor mentioned could only be the eminent geologist Ebenezer Emmons (1799-1863). Emmons had been appointed to the Geological Survey of New York in 1836 and became a professor at Albany Medical College in 1838. While at Albany he continued to lecture at his alma mater, Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. He published his Report on the Second Geological District of New York in 1842 and, after the recommendation of his colleagues, was appointed custodian of the collections from the entire geological survey. In the spring of 1843 Emmons was charged with investigating the agricultural resources of the state. [22] At some point Prof. Emmons must have heard of the discovery at Scotchtown – he may have even visited the site – and subsequently acquired the fossils.

According to his headstone in the old burial ground of the Scotchtown Presbyterian Church, William Connor died at seven o’clock in the morning on June 30, 1851 at the age of 76 years, 7 months and 17 days. [23] That same year Prof. Emmons became the state geologist of North Carolina. He published three volumes of reports on the geology of that state, including one which described fossils found in marl beds. He labored there in his chosen field until the Civil War interrupted his work. The anxieties of war and separation from friends may have hastened his death, which occurred at his home in Brunswick County, N.C., October 1, 1863. [24]

Meanwhile Rev. Prime, the anonymous contributor who by his family connections and literary acumen ensured that the story of the Mastodon discovery reached a wider audience, left Scotchtown in the fall of 1850 on account of the poor health of his wife. He spent the winter in New Orleans, where he supplied one of the Presbyterian churches of that city. Mrs. Prime passed away during their journey home. In December Rev. Prime resigned his charge in Scotchtown due to lung trouble and went to Augusta, Georgia. From there he went to New York City, where he took charge of the Presbyterian Church on East 86th Street for a year. In the winter of 1854-5 he served as Chaplain of the American Embassy in Rome. He returned to New York in October of 1855 and became a regular editor of the New-York Observer. [25] In 1860 he married Miss Abbie Davis, daughter of Rev. William Goodell of Constantinople. During the next ten years he and his wife traveled extensively in the East, studying religions and examining the state of Christian missions in the lands through which they journeyed. He wrote letters to the Observer describing his experiences and observations and in 1872 published his principle literary work, Around the World: Sketches of Travel through Many Lands and over Many Seas. Four years later he published the memoirs of his father-in-law under the title, Forty Years in the Turkish Empire [read this book online or buy a reprint]. When his brother died in 1885 he took over as editor of the Observer but only worked about a year at the job because of his deteriorating health. [26] He died in New York City on April 7, 1891 and his passing was noted in the June issue of Harper’s Magazine. [27]

These men (the versatile farmer, the eminent geologist, and the literary minister) have long since passed, but the significance of the Mastodon discovery near Scotchtown remained relevant for some scholars. In fact, one archaeologist, the Rev. John Patterson MacLean, cited the Scotchtown discovery in his 1880 book entitled Mastodon, Mammoth and Man, a work that sought to establish and explain the scientific evidence that man was a contemporary of Mastodons and Mammoths. At one point he discusses the issue of whether or not Mastodons were covered with hair. Based on the climate of the region where their remains were found and the food upon which they subsisted, the author suggests the only logical conclusion was that Mastodons were covered in hair. “However,” writes MacLean, “this question has not been left to conjecture, for the hair has been found. Around and in the immediate vicinity of the skeleton found at Scotchtown, Orange County, New York, were locks and tufts of hair, of a dun-brown, from an inch and a half to seven inches in length.” [28]

The Scotchtown Mastodon again rears its head in a 1921 bulletin of the New York State Museum. In this text the remains are referred to as the “Shawangunk Head,” a name derived from the fact that “the remains in this case consisted of one of the largest and best preserved heads ever found, but only a few other bones.” The appelation “Shawangunk” designates the location of the discovery, near the mountains and river of the same name a few miles north of Scotchtown. The authors also tell us that the Scotchtown Mastodon/Shawangunk Head can be found in the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. [29]

The memory of the Mastodon found at Scotchtown was not forgotten around the neighborhood either. At least one long-time resident, Mr. Foster, recalls hearing the story of the discovery and independently confirms that the bones were found in the marl bed. Today there may still be some hope of learning more about the Scotchtown Mastodon. Accounts from any of the other local newspapers of the time, if found, could shed some light on the nature of the discovery or how and why the remains were removed to Albany and then New York City. Until then this historical anecdote, like the remains of the Mastodon itself, will be simply a skeleton of what was once something much greater.

[1] “Skeleton of a Mammoth,” New-York Observer, August 19, 1843; ScotchtownHighlander.com has since donated this copy of the Observer to the Town of Wallkill Historical Association. However, a scanned copy of the article is available on this site.

[2] The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, “Prime, Samuel Irenaeus.” Retrieved September 9 2006 from http://columbia.thefreedictionary.com/Prime,+Samuel+Irenaeus

[3] The Centennial of the Presbyterian Church of Scotchtown 1796-1896 (Newburgh: E. G. Hulse, 1896), 16

[4] Samuel W. Eager, An Outline History of Orange County, New York (Newburgh: S. T. Callahan, 1846-7), 73, 348; C.A. Hartnagel and Sherman C. Bishop, The Mastodons, Mammoths and Other Pleistocene Mammals of New York State: Being a descriptive record of all known occurrences (Albany, N.Y.: New York State Museum Bulletin, 1921), 47

[5] Maynard McKillen, “When Marl Meant Money” Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine August 2001. Retrieved September 9 2006 from http://www.wnrmag.com/stories/2001/aug01/marl.htm

[6] Medical History of Michigan, Compiled and Edited by a Committee, C.B. Burr, M.D., Chairman, and Published under the auspices of the Michigan State Medical Society (Minneapolis and Saint Paul: The Bruce Publishing Company, 1930), Volume 1, 523

[7] E.M. Ruttenber and L.H. Clark, History of Orange County, New York with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men (Philadelphia: Everts and Peck, 1881), 436

[8] Portrait and Biographical Record of Orange County, New York (New York and Chicago: Chapman Publishing Co., 1895), 1269

[9] J. C. Sidney, Map of Orange County New York from Actual Surveys (Newburgh: Newell S. Brown, 1850)

[10] Michael Hughes, Farm Map of the Town of Wallkill, Orange Co. NY (1862)

[11] Frederick W. Beers, County Atlas of Orange, New York (Chicago: Andreas, Baskin & Burr, 1875)

[12] Orange and Rockland Counties from Actual Surveys (Philadelphia: Corey & Bachman, 1859)

[13] Portrait and Biographical Record of Orange County, New York (New York and Chicago: Chapman Publishing Co., 1895), 1269

[14] “Fossil Elephant, or Mastodon.” The Goshen Democrat, August 18, 1843

[15] “Skeleton of a Mammoth” New-York Observer, August 19, 1843

[16] “Skeleton of a Mammoth” New-York Observer, August 19, 1843

[17] “Fossil Elephant, or Mastodon.” The Goshen Democrat, August 18, 1843

[18] “Skeleton of a Mammoth” New-York Observer, August 19, 1843

[19] “Fossil Elephant, or Mastodon.” The Goshen Democrat, August 18, 1843

[20] “Fossil Elephant, or Mastodon.” The Goshen Democrat, August 18, 1843

[21] Samuel W. Eager, An Outline History of Orange County, New York (Newburgh: S. T. Callahan, 1846-7), 348.

[22] William Jay Youmans, Ed., Pioneers of Science in America: Sketches of their Lives and Scientific Work (New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1896), 347-353

[23] C. A. Comfort and G. I. Gibbs, Old Burial Ground, Scotchtown Presbyterian Church (1962) Typescript

[24] William Jay Youmans, Ed., Pioneers of Science in America: Sketches of their Lives and Scientific Work (New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1896), 352

[25] The Centennial of the Presbyterian Church of Scotchtown 1796-1896 (Newburgh: E. G. Hulse, 1896), 15-16

[26] Charles Anson Ingraham, Washington Irving and other Essays, Biographical, Historical and Philosophical (Cambridge, NY: Privately printed, 1922) Reprinted by Kessinger Publishing (2005).

[27] Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, Vol. 83, Issue 493. June 1891, p. 157

[28] J. P. MacLean, Mastodon, Mammoth and Man (Cincinnati: Robert Clarke & Co., 1880), 25

[29] C.A. Hartnagel and Sherman C. Bishop, The Mastodons, Mammoths and Other Pleistocene Mammals of New York State: Being a descriptive record of all known occurrences (Albany, N.Y.: New York State Museum Bulletin, 1921), 46-47. Many thanks to local historian Joseph E. Devine of Montgomery for finding this reference.