ld say that the social
peculiarity of the Hill is: first, the consistent working out of an idea
in a social population, with the resultant social organization, and
communal integrity; and second, the power of this community to
assimilate individuals and make them part of itself.

PART I.

The Quaker Community, from its Settlement in 1728, to the Division in 1828.

CHAPTER I.

THE SOURCES OF THIS HISTORY.

The sources of the history and descriptive sociology of Quaker hill are,
first, the reminiscences of the older residents of the Hill, many of
whom have died in the period under direct study in this paper; and
second, the written records mentioned below. At no time was Quaker Hill
a civil division, and the church records available were not kept with
such accuracy as to give numerical results; so that statistical material
is lacking.

The written sources are:

1. The records of Oblong Meeting of the Society of Friends until
1828; of the Hicksite Meeting until 1885, when it was "laid down";
and of the Orthodox Meeting until 1905, when it ceased to meet.[1]

2. Records of Purchase Meeting of the Society of Friends for the
period antedating 1770.

3. Ledgers of the Merritt general store of dates 1771, 1772, 1839.

4. Daybooks and ledgers of the Toffey store of dates 1815, 1824,
1833.

5. The "Quaker Hill Series" of Local History, publications of the
Quaker Hill Conference. In particular Nos. II, III, IV, VII, VIII,
IX, X, XI, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI and XVII.[2]

6. Maps of Fredericksburgh and vicinity by Robert Erskine in the De
Witt Clinton Collection, in the New York Historical Society
Building.

7. Papers by Hon. Alfred T. Ackert, read before the Dutchess County
Society in the City of New York, 1898 and 1899.

8. An Historical Sketch. The Bi-Centennial of the New York Yearly
Meeting, an address delivered at Flushing, 1895, by James Wood.

9. A Declaration of some of the Fundamental Principles of Christian
Truth, as held by the Religious Society of Friends.

10. James Smith's History of Dutchess County.

11. Philip H. Smith's History of Dutchess County.

12. Lossing's "Field Book of the Revolution."

13. Bancroft's "History of the United States."

14. Irving's "Life of Washington."

15. "Gazetteer of New York," 1812.

16. Akin and Ferris, Wing, Briggs and Hoag Family Records.