The volume begins with a comprehensive preface detailing the careful collection of local chronicles, archival data, and civil records for Orange County, New York, emphasizing the authenticity of its sources and the preservation of daily life from its origins. It then outlines the geographical bounds, early precincts, and towns, noting the county's organization in sixteen eighty-three and subsequent boundary shifts up through nineteen hundred and five. The narrative details the early character and conduct of the native Indian tribes, including the Lenni-Lenape and Esopus Indians, their contacts with Hendrick Hudson, tribal confederacies, and the fierce conflicts over land rights.
Subsequent chapters trace the first settlements and settlers, evaluating historical traditions regarding the old Minisink region and the extensive land patents such as Wawayanda, Chesekook, and the vast Evans patent. The text recounts the early forms of government, the establishment of courts, and the evolution of local administration from Dutch methods to English common law, alongside descriptions of early public buildings and poorhouses. The military history spans early organizations, the French and Indian War, and the crucial participation of local militia regiments in the American Revolution, highlighting the committee of safety pledges, the tragic Minisink fight, and the activities of local Tories like Claudius Smith.
The work continues with a review of the War of Eighteen Twelve, local defense committees, and the patriotic enlistments during the Civil War, providing detailed rosters and records of regiments like the Fifty-sixth and One Hundred and Twenty-fourth New York Volunteers. The final sections offer exhaustive historical and topographical sketches of individual towns, including Blooming Grove, Chester, and surrounding municipalities, detailing their physical features, geology, churches, and prominent pioneer families. The volume concludes as a comprehensive depository of regional annals, biographies, and local research designed to foster an active public sentiment regarding historical preservation.
