author
Peter E. Gumaer
1771–1869
A lifelong resident of Deerpark, New York, he devoted years to preserving the early history of the Minisink region. His writing offers a close-up view of local families, settlements, and memory in the Hudson Valley.
1 Audiobook
A History of Deerpark in Orange County, N. Y.
by Peter E. Gumaer
About the author
Born on May 28, 1771, in Deerpark, Orange County, New York, Peter E. Gumaer spent nearly a century in the community he would later document with unusual care. A sketch printed with his best-known book says he was born near Fort Gumaer and died on December 18, 1869, after a long life closely tied to the area's people and traditions.
Gumaer is best known for A History of Deerpark in Orange County, N. Y., published in 1890 by the Minisink Valley Historical Society after his death. In the book's preface, he explains that he gathered information directly from descendants of early settlers and from his own long familiarity with the region, aiming to preserve local history that might otherwise be lost.
His work has remained valuable to readers interested in Orange County, genealogy, and early New York history. Although a portrait is mentioned in archival records of the 1890 volume, I couldn't confirm a suitable standalone image from reliable pages viewed here, so no portrait image is included.