 The first permanent European settlers in the area were Jonathan Conkling and John Barnes, who built in 1770.In the Battle of Minisink in 1779, 40-50 European colonial settlers were killed in an engagement with a band of mostly Iroquois and Loyalists led by Colonel Joseph Brant, a Mohawk who commanded forces for the British.During the early part of the 19th century, logging was the principal commercial activity in the area.