The Province of New York was divided into counties in 1683, so it might better be governed and the courts could then be established. On February 4, 1772, John De Noyelles, an Orange County representative in the General Assembly introduced a bill to the Assembly to enable the people on both sides of the Ramapo mountains enabling them to choose an assemblyman for their respective parts of the County. This proposed law was rejected on March 4, 1772 by a vote of eleven to nine. 

     In the winter of 1798, a Bill was introduced into the Assembly for the division of Orange County into two counties. One was to be called Orange County and the other Rockland. The Act passed the Assembly on February 19th and the Senate on February 23, 1798. 

     Rockland County sent John Suffern as its first senator. The first county officers were John Suffern, county judge; Peter Talman, surrogate; Jacob Wood, sheriff; and David Pye, county clerk. 

     The Town of Ramapo was founded in 1791. At first organized as New Hempstead, the name was changed to Ramapo in 1828. The people in high councils of the town in its early days included many whose names are still heard of and many have streets named after them. Cooper, Onderdonk, Goetchius, Blauvelt, Van Houten, Gurnee, Wanamaker, Suffern, Eckerson, Smith are among some who are on official pages of the town's records. 

     Construction of the Erie Railroad was an invaluable aid in the development of Rockland County. From its necessities Piermont was born, and thus opened the villages of Blauveltville, Nanuet, Spring Valley and Monsey. 

     The New York and Erie Railroad Company was incorporated by a special Act of the Legislature on April 24, 1831 and the railroad was opened on September 23, 1841. Its trains went through the territory now called Spring Valley, and in the fall of 1842, the farmers of the neighborhood called together a public meeting where it was voted to petition the Erie Railroad to stop its freight trains so the farmers could bring their day's supply of milk abroad to be taken to New York and sold. 

     In reply, the railroad promised to stop its freight trains provided the farmers built a depot. It was voted to build the depot and Samuel Springsteel and Jacob Straut were appointed as the building committee, a plot of ground was obtained, the necessary money raised, and the platform with a station house were erected. 

     Up to this time, the railroad company called this territory by the name of Pascack, after a stream by that name not far off. But now the farmers decided to give it a new name, and a third meeting was held where it was decided to call the place Spring Valley-one certain large spring in the Valley Pond being responsible for this name. 

     As soon as the railway station had been completed, the milk train came through about four o'clock in the morning to take on the milk which was brought by the nearby farms. 

     Before the territory was named Spring Valley, an area from one to two miles south of the village had been settled by Scotsmen, who named it Scotland after their homeland. 

In 1796, Donwe Harmanus Talman purchased three acres at the foot of Scotland Hill and several years later added 140 acres more, including the property on which Lakeside School is now situated. 

     In 1823, this district had a store and a public house, both situated opposite the present Lakeside School, and was the center of activities for a large territory. The Scotland post office was established on December 29, 1827, with Peter Talman, son of Donwe H. Talman, as postmaster. 

     The post office in Spring Valley was established in 1848 with Aaron Johnson as postmaster. Previously Monsey had been the post office serving the village. 

     In 1870 Spring Valley had fifteen hundred inhabitants. There was one lawyer, Andrew Rankin; and two physicians, J.S. Wigton and Girard Hammond. Lockwood and Van Houten were architects and builders. Spencer Youmans and Jackson Rose were blacksmiths. Stephen Hemion and Abraham Palmer were carriage manufacturers. Matthew Person was a harness maker. A. Furman had a livery stable. Charles Tremper operated a bakery. James Smith and John Mareis handled boots and shoes.M.L. Griffin had an ice cream business. In the grocery business were Blauvelt and Smith. Smith and Burr conducted a lumber, coal business, and Merritt Brothers were masons and builders. 
There were several factories in Spring Valley at this time. 

     The Spring Valley Manufacturing Company, known as the "Dutch Factory", had a capital of $150,000. and employed about 70 people. It manufactured Buckram, mosquito netting. George Griffiths car-head lining shop was located in Spring Valley, and in 1870 did some of the finest painting for the interior of railway coaches. Jacob Stevens and John Johnson Jr. had sash, blind and door factories. 

     William Hyenga, who had a pipe factory in Pearl River in 1882, moved his factory to Spring Valley in 1883. 

The Rockland Press, one of the first newspapers in Spring Valley, was established on December 21, 1888 by Dr. Robert Murray and continued for a few years. The first issue of the Rockland County Leader made its appearance on January 5, 1893. It was published by Randolph and Sherwood. W.R. Sherwood was editor. 

In January, 1889, the building of Dunlop's Silk Mill was completed and the event celebrated by a grand banquet at the mill. 

     The Consolidated Stamp Factory was established in 1893 and closed this past year. 
John Milewski Sr., came to Spring Valley in April, 1888, and was employed as custom boot and shoe maker by Smith and Bohr. In 1900 he erected his own building on Main Street where he made shoes for practically everyone in Spring Valley. 

     In 1892 Charles Falkenberg purchased property on Pascack Road and in 1896 erected a large factory which manufactured men's shirts and for many years was the leading industry in the community. 

     The silk industry at the Dunlop Brothers' mill was booming in 1897. The number of looms running was increased from thirty to sixty. 
Dunlop Brothers' Silk Mill and Falkenberg's Shirt Factory were the principal factors in the great increase in Spring Valley's population towards the end of the nineteenth century. In 1898 there was a total population of 1,878 in the district. 

     Mr. Peter Lespinasse, a real estate operator, in 1894 laid out building lots not far from the Falkenberg factory to house the workers, and sold six room houses for $50.00 down and "balance monthly same as rent". He held lot sales which were gala affairs with music and free refreshments for all. 

     The Widmann Brother's bakery was established in 1906 and made deliveries throughout all the towns of Rockland County. 

     Burn's Greenhouses were established in 1902 by A.S. Burns Jr., and soon covered 200,000 square feet, supplying flowers to every city throughout the eastern half of the country as far west as St. Louis.