USA > New York > Westchester County > Westchester county in history; manual and civil list, past and present. County history: towns, hamlets, villages and cities, Volume II > Part 1
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WESTCHESTER COUNTY IN HISTORY
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1
SEAL
MANUAL AND CIVIL LIST PAST AND PRESENT
COUNTY HISTORY
TOWNS, HAMLETS, VILLAGES AND CITIES
TRULY THIS PEOPLE CAN SAY, WE HAVE MADE HISTORY
-2d. ed.3
1683-1912
BY whsend HENRY T. SMITH Connected with County Journalism Forty-Five Years
VOLUME II
Containing specially prepared articles relative to the County; matters concerning the County's history; organization of Towns, Villages and Cities; population as shown by the various census enumerations, with other statistics and general facts of interest and value.
Also, containing the portraits and biographies of distinguished men connected with the County's early history, as well as of prominent officials of the present time.
White Plains, N. Y. HENRY T. SMITH, Publisher
1912
Copyright by HENRY T. SMITH 1912
F All rights reserved
127 W556 1912 v. 2 608650 24.5.55
PREFACE.
In offering additional volumes of the Westchester County Manual and Civil List, the author considers that no special or formal words of introduction are necessary.
The first volume, published in 1898, had a circulation greater than anticipated by the publisher, and the issuing of a second edition was required to meet the demand.
Numerous books relative to the history of historic Westchester County have been written; and, while they possess a peculiar sameness, they have many meritorious features. The author of this history has endeavored to get out of the "beaten path," and give his book an individuality of its own. That it may fulfill the mission intended is greatly desired.
Recognizing the necessity of securing, while data is yet avail- able, as complete a record as possible of officials connected with the County's history, and estimating that the preservation of such record, in convenient book form, will be of practical value in the future, as well as at the present time, the author, in the year 1890, commenced the compilation of this work; and the greeting it received on the presentation to the public of the first volume has encouraged him to offer additional volumes, after the lapse of a due number of years.
As this historical publication is the first and the only one of its kind ever undertaken relative to Westchester County, and particularly to its civic life, it will be readily understood that years of research and labor had to be devoted to bring about desired results. The book, in its several volumes, is the out- come of efforts to preserve in ready reference form the names and history of the men who, at different periods dating back over two hundred years, have rendered honorable and meri- torious service to Westchester County, making them worthy of having their names preserved in connection with its history.
In order to make the several volumes of this book of general interest to all readers, efforts are made to present, in attractive form, thrilling and absorbing incidents relating to remarkable facts in the County's history.
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PREFACE.
The biographical annals of the County, a feature of the book, deal only with " people of affairs; " they who have been con- spicuous in the County's life during the many years; they who have " done things " toward the making of its history-that something which entitles them to be remembered in years to come, after they have passed into the " Beyond," when mem- ories are cherished by beloved ones remaining.
By a careful reading of the biographies of those who assisted in its success and development much can be learned of the County's history.
In the preparation of biographies, it has been the desire to indulge in no undeserved praise, or fulsome laudation. Every one has been accorded the credit honestly deserved, and it has been the author's sincere purpose to bring to public recog- nition the characteristics and traits of each who has been deemed worthy of biographical consideration.
Many of the men whose biographies appear in the first volume of this book, who were active in public affairs and directing matters of State at that time, have since passed over the line into the land of " the great majority." Twelve years or more, the time lapsing between the dates of publishing the two vol- umes, have worked great changes within our County. No man knoweth what time hath in store for him. In several instances, those who aided in obtaining necessary information, and who watched eagerly for the publication of this volume, are not here to be among its readers.
In dealing with the past and present in the civic life of our County, as much pleasure has been experienced in giving the photographs and sketches of office-holders conspicuous in years gone by, as in doing like service for men-of-affairs of the present day. We all realize that our country is better owing to the loyal public service rendered by all good citizens in their day. We are inclined-that is, the most of us are-to have too little respect and veneration for the things of antiquity, despite the fact that we talk a great deal about the good old times of long ago, about the noble acts and heroic deeds of the fathers. In the hustle and bustle of modern life we are apt to bowl over with sacrilege and disdain some of the most ancient and respected landmarks of the past. We have our eyes fixed upon the goal in mirage ahead, and we are wont to forget the objects of reality in the rear. We do not remember at all
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PREFACE.
times that it is better to be a " Has-Been " than a " Never- Was-At-All."
The aim of the author has been to make the work authentic in facts and dates. In the absence of authenticated records, in many cases dependence had to be placed upon the memory of old residents. It is therefore possible that, despite most con- scientious and indefatigable labor, an occasional error may be found.
It is hoped that as a book of reference it may prove invaluable.
The author feels that he is greatly indebted to many friends who kindly rendered him the assistance that enabled him to bring out the succeeding, as well as the first, volume. He takes this occasion to publicly tender his thanks to all, assuring them that but for such valuable aid his labor might have been more than disproportionably increased.
February, 1912.
WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
(Continued from page 5, Vol. 1.)
Westchester County is a long, comparatively narrow, strip of land, bounded on the south by the Borough of the Bronx (New York city), on the west by the Hudson River, on the north by the County of Putnam and the State of Connecticut, on the east by Long Island Sound. The total area of the County is five hundred and six square miles, and its present population (1910) is 283,055. The southern end of the county, divided into cities and villages, is, for all practical purposes, solidly built up. Above White Plains village, with few exceptions, it still remains comparatively a rural district.
Counties, as well as all things else, have a beginning, so it was with Westchester County. And in the beginning it had a people, and these people were the "red men of the forest," the original members of the order of " Foresters of America."
The woods of Westchester County were inviting to these original Americans, from the shores of the Hudson River to the shores of Long Island Sound. From the enchanting high hills of the north, and to the south so far as the haunted waters of Sputen Duyvil Creek, itself the home of many a spirit, if it be true that ghosts walk; the Indians of long ago gave the land about the shores of this historic creek a name of unpronounce- able gutterals and sowed the rocky soil of Westchester County's southern boundary line with arrow heads and traditions. Along the water fronts and through the woods where our Indian brethren disputed titles with their neighbors, the bears and the catamounts, generations of white men have come with their feuds and friendships, their loves and their hates, and have all passed away. Others are here, alike as human as those who have gone before.
As to the original settlers of the county, the Indians, and their immediate successors, the Dutch, much has been written as special subjects and in a general way by recorders of matters historical. From these writings we learn the general opinion of all, that the first inhabitants of our County were shamefully
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abused not only by the Dutch settlers themselves, as a whole, but by a powerful trading corporation that stole rather than purchased property from the ignorant first owners. If money was exchanged in acquiring property, the buyer would see to it that an ample quantity of rum was at hand to sell to the Indian and get quick return of that money. In many cases the Indian would first be made drunk and then persuaded to sign some kind of a document bartering away his land. The Dutch East India Company's agents were in most cases, if not in all cases, the " purchasing " agents, and this grasping cor- poration held on to the land so acquired, leasing it at high rental to honest settlers, and in a few instances only selling a parcel.
Ruttenber, a writer on this subject, says: " Until touched and warped by wrong treatment, wherever the Indians were met, they were liberal and generous in their intercourse with the whites, and more sinned against than sinning, they left behind them evidences of great wrongs suffered; their enemies being their witnesses."
The Dutch trading company introduced among the Indians intoxicating liquors, and it was a common sight to see on the streets of New Amsterdam (New York) daily, and in fact nightly, numerous Indians helpless as the result of over-indul- gence in intoxicating liquor. While in this state, as well as when sober, the Indian was robbed of his earnings, as well as the furs and goods they had purchased from agents of the trading company.
The Indians complained that the Dutch had not paid them sufficient price for their land, but their complaints were long unheeded. They even claimed that the money owed them by wealthy Dutch residents was kept from them, and they at times suffered for want of food as well as did their wives and children.
The scandal growing out of this robbing of the Indians became finally so great that the Council of New Amsterdam had to take notice. In the published old records of New Amsterdam is found, under the title of " Ordinances of New Amsterdam," the following preamble and ordinance, bearing upon this sub- ject: " Great complaints are daily made to the Director-Gen- eral and Council by the Indians or natives, that some of the inhabitants of New Netherlands set the natives to work and use them in their service, but let them go unrewarded after the
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work is done, and refuse, contrary to all international law, to pay the savages for their labors. These Indians threaten that, if they are not satisfied and paid, they will take their own pay, or recover their remunerations by other improper means. There- fore, to prevent all trouble as much as possible, the Director and Council warn all inhabitants who owe anything to an Indian for wages or otherwise to pay it without dispute, and if in the future they employ savages, they shall be held liable to pay upon the evidence and complaint of the Indians (who for good reason shall be considered credible witnesses in such cases), under penalty of such a fine as the circumstances shall indicate as proper."
The Indians, as owners, had been ejected from the Island of Manhattan, and, locating in the adjacent Westchester territory, soon became only transient guests in the then Dutch city. They were more than inclined to be on friendly terms with the whites. Though they frequently and naturally had unkindly differences with other tribes of Indians, they manifested ever a friendly feeling for the Dutch settlers.
That the Indians did finally go on the " war-path," in 1643 and later, and bring disaster upon the white settlers, is not sur- prising, when we consider the treatment they received; the actions of certain powerful Dutch corporations may justly be considered as provocation.
That the Dutch settlers who inhabited a great section of Westchester County, especially the southern portion, were brought into dislike, is not surprising when we consider their treatment of the Indians. The fault lay not with the average Dutch settler, but rather with the arbitrary, dominant Dutch East India Company which bought land, or more properly acquired it, by means fair or foul, and then permitted settlers to occupy it at exorbitant rental rates. The Dutch settlers rebelled but were helpless. This conduct of the Dutch East India Company, and the dominant spirit shown, to rule or ruin, had the ultimate result of discrediting the company as a com- mercial agency, and creating to it such an opposition that it finally lost its commercial standing and contributed to the loss of Dutch supremacy and to permitting the English to acquire occupancy of territory held by the Dutch. The first most prominent act of hostility to the power of the Dutch East India Company was when Pell negotiated direct with the Indians for the purchase of that tract of land embracing what is now the
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towns of Pelham and New Rochelle, disregarding the hereto- fore all-powerful Dutch company. It is held by historians that Governor Winthrop of Connecticut prompted the actions of the English in forcing the issue with the Dutch for possession of the land forming a great part of Westchester County. Beyond doubt the Dutch East India Company had organized one of the greatest of original trusts, especially in land accumulation for speculative purposes, ever attempted in this country ; truly they bought low and sold high, and when this company came to grief, and it was helpless to rob Indian or white man, there were no outward manifestations of great mourning among the honest Dutch citizens.
Westchester, one of the original counties of the State, is as well one of its most historic counties. In the days of the Revo- lutionary War it furnished its full quota of fighting men and heroic women, as it has since done, whenever our country called, and was in need of able and willing hands, for support or defense.
In the Revolutionary War period, being adjacent to New York city, where a strong force of British troops were entrenched, the county was ever a hot-bed of conflict, and periodical inva- sions and depredations were the rule rather than the exception, if not from flying trips made by the enemy's scouting parties, it was from irregular marauding parties organized for purposes of plunder, of friend or foe; so long as spoils could be secured the invaders were indifferent as to persons they robbed. As the lower section of the County, from the Hudson River to Long Island Sound, became known as " neutral ground," resi- dents within the prescribed limits were considered just prey, according to the fates of war. Among these prowling gangs of desperadoes were two bands known as " Cowboys " and " Skinners." These bands were well and appropriately named ; the first stole and drove off every head of cattle, found unpro- tected, to sell to the British Army in New York, which willingly purchased the stolen goods, "and no questions asked," with directions to go back and steal more from the " rebels." The second band " skinned " every locality neglected or overlooked by the plundering " Cowboys," even to the contents of the houses defended only by lone women whose male protectors were fighting for their country in the Continental Army. Not only were people robbed, but their buildings were burned by these worse than brutes. When Andre was halted at Tarrytown he
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first took the man who commanded him to " stand," to be either a " Cowboy " or a " Skinner," and felt easy; knowing them so well, he was confident he could bribe them with money, and pass on.
When General Washington retreated from Long Island, to evade the British Army in New York, commanded by General Howe, he passed through Westchester County. This was prob- ably during one of the most trying periods for the American Army in the Revolutionary War, when General Washington was sorely taxed, but more than ever determined to continue battling for the patriotic cause. Many petty complaints and predictions as to disaster and ultimate failure to patriotic hopes beset him, yet he went his way determined to win the victory every true heart desired.
A well-known historical writer, describing Washington's entry into Westchester County, said: "Altho his army was poorly equipped, wretchedly disciplined, and not large, altho the soldiers of one section were jealous and suspicious of those of another, altho there were any number of deserters, sick and absent men, and in spite of the most irritating interference of Congress, which gave Washington no power to fill vacancies, and insisted on short terms of enlistment for the soldiers, Washington did not throw up his commission as most men would have done, but showed his true greatness by determining to do the best he could with what he had."
" The Battle of Pell's Point, or Glover's Rock," was fought about four miles east of the present Bartow station, in the town of Pelham, around the " Split Rock " road, on each side of which the opposing forces were posted. The Bronx Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution have placed a tablet to mark this battlefield.
When the British attempted to follow up General Washing- ton, and camped at Eastchester, the St. Paul's Episcopal Church, which yet stands as a venerable record of the past, was used as a hospital for some Hessian soldiers by the British.
This church edifice was also used during the Revolutionary War period as a Court House, and is now considered more highly on account of its service in various ways of usefulness.
The " Battle of White Plains " was an event wherein the American Army, though crippled for want of sufficient num- bers, showed its valor and proved to the enemy that every patriot there fighting was determined, and could be ever counted
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upon to do his utmost to gain success for the cause of liberty and to secure the final triumph of the struggling Republic.
The main thoroughfare through the county in the early days was " the Old Westchester Path," running from New York city north. It has been described as little better than an Indian trail, rough and rocky, difficult to travel, especially in the rainy season. Many of the men prominent in Colonial times and credited to New York city, their places of business, were resi- dents of nearby Westchester County, living here in the summer and wintering in the city, as now. The " Old Westchester Path " was the highway over which the Morrises, the Hamil- tons, the Jays, the Phillipses, the Van Cortlandts, and other distinguished residents journeyed from their homes to their business in the city and return. Over this path both armies had marched. Now we have, instead of this " Old Path," boulevards, parkways, macadam and paved streets.
From a volume treating of the early settlers in Westchester County, published in 1790, we learn that the population remained about the same from 1756 to 1786, but a good increase was shown from 1786 to 1790; about thirteen per cent. being blacks, most of them slaves.
Jedediah Morse, A. M., author of the volume aforementioned, has this to say as to then existing conditions, viz .: " The effect of the Revolution has been as greatly and as happily felt by this section as by any of the United States. The accession of inhabitants within a few years has been great, even beyond calculation ; and so long as lands can be obtained in the county upon advantageous terms and with a good title, and the gen- eral government continues to protect industry and encourage commerce, so long they will continue to increase. The English language is generally spoken, but is not a little corrupted by the Dutch dialect which is still spoken in this lower section of the State. But as Dutch schools are almost, if not wholly, dis- continued, that language, in a few generations, will probably cease to be used at all. The increase of English schools has already had a perceptible effect in the improvement of the English language."
" The manners of the people differ as well as their language. The sections inhabited by those whose ancestors were natives of England possess manners and customs similar to those of their ancestors. The localities inhabited by the Dutch have adopted the English manners in a great degree, but still retain
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many modes, particularly in their religion, which are peculiar to the Hollanders. They are industrious, neat and economical in the management of their farms and their families. What- ever business they engage in they generally follow the old track of their forefathers and seldom invent any new improvements in agriculture, manufactures or mechanics. They were the first settlers (excepting Indians) and were particularly friendly to the English colony that settled at Plymouth in New England in 1620; and continued to be amicably disposed toward the English colonies east of them, until the unhappy dispute arose concerning the lands on the Connecticut River."
" The Revolution and its consequences have had a very per- ceptible influence in diffusing a spirit of liberality among the Dutch, and is dispelling the clouds of ignorance and national prejudice. Schools, academies and colleges are being established for the education of their children, in the English and learned languages, and in the arts and sciences, and a literary and scientific spirit is evidently increasing. If such are the bud- dings of improvement in the dawn of our empire, what a rich harvest may we expect in its meridian."
" The manners and character of the inhabitants of every settlement will take their colouring, in a great or less degree, from the peculiar manners of the first settlers. It is much more natural for emigrants to a settlement to adopt the cus- toms of the original inhabitants than the contrary, even though the emigrants should in length of time, become the most numer- ous. Hence, it is that the neatness, parsimony and industry of the Dutch were early imitated by the first English settlers in Westchester County and vicinity, and, until the Revolution, formed a distinguishing trait in their provincial character. It is still discernible, though in a much less degree, and will prob- ably continue visible for many years to come."
" Besides the Dutch and English already mentioned, there are, within the borders of the county, emigrants from Scotland, Germany, France and Ireland. The French emigrants, known as Huguenots, settled principally at New Rochelle, and many of their descendants now fill some of the highest offices in the United States."
There was no part of the continent where the manners of England, and its aristocratical notions of blood and alliance, prevailed with more force than in a certain circle immediately around the metropolis of New York, and especially in West-
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chester County, in the period just preceding the Revolution. The customs of the early Dutch inhabitants had, indeed, blended in some measure with the English manners; but still the latter prevailed. As an early writer states, this attachment to Great Britain was increased by the frequent intermarriages of the officers of the mother-country with the wealthier and more powerful families of the vicinity, until, at the commencement of the Revolution, their united influence had very nearly thrown the colony into the scale on the side of the crown. A few, how- ever, of the leading families espoused the cause of the people, and a sufficient stand was made against the efforts of the crown party to organize, and aided by the army of the confederation, to maintain an independent and republican form of government. Under the circumstances it is not surprising to learn that the lower section of Westchester County, nearest to New York city, was influenced by the Tory sentiment; the upper section of the County, dwelling under better influences, were steadfast in sup- port of the cause of their countrymen, and to the northern sec- tion of the County many of its patriotic families had to flee for protection from the enemy in the south.
The County was erected November 1, 1683, by an act of the General Assembly, and this was confirmed by a later act, of October, 1691. As originally constituted, the County had sub- stantially the same boundaries that it had before its southern portion became, in 1873, a part of New York city.
By an act of the General Assembly, passed in the year 1683, Westchester village (now annexed to New York city) was made the " County Seat " of the County, and it remained so until 1759, when it resigned to White Plains the honor of being the " Shire town," which distinction White Plains yet retains.
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