A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Part 144

Author: Ross, Peter. cn
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1188

USA > New York > A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time > Part 144

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Judge Jones had been paroled in Connecti- cut as a prisoner of the United States just three years, to a day, before the date of the above article.

"New Haven, Nov. 24, '79 .- Monday sen'nit two small privateers, of four guns each, commanded by Captains Lockwood and Johnson, ran into Oyster Bay under British colors, where four wood vessels under protec- tion of a large eight-gun brig, who asked the privateers, 'Where from?' and on being an- swered, 'From New York,' they were per- mitted to run alongside the brig unsuspected, and, boarding her, the crew were surprised into immediate surrender, without firing a gun, though manned with 20 stout fellows ; on which the other vessels also submitted, and

were brought out of port, destined for Nor- walk or Stamford; but, on being pursued by some armed vessels from Huntington Har- bor, the brig unluckily ran on a reef of rocks near Norwalk Harbor, and fell again into the enemy's hands, who got her off and took her away. The other prizes got safe into port."

This brig was a guardship in the mouth of Oyster Bay. The first ship, the "Halifax," under Captain Quarme, was after two years condemned, when he was succeeded by Cap-

tain Ryley, who became superannuated. Then came Captain Townsend, who had been for some time ashore sick at William Ludlam's, in the house now occupied by Henry Ludlam on Hog Island. One day after he had begun to be able to walk about he invited Mr. Lud- lam to walk to the other side of the island to look at his vessel, when, to their surprise and chagrin, they saw the privateers run alongside and capture the craft, which was the above mentioned brig. The British had been expecting their own fleet of privateers, so did not suspect the trick. Mr. Ludlam was always sorry for his friend.

The "Lively," of seventy tons, was taken in Oyster Bay December 7th, with a cargo of salt. "Rivington's Gazette," July 25th, says that two whaleboats, the "Association" and "Henry Clinton," crossed from Fort Frank- lin, on Lloyd's Neck, to Norwalk, landed 38 men, and returned to the island to escape observation, but were to be back at a given hour. The party marched five miles from the shore, and remained hidden in the woods till 2 o'clock., Captain Frost surrounded the sanctuary where the people of Middlesex (now Darien) had assembled for prayer, and took fifty "notorious rebels, their reverend teacher at their head. Forty horses ready saddled were taken care of at the same time, and all safely brought to Long Island." On- derdonk adds: "They were all ironed, two and two, on the green in front of Wooden's, Oyster Bay, and so marched to the provost."

On the evening of November 24th, 1781, Lieutenant J. Hull, of Colonel Fitch's corps, came over the sound in a whaleboat, navi- gated by eight men, and landed near Hemp- stead Harbor, the entrance to which was guarded by an armed vessel. He left his boat with two men, and with the others marched to Mosquito Cove. Finding a canoe, and embarking, they boarded nine vessels which lay in the cove and made prisoners of sixteen men ; not deeming it safe to try to take the vessels away, they were ransomed and the prisoners paroled. The whole party returned without the loss of a man. About the first of December a number of whaleboats came into Oyster Bay and unrigged Captain Shed- dan's (boat at Ship Point, and carried off an- other, which was ransomed for £200.

"Rivington's Gazette," under date of Sept. 18, 1782, says :

"As Captain Thomas, of the 'Association,'

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carrying ten 4-pounders and 30 men, was con- voying a fleet of wood boats down the sound, they were attacked off Tinnicock by two gun- boats and II whaleboats manned with 200 men, the largest boat having a brass six- pounder in her bow. Captain T. hid his men, housed his guns, and thus decoyed the boats within musket shot, when his men suddenly discharged their muskets, and canister shot from the four-pounders. A number fell, but they did not desist from their attack, but towed off detached vessels, as it was a calm. They were, however, all retaken after a com- bat of six hours. These pickaroon gentry greatly infest our coast."

In the latter part of December the schooner "Peggy," John Envidito master, and her cargo of broadcloths, coating, linen and other goods, were taken.

On one occasion the whaleboat men found a vessel aground at Cold Spring. They at- tempted to get her off, but failed. Threats of burning caused the vessel to be ransomed. The whaleboat men robbed the store of one Youngs at East Woods, and hid the plunder in the bushes near the shore, in order to remove it at a more suitable time ; but, the goods being dis- covered, they were prevented. Nicholas Wright's store was robbed. Justice Smith, of Hog Island, was robbed of silks, etc., and Will- ianı Ludlam, a tailor who lived with him, was robbed of a great many suits of clothes which he was making up for his customers. Sarah Wright, at Cove Neck, was robbed, among other things, of a silver milk pot, which was carried to Stamford. Seth Wood's store at East Woods was also robbed. The house of John Willets, at Cedar Swamps, was broken open, his hands were tied, every threat was used, and his house was even set on fire, to make him give up his money, but in vain.

Probably the people of Oyster Bay, wheth- er Whig or Tory, felt relieved when the scund of war ceased and the horrors of martial law became a thing of the past. When peace was proclaimed, industry was resumed, but the township had been so seriously drained of its resources, its fields had been so trampled on and destroyed, its granaries, when spared, had been so emptied, and its financial resources so reduced, that it took a long time to regain what had been lost during the few years of

conflict. Agriculture was at that time the main industry, for the war had shattered the shipping trade which had been promising so much prior to 1776. But the soil, not the sea, was, after all, the mainstay of the people, and so until the nineteenth century had pretty well advanced, the story of the township is mainly a record of improvement in crops, in farm stock, in extension of the farm land by a steady clearance of the brush and wildwood, and in the development of the breed of horses, horses for pleasure as well as for work. The apple seems to have been the principal fruit culti- vated, and Oyster Bay became noted for its cider.

Oystering did not develop into much of a business until about the middle of the last century. The oysters of the town's Sound shore front had been famous among the In- dians, and the white settlers prized them as food. So did others, for we find, in 1784, a special town meeting declared that outsiders should not be permitted to "take or carry away any of the oysters from off the oyster beds lying in the town on penalty of five pounds, to be recovered by the persons hereafter named [Samuel Youngs, James Farley, Amaziah Wheeler ], and to be paid to the Overseers of the poor." In 1801 a town meeting came to the protection of the oyster by declaring "that no oysters be caught in the harbor of Oyster Bay with rakes or tongs from the first day of May next to the Ist day of September follow- ing, under the penalty of five pounds for each and every offence." There was probably grave reason for this, for the quality of the oysters and the demand for them evidently threatened a shortage in the supply. Up till then the oyster fishing had been one of the privileges of the township and seemed to be part of the common property of the people, but in 1807 the beginning of a system of private property in the bivalve was inaugurated, when a town meeting granted Robert Feeks ten square rods under water "for the purpose of making an oyster bed where no valuable bed has been

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known." This was a beginning, and private ownership in oyster beds soon became so wide- spread as to threaten the occupancy of the en- tire harbor and remove from the people a right which they had enjoyed since the settlement. The courts were appealed to, but decided that any inhabitant could plant an oyster bed in a spot not previously occupied, and the bed should be regarded as private property. There- after there ensued a long struggle between the people and those who had thus acquired prop- erty rights, and the battle was waged for years. The people could pass and did pass resolu- tions regulating the trade, protecting the growth of the oysters, and laying down laws for close or open seasons, but when the ques- tion came to be an invasion of private prop- erty rights the courts sternly interfered. In 1843 a meeting declared "we will defend the rights of the town to the exclusive ownership of the oysters in Oyster Bay," but that gallant defence went practically no further than the paper on which it was written. In 1847, how- ever, they got down to a tangible issue when they declared that "the oysters in the bay or waters of the town be free to all of the inhab- itants of the said town the ensuing year." The owners of the oyster beds at once took issue with this, the law was appealed to, and the rights of the planters to the exclusive use of their property was sustained.

We may now turn our attention to the re- ligious life of Oyster Bay, a subject which is of equal interest and importance with its civil history. It has already been said that the first community was not a theocracy, although the Rev. Mr. Leverich was among the pioneers and was regarded as their minister until he moved away in 1657. It is held that in 1659 a regular meeting of the Society of Friends was established at Oyster Bay, in the resi- dence of Anthony Wright, and a marriage was solemnized there between Samuel An- drews and Mary Wright, August 8, 1663. There are some signs also that some of Mrs. Hutchinson's converts visited Oyster Bay and

held religious meetings, so that in one way or another the place was not without its spiritual leaders, and Oyster Bay became the religious centre for a wide district. In 1672 George Fox paid it a visit and preached in the woods, with a rock for a pulpit, because there was no house in the place large enough to accommo- date the number of his auditors, and it was in that year that Anthony Wright gave land, part of his house lot, to the Society of Friends, on which to erect a meeting house and lay out a burial plot. The house was finished early in the following year and seems to have been a comfortable little structure, with double doors, eight windows and plain benches. The Soci- ety waxed strong, and large congregations were formed in Matinicock in 1671, Jericho in 1676, and in Bethpage in 1698, while on the lonely farms the simple faith of the Society was that held by possibly nine-tenths of the people. For a time it would seem that next to Flushing, Oyster Bay was the most import- ant centre of the Society on Long Island. So the burly and blusterous Keith reported, in 1701, as the result of his personal observation. But even then a change had taken place, and the adherents of the Society gradually fell off in the village. The first meeting house was taken down in 1693, and a second was not built until 1749. In 1797 the number of Friends had dwindled down until little more than "a remnant."

This, however, was not caused by any fall- ing off in the religious spirit of the town, but because other influences had been at work and had weakened the hold of the Society. The Baptists had been zealously at work even when the Society seemed supreme, and had gradual- ly won converts to their views. About the year 1700 William Rhodes settled in Oyster Bay village from Rhode Island, and at once began to hold regular meetings, and so organized a congregation-a congregation that was made up mainly, if not wholly, of persons who had been numbered among the Quakers. It has been held that he was not an ordained minis-

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ter, that he was without denominational au- thority, but in the early history of either the Quakers or the Baptists such matters were not deemed of prime importance in the face of re- sults. In 1724 a Baptist meeting house was erected, but the congregation lost its up-build- er, for Mr. Rhodes in that year was called to his reward. He was succeeded, Prime tells us, by "an individual by the name of Robert Feeks, the son of a Quaker preacher," who had been his assistant. "He was ordained," says Prime, "in 1724 by Elders from Rhode Island. He was what is called a Free-will Baptist, and as no other qualification was considered neces- sary in a candidate for baptism than a desire to be saved, his church was, of course, numer- ous. * * * He labored many years, and died [1773] in the 89th year of his age." But he was not without his troubles. In 1745 the Rev. Thomas Davis was appointed his col- league, and, being a stern and unyielding Cal- vinist, his sentiments were on many points utterly opposed to those of his senior. This led to bickerings and confusion and might have caused the creation of another congrega- tion had not Davis, after some three years of agitation, retired from the vineyard on account of ill health. The people then held together, each section certain of ultimate triumph. Ca- leb Wright, a grandson of the pioneer Rhodes, had been educated for the ministry and was to be ordained and installed as Mr. Feeks's colleague. The people had listened to his preaching for over a year, and there was a strong hope that he would lead the people into quiet waters, that he would heal the past dif- ferences. But the day appointed for his or- dination turned out to be that of his burial, and the Rev. Isaac Still, of New Jersey, who had been appointed to ordain, preached his funeral sermon. After that contention broke out worse than ever. Mr. Davis returned for a brief visit in the hope of restoring peace, but seems to have made the confusion worse than ever, and if we read Prime's story of the trou- ble aright, he and the now venerable Pastor

Feeks had a regular set-to in the pulpit one Sunday, and Davis proved the victor, put Feeks out and preached the sermon!

In 1759 David Sutton was called to the pastorate, and for a short time peace prevailed, but the result was a schism and the formation of a new congregation, calling themselves the "New Lights." The pastor of this body, or its spokesman and preacher, was Peter Under- hill (a grandson of the famous Captain John Underhill), but its real leader was his mother- in-law, Mrs. Sarah Townsend, who, having in her early years been a schoolmistress, was generally known as Madame Townsend; a wo- man of much ability, evidently, and one who had certainly studied the Scriptures closely and believed in expounding them according to hier lights. She refused to believe in denom- inational restraints, believed in the indiscrim- inate outpouring of the Spirit, and believed that all would, at one time or other, be con- verted. When the new body attempted, after a little experience, to draw up a set of rules to maintain order and decorum, she shouted "Babylon!" and withdrew. However, she seems to have soon returned, and the little community lasted for some thirty years, when she and Underhill and the others gave up the struggle and became associated again with the regular Baptist Church. Bv that time that body had been reduced to nine members, and even six years later it was only blessed with a membership of forty. In 1801 the Rev. Mar- maduke Earle, having settled in Oyster Bay to assume charge of the Academy, also agreed to supply the pulpit of the Baptist Church, and under his ministry, which continued until his death, in 1856, the Baptist body has had a his- tory in Oyster Bay in every way worthy of its aspirations and its high position as a body of earnest, devoted Christian workers.

Along with the Baptist body the Episco- palians aided in the disintegration of the Qua- ker supremacy. Keith, the renegade Quaker. mentions that he had considerable success in his proselytizing efforts in Oyster Bay, among

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other places on Long Island, in 1701. A church building was erected in 1707, but for many years the congregation was under the pastoral charge of the clergyman at Hemp- stead. After the Revolution services were con- ducted irrregularly, but the congregation re- mained intact and the church authorities in New York in 1787 appointed Andrew Fowler as "reader" to the people at Islip, Brookhaven and Oyster Bay. Mr. Fowler afterward be- came rector at Oyster Bay. He did not remain long with the people after being ordained a priest. It is doubtful if the church building was much used after the Revolution for Di- vine service, as the Hessian troops had used its timber for their own purposes and de- stroyed much of the internal fittings. In 1804, however, the structure was blown down and the material of which it was composed was then sold for $67, which sum, however, the local church authorities did not receive until 1845. Its site was used for the Oyster Bay Academy. With the removal of Mr. Fowler, in 1791, the congregation seems to have again passed under the care of a reader, with occa- sional visits from the rectors at Huntington and North Hempstead. When the Academy was completed the people worshipped in one of its rooms. In 1835 it was made a mission- ary station under the Rev. Isaac Sherwood. In 1844 Oyster Bay again became a district charge, a new church building was erected in 1845, and the modern history of the congrega- tion may be said to have then begun. The present beautiful structure in which the con- gregation now worships was erected in 1878, when the cornerstone was laid by the then rec- tor, the Rev. George R. Van de Water, now of New York.

It was not until 1846 that a Presbyterian congregation was formed at Oyster Bay.

The present village of Oyster Bay has a population of 2,320. In 1846, in a moment of irresponsibility, it was decided to change its name to Syosset, but the change only lasted, fortunately, for about a week. Besides its im-

portant oystering and shipping trade it is the centre of a colony of summer homes of the very highest class. Its importance has steadily increased since the railroad gave it easy access to the outer world. Its cottages are most pic- turesque and reach out from it in all direc- tions, and it is well supplied with hotels and boarding houses. As the home of the Seawan- haka Yacht Club it is a centre for that class of sport, and the clubhouse of that organization, a most imposing structure at the entrance of the bay, with more or less of its "fleet" in front and its dock always a busy, bustling place during the season, is itself a prime at- traction to visitors. Oyster Bay, in fact, has become quite a fashionable centre, and its dig- nity in this respect seems certain to steadily increase. Of recent years it has come into especial prominence as the residence of Theo- dore Roosevelt, ex-Governor of New York, and now President of the United States. His splendid cottage has been the scene of many an important gathering since his return from Cuba, where, as Colonel of the famous "Rough Riders," he won a national pre-eminence and became one of the foremost figures in Ameri- can public life. As the first Chief Executive which Long Island has given to the United States, his career is entitled to particular con- sideration in a work like this and it will be found treated at length at the close of this chapter.

Matinicock is now best known to the out- side world from the fact that its "point" has be- come a "mark" in the local yachting competi- tions. Yet, in spite of that and in spite of the fact that its population increases but slowly (125 at last reckoning), it has a most inter- esting history. For a long time it was claimed by Hempstead as part of its territory, but that claim was disproved in 1666, but although the Oyster Bay settlers claimed to have bought it from the Indians in 1653, and that claim has been allowed to stand, there does not seem to exist any tangible proof of it. But it was set- tled soon after, for in 1659 we find that people

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from Matinicock attended the services of the Society of Friends in Oyster Bay. In 1660 the famous-or infamous-Capt. John Under- hill received 150 acres of land in Matinicock from the Indians as a gift, and in 1663 he added to his possessions by purchase. About the same time his brother-in-law, John Feeks, a Quaker preacher, bought an adjoining tract, and the dwellings of these two worthies were erected close together. The only son of John Feeks became the pastor of the first Baptist Church in Oyster Bay. In 1682 a stated meet- ing of the Society of Friends was inaugurated here, and in 1682 a meeting house was erec- ted, which was followed by the erection of a larger structure in 1725. From the first Mat- inicock has been a farming community and so remains. Locust Valley (formerly called Buckram), which has a population of 625; Lattingtown (200), and Bayville (400), are all pleasant villages in the old territory of Matinicock which call for little comment, al- though the schools of the first named have won more than a local reputation. In these places the influence of the Society of Friends is still very great.

Dosoris can date from 1668, when Robert Williams bought 1,000 acres there from the Matinicock Indians, including two islands known by the prosaic names of East and West. The property, after several changes, came into possession of Daniel Whitehead of Jamaica, who bequeathed it to his daughter, the wife of John Taylor. It was inherited by the only off- spring of that marriage, a daughter, Abigail, who became the wife of the Rev. Benjamin Woolsey of Southold. He it was who gave it its name-a contraction or adaptation of the Latin Dos Uxoris-a wife's dower. Apart from the singularity of its name there is nothing to demand our attention in the village, which has only a little over 100 of a population. Bu: it is a beautiful and romantic place, and when it becomes easier of access is certain to attract a large share of the summer business of Long Island. For many years Charles A. Dana, of

the New York Sun, occupied West Island, and Townsend Cox, a long and leading politician in New York, had his home on West Island.

In September, 1868, Glen Cove celebrated its bicentennial, and there was a procession, music, oratory-mainly an oration by Mr. H. T. Scudder-and a feast of clams, sandwiches, coffee, etc. It was a good old-fashioned jolli- fication, it was open to all who chose to listen or partake, and when the day was over the good folks of the village were ready to swear that Glen Cove had not its equal in all Long Island.

In 1668 Joseph Carpenter, a resident of Rhode Island, after a short stay at Oyster Bay, bought some land from the Indians at Mos- quito Cove, Nathaniel Coles, Abra Carpenter, Thomas Townsend and Robert Cole. That purchase was taken to mark the beginning of Glen Cove by the local antiquaries. The little colony was soon enlarged, and in 1786 the set- tlement had no fewer than 32 taxpayers. They were :

Caleb Coles, 125; Benjamin Coles, 100; Jacob Valentine, 277 ; Coles Mudge, 80; Jor- dan Coles, 19; James Bennett, 3; Henry Mott, 26; Charles Thorne, 19; Thomas Kipp's es- tate, 6; Joseph Wood, 120; Benjamin Craft, 73; Joseph Craft, 147; Solomon Craft, 60; Morris Carpenter, 15; William Hyde, II; Coles Carpenter, 200; Albert Coles, 75 ; Derich Coles, 62 ; William Coles, 48; Benjamin Coles, jr., 100; Isaac Coles, 19; Daniel Coles, 120; Ananias Downing, 156; William Hopkins, 80; Thomas Hopkins, 140; Silas Downing, 20; Jeromas Bennett, 80; George Bennett, 80; Thomas Pearsall, 185; Charles Frost, 3; John Frost, 3; William Bennett, 6.

The first industry, outside of agriculture, was that of milling. Joseph Carpenter erected the first sawmill and in 1677 added a grist mill, in connection with which he entered into the following agreement with his neighbors:

Agreed yt whareas I, Joseph Carpenter, haveing Built A grist-mill joyneing to oure new saw-mill, and upon ye stream which be-

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longeth to us five purchasers-Nathanell Colles, Daniel Colles, Robert Colles, Nickolas Simkins and my selfe-and in consideration of three parts in ye streme and timbar I Joseph Carpenter doe pledge my selfe, my heyres, Ex- sexetors, Administrators, and Asignes, soe long as my selfe, my heyres, Exsexetors, Ad- ministrators, or Asignes shall keep or man- taine ye said mill, tto grind ye aforesaide pro- prietors' corne and grayne for each of their famylies well and Tolle-free for ever; and iff my selfe, my heyres, Exsexetors, Adminis- trators, or Asignes for ye futar shall see case to Lett ye sayde grist-mill fall, and not to keep it in repayre for ye fulfilling of ye conditions as above inserted, that then and after, forever, ye aforesayde streme to remaine to us five pro- prietors and our heyres and Asignes for ever, to order and dispose of as we shall see Case -- to which I have sett my hand and seale ye 14th of Janewry 1677. JOSEPH CARPENTER.

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A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Part 144

Author: Ross, Peter. cn Publication date: 1902 Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1188

Author: Ross, Peter. cn
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1188