A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Part 155

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 155

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On June 22 and 23, 1870, occurred the first horticultural exhibition, a festival and reun- ion, which was very successful, bringing to- gether a very large and pleasant company. Others were held June 14, 1871, and June 19, 1872. There being few if any professional florists in the county and the strawberry growers being particularly busy marketing their fruit, it was found to be impracticable to attempt at present more than one fair each year.

In 1876, besides the usual annual meeting on Wednesday evening during the fair, meet-

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ings were held at the court-house on Tuesday and Thursday evenings for discussion of mat- ters of interest to the county and its people ; but the attendance was so small that no en- couragement was felt to repeat the experiment.

During this year the grounds were im- proved by planting trees, which were donated to the society by Isaac Hicks & Sons, of Old Westbury, Queens county; P. H. Foster, of Babylon; E. F. Richardson, of Brentwood, and Israel Peck, of Southold. Adjoining Ex- hibition Hall was built a cloak or package room, which has proved a great convenience to visitors and a source of profit to the society. New features were introduced into the exhibi- tion, viz .: "Centennial relics" and "a display of antiquities." This being the Centennial year this feature seemed to touch every heart, bringing out a warm response throughout the county, and, not stopping with county limits, was similarly responded to in several other counties as a striking feature in their fairs. The suggestion, coming as it did from this county, at once introduced this society to many sister societies that before hardly knew of it. A display of "plans" for farm buildings, etc., by Suffolk county architects (which has been of much service by favorably introducing to visiting strangers such architects as exhibited, and also by elevating the standard of architec- ture in the county ) and a "collection of foreign curiosities" were very successful in themselves and added much to the exhibit. A new and notable feature of the fair was the gathering of the children of the public schools of the county,-teachers and pupils being admitted free on one specified day,-the effect of which was so gratifying that it has become one of the fixtures of each fair, thereby cultivating in the rising generation an interest in the society. This year, too, more largely than ever before, was the power of the county press shown in arousing throughout the county a new and general interest in the society, and a strong desire to attend the fair. All together, not- withstanding the greater attraction offered by the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia, this year seems to have been a turning point in the history of the society. Partly from the geo- graphical situation of the county, partly from the difficulty experienced in reaching the fair with articles for exhibition, and from various other reasons, a feeling of more than indiffer- ence seemed very largely to have possessed the

people of both east and west. This now gave place to a desire to promote the success of the fair.

In 1877 the new features of the preceding year were retained and a new department, an "exhibit of school work," was introduced, whereby the public schools became interested in the society; also exhibits of minerals and Indian relics. This fair was made more at- tractive by a fine display from the Long Island Historical Society of Brooklyn, through the kindness of Elias Lewis, Jr. The attendance was larger, by reason of the improved railroad connections and facilities, whereby people were brought from all parts of the island and re- turned at reduced rates. Not only the society, but many people throughout the county were much benefited by a donation from J. N. Hal- lock, formerly of Suffolk county, now publish- er of "The Christian at Work," New York city, of subscriptions amounting to $100, which were largely used as premiums. This year $600 was paid on the debt, and in 1878 $400.

In 1879 more new features were introduced -displays of 'decorated pottery, rare china, native woods, and leaves and nuts of trees growing in the county. Among the cattle ex- hibited were a pair of immense oxen, weighing over 4,600 pounds, exhibited by Elbert Rose of Bridgehampton, and some superior Jerseys from the well-known stock-yards of William Crozier of Northport. Point judging on cattle and horses was now introduced. The exhibit of school work, first introduced in 1877, showed gratifying . progress. The hall was made more cheerful by the exhibit of a large number of the bills and posters of the different county societies of the State. The debt was reduced $250 this year.

A very important feature of the fair of 1880 was the addresses of P. T. Barnum, at the hall in the afternoon and at the court-house in the evening, replete with humor and wisdom. Some very fine Early Rose potatoes, that took the first prize, were grown in beach sand. One man reported a crop of 500 bushels of potatoes raised on an acre of ground. This year the debt was again reduced $250.

At a meeting of the board of managers held at Riverhead Jan. 27, 1881, Austin Corbin, the newly elected president and receiver of the Long Island Railroad Company, and several of the directors were present ; also reporters from

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the city papers. Mr. Corbin and others ex- plained the condition of the road and the com- pany and their plans and intentions for the fu- ture. Mr. Corbin, as a Suffolk county farmer, made a donation to the society of $250.

Before the fair the railroad company of- fered $500 in special premiums for stock, grains, fruit, etc., which greatly stimulated the exhibitors and added much to the interest of the exhibition. H. W. Maxwell, one of the directors of the railroad company, offered five gold medals, of the total value of $100, to be competed for during the fair by the pupils of the public schools of the county, in reading, arithmetic, United States history, geography and English language. Three of these were taken by pupils of the Greenport school, one by a pupil at Yaphank, and one by a member of the school at Patchogue. During this year the grounds were improved by planting more trees. The addresses at the fair were on fish culture, out of the regular course, but of great interest to the whole county. The debt was still further reduced $500.

Again a new departure : The officers of the society, not content with showing their coun- ty's products to those that might come to the county fair, proposed to the farmers and others of the county an exhibit of their good things at the State fair at Elmira,, which exhibit, al- thoughi an experiment, was very encouraging in its results, the first premium ($25) being awarded to R. O. Colt, of Bay Shore, for the best collection of vegetables, besides other premiums to different exhibitors ; while a new wagon gear invented and exhibited by C. M. Blydenburgh, of Riverhead, attracted great attention, as did also the wood of which the wagon was built-Suffolk county oak. The exhibit brought the county into very promi- nent and favorable notice.

Another institution which has proved of great service to the upward progress of River- head is the Savings Bank, which was estab- lished in 1872, mainly through the efforts of Mr. Nat W. Foster and Orville B. Ackerly. The latter, who was for many years a resident of Riverhead, has been engaged in business in New York for a considerable time past. He was County Clerk of Suffolk for six years and had previously been Deputy Clerk for twelve years, and not only proved a most

capable official but was one of the most pop- ular men in the county, and that popularity lie still retains, although the prosecution of his business necessarily removes him from its associations-at least to the same extent as formerly.

The bank started out with the following trustees : James H. Tuthill, John Downs, N. W. Foster, Jeremiah M. Edwards, Gilbert H. Ketcham, Daniel A. Griffing, J. Henry Per- kins, Moses F. Benjamin, Edwin F. Squiers, Jolın R. Corwin, Orville B. Ackerly, Richard T. Osborn, Isaac C. Halsey, Simeon S. Hawk- ins, Richard H. Benjamin, John F. Foster, Thomas Coles, J. Halsey Young, John S. Mar- cy, Abraham B. Luce, Jonas Fishel, and John P. Mills. It was a success from the first, and during all the years that have passed, in spite of periods of panic, depression and financial restlessness, it has maintained a clean and lion- orable record, and by its wise management has done much. to develop the prosperity of the town. According to the latest report its re- sources amounted to $3,189.770, and its de- posits to $2,859,829, giving it a clear surplus of $329,941. But that report showed another detail which ouglit to be a matter of local pride, showing as it does the thrifty character of the people, and that was the average of each account in 1900 was $457.93, an amount ex- ceeded by only two others of the savings banks on Long Island.

But the Savings Bank rendered a most valuable service to Riverhead and to the county in a widely different direction from its finances, for it was at a meeting of its board of trustees in 1886 that the organization of the Suffolk County Historical Society was first broached. The Rev. Dr. Samuel E: Herrick, of Boston, a native of Suffolk county, was a guest at the usual luncheon which was a feature of the trustees' meetings, and in the course of a most interesting address suggested tlie formation of an organization which should gather up the records of the past and preserve them. "Too many of these have been already lost," he

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said, "because such an institution has not ex- isted. Suffolk county may for all time rejoice in her illustrious citizens. Who would forget Captain Mercator Cooper, of Southampton, who, in the whaleship Manhattan, of Sag Harbor, first carried the United States flag into Japanese waters, at the same time returning to their homes more than a score of ship- wrecked sailors he had rescued? Who would be willing to lose record of the illustrious pa- triotism and devotion of General Nathaniel Woodhull or of the valuable services of Ezra l'Hommedieu and many others? Shall the story of their brave and heroic lives be lost, or shall they be saved to inspire others to good works? Why, then, may not something at once be done?"

Before the close of the year the Suffolk County Historical Society was fully organ- ized. The following account of its progress has been drawn up by Mr. Foster, now its President :

The early members were: Hon. James H. Tuthill, George F. Stackpole, Nat W. Foster, Daniel W. Reeve, William C. Ostrander, Ahaz Bradley, Professor Charles S. Stone, the Rev. Samuel Whaley, Benjamin K. Payne, Dr. Howard H. Young, William R. Duvall, Holmes W. Swezey, Sheriff Henry W. Halsey, James L. Millard, John Walsh, Jr., Gilbert H. Conklin and Samuel Tuthill, of Riverhead; WVilmot M. Smith, Hon. John S. Havens, Will- iam H. Newins and George M. Ackerly, of Patchogue; Joseph H. Petty, of Amityville ; Stuart T. Terry, the Rev. Epher Whittaker, D. D., and N. Hubbard Cleveland, of South- old; Richard M. Bayles, of Middle Island; · been reduced to $1,300.

Salem H. Wales, of New York, with a country residence at Southampton; James Slater, of Central Islip; Henry A. Brown, of West Deer Park; A. M. Salmon, of Peconic; Theodore W. Smith, of Smithtown; Benjamin T. Rob- bins, of Northport; Charles E. Shepard, of Huntington ; Sidney H. Ritch, of Port Jeffer- son ; and W. W. Thompson, of Orient.

The officers for the first year were: Presi-

dent, James H. Tuthill, Riverhead; Vice- presidents, the Rev. Dr. Epher Whitaker, Southold, and Joseph H. Petty, Amityville; Recording Secretary, Stuart T. Terry, South- old; Corresponding Secretary, Richard M. Bayles, Middle Island; Treasurer, James H. Pierson, Southampton; Custodian, George F. Stackpole, Riverhead.

Mr. Tuthill was re-elected President until his death, in January, 1894.

At the next annual meeting after Mr. Tut- hill's death, February 20, 1894, Nat W. Foster was elected as his successor, the Rev. Dr. Whitaker declining the position and continu- ing as Vice-president along with Floyd, of New York. At the evening meeting special services, memorial of the life of the late Presi- dent, were held, addressed by the Rev. Dr. Whitaker, the Rev, William I. Chalmers, B. K. Payne and Professor J. M. Belford.

In 1895 Orville B. Ackerly, now of New York City, was made Corresponding Secre- tary.

In 1896 the Rev. Charles A. Stonelake, of Aquebogue, was elected Recording Secretary, and continued to so act until suddenly called out of the State, when, at the next annual meeting, February 15, 1898, Miss Ruth H. Tuthill, daughter of the late President, was chosen for that position.

At a special meeting of the society held on July 1, 1893, the Riverhead Savings Bank building, at the corner of Main street and Griffing avenue, was purchased for $4,000. One-lialf was paid and $2,000 remained on bond and mortgage. This mortgage has since

Addresses have been delivered at the pub- lic meetings of the society as follows :

June, 1887. The Rev. Dr. Whitaker: "Union of Church and State, Past and Pres- ent." .

June, 1888. John R. Reid: "Historic Studies."

October, 1889. Henry P. Hedges : "Prior- ity of Settlement, Southold and Southampton."

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October, 1890. James H. Tuthill : "Proper Work of an Historical Society, and How It Should be Done."

February, 1893. The Rev. W. I. Chalmers : "Urging Deeper Interest in Historical Work and the Suffolk County Historical Society."

February, 1895. The Rev. Dr. Whitaker : "The Rise of Woman." District Attorney W. H. Jaycox: "The Value of Historical Knowl- edge." George F. Stackpole: "What May be Done in the Future in the Way of Developing Long Island." The Rev. R. M. Edwards: "Impressions of Long Island."

February, 1896. William Wallace Tooker : "Cockinoo de Long Island." Edward P. Buf- fett, Jr .: "Fort Salonga."

February, 1897. Augustus Floyd : "Suf- folk in Revolutionary Times." The Rev. A. C. Stonelake: "The Collections of the Socie- ty."

February, 1898. R. C. McCormick : "Val- ue of Local Historical Societies." William S. Pelletreau : "Richard Smith of Smithtown.".

The objects of the society as stated in Article II of its constitution read, "To foster the historical spirit in thought, study and pur- pose; to encourage historical and antiquarian research ; to disseminate historical knowledge; to collect and preserve such autographs and other manuscripts, maps, plans, charts, paint- ings, engravings and other pictorial represen- tations, books, pamphlets, newspapers, curiosi- ties and antiquities of every kind as may have been or shall be the products of Suffolk coun- ty, or of its several towns, some of which are the oldest English settlements and religious and civil organizations within the bounds of the State of New York; and also to discover, procure and preserve whatsoever material of any kind may illustrate the history of its sev- eral towns."

The society, since its organization in 1886, has gathered a large number of valuable his- torical documents, old sermons and addresses by Suffolk county men, statistical reports, portraits, Indian and Revolutionary War rel-

ics, pre-Revolutionary implements of indus- try and other articles of interest. Among the valuable historical works are the following : Records of Boston and New Haven, the for- mer comprising twenty-seven volumes, show- ing the origin of many Long Island families, presented by Orville B. Ackerly ; Mallman's "History of Shelter Island;" "Early Long Island Wills," by W. S. Pelletreau; All the town records of the several Long Island towns as published by the town authorities ; Thomp- son's "History of Long Island;" Genealogi- cal and biographical record of New York ; and a copy of the laws of the Colony of New York from 1691 to 1799, presented by Elbert Carll Livingston, containing in its fly leaves a family register. (The first death recorded on the fly leaf in manuscript is that of "Captain Jacob Conklin in Dec. ye 8 1754 on the Ist day of the week at 9 o'clock at night.")

Among rare documents and publications are: Early Long Island wills of Suffolk coun- ty, known as the Lester Will Book ; manuscript copy of the roster of soldiers stationed at Sag Harbor under command of Major Benjamin Case in War of 1812; proceedings of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and of the Massachusetts Historical Society, all pre- sented by Orville B. Ackerly; papers in the case of the trustees of Southampton against Frederick H. Betts, giving a full history of the early settlement of the town and the par- titioning of the lands and meadow rights; unbound journal of New York Assembly Jour- nal, 1796, and Senate, 1806; the origin and meaning of English and Dutch surnames of New York State families ; list of ancestors and descendants of John Howell Wells; seventy old almanacs between the years 1811 and 1896; and "Long Island Journal of Philosophy and Cabinet of Varieties," published at Huntington in 1825.

Among the curiosities is a framed commis- sion by the Postmaster General to Elihu S. Miller as postmaster at Wading River, Febru- ary I, 1869, to his father, Sylvester Miller,

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July 30, 1844, and to his grandfather, Zophar Miller, February 26, 1825.

A letter from the Postmaster General to Congress transmitting a statement of the net amount of postage accruing at each postoffice in the country for the year ending March 31, 1826, shows the following to have been the receipts of various Long Island offices : Ja- maica, $164.27 ; Hempstead, $36.57 ; Hunting- ton, $64.50 ; Suffolk Court House (now River- head), $29.40; Wading River, $2.74; Bridge- hampton, $50.22; Cold Spring, $18.63; Cut- chogue, $10.20; Deer Park, $7.37; Easthamp- ton, $59.33; Islip, $20.40; Jericho, $18.07; Jerusalem, $1.27; Mattituck, $18.86; Oyster Bay, $23; Oyster Bay South, $7.39; Oyster Pond (Orient), $25.32; Patchogue, $24.31 ; Sag Harbor, $117.06; Setauket, $28.46; Smithtown, $56.16; Southampton, $47.62; Southold, $35.35; and Westhampton, $9.61.

Among other interesting documents are the records of the First Strict Congregational convention, held at the house of the Rev. Daniel Young, Riverhead, August 26, 1791. The Rev. Daniel Young, pastor of the First Congregational Church of Riverhead, organ- ized March 26, 1758; the Rev. Jacob Corwin, the Rev. Noah Hallock, Bridgehampton, and Deacons Daniel Terry and Richard Robinson, delegates from the churches at Riverhead and Wading River; the Rev. Jacob Corwin, pas- tor of the Second Congregational Church, founded at Aquebogue, or East Riverhead, in 1787, and the Rev. Paul Cuffee, a native In- dian of the Shinnecock tribe, located at Canoe Place, "a man of great influence and reputa- tion." His grave is prominent to-day in the cemetery east of Good Ground Station. The appointment of Calvin Cook as ensign of "the regiment of militia in Suffolk County," signed by Daniel D. Tompkins, is prominently dis- played. There is an interesting exhibit of flax seed, a sheaf of the flax raised in Suffolk county, unhetchelled and hetchelled flax, thread and linen cloth. There are also shown the various old-fashioned flax machines, including

flax hackler, flax wheel and swift reel. A relic of historical interest is a piece of cedar from the British sloop of war "Sylph," built in Ber- muda in 1811 and wrecked on Southampton Bar on January 17, 1811, when, out of a crew of 121, 115 were lost, including Captain George Dickens, commanding officer ; Lieuten- ants George Butt and H. S. Marsham, Surgeon James Still and Thomas Atwell, master. This piece of cedar was part of a fence post under- ground on a farm at Quogue for seventy-five years, and is still as fragrant as ever. Among the Indian relics are arrow heads from Fort Salunga, Indiani arrow heads, stone axes, hoes, tomahawks, mortars, found mainly in South- old and Southampton. Some of these were taken from a well twenty feet underground, and the stone was of a character such as is found only in the outcropping ledges of Mas- sachusetts. It puzzles scientists to know how four of the preglacial stone arrow and spear heads came to be found on Long Island and . at such a depth below the surface, where they have evidently been buried for ages past. Wampum and other Montauk Indian relics are also displayed here. An old plow with a wooden mould-board, used in the town of Southold a hundred years ago, and several British cannon balls fired over to Long Island from British men-of-war in the War of 1812- 15 and picked up by the farmers in their fields, are shown.

Among other curiosities are: Curious fish found in the waters of Suffolk county; shin- plasters issued by local merchants in the War of the Rebellion ; old merchandise bills and re- ceipts ; old State bank and Continental bills ; piece of first flat rail used on the Long Island Railroad in 1836, size of rail two and one- half by three-fourths, ordinary tire iron, also the chain used for holding the ends of the rails ; ivory paper-cutter used by Daniel Webs- ter and presented by him to Charles Taylor, of Peconic ; photographs of the exhibits at the Suffolk County Agricultural Society's fair by H. B. Fullerton ; a bear's skull, found at Great

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Pond many years ago; a ten-pound piece of meteor that came down on the farm of R. M. Bowne at Glen Cove in 1794 (the original piece weighed fifty pounds ) ; a Latin Vulgate and Greek text Bible, printed in 1544 in Venice ; assessment roll of Riverhead in 1839, in an ordinary writing book; and picture of tomb- stone of John Gardiner, proprietor of Gardi- ner's Island, who was born in 1752 and died in 1823, and of David Gardiner, second pro- prietor of Gardiner's Island, in the Hartford Cemetery, Connecticut.

Among the engraved portraits are those of Thomas George Hodgkins, who was born in England in 1703, and died in Setauket in 1792; the Rev. Charles J. Knowles, former pastor of the Congregational Church at River- head, who died in 1880.

Ezra L'Hommedieu, member of Continen- tal Congress in 1779-83, member of the Senate of New York, clerk of Suffolk county, 1784- 1810, and regent of the university 1787-181I.

Nathaniel W. Foster, who has been for years the prime mover in these three institu- tions and is one of the best known and most generally popular men in Suffolk county, is entitled to a word or two in this place. He was born at Riverhead September 24, 1835, and through his father traces his descent from Christopher Foster, who in 1635 settled in Boston from England and in 1651 made his home in Southampton, Long Island. From that day to this the name has been prominent in. the affairs of the island, and its members have taken part in all the great wars from the Revolution to the conflict between the States. His grandfather, Rufus Foster, fought in the War of 1812, and was for a time stationed at Sag Harbor, and his father, Herman D. Foster, settled at Riverhead in 1834. On his mother's side Mr. Foster can claim an ances- try equally prominent, as she was one of the descendants of Richard Woodhull, so promi- nent in the early history of Brookhaven.

ward the business was carried on by him in partnership with Mr. O. B. Ackerly. In 1874 he retired from that connection to devote his entire time to other enterprises which claimed his attention, and primarily to his work as the local agent of the Equitable Life Assurance Society, an appointment he had held for some years and which he still retains. Then, too. the savings bank of which he has since become president began to demand a share of his time, much of the local public business was thrown on his shoulders, and the secretaryship of the Suffolk County Agricultural Society of itself furnished enough work for one man. Mr. Foster's life has been a busy one; and while his career has been prosperous, it has always been on lines calculated to bring pros- perity and happiness to others, and no fact is more heartily recognized throughout Suffolk county to-day than that.

In 1888 Mr. Foster was elected treasurer of the Long Island Bible Society and has held the position ever since. He was an organizer of the Riverhead Cemetery Association, has been a trustee since the organization and for several years the president. He is also presi- dent of the Village Improvement Society, in which he takes a great interest, and which has done good work through his direction and in- fluence. In early life he was deeply interested in temperance work and was connected with nearly every temperance society of importance in village, county or State. He was particu- larly interested in the Sons of Temperance, and in 1865, unexpectedly to himself, he was called to the head of the order in eastern New York.

Mr. Foster has traveled quite extensively, both in the United States and Europe. He is a liberal supporter of the Congregational Church, where he has been a member since sixteen years of age, and for several years has served as deacon.

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A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Part 155

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