A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Part 55

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

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on the shore of the East River. But they were inconsiderable hamlets and looked to Het Dorp as the centre of their social sphere, their busi- ness world.

There was still another section which, al- though its distinct existence was not recog. nized until long after, really existed in Bush- wick. This was Cherry Point, afterward known as Greenpoint, lying in a neck with Newtown Creek as one boundary, and the East River and Bushwick Creek as others. It was divided at the time of the Revolution between a few Dutch families, the Praas, the Meser- oles, the Colyers, the Bennets, and it is known that a troop of Hessians held sway here during part of the occupation and played sad havoc with John A. Meserole's house, in which they were quartered. The family managed to save one cow out of the wreck of their live stock by hiding it away in an out-of-the-way clump of trees. From its peculiar location and the ab- sence of roads the people at Cherry Point were so cut off from the rest of the township as to be hardly considered a part of it. Their main communication with the outer world was by boat, and a boat was as necessary a part of the farm's outfit as was a wagon at Flatbush. The people rowed over to Manhattan with their produce, and even journeys to Brooklyn were made by boat. In 1796 a bridge was built across Newtown Creek, but its facilities were for a long time of little practical use to the dwellers in Cherry Point.

But while Bushwick after the Revolution relapsed into its primitive state of what might be termed in words of a modern statesman "in- nocuous desuetude," part of the territory was suddenly given over to modern ways, and its population and resources and importance be- gan to expand. But the pressure to expand came from without in the chain of circum- stances which led to the foundation of Will- iamsburg. The story of that erstwhile city is that of a succession of land booms and reads more like a romance than a piece of veritable history. As the early history is so involved as

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HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.

to be clearly stated only by one who has given the subject close study combined with a per- sonal acquaintance with many of the under- currents of events, I venture to quote at con- siderable length from a sketch written by Mr. John M. Stearns, probably the best authority on the history of Brooklyn's once famous "Eastern District."

After the close of the Revolutionary War, the farmers of Bushwick pursued in peace their occupations of raising grain and cultivat- ing garden vegetables for the New York mar- ket. But, ere long, upon the shores of the river which formed their western border appeared the nucleus of a village, and even while they rubbed their astonished eyes, it expanded to the fair proportions of a city. Instead of slowly amassing money by plodding labor and close- fisted huckstering, they found fortunes fairly thrust upon them by the enhanced value of their farms, due to the enterprise of others, whom they considered as Yankee intruders. They hesitated at first, dazzled by the prospect and suspicious of the motives of those who offered it. But finesse prevailed and, the first purchase made, the rest was simply a matter of time.

Richard M. Woodhull, a New York mer- chant, of intelligent and comprehensive views, albeit somewhat speculative in his conclusions, was the pioneer in this movement. He had al- ready established a horse ferry, from Corlaer's Hook (near the foot of the present Grand street, New York) to the foot of the present North Second street, in Brooklyn ; and the con- centration of trade from Long Island at this apology for a ferry naturally suggested to him its probable occupation, to a limited extent, near the eastern terminus of the ferry, for a village. Had he reasoned from experience as to the growth of cities, he might have been de- terred from this venture. New York City, which at the period of the Revolution had but 24,000 inhabitants, possessed at this time (1800) less than 61,000. There was, indeed, a highway from the settled parts of the city to Corlaer's Hook; but Chatham street was then the margin of the huilt up city, and the scat- tered farmstcads, shops and hotels along the Bowery were mere suburbs of the town. Had he stopped to consider that from thirty to forty vears would be required to crowd three square

miles of vacant lands with houses, and to oc- cupy the De Lancey and Willet farms with population, before his projected city on the op- posite Long Island shore could become a prac- tical success, he might have saved himself from infinite trouble and ultimate bankruptcy. True, he had a ferry established. But this could not accommodate the people whose employment was in New York. A horse ferry, with two miles of travel on the New York side, before the business portion of the city could be reached, was to most persons a most formid- able objection to locating so far from their em- ployment. But Woodhull was infatuated with his scheme ; and, as he could not easily, in the then temper of the old Dutch residents, pur- chase the much coveted land in his own name, he employed one Samuel Titus, of Newtown, to secure the title from Charles (old "Char- lum") Titus of some thirteen acres of his farm, which he afterward repurchased from the said Samuel Titus, at cost. This land, situated in the vicinity of North Second street ( then called Bushwick street), was soon laid out by Mr. Woodhull in city lots, and named Williams- burgh, in compliment to his friend, Col. Will- iams, U. S. engineer, by whom it was surveyed. A shanty ferry house and a tavern near by were erected ; one Lewis bought some lots and put up a hay-press and scales near the present North Third and First streets, where it was in- tended to bale the hay crop of Long Island for shipment and the New York market; and an auction was held, at which a few building lots were disposed of. But the amount realized came far short of restoring to Woodhull the money he had thus prematurely invested. His project was fully a quarter of a century too soon. It required half a million of people in the city of New York before settlers could be induced to remove across the East River, away from the attractions of a commercial city. Woodhull found that notes matured long be- fore he could realize from his property, and barely six years had passed before he was a bankrupt, and the site of his new city became subject to sale by the sheriff. By divers shifts the calamity was deferred until September II, 1811, when the right, title and interest of Rich- ard M. Woodhull in the original purchase, and in five acres of the Francis J. Titus estate, pur- chased by him, in 1805, near Fifth street, was sold by the sheriff, on a judgment in favor of one Roosevelt. James H. Maxwell, the son-in- law of Woodhull, became the purchaser of

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Williamsburgh ; but not having means to con- tinue his title thereto, it again passed under the sheriff's hammer, although a sufficient number of lots had by this time been sold to prevent its reappropriation to farm or garden purposes. Woodhull and Maxwell's experience was that which is common to men who think in advance of their times; but they will ever be mentioned with respect as the "fathers of the town."

Meanwhile another rival was in the field, Thomas Morrell, of Newtown, who had pur- chased from Folkert Titus the ancient Titus homestead farm of twenty-eight acres; and who, with James Hazard, to whom he sold a moiety, had laid it out in city lots, and had a map made of the same, whereon Grand street was laid down as a dividing line. Morrell then, in 1812, obtained from the city of New York a grant for a ferry from Grand street, Bushwick, to Grand street, New York, -- the same point to which Woodhull's ferry also ran. Yorkton was the somewhat pompous name given to the ter- ritory along the river between South First and North Second streets, and Loss' map of York- ton was dignified to the position of a public record. The Morrell ferry gradually super- seded Woodhull's in the public estimation, so that both owners became rivals ; and disputes ran so high between them that they would not permit each other's teams to pass over their respective lands; all this tended to retard the progress of the village. Grand street became the permanent site of the ferry; and the old Titus homestead (on the northeast side of South First street), long known as "Old Char- lum's" Fountain Inn, became the headquarters of village politics, where the destinies of town and county were often discussed, on winter nights, over hot flip and brandy slings.

But while Morrell succeeded as to the ferry Woodhull managed to preserve the name Will- iamsburgh, which applied at first to the thir- teen acres originally purchased, and had ex- tended itself to adjoining lands, so as to em- brace about thirty acres, as seen in Popple- ton's map, in 1814, and another in 1815, of property of J. Homer Maxwell. But the first ferry had landed at Williamsburgh, and the turnpike went through Williamsburgh out into the island. Hence, both the country people and the people coming from the city, when coming to the ferry, spoke of coming to Will- iamsburgh. Thus Yorkton was soon unknown save on Loss' map and in the transactions of certain land jobbers. Similarly, the designa-

tions of old farm locations, being obsolete to the idea of a city or a village, grew into disuse ; and the whole territory between the Wallabout Bay and Bushwick Creek became. known as Williamsburgh.

At the time the ferries were established there was no open road to the water side except that of the Newtown & Bushwick Bridge Co., which came to the shore at Woodhull's ferry. There was no open shore road connecting the two ferries, nor any from the Wallabout to Williamsburgh ; for, blind to their own inter- ests, the owners of the shore land refused to have any road opened over their property along the shore. Consequently the ferries could not prosper, their cost exceeded their income, and both owners died in embarrassed circumstances and with blighted hopes. Subsequently the ferries were consolidated.

While Woodhull (and his successor) and Morrell were at variance about towns and fer- ries, Gen. Jeremiah Johnson had purchased the farm of Charles Titus second ; and, in his go- ings to and fro between his farm and Williams- burgh, became much annoyed at having to open and shut no less than seventeen barred-gates, within a distance of half a mile along the shore .* His proposition to the owners of these lands to unite with him in securing a legislative act for the opening of a two-rod road, along the front of their property from the Wallabout Bridge to the Newtown and Bushwick Bridge road at Woodhull's ferry, was not only de- clined but strenuously opposed. Whereupon,

*In this connection we quote from a MS. lecture by Mr. Barnes on the Wallabout, the following descrip- tion of the "old-time" route from Gen. Johnson's place, corner Kent avenue and Hewes street, to East New York: "Travel up the farm-lane (Hewes street) some distance beyond the present Lee avenue church, thence southeasterly along the farm to the then woods, across the creek to Nostrand's lane, and up this lane (near the site of Husted & Co.'s brick stables) on Flush- ing avenue, then southeast to land of Henry Boerum, thence southerly to Bedford, then along the old Bedford road, facing to the south of Fort Greene to Baker's Tav- ern on Long Island Railroad to Fulton street; then a road or lane, to the ferry, six miles away, -a journey of two or three hours. This, however, was short com- pared with the distance from the late Abm. Remsen's house (adjoining Scholes' farm, and but one beyond Gen. Johnson's). The family had to travel up their farm line to the church at Bushwick, thence along the Bush wick road to the Cross-Roads, along Cripplebrush road to the residence of Jacobus Lott, where Nostrand's land inter- sects the road, and then along the Cripplebrush road and Bedford road, past Fort Greene to Baker's Tavern on Long Island Railroad, and to Fulton street and so 10 the ferry,-ten miles, and taking four or five hours.

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HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.

taking the matter in his own hands, he himself surveyed the proposed road, gave due notice of application, got up a petition, and by personal interest at Albany secured the required author- ity, and within a month the road was opened by commissioners of the two towns. The effect was magical, for before this there had been no means of vehicular travel with Brooklyn, ex- cept by the Newtown road from the Bushwick Cross Roads. Now the business largely in- creased at the ferry, and public attention began to be drawn more than ever to the many ad- vantages of residence afforded by Williams- burgh. For, situated as it was,-opposite the very heart of New York City, with a bold water-front upon the East River of a mile and a half extent (entirely under the control of its own local authorities), with a sufficient depth for all ordinary commercial purposes, and with the ground rising gradually from the river to the height of about forty-five feet above water level,-it seems as if, on the whole, Nature had designed the territory for the site of a city.

The village grew apace. The M. E. Church (organized 1807) erected, in 1808, the first place of worship; the North American Hotel was built about the same time; and by 1814 the town numbered 759 persons.

About 1819 a distillery was established at the foot of South Second street, by Noah Wa- terbury, whose enterprise has earned for him the appellation of the "Father of Williams- burgh." A native of Groton, Ct., he came, in 1789, at the age of fifteen, to Brooklyn, where he learned to be a shoemaker. At the age of twenty-one years, together with Henry Stan- ton, he took Catharine Street ferry, and after carrying it on awhile entered into the lum- ber trade, and subsequently established a rope walk. He removed to Williamsburgh, in May, 1819, where he purchased from Gen. Jeremiah Johnson the half acre of land on which, with Jordan Coles, he built the distillery above re- ferred to. Subsequently purchasing eight ad- joining acres, he laid it out in city lots ; grad- ually got into the real-estate business; fre- quently loaned money to the village in its finan- cial embarrassments ; originated the City Bank, of which he became the first president ; as also of the Board of Trustees of 1827 ; and in many ways promoted the welfare of the village. His life was one of enterprise, public spirit and high integrity.

It was early found that the laws relating to common highways were entirely inadequate

to the opening of streets and other improve- ments needed by a village or city. If the plan had been adopted of opening all streets by com- mon taxation, improvements might have been effected, and in the end their expense would have been equitably apportioned, that is, when the whole village plot was improved alike and paid for ; but in this new community every per- son wished his particular property improved, and had rather pay the expense than have such improvements deferred till the general public were willing to assume the special burden of such improvements. Mr. David Dunham, a merchant and citizen of New York, became in- terested in Williamsburgh, by purchase at the Sheriff's sale, when the right, title and interest of James H. Maxwell (Woodhull's son-in- law) were sold out on execution in favor of James J. Roosevelt, who continued to follow the property with his financial accommoda- tions until 1818 brought the final extinction of the original pioneer interest of these two founders of the village. Dunham shared his purchase with Moses Judah and Samuel Os- born, established the first steam ferry from New York to Williamsburgh, and had his name applied to Grand street, as laid down on "Loss' Yorkton Map." But, though the street was soon widened ten feet on the north side, the new name would not stick. Grand street it was, and is to this day. In 1820 David Dun- ham, above named, donated land near North First street, on which a school-house was erected, known as District School No. 3 of the Town of Bushwick; and the population of the town, including the village, was at this time 934, of which 182 were colored.

In July of this year an advertisement in the Long Island Star announces a bear-shooting, at the Fountain Inn, which "the rifle companies of Major Vinton and Captain Burns are par- ticularly invited to attend with their music. Green-turtle soup to be ready on the same day, from II A. M. to 10 P. M." In October, fol- lowing, three persons were indicted at the Kings County General Sessions for bull-baiting at Williamsburgh! which argues well for the moral sentiment of the new community. In 1823 the village sustained a severe loss in the death, by drowning, of Mr. David Dunham, "merchant and citizen of New York," whose efforts had "materially changed the appearance of Williamsburgh and were adding constantly to its improvements. The Williamsburgh Ferry and Turnpike, maintained by him, are

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real and lasting benefits to the city and to Long Island." "Never disheartened by disappoint- ment, nor diverted from his object by indolence or opposition," he was justly considered "the friend and founder of the village." His ferry continued to run ; manufacturers (especially of whisky or rum and ship cordage) acquired something of a foothold in the place ; and there appeared one or more corner groceries and a village tavern, besides "old Charlum" Titus's Fountain Inn. In 1825 Garret and Grover C. Furman, New York merchants, purchased twenty-five acres on South First street, about 150 feet from what is now Grand, near corner of Second street, at $300 per acre, and had it mapped into city lots. They then offered the Dutch Reformed congregation their choice of a lot 100 feet square upon which to erect a church, which was accepted; then building lots began to be enquired about in that neighbor- hood. The first two lots were sold to Dr. Cox for $150, after which they sold so fast that the price was advanced to $200, and in less than six months to $250, etc.

It was not long before the necessity of a village organization, with officers possessing the power to compel the opening and improv- ing of streets, the digging of wells and the erection of pumps, and other public conven- iences, and to restrain and limit the unneigh- borly selfishness of particular citizens, was made fully apparent. Moreover, no general survey of a village plot had been made ; and the people, in public and private, began to discuss, and gradually to agree upon, the need of a vil- lage charter. Finally John Luther and Lemuel Richardson (or rather George W. Pittman), having purchased sites for two rope walks be- tween North Third and North Fourth streets, procured a survey of the adjacent lands into street and lots, and made application to the legislature for an act which should confer upon the place the usual village powers. The de- sired act of incorporation was passed April 14, 1827, defining the village boundaries as "be- ginning at the bay, or river, opposite to the Town of Brooklyn, and running thence east- erly along the division line between the towns of Bushwick and Brooklyn, to the lands of Abraham A. Remsen; thence northerly by the same to a road or highway at a place called Sweed's Fly, thence by the said highway to the dwelling-house late of John Vandervoort, deceased ; thence. in a straight line northerly, to a small ditch, or creek, against the meadow

of John Skillman ; thence by said creek to Nor- man's kill; thence by the middle or centre of Norman's kill to the East River ; thence by the same to the place of beginning." The charter named five Trustees to serve till the time of the village election, viz .: Noah Waterbury, Abra- ham Meserole ; Lewis Sanford, and Thomas T. Morrell; also, John Miller, who declined serv- ing; which Board were duly sworn in April 26th, and organized April 30th, by choosing Noah Waterbury, President ; Abraham Meser- ole, Secretary ; and Lewis Sanford, Treasurer. Their only noteworthy acts were the granting of several tavern licenses (the proceeds, $10 each, accruing to the poor of Bushwick), and procuring a survey of the village to be made by Daniel Ewen, for which $300 was raised by special tax. The first village election was held Nov. 5, 1827, and the old trustees were re- elected, by a nearly unanimous vote, except that Peter C. Cornell was elected in place of John Miller. The votes being one to six of the population gives 114 as the population of the village proper.

While the new city fathers speedily evinced a commendable degree of enterprise in their efforts towards the improvement of the place, their wisdom was not altogether commensurate with their zeal. The charter itself lacked pre- cision, in some respects, and its vagueness seems to have been often improved by the early trustees as a warrant for the exercise of extra- ordinary powers. This embroiled them in legal and political contentions with private owners of property, who, for the first time, became subject to municipal regulations. Thus, the attempt to open First street along the East River front between South First and South Second streets, gave rise to a long and bitter lawsuit between Jordan Coles, as plaintiff, and the village, in which Coles was partly success- ful ; but the open street remained in the hands of the public. Again, the Board, unwittingly, became the cats-paw of certain domestic specu- lators who rendezvoused at the old Fountain Inn, during the days of its decline, and these hatched schemes to possess themselves, under color of the law, of the parcels of land owned by non-residents and outsiders. By instigating taxation and assessment sales of these lands, with and without law, they were enabled to purchase them "for a song," much to the detri- ment of the village, as it gave rise to much un- certainty as to land titles. Yet the practice con- tinued until probably 10,000 lots were sold for

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non-payment of taxes or assessments, while there was not law enough in these assessments or tax titles under which to acquire or hold the lands. But thus were matters too often man- aged by those who "had the ear" of the little handful of trustees, who held their sessions in a small, wooden house, with its gable to First street, about seventy-five feet north of Grand ; wherein, also, was a tin and stove store, and the office of a Justice of the Peace.

In January, 1829, the village had reached a milestone in its career : it had a debt ! In Feb- ruary it had a postoffice, Lewis Sanford, post- master ; in June, a hook and ladder company was formed ; and, during the year, North Third and South Second streets were built, and First street between Grand street and the Brooklyn line was opened. In 1829 a school census re- vealed these facts,-that Williamsburgh had a population of 1,007, including 72 blacks ; 148 dwelling houses, including 10 stores and tav- erns ; 5 other stores ; 5 rope walks ; I distillery ; I turpentine distillery ; I slaughter-house, and 2 butchers ; 3 lumber-yards ; I M. E. church ; I Dutch Reformed church; I district and 3 pri- vate schools, etc., etc. In 1832 a Methodist Protestant church was formed by secession from the M. E. church. In 1835 a census of the town of Bushwick (inclusive of Williams- burgh) gave a population of 3,314 ; and 2 dis- tilleries, 4 rope walks, and one gristmill, with a total of $398,950 of raw material consumed, and $481,272 produced-all of which (except the gristmill) were within the village limits, as were also 3,000 of the population. This was exclusive of many smaller establishments, wood-yards, storehouses, etc., together with 72 village streets, of which 13 were opened, and about 300 houses. This year, also, the Will- iamsburg Gazette was started.

These facts illustrate the progress the vil- lage had made, despite the errors of its trus- tees; the machinations of land-jobbers, and the depressing failures of its first founders ; and, encouraged by these facts, its inhabitants be- stirred themselves to procure an enlargement of their charter and a strengthening of their corporate authority. On their application, a legislative act was passed, April 18, 1835, ex- tending the village limits by adding all the present Sixteenth Ward, of Brooklyn, from the Sweed's Fly road to Bushwick avenue, and the present Eighteenth Ward, as well as a por- tion of the Eighteenth Ward, between Hum- boldt street and the old Wood Point road. The

new charter created a Board of nine Trustees, to be annually elected, of which Edmund Frost was chosen President, and the energy and en- terprise of the new board soon inaugurated a new era in the history of the place. Several large and substantial wharves and docks were built, new avenues of trade opened by the con- struction of turnpikes, more streets laid out, and (against the strenuous opposition of New York) a new ferry established to Peck Slip, a movement which, more than anything else, per- haps, contributed to the increase of Williams- burgh's population and prosperity,-adding, as it did, an inducement to many New Yorkers to locate their residences on some of the beauti- ful and eligible sites covering the eastern shore of the East River.

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A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Part 55

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