USA > New York > Suffolk County > Mattituck > A history of Mattituck, Long Island, N.Y. > Part 11
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"He never shone anywhere more brightly than in the hospitality of his own home. It was cheerful, cordial, frank. Its fulness, exuberance, and peculiarly congenial character almost made his guests believe that it had never cost him care, forethought, drill and discipline of him- self to acquire his remarkable ability in this Christian virtue and grace.
"He was a preacher of eminent originality, for he never ceased to study the Word of God with a view of its application to human needs. This disposition of all his powers and aims never failed to be spiritual. His theology was Biblical rather than systematic. He preached with the utmost heartiness the doctrines of grace."
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On the stone erected to Mr. Hamlin's memory in the graveyard is the simple inscription,
REV. JAMES T. HAMLIN Born July 2, 1812, In Pastoral Relations with the Presbyterian Church of Mattituck From 1846 till his Death, Aug. 29, 1892.
Mr. Hamlin was born in Moreau, Saratoga County, N. Y. His father was of English Puritan ancestry, his mother of French. He was educated in a classical school at Glens Falls, N. Y., and at Burr Seminary, Manchester, Vt., taking his theological course in the Gilmanton, N. H., Seminary. He was licensed to preach in April, 1841, by the Hopkinton Association of Congregational Churches in New Hampshire. In the interval between this and his settlement in Mattituck he was hampered by poor health which allowed little promise of the long years of useful service in store for him. Shortly before coming to Mat- tituck he traveled in the West for the sake of his health, and took advantage of a winter's studies at Lane Theo- logical Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Six ministers have succeeded Mr. Hamlin in charge of the church. Four of these ministered to the people while he was living as pastor emeritus. The first of these was the Rev. William Hedges, who acted as stated supply for four years. Mr. Hedges is now pastor of the Con- gregational Church at Colebrook, Conn. He comes of
FIVE FORMER ELDERS.
John W. Duryee. Edward Y. Reeve. Andrew Gildersleeve.
Selah Young.
Isaac R. Howell.
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A HISTORY OF MATTITUCK.
an old Long Island family, being a son of Judge Henry P. Hedges of Bridgehampton. He was graduated from Yale University in 1874 and from the Yale Divinity School in 1878. While in Mattituck he married Miss Hattie Hamlin, the second daughter of the pastor emer- itus, and from Mattituck went to Jamesport to become the pastor of the Congregational Church that had formerly been joined with Mattituck in the Union Parish.
The Rev. George R. Garretson was installed pastor June 27th, 1883, and resigned July Ist, 1887, to accept a call to the Claremont Presbyterian Church of Jersey City, N. J. He is an alumnus of Rutgers College and of Union Theological Seminary. During his pastorate, on March 25th, 1884, the Ladies' Missionary Society was organ- ized. Mrs: Garretson was its first president, Mrs. Thos. A. Hallock and Mrs. Daniel Downs its vice-presidents, Mrs. Irad W. Gildersleeve its secretary, and Mrs. Sidney P. Tuthill its treasurer. Mr. Garretson has lately taken charge of the Franklinville Church, in Laurel, to the great satisfaction of the people of that parish and to the delight of his Mattituck friends.
The Rev. Wm. G. Woodbridge became stated supply March Ist, 1889, and continued in Mattituck for three years. Mr. Woodbridge is a native of Louisiana, and has spent most of his life in the service of the Southern Presbyterian Church. He is now pastor of a church of that connection in Birmingham, Alabama. He is a grad- uate of Princeton University, 1865, and of Princeton Theological Seminary, 1879. He was pastor of the Fifth Presbyterian Church of Chicago before coming to Matti- tuck. During Mr. Woodbridge's term of service the chapel was built in the rear of the church, and under his
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guidance the Young People's Society of Christian En- deavor was formed. His geniality as a man and his eloquence as a preacher commended him to the affection and admiration of the people of Mattituck.
The Rev. James W. Hillman began to supply the church in the summer of 1891 and was installed as pastor June 28th, 1892, being the sixth regularly installed pastor of the church, He resigned Feb. 9th, 1894, accepting all appointment from President Cleveland as Chaplain in the U. S. Army. He is at present serving with the Sixteenth Infantry. Mr. Hillman was born in West Saugerties, N. Y., was graduated from the University of the City of New York, 1873, and from Union Theological Seminary, 1876. During his pastorate the organ fund was raised, and a fine pipe organ, made by Earle of Hempstead, was installed in the church. With industry and enthusiasm Mr. Hillman was very successful in his work, and like his predecessors is held in affectionate remembrance by the people of Mattituck.
The Rev. R. Howard Wallace supplied the church one year after Mr. Hillman. Mr. Wallace was for more than twenty-five years pastor of the church in his native vil- lage, Little Britain, N. Y. During the Civil War he served a year as chaplain in the army. He has done much faithful and efficient work as a home missionary in North Dakota and in the Adirondacks. He is an alumnus of Union College and of the Newburgh Theological Semi- nary. He has been a frequent and welcome visitor in Mattituck since he relinquished charge of the church.
Following Mr. Wallace, the Rev. Charles E. Craven became stated supply Sept. Ist, 1895. Graduated from Princeton University in 1881, and Princeton Theological
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A HISTORY OF MATTITUCK.
Seminary in 1886, he was pastor of churches in Birming- ham, Pa., and Downington, Pa., before taking up work in Mattituck. He became Permanent Clerk of the Pres- bytery of Long Island in 1899, and Stated Clerk in 1903, succeeding in that office the venerable Rev. Dr. Epher Whitaker, who resigned after forty-seven years of em- inent service.
The Sabbath School has over two hundred members, with nineteen teachers. The superintendent is Elder Henry J. Reeve. It is only in recent years that the rec- ords of the school have been preserved. The earliest superintendent now in recollection of the people was Elder John Franks Horton, who served more than twen- ty-five years. He was followed by Elder Edward Y. Reeve, Rev. Geo. R. Garretson, Elder B. O. Robinson, Rev. Jas. W. Hillman, Elder Benj. C. Kirkup, and Elder Henry J. Reeve. The assistant superintendent is Elder Kirkup; W. V. Duryee is secretary, Sidney R. Gilder- sleeve is assistant secretary, and John G. Reeve treas- urer.
Of the Young People's Society of Christian Edeavor the president is Miss Clara M. Howard, Victor H. Kirkup is vice-president, Arthur L. Downs is correspond- ing secretary, Miss Mabel V. Brown recording secretary, and Miss Edith Penny treasurer.
The officers of the Ladies' Missionary Society are : Mrs. Charles E. Craven, president ; Mrs. George B. Reeve and Miss Mary A. Gildersleeve, vice-presidents; Mrs. H. Halsey Reeve, secretary, and Miss L. M. Hallock treas- urer.
A Young Ladies' Missionary Society was organized . in the summer of 1905. Its president is Miss May S.
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Penny, its vice-president is Miss Clara M. Howard, its secretary Miss Mabel V. Brown, and its treasurer Miss Emilie A. Robinson.
Two Sewing Societies among the ladies, lately consol- idated, have done great things by taking many little stitches. Besides clothing the needy, with the proceeds of their needlework they have paid off church debts, built additions to church and parsonage, painted walls, inside and out, carpeted floors, papered rooms, made repairs, and by many good works have shown their devotion to the church. The president of the consolidated society is Mrs. Charles W. Wickham.
The present trustees of the church are Benj. C. Kirk- up, president; Charles Gildersleeve, treasurer; Nat. S. Tuthill, Conrad Grabie, John G. Reeve, and Henry J. Reeve.
The present ruling elders, with the dates of their or- dination, are: Barnabas O. Robinson and Benjamin C. Kirkup, 1880; John E. Gildersleeve and George Henry Howard, 1890; Henry J. Reeve and William H. Satterly, 1905.
The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1853. In that year a lot of ground, 50 ft. by 75 ft., ad- joining the old burying ground on the west and fronting on the North Road was sold by Barnabas Bailey Horton to Thomas Hallock, consideration one dollar, "for the purpose of a church edifice." To this lot Thomas Hal- lock removed the old Presbyterian building which he had purchased. This was the building erected in 1831, out- grown by the Presbyterians in 1853, and giving place to the present edifice. After the transfer of the building Thomas Hallock conveyed the lot and building, in 1854.
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to the Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church. These first trustees were : Thomas Hallock, Andrew Hor- ton, Walter Terry, John Reeve, Isaac Howell, Sr., Bar- nabas Pike, and George Benjamin.
The church was for a few years under the care of the pastor of the Cutchogue Church. During those years the pastors were the Rev. Messrs. O. C. Lane, G. W. Allen,
THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
T. G. Osborne, and O. C. Lane. Since separation from the Cutchogue Church the pastors have been the Rev. Messrs. F. G. Howell, W. A. Layton, O. C. Lane, D. B. Vosseller, H. F. Nichols, J. E. Perine, I. S. Yerks, George Leavens, John Nash, Julius Nelson, E. P. Alvord, H. A. Goering, D. O. Osterheld, R. W. Thompson, G. W. Humphreys and the present pastor, the Rev. W. W.
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A HISTORY OF MATTITUCK.
Weller. For a number of years the Mattituck pastor has also had charge of the South Jamesport Church.
During the pastorate of the Rev. William A. Layton a powerful revival blessed this church and the entire community. The religious interest was so great that the Methodist church could not contain the congregations and the meetings were transferred to the Presbyterian Church. Both societies were greatly increased and strengthened by this work of grace. Mr. Layton, for years past serving the larger churches in the City of Brooklyn, has a summer cottage at the Jamesport Camp Grounds, and he is an annual visitor in Mattituck. He is much beloved by the people of the village and people of all denominations delight to hear him preach.
While the Rev. Julius Nelson was pastor, in 1896, the present beautiful edifice was erected. The old building was moved to the south to be used as a chapel, the new church being joined to it. By sliding doors the chapel is connected with the main audience room.
The trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church are Joseph B. Hudson, Joshua Ackeson, Isaac N. Teed, E. O. Chapman, E. P. Reeve, Charles M. Robinson.
The stewards are Charles M. Robinson, District Stew- ard; Mrs. Charlotte Betts, Joshua Ackeson, E. P. Reeve, Mrs. Silas H. Howell.
The Protestant Episcopal Church of the Redeemer was organized in 1877 as a mission under the care of the Bishop of Long Island. In that year a lot of one hundred and fifty feet by seventy in the southwest corner of the hotel property was given by Henry A. Dingee to the Diocese of Long Island, "only to be used and occupied for an English Episcopal Church." The building was
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A HISTORY OF MATTITUCK.
erected and was opened for service in July, 1879. Previ- ous to that time the congregation worshipped in a hall.
The rectors of St. James' Church in Riverhead have had charge of the Mattituck Church. The Rev. Thomas Cook was in charge until his death in 1884. For the next ten years the Rev. Robert Weeks was the rector, with the Rev. C. A. Jessup and the Rev. W. Smith as his as-
THE CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER.
sociates. The Rev. R. M. Edwards took charge in 1894, and was succeeded by the Rev. Geo. W. West in 1897. In 1902 the Rev. W. A. Wasson, the present rector, took charge. Mr. Wasson is more closely identified with Mat- tituck than any of his predecessors, having purchased, in connection with his brother, the Rev. James B. Wasson, the Glover farm, at the northeast corner of the North
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A HISTORY OF MATTITUCK.
Road and Cox's Lane. This farm is the old Presbyterian parsonage property of a hundred and fifty years ago.
There is no Roman Catholic Church in Mattituck, but Mattituck families of that faith form a large and in- fluential part of the congregation of the Rev. James Lynch of Cutchogue.
CHAPTER VIII.
MATTITUCK BEFORE THE RAILROAD.
The opening of the Long Island Railroad to Green- port in 1844 revolutionized conditions in Suffolk County, giving quick and easy communication with the outer world. Before the advent of the railway Southold Town for two hundred years had seen little change in its cus- toms. Communication with the outer world was carried on chiefly through small sailing vessels. Soon after 1820 the stage line between Riverhead and Brooklyn was started, and in 1826 the stage line between Sag Harbor and Brooklyn. The Riverhead stage left Brooklyn every Tuesday morning at eight o'clock and arrived in River- head the next afternoon. Returning the stage left Riv- erhead Thursday at noon and reached Brooklyn Friday evening. The stages followed the old Middle Road, passing through Middle Island, Coram, Smithtown, Commack, Jericho, Westbury and Jamaica. . The through fare, one way, was $3.00. The Sag Harbor stage, having a longer route, charged $5.00. It left Brooklyn every Monday morning at six o'clock, stopped for the night at Fire Place, and arrived at Sag Harbor Tuesday evening. The return trip was made Friday and Saturday, starting at six A. M., stopping for dinner at West Hampton and reaching Patchogue that night, stopping for dinner Sat- urday at Babylon and reaching Brooklyn that night.
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A HISTORY OF MATTITUCK.
These stages carried the mails until the railroad put them out of business. Before the day of the stage routes the mails were carried weekly on horseback. For some years the mail carrier from Brooklyn to Orient was Barnabas Wines of Mattituck, the father of James H. Wines, and his predecessor as mail carrier was his father, William Wines. The mails were light. Letters were few, and newspapers were rare. A villager who received a weekly newspaper welcomed all his neighbors of a Saturday evening, and together they enjoyed the excitement of reading and discussing the news.
A weekly Monday mail route was established between Riverhead and Quogue in 1829. Before that date letters from Mattituck to the Hamptons or Sag Harbor went by way of Jamaica. The Monday short cut saved one week in the transmission of mails between points north and south of Peconic Bay.
For the year ending March 31st, 1827, as reported in the Sag Harbor "Watchman" of March 15th, 1828, the total post-office receipts upon Long Island were less than $2,500.00. That year the Brooklyn post-office earned for the government $1,039.34, considerably less than the receipts of the Mattituck office today. Mattituck then was credited with the receipts of $18.93. Riverhead (or Suffolk Court House) boasted of $51.28; Southold, $32.09; Cutchogue, $11.71; Southampton, $55.36; East Hampton, $75.95 and Sag Harbor, a great whaling port, $143.83. Mattituck is now a third-class office.
When wind and tide were favorable the journey be- tween Mattituck and New York could be made more rap- idly by the sloop "Celerity" of Capt. Barnabas Wines, or later by the sloop "Aunt Jemima" of Capt. Gilbert
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Davis, than by stage. The late Geo. W. Howard told of bidding his uncle's family good-bye as they left one morning for Riverhead to take the stage. He then hur- ried to the inlet and boarded the "Aunt Jemima" and surprised his uncle by meeting him when he alighted from the stage in Brooklyn the next evening. The stage had the advantage of being able to run both winter and sum- mer. The small boats were of course put out of com- mission through the winter. At the close of the season, lured out by specious weather, they were sometimes caught in terrible storms. Tradition tells of the great Christmas snowstorm of 1811, when many small vessels were lost on the Sound. A remarkably mild early winter had tempted the venturesome mariners to continue their trips between eastern points and the city. One of the most terrific storms ever known set in on Christmas day, wrecking everything that was afloat. Such of the unfortunate sailors as reached the shore perished from the intense cold amid the blinding snow. Among the vessels lost was the sloop "Rosetta," in which were Thomas Mapes and many other inhabitants of Southold Town.
All heavy or bulky freight had to be carried by water. One of the buildings near the house of Capt. Joshua Ter- ry was the shoe shop of John Clark, the son-in-law of Deacon Jonathan Horton and the father of the late Silas H. Clark, and this shoe shop was brought by boat from New York about 1830. Silas H. Clark, the son, fol- lowed his father in the shoe business and carried on the manufacture quite extensively, employing at one time as many as thirty or forty hands. He lived in his grand- father Horton's house, next south of the church, now
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A HISTORY OF MATTITUCK.
owned by the estate of Manuel Boutcher, and recently occupied by Fred Clark, grandson of Silas H. A frame building was erected near the house as a shoe factory. This building was later moved and is now the dwelling house of Mrs. Mary Ann Chapman.
Silas H. Clark, besides engaging in the shoe business, started the first stage and express between Mattituck and Riverhead. He connected at Riverhead with the Brooklyn stage, and did a considerable business until the railroad was opened. The highway at that time between Matti- tuck and Riverhead was not the excellent road that it is today. Much of the way it was deep with sand, and no part was worse than through Mattituck woods. At the foot of the hill west of the New Bethany Cemetery a small stream crossed the road and afforded a regular watering place for passing teams. This watering place is several times mentioned in the town's Records of Highways.
In the early forties the houses in Mattituck were comparatively few and the place had seen little material change for a hundred and fifty years. There were three small stores, one at the hotel, kept by the Shirleys,* and the other two nearly a mile east, one standing near the residence of H. B. Lupton, kept by Squire J. Franks Hor- ton, and the other across the way, kept by Ira Tuthill, tlie father of Philip W. This store stood on the east side of the Tuthill residence. The building, moved back from
*The heirs of John, Hubbard sold the hotel in 1826 to Henry T. Penny. In 1833 Penny sold to James Shirley. James Shirley and his son John after him, kept the hotel for more than thirty years. In 1866 John Shirley was succeeded by Capt. Benjamin F. Wells.
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A HISTORY OF MATTITUCK.
the road, serves now as an out-house. A short dis- tance west of Squire Horton's store was the school- house, marking closely the centre of population at that time.
The first volume of Mattituck school minutes is lost. There can be no doubt that a school was maintained from very early times. The second volume begins with 1829. The minutes gave strict accounts of all financial matters, even noting the receipts from the sale of the wood ashes from the school stove, ranging from twenty-five to fifty cents a year. The names of the trustees and the officers of the annual meeting are given with unfailing accuracy, but the names of the teachers are omitted. A male teacher was employed during the chief or winter term, and a female during the summer term. Silas M. Hal- lock, still surviving in active old age, taught for two years about 1840. He was preceded by Albert Tuthill and was followed by a Dr. Preston. The next was S. Lewis Sibley, who afterwards, like his predecessor, became a physician. Dr. Sibley married Mary Augusta, youngest daughter of James Wickham Reeve and sister of Mrs. Andrew Gildersleeve. It is remembered by some of the scholars of those days that among the teach- ers of the summer term were Miss Elizabeth Wickham, sister of Lawyer Wickham of Cutchogue, Miss Anna Wickham Reeve, who became Mrs. Andrew Gildersleeve, and Miss Maria Crowell of Southold.
In 1840 the trustees reported that there was a select school in the village with about twenty pupils. In 1843 there were no private schools. The select school of 1840 was taught in the upper story of F. C. Barker's house, then on the main highway.
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A HISTORY OF MATTITUCK.
In 1835 the parents or guardians sending children to school, with the number of children in each family, were as follows : Irad Reeve, two ; John Reeve, one ; Luther Reeve, one ; Elizabeth Reeve, one ; Daniel Howell, one ; James W. Reeve, two; Elymas Reeve, four; Isaiah T. Benjamin, one ; Barnabas Wines, five ; John Corwin, one ; Ira Tuthill. three; George L. Conklin, two; Jesse H. Tuthill, three ; Jesse Tuthill, three; Benjamin Reeve, three; Lysander Walton, two; James Shirley, three ; Daniel Fanning, four ; John F. Horton, two; John Gardiner, one ; James Worth, one ; Elisha Tuthill, three ; Widow Gardiner, one; Silas H. Mapes, three ; John Tuthill, two; Barnabas Bailey Hor- ton, two; Edward Reeve, one ; Josiah Lupton, two; Platt S. Conkling, two ; John Clark, two; Henry Hubbard, one ; Nathaniel Hubbard, one. A few years earlier Henry Pike was on the list with one, and James Reeve appeared with three. James Reeve died in 1830, and later his wid- ow, Mehetable, appeared with three. In 1830 Henry T. Penny had one; Lewis Goldsmith, one; Mehetable How- ell, two; Isaiah Benjamin, one; Mary Cooper, two; Pru- dence Horton, one ; Sarepta Tuthill, three. In 1836 there were added James Davis, one, and Silas Tuthill, one.
Since 1832 the Franklinville Academy had been open, and the older boys and girls of Mattituck attended its sessions. For years it was conducted by the successive pastors of the Franklinville Church, with assistance. The Hon. Joseph M. Belford, who represented the district in Congress in 1897-9, and who is now the surrogate, came to Suffolk County to teach in the Franklinville Academy. The intellectual life of Franklinville and all the neigh- boring villages was greatly stimulated for two genera- tions by this academy. As the public schools increased in
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A HISTORY OF MATTITUCK.
excellence and carried their pupils through higher grades, the patronage of the Academy fell off, and it closed in 1892.
In 1856 one acre for a new site for the Mattituck school-house was purchased of Barnabas Wines for $275.00. This lot was next east of the old site. The building was erected the next year, the plans being made
THE SCHOOL-HOUSE.
by Isaac R. Howell, Jr., and the contract for building being awarded to B. T. Corwin for $591.00. This, like its predecessor, which was built in 1828, was a single- room school-house, and served less than ten years. In 1867 it was raised and a brick basement was built under it. Thereafter two rooms were filled, with two teachers. This building was occupied until 1890, and stands some distance back from the highway on property repurchased
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A HISTORY OF MATTITUCK.
by the Wines family. The present school-house was built in 1890 on a lot purchased of Thomas E. Reeve, a part of the Revolutionary "camp lot." In 1897 the building was raised a story higher, having four commodious rooms, heated by steam. Since 1900 four teachers have been employed. The faculty for the present year, 1906-7, consists of Principal Wm. J. Sweeney, assisted by Miss Saidie J. Bailey, Miss Margaret McHenry and Miss Esther Leslie Reeve. The principal for ten years preced- ing Mr. Sweeney was Mrs. M. Alice Taft, a woman of fine character and remarkable devotion to the interests of the school. Ill health compelled her to relinquish the heavy burden, and for a year she devoted her talents to a small school at Montauk, L. I. She is now principal of the public school at Garden City, L. I. Mrs. Taft main- tains her residence in Mattituck, spending her vacations in her cottage known as "Bide-a-wee."
Mattituck has an excellent private school conducted by Mrs. Edward K. Morton.
After this little excursion into later years to view the school as a whole, we return to the days before the rail- road. Between Mill Lane and Manor Hill there were then about as many houses as today. West of Mill Lane there were not nearly so many as now. Calvin Moore, the father of Miss Emily Moore, the present occupant, « lived in the house at the head of Manor Hill. Luther G.
Tuthill's house was built later, by his father, Chauncey W. Where George I. Tuthill's new house stands was the home of his grandfather, Jesse Hallock Tuthill. On the south side of the road, a little west of Elijah's Lane, lived the Widow Gardiner. On Gardiner's Neck, reached by a long lane, now Locust street, was the home of Geo.
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A HISTORY OF MATTITUCK.
L. Conklin, who represented the district in the State As- sembly in 1827, 1831 and 1835. Jesse Tuthill, father of Capt. Ira and Jesse Hallock, and of Jacob H. and Willianı H., lived in an old house, no longer standing, not far east of the Torrey residence. North of the road dwelt Barna- bas Tuthill at George T. Bergen's, J. Smith Tuthill at Herbert Cory's, John Tuthill at Alvah Mulford's, and Al- bert Tuthill at La Mont Gould's. Capt. Ira Tuthill, as stated above, dwelt where his son, Philip W., succeeds him, kept the store, and sailed the sloop "Atalanta" week- ly between New Suffolk and New York. East of Capt. Ira Tuthill's house, by the old well that still remains near the road, stood a dwelling-house.
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