History of Queens County, New York : with illustrations, portraits, and sketches of prominent families and individuals., Part 11

Author:
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell and Co.
Number of Pages: 703

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GENERAL, HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.

most largely employed. Thompson, in his history of Long Island, published in 1839, estimated that a hundred million were annually taken for that purpose. He says: " The profusion of this species of fish and the consequent cheapness of the article will probably always insure its use in those parts of the island where they abound." But the establishment of factories for extracting oil from them has long since precluded their use, although the refuse is dried and sold under the name of fish guano.

Whether the great plains have deteriorated in fertility, or whether by an improved system of husbandry it is more profitable to pasture cattle only on the farm, it is difficult to determine; but the fact is that, in place of hundreds of cattle and thousands of sheep which once subsisted upon its abundant grasses from May until October, it is now a rare occurrence to see even a drove of a dozen or two cows attended by a boy, and there are no sheep.

Montauk Point is about forty miles long and contains nine thousand acres. It has been owned in common by about forty individuals in shares. It has never been tilled or used for any purpose other than pasturage, each owner being entitled to place upon it seven cattle or forty- nine sheep per share.

There are more than one hundred square miles or seventy thousand acres of salt meadows bordering the bays and harbors of Long Island. From these marshes immense quantities of hay are taken, which with corn stalks is largely used for wintering young stock and dry cattle. There are three kinds of grasses growing upon them, distinguished by the names of sedge, salt and black grass.

The scarcity and advance in the price of farm labor, as well as the advantages attending their use, have caused the introduction of the best farm implements and agricul- tural machinery. Stones are used to some extent as fenc- ing material where they are available, but by far the largest part of the island is entirely destitute of stones large enough for the purpose. Chestnut timber is abund- ant on all the rolling woodlands, and furnishes the ma- terial for about all the farm fences.

Why the attention of cranberry culturists has not been attracted to Long Island ere this it is hard to tell. The southern portion is watered for miles by numerous streams bordered by bogs now almost worthless, which could easily be converted into cranberry swamps. It is a well known fact that many a piece of marsh capable of being made to produce an annual profit of hundreds of dollars produces nothing now but coarse grass and bushes and a fine specimen of Long Island mosquito.

The soil of the southern half of the island, beginning at the foot of the line of hills which divide it through its entire length, is alluvial, and of comparatively recent for- mation. Vegetable matter and loam are deficient, sand preponderating. The action of the water appears to have taken away a portion of its soluble minerals. The soil, being of light, friable character, is adapted to garden farming, whereas a clay soil by constant tillage becomes still more tenacious.

The Hempstead plains, which, through a mistaken pol-

icy, have until recently been held as public domain, are susceptible of remunerative cultivation. The soil, whichi is composed of black sand and vegetable mould, is a foot or more in depth. The hollows which cross the tract at regular intervals appear to have been ancient water courses, with but little and in some places no soil to cover the substratum of coarse gravel which appears to underlie the whole forination. There is another and still inore ex- tensive tract extending eastward from the plains, reaching to the head of Peconic Bay, composed so nearly of pure sand as to be incapable of profitable cultivation by any process now known. Scrub oak and pines, with a little wiry grass, which usually dries up in the hot summer sun, are the only products. The northern and hilly or undulating half of the island has a soil rich in the mineral elements and phosphates essential to plant growth. Hence wheat, potatoes, cabbage and other strong growing crops are more successfully grown than on the alluvial portions of the island.

CHAPTER XII.

FORMATION AND GROWTII OF TIIE LONG ISLAND HIS- TORICAL SOCIETY.

HE first steps toward the formation of the Long Island Historical Society were natur- ally taken by a native Long Islander, who had affinities by birth, marriage and resi- dence with each of the three counties. He pre- pared and caused to be widely distributed the following circular:

BROOKLYN, February 14th, 1863.

DEAR SIR: The time has arrived when the city of Brooklyn should found and foster institutions-religious, historical, literary, scientific, educational and humani- tarian-beyond the scope of former undertakings. As one of these a historical society associated with our peculiar geographical position naturally suggests itself. We propose to establish

THE LONG ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

The threefold Indian, Dutch and English history of the island is full of interest, and there are doubtless con- cealed treasures in each department, which will be de- veloped by research and inquiry. By calling out the recollections of the living who will soon pass away, drawing public records and private writings from their concealment, having a fit place for the collection and de- posit of trophies, memorials and historic materials, and also for conventions and lectures upon historic topics, it cannot be doubted that much valuable knowledge will be saved and communicated which would otherwise be irre- trievably lost.

It is proposed to establish, first, a library and repository of books, documents and manuscripts, memorials, trophies and pictures. For this purpose all persons are requested to favor us with any appropriate material in their posses- sion, either by gift or on deposit.

THE LONG ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

It is also proposed to encourage lectures upon historic and kindred topics.

Without further developing our plans and objects in this circular, we invite your attendance at the rooms of the Hamilton Literary Association, Hamilton Building, corner of Court and Joralemon streets, Brooklyn (the door nearest the corner), on the evening of Tuesday March 3d 1863, at 8 o'clock, to take measures to organize the society.

HENRY C. MURPHY, ALDEN J. SPOONER, JOHN GREENWOOD, JOHN WINSLOW, JOSHUA M. VAN COTT,

Kings County.

R. C. MCCORMICK JR., HENRY ONDERDONK JR, HENRY P. HEDGES, Suffolk County.

Queens County.

At the time and place mentioned there was an unusual attendance of the educated and progressive citizens. Other meetings were held in the same place, which devel- oped a warm interest. The subject was debated in a be- coming spirit, the society was resolved upon, and appro- priate committees were appointed to prepare an act of incorporation under the general law and a constitution and by-laws, and provide the requisite rooms. The or- ganization was ultimately effected, and rooms were se- cured under the Hamilton rooms, on the corner of Court and Joralemon streets.

The first election of officers took place in these rooms in May 1863, the following full board being elected:

President, James C. Brevoort; first vice-president, John Greenwood; second, Charles E. West; foreign correspond- ing secretary, Henry C. Murphy; home corresponding secretary, John Winslow; recording secretary, A. Cooke Hull, M. D .; treasurer, Charles Congdon; librarian, Henry R. Stiles.

Directors .- Charles Congdon, Roswell Graves, Thomas W. Field, A. C. Hull, M. D., J. M. Van Cott, Ethelbert S. Mills, R. S. Storrs jr., D. D., Henry R. Stiles, M. D., A. N. Littlejohn, D. D., Charles E. West, LL. D., A. A. Low, George W. Parsons, Alden J. Spooner, John Wins. low, S. B. Chittenden, Hon. John Greenwood, George A. Stephenson, Hon. Henry C. Murphy, William Poole, Henry Sheldon, J. Carson Brevoort, W. I. Budington, D. D., Elias Lewis jr., Theodore L. Mason, M. D., Henry E. Pierpont.

Counsellors .- Kings County: Hon. John A. Lott, Francis Vinton, D. D., T. G. Bergen, F. A. Farley, D. D., Ben- jamin D. Silliman. Hon. James Humphrey. Queens County: William Cullen Bryant, Hon. John A. King, Richard C. McCormick, John Harold, L. B. Prince, Sol- omon D. Townsend. Suffolk County: Hon. Selah B. Strong, Hon. J. L. Smith, William S. Pelletreau, James H. Tuthill, Rev. E. Whitaker, Henry P. Hedges.

Executive committee .- R. S. Storrs jr., D. D. (chair- man), J. M. Van Cott, Alden J. Spooner, E. S. Mills, George W. Parsons, Henry Sheldon, Simeon B. Chitten- den, Henry R. Stiles (secretary).

The first annual meeting (second year) was held May 5th 1864, at which all the above officers were re-elected and the first annual report was presented, which exhibits

a beginning of great vigor and hopefulness. In this re- port Dr. Henry R. Stiles, the librarian, says:

" The nucleus of a library, with which we commenced our operations on the 4th of June last, comprised about 800 bound volumes and 1,000 unbound volumes and pamphlets. This collection, consisting chiefly of works relating to Long Island and American local history, family genealogies and newspapers, was contributed mainly by Messrs. J. C. Brevoort, A. J. Spooner, E. B. Spooner, Henry Onderdonk jr. and Henry R. Stiles. We then occupied two apartments, one used as a lecture- room; the other and smaller of the two was shelved as a library room, having, as we then modestly thought, ample accommodations for the next two years. We soon found, however, that we had quite underestimated the liberality of our friends; for so large was their sympathy, so active their co-operation, and so steady the influx of their gifts -never intermitting for a single day, it might almost be said for a single moment-that it soon became evident we should need more book room. At this point in our history (in September 1863) the receipt of nearly 1, 100 valuable volumes from the trustees of the former City library fairly overwhelmed our slender accommodations, and obliged us to extend our borders by securing three large and commodious apartments adjoining the library."

These claims for additional space, made by the natural history and museum department as well as the library, soon compelled the occupation of the entire third stories of the two large buildings which front on Court and corner on Joralemon street, comprising eight ample and convenient rooms, there being one reading room espec- ially for ladies, with cosey alcoves for books and appro- priate spaces for a large collection of valuable pictures. In these rooms the collections remained until removed to the society's own building. Even to this space had to be added, for the annual courses of lectures, the large lec- ture room of the Packer Institute, near at hand on Joral- emon street; and at times the Athenæum, Atlantic av- enue and Clinton street. For additional space for the lectures the society for several years latterly has occupied the Second Presbyterian Church, Clinton and Fulton streets; and for some of the lectures of 1880-81 the beau- tiful auditorium of the First Baptist Church, Pierrepont and Clinton streets.

The society having been greatly favored in the accum- ulation of the materials of history, a spirit sprung up among the members of individual and mutual labor on works of local history. The principal of these were:

A History of Brooklyn, in three volumes, by Henry R. Stiles.

The Wallabout Series of Memoirs of the Prison Ships, with annotations by Henry R. Stiles.

Journal by two Labadists, Dankers and Sluyter, of a voyage to New Netherland from Holland in 1679-80.

History of the Battle of Long Island, by Thomas W. Field.

The Campaign of 1776 around New York and Brook- lyn, including particulars of the Battle of Long Island, by H. P. Johnson.

Sketch of the first settlement of Long Island, by Silas Wood; reprinted with biography and address by A. J. Spooner.

History of Brooklyn, by Gabriel Furman; reprinted with biography by A. J. Spooner, and notes by H. R. Stiles. Revolutionary Incidents in Kings, Queens and Suffolk, by Henry Onderdonk jr., of Jamaica.

GENERAL HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.

Dr. Stiles resigned his office of librarian, and was suc- ceeded by George Hannah, who has served since July Ist 1865.

The collections in books and objects of art and curios- ity increased so largely as to make an irresistible appeal for the always contemplated building; and about three years ago the board resolved upon a determined effort. The museum and natural history department is ar- ranged in the spacious upper hall of the building, and is under the competent and energetic care of Elias Lewis jr., whose reputation as a naturalist and scientist is well known on the island. The collections have since the removal An active committee was appointed, which prosecuted been furnished with appropriate cases for their full display. the work with zeal and success. In November 1877 it For all the privileges of the library, museum and lec- tures the fees are $5 for initiation and the same amount annually; life membership $100. There are over 1,300 annual and life members. was reported that $100,000 had been subscribed. Plans were solicited, and those of George B. Post, a New York architect, were preferred. Under his care the building has proceeded, and it was formally taken possession of, At the last election for officers of the society the fol- lowing officers were chosen: with appropriate ceremonies and speeches, Wednesday January 12th 1881, in the lecture room of the new build- President, Rev. Richard S. Storrs, D. D., LL. D .; first vice-president, Hon. Henry C. Murphy, LL. D .; second vice-president, Hon. Joshua M. Van Cott; foreign corre- sponding secretary, Hon. Benjamin 1). Silliman; home corresponding secretary, Rev. Charles H. Hall, D. D .; recording secretary, Chauncey L. Mitchell, M. D .; treas- ing. Samuel McLean was chairman of the building com- mittee. The number of subscribers to the building fund was exactly 300. The amount subscribed was $137,684. The cost of the building was $121,250. The three lots on which it stands cost in 1867 $32,500, on which $20,- ooo was then paid by subscribers, leaving a mortgage of urer, A. W. Humphreys; librarian, George Hannah; $14,500; this was paid off on the delivery of the building. curator, Elias Lewis jr. and a balance of $2,000 paid to the society. The society, Directors .- Rev. Richard S. Storrs, D. D., LL. I) .; Hon. Henry C. Murphy, LL. D., Samuel McLean, Alfred S. Barnes, Rev. Charles H. Hall, D. D., James R. Taylor, Henry E. Pierrepont, A. Abbott Low, Henry Sheldon, Walter T. Hatch, Alexander M. White, Bryan H. Smith, Hon. Simeon B. Chittenden, Hon. Benjamin D. Silliman, J. Carson Brevoort, LL. D., Hon. Joshua M. Van Cott, Edwards S. Sanford, Rev. Alfred P. Putnam, D. D., Elias Lewis jr., Chauncey L. Mitchell, M. D., John S. Ward, George I. Seney, Joseph C. Hutchinson, M. D., A. W. Humphreys, Henry D. Polhemus. like the Academy of Music and the Mercantile Library, has demonstrated the high-toned intelligence and liberality of the "City of Churches " in whatever concerns its re- ligious, moral or social welfare. Among the benefactors of the society (much too numerous to mention all, or even the leading contributors) should be named the two sisters Thurston, who gave $2,000 for a department of the his- tory of Egypt and the Holy Land, and Miss Maria Cary, who subscribed $2,500 to found a department of American biography. An unknown giver donated $2,000 as the nucleus of a permanent fund for increasing the library. The principal addition to this fund has been Mr. Seney's gift of $50,000, while he also gave $12,000 for immediate expenditure in books, and $25,000 for binding books. There are other invested funds for special departments.

books in every department from the splendid donations made for such purpose.

Councillors .- Kings county: Alden J. Spooner, Rt. Rev. A. N. Littlejohn, D. D., Hon. J. S. T. Stranahan, Abraham B. Baylis, Peter C. Cornell, David M. Stone, Hon. John Greenwood, Rev. Frederick A. Farley, D. D., Prof. Darwin G. Eaton, George L. Nichols, Rev. N. H. Schenck, D. D., Hon. Joseph Neilson. Queens county: Henry Onder- donk jr., William Floyd Jones, John A. King, Benjamin D. Hicks, Henry W. Eastman. Suffolk county: James H. Tuthill, Hon. J. Lawrence Smith, Hon. John R. Reed,

The society is now established and fully equipped in its new and superb building, Clinton and Pierrepont streets, Brooklyn. The number of books in the library is about 30,000, with about an equal number of pamphlets. To these there has been a large addition of rare and valuable | Rev. Epher Whitaker, William Nicol, Samuel B. Gardiner.

HISTORY OF

QUEENS COUNTY.

CHAPTER I.

CIVIL HISTORY OF QUEENS COUNTY-CRIMES AND PEN- ALTIES-THE COURT-HOUSE-OFFICIALS.

ROM the first settlement of the towns till the English conquest in 1664 minor offenses were tried in the town courts, without ap- peal; but graver cases were appealable to the Dutch governor in New Amsterdam. In 1665 Richard Nicolls, the English governor, ordered a convention to assemble at Hempstead, which promulgated " the duke's laws," a written copy of which remains on file in some of the towns to this day. In 1683 the General Assembly repealed some of the ob- jectionable laws, and appointed town courts to be held monthly and a court of sessions to be held annually at Jamaica; also a yearly court of oyer and terminer. At this session of the Assembly Queens county was created from what had been Yorkshire. In 1691 the courts of common pleas and general sessions were organized more definitely.

Most of the court records have been dispersed or lost. A few tattered volumes may be yet found in the clerk's offices of the several towns. A volume of the minutes of the common pleas and general sessions from 1720 to 1774 is still preserved in the county clerk's office. Judge Lewis Morris has left a volume of his minutes of the su- preme court and oyer and terminer from 1722 to 1746.

fore them. One Samuel Bownas having (in 1702) preached against the sacraments and baptism of the Church of England, the chief justice, John Bridges, had a desire to have him indicted for that offense. He charged the grand jury, having first called over their names, and sent them out to find a true bill against him. Bownas had taken the precaution to lay before the jury some minutes of his proposed defense, and when they returned into court they presented the bill against him indorsed " Ignoramus." The judge was very angry and demanded their reasons. A grand juror answered, "We are sworn to keep our deliberations secret." The judge was nettled and replied: "Now Mr. Wiseman speaks ! You are not so sworn, and I have a mind to lay you by the heels [that is, put you in the stocks] and fine you." The grand juror replied, "Neither grand nor petit jurors are to be menaced, but are to act freely and to the best of their judgment." Now the judge, finding he had not children to deal with, began to flatter, and requested the jury to take back " the bill " and resume considera- tion on it. Next morning the judge asked the foreman, " How find you the bill ?" Answer: " As yesterday." The judge then charged the jury with obstructing justice. The clerk then by order of the judge called over the jurors singly to show their reasons. Some refused to say more than "That's our verdict "; others said, " How unreasonable for the court to try to perjure the jurors by revealing their secrets !" The jury stood 15 to 7. This angered the judge so that he adjourned the court for six weeks, ordered the prisoner to be kept closer than before and threatened to send him to London. In October 1703 the prisoner was again put on trial; the sheriff called 18 men for a grand jury, but they too came into court with their bill signed " Ignoramus," which made some of the lawyers say, by way of a joke, that they had got into an ignoramus county. The prisoner was led into court and discharged.

The judges were pompous. Those of the supreme court wore red silk gowns, flowing wigs of powdered hair, breeches buckled at the knee, stockings and shoes fastened on with very large silver buckles. They had a high sense of their dignity. A body of soldiers at the beginning of a court escorted the judges from their lodgings to the court-house, attended with much con- In 1702 the governor ordered the attorney-general to pany, in great pomp, with trumpets and other music be- take measures in the supreme court for the removal from

HISTORY OF QUEENS COUNTY.

office of Justices John Talman and Jonathan Whitehead for speaking disrespectfully of the Holy Scriptures. In 1719 some inhabitants of Jamaica complained to the governor of " the evil doings " of several of the justices of the peace, and "pray that they may be ousted from office. They are: (1) Jonathan Whitehead, who is a common pleader for money at the petty courts of justice, whereby he makes f60 per year, and is a card-player also. He daily vexes and teases the people of Newtown (for a debt which he says they owe him) before petty justices' courts, and once tried to rescue a prisoner out of the officer's hands. (2) John Smith, who would not notice informations made against one John Turner for speaking treasonable words against the king, and where he was sole judge has given a contrary judgment, once for the plaintiff and again for the defendant. (3) John Clement favored Whitehead, a brother justice, in a case where the defendant, refusing to pay an unjust assess- ment, was tossed from town to town to wait on 9 courts successively. (4) William Cornell has out.braved the law and taken upon himself in his petty justice's court to give judgment on a case of £3, expressly against the letter of the law, and has been indicted for robbing per- sons of their fish and clothing. (5) John Hunt has been an instrument of oppression to his poor neighbors in Newtown. He once summoned a man before him for an act done out of the county, referred it to arbitration, then resumed the action, and cast the defendant. Again, upon the accidental breaking of a shoe-buckle in his presence, he called a court and gave judgment against the defendant for six shillings damages and three dollars costs, without allowing him time to prepare his defense He has also assumed the office of constable, and sum- moned a man to appear before himself in his own court, gave the plaintiff four shillings more than his debt, and allowed six shillings to himself, there being no evidences. And to crown all they have, after agreement in cabal, unitedly and arbitrarily turned out our church wardens, fined each and given out executions against them with- out signifying their sentence, and have also invaded the privileges of the vestry in giving away the people's money without the vestry's consent." The justices were not re- moved from office.

In 1773 Governor Tryon by a writ of supersedeas re- moved Samuel Smith, of Jamaica, from his office of jus- tice of the peace.

In 1705 Roger Mompesson, chief justice, held a court in Jamaica and sentenced one Samuel Wood to be burnt on the cheek, near the nose, with the letter T (signifying thief) for stealing money and goods from John Marsh.

In 1724 the judges of the supreme court ordered Richard Bradley, attorney-general, to prosecute the justices of Queens county for the insufficiency of their jail.

In 1702 some people of the county complained to the General Assembly of the erection of a court of chancery, with its exorbitant fees and arbitrary orders. In this court the Rev. Joshua Bloomer entered a suit for the re- covery of his salary. The governor, being chancellor,

awarded him his salary from the day of his induction, 1769 to 1774, each party to pay their own costs.

In 1727 Adam Smith, for scandalizing Justice Johannes Van Wyck, was fined 20 shillings. In 1744 Ephraim Cheeseman at the court of sessions covered his head with his hat and refused to take the oath, under pretense of being a Quaker; but as he had no certificate thereof he was committed to prison and fined three shillings and costs. In 1733, Justice James Dickinson coming into court and telling them that they (the judges would not do him justice, the sheriff was ordered to take him into custody. On his submission and petition he was discharged.

In 1729 one Jacob Forman was tried for counterfeit- ing. The court ordered the constable to keep the jury from meat and drink, fire or candle, till they agreed.

In 1742 one Abraham Shulter pleaded guilty to his in- dictment and the court ordered him fifteen lashes on his naked back immediately.

Before the present century Queens county had no dis- trict attorney, but one from New York performned that duty. . The more eminent lawyers also resided in New York. Among them were Jacob Regnier and Major Bickley, 1710; John Chanlers, 1723; Dongan, Rice, Kelly, Bragg, William Smith, 1727; Lodge, Lurturg, 1730; Ben- jamin Nicolls, Anthony White, 1740; Crannel, 1753; Duane, Emmot, 1757; Reade, 1758; Burnet, Alsop, 1760; Benjamin Kissam, 1762; Mckesson, 1769; Joseph Reid jr., John Jay, 1770; Willetts, DePeyster, 1772; Helme, Murray, 1772.

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History of Queens County, New York : with illustrations, portraits, and sketches of prominent families and individuals., Part 11

Author: Publication date: 1882 Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell and Co. Number of Pages: 703

Author:
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell and Co.
Number of Pages: 703