USA > New York > Staten Island > History of Richmond County (Staten Island), New York : from its discovery to the present time > Part 64
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The "Dutch American Citizens' Union," a political organi- zation, having for its object the election of good and capable men for public officers on Staten Island, without regard to party lines, was organized in October, 1878, and re-organized in Sep- tember, 1884. It meets at Credo's hotel on the first Wednes- day of every month, and lias about one hundred members. Its president is Charles H. Graef ; vice-president, August Herr- mann ; secretaries, H. Kunemund and John F. de Planque; and treasurer, Edward Meurer.
The " Deutscher Fraunen, K. U. Verein," of Staten Island, was, until August 5, 1877, a branch of the German society, un- der the name of " Louisen Zweig, No. 2." At the date mien- tioned they declared themselves independent under the present name. The object is set forth in the title. It is a mutual bene- fit association. Meetings are held on the first Sunday of every month at Zorn's Germania hall, Tompkinsville. The president, from the organization, has been Mrs. Julie Zorn.
The "Staten Island Quartette Club" is one of the most prominent and respectable of the German associations of the island. It was founded in 1861. Its ambition is to emulate the excellence of the German Mannergesang and to stimulate its
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
members to higher attainments in the musical art. The club meets at Hotel Credo, Stapleton, weekly, and has now about one hundred and fifty members. Mr. H. Sterzing has for many years been the musical director and the soul of the organiza- tion.
The "Richmond County Lodge, No. 155, Harugari," was founded February 16, 1868. It is a benefit society and meets semi-monthly at Stapleton. All business in the lodge is at all times done in the German language. The presiding officer is Philip Bruchheuser.
" Der Freundschafts-Verein, No. 1," of Staten Island, also a benefit society, was founded November 18, 1856. They own a burial plot in Woodlawn cemetery, worth one thousand dollars. The present membership is thirty-six, and the president Michael Koffer.
The " Staten Island Schutzen-Corps," a sporting club for the practice of marksmanship, was formed in May, 1872, by F. Bachmann, George Bechtel, C. Bryner, Julius Credo, Louis Gieser, A. Hageman, A. Hubner, Charles Meorlin, Charles Schafer, Jacob Schoen, F. Winsch and Philip Wolff. Their headquarters are at Credo's hotel, where monthly meetings are held, and their shooting ground is at Gebhardt's park, where a shooting festival is annually held.
"Atlantic Lodge, No. 55," of the Order Germania, a mutual benefit society, was started March 20, 1880, by John Glaser, Carl Feist, Peter Otto, Aug. Tripke, Chr. Hetzel, Fr. Pankratz, Jak. Schweikert, R. Lemperle, R. Hartmann, A. Giegeich, John Litzenberger, Theo. Schiedemantel and Aug. Wolf. Its president is George Bettke.
The "Staten Island Lodge, No. 18, Orden der Hermanns- söhne," was founded September 16, 1858, and has at present twenty members. Regular semi-monthly meetings are held at No. 7 Broad street, Stapleton. It is a mutual benefit associa- tion, and admits both men and women to membership.
The "Staten Island Liederkranz," a singing society, was or- ganized at New Brighton, in 1882. It meets weekly at Parabola hall. The society now has forty members, and is in a prosperous condition. Ernst Haas is the musical leader.
CHAPTER XV.
TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC.
The Ferries .- Bridge Across the Sound .- The Staten Island Railroad .- The Shore Railroad .- North and South Shore Railroad .- The Richmond County Rail- road .- The Staten Island Rapid Transit Railroad .- Lewis Henry Meyer .- Eckstein Norton .- Roderick W. Cameron .- John Frank Emmons .- Harry L. Horton .- Reon Barnes .- Orlando A. Wood.
B EGINNING with the time when the first settler established himself npon the island, the necessity existed for some form of a ferry to facilitate commerce and travel between it and the neighboring settlements. At first, of course, boats were used as occasion required and means permitted, without any attempt at regularity of movement. When the first ferry, with some regard for regular appointment and accommodation was established, we are unable to learn. The custom seemed to grow up into definite form so gradually and imperceptibly, nourished by the constantly pressing necessity, that it is no more easy to say when the ferry system began to exist than it is to say at what hour the contents of an egg begins to be a chicken.
The first definite statement that we have been able to find, with regard to the existence of a ferry between Staten Island and New York, is to the effect that such a ferry was established in 1755. Whether any other had been in operation previous to that or not we are not informed, but the language of the fol- lowing advertisement, which appeared in the " New York Post Boy," of November 10, 1755, leaves room for the suspicion that such a ferry had been in operation :
"Publick Notice is hereby given to all, Gentlemen Travellers and others, That MARTIN DUCKET has rented the noted Ferry House on Staten Island, lately kept by John Watson, where he intends to keep the best Entertainment for Man and Horse, with three good Boats constantly attending said Ferry to and from New York and Statten Island, in company with Scotch
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JOHNNY of said City, Tavern-Keeper; as also a commodious Stable, with all kinds of Provinder, for Horses, &c., near the White Hall Slip, where all Gentlemen Travellers may be as- sured of the best Entertainment for themselves and Horses ; with the most careful and expeditious Passages across the Bay, or to Long-Island (if requir'd), by applying to said Scotch Johnny, near the White-hall Ferry stairs, or said Ducket on Staten Island aforesaid : And in Case a Boat show'd be wanted on any Emergency, there shall be one in Readiness, on Notice given to either of the Persons above mentioned."
The " New York Gazette," of December 13, 1756, has this item :
"Capt. Ducket, Keeper of one of the Ferries from Staten- Island to this Place, was found dead in one of his Passage Boats, on Monday Evening last, soon after he had assisted one of his Boats to go from the Wharf with Passengers. Verdict from the Jury, Apoplexy."
The following extract from the "New York Gazette" of March 15, 1756, tonches the subject of the early ferries :
" Thursday last about 12 o'Clock, happen'd a very melan- choly Accident in our Bay, when one of the Ferry Boats from Staten-Island, being coming over, in a pretty high Wind, with 13 Men and 3 Horses on board, a rongh Sea, near Oyster-Island, overwhelmed the Boat, and she sank down directly: by which Means 11 of the Men and the three Horses were drowned : As it happened to be just on the Edge of the Flats, about three Feet of the Boat's Mast continued above Water after she sank, to which several of the Men clung for a considerable Time : And upon its being discovered from this City, two other Boats im mediately put off, who, tho' upwards of four Miles distant happily reached them Time enough to save two of the Men, the rest being quite spent with cold and wet, could not hold out ; and those saved were almost ready to drop like-
wise : Persons saved were Capt. Williams, de- signed a Battoe-Man, and one of his Men : Those drowned wer e Thomas Harrison, Israel Rose, Daniel Fling, and James Jones, designed Battoemen under Capt. Williams; Mr. Thomas Alston of Raway; Moore of Piscattaway; Denyse Van Tyle. the Boatman; Willian Smallpierce, a Soldier belonging to Shirley's Regiment; and three Gentlemen Strangers."
The same paper a week later has the following :
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"Monday Morning last was taken up on the Jersey Shore. and brought into the White Hall Slip, the Ferry-Boat in which the melancholy Accident happened the Thursday before in our Bay. Daniel Fling, one of the Battoe-Men drowned, was found in the Boat, and soon after buried; and the Saddle-Bags that were still in the Fore-Castle, discovered that the three Strangers mentioned in our last to be likewise drowned, were, William Lawrence, of Raway; and John and William Miller, of Sotau- ket, on Long-Island."
Besides the local demand for a ferry to New York the island at an early period became a part of a popular route of travel between New York and Philadelphia. This route was by way of Amboy. The first notice of it that we have seen appeared in 1753, of which the following is a copy :
" A commodious stage-boat will attend at the City Hall slip, near the Half Moon battery, to receive goods and passengers, on Saturdays and Wednesdays, and on Mondays and Thurs- days will set out for Perth Amboy Ferry; there a stage wagon will receive them and set out on Tuesdays and Fridays in the morning, and carry them to Cranberry, and then the same day, with fresh horses to Burlington, where a stage-boat receives them, and immediately set out for Philadelphia."
The stage-boats of those days were the periauguas, or piro- gnes of the present; they were vessels without keels, heavy lee- boards, two masts and two large sails; the improvement con- sisted in substituting these boats for the small sloops used be- fore. When wind and weather permitted, the "outside pass- age" was made-that is, through the Narrows and around the eastern side of Staten Island; at other times they passed through the kills and sound. But the passage by water all the way was perilons and tedious, and it was soon found that an improvement could be effected by bringing in a stage route across Staten Island as part of the journey. The establishment of this is seen in the following announcement, which appeared in a newspaper of January 31, 1757 :
" Whereas the Subscriber hath been instrumental of propa- gating a Stage between Philadelphia and New York, and by Experience, finding some Difficulty some Times to pass by Water from Amboy Ferry to New York; Notice is hereby given, That a Stage-Waggon is erected, to proceed from Mr. Isaac Dote's, opposite to Perth Amboy, on Monday the 17th
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Instant, January, and to pass through Staten Island, Load or no Load, to Mr. John Watson's, Mrs. Ducket's, and Mr. Van - tile's, and on Tuesday proceed back to the aforesaid Dote's, and so in like Manner every Day in the Week; when due Attendance will be given, and Passengers meet with the best of Usage by me. " JOSEPH RICHARDS.
"N. B .- To hinder any Disputes or Resentments that may arise hereafter, I have thought fit to inform the Publick of my Price and Custom; Each Passenger to pay Three Shillings, be- fore they proceed on their Journey, and in Proportion for other Things, (except Letters, which are to be carried gratis.) Hope- ing therefore that all Well-wishers of such an Undertaking will give me the Encouragement it deserves, I remain
"Their very humble Servant, J. RICHARDS."
In another advertisement of this Joseph Richards he states that his charge of three shillings is the same whether passen- gers take the stage or leave it at either Watson's, Simonson's or Vantile's ferries. This is in July, 1757, when Ducket's seems to be occupied by Simonson. Richards also pledges himself to make good any damage caused by failing to take passengers through as he promises. He adds that he lives near the middle of the island, " at the sign of the stage-waggon and horses." In 1761 he was still running the stage, and in a newspaper letter at that time we have his statement that his was the only " Stage- Waggon" on the island. The ferry on the west end of the route was then called Billop's ferry.
Destruction of life and property seems to have been of quite frequent occurrence in the history of the early ferries. We can here notice but a few of the most notable events of this kind. The account given below is from a New York paper of August 18, 1763.
" We have just received the melancholy News that last Night in the sudden Squal, which came up about Sun Set, Mr. Wat- son's Ferry Boat, going to Staten Island, was over-set at a Place called Robin's Reef, about two Miles from the Shore, and im- mediately sunk, so every Person on Board was drowned, ex- cept the Ferry Man, who, with much Difficulty swam a-shore. The Names of the Persons we have heard of, who lost their Lives by this melancholy Event, are Mr. Robert Kennedy, a Scotch Gentleman. Mr. Chapman, and Mr. Anderson, of Phila- delphia, M. De Loge, of Surinam, and his Negro Boy, Mr.
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David Gammel, Mrs. Henderton of this City, and Mrs. Rey- nolds, Wife of Capt. Reynold's, now at Sea."
The perils of the passage from the "Blazing Star" (meaning the sign of a comet), being four or five miles from the ferry at Staten Island, may be illustrated by the fact that the Baron De Kalb, when he was a colonel in January, 1768, was the only one of nine persons crossing in the scow, who was not so frozen as to lose life or limb; some losing toes, others feet, fingers, etc .; the scow sunk on a sand island, leaving them out all night. He alone would not go to the fire when rescued, but put his feet and legs in cold icy water, took some refreshments, went to bed, and got up unhurt. A Mr. George died before they were re- lieved.
Another ronte to Philadelphia was that which crossed from New York to Paulus hook (Jersey City), where stages started, running down to Bergen Point, where they were taken across on large scows to the " Dutch Church," now Port Richmond, whence they took the road to Blazing Star, near Rossville, where they were again transported by scows across the sound, and pur- sned thence their journey to Philadelphia. Improved accom- modations and quicker time were demanded by the traveling public of those days as well as at the present time, and the am- bition of those who served that public strove to answer that de- mand, as will be seen by the following announcement. John Mersereau then lived at the new Blazing Star.
" This is to give Notice to the Publick, That the Stage- Wag- gons kept by John Burrowhill in Elm-Street in Philadelphia, and John Mersereax at the New Blazing Star, near New-York, intend to perform the journey from Philadelphia to New York in two days also-to continne seven Months, viz: From the 14tl of April to the 14th of Nov. and the remaining five Months of the Year in three Days-The Waggons to be kept in good order, and good Horses, with sober Drivers. They purpose to set off from Philadelphia and Powlas-Hook on Mondays and Thursdays punctually at Sunrise, and be at Prince-Town the same Nights, and change Passengers, and return to New-York and Philadelphia the following days; the Passengers are de- sired to cross Powlas-Hook Ferry the Evening before; the Waggon is not to stay after Sunrise ; Price each Passenger from Powlas-Hook to Prince-Town, Ten shillings, from thence to Philadelphia, Ten shillings also; Ferriage fee, Three Pence
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each Mile any Distance between. Any Gentlemen or Ladies that wants to go to Philadelphia can go in the stage and be at home in five Days and be two Nights and one Day in Phila- delphia to do business, or see the Market Days. All Gentle- men, and Ladies who are pleased to favour us with their cus- tom, may depend on due Attendance and civil Usage by those Humble Servants
"June 23, 1776.
" JOHN MERSEREAR, " JOHN BARROWHILL."
The following notices of ferries and stages on the island during the time of the revolution will throw more light on the subject than a summary of their contents could, hence we in- sert them in full :
"Staten-Island, May 30, 1777.
"Next Tuesday being the third day of June instant, a Stage will set off from the place known by the name of Doyle's Ferry, rear the Watering Place, or Staten-Island, now kept by Capt. William Leake, and will proceed to John Stillwell's Ferry, on the west side of the Island opposite Amboy, and con- tinue the same every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and carry passengers at Eight Shillings each; and goods as low as possible. The best usage will be given, and great care taken of every thing sent by the said waggon. The waggon will set off in the morning as soon as passengers arrive, agreeable to the tide."
The following is from a paper of February 15, 1779 :
"To be sold, the noted and very commodious Ferry known by the name of Ryerson's ferry, at the east end of Staten- Island, and at the entrance of the Kills, it is a pleasant situa- tion, and commands a great deal of business; there is one hun- dred acres of good land, and two orchards, a dwelling house with 5 rooms on the first floor, and 4 rooms on the second story, a garret, a cellar kitchen and cellar, a well at the door, two new wharfs which form an exceeding fine harbor for ferry and other boats."
"Staten Island, Jan. 12, 1779.
"COMPLAINT having been made, that an exorbitant price is exacted by the different proprietors of the Ferry Boats, for the fare of the passengers between this and New-York. It is
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
Brigadier General Leslie's orders that the boats shall ply at the following prices, viz.
" Two Shillings currency for each passenger.
(Sic) Do Six Do. for each Horse.
" A Boat to go off with six or more passengers, and on com- plaint being made of noncompliance with the above regula- tions, the offender shall forfeit the liberty of plying with his boat to or from this island.
"A. LESLIE, Brig. Gen."
The following fragments have been gleaned from various sources:
Frederick Simonson owned a ferry at the Narrows in 1777, and for several years previous to that date. It was probably used to cross to Long Island. No stated ferry has been main- tained there since the first few years of the present century.
A ferry was established across the Kill Von Kull from Staten Island to Bergen Point in 1764. It was at the present site of Port Richmond. In 1777 it was known as Decker's ferry; after- ward it was called Ryers', and still later Mersereau's.
In 1774 the New Blazing Star ferry was occupied by Reuben Fitzrandolph. In the following year it was occupied by John Merserean. It was occupied by Francis B. Fitch in 1827.
In 1761 James Johnston ran a ferry at Staten Island.
In 1762 Adoniah Schuyler, of Elizabethtown Point owned a ferry to Staten Island, together with the road or causeway from the sound to the nplands on the island. Schuyler died during the year mentioned. The ferry was spoken of by a writer about 1770 as " a wretched, half-rotten ferry."
The Amboy ferry, sometimes called Doty's and sometimes Billop's, was kept by Isaac Butler for forty years, beginning immediately after the revolution and extending to the time of his death, about 1828.
The ferry at the Narrows was known at different times as Watson's, Ducket's, Darby Doyle's, Cole's and Van Duzer's. It was known as Cole's ferry in 1777. In 1775 it was owned by Darby Doyle, the plant including barn, storehouse, barracks, dock, garden and twenty acres of land.
There were two ferries plying between the northeast part of the island and New York from the middle of the last century. November 10, 1755, the ferry was "continued to be kept by
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
Oths Van Tyle at Statten Island and Abraham Bockee at Whitehall," they having three boats for the purpose.
The first steam ferry boat running here was the " Nautilus." She began running November 29, 1817. The following an- nouncement was made in the newspapers on that day:
"The new Steam-Boat, intended to ply regularly between this city and Statten-Island, commenced running this morning. She is to start daily from White-Hall Dock, at the hours of 7, 10, 1, and 5. We understand that she carries Passengers this day without charge."
Ten years later two steamboats were in operation on the ferries here, during a part of the year at least. They were the " Nautilus," Captain Robert Hazard, and the "Bolivar," Captain Oliver Vanderbilt. They advertised to leave Staten Island at 7, 8 and 10 A. M., and 12.30, 2,30,4.30 and 6 P. M. Returning they left New York at 8 and 10 A. M., and 12.30, 2.30, 4.30, 5.30 and 7 P. M. The fare then was 122 cents. During the winter season trips were not made so often and the fare was 25 cents. The " Marco Bozzaris" was then a new steam- boat, and she plied between the city and the quarantine grounds every two hours.
One after another during the following years improvements were made, and facilities for comfortable, rapid and frequent passage between the island and the city augmented as the de- mand seemed to increase. In 1860 the steamers " Thomas Hunt" and "Flora" were making six trips daily, on the North Shore ferry, the fare being six cents. Boats on the East Shore ferry were making trips every hour during the day, from 7 A. M. to 5 P. M. The Huguenot line was running be- tween Mariners' Harbor and New York four times a day, the boats employed being the "Red Jacket " and the " Kill Von Kull." About that time the " Westfield," "Clifton," "Thos. P. Way," "Southfield," "Hunchback," "Josephine" and "Sylph " were also employed on these ferry lines. Some of them were sold to the government in 1861, to be used as trans- ports in the war.
The management of the ferry to New York from Castleton and Northfield had been unsatisfactory to the people-fare too high, boats old and slow, number of daily trips insufficient, of- ficers and employees rude and unaccommodating. The North Shore Staten Island Ferry Company was formed in the spring
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
of 1860, and obtained a charter as a stock company. The peo- ple from New Brighton to Mariners' Harbor took stock in the new company, and manifested a lively interest in its success. Large and enthusiastic meetings were held, thirty thonsand dollars were subscribed, the steamboats "Flora" and "Thomas Hunt" were purchased, and the "People's Line" was placed in successful operation, with the fare at six cents. The capital stock was subsequently increased to sixty thousand dollars, the number of owners holding shares being something over three hundred. The steamer "Pomona" was built for the route and was at the time the pride of the company. On the organization of the new company the old management reduced its fare from twelve cents to three cents, but the new company was the child of the people, and received their support. In 1864 the capital stock was raised to one hundred thousand dollars.
Within a few years past the project of building a bridge across the sound or Arthur kill has been frequently and vigorously agitated. It has been argued that such a bridge was desirable to afford some trunk line railroad from the south and west an ontlet to tide water in the vicinity of New York city. A bill authorizing the construction of such a bridge lias repeatedly been before Congress, and it is said that it has the approval of the war department. The senate reached a vote on May 20, 1886, and passed the bill by a large majority, notwithstanding the state of New Jersey and the Pennsylvania railroad were strongly opposed to it.
This bridge project is no new scheme. As long ago as June 10, 1812, the state of New York, by its act of legislature, incor- porated a company for the object of building a bridge across the sound from New Jersey to Staten Island, at some point to be decided on by commissioners appointed for the purpose. The act named Joseph Perine, David Mersereau, Jacob Croch- eron, Jolin V. D. Jacobson, Jesse Oakley, James Guion, Sr., Tunis Egbert, John Garrison and John Hilliker. The capital stock was to consist of two thousand shares of fifty dollars each, and the commissioners appointed to designate the site of the bridge were John C. Vanderveer, William Furman and John Lefferts, of the county of Kings, and Gabriel Furman and John Vanderbilt, Jr., of the city and county of New York, who were to act with an equal number to be named and authorized for the purpose by or on the part of New Jersey. The bridge
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
was to be not less than twenty-six feet wide, and to have a draw of not less than thirty feet over the sound to allow the passage of vessels. The toll for the passage of two horse pleasure car- riages over the bridge was seventy-five cents, business wagons fifty cents, man on horseback twenty-five cents, and foot pas- sengers six cents.
The Staten Island Railroad, extending from Vanderbilt's land - ing to Tottenville, is thirteen miles in length, and its original cost was about $300,000. The first meeting of citizens to discuss the practicability of constructing the road, was held in the village of Richmond, on the 2d day of August, 1851, at which articles of association were submitted, discussed and adopted, and filed in the office of the secretary of state, on the 18th day of October, 1851. On that day an election was held for the first board of directors, and resulted in the election of the following gentlemen, viz .: Joseph H. Seguine, Joel Wolfe, Edwin R. Bennet, Stephen Segnine, Henry Cole, Henry I. Seaman, Henry Van Hovenberg, Peter C. Cortelyou, John G. Seguine, William Totten, George White, William King, and Cornelius White.
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