History of Suffolk county, New York, 1683, Part 24

Author: W.W. Munsell & Co., pub; Bayles, Richard M. (Richard Mather); Cooper, James B. (James Brown), 1825-; Pelletreau, William S. (William Smith), 1840-1918; Street, Charles R. (Charles Rufus), 1825-1894; Smith, John Lawrence, 1816-1889
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell & co.
Number of Pages: 677

USA > New York > Suffolk County > History of Suffolk county, New York, 1683 > Part 24

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

In 1870 Mr. Schleier built at Breslau, at a cost of $2,300, a depot on the South Side Railroad and gave it to the company.

To him clearly belongs the honor of being the first man to make a move in the direction of utilizing to any considerable extent the uncultivated lands on the south side for the benefit of the laboring classes of Brooklyn and New York. Although well advanced in years Mr. Schleier still retains his full mental and physical activity

In business enterprises he has interested himself in many a venture. In 1867 he started the " Unger Patent and confidently believes he will live to see Breslau a city

Charles J. Schleier

THE TOWN OF BABYLON.

David, last named, married Elizabeth Hendrickson, of Huntington, L. I., by whom he had seven children. Six of them are now living. John C. Provost, the eldest son, is well known in business circles in Brooklyn and New York; Peter C., for many years in the insurance and real estate business, is now retired and living in Suffolk county; Andrew J., a lawyer, has practiced in his native city for the past thirty years; he represented his district in the Assembly two terms, refusing a third nomination on account of his business, and is now living at his country seat at Whitestone, Queens county, L. I., sur- rounded by his family and all that taste could desire. Hannah M. Lake, the eldest daughter, is still living in

Brooklyn. Sarah E., wife of James W. Valentine, also resides in Brooklyn, her boys all grown to man's estate (viz .: David H., a contractor, who has contributed largely to the improvements of his native city; Richard L., as- sociated with him, and Andrew J., a lawyer). Elizabeth married the Rev. Mr. Mansfield, an Episcopal clergyman, and is now residing in Massachusetts, the only member of the family not a resident of their native State.

William Y. Provost, the subject of this sketch, is now a practicing physician in Babylon, where he located in 1871. He was educated in a private school in New York city taught by Dr. Tyng, an Episcopal clergyman, and matriculated at the Bellevue Hospital Medical Col- lege in 1860-61. He was a private pupil of the late Pro- fessor James R. Wood of New York city. He entered the service of the Sanitary Commission during the Rebel- lion and was busily engaged in relieving the wounded in the peninsula campaign. He returned in August 1862; was cited before a board of examiners at Albany, and was duly commissioned by Governor E. D. Morgan as assistant surgeon of the 159th regiment New York vol- unteers. He was mustered into the service and joined his regiment at East New York September 6th 1862, un- der the command of Colonel E. L. Molineux. In December 1862 the regiment joined the Banks expedi- tion and started for Baton Rouge, La. Upon arriving there it went into garrison, and while there our men were fitted for the active campaigns which soon followed, viz .: the first upon Port Hudson in the rear to allow Commo- dore Farragut to run his boats past that almost impreg- nable stronghold, which was in the main successful; the attempt to cut off the rebel troops in western Louisiana, which failed, although costing the gallant 159th dearly, as at Irish Bend they lost 200 men in killed and wounded, one field officer killed, and General Molineux wounded, who was carried off the field of battle by Dr. Provost; then the Red River campaign, which was also disastrous; and the siege and capture of Port Hudson. This command after sharing the varying fortunes of General Banks was ordered north and joined the forces of General Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley, and at Winchester and Cedar Creek the men proved to the enemy the stuff of which they were made. After the Shenandoah campaign they joined General Sherman's army at Savannah, and con- tinued to do garrison duty in that city and Augusta until the close of the war.

In 1863 Dr. Provost was promoted surgeon of his regi- ment. He was in charge of the hospitals at Baton Rouge, Savannah, Thibadaux and Augusta, and served upon the staff of Major-General Grover as medical director. After the war he returned home and at once began practice in New York city.

In 1868 he married Miss Evelyn Talmage, daughter of Hon. D. M. Talmage, then minister to Venezuela. They immediately sailed for Europe, where Dr. Provost spent most of his time in the hospitals of London, Dublin and Paris. He returned the following fall, and from that time to the present has identified himself with Long Island. He is health officer of his town and member of the board of education.

Three children were the issue of his marriage-Wil- liam W., Frederick T., and Florence M. Provost.

In all branches of his profession Dr. Provost is an acknowledged authority. He realizes that no other pro- fession is as rich in recent developments of important discoveries, with all of which he keeps fully abreast. The selection of Babylon as his permanent home was a recognition of its prominent position among the villages of Long Island. The choice of this village for summer or permanent residence by so many families of wealth and taste renders it a peculiarly fitting field for a physi- cian to whose extensive city experience have been added large army and hospital practice in medicine and surgery, and extended foreign travel for special professional re- search.

PHOENIX REMSEN.

This family, whose original cognomen was Van der Beeck, dates back to a remote period in Germany and the Netherlands. The arms borne by it were grant- ed in 1162 by the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. They indicate reputation in the knight service, etc., and the waved lines across the shield represent a brook, and denote the origin of the family name-the words Van der Beeck signifying of the brook.

No other family has given as many merchants to the city of New York. There were three Henry Remsens in New York city who were eminent as merchants.

The first Henry (or Hendrick) was born in 1708. His father was Rem Remsen, born in 1685. His grave was in 1852 to be seen in the ancient grave yard in Fulton street, Brooklyn. He was a son of Rem who was a son of the first Rem, whose real name was Rem Jansen Van der Beeck. His son was called Rem's son Rem, and finally became Rem Remsen. The first Rem Jansen Van der Beeck came out from Holland in 1642. He went to Albany to reside, but came back and settled in Brooklyn.

His descendant Henry (or Hendrick) Remsen, who was born in 1708, made a great deal of money in New York. He died July 7th 1771, aged 63. His wife Cata- lina died in 1784, aged 81.

His son Henry was born April 5th 1736. He married

THE TOWN OF BABYLON.

Cornelia Dickerson December 28th 1761. He was a exemplified in the stern warning given by him to the agents of the Dutch government not to bring their flag within gunshot of Southampton or to attempt to compel merchant of eminence in New York; and in 1768 Henry Remsen jr. & Co. did a very large business. He was the son of the . Henry who died in 1771. His store the inhabitants of that town to swear allegiance to. the was in Hanover square; but at that time no part of New York was numbered. This house did a very heavy im- porting business.

Henry Rutgers Remsen was the first child of Henry Remsen of New York (first child of Hendrick Remsen of Brooklyn, the latter being the third child of a former Hendrick Remsen of Brooklyn, who was the second child of Rem Remsen of Brooklyn, second child of Rem Remsen Van der Beeck of Wallabout, third child of Rem Jansen Van der Beeck of Wallabout). He was born in New York, May 3rst 1809, and died there April 4th 1874. He was a lawyer. He was married in Morris- town, N. J., October 21st 1834, to Elizabeth, daughter of Waldron Phoenix, of that place.

Phoenix Remsen, sixth child of Henry Rutgers Rem- sen, was born in New York, January 7th 1846, and re- moved to Islip, where he now resides, in 1882. He was married in New York, January 18th 1870, to Sarah Louisa, daughter of Dr. Alfred Wagstaff, of New York. He is a lawyer, as was his father.

Of all the Knickerbocker families of New York none were more worthily conspicuous than the Remsens. Henry Remsen was as distinguished in banking as Peter Remsen was as a merchant. He was at one time private secretary to Thomas Jefferson, president of the United States, and it was proverbial in after years, when Remsen was president of the Manhattan Bank, that he was ex- ceedingly polite and scrupulously honest.

All the old people may remember the immense double house of brick which Mr. Remsen erected and occupied to the last, on Clinton street at the corner of Cherry, New York, within one hundred feet of his relative Colonel Rutgers's private grounds, at that time quite out of town.

JAMES B. COOPER.

The above named gentleman is one of the native citi- zens of this town. He was born here on December Ist 1825. His father, Simon W. Cooper, was born at South- ampton, L. I., and came here to reside about 1804, and for many years conducted the tanning business on quite an extensive scale. The mother of James B. Cooper was Miss Grace Dibble, of Stamford, Conn. Mr. Cooper is a descendant of John Cooper, who was one of the first settlers of the town of Southampton. He was a native of Olney, Buckinghamshire, England. Being a staunch Puritan, he, with many others, in 1635 left England. He came in the ship " Hopewell," bringing with him his wife and four children, and took up his res- idence at Lynn, Mass. In 1640 he removed to South- ampton, L. I. Howell, in his history of that town, says: "It would seem from records concerning Mr. Cooper that he was a man of bold and determined spirit, as fully

Dutch government." The same peculiar trait appears to have characterized most of his progeny. The family pedigree is easily traced, and is as follows, viz .:

1, John Cooper, of Olney, England; 2, Thomas Cooper, born in Olney, England; 3, Thomas Cooper, born at Southampton, L, I .; 4, David Cooper, born at Southampton, L. I .; 5. Silas Cooper, born at Southamp- ton, L. I .; 6, Simon W. Cooper, born at Babylon, L. I .; 7, James B. Cooper, born at Babylon, L. I.

The latter has held a number of important public offices, having been one of the trustees of the town of Huntington and county clerk of Suffolk county in the years 1853, 1854 and 1855. During the years 1861, '62, '63, '64, '65 and '66 he was an inspector of customs at the port of New York. He was removed from the cus- toms service-his political opinions not being in accord- ance with the Johnson administration. Mr. Cooper then purchased the Hempstead Inquirer, a newspaper located at Hempstead, L. I. This journal he conducted with considerable ability. The editorials, though some- what lacking in polish, showed sound reasoning and a vigorous and original manner of expression. This news- paper enterprise not proving remunerative, Mr. Cooper sold out his interest in the paper, and was soon after- ward appointed assistant assessor of internal revenue. This position he held for four years, or until after his re- turn to his native village. Soon after his return he was elected a justice of the peace of the town of Babylon-a place he held for six years, being twice elected without opposition. He discharged the disagreeable duties of this office with marked ability, receiving high compli- ments from the county judge and from members of the bar for his able and impartial administration of justice, civil and criminal. It is a singular fact that from Justice Cooper's rulings and judgments only three appeals were taken, and in each instance they were sustained by the appellate court. In fact all the several public stations which he has filled, and the various duties which he has discharged, have given ample evidence of his executive ability. Whatever may have been said of his obstinacy or of his opinionativeness, no one has ever questioned his honesty or capability. He has been called peculiar, which is probably true; all men of intense convictions are pe- culiar, and they are not infrequently rather unpleasant companions, nevertheless, they seldom fail to command the respect of the conscientious and thinking portion of the community. Mr. Cooper, the subject of this sketch, has generally been found in the minority on all new questions, but there has hardly been an instance in which his views have not eventually been in accordance with those of the populace. In early life he was a strong Democrat, but separated from his party on the slavery issue. He was a member of the Democratic State con- vention which gave birth to the Republican party of the State of New York, and has twice been a member of the

THE TOWN OF BABYLON.

Republican State committee. Mr. Cooper may be said to be a politician in the true, but not in the popular sense of the term. No one can justly say he is a dema- gogue. His education was acquired entirely in the common schools, and may be said to have been of a very crude order; but, notwithstanding, he has written much for the press, and his articles have not been with- out influence on the public mind. Of late he has de- voted much attention to matters of local history, and has published several interesting sketches relating to that subject. He is a warm-hearted man, who sym- pathizes so deeply with erring humanity that he has sometimes been accused of being a weakly sentimentalist. He is noted for his hostility to capital punishment, and for his firm friendship to those whom he professes to regard.

DOWDEN BROTHERS.

The members of the firm of Dowden Brothers, Baby- lon, are F. Augustine Dowden and T. Edward Dowden, the two youngest of a family of eleven children. Their oldest brother, who died recently, was professor of St. James Academy of Binghamton, N. Y., for twenty-six years. One brother is now doing a successful business at Glen Cove, four others are in business in the town of Huntington, and two are successful business men in the western States. Their father settled in Cold Spring in 1833, where he was connected with the woolen mills until they ceased operation. He is still living, being now in his 80th year. Their mother died in 1879, in her 66th year.

Both these young men attended the district school, where they acquired a good common English educa- tion, and later attended the higher schools of New York.

DOWDEN BROTHERS.

DOWDEN

BROTHERS.

GENERAL MERCHANDISE.

DRY COODS

CROCERIES&c

DOWDEN BROTHERS' STORE.

F. A. Dowden soon engaged in the wool and hide busi- ness at Cold Spring, and T. Edward Dowden taught school for a time, and afterward engaged in the mer- cantile business in New York, where his health was not good.

In 1877 the present firm was formed to conduct a general dry goods and grocery business, to which has been added hardware, flour, feed and grain. They moved, in 1880, into their large and finely located brick store, a cut of which appears above. Their business, which has attained extensive proportions by fair and just dealing, is among the largest, and their store one of the finest in Suffolk county.

J. N. WOOD. Architect:

"EFFINGHAM PARK."

RESIDENCE OF E. B. SUTTON, BABYLON, L. I.

BROOKHAVEN.

BY R. M. BAYLES .*

N extent of territory, in population and in wealth Brookhaven is the first town in Suffolk county. It occupies a central posi- tion, and extends from sound to ocean. Its average width in that direction is eighteen miles, and its length from east to west on a line drawn through the middle of the island is twenty-one miles. This distance is diminished on the sides by the apparent intrusion of Riverhead upon the northeast and Islip upon the southwest. The bay and beach, however, extending along against the Islip shore six miles, belong to this town. The geographical center of Brookhaven is fifty- seven miles from the city hall in New York. The town THE ACQUISITION OF LAND. contains 250 square miles of land, besides 70 square miles of water in the bays. These bays are Conscience The history of the settlement of this town is enveloped Bay, Setauket Harbor, Port Jefferson Bay and Mount in obscurity. The documentary evidences bearing on Sinai Harbor upon the north side, and on the south side East Bay and a considerable part of the Great South Bay, sections of which are known as Brookhaven, Patch- ogne and Bellport Bays. Exclusive of the shore line of these bays this town has more seacoast than any other on Long Island, having nineteen miles on the sound and twenty-four miles on the ocean.

The surface of the town is diversified-like its soil, climate and the character and interests of its inhab- itants. The north side is elevated, broken and rugged in the immediate vicinity of the shore, but more level a few miles inland. Through the middle a range of hills extends from west to east, and in their neighborhood the land is rolling, and ponds, marshes, streams, clay beds and rich deposits of muck or peat abound. South of this range the land is flat and low, having an almost imperceptible slope to the sea. Spots of rich, heavy loam may be found in different parts of the town, but they are most common upon the north side. The soil of the central and southern parts is considerably 'enlivened with sand.

Brookhaven may also boast of having more waste land and a more scattered population than any of its sister towns. The greater part of its surface is still covered with forest and scrub growth; besides, thousands of acres which once were cleared have been abandoned again to the forest, while the rising generations, to whom this same neglected soil gave robust youth and vigorous manhood, have gone to spend that vigor in some new

field of life and action. Probably the greater part of the best farming land of this town is yet unreclaimed and almost worthless woodland. Immense quantities of cord- wood were in years past cut from the oak and pine forests and sent to market, but the frequency of forest fires has seriously interfered with the growth of timber, and the diminished call for the product has still further helped to reduce the cordwood business to an unprofitable in- dustry. Most of the settlements of the town are located in three ranges, one along either shore and the third through the middle. Between these ranges lie unbroken plains of woodland:

the point are meagre and broken. The traditions are few. There are, however, enough to warrant the sup- position that in the early part of the year 1655 a com- pany of six pioneers from the English colonies on the main found their way to an interview with the chief men of the Setalcott tribe of Indians, whose villages rested upon the inviting shores of those beautiful bays and coves which cluster about the site of the present village of Setauket. These six men were John Scudder, John Swezie, Jonathan Porter, Thomas Mabbs (Mapes), Roger Cheston and Thomas Charles. From what part they had sailed, or by what authority they were commissioned, we are not informed. They may have called at the settle- ment of Southold, which had at that time been estab- lished some fifteen years. One of the number (Thomas Mabbs) had also been one of the settlers of that town, and it may have been through the recommendation of the people there that this party, which seems to have been acting as a locating committee, proceeded up the sound to select a spot for the establishment of a colony. Where they dropped anchor, or how they introduced the subject of their errand, we cannot tell, but the result of their negotiations with the Indians was the purchase of a tract of land. the limits of which were vaguely de- fined as "next adioyning to the bounds of Nesequagg, and from thence, being bounded with a river or great

* Mr. Bayles is also the author of the general history of Suffolk county, pages 49-82.

THE TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN.

napock nerly nemaukak eastward, and bounded next unto Nesequakee bounds, as by trees being marked doth appear." The document standing as evidence of this transaction was dated April 14th 1655, and contained the signature marks of the Setalcott sachem Warawakmy and fourteen of his associates, viz .: Charels, Mahew, Foreket, Westwak, Profet, Kelhellacawe, Yayanfysu, Callawancess, Uaskake, Callaven, Cataus, Ewbecca, Ma- sachus, Wetanek. The price of this purchase was 10 coats, 12 hoes, 12 hatchets, 50 muxes, 100 needles, 6 kettles, 10 fathoms of wampum, 7 chests of powder, a pair of child's stockings, 10 pounds of lead and a dozen knives. The settlers were also given liberty to let their cattle run beyond the bounds of their purchase, and to cut timber as far east as they pleased. The bounds pany of settlers held their stated meetings for consulta- tion, and in these gatherings, which were frequent and expeditious, they were their own legislators, adjudicators and executives. No bulky record tomes were used to preserve the account of their deliberations, but every man interested was expected to be present, to know the simple decisions of the body politic, and to remember and abide by them. There is a great scarcity of any preserved records of those early years. It is probable there were but few records made. Education was not as broadcast then as now, and many of those hardy pio- neers could neither read nor write. Their mental and their physical energies were given to the subduing of the wild soil and the active and exciting occupation of mak- ing a home amid the new and strange surroundings which were to be renewed every two years, and the Indians and |here enwrapped them. So they had but little time or

the proposed settlers agreed to live on peaceable terms with each other and to make satisfactory amends for any wrong that either party might do the other. The In- dians also agreed not to entertain unfriendly Indians near the white settlers, but to give warning of any unfriendly movement that should be discovered by them, the settlers agreeing to exercise the same favor toward the Indians, "to the end that peace may be maintained amongst us."

Having thus secured an understanding with the In- dians, the assurance of their friendship, and a location for the planting of a colony, the party returned and re- ported to their constituents, and preparations were no doubt made at once to improve the concession. Of the committee who thus prepared the way only two became members of the colony of original settlers. This colony is supposed to have come hither from Boston, where the colonists, or at least the most of them, may have found a temporary home. There are however no records that show a well organized plan of settlement to have existed from the start. On the other hand the few glimpses of fact that appear to us through the darkness of the centuries suggest that after the first installment of immi- grants had planted themselves here as a nucleus individu- als and groups joined them; but for several years no well defined organization existed as was the case from the very outset with some of the other towns of the county.

The settlers of this town came from different sections, through different channels, and from different social classes. To this heterogeneous character may be attribu- ted the fact that the people have never shown that unanimity of sentiment and harmonious action which the people of some others, particularly the eastern towns, liave exhibited to such a marked degree. Not that we would leave the impression that the early inhabitants of this town were a discordant people do we say this, but the facts of history compel the admission that in perfection of organization and unity of action Brookhaven was not equal to the others mentioned.

Gradually the management of their corporate affairs took the form of a town government. This at first was probably very simple. There was no array of officials or extravagance of political machinery, but the little com-

thought to bestow upon records concerning themselves or their movements, and as the desires of future histori- ans were not anticipated they left but little written testi- mony concerning those matters in regard to which the present generation would be glad to learn.

The first minute of any transaction in town meeting now to be found is dated December rst 1659. This is a regulation establishing a fine of two shillings six pence for being absent from a lawfully called town meeting, un- less satisfactory reason could be given for such failure to attend.

Besides the first purchase of land, already referred to, in a few instances small parcels were bought of the Indians by individuals, the transactions being consented to by the settlers as a body. Whatever rights were thus acquired were merged in the common interest, and an equalization was made by which the proportionate amount of each man's interest was definitely established. The number of the settlers was increased by occasional accessions, and the proprietary rights thus taken up in the course of a few years reached the number of fifty- five, at which point they remained. These proprietary rights were called "accommodations." At what time they reached the limit mentioned cannot be determined. For many years one or more of these proprietary rights re- mained in possession of the town corporate. Many of the first settlers were of a shifting and adventurous dispo- sition, and after remaining a short time saw what appear- ed to them as better prospects elsewhere, and wished to dispose of their interests here. This they did by sale or exchange, negotiated with parties who wished to settle here, or with speculative capitalists already here, or by sale of their interests to the town corporate. This body excercised considerable care to prevent the introduction of undesirable persons into their society, and forbade, under penalty of a heavy fine, any inhabitant selling houses or lands without license of the proper authorities. When a settler desired to sell his interest, and no desira- ble person was at hand to purchase, the town sometimes paid him for his improvements and held the "accommo- dation" until an approved purchaser appeared.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.