History of Suffolk county, New York, 1683, Part 35

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 35

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At the commencement of the present century there were only five houses in the village. During the first twelve or fifteen years the average growth was one house a year. During that period and for many years after- ward the place was important mainly as a point for the shipment of cordwood.

During the war of 1812 the shipping of this little port was considerably annoyed by the British cruisers which sailed up and down the sound. For the protection of the harbor a small fortification was erected at the ex- tremity of Dyer's Neck, on the west side of the harbor, and this was mounted with a single thirty-two pound gun. On one occasion two English frigates, the "In- demnity " and the " Parmoon," made a descent upon the harbor at night and captured seven sloops. One of them grounded in the harbor's mouth, and was set on fire and

THE TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN.

burned to the water's edge. The others were afterward ransomed by their respective owners.

The name Port Jefferson was given to the village in 1836. The ship-building interest which was then aroused grew until it reached a higher rank here than it has attained in any other village in the county. The shore of the harbor is lined with docks, railways and ship-yards.

A steam flour mill was established here by Mr. Manny in 1858. This was bought by R. W. Wheeler & Co. in 1864, and in the following year was enlarged and a saw- ing department added. In 1867 it was altered somewhat and its capacity for the manufacture of flour consider- ably enlarged. It was destroyed by fire in October 1877. Phoenix-like, from the ashes of the old mill there arose a new one of far superior magnitude, equipments and ca- pacity. The Port Jefferson Milling Company was incor- porated in 1878, and the building erected during that year and 1879. The main building first erected was forty feet square and four stories high, to which an engine room 28 by 30 feet, for the accommodation of a sixty. horse-power engine, was added. In 1880 an addition was built upon the east side of the building 20 by 40 feet, three stories high. Other buildings have been added for storage. The mill contains four runs of stone and two sets of rolls; working on the new process system, it has a capacity of one hundred barrels per day of twenty four hours, and at present is being run to the full extent of its capacity. Twelve hands are employed, and the daily consumption of grain is 450 bushels of wheat and 50 bushels of corn and oats. Long Island and Connecticut furnish a market for most of the product.

COMMERCE OF PORT JEFFERSON.

Port Jefferson, included in the district of New York, was made a port of entry by act of Congress approved August 31st 1852. The custom-house was established in 1855. Sidney S. Norton was the first surveyor of the port .: He held the office until May 8th 1874, when it was transferred to his son Frank P. Norton. During most of those years the duties of the office were per- formed by Holmes W. Swezey under the title of a deputy. In June 1878 G. Frank Bayles received the office of sur- veyor of the port, and he was succeeded by Samuel R. Davis, whose appointment was confirmed January 31st 1879. In the summer of 1881 he resigned, and Sidney H. Ritch was appointed to the position. The following figures give the gross tonnage of the district for the quarter ending June 30th of each year, as fully as the records of the office can show, omitting the fractional parts of a ton: 1858, 14,225; 1859, 14,910; 1860, 16,715; 1861, 19,795; 1862, 22,091; 1863, 25,146; 1864, 29,476; enrolled by new measurement up to June 30th 1865, 7,073; 1866, 12,806; 1867, 14,660; 1868, 30,492; 1872, 14,850; 1873, 15,273; 1874, 17,527; 1875, 21,720; 1876, 17,847; 1877, 15,486; 1878, 12,986; 1879, 11,435; 1880, 12,503; 1881, 10,825.

The number of vessels enrolled here during the years since 1874 has been: 1874, 203; 1875, 239; 1876, 176;

1877, 153; 1878, 128; 1879, 113; 1880, 110; 1881, 96. The total tonnage documented in this district June 30th 1881, including three steam vessels and sailing craft of all sizes, was 15,145, and the number of vessels 118.

PORT JEFFERSON M. E. CHURCH.

The first religious denomination to gain an establish- ment here was the Methodist Episcopal. This being a preaching station of the old Smithtown circuit, the rapidly increasing demands of the village were answered by the erection of a commodious house of worship in 1836 on Thompson street. The building stood until 1873, when it was removed to a new site in the southern part of the village. This church was set off from the Smith- town circuit in June 1848. The charge then consisted of Port Jefferson, Setauket, Stony Brook and Mount Sinai. Stony Brook was withdrawn from the connection in 1859, and Setauket in 1873.

The following ministers have occupied the pulpit: Samuel W. King, 1848, 1849; Henry Hatfield, 1850-52; Daniel Jones, 1853, 1854, 1864-66; William Wake, 1855, 1856; John F. Booth, 1857, 1858; Otis.Saxton, 1859; Nicholas Orchard, 1860, 1861; Robert Codling, 1862, 1863; John S. Haugh, 1867-69; William Lawrence, 1870, 1871; A. B. Smart, 1872; Henry Aston, 1873, 1874; John Pilkington, 1875; William Ross, 1876; Samuel H. Smith, 1877, 1878; Lemuel Richardson, 1879, 1880; L. W. Holmes, 1881.

The present membership is 231. The value of the church property, including parsonage, is $3.500. The Sunday-school connected with the church numbers 245.

PORT JEFFERSON BAPTIST CHURCH.

The present Baptist church was erected by a Con- gregational society in 1855. In 1861 the building was purchased by the Baptists, and their church was organized October 6th of that year. The pastors of this church have been as follows: Lanson Stewart, 1861-67; J. B. Barry, 1867-71; P. Franklin Jones, 1871-76; J. B. Barry, 1876, 1877; M. R. Fory, D. D., 1877, 1878; S. L. Cox, June Ist 1879 to the present time.

PORT JEFFERSON PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

A Presbyterian church was erected in 1854, as a branch of the old church at Setauket. It continued in that con- nection until a church was organized here, November 9th 1870. This was denominated the First Presbyterian Church of Port Jefferson, and it originally consisted of 47 members. Its pastors have been as follows: Edward Stratton, February 1871 to June 1872; John V. Gris- wold, October 1872 to October 1876; W. S. C. Webster, May 1877 to the present time.

SECRET SOCIETIES AT PORT JEFFERSON.

Suffolk Lodge, No. 60, F & A. M. was first organized in 1797, and ceased to meet in 1827, at the time of the anti-masonic excitement. The lodge was reorganized in 1856 as No. 401, with the following charter members: Hon. Charles A. Floyd, General John R. Satterly, Hon.

THE TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN.

John M. Williamson, Captain Caleb Kinner, Captain [ by T. B. Hawkins and L. B. Homan, the latter having Tuttle Dayton, Charles W. Darling, Jeremiah Darling, been its editor from the start. In June 1881 L. B. Ho- man became sole proprietor, and he still continues its publication. Tuttle O. Dayton and Lewis Wheeler. The first six were members of the old lodge when it was broken up.

Since its reorganization the following persons have served as masters of the lodge in the order in which they are named: Tuttle Dayton, William T. Hulse, Effingham Tuthill, A. G. Mervin, E. A. Raynor, James E. Bayles, George Hart, G. F. Bayles, Thomas H. Saxton, Allen F. Davis and Charles E. Dayton.

The present officers are: Charles E. Dayton, master; W. H. Bayles, S. W .; E. T. Newton, J. W. The lodge meets on the first Thursday evening of each month from May to October, inclusive, and on Thursday even- ing of each week during the rest of the year. It has about 130 members.

In 1876, through the well directed efforts of the W. M., Thomas H. Saxton, the grand lodge granted a peti. tion to restore the number under which the old lodge was organized, and the lodge has since been known as No. 60. It has in its possession the records and jewels

of the old lodge, which are justly prized as relics of of land in that section was bought by the representatives great value.

Port Jefferson Division, No. 169, Sons of Temperance was instituted in this village April 11th 1867, with 26 charter members. It flourished for a few years, and in 1872 had 228 members. It was disbanded in the early part of 1877.

Another division of this order, composed of colored members, was organized on the west side October 7th 1868 and disbanded in the latter part of 1870. It was named West Side Division, No. 406.

JOURNALISM AT PORT JEFFERSON.

Several newspapers have been published in the village. The first of these was the Independent Press, which was moved here from Stony Brook in July 1868. After several enlargements it gained the size of seven columns, and was continued by its founder, Harvey Markham, until August 1874, when its publication was suspended. Mr. Markham soon after started the Courant, which was printed at Northport, and after a few months was sus- pended. The Long Island Star was moved here from Setauket in July 1869, and hence to Patchogue in Au- gust 1870. A monthly sheet called Our Own, devoted to the Sons of Temperance, was issued from the office of the latter a few months in 1870. The Long Island Leader, a nine-column weekly, was started by William A. and Winfield S. Overton April 12th 1873. It enjoyed a liberal circulation. Its very elaborate office equipments, con- sisting of type, power press and steam engine, were sold and removed to Panama, U. S. C., in September 1874, and the paper suspended. During the following year a paper by the same name was printed at Babylon and hailed from this village. For a while in 1876 the paper was partly printed here. It is still in circulation, being issued from Babylon. The initial number of the Port Jefferson Times was issued here December 14th 1878, by

CEDAR HILL CEMETERY

occupies a commanding site on one of the highest hills a little south of Port Jefferson. The association was formed March 30th 1859. In April following thirteen acres were purchased of Hubbard Gildersleeve, and a part was laid out for use as a cemetery. The first officers were: R. H. Wilson, president; J. B. Randall, secretary; Abram Brown, treasurer. The first trustees were the officers named and Hamilton Tooker, Daniel Hulse and Cyrus E. Griffing. Two hundred and eighty lots have been sold, and about $27,000 spent in the general im- provements which have been made upon the grounds.

SUBURBS OF PORT JEFFERSON.

Brick Kiln is a section of but little improved ground adjoining the village on the west. In 1875 a large tract of P. T. Barnum, and some improvements were made upon it. Avenues were laid out and a considerable amount of grading was done. A few nice residences have been erected.

Comsewogue is an open plain of good farming land lying on the elevated level inland from the village. The cemetery and railroad station are here.

MOUNT SINAI,

a scattered settlement of some three hundred inhabitants, lies at the head of a harbor about two miles east of Port Jefferson. It is one of the oldest settlements of the town, though the settlement never grew with much vigor. Soon after the plantation of Setauket was established the abun- dant meadows which skirt this harbor made the spot at- tractive, and the "Old Man's," as it was then called, was a desirable locality in the eyes of the early inhabitants. As early as the year 1808 ship-building was carried on upon the shore of the harbor by a Mr. Prior. In 1819 the business was carried on by Jonah Smith. The ves- sels built here were mainly sloops. The entrance to this harbor has been subject to change. A mouth near the east side was dug out in 1820. As this became ob- structed a new mouth and channel through the flats were (lug, and opened to the action of the tide June 13th 1850. This water abounds with shell-fish of various kinds. Thousands of tons of clams have been taken from here to markets on the island or along the Connecticut shore. In past years considerable quantities of cordwood were shipped from here, and fertilizers and other merchandise were returned, but the small vessels which did that work have almost gone out of use, and the commerce of this port is very greatly diminished.

Into the west side of the harbor a small stream once Walter R. Burling. In October 1879 it was purchased found its way from the plains of the interior. This was

THE TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN.

called the "Crystal Brook," and the valley left by it is still known by that name. A mill was once located upon it. The grant for this mill was given by public town meeting to Moses Burnet December 9th 1718. It stipulated that the privilege should be given him as long as he should maintain a good and sufficient grist-mill, and no longer. The mill was long since demolished, but some part of the dam still remains. The Indian name of Mt. Sinai was Nonowantuck.

MT. SINAI CHURCHES.

In the eastern part of the settlement, on a pleasant elevation, stands the Congregational church. Its pre- decessor on the same site was the first church of this neighborhood. This early church was erected about the year 1720, and at first seems to have been a preaching station of the church of Setauket. A church organization was formed here September 3d 1760, under the care of the Suffolk Presbytery, with Rev. Ezra Reeve as pastor, he having been ordained in that capacity over this con- gregation October 10th 1759. He remained until October

At Rocky Point a Congregational lecture room was 25th 1763, after which the organization lost its original built in 1849. The society is a branch of the church at character.

The First Congregational Church of Brookhaven was was given for the purpose by Amos Hallock.

organized on the field of the disorganized church Decem ber 23d 1789. This church consisted of nine members, their names being as follows: Jeffrey Amherst Woodhull, Jacob Eaton sen., Joseph Brown, Jeremiah Kinner, Josiah Hallock jr., Philip Hallock, . Bethiah Davis, Elizabeth Baley and Sarah Kinner.

This Congregational church has had the following pas- tors: Noah Hallock,from its organization till his death, De- cember 25th 1818; Noah H. Gillette, December 1820- 33; John Stoker (6 months), Parshall Terry, Smith P. Gammage (6 months), Ebenezer Platt (4 years), till about 1841; Prince Hawes, 1841-46; Thomas Harris, 1846-61; Aaron Snow, till 1875; Morse Rowell, 1875-80; A. A. Zabriskie, 1880 to the present time.

The present membership is a little over 100. The old church edifice was removed and a new one built in 1805, which is still standing. An ancient, well-filled burial ground lies near it.

A Methodist Episcopal class was organized here in February 1843, and during the same year a small church was built in the central part of the village, on the road leading to the harbor. The class had about twelve mem- bers to begin with. It has always been connected in its ministerial supply with the church at Port Jefferson.

MILLER'S PLACE AND EASTWARD.

Miller's Place, a pretty little village, lies on the el- evated plain near the sound. The settlement is said to have been founded by Andrew Miller in 1671. He was a son of John Miller, of East Hampton. His will, re- corded in the town books and bearing date June 13th 1715, is as follows:

is that there shall be a decent Burial Place reserved in the Orchard where his Mother was buried, for him and all the posterity of the house of the Millers forever."

An academy was established in this hamlet in 1834. For several years it was well patronized, and a good school maintained, but the star of prosperity moved to other fields, and for years this institution enjoyed but an intermittent life. It has been silent now for more than a decade.

United Division, No. 281, Sons of Temperance was instituted here January 8th 1868, with 140 charter mem- bers. It was composed of people from the two neigh- boring villages, Mount Sinai and Middle Village. It prospered for a while, but the interest flagged, and in April 1873 it was disbanded.

Eastward from the last named place lies a thinly set- tled farming district which extends to the east line of the town at Wading River. This section comprehends the localities of Rocky Point and Woodville, extending about seven miles.

Mount Sinai. The land on which the building stands

The principal part of the present village of Wading River lies within the town of Riverhead. The initial step toward establishing a settlement here was taken by Brookhaven in a public town meeting November 17th 1671. It was at that time voted that a village of eight families or men should be located there "or thereabouts," and it is probable that most of them were established "thereabouts," i. e. in the section now called Woodville. The men to whom accommodations in this part of the town were at that time granted were Daniel Lane jr., John Tooker, Thomas Jenners, Elias Bayles, Joseph Longbottom, Thomas Smith and Francis Moncy. A grant for a grist-mill on the Red Brook here was given by the town to John Roe jr. and others May 4th 1708. The grant required that the mill should be established within two years and that it should be continually main- tained. The site is still occupied.

NEW VILLAGE.

New Village is a scattered settlement lying along the old Country road from near the west line of the town eastward a distance of about four miles. The people are mostly farmers.

A Congregational church stands in this locality .. It was erected in 1812 as a union meeting-house, but a church of the Congregational order being organized March 27th 1815 the building soon after passed into the hands of that denomination. The land on which the building stands, about half an acre, was given for the purpose by Deacon Jeremiah Wheeler. The original number of members was ten. The church now has a membership of 55. The adjoining burial ground was

" The last Will and desire of Andrew Miller, deceased, opened for that use April 4th 1819.

THE TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN.

LAKE GROVE.

Extending southward from the locality just mentioned to the borders of Lake Ronkonkoma lies a continuous settlement comprising about three hundred inhabitants, called Lake Grove. Lakeland, Lakeville and Ronkon- koma have been names applied to nearly the same local- ity. Several men from New York have made this locality their country residence. The beauty of the lake pre- sents an attraction such as but few of the island villages can claim.

Ronkonkoma Division, No. 306, Sons of Temperance was organized here February 19th 1868, with 13 charter members. Its membership at one time numbered more than one hundred. The charter was surrendered April 6th 1876.

CHURCHES OF LAKE GROVE.

The Methodist Episcopal church here was a part of the old Suffolk circuit as early as 1820. Later it was a preaching station in the Smithtown circuit, in which con- nection it continued until 1879, when it, with Hauppauge and St. James, was set off from that circuit. The class- book of 1825 shows 31 names, with Caleb Newton as leader. Meetings were then held in the old "Pond school-house." The church was built in 1852, on land bought of A. W. Roseman in the previous year. It was considerably enlarged, by the addition of 18 feet to its length, in 1868. The society has at present 60 mem- bers.

The following ministers have supplied the pulpit. CORAM AND MIDDLE ISLAND. Though not complete in the early years the list is as nearly so as a reasonable amount of research could make Coram is an ancient settlement, lying on the old Coun- try road, near the geographical center of the town. The name is supposed to have been derived from that of an Indian chief, Coraway, who once lived in the neighbor- hood. When the settlements on the south side, which were made first at Fireplace and Mastic, became of suf- ficient importance to balance in a degree those of the meeting for the transaction of town affairs about half way between those two sections. Coram was the point chosen, and it has ever since occupied that position. it: R. Travis, 1822; Henry Hatfield, 1824; J. Bowen, 1829, 1830; Edward Oldrin, 1831; A. S. Francis, 1832; J. B. Merwin, 1834, 1835; W. C. Hoyt, 1838; S. W. King, 1840, 1841; G. Hollis, 1845; Zechariah Davenport, 1846; F. C. Hill, 1847; Eben S. Hebberd, 1849, 1850, 1859, 1860; William Gothard, 1851, 1852; Joseph Wildey, 1853, 1854; Robert Codling, 1855, 1856; Daniel Jones, north side it was found desirable to fix upon a place of 1857, 1858, 1869, 1870; William Wake, 1861, 1862; Ed- ward K. Fanning, 1863-65; J. H. Stansbury, 1866-68; Charles Stearns, 1871-73; T. Morris Terry, 1874; Ben- jamin Redford, 1875, 1876; S. Kristeller, 1877, 1878; S. A. Sands, 1879, 1880; J. T. Langlois, 1881.

Lakeville rural cemetery, near this church, occupies land bought of A. W. Roseman in 1861. It is not in the hands of an association. It was founded by R. W. New- ton, and the sale of lots opened in 1862. It contains about eighty burial plats, most of which have been sold. The enterprise is now in the hands of C. W. Hawkins.

St. Mary's Episcopal church, a handsome gothic struc- ture, of modest dimensions but neat design, was built in 1867. It stands near the northeast shore of the lake.

Near the site of the M. E. church a house of worship was erected by the Baptists in 1869. They have not yet become strong enough to sustain regular and frequent ministerial service.

SELDEN.

Selden, formerly called Westfields, received its present name in honor of the celebrated Judge Selden. It lies along the old Country road, east of New Village. The cultivation of garden vegetables, melons and small fruits has during late years engaged the chief attention of the people.

An undenominational chapel was built here in 1857. It was occupied for several years as a branch of the Presbyterian church at Middle Island, but since 1863 has had connection with Holbrook most of the time. A Presbyterian church was organized here August 11th 1868, which by paying a debt that was upon the house gained possession of it.

HOLTSVILLE,

or Waverly Station, is a small hamlet on the Long Island Railroad about four miles south of Selden. When the old Long Island Railroad monopolized the travel over the island this was an important point on account of the stage connections with Port Jefferson, Patchogue and other villages.

The Waverly Baptist church was organized July 2nd 1876, with 19 members. Rev. George R. Harding was its pastor three years and a half, since which term the church has had no regular minister.

A Baptist church was established here at a very early period. A church edifice was erected in 1747. This church was the first, and for many years the only one, of that denomination in the county. In 1847 the build- ing was torn down, and the materials were used in the erection of a dwelling house at Port Jefferson, which is still standing. It was in this old church that the town trustees in 1792 invited Rev. David Rose to preach an "election sermon," at 11 o'clock in the forenoon of the annual town election day. The site of the old church is now occupied by the Methodist Episcopal church moved here from Middle Island in 1858.

Middle Island is a scattered settlement of farmers about two miles east of Coram, in the interior of the town.

A public burying ground was opened on the opposite

THE TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN.

side of the street from the Presbyterian church about the time the first church was built. Union Cemetery, ad- joining this on the south and west, was opened for burial in 1867. It contains five acres, the greater part of which is still covered with timber.

Brookhaven Division, No. 191, of the Sons of Tem- perance was instituted at Coram, January 15th 1847. This was during the time when the agitation of the tem- perance question was exciting much attention throughout the country. But little is known of the history of this division. After a short life it ceased working.

Another division of the same order, Brookhaven Cen- tral, No. 364, was instituted July 7th 1868. Its meetings were held, during most of the time of its existence, at Middle Island. In 1870 its membership reached 107. Its charter was surrendered in July 1872.

MIDDLE ISLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

In the early part of the year 1766 steps were taken toward establishing a church here. A piece of ground four by five rods was given by Selah Brown as a site for a meeting-house. This was on the corner of the Country road and the road leading to the Half- mile Pond, where the church now stands. The instrument by which this land was given was executed February 19th 1766, and the work of building a house of worship was carried forward and no doubt completed during the same year. A Presbyterian church was organized here in November 1767, and the parish name which it has held from that time to the present is Middletown. In 1837 the present church was built on the same site. The tower was added in 1863, and the bell in 1870. A chapel at Yaphank, then em- braced in this parish, was built in 1851. October 17th 1871 a church was organized there by the withdrawal of 60 members from the old church. A preaching station has for many years been occupied by this church at the Ridge school-house, about four miles east of the meeting- house, and since 1872 another has been maintained at the Middle District school-house, only one mile east. In 1800 this church had 19 members, the number being considerably less than it had been. During that year, however, a revival added more than 40 to the number. The present number of resident members is about 100. A parsonage and several acres of land were purchased in 1849. This church was connected with that of South Haven in ministerial supply from the time of its organi- zation till April 16th 1839. The following pastors have served it: David Rose, from 1766 till his death, January Ist 1799; H. Chapman, 1800, 1801; Herman Daggett, 1801-07; Ezra King, 1810-44; James S. Evans, 1844-50; Winthrop Bailey, 1850-52; Francis T. Drake, 1854-62; Charles Sturges, 1863-72; John Woodruff, 1872-77; Frederick E. Allen, July 1878 to the present time.

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