History of Suffolk county, New York, 1683, Part 37

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 37

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BELLPORT.

Bellport, a village of about 500 inhabitants, lies about four miles east of Patchogue, on the great bay. The site is level and beautiful. It was called by the Indians Occombomock or Accombamack. The village was com- menced about fifty years ago, and was named in honor of two brothers, Thomas and John Bell, to whose enterprise it was mainly indebted for its early growth. Good water for the approach of vessels is found off the shore here, and several docks have been constructed. January 6th 1807. the town trustees granted to Nathaniel Woodruff liberty to build a dock six rods into the bay, against his own land. March 3d 1829 a grant from the same author-

THE TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN.

ity was issued to Colonel William Howell, Thomas Bell and John Bell to build a dock into the bay opposite the land of the former, far enough to get six and a half feet depth of water at common high tide. A grant was issued in 1833 to Charles Osborn to build a dock seven hun- dred feet into the bay and one hundred feet wide. Some ship-building was formerly carried on here.

After the completion of the Long Island Railroad a station was established about four and a half miles di- rectly north of here for the accommodation of this vil- lage. That station was at first called Tooker's Turnout, afterward Bellport Station, which name a year or two since gave place to Bartlett. An avenue thither from the village was laid out May 19th 1851. Since the extension of a railroad along the south side the old station has been almost abandoned by the people of this village.

An academy was established here in the early days of the village, but an academic school has not been main- tained in the building for many years. The village dis- trict school, in a flourishing condition, occupies it.

BELLPORT CHURCHES AND TEMPERANCE SOCIETIES.

A Congregational.church was organized here in the early years of the village. Its meetings were held in the academy. In 1845 it had 37 members, and Rev. Abijah Tomlinson was its pastor, and at the same time principal of the academy. Later Rev. Samuel Gibbs was pastor of the church. It occupied the lower room of Temper. ance Hall. The society gradually faded out, and in 1870 the remnant of it was merged in a Methodist Episcopal society which was then organized liere. This denomina- tion built a church in 1873. It is in the same minister- ial charge as the church at Brookhaven.

The Presbyterian church of this village was erected in 1850. In is pastoral supply it has since that date been associated with the church at South Haven. It has a nice pipe organ; its property, including a parsonage, is free from debt, and it has a membership of nearly one hundred.

Bellport Division, No. 373, Sons of Temperance is one of the oldest in the county, having been organized in the early days of the order, more 'than thirty years ago. It is deserving of special notice on account of the fact that at an early period of its history a somewhat commo- dious building was erected for its use. This is Temper-

Brookhaven Temple of Honor, another temperance or- ganization, was instituted at Bellport October 6th 1866. In 1873 it had thirty members. A few years later it ceased working.

A small settlement of colored people lies a short dis- tance north of the village, on the avenue leading to the new railroad station established on the newly completed section in 1881. A neat little church is creditably sus- tained by the colored inhabitants. Near the settlement a cemetery has been laid out, and it contains a number of handsome monuments.

BROOKHAVEN VILLAGE.

The territory extending from Bellport east to the Con- necticut River embraces the first land purchased of the Indians on the south side of the town. It was called Fireplace until within a few years, when the name of the town was appropriated to a part of this section. The chief attraction here to the early settlers of Setalcott was the meadows, which are very extensive. At times the whaling business, carried on off the ocean shore, and the manufacture of tar from the pine forests which abounded here, were matters of considerable importance. Perma- nent settlement, however, grew slowly. As an instance of the value of land in primitive days we may mention that Little Neck, adjoining Connecticut River just below Yaphank Creek, was sold at public auction May 15th 1716, and Nathaniel Brewster bought it for £70 135. "in money." May 5th 1724 the town meeting voted that Nathaniel Brewster should have the stream "at South," called the Beaverdam River, to build a grist- mill and fulling-mill upon, to be commenced within two years; the stream to remain in his possession as long as it was used for such purposes. The fact that on the 26th of March 1742 the trustees granted the privilege of locating a mill on this stream to William Helme jr. sug- gests the suspicion that the former grant had been ne- glected. A low dam is nearly all the mark that is left to show that this grant was ever used. A dock has been constructed at a point on Connecticut River called Squassucks.

A SAD AND MYSTERIOUS CASUALTY

occurred on the ocean shore opposite here on the night of September 5th 1813. Eleven men who went from here to draw a seine on the beach were all lost in the sea, not one surviving to tell the terrible details of the calamity. The names of the drowned men were William Rose, Isaac Woodruff, Lewis Parshall, Benjamin Brown, Nehemiah Hand, James Homan, Charles Ellison, James Prior, Daniel Parshall, Henry Homan and Jolin Hulse.

BROOKHAVEN VILLAGE CHURCHES.

A small Methodist Episcopal church was built in this village in 1848. In 1872 this was removed to another site and enlarged. This church up to 1870 was supplied in connection with the church at Coram. It was then associated with Moriches, but has since only been united ance Hall, and the division still has an existence and in ministerial charge with Bellport. These congregations owns the building. It has about 90 members.

have been supplied by the following ministers: Siegfried Kristeller, 1871; J. T. Langlois, 1872; C. P. Cowper, 1873; Smith A. Sands, 1874, 1875; Daniel Jones, 1876- 78; W. T. Beale, 1879, 1880; D. F. Hallock, 1881.

The first worship according to the forms of the Epis- copal church in this village was held by Rev. Charles Douglass at the dwelling house of Charles Swezey. Other clergymen afterward officiated. In the year 1873 a church was built and named in honor of St. James. The building cost about $1,500. The ground on which it stands was given by John L. Ireland. The first minister located here was I. N. W. Irvine, who officiated here and

THE TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN.

at Yaphank about three years, and was succeeded by Thomas Fletcher, for two years. There was then no regular pastor until 1881, when Rev. Josephus Traggett was stationed here. A Sunday-school has been main- tained since the organization of the church, with an av- erage attendance of about 25.

SOUTH HAVEN.

South Haven is a small settlement on the west side of Connecticut River, between it and the small tributary stream which the Indians called Yamphank. The name Yamphank was originally applied to the neck of land thus formed. The settlement is of very ancient origin. It cannot be definitely stated at what time it began, but there are documents on record which show that a grist- mill, saw-mill and fulling-mill had been established on the river here, and that

A PRESBYTERIAN MEETING-HOUSE

stood near them, in the midst of a settlement, as early as the year 1745. The name of the locality was changed from Yamphank Neck to South Haven by vote of the people of the town May 3d 1757. The first minister of this church of whom we can find any record was Abner Reeve, who was ordained pastor of the church at Moriches November 6th 1755; this parish and West Hampton were at that time branches of Moriches. He was dismissed in 1763, and David Rose succeed- ed him, being ordained here December 4th 1765, over of St. George, Southport and Winthrop's Patent," to which was added a year or two later the church at Mid- dle Island. Mr. Rose died January Ist 1799. Ministers have supplied this church since then as follows: Robert H. Chapman, a few months in 1800-1; Herman Daggett, 1801-07; Ezra King, 1814-39; Abijah Tomlinson, several years from 1840; R. Cruikshank, who resigned in August 1854; J. A. Saxton, 1854-56; William H. Cooper, 1856-80; N. I. Marselus Bogert, June Ist 1881 to the present time. The present meeting-house was erected in 1828.

the charge which consisted of "Moriches, Manor Moriches patentship. During the first years of the last

MASTIC.

On the east side of the Connecticut River lies the peninsula of Mastic, a valuable and beautiful tract of land projecting so nearly across the great bay as to re- duce it to the width of a mere channel. This tract forms the shore front of the principal part of the territory in- corporated as the manor of St. George. Several of the most conspicuous members of three prominent early families, the "Tangier" Smiths, the Floyds and the Wcod- hulls, have had homesteads upon it. The soil is good, and several large farms are employed in stock raising,

though this interest is probably now on the decrease. The shore, which is extremely ragged, is broken into several necks, which, with the small creeks that divide them, still preserve their Indiam names, among which are Poosepatuck, Sebonack, Necommack, Coosputus, Patterquash, Unchahang and Mattemoy.

During the Revolutionary war the British troops erected a fort near the present residence of Hon. Egbert T. Smith, on the southwest part of the peninsula. This fort was captured and partially destroyed by a detach- ment of continental troops under Major Benjamin Tall- madge, November 27th 1780, a more full account of which will be found elsewhere.

On a reservation on the east side of the peninsula live a remnant of the Pochaug tribe of Indians. They have a small church, and a school, which is supported by the State. The deed by which the right to plant and use 175 acres was given by William Smith to these Indians is dated July 2nd 1700.

MORICHES.

The title to the land on which the extended village of Moriches is built was gained by three different pat- ents. That lying between Mastic River and the creek Senex was included in Smith's first patent; that between Senex and the mill stream now called Barnes's Mill Pond. (formerly Terrill's River) was included in Smith's second patent; and that east of the latter point was covered by the patent given for land purchased by Messrs. Taylor, Townsend and Willets, commonly known as the century the neck of land lying on the west of the mill stream was called Warratta, and was in the possession of Samuel Terrill. The mill stream named in his honor was by the Indians called Paquatuck, and the land on the east of it was called Moriches or Maritches. Settlement was begun here at a very early date, probably in the early part of the last century. It did not become a part of the town of Brookhaven until about the time of the Revolution.

CHURCHES OF MORICHES.

A Presbyterian church appears to have existed here previous to the middle of the last century, though it is not known to have had any house of worship of its own. Private houses were used for that purpose. Rev. Nehe- miah Greenman, licensed by the Suffolk Presbytery Oc- tober 20th 1748, was appointed to preach here and one year later was released. This was then a part of a large parish comprising Moriches, West Hampton and South Haven. In 1754 Rev. Abner Reeve appears as the pastor of these churches. He continued in that relation with this church until 1763. The Presbyterian element seems to have died out in the course of several years and the church became extinct.

The first church erected here, "the union meeting-

THE TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN.

house," was built in 1809 and used by the different de- nominations which were then struggling for an existence. In 1817 a Congregational church was organized here. November 14th 1831. the Presbyterian church was re- organized. The present church was built in 1839, and it was for several years used by both these denomina- tions. The parish was incorporated in 1849, as a Presby- terian church, and about that time the Congregational society became practically extinct. Captain Josiah Smith about this time gave to the parish some seven acres of land for a parsonage, which was built in 1850. The adjoining cemetery was opened for burials in 1851. The church edifice was enlarged in 1861. The church membership is over 200. Since the reorganization the following ministers have been in charge: Alfred Ketcham, 1831-34; Christopher Youngs, 1834-36; John Moase, 1836-38; Thomas Owen, 1838-47; Henry M. Parsons, 1847-52; Augustus T. Dobson, 1853-69; Robert Scott, 1869-72; Samuel Whaley, 1872-76; Hamilton B. Holmes, 1877 to the present time.

A Methodist Protestant class was formed here March 12th 1839, by Rev. Elias Griswold. During the same year a church was built. The following pastors served the church: Rev. Messrs. Griswold, Moran, W. F. Har- ris, R. Lent, T. K. Wetsell, J. Feltey, Webber, Skinner, Frederick Dickerman, J. S. Kingsland,- Joshua Hudson, E. Stockwell and T. L. Dibble. The membership hav- ing been reduced to five persons the church building was in 1868 given to the society of the same denomina- tion at Manor, and it was moved thither in 1869.

The Methodist Episcopal church of this village was built in 1839. A church had been organized four or five years previously, consisting of. ten members. . Its present membership is about 135. In ministerial supply the church was connected with West Hampton until 1870, when it was associated with the church at Fireplace, with Rev. Henry Still pastor. Since that year the church has had a pastor independently. The following ministers have filled that position: Henry Still, 1871; George Filmer, 1872-74; A. A. Belmont, 1875; Robert Codling, 1876; Charles H. Beale, 1877-79; William Ross, 1880; L. S. Stowe, 1881.

EAST MORICHES AND EASTPORT.

At East Moriches, a village of five hundred inhabi- tants, the Presbyterian and Methodist churches both have chapels.

Eastport is a village of five hundred inhabitants lying on the dividing line between this town and Southampton. A grist-mill was established on the boundary stream about a hundred years ago. The village name, taken from the Indian name of this stream, was Seatuck, and a post-office by that name was established here in 1849. This was discontinued in 1857, and the present name was adopted in 1860, while the present post-office was not established until 1873.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES .*

GEORGE F, CARMAN.

George Franklin Carman, whose portrait appears upon another page, was born in Patchogue, April 18th 1827. His father, Gilbert Carman, came from Hempstead, in which town the family have long resided, with a history that places them among the early pioneers in settlement, and among the leaders in all public and private enter- prises. In civil and political life the name is permanently recorded. Stephen Carman, great-grandfather to George F., was elected from Queens county to the State Legis- lature in 1788, where he was kept by the suffrages of his fellow citizens till 1819-31 consecutive years. The his- tory of Long Island or of the State has no parallel to this case of continuous political service.

Mr. Carman's early life was not blessed-or cursed, as is frequently the case-with the surroundings of wealth and consequent ease. The incentives to per -- sonal exertion existed from the very first, so that after the usual routine of a boy's life-farm work summers and district school winters, much of the time living away from home-he went at the age of 16 to learn the car- penter's trade. Four years later he became, in common with hundreds of other young men, enamored with the notion of a whaling voyage. With the promptness of his decisive nature the act at once followed the decision, and in company with three acquaintances he went to Greenport and sailed in the ship "Nile," Captain Isaac Case, on a whaling voyage that lasted 37 months before he again looked on the familiar scenes and faces in Suf- folk county. He had not been ten days at sea before he considered his action a foolish one, and he continued to regret it all the time he was gone. Still the trip, which took him the whole length of the Pacific Ocean four times, did him more good than he could then measure. He had abundant time for reading and reflection, which was well improved, and his contact with men necessitated an intimate study of their dispositions, emotions and actions, that has continued to bear fruit of constant use. Besides he saw the world, mastered the science and prac- tice of navigation, learned much of the language of the Sandwich Islanders, and when he again set his foot on land he was a matured man, with a settled determination to do his best at whatever he should undertake. Although offers of rapid promotion were placed before him the sea had no charms, and he returned to his la- borious occupation and became a builder and contractor.

In 1855 he was elected one of the seven town trustees and one of the two overseers of the poor. In the fall of the same year he was elected sheriff of Suffolk county, which necessitated his removal to Riverhead, where he lived for the next three years in the apartments in the county buildings provided for that functionary. His ad-

* Some of these were written by others than the author of the fore- going history. Those by Mr. Bayles are the sketches of the Floyd family (excepting that of the present William Fioyd), Mordecai Homan, Benjamin T. Hutchinson, Nathaniei Miller, the Mount family, Jobn Rose, the Smiths, the Strong family (excepting that of Judge Seiah Brewster Strong and his children), Benjamin F. Thompson, John M. Williamson, Aifred D. Wilson, G. P. Mills and the Woodhuil family.

Geo. Fr Garman

THE TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN.

ministration of the affairs of this office was entirely satis- factory to his constituents, and his successor, Stephen J. Wilson, appointed him under-sheriff, in which capacity he served till July Ist following, when he resigned and returned to his home in Patchogue. Here he took charge as editor and proprietor of the Suffolk Herald, a paper that he had established two years previously, and devoted his time to its interests until the summer of 1862.

At this time the internal revenue laws framed to pro- vide funds to help meet the extraordinary expenses caused by the great slave-holders' rebellion went into operation, and Mr. Carman was designated by the pres- ident as " collector for the Ist collection district of the State of New York, during the pleasure of the president of the United States, for the time being and until the end of the next session of the Senate of the United States, and no longer." This appointment was dated the 22nd day of August 1862, and was signed by Abraham Lincoln, president of the United States, and S. P. Chase, secretary of the treasury. This document, as may be imagined, has been carefully preserved, for Mr. Chase assured Mr. Carman that it was the first of the kind issued by the department, and was the first one signed by President Lincoln. The great State of New York was selected as the starting point, on account of its chief city being the money center of the nation, and the three counties of Richmond, Queens and Suffolk, having large and complicated manufacturing interests, and a more extended water front than any other in the nation, constituted the Ist collection district. Mr. Carman's appointment was not solicited, but on the con- trary President Lincoln asked Mr. Carman in person if he would accept it. When the Senate again met his name was put in regular nomination by the president, the nomination was confirmed by the Senate, and a second appointment, dated March 6th 1863, signed as before, was forwarded to the appointee. Under this commission Mr. Carman discharged the duties of the office through the administrations of Lincoln and John- son, and from March to June 23d 1869, under President Grant's administration, when he resigned his position. The following paper, more weighty than a volume of praise, was forwarded to his address:

"TREASURY DEPARTMENT, "Comptroller's Office, " March 8 1870.

"Geo. F. Carman, Esq., late U. S. Internal Revenue Collector Ist Dist. of State of New York, Long Island City, N. Y.

"SIR : Your accounts as Collector of Internal Revenue and Disbursing Agent to June 23d 1869 have been ad- justed, balanced and closed on the books of this De- partment. " Very Respectfully Yours,

" R. W. TAYLOR, "Comptroller."

The like of this paper more than one collector of in- tarnal revenue in this State has never been able to get from that day to this. It is but justice to state that the books and methods of doing the business of the first dis-

trict of New York were regarded by the department, as models of their kind, and openly commended to other collectors as worthy of their study and guidance. No description can give any adequate idea of the magnitude and complexity of the interests involved, or the immense labor and skill demanded and expended in conducting the affairs of this, one of the most important and most difficult internal revenue districts in the nation.

Upon quitting the service of the federal government Mr. Carman entered the service of the South Side Rail- road Company as general manager, in which capacity he served two years, under the presidency of Charles Fox. The road was then sold to Jacob R. Shiphard & Co., who assumed control, which continued one year, when, failing to meet their obligations for the balance of pur- chase money, the property reverted to the original stock- holders. The old board of management was re-elected and reorganized as before, with the exception of the presidency, in which office George F. Carman was placed, with Charles Fox as vice-president. When sold to Shiphard & Co. the road was in good condition finan- cially, with provision for completing and paying for an extension of 15 miles east of Patchogue, that was under contract and in process of construction. The wildcat purchasers, from considerations never made public, com- promised this contract, and abandoned the extension. When the old directors came to investigate matters they found the company hopelessly bankrupt, evidently the result of the most reckless and questionable manage- ment. As president Mr. Carman struggled along six months, hoping to effect some compromise, when it be- came evident that the State courts were about to appoint a receiver. To avoid this the company, having made previous arrangements for such a contingency, handed the road over to the United States marshal, acknowledg- ing itself bankrupt. Charles Jones was appointed by Judge Benedict receiver in bankruptcy, and he appointed G. F. Carman as his representative to run the road, which he did very successfully till its public sale, when it was bought by Conrad Poppenhusen, and Mr. Car- man's official connection with it ended. About 1870, previous to his retirement, he bought of Orange Judd for $100,000 the Flushing Railroad, from tide water at Hunter's Point to Winfield, about three miles, and sold it to the South Side Company. This property, with its water-front and dock franchises, remains to the present time one of the company's most valuable adjuncts and acquisitions.

In the fall of 1869 Mr. Carman was elected member of Assembly. During the ensuing session, in which the house was under Democratic control, he was appointed and served on the committees of commerce and naviga- tion and engrossed bills. In 1879 Mr. Carman was again the Republican candidate for the Assembly, and Charles T. Duryea was the Democratic candidate. Upon canvassing the votes the Democratic board of supervisors declared Mr. Duryea elected by a majority of one. Mr. Carman, contending that he was elected by one majority, contested the matter in the Assembly,

THE TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN.

which, after a memorable examination, seated him in place of Mr. Duryea. His services during both terms in the Legislature were creditable to himself and highly satisfactory to his constituents.

He was a Fillmore man in 1856, and has been a Re- publican ever since. He was one of the radicals who in 1872 supported Horace Greeley, the wisdom of which he has never doubted. Often a representative of his party at State conventions, he has been prominently identified with all its movements. He was a warm supporter of Mr. Hayes's administration, and of Mr. Garfield and his administration. His political standing would not be justly represented if it were not added that he has been for many years one of the most influential men in his district, both at home and with the powers at Albany and Washington. He has always belonged to that branch of his party who believe that a majority of the people is the real authority in all matters, and should be respected, and not a majority of the politicians who re- joice in being called " Stalwarts." Through all the com- plications of politics Mr. Carman has preserved his manhood and his honor. His integrity as a citizen, or in the administration of public affairs, has never been assailed. He knows that in the eternal nature of things "honesty is the best policy," because it pays the best.

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