History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I, Part 203

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1354

USA > New York > Westchester County > History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I > Part 203

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).

The road mentioned as laid out in 1727 is undoubt- edly the old road which ran from the present West- chester Bridge to the old bridge next south of the mill at West Farms. The road of 1729 is undoubt- edly the present highway leading to Fort Schuyler through Throgg's Neck, but we find it again laid out in 1737 in order to avoid some difficulties occasioned by Peter Baxter's fence. The present road from Westchester Bridge to Pelham Bridge was authorized as follows :

In 1817, Hermann Le Roy, Thomas C. Taylor, Wil- liam Edgar and their associates were incorporated as a turnpike company to make a turnpike road begin- ning at the canseway leading from the village of Westchester, at some point on the east side of the bridge over Westchester Creek, and to run from thence in the most convenient route to the bridge lately erected over the mouth of East Chester Creek and were to be known as the " Westchester and Pethau Turnpike Road Company."

The Boulevard running from Pelham Bridge to the bridge south of the Westchester village causeway is of recent origin, but the road which runs from West- chester village to the Bronx at the south end of the village of West Farms was originally known as the Westchester turnpike. The road known now as the East Chester road, extending from the Bleach to the East Chester line, and sometimes called the Boston

road, is a continuation of the Coles road mentioned in the chapters on West Farms and Morrisania.

BRIDGES IN THE TOWNSHIP .- William's Bridge, the most northerly of the bridges in the township which cross the Bronx, has already been mentioned in our colonial account. The next bridge south of it at the Bleach was constructed wheu Pelham Avenue was authorized by the Laws of 1864 and 1865.

The bridge at Lydig's Mills was built probably about the time the road from Westchester to the mill was constructed, though a wading-place existed there after the construction of the dam. The other bridges over the Bronx were constructed in comparatively late years ; that in the centre of the village when the road from Tremont to Westchester was opened. All the bridges over the Bronx are now maintained at the joint expense of the township and the city of New York.

Pelham Bridge, which crosses East Chester Creek at the head of East Chester or Pelham Bay, was au- thorized as follows :

By a legislative act of March 16, 1812, Herman Le Roy, James Harvey, William Bayard, John Bartow, Richard Ward, Elbert Roosevelt, Daniel Pelton, Joshua Eustace and John Hunter were incorporated as the East Chester Bridge Company, and authorized to build a toll-bridge from the farm of James Harvey, in the town of Pelham, to the point of Throgg's Neck called Dormer's Island. Within a few years a storm destroyed the bridge, and on April 12, 1816, the General Assembly empowered the company to sell ts property and franchises at public auction, the purchaser to be- come the owner of the franchise for forty-five years. Nothing seems to have been accomplished under this act, and in 1834 George Rapelje was authorized to build a bridge over East Chester Creek "at the point where the bridge formerly stood." If the draw per- mitted free navigation, and the Common Pleas judges of the county were satisfied with the structure, it be- ing made their duty to inspect it, Rapelje was al- lowed to collect tolls upon traffic. His grant was to run thirty years, but in 1860 the supervisors of Westchester County were directed by an act of the Legislature to purchase this Rapelje's or Pelham Bridge and make it free, which they promptly did.

Dormer's Island, mentioned above, is the present hummock or high land since known as Taylor's Island, and now occupied by General Ellis and others.

CHARACTERISTICS AND PRESENT OCCUPANTS .- The township is a well-wooded, park-like country, interspersed with thriving settlements, and at the extreme eastern limit the East River expands into the broad Long Island Sound, indented on the West- chester shore with numerous bays and inlets washing the feet of commanding eminences, from which combined views of inland and marine scenery are to be obtained unsurpassed in any other part of this

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HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

beautiful State. It seems to have been designed by nature to form a fitting suburb to the great city which adjoius it.

On its cxtreme eastern limit on Throgg's Point, at the commencement of Long Island Sound, is Fort Schuyler and the United States government light- house. The fort was erected about the middle of this century, and, in connection with the batteries on the Long Island shore, protects the entrance iuto New York Harbor by the East River. Hammond's Point, near by, now owned by the estate of the late F. C. Havemeyer, a well-known merchant, and at one time supervisor, commauds oue of the finest views on Long Island Sound. Near by the bay is Pennyfield, the residence of the widow of the late George T. Adee, a respected citizen, and one of the members of the old Ou the north side of the neck at Pelham Bridge are the neat cottages of Mr. Pierre Lorrillard, Jr., - Kent, Gouverneur Morris, Jr., and the beautiful resi- dence of General Ellis. The general, after an adven- turous life in California, amoug other public trusts, family of Adee, long settled in the township. Mr. Adec was for many years identified with some of the largest financial institutions in New York. He was a director of the Equitable Life Insurance Company, and for a long time vice-president of the Bank of | having been adjutant-general of the State during the Commerce. Near by are tlic Dominick Lynch, Fran- last war, and in other respects having done much to keep that State iu the Union, has retired to his beau- tiful home at the head of East Chester Bay, for rest from his labors. Next to General Ellis' is Annees- wood, the residence of John Hunter, Esq., of the Hunter family of Pelham. Mr. Hunter has, near by, his paddocks for his raciug stock, and may be counted as one of the successful gentlemen of the turf. He was one of the promoters and founders of the Ameri- can Jockey Club, and is perhaps as well informed on turf matters as any one iu America. His house, a large stone mansion, sets back from the Boulevard in a fine forest of oaks and chestnuts. cis Morris and Vau Schaick places, all now the prop- erty of the Havemeyer family and Mr. John Morris. Mr. John Morris is the son of the late Mr. Francis Morris, an English gentleman who came to this country many years ago, and who, besides being prosperous in business, was a successful breeder of the thoroughbred race-horse. In the immediate vicinity, fronting on Pelham Bay, is the residence of Miss Catharine Lorillard Woolfe, whose power to do good to her fellow-creatures is ouly surpassed by her judgment, discretion and generosity. The grounds are adorned with rare shade-trees, green- houses and graperies, and, though rarcly at the pat- ernal mansion, the town claims her as a towns- woman, and finds in her a worthy successor to her father, the late John David Woolfe.

On the Neck road is also the Van Schaick home- stead, whose owners some years since left by his will a sum of mouey to found a free library and reading- room for the township. This building is on the road near the Episcopal Church in the village. Driving towards the village on the Neck road, one passes the old Carter mansion, the Turnbull place and the Cem- etery of St. Raymond (Roman Catholic), and near by is the former residence of William H. Bowne, now deceased, who, with his family, have for generations been identified with the town. On Ferris' Neck and Zerega's Point are the residences of Mr. Ferris, whose family owned the land for generations, Mr. Zerega and Jacob Lorillard. And near by, next to the Pres- byterian Church, is the celebrated boys' school, kept by Mr. Thomas Harrington, at which he is now teach- ing the sons of his former pupils. On the road to Pelham, before crossing the old causeway, stands the former residence of the late Mr. Syndey B. Bownc, a worthy and respected Quaker, resident of the town- ship, whose son Thomas has succeeded him and his

brother William in the management of the old coun- try store in the village, known throughout the coun- ty still as "Sydney Bowne's." This store is and probably was the best sample of a country storc ever known. Sydney always had everything which was asked for. Once on a wager some gentlemen asked for some goose-yokes, rather a rare commodity. Sydney furnished the article on the spot. Another bet was then made that he could not furnish a pulpit. For a inoment the venerable Quaker was at a loss, but sud- denly, recalling the contents of the garret, he ex- claimed, "Thomas, thee will find Parson Wilkins' old pulpit behind the chimney in the garret." It seems that when the church was renovated, Mr. Bowue had bought the old pulpit.

Next to Mr. Hunter's is the former residence of John F. Furman, recently deceased, a gentleman of public spirit aud liberal views. He, at one time, rep- resented the town as supervisor. Adjoining the Fur- man place on the west is the former residence of the late Lawrence Waterbury, now occupied by his son, Mr. James M. Waterbury, who is at present the pres- ident of the Country Club in Pelham. Near by is the old George Lorillard mansion, now owned by his grand-nephew, Mr. Lorillard Spencer. On the road leading to the village, throughi Middletown, is the residence of Claiborne Ferris, of the family of Fer- rises, identified for generations with the township. At one time Mr. Ferris represented the district in the State Assembly. Near by, on the Boulevard, is the residence of James Henderson, for several terms su- pervisor of the township. Leaving Throgg's Neck and crossing the old bridge, we pass through the pic- turesque village of Westchester, and turning to the left and south, we find on the left of the road old St. Peter's Episcopal Church and the two Quaker Meet- ing-houses.

Farther on is the former residence, on Indian Brook, of the late Edward Haight, who represented the district in Congress, and ncar by is the residence

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of Dr. Ellis, one of the oldest and most experienced practitioners of medieine in the county. To the left and farther south is the glebe and parsonage of St. Peter's and by a road turning to the east one arrives at Castle IIill, the former residenee of Gouverneur Morris Wilkins, a grandson of Rev. Isaac Wilkins, one of the former pastors of St. Peter's, and son of Martin Wilkins, a distinguished lawyer, of whom an account is given in another part of this work. The property is now owned and ocenpied during the sum- mer months by Colonel Sereven, a son-in-law of the late Mr. Wilkins. Ou Clason's Point are the old Daniel Ludlow and Robert Henry Ludlow places. The former, after passing through many hands, is now the property of Mr. Leland, of New York, and the westerly portion of this neck is in the possession of the estate of Robert Henry Ludlow, Esq. Near by, after erossing Pugsley's causeway, we come to Wil- mont, the former residence of the late William Wat- son, Esq, a well-known dealer in Irish linens and for many years a respected eitizen of the town. His son, Mr. R. C. Watson, represented the township for one term in the Board of Supervisors. Near Wilmont, on the east side of the Bronx, is situated the De Lancey estate, or so mueli of it as is within the township of Westchester. The de Laneey family are descended from Etienne de Laneey, a French Huguenot who came to this country after the revocation of the Ediet of Nantes. The mill and the other property adjoin- ing before the Revolution was in the possession of ; Peter de Lancey. His son John was the father of Mrs. Governor Yates, whose daughter, Mrs. Samuel Neil, now owns and occupies a portion of the prem- ises. James, the other son, was the famous commander of the Westehester Light-Horse, the Britishi partisan chief already mentioned in our Revolutionary chapter. It is a strange faet that though both sons were Loyal- ists during the Revolution, James' property was for- feited by the aet of attainder, while John's was not.1

The other part of the de Laneey estate is owned by the heirs of Philip Lydig .? Just north of the mills on the banks of the Bronx is Bronxdale, the site of the bleaching mills of the Bolton family, and imine- diately north of the Bleach is the large estate of Peter Lorillard, extending both sides of the river with a lr rulsome stone mansion, garden, hot-houses and graperies.

Peter Lorillard was the son of Peter Lorillard, who, with his brothers George and Jacob, were well-known and respected merehants in New York in the early part of this eentury. Peter, the elder, and George were the founders of the celebrated firm of P. Loril- lard & Co., now perhaps the largest manufacturing firm of tobaeeo in New York. The snuff mill of the firm was formerly operated on the Bronx, but

of late years the factory has been located in Jersey City. Jacob, the other brother, was a leather mer- eliant in New York, in "the swamp." George never married. Peter had lim surviving-Peter married Miss Griswold, from whom deseended Peter (or Pierre), the present head of the firm ; Catharine inar- ried James Kernoehan, of New York ; Jaeob married Franees Uhlong, of New York ; Eva married Lieut .- Col. Lawrence Kip, United States army ; Ernest, de- ceased, sans issue; Mary married Henry Barhey, of Switzerland ; George married Miss Lafarge, of New York ; Louis married Miss Beekman, of New York. Jacob, the third son, leather merchant, married Miss Kuntze, of New York; by her he had Catharine Anna, married George P. Cammann, M.D., late of Fordham; Margaretta H. married Thomas Ward, M.D., of New York ; Eliza M. married N. P. Bailey, of Fordham and New York; Jacob, deceased, mar- ried Miss Bayard, of West Farms; Emily married Lewis G. Morris, of Fordham ; Julia married Daniel M. Edgar, formerly of Westehester.

North of the Lorillard place, and fronting the Bronx, are the hamlets of Olinville and Williams' Bridge. Here is the residenee of Mr. Peter Briggs, and near by on the East Chester road that of the late Harvey Kidd, the first a supervisor and the latter member of Assembly from the township. On the road from Williams' Bridge to Westehester are situ- ated the country places of the late Abraham Hatfield, for many years supervisor, and near by resided Den- ton Pearsall, at one time president of the Bowery Butehers' and Drovers' Bank.

RAILROADS .- The township is interseeted by tlie Port Chester Braneli of the New Haven Railroad. On this line the following stations are within the township: West Farms, Proteetory, Westehester. Timpson's and Bayehester.

BIOGRAPHY.

FREDERICK C. HAVEMYER.

The progenitors of the family who have obtained so honorable a position in this State were William F. and Frederick C. Havemyer, who came to America from Buckeburg, Schaumburg, Lippe, Germany, about the year 1802. The foriner was the father of William F. Havemyer, late mayor of the city of New York. The latter married Catharine Billiger, and their children were Charles H., Diederiek M., George L. H., Edward H., Frederick C., Charlotte (wife of W. J. Eyer, a clergyman of the Lutheran Church), Catharine (wife of Warren Harriot), Susannah (wife of Dr. Henry Senff) and Mary R. (wife of John I. Northrup).

1 " llistory of New fork," by Chief Justice Jones and notes by Edward F. de Lancey.

2 For Lydig, see West Farms.

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HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

Frederick C. Havemyer, the only surviving son of this family, was born in the city of New York in 1807. At the age of nine years he entered the classical school conducted by Joseph Nelson, a very popular instructor and familiarly known as the blind teacher. In 1821 he entered Columbia College, where he remained till the completion of the sopho- more ycar, obtaining that mental disciplinc and class- ical knowledge which have so largely assisted him in mercantile life. His father and uncle had previously established a sugar refiuery, under the name of W. & F. C. Havemyer, in Vandam Street, New York. This establishment he entered as an apprentice and was formally introduced as such to his uncle by his father. Having obtained a thorough knowledge of the business, he formed a partnership with his cousin, William F. Havemyer, late mayor of New York, which continued till 1842, when both retired from business, and were succeeded by their brothers, Al- bert and Diederick. Possessing, at the age of twenty, sufficient skill and knowledge to conduct the busi- ness of a refinery, during all the years of this co-partnership he worked with his men in every branch of the business, from passing coal to the fur- naces to the highest duties of refining, becoming an expert in every department, and this experience gave him immense advantage when, at a future day, under systems not then discovered, it was his destiny to re-enter a business which he then supposed he had left forever.

His father died in 1841, and for more than ten years Mr. Havemyer devoted himself to the care of his own and his father's estates. During these years he made a tour of pleasure and observation through the United States, and also traveled in Europe. In 1855 he again engaged in active business in Williams- burg, then a suburb of Brooklyn, and the business then established has been continued with greatly increased facilities up to the present. So greatly has it grown that the capacity of refining has been in- creased five hundred tons of raw sugar a day, and four thousand barrels of refined sugar are turned out every twenty-four hours. The consumption of coal is one hundred tons per day, while two thousand men are employed and the steam-engines represent twenty-two hundred horse-power. Throughout the whole establishment everything is conducted in the most systematic manner, and a practical man visiting the establishment is immediately impressed with the magnificient engincering everywhere present,-the arrangement of the machinery, the closeness of the connections and arrangements for the cheap and easy handling of the immense amount of matcrial daily used. There are seventeen steam-engines, many ofthem of large capacity, and all of modern construc- tion.

In 1861 the firm was composed of Frederick C. Havcmnyer, his son George and Dwight Townsend, under the firm-name of Havemyer, Townsend & Co.

George Havemyer was killed by an accident before the close of the year. He was a young man of bril- liant promise and his death was a severe blow to his father's family. Subsequently Mr. Havemyer ad- mitted his son, Theodore A., and his son-in-law, J. Lawrence Elder, as partners, and the firm-name be- came Havemyers & Elder, which is still retained. F. C. Havemyer, Theodore A. and H. O. Have- myer and Charles H. Senff now constitute the firm.

In January, 1882, the principal buildings of the refinery were destroyed by fire. A new and more capacious refinery was soon after erected upon an adjoining site aud is now in full operation.

The present residcuce of Mr. Havemyer is a man- sion built by a Mr. Hammond, a large landholder, about 1800. The place adjoins the grounds of Fort Schuyler, is beautifully located and affords fine views of Long Island Sound.

Mr. Havemyer married Sarah L. Osborne. Their children are Frederick, George W. (deceased), Theo- dore A., Thomas J., Harry O., Mary (wife of .J. Lawrence Elder), Catharine (wife of L. J. Belloni, Jr.) and Sarah L. (wife of Frederick Jackson).

COLLIS POTTER HUNTINGTON.

Mr. Huntington was born October 22, 1821, at Harwinton, Litchfield County, Conn. He comes of good stock, which counts among its noted men in this country Samuel Huntington, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, president of the Continental Congress, and Governor and chief justice of Connecticut ; Bishop F. D. Huntington and the celebrated painter, Daniel Huntington.

Mr. Huntington's father was a farmer, and at one time a manufacturer on a small scale. He was an honest, prudcut and painstaking man, but never at- tained wealth. He had nine children, of whom Collis P. was the fifth. After the usual and excellent cus- tom of New England people in former days, the children were not only sent to school, but were early and carefully trained to habits of regular industry, taught the value of time and money, and encouraged to take a just pride in contributing to the mainten- ance of the household, or where, as in this case, that was not necessary, in depending on their own labor for pocket-money.

A story, very characteristic of the man in later years, is related of the boy Collis by a neighbor, still living, who gave him the opportunity to make his first dollar. The boy, then scarcely nine years of age, was employed by this neighbor to pile up in the wood- shed a quantity of wood which had been sawed for the winter. He piled it neatly and smoothly, and when this was done, with that spirit of thoroughness and liking for good work with which, in middle age, he built railroads, he picked up all the chips in the wood-yard, and swept it clean with an old broom. His employer, returning home in the evening, was so well pleased with the way in which the boy had done his

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work, that he patted him on the head, praised him for his faithfulness, and gave him a dollar, saying : " You have done this so well that I shall be glad to have you pile my wood next fall again." Young Huntington showed himself greatly delighted with the praise and the dollar-the first dollar he had ever earned or owned. "But," added the gentleman, who remembered this incident in the boy's life, "Colfis said to me, with a bright laugh, 'You don't suppose I'm going to pile wood for a living the rest of my life? ' "

When he was fourteen years of age he left school, and asked his father to give him his time on condi- tion that he should thenceforth support himself. It was the custom in those days in New England for boys to serve their parents until they were of age; this service, of course, entitling them to maintenance. It is a curious proof of the confidence which the boy inspired in those who knew him, that not only did his father presently consent to his proposition, but when young Huntington went to New York, at the age of fifteen, he was able to obtain credit for a small pur- chase of goods, with which he began his career as a merchant, a country neighbor of his father's not ouly vouching for him, but saying : "You may send me all Huntington's notcs ; he is sure to pay."

Beginning in a small way, the young inan soon ex- tended his business, and before he was twenty-four had traveled over a considerable part of the Western and Southern States. He took as partner an elder brother, who is now a farmer in Otsego County, in the State of New York; and at Onconta, in this county, the two finally settled themselves as general dealers or country merchants, extending their opera- tions also in grain, butter, coopering, and, in fact, in all business directions which the region made profit- able.

selves . But when they reached Panama, no vessel appeared to take them north. They found a great erowd-the passengers by a previous steamer-waiting impatiently, and they were detained long enough to see several other steamer-loads arrive from New York and New Orleans. Thrown together in a small foreign town, a promiseuous company of adventurers, with no restraints of public opinion, and nothing to occupy their minds or hands, the unhappy people took to gambling and various kinds of dissipation ; and the climate and their own imprudence caused much misery and sickness and a great many deaths. Mr. Hunting- ton feeling the need of employment to while away the tedium of delay, and disinelined to dissipation, under- took the transport of baggage and cargo across the Isthmus. He began with one donkey. and was so successful that he was presently the owner of a train of animals, and while the less energetie gold-seekers were wasting their means and health, the long delay of ten or twelve weeks enabled him to earn a hand- some sum of money, which gave him an important start on his arrival in San Francisco. It is a notable fact that while alinost all the delayed passengers suf- fered from fevers, aud mauy died, Huntington, who worked constantly, aud marched on foot in the hot sun many times across the Isthmus, had not a day's illness.

He arrived in San Francisco in August, 1849, hav- ing been five months on the way. He saw at once that that city was not the place for him, and on the very morning of his arrival, after buying a break- fast of bread and cheese, hunted up a vessel going to Sacramento. He found a schooner, the master of which-later the captain of one of the finest steamers on the Sacramento River-offered him a dollar an hour to help load her, and he carned his passage- mnouey in this way, and landed in Sacramento richer by some dollars than when he arrived in San Fran- cisco.

In October, 1848, the two brothers made a shipment of goods to California, where the rush of gold-seekers had created a sudden demand for many and various His training and natural inborn capacity as a mer- chantand business man now came into play. Neither he nor his partner and dear friend of many years-the late Mark Hopkins-ever spent much time in actual gold-mining. Mr. Huntington, it is said, returned to Sacramento after four days at the nearest mining camp, convinced that gold-digging had too many risks beyond the control of the digger to be to his taste. He became again a merchant, and began, in a small tent and with a very limited supply of goods that business career in California which made him during many years, one of the foremost merchants of the State and one of the most successful. products. They sent their cargo around Cape Horn, and almost before it could arrive, Mr. Huntington de- termined himself to try the new region. He probably felt that he needed a larger field for his enterprising spirit and his ability than was afforded by an interior county in New York. He transferred his share in the home business to his brother, and sailed for San Francisco, by way of the Isthmus, in March, 1849. He had then been actively engaged in business, but upon a small capital slowly saved, for ten or twelve years. He was twenty-eight years of age, in perfect health, active, stronger than most men, with an iron frame and good New England habits ; and his first There are many amusing stories current among old Sacramento men of Mr. Huntington's early business career, all showing the remarkable sagacity, quick- ness to see and grasp opportunities, and sterling honesty and love of fair play which have been his conspicuous traits. It is told of him that he wasonce adventure on the way showed that the man had kept the sagacity and clear-headed enterprise of the boy. He was landed on the Isthmus in company with sev- eral hundred other anxious gold-seekers; they all got across to the Pacific as well as they could, hiring tlonkeys for their baggage and marching on foot them- besought to buy a large tent, the property of a com-

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History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I, Part 203

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co. Number of Pages: 1354

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1354