History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. II, Part 86

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898,
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1286

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. II > Part 86

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 company manufacture, as their name implies, an improved self-feeding cotton-gin, and, in connce- tion with it, produce an improved feeder and con- denser. They also make a Huller Gin, which they claim will gin as fast and make as smooth a sample from dirty, trashy and hully cotton as any other gin in the market. The works of the company are located on the middle dock, between the railroad and the river, and are in a brick building three stories in

height, and about one hundred and fifty by seventy- five feet in extent.

The manufacture of cotton gin saws was started in Sing Sing by Jonathan T. Turner, who came to the village from New London, Conn. Only the very finest Sheffield steel is used in these saws. The manufae- tory is located a short distance east of the railroad station.

John T. Turner, a son of Jonathan T. Turner, in- vented a machine for dressing or trueing the surface of grinding-stones, which was patented July 10, 1873, and is said to do very effective work.

In 1881 a pickle house was started by Alart & Mc -- Guire, of New York, a short distance northeast of the station. The same firm has another establish- ment at Dobbs Ferry.

THE SING SING GAS MANUFACTURING COM- PANY was organized July 1, 1855, with Thos. Smull as president, Marlborough Churchill treasurer and Geo. E. Stanton secretary. The present secretary, Mr. C. F. Maurice, has filled this office since 1856. The eapital stock is twen- ty-five thousand dollars. The company, in addition to supplying the private wants of the people, lights the streets and also the State Prison. The an- nual consum ption of gas amounts to about ten million cubic feet, which is supplied through ten miles of mains.

Ebenezer G. Blakeslee

The writer of this arti- cle very | well remembers casting his vote in the affirmative, as president of the village, in 1855, when the ques- tion of lighting the place by gas was before the board of trustees which had voted four ycas and four nays.

One of the important industries which is car- ried on in Sing Sing is the manufacture of Bran- dreth's pills and Aleock's porous plasters. The pill- factory was established in this place about the year 1837. The porous plasters have been made exclus- ively in this place. The quantity manufactured an- nually reaches the enormous number of five millions. Of the pills, one million two hundred thousand boxes are annually made and sold. Since 1864 the govern- ment has received from this establishment, for reve- enue or proprietary stamps, the sum of about one mil-

360

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

lion of dollars. The printing bills of the company average about fifty thousand dollars per annum. Both the pills and plasters are manufactured by the one concern, "The Porous Plaster Company."

Benjamin Brandreth, the inventor of the proprie- tary medicines, the sales of which have reached such enormous proportions, was born in England in 1809. His maternal grandfather was a skillful physician, and enjoyed a large practice near Liverpool, and at an early age his grandson was employed under his direction in compounding pills for gratuitous distri- bution among the poor. After the death of his grandfather he resolved to seck a larger field, and came to America in 1835 with his wife and three children. A house was rented in Hudson Street, New York, and this was not only the residence of his family, but his entire business establishment. The attic was used as his laboratory, where he prepared his pills, his wife pasted the labels on the boxes, and his eldest son, George, was just large enough to count the number of pills for each box. After paying rent and advertising bills, he had remaining of the money which he brought from England the sum of thirty dollars, the entire cash capital of a business which afterwards rose to millions. His sales so rapidly in- creased that it was necessary to hire the adjoining house, which he filled with his assistants, and during the second year four hundred thousand boxes of pills were sold. In 1837 he removed his business to Sing Sing, and purchased land to such an extent that he was able to build his various factories at such distance apart as to prevent any chance of total destruction in case of fire. In 1848 Dr. Brandreth purchased an interest in "Alcock's Porous Plasters," and in 1857 became the sole proprietor, and added this to his al- ready immense business. The career of Dr. Brandreth is the most important episode in the history of adver- tising. During his life he expended for that purpose alone the enormous sum of three million dollars, and the various ways by which his medicines were brought to the attention of the public were almost number- less. The appreciation by the people of his great energy and business capacity was manifested by his election to the State Senate in 1850, and he was again elected to that position in 1858. In 1854 he purchased land in New York and built the Brandreth House, at the corner of Broadway and Canal Street, a very valuable piece of property.

Dr. Brandreth was twice married. His first wife was Harriet Smallpage, whom he wedded in England. By this union he had three children-George A., Charles, and Ellen, wife of Henry Bacon, of Goshen, Orange County. Mrs. Brandreth died in 1836, and he was married a second time to Virginia Graham. They were the parents of ten children-Beatrice, wife of Colonel Henry C. Symonds; William, Henry, Franklin, Annie, wife of Edwin MeAlpin ; Gertrude, wife of Frank B. Robinson; Florence, wife of Lieu- tenant Herbert J. Slocum; Kate, wife of Lieutenant

Heury L. Green, United States Navy; Ralph and Isabella. Dr. Brandreth was for many years presi- dent of the village of Sing Sing, and died February 19, 1880. His business which had grown to vast pro- portions, was left to his sons, of whom Henry is the general agent in England, while the others conduct the manufacture in this country. The annual pro- ductions by the firm are two million boxes of pills, and five million of Allcock's Porous Plasters. The history of the country affords few instances of a lar- ger result arising from a smaller beginning.

William Brandreth, son of Dr. Benjamin Bran- dreth, was born at Sing Sing, October 22, 1842. His early education was obtained at Mount Pleas- ant Academy, and when sixteen years of age, he went to New York, where he gained a thorough knowledge of his business as a pharmaceutist and druggist, and subsequently became connected with the wholesale drug trade, in the Spanish firm of Palanca & Escalante. At the age of twenty- one, he went to South America, and traveled exten- sively, remaining for some time in Venezuela, and afterwards passed a year in the British, Dutch and Danish West Indies. From thence he went to Cali- fornia by way of the Isthinus of Panama, and re- mained there four years. During a portion of this time, he was engaged in introducing and extending the sale of medicines, but afterwards established a life insurance agency, in which he founded a very extensive business, and enjoyed a high degree of suc- cess.

In 1868, he returned to Sing Sing, where he be- came interested in insurance and real estate trans- actions, in which he was very successful, and two years later established the firm of Howland & Brandreth, which for years carried on a very extensive and profit- able business.

In 1876 he disposed of his interest in the firm, and removed to New York, where he opened an office for the purpose of dealing ,iu mines and mineral lands, and in the prosceution of this business, he had ample opportunities of becoming acquainted with the mineral resources of various portions of the country, and acquired a practical knowledge of metallurgy. While thus engaged, he became acquainted with W. W. Chipman, who had discovered a method of manufacturing iron and steel from the ore by the direct action of flame, and at a cost which is less than half that of the ordinary methods of production. Experiments conducted by Dr. Charles J. Enies, Ph.D., have demonstrated its entire practicability and give promise of a new era in American manufac- ture. The companies which are at present engaged in the enterprise are the "Graphite Steel and Irou Company." and the "Carbon Iron Company," in both of which Mr. Brandreth has extensive invest- ments ; and he is also largely interested in mineral lands in North Carolina, containing mines of iron, copper and mica, which are as yet undeveloped.

William Mandreth

361

OSSINING.

As a eitizen there are few who have taken a more active part in local improvements. The introduction of steam fire-engines and reservoirs in the village of Sing Sing was largely owing to his efforts, and it is generally admitted that in the business of insurance, his knowledge of all the details is unsurpassed, and his reputation as a thorough-going man of business, and a public-spirited citizen, is fully sustained. Active and energetic in his nature, he sometimes allows his enthusiasm to get the better of his judgment, but no advice that can affect the interests of others is ever given by him, unless based upon the most careful and dispassionate examination, and a knowledge of this fact renders his opinion worthy of the respect which it seldom fails to receive.

Mr. Brandreth is a prominent member of the Masonie order, with which he has been connected for twenty-one years, and in addition to his membership in the Lodges in Sing Sing, lie is also connected with the St. George's Society of New York.

In 1868, he married Sarah Louise, daughter of the late George B. Flint. They are the parents of three children-Sarah Bertha, Louise and Delia.

In whatever business Mr. Brandreth has engaged, it has been his constant practice to leave no means untried to gain a thorough knowledge of all its details. And in this pursuit, no amount of toil ean turn him from his purpose, and no labor, however arduous, can cause discouragement. He is also a director and owner in thic Porous Plaster Company of the village of Sing Sing, which company is the successor of his father's business, manufacturing Brandreth's Pills and Alleock's Porous Plasters. Mr. Brandreth takes great pride in being the pill- maker of the family, his brothers paying more atteu- tion to the manufacturing of porous plasters.

Townsend Young who is also largely identified with the business interests of Sing Sing, is the representative of a family that has long been known iu this county ; the family homestead, which is located near Chap- paqua, having been in the possession of his ancestors for several generations. His father, Johu Young, married Phebe, daughter of Elisha Moseman, and their son, Townsend, was born May 8, 1831. His early life was passed on the farm with his parents, and at the age of twenty he removed to Sing Sing, and be- gan business on his own account, After being employed as clerk in a dry goods store for some time, he com- inenced a partnership with Mr. William E. Ryder, and was afterwards in partnership with James McCord. In 1861, the firm being dissolved, he established a clothing and gentlemen's furnishing store in his own name, and has continued the busi- ness till the present time. In 1878 hc established a branch of the business at Peekskill aud another at Tarrytown in 1882. During the time that Mr. Young has been thus engaged, he has seen the village of Sing Sing increase from a small town to its present pro- portions, and there are few among its citizens who ii .- 33}

have been more actively connected with its progress. For several years he has served as trustce of the vil- lage, and was for three terms elected treasurer. During the administration of Governor John T. Hoffmann, Mr. Young was appointed one of the Loan Commis- sioners of the county, and performed the duties of that office to the satisfaction of the community. With a deep interest in the cause of education he has long been connected with Mount Pleasant Academy as trustee, and the institution has a widely extended reputation. IIe is also trustee of the Savings Bank and of the Dale Cemetery Association. In politics he sides with the Democratic party, but, although - taking a deep interest in political affairs, he has been no seeker after official honors. He has long been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and an active supporter of the denomination, and one of the officials of the church.

Mr. Young married Maria, daughter of John Law- rence, Esq., a well-known citizen of the county, and has two children-Cyrus Townsend and Annie F. He is emphatically a self-made man, and his exer- tions and perseverance have met with well-merited success. He has been especially identified with the growth of the village of Sing Sing, and has been actively interested in the advance of its business and population.

PUBLIC HALLS .- The first hall for public use was known as Foster's Hall. It was a small affair, located over the owner's store. Sherwood's Hall, in Spring Street, also over a store, was larger, and served very well, in its day, for lectures, balls, entertainments, etc. Taylor's Hall, Mott's Hall and Vance's Hall were all rather insignificant places, and yet served their purpose tolerably well at the time they were in use.

In 1861 Talleott's Hall was built. This hall occu- pied the third floor of the large brick building ad- joining the American Hotel. After being used for all sorts of public purposes for which a hall can be occupied, for a period of twelve years, it was leased to the Masons, and is at present known as Masonic Hall.

In 1868 Hugh Herringshaw erected a fine briek building on the corner of Central Avenue and Leon- ard Street, which contained a spacious room called Olive Hall. This hall soon became very popular. The building was destroyed by the great fire of Fcb- ruary 17, 1874. It was immediately rebuilt and opened to the publie on the 27th day of October, 1874. It is now known as the Olive Opera House. This is the only public hall in the village. It is com- modious, neat and quite satisfactory.

THE HOTELS OF SING SING .- The first hotel in Sing Sing, of which we can obtain any knowledge, stood on what is now called Pleasant Square, over the "Town Pump." The buikling had but four rooms on each of its two stories. It was "Ward's Tavern" in Revolutionary times, and is one of the many places

362

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

claimed to have been Washington's headquarters. It was managed by its owner, Major Moses Ward, the father of the late Major-General Aaron Ward, and after his death, by his wife, "Nancy," who was the well-known hostess for many subsequent years. About the year 1830 it was purchased from General Ward by Mr. Samuel Trowbridge, who moved it back abont thirty feet, to its present position, No. 134 Main Street. By this means the square was produced and Main Street much straightened. It was raised in 1841 by David McCord, for store purposes, has undergouc changes since, and yet stands a monument of former days. The writer of this sketch of the history of the town of Ossining occupied this famous old house as a dwelling and office a third of a century ago. The death of one son in this house and the birth of another, not long since deceased, gives him a profoundly melan- choly interest in the old Ward Tavern.

The next hotel in Sing Sing was'known as the Union Hotel, and is still standing on the corner of Highland Avenue and Church Street. It was built about the year 1800 by a man named Holmes. It has had many proprietors in its day. Enoch Crosby, who was the "landlord " in 1836, was the son of the original of J. Fenimore Cooper's character, "The The Spy," in his novel of the same name. " Union Hotel" was for many years the village Stage House, of the New York aud Albany Turnpike Stage Company, which was then the grand trunk, rapid- transit passenger trausportation line from the metro- polis to the State capital. On extraordinary occasions, when the Legislature was in session, as many as fonr stage-coaches, each drawn by four horses, fetched up daily at the ok hotel, with agrand flourish of trumpets, and here the passengers, being less in number than half a modern car-load, regaled themselves on ehieken pot-pie, doughnuts and apple-sauce. Among the dis- tinguished guests that have been entertained at this hotel was the late Emperor Napoleon III., who dined at this place on a number of occasions, while in exile in this country, as he traveled by stage from Bed- ford to Sing Sing, to take the steamboat for New York City. Simeon M. Tompkins who was then the proprietor of the Union Hotel, has frequently told me the conversations he had held with his distinguished guest. Napoleon III. was long ago buried with imperial honors; alas! "Sim," the genial host, was planted beneath the sods of our county poor-house grounds, and the old hotel, still standing in shabby grandeur, is now filled with a motley mass of impecu- nious tenants.

The American Hotel was built about the beginning of this eentury by Colonel Jeseph Hunt, who was for a time its proprietor. This hotel was also a Stage House for several years.

Not long after the erection of the American Hotel the St. Cloud was built by Mr. Andrew Graham. It was once called the Ossining Honse, but I have not been able to learn its original name.

Unfortunately, our village is very poorly supplied with hotels. Such as we have are chiefly interesting from an antiquarian point of view. The town needs at least one large, modern, first-elass hotel, to corre- spond with its size, location and general attractiveuess as a summer resort for city families.

RIVER TRANSPORTATION .- The first vessel which was sailed from Sing Sing was a small two-masted periauger, owned by Captain Hagstaff. He was a res- ident of this place, and landed his boat in the Kill Brook, as we are told, about as far up as the present location of the gas works. He is said to have carried on his business as far back as the Revolutionary period, and probably even earlier. It may seem strange to most persons at this time that Captain Hagstaff could have landed his vessel so far up the brook, but it does not to the writer and many older residents, who have observed the gradual filling up of our river border within quite recent times.

The lower dock was known in the early days of Sing Sing as the Farmers' Dock. Then the river border came up to the present line of Water Street, and in some places still farther inland. Between these lines and the present river margin the ground has been made by filling in, and by the accumulation of fluvial deposits.

Captain Hagstaff has had many successors. One of the earliest was Captain Stephen Lyon, who ran a "passenger packet " between Sing Sing and New York as far back as 1812. He landed at his own, " Lyon's Dock," now the " Middle Dock."

James Delaney, in 1817, was sailing the packet "Victory." In 1819 he was succeeded in command by Captain Richard T. Mattoeks. In 1836 or '37, Captain Peter B. Lynch ran a sloop, the " Charles Lynch," named after his son. About the year 1845 he bought the steamboat "Croton," which he ran in place of his sloop. This was a sluggish craft and soon ended its career. From 1812 to 1832 a consider- able number of steamboats ran from New York to Sing Sing and places above. Among these were the " Mountain Mouse," the " Ariel," the " General Jack- son," the "Cinderella," the " Water Witch" and the " Westchester."

Captain Haff, of Scarborough, built and ran a horse ferry-boat from Sing Sing to Roekland and Haverstraw over sixty years ago.

A succession of market sloops have done the traffic of this vicinity since 1839, at which time the " General Washington " was run by Captain Isaac Woolsey, and the " Amelia" by Captain Solomon Acker. About the same time Captain William Buckhout ran the "Volunteer" four years. Captain Isane C. Smith sailed the "Volunteer" for twenty-three years. Captain J. W. Jenks began his transportation busi- ness in 1837 or 1838, with the market sloop "Fannie." He afterwards ran the sloop "Sea Gull" and the pro- peller " Ora." He died in 1862, and was succeeded by his three sons, who have kept up a propeller line

363

OSSINING.

to the present time, having owned the " Eurcka " and the "Leader," until succeeded by the "Sarah Jenks."

The transportation business was about equally di- vided between Sparta and Sing Sing near the year 1820, at which time Captain Stephen Orser and Cap- tain John Leggett sailed sloops from Sparta. Through some difference in the rental of docks, Captain Leg- gett changed his sailing-place to Sing Sing, and this little circumstance turned the tide of business to the latter place. This is not the only example which history furnishes of a narrow and short-sighted policy, resulting in the ruin of one town and the building up of another.

The river-transportation of a half-century ago was vastly more important than it is at present. That was before the days of railroads. Then the pro- duce of the entire agri- cultural district extend- ing to the Connecticut State line, including the towns of North and South Salem, Bedford and even portions of Putnam County, a distance of thirty miles, was shipped to New York City from this port, and the supplies of groceries and merch- andise received through the same channels.

The numerous railroads which traverse our coun - ty, and the increase of population and growth of villages, which have furnished a home mar- ket for farm produce, has resulted in an alınost en- tire destruc- tion of river transporta- tion.

The saddest of all the incidents connected with our river navigation was the explosion of the passenger steamboat " Magenta," which occurred March 23, 1878. This ill-fated vessel had just left the dock at Sing Sing, and had scarcely reached the prison when an explosion took place that resulted in the death of seven persons. The coroner's inquest brought out the disgraceful fact that the steam boilers were so far woru out that their thickuess at the point of bursting was only one-six- teenth of an inch (!), and yet she carried a recent certif- icate of a government boiler examiner, to assure her pas- sengers that she was safe and sound 1 From all such officials as this examiner may the good Lord deliver us.

Among those largely interested in the dock and

& Jevais Washlung

river front business of Sing Sing is Mr. S. Ferris Washburn, who was born in the town of Newcastle, Westchester County, to which place his grandfather, John Washburn, is said to have removed from Ja- maica, Long Island, just before the Revolution. This father, Solomon Washburn, was a farmer, and the carly life of Mr. Washburn was spent with his parents on the farm, and his education was obtained at the village school. In 1849 he left home to enter into business on his own account, and came to Sing Sing, where he opened a grocery store, and carried on the business till 1853, when he purchased the lumber yard and dock property formerly owned and occupied by - Thomas Bailey, and taking Mr. Secor as a partner, began an extensive busi- ness. In 1856 they pur- chased the whole of the river front property known as the Farmers' Dock, which they greatly enlarged and improved, and established the coal business, which has since been carried on with great success in connection with the lumber yard. In 1878 the north part of the dock property was sold to Jinks Brothers, as the firm did not re- quire so extensive a river front, their remaining wharf having been en- larged sufficiently to ac- commodate their business

Mr. Washburn married, in 1858, Maria, daughter of Reuben Kip, of Som- ers. Their children are Florence C. (wife of Ed- win L.Todd), Helen and Louis F. Mr. Wash- burn has ever declined taking any active part in pol- itics, devoting his time and attention almost exclu- sively to his business. For many years he has been one of the trustees of the Presbyterian Church of Sing Sing, with which his family is connected.

The firm of Secor & Washburn are now doing a business which is very extensive, and supply the large local demand of the surrounding country.

THOMAS COLLYER AND SHIP-BUILDING IN SING SING .- Fifty years ago, and since that time, Sing Sing numbered among its most important industries ship- building, or more correctly speaking sloop and schooner building. Captain Moses Stanton had a " ship yard " here, and in 1855-56 Captain Isaac Smith also had

364

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

one at the upper doek. The latter built a very beautiful brig, which was launched in 1856, if I re- member correctly. Captain Smith was a famous steamboat builder. But the most distinguished ship- builder who ever resided in Sing Sing was the late Thomas Collyer, whose remains repose in a fine stone vault in Dale Cemetery. Mr. Collyer was so celebra- ted in his profession that I have inserted the follow- ing sketch of his labors, prepared by his kinsman, James T. Collyer, and recently published in the Chron- icle. It cau but prove interesting to our citizens, by many of whom he was well known.

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.

History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. II, Part 86

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co. Number of Pages: 1286

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898,
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1286