USA > New York > Suffolk County > Bridgehampton > Sketches from local history > Part 18
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SKETCHES FROM LOCAL HISTORY
they were accustomed to .while on shipboard, such as, "Cast off", "Belay", "Heave ahead", "Set up on that tackle". One boy when told to do this, said. "Yes, Sir, I'll set anywhere you say, if you will only tell where to set". "Port", "Starboard", "Bow". "Stern", "Adrift", "Awash", "Anchor it", "Make fast", ".\loft", "Below", "Pay out". "Haul in", "Lay your course". These all had a real meaning that was understood and usually obeyed.
ITEMS FROM AN OLD LETTER
The following items I have taken from an old letter that was written by Ichabod Sheffield Seabury many years ago. His father was Samuel .1. Sea- bury who came to Sag Harbor and edited a paper. "The American Eagle". Later he moved to Hunt- ington, L. I., and then to Stonington, Conn.
Sheffield was born July 2, 1821. His mother was Julia Topping. When four years old his father died, and he went with his mother to live with her father. Matthew Topping, in Sagaponack. When 15 years and 10 months old he went to sea with Capt. Jolin Woodward, on the ship Concordia of Sag Harbor. J. Lawrence Cook was 2nd Mate. Benjamin H. Halsey and James H. Rogers were on the same ship.
He writes this letter as in 1832, and locates the houses and residents in Sagaponack and vicinity at that time, which was over 100 years ago. "Begin- ning at the lower end of Sagg street with 'John White', whose house stood near the site of the pres- ent house.
. "The next house to the north was David Top- ping's. He had two sons, Rensselaer and Mulford. and two daughters, Phebe and Rebecca. Phebe mar- ried Abraham Ludlow, they bought the Thomas Gel- ston farm on Butter Lane and had David Topping Ludlow and daughter Bathsheba. The site of this house was near where Sydney Topping's house-stood later.
"The next house was Matthew Topping's, a broth- er of David. Across the street was the house of Jesse Pierson, whose wife was Elizabeth, daughter of Matthew Topping. Next north of Matthew Top- ping was Ebenezer White, (not far from where Frank A. Topping's house stands now. 1935). Next was Samuel Pierson. Across the street was the Deacon David Hedges house. Richard Lester
lived here when this was written. (and I think un- til he bought on Hedges Lane).
"Next house on east side of street was Capt. Dav- id Pierson's. This is the lot where John White's barn stood until recently.
"Next house on west side of street was . Alfred Pierson. North of this place was that of Dr. Na- thaniel Topping, and then Elihu Howell's. Still farther north was the house of Hiram Sandford. (He then says : "I well remember when the Metho- dist Church was built ). This was in 1833."
"Next north of Hiram Sandford's was a little one-story house of John Pierson. It stood about 150 feet north of the Sandford house. Pierson sold this house to Hiram Sandford and bought the Caleb Pierson place.
"The house opposite John Pierson's was owned by Lemuel Haines (later Henry Topping ). He was a carpenter, and his shop stood in the street a little south of his house.
"To the north of the Haines house was the old school house. It stood in the corner of Caleb Pier- son's lot close up to the line of the Haines property. I remember this school house in 1826, and Uncle Jesse Pierson used to teach school in this house. The new school house was built by James L. Haines and stood in the street across from the old one.
"Next house was Caleb Pierson's, and stood where George Rogers lived later. The next was Silas Pierson's, and was owned later by Hiram S. Rogers. He was a cooper by trade and his shop stood opposite his house near Wallace Hildreth's fence.
"AAcross the street lived Henry White, owned later by Thomas Halsey, and still later Wallace W. Hildreth. Opposite this place on the east side of the street was an old house that belonged to Lodo- wick Post or his heirs. ( This was probably the old house of Abraham Pierson). The next house was that owned later by Robert Hedges. He says: I well remember the marriage of Robert Hedges and Phebe Parker. It was in the days of blue coats and Irass buttons. I thought he looked very fine in that.'
"The next house was that of Capt. Lodowick Post and his son, Robert. (Afterward owned by Win. Darius Halsey and then by Capt. Edward Hal- sey). Next north of this was the house of Sylva-
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SKETCHES FROM LOCAL HISTORY
nus Topping. (afterward soll to the Town for a poor house).
"Next north of this and near the East Hampton road was a little, low, one story house that belonged to Halsey Hildreth. (This was the old Hildreth homestead). Joshua Howell lived here when he attended the old mill I am about to describe.
"Nearly opposite Sylvanus Topping's stood a Spider-legged wind-mill. It stood on a center post about 8 feet high. It would be a great curiosity in these days. Joshua Howell, the miller, used to be called 'The old man of the Mill.' This mill was owned by Matthew Topping. Simon Howell and others.
"A short distance north of this mill stood the house of Paul Topping. Here I first went to school to his daughter, Miss Laura Topping. the belle of Bridgehampton. She afterward married Col. Her- vey Hedges. Ah, what a sad ending was her life!
"Stephen Topping owned where Fitz Osborn liv- ed later, and where Leander Topping lives, was the home of Abraham Mott. Next north of Mott lived Simon and Price Howell. North'of this lived Her- vey Howell and north of Howell was a low one- story house that Halsey Hildreth bought of the heirs of Seth Topping. This was on the same site of the late George Hildreth house.
"On the road toward East Hampton lived Sylva- nus Hand. He was very profane, and for that rea- son Hervey Howell, Esq. used to call him 'Deacon Hand.' Theron Hand lived to the north, where his son, A. J. Hand, lived later. Charles Topping lived on the place later owned by Samuel Mulford.
"The last house on that road was that of Henry Topping. Stephen Wood married his daughter, and lives on this place.
"Going back to Hedges Lane, the first house was that of Richard Lester, though he did not own it or live there until he left the Deacon Hedges farm. The old house was a large two-story house much like that of Matthew Topping, and stood near the site of the present house.
"The next house was that of Isaac Pierson, (later Nymphus Wright). Then came Wilkes Hedges. His son Wilkes had the oldl place and his brother Huntting built his house in 1842.
"The next was David Hedges. I remember go- ing to church with my Mother when a small kid. the first Sunday after he was married, they sat just
back of us. I would look around at his wife, when Mother would give me a hunch to look around the other way, and listen to Mr. Francis preaching about the Medes and Persians, firstly, secondly, and about fourthly I would be looking at the bride again.
"The next house was that of Capt. David Hedges. after he died his son David built the house later of Cassander Hedges. Next east was the home of Samuel Edwards. Then on the corner of Hedges Lane and the Town Line lived John Strong, whose son John was about my age.
"West of Fitz Osborn's was a one-story house be- longing to one David Whacket. Then came Aaron Fithian, then Gideon Hand, then Lewis Edwards. then Oliver Sayre, then Gurdon Pierson, then Capt. Isaac Ludlow, then Franklin Howell, then Capt. Uriah Sayre, then Dr. Samuel H. Rose, then Richard Gelston.
(The road leading from Sagg Street toward Bridgehampton he calls "Brook Lane." The first house was that of Solomon Gains. He had a broth- er Rufus, a cripple, who used to hop on his hands and knees. )
"On the dam between the Mill-pond and Sagg Pond was a Mill: for what purpose it was built I do not know, but when I was a boy it was used by a Mr. Brown for a brewery for beer. This man Brown was found frozen to death on the beach.
"On the Mill-Pond side of the dam was another Mill, used for carding wool by John White, grand- father of the present John White, but now this Mill has been taken down, its rafters have all tumbled in. and quiet has taken the place of the old time din.
"The next house was the Presbyterian parsonage. occupied by the Rev. Amzi Francis, and before him by the Rev. Aaron Woolworth. This was soll to Jeremiah Ludlow, and then he sold to his brother Sylvanus.
"The next house was that of Moses Howell, a one-story house that I tore down when I built a house for Jeremiah Hedges in 1860. Near the pres- ent site of John Heartt's home was a one-story house owned by Silas Wood, father of Stephen Wood. and at that time it stood in the street. Mrs. Wood died in the Poor-house and I made her coffin. Mr. Wood was a very intemperate man.
"Then came the Presbyterian Church, that I helped take down in the year 1842. The posts of the old Church were used in the new Church."
SKETCHES FROM LOCAL HISTORY
(I think the Job Pierson place was omitted in these letters, and it is not at all strange that he should have over-looked some, but for the most part I think it is a very complete history of that day for the territory covered. It is too bad that more did not follow his example. )
Neither does he mention the house opposite the Reuben Edwards place where Miller Edwards lived in 1850.
As in the foregoing article Mr. Seabury gives a graphic description of the location of the old houses in Sagg and vicinity, so in his "Memories of a long life." Judge Henry P. Hedges gives a similar de- scription of the property about Wainscott, which I quote.
"Before my time there had been a house on the south side of the road, west of Jeremy's Creek, about a half-mile or more northeast of Mrs. Lucia Conk- lin's corner, where was an excavation, the remains of a cellar. In passing that, my mother told me Taylor Osborne's house was there.
"Just south of Capt. Jonathan Osborne's house, was a very old house where, I was told, Deacon Ja- cob Osborne lived and that he tended the spider- legged mill, which stood just southwest of it and, as I remember, in the street. I remember that Jacob Hopping tended that. The house was burned some- time before 1831.
"Between the houses of Morgan Topping and John Hand once stood a house in which lived Elias Hand, a soldier in the French and Indian war. That house was burned before my time.
"In Wainscott Hollow, north of the burying ground, were ditches, marks of enclosure, where, I was told, long ago lived a George Strong. In an angle of the road some quarter of a mile northeast · of Lucia Conklin's corner, formerly lived a Wil- liam Miller on what Elisha Osborne (not Conti- mental) called his "Bill Lot." (See map for 1800). North of Lucia's corner, on another road lived a Zebedee Osborne. The house Carl Hopping built on or near the site of Deacon Jacob Osborne's house. was moved to Madison St., Sag Harbor.
"The dwellings standing in Wainscott in my early days and before 1831, beginning east were as fol- lows :
"(1) Polly Talmage, widow of Jeremiah, lived in a house in the northwest corner of Capt. John Dayton's Neck and east of Jeremy's Creek, and hier
children were Jeremiah, Jason, Ezra, Timothy and Harvey (the whaleman), Betsy and Mary.
: "(2) Daniel Hopping lived in a hollow a few rods north of Capt. Jonathan Osborne's house, and had son. 'Tom Hopping.' and daughter, wife of Charles Payne.
"(3) Capt. Jonathan Osborne lived in the house now standing, and had wife, sister of Sam Schel- linger, and daughter, wife of Gurdon Halsey, and sons, Jonathan, Abram, Isaac, Conklin and David.
"(4) Elisha Conklin lived in an old house on the site where Lucia now resides, and had sons, Abraham, Elisha H. and Nathaniel, and daughters, Amy, Jerusha, Mary and Nancy.
"(5) Elisha H. Conklin lived in the house where now resides D. Edgar Talmage, and left two daughters and sons, Geo. W. and Cornelius.
"(6) Jacob Hopping lived where now his grandson, Jacob O., resides, and had daughters, Mary, Nancy and Caroline, and had sons, Osborne, Carl and Isaac. This house stood end to the street. and Sam Schellinger, on a cannon ball in the centre. turned it around front to the street, when I was a boy.
"(7) Elisha Osborne lived in a house on the site where his son Chauncey afterward resided, and left daughter, Charlotte, and sons, Malines and Chauncey. This Elisha, in the Revolutionary War. was in Connecticut, and to distinguish him from the Elisha next named, was called "Continental."
"(8) Elisha Osborne lived in the old John Os- borne house now standing, and had wife, Mary, and had sons, Thomas and David, and daughters, Lucretia, Fanny and Betsey.
"(9) James Edwards lived in the house where now resides Oliver S. Osborne, and had wife and daughters, Jane, Harriet and Phebe.
"(10) My Father (Zephaniah Hedges) lived in the house where now resides H. Morgan Topping.
"(II) James Hand lived in the house where now resides his grandson, John H., and wife, Chloe. and sons. James, Sylvester, John, Reuel, and .Albert. and daughters, Polly, Matilda, Fanny, Julia, Mir- anda and Elizabeth.
"(12) John Strong, Revolutionary soldier, liv- ed where now his great-grandson, Charles W., re- sides, and had sons, John, Sylvanus, Saul and Ab- ner, and daughters, Hannah, Martha, Mary and Emeline.
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SKETCHES FROM LOCAL HISTORY
"(13) Jesse Strong lived where now resides the widow of Edmond T. Strong, his deceased nephew.
"(14) Bethuel Edwards, elder in the East Hampton church, lived where afterwards his son. David A., did, and had sons, Josiah and David .1 .. and daughters, Esther, Mary and Sophia.
"(15) John Edwards lived where afterwards Jared D. Hedges did, to whom he sold.
"One or two families in the town of Southamp- ton near the town line once belonged to the Wain- scott District School. These fifteen houses all in the town of East Hampton, comprised Wainscott as I remember it previous to and about the year 1831.
"James Edwards was a carpenter, his brother Bethuel was a shoemaker, James Hand was a wear- er, Jacob Hopping was a cooper, and when the wind blew, a miller. James Hand's dwelling was a few rods north of and nearest to our house. His son, Sylvester, married the sister of Alden Spooner, Edi- tor of the Suffolk Gazette in Sag Harbor."
ITEMS FROM TWO OLD DIARIES (By DANIEL, HILDRETHI )
"There have been a great many vessels cast-a-way against Southampton during my memory." He here describes a good many of these vessels, among which is the British Sloop of War. "Sylph."
He also mentions the American ship "Live Oak," otherwise known as the "Powder Ship." I quote again : "which took fire at sea and was run ashore against Shinnecock Point in July of 1814. She had 222 bags of powder on board.
"The Captain came ashore in the evening, and about Eleven o'clock the powder exploded. breaking hundreds of window lights in Southampton village. The vessel was blown to fragments, one piece of iron having been found one half mile from the wreck."
"From ISOS to 1815 wages were very low, farm- ers paid for cutting wood, hoeing corn, threshing. etc., from 44 cents to 50 cents per day. Carpenter's wages were 75 cents.
"Until I was 12 or 13 years old I scarcely knew what wheat bread was. Our main living was corn, or rye pudding and milk. We had rye bread, bis- cuit, cake, pies and shortcake, and some corn bread
DANIEL HILDRETH
MARY (WHITE) HILDRETH
baked over the fire in a large kettle covered with cabbage leaves. And it tasted very good. We had butter and cheese, the latter was made mostly from skimmed milk. Oysters, clams and eels were very plentiful and cheap. I alone got 40 bushels of oy- sters in one day and sold them on the shore for $10.00. Clams were so large and plentiful in Shin- necock Bay that Silas Winters caught 25 bushels in one day, and they appeared to be all over the bay, and sold for several years for from 20 cents to 25 cents per bushel.
"Our dress was very domestic. My father and mother manufactured all the cloth we wore from either wool or flax, both of which were raised on . the farm. Tow cloth was worth 25 cents per yard. and that from yarn, that is, all wool, 371/2 to 50 cents. In my younger days we did not have very many dishes, and they were either of pewter or coarse earthen ware. At the meals, the old folks and older children were seated at the table in chairs with wooden or flag bottoms, and the younger chil- dren had to stand up at the table."
The writer then gives a few items of personal in- terest : "December the 19" 1822, I was married to Mary White, daughter of Ephraim White. It was a dark, rainy night, and my prospects for getting a living were as dark as the night, for I had but about $30 that I could call my own, and my health was not very good. The winter of 1823 I made some things to keep house with, for I had no money to buy them, and in August of that year we began to keep house.
"Our furniture consisted of a bed, small table. stand, four chairs, six knives and forks, six cups
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SKETCHES FROM LOCAL HISTORY
and saucers, one blue tea pot and milk cup, shovel and tongs, an old tea kettle that I bought at a van- due, two pails and two wash tubs, no pots and ket- tles, those we had to borrow, but we had plenty of good food to eat, and I must say that I never enjoy- ed myself any year of my life since. any better than I did the first year we kept house."
How many people at this day and time, especially the younger portion, would be willing to do as this couple did? Or be content with such a meager out- fit? And yet, who dare say that there is any more real happiness or satisfaction today than in the old days referred to above? Happiness and content- ment is what counts.
"In the fall of 1812 the school house at Water Mill was built, but the school did not begin until January Ist, 1813. Mr. Hugh Halsey, afterward Judge Hugh, of Bridgehampton taught the first quarter for $30 and I think boarded himself."
"Stovės, kerosene oil, and lamps were not known in those days, but we had large fire-places and plenty of wood. The bread was baked in brick ovens. When they had a spinning bee, as they called it. they would make a large fire on the hearth, and in- stead of a lamp they would place a pine knot on the fire, which would throw a splendid light all over the room.
"In 1815, Howell Goodale of Water Mill built a small sail boat with two masts. She was thought to be a wonderful boat for he could beat her across the bay against the wind.
"Our boats in those days were roughly made. some called canoes, were dug out of logs, and were used in oystering.
"In 1817, Mr. John Benedict and wife moved to Water Mill from Danbury, Conn., and brought the first cock stove into Southampton Town. It was thought a great curiosity, and many went to see it. Hle was a clothier by trade, and worked in the mill. he has since bought the whole concern.
"In the fall of 1818, Abraham Halsey, John Howell and myself set out to go to New York to see the city. It was thought at that time quite a journey. We went with Capt. Peter Fournier in the sloop 'Leopard'. We sailed from North Sea. and it took eight and one-half days to reach the city. Stayed there eight days and returned home in eighteen hours. The city then contained 130,000 inhabitants. We thought it was a great place.
"1816 was the cold summer, with a frost every month in the year. Corn was almost entirely cut off.
"January 2. 1823, I began to saw for the first time in the new mill, the wind was North West and a good breese. She worked well and I was highly pleased with her. We hired Joseph Goodale to work for us for Șio per month."
"The 28" of February, 1828, I bought a Yankee clock for $20., kept it for ten years and sold it to Sylvanus White for one dollar. Farming is very dull. plenty of land to buy for one and two dollars per acre.
"1830 was known as the 'moderate winter'. Grass was green and a good bite for the cattle all winter. It was thought by some that we should not have any more cold winters, and that in a few years more. cranges and tropical fruit would grow on Long Island.
"1832 will long be remembered as the 'Cholera' year in Southampton. July 30". Jack Cuffins and his son Maltby of Water Mill, aged respectively 68 and 22 years, died of cholera. They were well the evening of Sunday, and Maltby went to meeting in the school house. They were both taken sick in the night, and Jack died before sunrise. and Malt- by the sun some two hours high. They were both buried before night Monday. They were very re- spectable colored people, and worth a considerable property.
"One other colored man, a relative of these, went on Tuesday morning to get up some hay that Jack had cut on Saturday. Soon after he got to the field he was taken sick, died, and was buried before sun- down. In a few days Jack's wife died and was buried by their side. Soon after this, David Jagger. John White and several others died of the same disease .*
"June 27". 18344. I made one well and three pumps for the three Jones's, Ezekiel, Talmage and Edward of East Hampton. There is but one foot difference in the three pumps. When I went over in the morning there was white frost in the low places.
"December 15". 1835 was the great fire in New York, and burned some Goo houses. The wind was very high and severe cold. The hose to the engines froze so that many of them were entirely useless.
* ( This was the same year that this disease raged in New York City. )
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"An account of this fire may be found in any history of New York. It burned the entire east side of the city below Wall street. Loss estimated to be $18,000,000.
"In the last part of May and the first part of June of 1836, we had what was called THE TRADE WIND .. The wind blew from the east for 17 days and was very cold. The whaling ships in Sag Harbor were detained because of the head wind.
"January 17", 1837, Charles Howell and I finish- ed our ice boat. The first that ever was built in Southampton. Charles Howell, David Foster, Syl- vanus White and I had a sail to the beach and up Hay Ground Bay. She worked like a charm. The wind blew a gale, and we went part of the time a mile to the minute.
"June 4", 1831, we fenced in 7 acres of common land that Father bought twelve years before for two dollars.
"December 1", 1836, bought a rotary stove for $40.
"Sunday night, October 22", 1838, I went from Fire Place to Gardiner's Island with Mr. John Gar- diner to bore pumps for him. Friday, I had a ride on the Island. I bought a six years old mare of Mr. Gardiner for $60. AA beautiful animal.
"I measured a tree 17 feet and one inch in circum- ference. He has 240 cattle, over one year old. 60 calves, 50 horses, 1.400 sheep. milks 50 cows, and killed 50 fat cattle and 29 old hogs that year.
"I saw the stump of a White Oak tree that meas- ured 6 feet across it one way and 5 feet the other. Mr. Gardiner told me it was cut in 1836 and that he carted 14 loads of wood from it, and there was some two loads lying by it then.
"Mr. William Richards, a man that came from Connecticut and worked for me, went November 8". 1842 to Montauk, to teach school at Mr. Gould's, who keeps the light house, he had $60 paid him for three months.
"December 4th and 5", 1840, was a hard snow storm, and the fish in Shinnecock Bay were chilled. It was calculated that 30,000 Striped Bass were picked up. I bought some 100 lbs. of Harvey Top- ping for one cent per pound.
"January 9", 1841. I soll my flock of 28 sheep for $42.
"April 12", 1841 was a hard snow storm. Two
and one half feet on the level, but it was all gone by the 21.
"April 23", 1843, I went to Sag Harbor. The corner stone of the Presbyterian Church in that place was laid. This day the mail came through the Island for the first time on the railroad. The day was pleasant.
"March 4", 1844. Wife and myself set out for New York. We visited at Mrs. Ann Mott's in Mott Street. Went to the Poor house on the Long Island farm, and took a boy by the name of Joseph Tom- kins. Bought a pump augur for $8.00.
"On the 8" of May 1847, A caravan of wild ani- mals was exhibited in Sag Harbor, drawn by 96 horses, and accompanied by 50 men. . They had a chariot called 'King Pharaoh's Chariot' drawn by six span of mouse colored horses. The Chariot was 25 feet high and carried a band of musicians, 16 in number. There was a large number of wild animals. It was the greatest show that ever was on Long Island.
*** "The 7" of October, 1852, A. balloon from Bridgeport, Conn., passed over Long Island about the middle of Mecox Bay, and fell in the ocean just beyond the bar. It was 100 feet high and 70 feet in diameter. There were four men on board, who came very near being drowned before they got help. My neighbor, Charles Howell, and Col. David R. Rose assisted in saving them. My own Mother was in Bridgeport at the time visiting. and saw the same balloon ascend.
"November 6", 1869, Lawrence Cook caught in one day 73 Dozen eels, in Mill creek. They sold in New York for from 40 to 50 cents per dozen."
*** My Father in his diary says, that this balloon went up at 3-30 P. M. from Birmingham, Conn., and came down in the ocean at 5 P. M. It doubtless passed over Bridgeport. Cauliflower were first in- troduced in this locality in 1872 by Pulaski Warren, Daniel Phillips and D. F. Osborne.
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