The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884 Volume I, Part 4

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed. cn; Brockett, L. P. (Linus Pierpont), 1820-1893; Proctor, L. B. (Lucien Brock), 1830-1900. 1n
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1114

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Cornbury, 1702 ; John, Lord Lovelace, 1708 ; Peter Schuyler (Pres.), May 6, Richard Ingoldsby (Lt. Gov.), May 9, and Peter Schuyler, May 25, and Richard In- goldsby (Lt. Gov.), June 1, 1709 ; Gerardus Beeckman, April 10 ; Brigadier Robert Hunter, June 14, 1710 ; Peter Schuyler (Pres.), 1719 ; William Burnet, 1720 ; John Montgomerie, 1728 ; Rip Van Dam (Pres.), 1731 ; Col. Wm. Cosby, 1732 ; Geo. Clarke (Pres.), 1736 ; Admiral Geo. Clinton, 1743 ; Sir Danvers Osborne, October 10, and James De Lancey (Lt. Gov.), October 12, 1753 ; Sir Charles Hardy, 1755 ; James De Lancey, (Lt. Gov.), 1757 ; Cadwallader Colden (Pres.), 1760 ; Major-General Robert Monckton, October 26, and Cad- wallader Colden (Lt. Gov.), November 18, 1761 ; Major- General Robert Monckton, 1762 ; Cadwallader Colden, 1763 ; Sir Henry Moore, 1765 ; Cadwallader Colden, 1769 ; John, Earl of Dunmore, 1770 ; William Tryon, 1771 ; Cadwallader Colden (Lt. Gov.), 1774 ; William Tryon, 1775 ; James Robertson, 1780 ; Andrew Elliott (Lt. Gov.), 1783.

Governors of the State : George Clinton, 1777 ; John Jay, 1795 ; George Clinton, 1801 ; Morgan Lewis, 1804 ; Daniel D. Tompkins, 1807; De Witt Clinton, 1817 ; Joseph C. Yates, 1822 ; De Witt Clinton, 1824 ; Martin Van Buren, 1828 ; Enos T. Throop, 1830 ; Wil- liam L. Marcy, 1832 ; William H. Seward, 1838 ; Wil- liam C. Bouck, 1842 ; Silas Wright, 1844 ; John Young, 1846 ; Hamilton Fish, 1848 ; Washington Hunt, 1850 ; Horatio Seymour, 1852 ; Myron H. Clark, 1854 ; John A. King, 1856 ; Edwin D. Morgan, 1858 ; Horatio Sey- mour, 1862 ; Reuben E. Fenton, 1864 ; John T. Hoff- man, 1868 ; John A. Dix, 1872 ; Samuel J. Tilden, 1874 ; Lucius Robinson, 1876 ; A. B. Cornell, 1880 ; Grover Cleveland, 1883.

The population of the colony and State of New York was in 1698, 18,067 ; 1703, 20,665 ; 1723, 40,564 ; 1731, 50,824 ; 1737, 60,437 ; 1746, 61,589 ; 1749, 73,348 ; 1756, 96,790 ; 1771, 163,337; 1790, 340,120 ; 1800, 586,756 ; 1810, 959,049 ; 1820, 1,372,812 ; 1830, 1,918,608 ; 1840, 2,428,921 ; 1850, 3,097,394 ; 1860, 3,880,735 ; 1870, 4,382,759 ; 1880, 5,083,173.

Of the total population there were in 1790, 21,324 slaves ; in 1800, 33,343 ; 1810, 15,017 ; 1820, 10,088 ; 1830, 75 ; 1840, 4.

GENERAL HISTORY

LONG ISLAND.

CHAPTER I.

A SKETCH OF THE TOPOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY AND NATURAL HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.

T' HE time has long since gone by when a belief in the sudden creation of the earth in its present form was generally prevalent. Once it was con- sidered not only heterodox but almost blasphe- mous for a man to avow his conviction that he saw, on the surface of the earth, indications of changes that occurred at a period previous to about six thousand years since. That continents, or even islands, should rise from the sea, become submerged, and emerge again in the lapse of immense time, was not deemed possible. Within the limits of historic time no record was given of more than slight changes ; and men had not learned to read the record which is written in the strata beneath the surface, and which science has made legible on the edges of those strata where they are visible. The man who ventured to assert that Long Island was once sub- merged, and that its emergence was of comparatively recent date, would have been regarded by some as im- pious and by others as mad. That period of ignorance has passed, and people have come to recognize the fact that, as far as the records of the past can be deciphered, the earth has been steadily changing, in the midst of its changing environments, and that, as far as science is able to peer into the future, changes will continue to succeed each other.

An inspection of the map of Long Island shows that it, as well as the coast south from it, had its birth from the sea, in what, geologically speaking, may be termed modern times ; and there are evidences of vertical oscil- lations of the surface here which may have caused a succession of partial or complete submergences and emergences.

The island extends from east to west about one hun-

dred and twenty miles, and has an average width of about fifteen miles. Along the northern coast an aver- age elevation of about one hundred feet is found, though there are places where the hills are much higher. On this coast numerous " necks" of land and inlets or estu- aries of the Sound are seen ; and the water along this shore is deeper than on the southern coast. Between the heights along the Sound shore and the irregular range of hills which extend lengthwise through the island near the middle, for most of its length, and which are termed the backbone, the surface is in many places much broken. Harbor Hill, in North Hempstead, one of the highest points on the island, was found by actual measurement to be three hundred and eighty-four feet in height.

The northern coast of the island is indented by eight principal bays, or fiords, which extend inland from three to six miles and have a width of from half a mile to a mile and a half. In some places in these the water has a depth of from thirty to fifty feet, and the average depth is about twenty feet. South from this central range the surface slopes to the coast gradually, and so eveuly as to have the appearance of a level plain.

Along the south shore are numerous shallow bays and inlets, especially toward the western extremity of the island. Along this shore also is a narrow sand beach, which incloses a bay, or rather a succession of narrow bays, for most of the length of the coast. This beach is crossed at different points by inlets, formerly called " guts " (Dutch " gat," or gate), which connect these bays with the ocean, and divide the beach into a suc- cession of long narrow beaches ; as narrow necks of land connect these beaches with the mainland and di- vide the long narrow bay into a succession of bays, some of which do not communicate with the ocean. Outside these long narrow beaches is a shifting sand bar, and inside the bays are extensive salt marshes, or mea- dows. About forty miles of the eastern end of the island is divided by a succession of bays into two penin- sulas, each having an average width of about five miles

GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF LONG ISLAND.

and the southern extending some twenty miles further east than the northern, though the last seems to be con- tinued to about the same distance by a succession of islands.

When the geological survey of the State was made- nearly forty years since-it was believed that the forma- tion of the island was due to the action of opposite and resultant currents, and probably its foundation on the primary rock which underlies it was thus laid, in a pre- glacial period. The Gulf Stream from the south, as it is believed to have flowed ; the Arctic current from the north, and the action of the tides in the Atlantic, all combined to bring hither and deposit the materials of which this foundation consists.

It is believed by geologists that the strata of rocks here were formerly from three hundred to one thousand feet lower than they now are. Then the southeastern shore of the United States was farther inland, and the Gulf Stream swept from the south parallel with and nearer to the base of the primary Atlantic chain of mountains than at present. Along the course of this stream, from Georgia to Maryland, extended a broad belt of primary rocks. These rocks, which were various in their character, were remarkably prone to disinte- gration, and the results of their wcaring down were ex- tremely various.

These debrita were borne northward bencath the sur- face by the equatorial current, and deposited, as in its course northward this current became less rapid ; hence the deposits of various kinds that are found in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey. At this period the basin of the St. Lawrence and Hudson valleys was occupied by an inland sea, through which came the Arctic current, bringing its freight of debrita to be de- posited when circumstances favored its subsidence. The effect of the oblique meeting of those currents in the region of Long Island, when the force of both was partially spent, was to arrest their northward and southward flow, and to produce a gentle resultant cur- rent toward the east, with eddies that were influenced by the form of the sea bottom where the currents met, by storms that swept over the surface here, and by other storms at the north or south, which temporarily deflected, retarded or accelerated thesc currents. Thus, it was be- lieved, were the materials of the strata which under- lie Long Island, brought hither ; and thus in the result- ant comparatively still water and eddics were they dc- posited; hence the lignite and the bones of marine and terrestrial animals that are found at great depths when wells are sunk and excavations made.

After the process of piling the foundation of the island on the sca bottom had gone on, in the way indicated, during indefinite time, the uphcaval took place. Pre- vious to the adoption of the glacial theory it was bc- lieved that icebergs floated hither, bringing the bould- ers, etc., that they had torn from their beds in the north, and dropped them, one by one, as they slowly melted

while circulating in the eddies here ; and that at a later period they became stranded or ran aground in shallow water, and there melted, leaving their entire cargoes to constitute the hills on the island as the surface was fur- ther upheaved. The researches of modern geologists seem to show that subsequent to the period spoken of, but in pre-glacial times, an upheaval occurred which carried the surface here from three hundred to four hundred feet higher than it now is, and that it remained thus elevated during the glacial period.

It is believed that during this time of clevation the Hudson River had its month eighty miles further to the southeast than at present, and that its course and the former littoral plain through which it ran, as well as the old coast lines, are traceable by soundings. During the time of elevation the ice period occurred, and it is thought that the terminal moraine of the glacier extended lengthwise through the island and far to the east along the New England coast, as well as west across New Jersey ; and that the drift material of the Island was brought by this agency from the regions to the north and west, where it existed in place. Thus were brought the deposits of clay, sand and gravel which are found especially on the north half of the island, and which often vary so greatly in their character, though sepa- rated only by short distances. Thus, too, were brought hither the boulders, some of which are of immense size. Kidd's Rock and Millstone Rock in the town of North Hempstead, Queens county, may be mentioned as ex- amples.

The primary rock which underlies the Island comes to the surface at Hell Gate and Hallett's Cove, on its northwestern extremity, and here the drift deposit lies directly on this rock. Elsewhere it is superposed on older deposits.

It is certain that since the glacial period a subsidence of the surface has taken place, and it is not considered impossible that several vertical oscillations have oc- curred. Mr. LEWIS says: " If a depression of two hun- dred feet should take place, all of Long Island that would remain above the water would be a broken range of hills. With an elevation of two hundred feet Long Island Sound would be converted to dry land. The Connecticut and Hudson Rivers would roll along decper channels, and discharge their waters many miles sea- ward ; while Brooklyn and New York would be inland citics." It is believed, as before stated, that the verti- cal oscillations in past time have carried the surface of the land here more than two hundred fect higher as well as lower than its present elevation. At present the sur- face is subsiding, though at the rate of only a few inches in a century. Evidences of this subsidence are found in abundance where excavations or borings are made, and in some instances where the bottom of the sea at some distance from the coast is explored. The stumps of submerged or buried forests are thus found, as well as other products of the former surface. Evi-

GENERAL HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.

dences of a former subsidence, much greater than at present, are found in the occurrence of marine deposits at points in the higher parts of the island.

It is believed that cvery rood of the space from the central range of hills " has been the shore line of, first an invading, afterward of a receding ocean, and the scene of those great coast changes which waves produce." These changes, which occur from time to time now as the results of storm and ocean currents, it is hardly nec- essary to detail. As the swell rolls obliquely from the eastward along the coast the beach is modified by the deposit or the washing away of the sand; inlets to the bays are choked up and obliterated, and others break out at other points ; sand pits and beaches form, and southerly winds drift the sands on the island, to be again washed away by the waves.

Along the northern coast changes have taken place, and they are still going on, by shore erosion and the transportation of the detritus by storms and tidal cur- rents. Portions of the main island have been thus cut off and have become islands, and the material washed away has been deposited, sometimes at considerable dis- tance, to forin shoals, beaches, or necks connecting what had thus been made islands with the shore again. Beaches have thus been formed and obliterated, inlets and channels have been excavated and again filled up, islands have been cut off and joined again to the island, or washed away, and changes, many of which are now difficult to trace and doubtless others that cannot now be traced, have in the lapse of time occurred. Some of the more recent of these may, however, be easily dis- cerned, and people whose lives have been spent here have been able to note many that have gradually oc- curred, or to remember others that were cffected by vio- lent storms.

The species of animals which were found on Long Island when it was first discovered did not differ from those on the main land. Of course its insular condition prevented the annual or occasional migrations which oc- curred elsewhere by reason of climatic changes or other causes, and the complete extinction here of many of those species took place earlier by reason of that condi- tion. With the long stretch of sea coast which the island has, of course it was the habitat of all those species of aquatic birds which are found in this latitude. The island was annually visited, also, by those migratory land birds that frequent regions in this latitude; and at the present time it is the annual resort of many species that attract hither sportsmen during each season. The mu- seum of the Long Island Historical Society has speci- mens of many of these species of animals and birds, and in this department it is proposed to make it quite complete.

By reason of the prevailing character of the soil, the botany of the island does not embrace as wide a range of species as are sometimes found on equal areas in the same latitude. Of the trees formerly covering large

portions of the island, the oak, pine and chestnut were the most abundant and valuable ; and it is said that the quality of this timber was far superior to that of the same species found elsewhere. Among the most valu- able species of timber growing on the island at present the locust occupies a prominent position. It it thought that Captain John Sands, who came to Sands Point about 1695, introduced this tree, from Virginia, about the year 1700. Since that time it has spread extensively here. The quality of this timber grown here is greatly superior to that of the same species in the region whence it was brought. A few gigantic specimens of this tree are standing on the lawn at the residences of Mr. Bogart, of Roslyn, and of the late Elwood Valentine, at Glen Cove. Says Lewis : "It is believed that those on Mr. Bogart's ground, several now or recently at Sand's Point, and two in the dooryard of the old Thorne mansion, at Little Neck, now occupied by Eugene Thorpe, Esq., are of the first imported and planted on Long Island." About eighty species of forest trces-indigenous and those that have become acclimated-are growing with- out cultivation on the island. Specimens of many of these species are now in the Historical Society's museum, in which a competent and energetic member of the so- ciety proposes to place a complete set of specimens of the flora and fauna of the island. An interesting article on the forest trees of Long Island will be found in the Brooklyn Advance, May, 1883, from the pen of Elias Lewis, Esq.

CHAPTER II.

THE INDIANS OF LONG ISLAND-TERRITORY, CHARAC- TERISTICS AND RELATIONS WITH THE WHITES.

By the late Alden J. Spooner, Esq.

B EFORE the settlement by the Dutch were the dark ages of island history. The wampum or wampum belts give no record of the red men's origin, migrations, wars or loves. Immense heaps of the broken shells of the quahog, or periwinkle, are their only monuments.

Every locality where one or more families were lo- cated had a name which gave designation to a tribe. The authorities on this subject have recognized thirteen tribes, as follows :

The CANARSIE tribe claimed the whole of Kings County and a part of the town of Jamaica. They in- cluded the Marechawicks at Brooklyn, the Nyacks at New Utrecht, and the Jamecos at Jamaica. Their prin- cipal settlement was at the place called Canarsie, which is still a famous place for fishing and fowling, and was doubtless the residence of the sachem and a great por- tion of the tribe. In 1643 the name of the sachem was Penhawitz. In 1670 the deed of that part of the city

THE LONG ISLAND INDIANS-THEIR LANGUAGE.

of Brooklyn constituting Bedford was signed by Peter, Elinohar, Job, Makagiquas, and Shamese, saehems. In 1656 the deed of Newtown was signed by Rowcroesteo and Pomwaukon, sachems, supposed to have been of Canarsie. A confirmatory deed of land at Gravesend, in 1684, was signed by Cakewasco, Areunapoeeh, Arma- nat and Muskhesk, sachems, who called the Indian name of the place Makeopaea.

The ROCKAWAY tribe was seattered over the southern part of the town of Hempstead, which with a part of Jamaiea and the whole of Newtown constituted their claim. The greater part of the tribe was at Near Rock- away. Part lived at the head of Maspeth Creek, in Newtown, and deeds for land there were executed by the Roekaway saehem. This tribe had also a settlement of several hundred acres on Hog Island in Rockaway Bay. The first Roekaway sachem known to the Dutch was Chegonoe. Nowedinah was saehem in 1648, Esk- moppas in 1670, Paman in 1685, and Quaquasho or " the Hunter " in 1691.

The MONTAUK tribe had jurisdiction over all the re- maining lands to Montauk, probably including Gardi- ner's Island ; and there seems to be evidence that to the saehem of this tribe was conceded the title and fune- tions of grand saehem of Paumanake, or Long Island.

The MERRICK, Meroke, or Merikoke tribe elaimed all the territory south of the middle of the island from Near Roekaway to the west line of Oyster Bay, and was in all probability at some former period a part of the Marsapequa or Marsapeague tribe. A part of the land in the town of Hempstead was bought from this tribe. They had a large settlement on Hiek's Neek, and oceu- pied the other neeks between that and their principal site, where the village of Merrick now stands. Their sachem in 1647 was Wantagh.

The MARSAPEQUA or Marsapeague tribe had its prin- eipal settlement at Fort Neek, in South Oyster Bay, and thence extended eastward to the bounds of Islip and north to the middle of the island. Here were two In- dian forts, the larger of which was stormed by Captain John Underhill, in the service of the Duteh, in 1653, with great slaughter of the Indians. The remains of the fort have been encroached upon and covered by the waters of the Great South Bay. Taekapousha was sachem of this tribe in 1656 ; also ehief saehem of the western chieftaineies of the island, after the division between the Duteh and the English.

The MATINECOCK tribe elaimed jurisdietion of the lands east of Newtown, as far as the west line of Smith- town and probably to the Nissaquag River. This was a numerous tribe, and had large settlements at Flushing, Glen Cove, Cold Spring, Huntington and Cow Harbor. A portion of the tribe took part in the war of 1643, un- der Gunwarrowe ; but their sachem at that time remained friendly to the Duteh, and through his diplo- macy succeeded in establishing peaee. Whiteneymen (one-eyed) was saehem in 1643, and Assiapam in 1653.

The NESAQUAKE or Missaquogue tribe possessed the eonntry from the river named after them to Stony Brook and from the sound to the middle of the island. The extensive shell banks near the village of Nissaquag show that it was the site of a considerable settlement, and it was probably the residence of the sachem. Coginiquant was sachem in 1656.

The SETALCAT or Setauket tribe claimed from Stony Brook to the Wading River and was one of the most powerful. Its members inhabited Strong's Neck and the banks of the different creeks, coves and harbors. Warrawaken was sachem in 1655, and Gil in 1675.

The CORCHAUG tribe owned the territory from the Wading River to Oyster Ponds, and was spread along the north shore of Peconic Bay and over the necks ad- joining the sound. It probably claimed Robin's Island also. There is reason to believe that it was a numerous and powerful tribe. Momometon was saehem in 1648.

The MANHASSET tribe peopled Shelter Island and probably. Hog Island. This tribe, although confined to about 10,000 aeres, could, if tradition is reliable, bring into the field at one time more than 500 warriors. Pog- gattatuek, brother of Wyandanch, was sachem in 1648, and Yokee or Yougheo in 1651. His residence was on Saehem's Neck.

The SECATOGUE tribe adjoined the Marsapequas on the west and claimed the country as far east as Pateh- ogne. The farm of the Willets at Islip is called Seeea- togue Neck, and here is supposed to have been the prin- eipal settlement and probably the residenee of the saehem, who in 1683 was Winnequaheag.

The PATCHOGUE tribe extended its jurisdiction east from Patchogne to Westhampton, and as some think to Canoe Place. The main settlements were at Patehogue, Fire Place, Mastic, Moriches and Westhampton. To- baeus was sachem in 1666.

The SHINNECOCK tribe claimed the territory from Canoe Place to Easthampton, ineluding Sag Harbor and the whole south shore of Peeonic Bay.

The Indians of Long Island were designated on the Duteh maps Mohegans, and have been so called by his- torians. This is but a sub-title under the general term Algonquins, eovering a great raee of savages seattered over Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware and other States.

The Indians of the island were tall and straight, muscular and agile, with straight hair and reddish- brown complexion. Their language was the Algonquin, the highly descriptive tongue in which the apostle Eliot wrote the Indian Bible, and which was used by other missionaries. It was the language that greeted the col- onists at Roanoke, and the Pilgrims at Plymouth. It was spoken through twenty degrees of latitude and sixty degrees of longitude. Strange that a language which a century ago was spoken so widely and freely between the aborigines and the settlers should have so perished that it is doubted whether a man is living who can speak

GENERAL HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.

it, or read the Indian Bible, so laboriously prepared by the apostolic John Eliot.

The Indian names of Long Island are said to be Sewanhacky, Wamponomon and Paumanake. These names, or at least the first two, seem to have arisen from the abundance of the quahog or hard clam, the shell of which furnished the wampum or sewant, which in the earlier times was the money of the country, as well as the material for the embroidery and the record symbols of the Indian belts. Matouwacs is the name given the island on the earliest Dutch maps. The deed to the settlers at Easthampton styles it Paumanake. Rev. William Hubbard, of Ipswich, in his history of New England, called it Mattamwake. In books and deeds it bears other names, as Meitowax, Metoac, etc. Scwan- hacky and Wamponomon both signify "the island, or place, of shells." Of Mattanwake, Judge Furman says : " In the Narragansett language mattan was a term used to signify anything fine or good, and duke or ake meant land or earth ; thus the whole word meant ' the good or pleasant land,' which was certainly highly characteristic of Long Island, cven at that period of its early settle- ment."

The religious notions of the Long Island Indians are described in a communication from the Rev. Samson Occum, published in the collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society. His words are : "They believe in a plurality of gods, and in one great and good being, who controls all the rest. They likewise believe in an evil spirit, and have their conjurors or paw-waws." The ceremony performed by these characters was so odious, in the opinion of the whole people, that the Duke's Laws of 1665 enacted that "no Indian shall be permitted to paw-waw or perform worship to the devil in any town within this government." It is evident, however, that they still kept up their devil-worship at the visit of the Labadists in 1679-80. They also had divinities in the winds and waters. It is surprising how few tokens are found, in the shape of idols, or carvings of any kind, to signify a reverence for their gods. The only thing which has attracted particular attention is " the foot- prints of the evil spirit "-the impression of a foot on a boulder, now in the possession of the Long Island His- torical Society, which had lain upon Montauk Point from the earliest English knowledge, and probably for centuries before, and which was always an object of Indian vencration.

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The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884 Volume I, Part 4

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed. cn; Brockett, L. P. (Linus Pierpont), 1820-1893; Proctor, L. B. (Lucien Brock), 1830-1900. 1n Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York : W. W. Munsell & Co. Number of Pages: 1114

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed. cn; Brockett, L. P. (Linus Pierpont), 1820-1893; Proctor, L. B. (Lucien Brock), 1830-1900. 1n
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1114