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 68

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

USA > New York > Kings County > Brooklyn > 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 68

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

cient depth for all ordinary commercial purposes; and with the ground rising gradually from the river to the height of about forty-five fect above water-level, it seems as if, on the whole, Naturc had designed the ter- ritory for the site of a city.

Village Beginnings .- The village grew apacc ; the M. E. Church (organized 1807) erected, in 1808, the first place of worship ; the North American Hotel was built about the same time ; and by 1814 the town num- bered 759 persons. About 1819, a distillery was estab- lished at the foot of South Second street, by NoAn WATERBURY, whose enterprise has carned for him the appellation of the "Father of Williamsburgh." A native of Groton, Ct., he came, in 1789, at the age of fifteen, to Brooklyn, where he learned to be a shoe- maker.

At the age of twenty-one ycars, together with Henry Stanton, he took the Catherine Street Ferry; and, after carrying it on awhile, entered into the lumber trade, and subsequently established a rope-walk. He removed to Williamsburgh, in May, 1819, where he purchased from Gen. Jeremiah Johnson the half-acre of land on which, with Jordan Coles, he built the distillery above referred to. Subsequently purchasing eight adjoining acres, he laid it out in city lots ; gradually got into the real estate business ; frequently loaned money to the village in its financial embarrassments ; originated the City Bank, of which he became the first president; as also of the Board of Trustees of 1827; and, in many ways, promoted the welfare of the village. His life was one of enterprise, public spirit and high integrity.

It was early found that the laws relating to common highways were entirely inadequate to the opening of streets and other improvements needed by a village or city. If the plan had been adopted of opening all streets by common taxation, improvements might have been cffected; and, in the end, their expense would have becn equitably apportioned ; that is, when the whole village plot was improved alike and paid for. But, in this new community, every person wished his particular property improved, and had rather pay the expense than have such improvements deferred till the general public were willing to assume the special burden of such improvements. Mr. DAVID DUNIIAM, a merchant and citizen of New York, became interested in Wil- liamsburgh, by purchase at the Sheriff's sale, when the right, title and interest of James H. Maxwell (Wood- hull's son-in-law) were sold out on execution in favor of James J. Roosevelt; who continued to follow the pro- perty with his financial accommodations, until 1818 brought the final extinction of the original pioneer in- terest of these two founders of the village. Dunham shared his purchase with Moses Judah and Samuel Os- born ; established the first steam-ferry from New York to Williamsburgh ; and had his name applied to Grand street, as laid down on "Loss' Yorkton Map." But, though the street was soon widened ten feet on the

north side, the new name would not stick. Grand street it was, and is to this day.

In 1820, David Dunham, above named, donated land near North First street, on which a school-house was erected, known as District School No. 3, of the Town of Bushwick ; and the population of the town, includ- ing the village, was, at this time, 934, of which 182 were colored. In July of this year, an advertisement in the Long Island Star announces a bear-shooting, at the Fountain Inn, which "the rifle companies of Major Vinton and Captain Burns are particularly invited to attend with their music. Green turtle soup to be ready on the same day, from 11 A. M. to 10 P. M." In Octo- ber, following, three persons were indicted at the Kings County General Sessions for bull-baiting at Williams- burgh ! which argues well for the moral sentiment of the new community. In 1823, the village sustained a severe loss in the death, by drowning, of Mr. David Dunham, " merchant and citizen of New York," whose efforts had "materially changed the appearance of Williamsburgh, and were adding constantly to its im- provements. The Williamsburgh Ferry and Turnpike, maintained by him, are real and lasting benefits to the city and to Long Island." "Never disheartened by disappointment, nor diverted from his object by indol- ence or opposition," he was justly considered "the friend and founder of the village." His ferry con- tinued to run ; manufacturers (especially of whisky or rum and ship-cordage) acquired something of a foot- hold in the place; and there appeared one or more corner groceries and a village tavern, besides " old Charlum " Titus' Fountain Inn. In 1825, Garret and Grover C. Furman, New York merchants, purchased twenty-five acres on South First street, about 150 feet from what is now Grand, near corner of Second street, at $300 per acre ; and had it mapped into city lots. They then offered the Dutch Reformed congregation their choice of a lot 100 feet square upon which to erect a church, which was accepted; then building-lots began to be enquired about in that neighborhood. The first two lots were sold to Dr. Cox for $150, after which they sold so fast that the price was advanced to $200, and in less than six months to $250, etc.

Village Organization .- It was not long before the necessity of a village organization, with officers posses- sing the power to compel the opening and improving of streets, the digging of wells and the erection of pumps, and other public conveniences, and to restrain and limit the unneighborly selfishness of particular citi- zens, was made fully apparent. Moreover, no general survey of a village plot had been made; and the people, in public and private, began to discuss, and gradually to agree upon the need of a village charter.

Village Charter .- Finally John Luther and Lemuel Richardson (or rather George W. Pittman), having purchased sites for two rope-walks between North Third and North Fourth streets, procured a survey of the ad-

295

VILLAGE CHARTER.

jacent lands into street and lots, and made application to the legislature for an act which. should confer upon the place the usual village powers. The desired act of incorporation was passed April 14, 1827, defining the village boundaries as " beginning at the bay, or river, opposite to the Town of Brooklyn, and running thence easterly along the division line between the towns of Bushwick and Brooklyn, to the lands of Abraham A. Remsen ; thence northerly by the same to a road or highway, at a place called Sweed's Fly, thence by the said highway to the dwelling-house, late of John Van- dervoort, deceased ; thence in a straight line northerly, to a small ditch, or creek, against the meadow of John Skillman ; thence by said creek to Norman's kill ; thence by the middle or centre of Norman's kill to the East river ; thence by the same to the place of begin- ning." The charter named five Trustees to serve till the time of the village election, viz : Noah Waterbury, Abraham Meserole ; Lewis Sanford, and Thomas T. Morrell ; also, John Miller, who declined serving ; which Board were duly sworn in April 26th, and or- ganized April 30th, by choosing Noah Waterbury, President ; Abraham Meserole, Secretary ; and Lewis Sanford, Treasurer. Their only noteworthy acts were the granting of several tavern licenses (the proceeds, $10 each, accruing to the poor of Bushwick), and pro- curing a survey of the village to be made by Daniel Ewen, for which $300 was raised by special tax. The first village election was held Nov. 5, 1827, and the old trustees were re-elected, by a nearly unanimous vote, except that Peter C. Cornell was elected in place of John Miller. The votes being one to six of the popu- lation gives 114 as the population of the village proper. While the new city fathers speedily evinced a com- mendable degree of enterprise in their efforts towards the improvement of the place, their wisdom was not altogether commensurate with their zeal. The charter itself lacked precision, in some respects, and its vagueness seems to have been often improved by the early trustees as a warrant for the exercise of extraor- dinary powers. This embroiled them in legal and political contentions with private owners of property, who, for the first time, became subject to municipal regulations. Thus, the attempt to open Ist street along the East River front between South Ist and South 2d streets, gave rise to a long and bitter lawsuit between Jordan Coles, as plaintiff, and the village, in which Coles was partly successful, but the open street re- mained in the hands of the public. Again, the Board, unwittingly, became the cats-paw of certain domestic speculators who rendezvoused at the old Fountain Inn, during the days of its decline, and these hatched schemes to possess themselves, under color of the law, of the parcels of land owned by non-residents and out- siders. By instigating taxation and assessment sales of these lands, with and without law, they were enabled to purchase them "for a song," much to the detriment

of the village, as it gave rise to much uncertainty as to land-titles. Yet the practice continued until probably 10,000 lots were sold for non-payment of taxes or assessments, while there was not law enough in these assessment or tax-titles, under which to acquire or hold the lands. But thus were matters too often managed by those who "had the ear" of the little handful of trustees, who lield their sessions in a small, wooden house, with its gable to 1st street, about 75 feet north of Grand; wherein, also, was a tin and stove store, and the office of a Justice of the Peace.

In January, 1829, the village had reached a milestone in its career-it had a debt! In February it had a post-office, Lewis Sanford, postmaster; in June, a hook and ladder company was formed; and, during the year, North 3d and South 2d streets were built, and 1st street between Grand street and the Brooklyn line was opened. In 1829, a school census revealed these facts, that Wil- liamsburgh had a population of 1,007, including 72 blacks ; 148 dwelling houses, including 10 stores and taverns ; 5 other stores; 5 rope-walks, 1 distillery ; 1 turpentine distillery; 1 slaughter-house, and 2 butchers; 3 lumber-yards ; 1 M. E. church ; 1 Dutch Reformed church ; 1 district and 3 private schools, etc., etc. · In 1832, a Methodist Protestant church was formed by secession from the M. E. church. In 1835, a census of the town of Bushwick (inclusive of Williamsburgh) gave a population of 3,314 ; and 2 distilleries, 4 rope- walks, and one grist-mill, with a total of $398,950 of raw material consumed, and $481,272 produced-all of which (except the grist-mill) were within the village limits, as were, also, 3,000 of the population. This was exclusive of many smaller establishments, wood-yards, storehouses, etc., together with 72 village streets, of which 13 were opened, and about 300 houses. This year, also, the W. Gazette was started. These facts illus- trate the progress the village had made, despite the errors of its trustees, the machinations of land- jobbers, and the depressing failures of its first found- ers. And, encouraged by these facts, its inhabitants bestirred themselves to procure an enlargment of their charter and a strengthening of their corporate authority. On their application, a legislative act was passed, April 18, 1835, extending the village limits by adding all the present 16th Ward, of Brooklyn, from the Sweed's Fly Road to Bushwick avenue, and the present 18th Ward, as well as a portion of the 18th Ward, between Humboldt street and the old Wood Point Road. The new charter created a Board of nine Trustees, to be annually elected, of which Edmund Frost was chosen President, and the energy and enter- prise of the new board soon inaugurated a new era in the history of the place. Several large and substantial wharves and docks were built, new avenues of trade opened by the construction of turnpikes, more streets laid out, and (against the strenuous opposition of New . York) a new ferry established to Peck Slip, a move

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

ment which, more than anything else, perhaps, contrib- uted to the increase of Williamsburgh's population and prosperity-adding, as it did, an inducement to many New Yorkers to locate their residences on some of the beautiful and eligible sites covering the eastern shore of the East River.

The Era of Speculation .- Speculation had now grown to cnormous proportions. In 1828, in addition to the "Williamsburgh " and " Yorkton " settlements, the Jacob Berry farm, of twenty-five acres, next to the East River and Brooklyn line, and the Frederick Devoe farm, of ten or twelve acres, extending from the river to 7th strect and along South 5th and 6th streets, had been laid out in village lots and mapped. In 1833, one Holmes Van Mater, of New Jersey, having purchased the David Van Cott property, of twenty-four acres, extending from 6th street to the old Keikout road, near 10th street, and from South 3d to Grand street, and for the space of a block to North Ist and beyond, between 9th and 10th streets, including the "common" near 9th and North 1st streets, had it mapped out into lots.

John Miller had a map made of 11 acres, the north- erly half of the land, inherited from David Miller, his father, being part of the old Keikout farm and of a piece of land extending from 7th to 10th streets, bought by David Miller of one Roosevelt. Maria Miller Meserole had the south half of the same land-mapped by the village and then in partition in 1849.

Nearly all of the present Thirteenth and Fourteenth Wards of Brooklyn-the original chartered limits of W .- was laid out into lots before 1834, when a general map of the village was made by D. Ewen, setting out the entire chartered village into prospective city lots. Prior to this Edmund Frost, Silas Butler, Charles O'Handy and William Sinclair had laid out twenty-five acres, extending from near North 2d street to North 10th, and from 6th street to 9th street. Sharp and Sutphen had also seventeen acres laid out from North 2d to North 7th, and from 3d to 6th street. These parcels were of irregular shape and matched to contig- uous lands by irregular lines.

A company purchased several farms and combined them in a map of 939 lots of land in W., the title being vested for convenience of sale and the execution of deeds in one William P. Powers, a handsome, amiable and honest young man, who was law-clerk in the office of John L. Graham, in New York. Powers also held title to one hundred and ninety-seven lots located between 9th street and Lorimer street, and South 3d street and North 2d street, and lying on both sides of Union avenue; also, he held title to the Abraham Meserole farm, west of Graham Ave.

The greatest rivals of Powers' associates were one John S. Mckibben and Thomas Nicholls, and, associated with them as banker and friend, one George D. Strong. Nearly all the land south of the Meserole farm, held by Powers as above, to the Brooklyn line and the cross-roads,

was purchased by Mckibben, Nichols and Strong, and mapped into city lots, both upland and swamp. The only portion of what was made the third district of Williamsburgh, remaining to the original owners, was the part of the Meserole farm lying between Graham avenue and Bushwick avenue, the John Skillman farm, near North 2d street, to the northerly village line and to the meadows, and from Union avenue to near Leonard street-the land formerly of John Conselyea, deccased, afterward owned by Andrew J. Conselyea, as to part, and Mrs. D. W. Townsend and Mrs. Schenck as to other portions, and John Devoc as to land on the southerly side of North 2d street, from Lorimer street to Bushwick avenue. But all these several farms and lands were mapped as city property by their old farm- owners and put on the market in competition with the land-jobbers' stock-in-trade. The village had already assumed jurisdiction, under an act extending its limits, passed in 1835, and laid out the streets as they are now recognized.

Such are the matter-of-fact details of the growth of the paper suburbs of our growing town. Its springs of life were hid away in the speculating haunts of New York city in dingy upper rooms of 142 Fulton street and No. 5 Nassau street, where often at mid-day and at early night-fall gathered those who thought there was something more than Kidd's money hid away in the meadows and uplands of the old town of Bush- wick.

At public and private sale large numbers of lots were disposed of, moneys were paid for margins and mort- gages were taken back for part of the purchase money to twice the intrinsic value of the property. All went merrily, the land-jobbers were reputed to have become wealthy, and their customers saw fortunes in their investments. And the pasture-lands and fields which then made up nine-tenths of the territory of Williams- burgh were clothed in the hopeful imaginings of the holders of lots with all the incidents of a busy, bustling town.

During the year 1836, a company purchased the Con- selyea (formerly Daniel Bordet's) farm, together with an adjoining estate, traversed by the present Grand Street, laid it out (part of map of 939 lots), and erected thereon fourteen elegant first-class dwellings, designed to be the pattern houses of a new and model city. The advance in real estate and population was unprece- dented-lithographed property-maps set forth in glow- ing colors the unrivalled opportunities and advantages for profitable investments, which were eagerly caught up by the uninitiated, until by this time (1836) real estate in Williamsburgh actually exceeded its present value.

The Period of Financial Collapse .- Finally the bubble burst, and in the crash which followed-known as the "General Commercial Crisis of 1837," Williams- burgh suffered deeply. A perfect business paralysis

297

FINANCIAL COLLAPSE-A NEW START-CIVIC ASPIRATIONS.

ensued, which seriously shattered the foundations of real and substantial property. Between eause and effect, intervening eircumstanees delayed the ultimate catastrophe to collateral investments; so that not until 1839 or '40 did Williamsburgh fully realize that the prestige of her second founders was lost. The fourteen model dwellings were followed by no similar ereetions; here and there a half-finished building, abandoned by its owner, suggested the vanity of all human hopes; the noise of the axe and the hammer was stilled through- out the village. From 1840 to 1844, the Court of Chancery was fully busicd in elearing away the rubbish of private bankruptcies from investments made in these lots, that they might stand discharged from judgments and liens in the hands of responsible capitalists, and in a condition for improvement.

A New Start .- But, healthful legislation, and in- ereasing facilities of access, gradually restored business to its wonted channels; so rapid was the progress of the village that in less than ten years, its population had doubled, and its ultimate position as a eity beeame a fixed fact in the public mind. For, during the period (1835-1844) where politieal and financial history had been so unhappy, social, religious and educational ad- vantages had rapidly increased and helped to lighten the general gloom. In 1837, the Episcopal Church was organized in the city; in 1838, the Williamsburgh Ly- ceum was established; in 1839, the Baptist denomina- tion gained a foothold. In 1840, the opening of the Houston Street ferry opened a convenient transit to residents employed in the great manufactories along the eastern water front of New York City; the village press was augmented by the advent of the Williams- burgh Democrat; and the first omnibus line was estab- lished. The village eensus gave a population of 5,094. In 1841, the Roman Catholic denomination established itself in the Dutch village neighborhood; and the Odd Fellows organized a braneh. In 1842, the First Pres- byterian, and in 1843 the First Congregational Church was commenced; while during 1843-'44 the place be- came a favorite resort of the "Millcrite," or Second Advent eraze .In 1844, an amended village eharter was adopted, under which three trustees and one eollcetor were chosen for each distriet. From this point, up to 1850, the social, educational and literary interests of the village assumed more definite proportions and vigor; while the number of church organizations was rapidly increased in each of the denominations; and the Wil- liamsburgh Bible Society was formed. In 1848-'49, ap- peared the first Village Directory, published (as also the year following) by Henry Payson; and continued 1850-'5, up to - by Samuel and T. V. Reynolds; the inerease of population from 1845-1850 being 19,448. The year 1851 saw the establishment of the Williams- burgh Savings Bank; the Williamsburgh Dispensary; the Division Avenue Ferry, and three new churches.

Civic Aspirations .- Williamsburgh now aspired to

be a city. Several motives conspired to this result. The village government had often exercised doubtful powers, in matters of public improvement. Its several charters, subjceted, as they were by the courts, to the strietest construction, were found to allow of too little diseretionary power, to be always available in emergen- cies which were constantly arising. Again, thic village trustees being mostly men of limited business experi- ence, could not readily work up to a technical and strictly constructed law. It is due, however, to the old village trustees, to say that their carelessness, as to the provisions of the eharter, oftencr arose from an over- ambition to serve the publie in its needed improve- ments of the village, than from any corrupt motives of personal profit. And, not infrequently, they found themselves, as a Board, involved in litigations initiated by the very persons who had petitioned for improve- ments, and whose property was benefited thereby, per- haps to even double the assessments charged to it for the expenses. An unwise fostering of the fire-department, for the sake of its political influence, also gave undue influence to the rowdy element of the population, which soon showed itself in an increased turbulence of the town-meetings, at which alone legal taxes could be or- dered. This, with the impossibility of getting, in the town-meeting, a fair expression of the real publie voiee -since the meetings could be so "paeked" as to leave nine-tenths of the village voters out on the sidewalk- led to legislation for the establishment of a Board of Finance, which should determine the amounts to be raised for specifie objects and provide for their inser- tion in the tax levy.

The City Charter .- Such a Board was created March 1, 1849, by aet of Legislature, and consisted of the President and Trustees of the village, with the Town Supervisor and nine other men especially elected for the purpose. But this did not suffice; and finally, the required eity charter, drawn by S. M. Meeker, Esq., Village Counsellor, received the sanction of the Legisla- ture, April 7, 1851; the election for city officers was held in November following, and the charter went into effeet January 1, 1852.

Street Nomenclature of the Village of Wil- liamsburgh .- The names of public streets frequently express fragments of local history. Some are only to be interpreted by traditions. Men who lay the foun- dations of a eity, or map the locations so to be oeeupied, are apt to respeet a scripture example, in ealling their eities " by their own names "-or, by the names of favo- rites and friends. Bushwick had no very conspicuous men ; so, when it beeame tlic site of a future town, no loeal denizen had sufficient sympathy with the matter to wish to couple his name with what seemed so absurd a projeet. Thus, in old Williamsburgh no strects pre- serve the memory of the Titus, the Miller, the Meserole, the Devoe, the Berry families; nor, even that of its founders, Morrell or Woodhull.

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

Mr. Dunham sought, indeed, to apply his name to the present Grand strect; or, at least, to sixty feet wide of the southern portion of it. But the widened street, as a centre linc of departure in the designation of all the streets, took the more significant name of Grand street. And Woodhull strect, in designating the streets by numbers, was succeeded by "North Second" street. All the regular strects of the village were designated by numbers, except Grand street and the lanc known as Water street; a portion of the old road along the East River shore; and a street laid out on the Commission- ers' map as "River street," whose site was over the waters of the East River and has been closed.

In the designation of the streets First street ran along the East River, Second street was parallel or nearly parallel to it, and so the streets were numbered as we went east from the East River up to Twelfth street. And north from Grand street the first street having the same general directions was North First street. The old Jamaica turnpike, from the old Ferry out, was North Second, and so on to North Thirteenth street, at or along Bushwick creek. Then, south of Grand street and running in the same general direc- tion, though not exactly parallel, South First street to South Eleventh street, at the old Brooklyn line. In this use of numerals there was a certain degree of con- venience ; but strangers are often confused by con- founding First street with North First, or South First, etc.

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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 68

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