USA > New York > Westchester County > Westchester county in history; manual and civil list, past and present. County history: towns, hamlets, villages and cities, Volume II > Part 2
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34
In this early period the County was but an aggregation of farming towns, with few or no villages.
Even as late as 1840 there were only two sparsely settled vil- lages-Sing Sing and Peekskill-and no cities. Mount Pleas- ant town led in population, with the town of Cortlandt second, Greenburgh town third, Bedford next, and Yorktown closely following with a population equal to that of Yonkers. (York- town now has 3,020, and Yonkers 79,803.) Farming and stock- raising was (in 1840) the principal occupation of the inhabi- ants. The market for cattle was in New York city. Mount Pleasant's cooperage establishments employed many persons. Grist mills were in full operation in many sections in the upper
15
MANUAL AND CIVIL LIST.
part of the County, and the Westchester " family flour " was considered a standard article, much sought after.
The County continued in area as it was when erected until, by special acts of the State Legislature, a good portion of its territory on the southern boundary was chopped off and car- ried away to benefit New York city. By laws of 1873, chap. 613, the towns of Morrisania, West Farms and Kingsbridge (south Yonkers) were annexed to New York city. Later, the Legislature, laws of 1895, chap. 934, annexed the town of West- chester and parts of Eastchester (east and south Mount Vernon) and Pelham (including City Island) to the City of New York.
Efforts were made, through the State Legislature in 1910, to annex the cities of Yonkers, Mount Vernon and New Rochelle and the towns of Eastchester and Pelham to New York City. Strong opposition developed and the attempts were abandoned.
The population of Westchester County, according to the sev- eral census enumerations, from 1698 to and including 1892, is shown on page 8, volume 1, of this Manual. The Federal census enumeration in 1900 gives the County a population of 184,257; in the 1905 State census the County is credited with 228,950 population; in the most recent, the 1910, census the County's population is placed at 283,055.
Unlike many counties in the State, Westchester County has steadily gained in population since the date of its organization; in later years the increase has been more pronounced than in preceding periods. The reasons accounting for this advance are various. For instance, in 1880 the population of the County was 108,988; ten years later, in 1890, there were in the County 146,772 persons, a gain of 37,784. In 1900 the population was 184,257, a gain of 37,485 within ten years, nothwithstanding the fact that in 1895 a portion of the towns of Eastchester, Pelham and Mount Vernon were annexed to New York city. In 1905, only five years following, when another State census was taken, we find the County's population still climbing, having reached the 228,950 mark, with a gain of 45,575 over the last census figures. In the present year, 1911, we have the latest census returns, that show increased gains, the amount being 54,105 in the last five years. Surely we are going some.
Few counties in the State equal, and certainly none present a better showing as to numbers and quality of its inhabitants, and, taking all things into consideration, is it surprising that so many persons strive to get in and so few desire to get
16
MANUAL AND CIVIL LIST.
out of our County ? What can be produced more attractive and holding ?
The population of the several cities, towns and villages in the County will be shown elsewhere under appropriate heads.
Within the last five years the County has been greatly bene- fited in the way of public improvements.
Millions of dollars have been expended upon the electrification of the New York Central Railroad, passing through the County, along the line of the Harlem Railroad branch, from the Grand Central Station to North White Plains.
Millions of dollars have been expended upon electrifying the Hudson River Railroad division, completed to Hastings-on- Hudson.
Millions of dollars have been expended in the electrification of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad from the Grand Central Station, through our County, to Stamford, Conn.
Millions of dollars are to be expended in the construction and the electrifying of the New York, Westchester & Boston Railway, to run from Harlem, through this County, including Mount Vernon, Pelham, New Rochelle and Scarsdale, to White Plains, and Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Harrison, Rye and Port Chester, to the Connecticut State line.
Millions of dollars have been expended in the construction of the Bronx Valley sewer, running through White Plains, Scarsdale, Eastchester, Mount Vernon and Yonkers, in this county.
Millions of dollars are to be expended in the construction of the Bronx Parkway, running through this County.
Millions of dollars have been spent in building State roads; in constructing asphalt pavement, in granite block paving and in macadam streets.
The boundary line between New York city and Westchester County, in length between eight and nine miles, is crossed by a six-track railroad, three four-track, a double and single track railroad and half a dozen electric trolley railroad lines, with another four-track railroad in construction.
In the years 1910 and 1911 one of the vital questions con- fronting residents of the County was-"How shall the several cities, villages and towns in the County obtain a sufficient supply of water to meet the demands of a rapidly growing population ?" Until the last five years, previous to 1910, this was not consid- ered a serious matter.
17
MANUAL AND CIVIL LIST.
Years ago when the City of New York first had to go beyond its boundaries for additional water supply, it naturally turned to the hills and lakes of Westchester County for it. By various acts passed by the Legislature, from time to time, it came into the County and has condemned practically the entire available water supply.
Of the five hundred and six square miles in the County, New York city, through condemnation proceedings, to insure its water supply, has taken two hundred and six square miles in the upper and other sections of the County.
It has been carefully estimated that " the big city " has left only about thirty square miles of water-shed available at this time for additional use by the municipalities of Westchester County. This amount is, of course, absurdly small, and when it is realized that it is made up of scattering districts where population is rapidly encroaching, it becomes nonsensical to think of making any plans to use it for a permanent County system.
It is admitted that when the passage of the several Legisla- tive acts was attempted by New York City to appropriate to its use the several desirable lakes and streams in this County, that it might have an ample water supply, Westchester County authorities should not have complacently permitted the passage of the acts and allowed the taking, but should have provided that the future of the County be protected; but the lack of fore- thought may be excusable when we consider that the growth of the County, as well as the growth of the city of New York, has been beyond the expectations of residents of the time, and future requirements could not be anticipated.
The cities of Yonkers and Mount Vernon are at present in great need of an additional water supply. These cities being immediately on the boundary line of New York city at the southern end of the County, and being the largest centers of population within the County, are feeling the demand first, but the same condition exists through all the smaller municipalities as well as every town, village and city in the County, and all are endeavoring to find relief.
The city of New Rochelle is specially favored, having a good supply of water, provided by private enterprise.
By means of special bills, introduced in the State Legisla- ture in 1910 and 1911, Yonkers and Mount Vernon, and villages of the County, to get temporary relief, asked the privilege of
18
MANUAL AND CIVIL LIST.
connecting with New York City's water mains running through the neighborhood. It was asserted by residents of this County that it was but just that New York City grant assistance to this County, in way of a water supply, when it could well afford to do so. Local municipalities should not be put to great expense necessary in establishing independent water plants when they have the aqueducts of the City of New York running through their boundaries and furnishing an ample supply of water, which belongs to them by right of heritage, taken from them without recompense by the State Legislature.
Inasmuch as Westchester County was willing that the City of New York should take its water in the time of need, the latter City should be willing to render similar aid in the County's time of need.
An act creating the counties of New York, Kings, Queens, Richmond and Westchester as a Metropolitan Election District and authorizing the appointment, by the Governor, of a State Superintendent of Election for said. district, became a law July 16, 1898.
The area of the County is 506 square miles; water frontage, 54 miles; improved highways, State roads, etc., 520 miles; public and private improvements under way, estimated cost, $500,000,000.
The County Board of Supervisors, on March 16, 1898, passed an act establishing and defining the disputed boundary line between the towns of New Rochelle and Pelham, and in 1910 fixed the disputed boundary line between New Rochelle and Scarsdale.
As evidence of the County's growth, consider the figures showing the increase of the value of real and personal estate in the county each year, viz .: In 1839 the total valuation was $7,768,979 ; in 1879, $52,095,138; in 1889, $66,634,291; in 1898, $166,869,055; in 1899, $168,536,470 ; in 1900, $171,709,873; in 1901, $179,339,132; in 1902, $180,451,135; in 1903, $185,145,- 868; in 1904, $192,601,367; in 1905, $205,270,848; in 1906, $254,800,648; in 1907, $269,027,378; in 1908, $283,867,516; in 1909, $293,249,644 ; in 1910, $322,327,366.
It is prophesied that the County ten years hence will have a population, considering present advancement, of fully 425,000 and an assessed valuation of over $500,000,000. The growth of the County has been wonderful in the last ten years, far exceeding all predictions.
19
MANUAL AND CIVIL LIST.
The public business of the County has kept pace with the growth of the population. Ten years ago the Board of Super- visors considered the business of the County could be trans- acted at an annual session; now it is necessary to hold monthly sessions of the Board, and frequently special sessions, in addi- tion to the annual session.
A State Normal School is to be established in the County.
Besides the regulation State roads, there are the asphalt-paved, the brick-paved and the macadamized roads and streets every- where. The old fashioned common dirt roadbed is seldom seen, and then only in out-of-the-way places not yet reached in the march of public improvements. Its public roads aggregate over five hundred miles.
During the year 1909 there were 6,367 mortgages recorded in the County, amounting to $27,017,535; about fifty per cent. greater than the amount loaned in 1908, which was $18,106,122. The total amount in 1910 was more than double that of 1908.
It is authentically stated that in 1910 Westchester County had the largest number of volunteer firemen in the State of New York. The number given was 5,260 active members and 6,120 exempt members.
The County is especially liberal in paying officials. The salaries provided compare favorably with those paid by other counties in the State. Only in exceptional cases has an official complained of low salary (as they frequently will in all com- munities), but they were never known to agree with the tax- payer who suggested that probably salaries were too high. Even in case one deemed his services were being obtained too cheaply he never expressed a desire to return to " the good old times," when, in the early days, the salaries of the officers of this County were paid in pelts ; when the County Clerk, who now gets $10,000 per annum, payable monthly, was satisfied to take for his services 300 beaver skins, and considered himself well paid. Pelts were plentiful in those days as pennies now, and much better dis- tributed for purposes of currency and barter. Later the salary of the County Clerk was increased to 100 buck skins. The Jus- tice's salary was paid in mink skins. Even in that day State officials were satisfied to accept deer skins, raccoon skins and other pelts in return for services rendered.
20
MANUAL AND CIVIL LIST.
WESTCHESTER COUNTY LAKES
Acquired by the City of New York, to contribute to its water supply, are as follows :
Croton Lake,1 in the towns of Yorktown, New Castle, Somers, Bedford, Lewisboro and North Salem.
Kensico Lake,1 in the towns of North Castle and Mount Pleasant.
Byram Lake, in the towns of Bedford and North Castle.
Big and Little Rye Lakes, in the towns of Harrison and North Castle.
Wampus Lake, in the town of New Castle.
RESERVOIRS IN THE COUNTY
Belonging to the City of New York, for the storage of water2 for use of residents of that city, are as follows :
Croton Dam, commonly known as Croton Lake, lying in the towns of Cortlandt, Yorktown, New Castle, Bedford, Somers, Lewisboro and North Salem.
Cross River, in the towns of Bedford, Lewisboro and Pound- ridge.
Kensico Reservoir, in the towns of North Castle and Mount Pleasant.
Reservoir "A," in the town of Somers.
Reservoir "K," part in the town of Somers and part in the county of Putnam.
Reservoir "M," in the town of North Salem.
Most of the Lakes acting as feeders to the Croton system in Westchester County are located in Putnam county.
1 Croton Lake and Kensico Lake were but streams, hardly worth the name of lake, before the City of New York acquired them. Croton Lake was made by that City in 1836; Kensico Lake was made in 1883. Byram Lake, Big and Little Rye Lakes and Wampus Lake are natural lakes.
" All reservoirs are open; the water can be drawn off readily when need be for any purpose.
POPULATION SHOWN BY CENSUS.
The population of Westchester County, according to the census of 1910, is shown by the following official report, issued by the Director of the Bureau of the Census, at Washington, D. C .:
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND LABOR, BUREAU OF THE CENSUS, WASHINGTON.
February 11, 1911.
Mr. HENRY T. SMITH,
White Plains, N. Y.
Sir :
In reply to your letter, here is inclosed a copy of an advance bulletin giving the population, according to the returns of the Thirteenth Census, of Westchester County, New York, by minor civil divisions.
Very respectfully, E. DANA DURAND,
Director.
NEW YORK.
Population of Westchester County by Minor Civil Divisions- 1910 :
Westchester county
Mt. Pleasant town, including Briar Cliff Manor (part of),
North Tarrytown, Pleasantville, and Sherman Park vil- lages. . . .
11,863
Briar Cliff Manor village (part of)
23
Total for Briar Cliff Manor village (1) in Mt. Pleasant and Ossining towns
950
North Tarrytown village
5,421
Pleasantville village.
2,207
Sherman Park (3) now Hillside.
423
Mt. Vernon city
30,919
Ward 1
5,779
Ward 2.
6,511
Ward 3
4,327
Ward 4.
8,746
Ward 5.
5,556
New Castle town, including Mt. Kisco village (part of)
3,573
Mt. Kisco village (part of).
1,536
283,055
21
22
MANUAL AND CIVIL LIST.
New Rochelle city
28,867
Ward 1.
5,663
Ward 2. 8,740
Ward 3 5,569
Ward 4. 8,895
North Castle town.
1,522
North Salem town.
1,258
Ossining town, including Briar Cliff Manor (part of) and
Ossining villages.
12,828
Briar Cliff Manor (part of).
927
Ossining village .
11,480
Pelham town, including North Pelham, Pelham, and Pel- ham Manor villages ..
2,998
North Pelham village
1,311
Pelham village.
681
Pelham Manor village
852 (4)
Poundridge town.
725
Rye town, including Mamaroneck (part of), Port Chester, and Rye villages
19,652
Mamaroneck village (part of).
2,285
Port Chester village.
12,809
Rye village (5)
3,964
Bedford town, including Mt. Kisco village (part of).
5,629
Mt. Kisco village (part of).
1,266
Total for Mt. Kisco village in Bedford and New- Castle towns
2,802
Cortlandt town, including Croton-on-Hudson and Peekskill villages .
22,255
Croton-on-Hudson village
1,806
Peekskill village
15,246
Eastchester town, including Bronxville and Tuckahoe vil- lages. .
6,422
Bronxville village
1,863
Tuckahoe village (1)
2,722
Greenburgh town, including Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Hast- ings-upon-Hudson, Irvington, Tarrytown and White Plains (part of) villages.
23,193
Ardsley village.
537
Dobbs Ferry village.
3,455
Hastings-upon-Hudson village
4,552
Irvington village.
2,319
Tarrytown village
5,600
15,045
White Plains town, including White Plains village (part of) White Plains village (Wards 3, 4 and 5 and parts of Wards 1 and 2).
13,904
White Plains village (parts of Wards 1 and 2)
2,045
Total for White Plains village in Greenburgh and White Plains towns.
15,949
Ward 1
3,347
Ward 2
3,456
Ward 3.
3,538
Ward 4.
2,190
Ward 5.
3,418
Harrison town.
4,226
Lewisboro town.
1,127
Mamaroneck town, including Larchmont and Mamaroneck (part of) villages .
5,602
Larchmont village.
1,958
Mamaroneck village (part of) .
3,414
Total for Mamaroneck village in Mamaroneck and Rye towns 5,699
Scarsdale town 1,300
Somers town. 1,228
23
MANUAL AND CIVIL LIST.
Yonkers city.
79,803
Ward 1.
8,268
Ward 2.
6,596
Ward 3.
6,730
Ward
4.
11,037
Ward
5.
12,272
Ward 6.
12,568
Ward
7.
9,939
Ward 8
3,661
Ward 9
5,138
Ward 10.
3,594
Yorktown ..
3,020
Total population in the county
283,055
(1) Incorporated in 1902.
(2) That part of Mamaroneck village in Mamaroneck town, not separately returned.
(3) Incorporated in 1906.
(4) Not separately returned.
(5) Incorporated in 1904.
(6) Includes population (10,029) of Westchester town.
As shown by this last Federal Census, the population of the United States, exclusive of Alaska and all insular possessions, but with the army and navy not fully reported, is announced officially at 91,972,267. Most people are likely to regard the continental United States, including Alaska, as our true coun- try, and hence we can call ourselves in round numbers. 92,000,000.
These figures exceed considerably the early estimates of the census experts, and are of vital importance in considering the tendencies and future of the Republic. The increase has been 21 per cent., a slightly greater percentage than that of the preceding decade, but in actual numbers the gain has been more than two and a half millions greater than that of 1890- 1900. Hitherto the percentage has been dropping.
The growth has been exceedingly uneven, more so than ever before, and there are several striking features. The first is the enormous increase of the city of New York. This may be fairly called a phenomenon. Nothing like it has ever occurred before. The city increased within its limits 1,329,000. Many of the adjoining towns in Westchester County, on the north, doubled. The true New York, including all suburbs, which are its overflow, gained about 1,800,000, and the figures place the population of the metropolitan district at about 7,000,000. This increase also is cumulative. A State census was taken in 1905 and for the first half of the decade the increase was 115,000 a year, but for the second half it rose to 151,000 annually. The same result was shown in the adjoining Westchester County
1
24
MANUAL AND CIVIL LIST.
cities. It is quite obvious that New York is soon to be the largest city in the world.
Greater New York itself, the political New York, has grown by 1,329,000. No State except Pennsylvania equalled this growth. All Illinois gained less than two-thirds as much; Ohio not half.
Metropolitan New York has been defined as including West- chester County, and certain localities on Long Island and in New Jersey. A part of the population of this wider region is rural in character because of distance from railways, but it is as well defined as political divisions permit. It includes close to 7,000,000 people, and has grown in ten years about 2,000,000; say as much as the ten combined States of Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Vir- ginia, Mississippi, Maryland and Florida.
Commuting New York includes, besides the metropolitan area thus defined, considerable sections of Suffolk, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland and Orange Counties, of Greenwich, Stamford and probably as far as Bridgeport in Connecticut, and of close-by New Jersey. This added area, not accurately definable, a con- siderable part of whose adult men are daily denizens of New York, contains half a million or more souls, and has made an increase equal to Utah's. In summer the tributary area is even wider.
The census gives much information of value and teaches us much in its presentation of facts and figures.
To the thousand millions which Congress appropriates every year, most of it on account of wars past and to come, must be added, by one who would know the actual burdens that the people carry, the cost of city, county and State governments. The Census Bureau recently contributed some information on this subject in a bulletin showing that in 1908 the expenditures by 158 of the principal American cities amounted to $405,000,- 000. Municipal outlay per capita runs all the way from $27.58 in Boston and $24.71 in New York to $12.34 in Baltimore and $12.76 in New Orleans. More than one-half of these hundreds of millions goes for education and police and fire protection.
Wasteful as local administration often is, it is certain that the people who foot the bills get more for their money than is the case at Washington. Recklessness there begets recklessness in the cities and the States, so that extravagance is likely to characterize every public enterprise and agency. If in addi-
25
MANUAL AND CIVIL LIST.
tion to the known cost of government that is merely wasteful we could ascertain the sums which the people pay by reason of monopolistic combinations operating under unjust laws or in defiance of law, we should have the figures of a tax oppres- sion probably without a precedent.
Most of these dollars, whether wisely used or squandered or pilfercd, are wrung primarily from industry. Rents and prices of commodities must rise while such exactions mount higher and higher. We have no other question in this country of such vital importance to every man, woman and child as that which involves economy, efficiency and justice in the public service.
FIRST FEDERAL CENSUS, 1790.
A census of the United States is required to be taken every ten years, as provided by the Constitution. The first was taken in 1790, under the supervision of the President of the United States; subsequent censuses, to and including that of 1840, were taken under the supervision of the Secretary of State. In 1849 the newly organized Department of the Interior directed the work and continued such supervision until relieved by the Department of Commerce and Labor created by act of Con- gress in 1903. In the preceding year an act of Congress made the Census Office a permanent bureau of the Government, under direction of a Director of the Census. This bureau is now attached to the Department of Commerce and Labor. The Director of the Census is appointed by the President of the United States, and receives a salary of $7,000 per year. The Census Bureau gives employment, in office work, to about 700 persons.
The act of Congress authorizing the taking of the first census in 1790, was passed at the second session of the first Congress, and was signed on March 1, 1790. This act required the marshals in each State to take an enumeration of the inhabi- tants in their respective districts, employing such assistants as were necessary to do the work. On October 27, 1791, the census returns were made to Congress. Considering that the work of enumeration was not commenced until August 1, 1790, the census was concluded in one year and two months. The census was taken in seventeen States; unfortunately the sched- ules for six States were destroyed by fire when the British army burned the capitol building at Washington, during the War of 1812; the schedules for the State census of Virginia
26
MANUAL AND CIVIL LIST.
for three years were substituted for the schedules of the census of 1790 in this State, but they were not complete.
According to this census, of 1790, which represents a complete list of the heads of families in the United States at the time of the adoption of the Constitution, there were 3,231,533 persons in the country at the time, less than one-twenty-sixth of the number of present population.
In making these early enumeration schedules, reference is made only to heads of families, accordingly there are only about 540,000 names recorded on original lists. Families of that time averaged six persons. The schedules which were destroyed and not replaced contained 140,000 names, so that only about 400,000 names appear on the published schedules. The gross area of the country at that period was 827,844 square miles, of which 29 per cent., or 239,935 square miles, only was settled.
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.