USA > New York > Westchester County > Westchester county in history; manual and civil list, past and present. County history: towns, hamlets, villages and cities, Volume III > Part 22
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For biographical sketches of other residents see elsewhere in this book, and in volumes one and two.
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TOWN OF SCARSDALE.
(Continued from page 246, Vol. 1.)
The town of Scarsdale was originally a part of the Manor of Scarsdale, which Manor in the early date included not only Scarsdale, but also other nearby towns.
Col. Caleb Heathcote was first Lord of the Manor. (See page 246, volume 1.) The name given to the Manor interpreted means the rocky-valley; "Scars" being the Saxon for rocky crags and "dale" signifies valley. The Manor of Scarsdale originally embraced the present towns of Scarsdale, White Plains, Mamaroneck and parts of North Castle and Harrison. It was named after Scarsdale, in the county of Derby, England, where Col. Heathcote was born and where for many generations his forebears had been prominent. He received the Manor Grant from William the Third, which bore the date of March 21, 1701.
Colonel Heathcote was born March 6, 1665; he arrived in New York in 1692. He was Judge of this County from 1695 to 1721; was a Colonel of the County Militia; first Mayor of the Bor- ough of Westchester, a Councillor and Surveyor-General of the Province; Commander of the Colony forces, and Mayor of New York for three years.
Col. Heathcote was Mayor of New York commencing 1711, and from all accounts proved to be one of the most useful of the thirty Mayors that city had had up to that period. An his- torical reference to him says: "He was active in public improve- ments, grading the streets of the city from Maiden lane up to the 'Common,' where is now Chambers street." He became Mayor by appointment from the Governor of the Province.
Col. Heathcote held the office of Receiver-General of the Cus- toms for all North America from 1705 to the date of his death, in 1721.
The estates passed down from one descendant to another. At the present time but a small portion, if any, of the estates remain in possession of the descendants of Col. Caleb Heathcote.
Daniel D. Tompkins,* the fourth Governor of this State and later Vice-President of the United States, was born in this town, the seventh son of Jonathan G. Tompkins who served as
* A biographical sketch of Daniel D. Tompkins, who died June 11, 1825, aged 51 years, will be found in Volume 1.
.CITIZENS-OF THE TOWN.OF.SCARSDALE
INCLUDING . MEMBERS . OF. ALL: POLITICAL PARTIES . RECOGNIZING . THE.FIDELITY HONESTY . AND . ABILITY . WITH . WHICH . THEIR . FELLOW . TOWNSMAN
CHAUNCEY TOMPKINS . SECOR
HAS · PERFORMED . HIS . DUTIES . AS -
SUPERVISOR: OF .THE TOWN . OF . SCARSDALE
AND DESIRING . NOT-ONLY. TO . SHOW.THEIR . APPRECIATION . OF SUCH . SATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE.OF-A . PUBLIC.TRUST.BUTNAN-SO .TO . APPROVE . THE . PRINCIPLE .THAT PUBLIC SERVANTS- WHO . DEMONSTR .THEIR. FITNESS. FOR . OFFICE.SHOULD BE.COMMENDED . WHATEVER.THEIR NELLY . AFFILIATIONS . MAY. BE JOIN . IN . THE
PRESENTATION . OF . THIS . TESTIMONIAL
ITH . BRIEF . INTERVALS: FROM THE TIME. OF. THE .. REVOLUTIONARY-WAR. THE . SUPERVISORSHIP -OF - THE TOWNSF. SCARSDALE . HAS.BEEN .HELD BY . MEMBERS . OF. HIS. LINE.S.11S. GREAT GRANDFATHER JONATHAN. G TOMPI C BEEN . THE . FIRST . SUPERVISOR OF THE . TOWN . AND . HIS FATHER CANLAS SECOR HAVING . BEEN . SUPER- VISOR . FOR . TWENTY-FIVE YEARS . PRIOR TO THE-PLECTION . OF . CHAUNCEY. TOMPKINS . SECOR . IN THE YEAR . FIGHTF.EN . HUNDRED . AND . EIGHTY.THREE. S .A . MARK . OF . OUR APPRECIATION HOR. HIS
TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS OF . CONTINUOUS . FAITHFUL PUBLIC SERVICES
HIS . PERSONAL INTEGRITY; HIS . HIGHT SENSE OF .HONORABLE DEALING HIS.COMMENDABLE . DEVOTION TO THE/INTERESTS . OF.THE TOWN . OF SCARSDALE.AND · HIS - CREDITABLE AND · CONSPICUOUS . SERVICES . IM- PARTIALLY . RENDERED .TO.THE PEOPLE.OF. WESTCHESTER COUNTY
WE . CONSIDER. IT. A . PLEASURE . AS . WELL.AS. A . DUTY . IN . MEETING . ASSEMBLED. TO . PUBLICLY . ACKNOWLEDGE . HIS . PRAISEWORTHY . RECORD . AND . SUBSCRIBE. TO . THE . SENTIMENTS . EXPRESSED . BY. THIS . TESTIMONIAL.
UBSCRIBED . THIS . TWELFTH . DAY. OF . JANUARY: IN . THE . YEAR . ONE .THOU- S
SAND · NINE HUNDRED . AND · TWELVE.
TIZENS.OFY
Cornelius B. chish SCARSDALE.
Sage
Bradford Rhodes
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a member of the State Convention which met in White Plains, approved the Declaration of Independence, and adopted the first Constitution of the State; was town Supervisor; was a member of the State Legislature during the Revolutionary War period; was Judge of the County from 1794 to 1797, and later a Regent of the State University; he died shortly after his son was inaugurated Vice-President.
The Westchester County Historical Society was instrumental in having, in 1898, a tablet erected in this town to mark the birthplace of Daniel D. Tompkins, on land now belonging to Charles Butler.
Caleb Tompkins, also of this town, and a relative, held the office of Judge of the County from 1807 to 1820, and again from 1823 to 1846, forty years in all. He was clerk of the Board of Supervisors in 1807.
Robert Palmer, of this town, served as the second elected County Treasurer, from 1852 to 1855.
Benjamin Nicoll, of this town, was County Clerk from 1746 to 1760.
This township has been favored by having three of its citizens elected Chairman of the County Board of Supervisors; Richard M. Popham in 1828, Richard Palmer in 1843 and Chauncey T. Secor in 1893, 1897, 1898, and 1905.
Many of the Supervisors during the Town's history held that office for many years; William Barker, who later became Sheriff, was Supervisor eleven years; Jonathan G. Tompkins, father of Governor Daniel D. Tompkins, held it for thirteen years; Caleb Tompkins, who was Judge of County forty years, held it eleven years, and was also Clerk of the Board of Supervisors; Richard M. Popham held it six years and was Chairman of Board one year; Richard Palmer held it thirteen years, and was Chairman of Board one year; Francis Secor, father of the recent Super- visor, held the office twenty-six years; the late Chauncey T. Secor, who retired in 1912, served twenty-eight years, and was Chairman of the Board four years. (See Autobiography.)
At a public meeting of the citizens of Scarsdale, held in the School House, on the evening of January 16, 1912, it was decided to present a testimonial to ex-Supervisor Chauncey T. Secor, giving expression of public appreciation of services well performed as Supervisor of the town during the past twenty-eight years. The following is a fac-simile of the testi- monial presented :
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Testimonial presented to Chauncey Tompkins Secor by The Citizens of The Town of Scarsdale, including members of all political parties, recognizing the Fidelity, Honesty, and Ability with which their fellow- townsman, Chauncey Tompkins Secor has performed his duties as Super- visor of the Town of Scarsdale and desiring not only to show their ap- preciation of such satisfactory performance of a public trust, but also to approve the principle that public servants who demonstrate their fitness for office should be commended, whatever their party affiliations may be, join in the presentation of this testimonial.
With brief intervals from the time of the Revolutionary War the Supervisorship of the Town of Scarsdale has been held by members of his ancestral lines. His Great Grandfather, Jonathan G. Tompkins, hav- ing been the first Supervisor of the Town and his Father, Francis Secor, having been Supervisor for twenty-five years prior to the election of Chauncey Tompkins Secor in the year eighteen hundred and eighty-three.
As a mark of our appreciation for his twenty-eight years of continuous faithful public services, his personal integrity, his high sense of honorable dealing, his commendable devotion to the interest of the Town of Scarsdale, and his creditable and conspicuous services impartially ren- dered to the people of Westchester County.
We consider it a pleasure as well as a duty in meeting assembled to publicly acknowledge his praiseworthy record and subscribe to the senti- ments expressed by this testimonial.
Subscribed this twelfth day of January in the year one thousand nine hundred and twelve.
A. B. CRANE, BENEDICT J. CARPENTER, CORNELIUS B. FISH, BRADFORD RHODES, Citizens of the Town of Scarsdale. JOHN R. ROSS, WILLIAM H. SAGE, SAM'L WOOLVERTON, DAVID WELCH,
Committee.
Within a few recent years movements in real estate in this town have been very active. Many handsome residential parks have been laid out and many costly homes have been erected. Fine roads have been constructed, and the general development of the town is marked.
Many business men of New York have come to this delight- ful suburb to establish homes.
The present population of the town is (in 1910) 1,300.
According to previous census enumerations the town had a population in 1830 of 317; in 1835, 326; in 1840, 225; in 1845, 341; in 1850, 342; in 1855, 445; in 1860, 548; in 1865, 557; in 1870, 517 ; in 1875, 529; in 1880, 614; in 1890, 683; in 1892, 594; in 1900, 885; in 1905, 1,018.
CHAUNCEY T. SECOR
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
CHAUNCEY T. SECOR.
Chauncey Tompkins Secor, former Justice of the Peace and former Supervisor of the town of Scarsdale, former Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Chairman of the Build- ing Committee of the new County Court House, etc., was born in the town of Rye, while his mother (a resident of Scarsdale) was on a visit to her parents, on December 28, 1844, a son and only child of Francis and Sarah A. (Lyon) Secor, of Scarsdale.
The name of the Secor family has been variously spelled Sicard, Secord and Secor.
In 1690, Ambroise Sicard, who was a French Huguenot, came to this country, and settled in this county. He married Jennie Perron, and the first entry upon the records of the Huguenot Church in New York city (now the French Church Due St. Esprit) is that of the baptism of a daughter of Ambroise Sicard, the exile. Five children were named in his will, as follows: Ambroise, Daniel, Jacques or James, Marie, wife of Guillaune Landrian, and Silvie, wife of Francis Co- quiller.
Ambroise Sicard settled with his sons at New Rochelle, this county, and on the 9th of February, 1692, purchased one hundred and nine acres of land in New Rochelle, from on Guillaume Le Count, for which he paid thirty-eight pistoles and eight shillings, current money of New York, equal to about one hun- dred and fifty dollars in gold.
It is from the second son, Daniel, that Francis Secor descended. How many children Daniel had is not certain. James, his son, born in 1700 married Mary A. Arvon in 1724 and had seven sons and three daughters. Their fourth child, Francis, was born in 1732. He pur- chased the homestead at Scarsdale (now owned by heirs of Chauncey T. Secor) in 1775, the original deed of which is still in possession of the family.
He married Sarah Horton in 1761, and had three sons and five daughters. His oldest son, Caleb, born in 1763, married Anna Tomp- kins, daughter of Jonathan Q.
Tompkins and sister of Daniel D. Tompkins, Governor of State of New York, and later Vice-President of the United States. He had one son
and three daughters.
The son Francis (father of Chauncey Tompkins Secor) was the oldest child and was born June 5th, 1810. He spent his early life upon the farm, from which, as a result of his labors, he accumulated a con- siderable property.
He was a man of fixed and un- swerving principle, quick to decide, and ever ready to perform any labor to which his conscience pointed him as a duty.
In 1849 he was elected Supervisor of the town of Scarsdale, and the office remained in his hands for twenty-five years.
For thirty years he was an active and consistent member of the Pres- byterian Church of White Plains, and the confidence of his brethren in his integrity was manifested by their election of him to the elder- ship.
His death took place at his home, May 8th, 1885.
He was connected with all the laudable enterprises of Scarsdale and was lamented by a large circle of acquaintances and friends.
Chauncey Tompkins Secor, the subject of this sketch, was the son and only child of the last named Francis and was a great-grandson of Jonathan G. Tompkins, who was one of the original Regents of this State, serving until he resigned in 1808, who also served as the first elected Supervisor of the town of Scarsdale, from 1783 to 1794, then resigning to accept the position of County Judge, an appointive office. The next Tompkins of whom we have record as having served in the office of Supervisor of Scarsdale was Caleb Tompkins, in the years 1798 to 1808, and again in 1822. The first of the Secor ancestors men- tioned as having held the office of Supervisor, is James Secor, a son of a Secor who had become a tenant of the Heathcote family, who owned most of the old manor of Scarsdale; James Secor married a daughter of Jonathan G. Tompkins, and thereby
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became grandfather of Chauncey T. Secor; grandfather Secor served as Supervisor from 1808 to 1812, when he was succeeded by Enoch Tomp- kins, of the same family of that name, which, as the history of the town shows, gave Scarsdale many able men to serve it as Supervisors, besides giving to the State a Gov- ernor, in 1807, and the Nation a Vice-President, in 1817-21, in the person of Daniel D. Tompkins, who was a brother of Chauncey T. Secor's grandmother.
The office of Supervisor from the year 1822 to 1847 was held by others than immediate members of the Tompkins family; in 1847 Jonathan G. Tompkins was again elected and served two years; then, in the year 1849, Francis Secor, father of the subject of this sketch was elected Supervisor; he served during the years 1849, 1851, 1853 to 1862, 1863 to 1867, 1868 to 1879.
For many years Chauncey T. Secor, the subject of this sketch, served as Justice of the Peace.
Four years later the son suc- ceeded the father as Supervisor, Chauncey T. Secor being elected in the year 1883, and served continu- ously until 1912. Four times he was elected Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, in the years 1893-4, 1897-8, 1898-9, 1905-6.
His happy and genial traits of character, his patience and cheerful- ness, the utter lack of worry and fretfulness in his disposition, as well as his calm and equable tem- perament made him a most popular and successful presiding officer over that important body.
At the termination of his last, term, his last term because he de- clined to serve longer, he and his ancestors had served the town of Scarsdale, as Supervisor, for about one hundred years, and the service had been as faithful and honest as it had been long.
Prior to his final retirement, Chauncey T. Secor frequently ex- pressed a desire to relinquish office holding and to make way for a new man; he thought it but just that opportunity be given to another to fill an office that had been held by men so distinguished in their time as those in that township. His ex- pressed purpose to withdraw and be
no longer a candidate for the office of Supervisor, found answer in his being made the unanimous nominee of all political parties and in his unanimous re-election.
He was one of the most punctual members at sessions of the Board of Supervisors, every day found him in his seat, which he modestly selected at the rear of the hall. He ever attended carefully to business under consideration, and in the in- terest of his town, as well as of the county at large, he questioned with judgment expenditures of pub- lic monies and ever urged economy where economy served best interests. His straight-forward manner, his close attention to business and his constant endeavors to enhance the thrift of the county, won for him the confidence and respect of all who knew him. This confidence suggested his appointment as chair- man of the Supervisors committee designated to spend several hundred thousands of dollars in constructing recent additions to the County Court House in White Plains. His being at the head of so important a com- mittee was considered sufficient guarantee of satisfaction as to work performed. When this work of construction was completed, and accepted with thanks by the Board of Supervisors, Supervisor Secor ex- pressed himself as being content and willing to relinquish to one of the many able men of his town the office held so long by himself and rela- tives. To his retirement he could not get unanimous consent; his constituents knew him for a man of deeds rather than words-a man of work rather than of theories-a man of facts and not of fancies; alive to the public interests. indus- trious in advancing them, and free from suspicion. In face of this, it is not strange that his retirement from the service of his native town was generally regretted.
The Board of Supervisors, on De- cember 27, 1911, passed preambles and resolutions, to wit: Whereas, Chauncey T. Secor saw fit to refuse a renomination to the office of Su- pervisor, and his term therefore will expire on the thirty-first day of De- cember, 1911; and, whereas, this Board recognizes the valued service rendered to the Town of Scarsdale
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and County of Westchester through these many years, and realizes the loss of an honest and efficient pub- lic official in his retirement, there- fore be it
Resolved, that to Chauncey T. Se- sor, who has served twenty-eight years as Supervisor of the Town of Scarsdale, this Board desires to convey an expression of its sincere appreciation and regard for the hon- est, efficient and untiring service that he has rendered as a member of this Board, and particularly for the fairness, courtesy, ability, and wise counsel as a chairman of this Board.
On the evening of January 16, 1912, an unusual and notable gathering of citizens of the township of Scarsdale took place in the local school house, the purpose being to present a testimonial from an appre- ciating constituency to the retiring Supervisor, Chauncey T. Secor-the testimonial being in the shape of handsomely engrossed resolutions, expressing in well chosen words the gratitude of every resident appre- ciating the long term of public service of their respected townsman. This testimonial expressing popular feeling, was paid for by subscrip- tions raised of one dollar each-no sum greater than that amount being accepted, that all residents might be included in the giving and be privileged to take part in the good- will expression.
This gift, which came as a great surprise to Mr. Secor, was cherished as one of his greatest possessions, and will ever be prized by his descendants.
Members of the Scarsdale Town Board passed resolutions expressing regret for his retirement and this
testimonial handsomely engrossed was also presented to Mr. Secor. This Board also decided to hang a portrait of Mr. Secor in the Town Hall.
Supervisor Secor was a Democrat of the old school, and was ever true to the principles of his party. Happy over the success of his party in 1912, he attended, with his whole family, the inauguration of Wood- row Wilson as President and Thomas R. Marshall as Vice-Presi- dent of the United States, at Wash- ington, on March 4, 1913.
Supervisor Secor was educated at the Alexander Institute, in White Plains, after which he engaged actively in farming. On September 2, 1896, he was married to Miss Henrietta Fish, daughter of William H. and Catherine (Sutton) Fish, of Scarsdale, known to each other from early childhood. Of this union there are five children now living, namely: Frances, Chauncey T., Jr., Catherine Henrietta, Herbert Lyon and William Watson.
Mr. Secor died suddenly on March 12, 1913, after a brief illness. The announcement of his death came as a great shock to his many friends in all parts of the county who had not heard of his being ill. The Board of Supervisors took appro- priate action on learning of his death, attended the funeral in a body, and presented to the family pertinent resolutions handsomely
engrossed.
At the time of his death, and since organization of the corpora- tion, Mr. Secor was a director of the Citizens' Bank, of White Plains.
Of recent date Mr. Secor and family were residents of White Plains.
For biographical sketches of other residents see elsewhere in this book, and in volumes one and two.
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TOWN OF SOMERS.
(Continued from page 247, Vol. 1.)
The town of Somers is situated in the northern part of the County of Westchester, and is bounded on the north by Putnam County, easterly and southerly side by Croton River, and on the west by Yorktown. It was formerly a part of the allotment to Stephanus Van Cortlandt of Cortlandt Manor. The town was organized under the laws of the State of New York in 1788, and named Stephenstown in honor of Stephen Van Cortlandt, the principal proprietor. The town's population in 1910 was 1,228.
The town is well adapted to agriculture. Its rolling, sandy and clay ridge being diversified by numerous fertile valleys; Croton River valley being on the east and southern part; and Muscoot River and Plum Brook cutting through the central and western parts of the town, making it a well-watered town.
The town contains a number of small unincorporated villages, notably,-Somers Town Plain, West Somers, Somers Centre and Baldwin Place.
One of the first country banks in the County was established here in 1829, having a capital of $111,000, namely, the old "Farmers & Drovers National Bank," which passed out of existence only a few years ago. The notes of this bank were always redeemed at par.
Somers Town Plain and vicinity was in the early days quite a cattle market; through it were driven great droves of cattle on their way to the city of New York. Much trading was done here between the drovers and the surrounding farmers in cattle and sheep. As many as five thousand head of cattle in one season passed through this village in such droves.
Much of the old characteristics of Somers Town still prevails there. Recently, however, a Catholic Protectory has established itself at Somers Centre, which was formerly Teeds' Corners, and the name since then has been changed to Lincolndale.
The growth and prosperity of the town, as well as the pro- prietorship of most of it, has been brought about and vested in the old families, noticeably of which are, the Baileys, Crains, Greens, Browns, Finches, Todds, Tompkins, Teeds, Whitlocks, Bedells, Nelsons, Barretts, Seymours, Carpenters and Hallocks.
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The town was, during all the early struggles of the country, neutral ground, and no general historical event took place within its limits.
Enoch Crosby, the famous American spy, of Revolutionary times, came here to get his wife; he married a Bailey, and the last of her mortal remains rest now in the local Bailey family burial plot.
In 1808, the name of the town was changed to that of Somers in honor of the American patriot, Captain Somers.
The captain was a young, brave and dashing officer in the United States Navy attached to the squadron that was engaged in warfare on the Turkish fleet in the Mediterranean Sea, that was at least fostering piratical expeditions from north of Africa ..
After a severe encounter between the United States Squadron and the Turkish fleet off Tripoli, the Turkish armament with- drew in the harbor of Tripoli, and no effort on the part of the American commanders would entice them to renew the struggle. That evening a vessel was filled with combustibles, and explo- sives, and Captain Somers and a few picked men, including Lieutenant Wadsworth, volunteered to navigate it across the mole to the midst of the Turkish fleet, and then set fire to the train and escape in the vessel's boat as best they could. They were accompanied by the United States fleet as far as was deemed practicable, then unaccompanied, the few fated souls started out on their doomed journey. The vessel passed from sight and hearing of the American War vessels, and shortly after crossing the bar, the Turkish battery opened fire, presumably on the vessel ; in a few moments there occurred a terrific explosion that lit up the heavens and caused a bright glare over the sea for miles; then all was darkness. The war vessels remained at their posts on watch for the possible return of the brave men, and con- tinued their vigil long after daylight, even to the middle of the next day, hoping for a possible return. But these young heroes were never again heard of, though they will ever be to memory dear.
In the year 1815 Hachalias Bailey brought to Somers Town Plain the first elephant (Old Bet) that was imported to America. This event was the nucleus of the American show business. Here annually was housed in the winter time the then famous menagerie known as "The June, Angevine Van Amburgh and Titus Polytechnic Institute."
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William Bailey, of Somers, gives us facts relative to the "introduction of the first living elephant," by a member of the Bailey family, some of whom have in recent years become great show people.
In 1815, Hachalias Bailey, then keeper of the "Old Bull Head Hotel," at 23d Street and'3d Avenue, New York city, heard of the incoming of an African elephant. To advertise his business somewhat, he purchased it and had it driven along the highways after dark to Somers Town Plain, where she was first exhibited in a barn. Afterward, she was driven about the County and exhibited in barns near villages. (Her itinerancy always being at night.) So successful was the enterprise, that her owner determined to show her through the State of Connecticut. The people of that State, learning of its intended visit, became much excited over the sacrilegious display of shows in their midst, determined to prevent such a profane proceeding. A few pious enthusiastic objectors, to emphasize their opposition, armed them- selves with muskets and secreted themselves in an old mill situ- ated a few miles within the State, and awaited the coming of the offending yet innocent elephant. On the elephant's reaching the front of the mill a signal was given and there followed the fatal firings into the body of the poor creature, bringing her to the ground, where she died in great agony in an hour or two.
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