Research Regarding Anhooke, One of the Native Americans Who Signed the Treaty by Which Thomas Pell Acquired Lands That Became the Manor of Pelham

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings. Eight Native Americans signed the document known as Thomas Pell's "Treaty" on June 27, 1654. Five of those Native Americans signed that portion of the document by which Thomas Pell acquired the lands that became known as the Manor of Pelham using their "marks".

February 1, 1689 Order by Lieutenant Governor Jacob Leisler and His Council Directing Inventory of John Pell's Gunpowder

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.On February 1, 1689, Lieutenant Governor Jacob Leisler and his Council issued an order directing an inventory of a rumored store of gunpowder on the property of John Pell of Pelham in Westchester County. This was about eight months before John and Rachel Pell sold a

March 8, 1691 from John Pell and Other Magistrates to the New York Attorney General

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Below is the text of a letter issued by the Magistrates of Westchester County, including John Pell, to the New York Attorney General, James Graham, on March 8, 1691. The purpose of the letter was to request that two men who had interfered with the responsibilities

The "Rediscovery" of the Deed Reflecting John Pell's Sale of the Lands That Became New Rochelle

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.On September 20, 1689, John Pell and his wife, Rachel, conveyed to Jacob Leisler of New York City 6,100 acres of land that had formed the northeastern part of the Manor of Pelham acquired in 1654 by Thomas Pell, John Pell's uncle. The original deed is framed and

Biography of Theodore Montgomery Hill, Justice of the Peace in Pelham in Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Below is a brief biography of Theodore Montgomery Hill who served as a Justice of the Peace in Pelham in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The biography appeared in a multi-volume work published in 1903 and cited following the excerpt below."HILL, Theodore

1923 Magazine Article About Edward Penfield's Mosquito Extermination Efforts in Pelham Manor

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.I previously have posted to the Historic Pelham Blog an odd item about the efforts of famed illustrator Edward Penfield to eradicate mosquitoes in Pelham Manor during the 1920s. See:Wednesday, April 27, 2005: Edward Penfield of Pelham Manor - Famous Illustrator and .

1886 Poem Representing Fictionalized Account of the Pelhamville Train Wreck of 1885

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Occasionally I have written about the Pelhamville Train Wreck of 1885 that resulted in the death of Fireman Eugene Blake and injuries to several others including the train engineer, Riley Phillips. See:Monday, September 24, 2007: The Pelhamville Train Wreck of

Two 17th Century Fairfield Probate Records Referring to Thomas Pell

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/Click here to see a single index of all Historic Pelham Blog Postings to date.There are two brief references to Thomas Pell in Volume I of the multi-volume publication "A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records" compiled by Charles William Manwaring and published in 1904. One of the digest records reflects

The Pelham Electric Light and Power Company and its Incorporation Into the Westchester Lighting Company

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/Click here to see a single index of all Historic Pelham Blog Postings to date.Pelham's power needs once were met by a company known as "The Pelham Electric Light and Power Company". Below is a brief summary of the early history of The Pelham Electric Light and Power Company until it was absorbed into and became a

1648 Commercial Record Involving Claim Against Thomas Pell for Three Hundred Pounds

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/Click here to see a single index of all Historic Pelham Blog Postings to date.Recently I have posted a number of 17th century commercial records involving Thomas Pell. See:Monday, December 17, 2007: 1649 Record Whereby Thomas Pell Appointed Agent to Recover Bond Due From Pewterer Ambrose Adlam of the City of

1649 Record Whereby Thomas Pell Appointed Agent to Recover Bond Due from Pewterer Ambrose Adlam of the City of Bristoll

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/Click here to see a single index of all Historic Pelham Blog Postings to date.As indicated last Friday, I have been reviewing mid-17th century commercial records published in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by the City of Boston searching for references to Thomas Pell. See:Friday, December 14, 2007:

Additional 17th Century Shipping and Commercial Records Mentioning Thomas Pell

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/Click here to see a single index of all Historic Pelham Blog Postings to date.Between 1876 and 1909, the City of Boston prepared and published a 39-volume set of records relating to the early history of the City. Some of the records seem to reflect Thomas Pell's commercial activities as a young man.Early this year I

Abstract of Will of William Rodman Dated Oct. 28, 1782

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.I have transcribed 17th, 18th and early 19th century wills and abstracts of wills of residents of Pelham of which I have become aware. I recently prepared an index to those materials and subsequently have located other such materials that I have posted. See:Thursday,

Another Biography of Frederick Hobbes Allen, President of Pelham Manor and Owner of Bolton Priory in the Early 20th Century

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.On a number of occasions I have written about Frederick Hobbes Allen, an owner of Bolton Priory during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. See, e.g.:Thursday, March 1, 2007: Biographical Data Regarding Frederick Hobbes Allen, President of Pelham Manor and Owner

Photograph and Biography of Edgar C. Beecroft, Pelham Town Supervisor in the Early 20th Century

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Edgar C. Beecroft lived in Pelham Manor and served as Town Supervisor of the Town of Pelham in the early 20th century. His photograph and a biography appear immediately below followed by a citation to the source."EDGAR C. BEECROFT.Edgar Charles Beecroft, lawyer,

Data Regarding the Town of Pelham in 1898

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.A multi-volume work published in 1898 included an interesting description of the Town of Pelham. That description had a wealth of data about the town and a brief history. Accordingly, I have transcribed the text below, followed by a citation to the source."TOWN OF

Another Biography of Congressman Benjamin Fairchild of Pelham, a Founder of Pelham Heights

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.I have written on the Historic Pelham Blog twice before about the life of Benjamin L. Fairchild of Pelham Heights who served as a member of Congress and was responsible for much of the development of Pelham Heights. See:Friday, April 22, 2005: Benjamin L. Fairchild

Biography of John F. Fairchild, Engineer of the Pelham Heights Company During the 1890s

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.John Fletcher Fairchild lived in Pelham in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was a civil engineer with offices in Mount Vernon. He servied as engineer of the Pelham Heights Company and was principally responsible for the layout and civil engineering aspects

Photograph of the Old Wooden City Island Bridge

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.City Island once was part of the Town of Pelham. For many years an old wooden bridge connected the island to the mainland. In 1901, however, the bridge was replaced with a steel structure. Today's Historic Pelham Blog posting provides a photograph of the old wooden

Philip Pell of Pelham Elected To Chair Meeting of Supporters of the New York Gubernatorial Candidacy of George Clinton in 1789

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.George Clinton served as the first Governor of the State of New York. He first was elected in 1777 and continued to serve consecutive three-year terms until 1795. By the 1780s, George Clinton had emerged as one of the most prominent opponents of the proposed

Notice of Chancery Court Order Directing Auction Sale of Nicholas Haight's Farm in Pelham in 1820

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.On Friday I published to the Historic Pelham Blog the text of a newspaper advertisement published by Nicholas Haight on March 10, 1820 offering his 130-acre farm on Rodman's Neck in the Town of Pelham for sale. See Friday, November 30, 2007: 1820 Advertisement for

1820 Advertisement for Sale of Nicholas Haight's Farm on Rodman's Neck

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In 1820 Nicholas Haight published an advertisement offering his 130-acre farm located on Rodman's Neck. The text of that brief advertisement appears immediately below, followed by a citation to its source."FOR SALE,A FARM belonging to the subscriber, situate at

John Bartow Offers His Pelham Farm for Sale in Advertisement Published in 1807

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In 1807 John Bartow offered his Pelham farm for sale. It adjoined the lands of Herman Le Roy and looked out over Long Island Sound essentially in the area where today's Bartow-Pell Mansion stands. The text of the advertisement is transcribed below, followed by a

1786 Advertisement Offering for Sale the 300-Acre Farm of James Pell in the Manor of Pelham

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Periodically I post to the Historic Pelham Blog 18th and 19th century real estate advertisements offering land in the Manor of Pelham for sale. Below is the text of one such advertisement published by James Pell in 1786. The advertisement is followed by a citation to

Thomas Pell Was Elected a Freeman of Connecticut on October 9, 1662, the Day the Crown's Connecticut Charter Was Read to the Public

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.On October 9, 1662, Governor John Winthrop of the Colony of Connecticut presided over The General Assembly or Court of Election at Hartford during an elaborate ceremony in which the new charter of the Colony of Connecticut was read to the Freemen. Thereafter, the

Box Score of a Baseball Game Played on Travers Island in Pelham Manor in July 1896

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Last week I posted to the Historic Pelham Blog an item regarding a baseball game played on Travers Island during the Summer of 1897. See Wednesday, November 21, 2007: Baseball on Travers Island During the Summer of 1897. Today's posting provides a brief account of a

The Festivities of the Huckleberry Indians of the New York Athletic Club Off the Shore of Pelham Manor on July 12, 1896

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Huckleberry Island lies near Travers Island just off the shores of Pelham Manor and New Rochelle. In the late 19th Century, members of the New York Athletic Club created a social organization known as the "Huckelberry Indians" who socialized on Huckleberry Island.

August 1896 Description of Cycle Route to Travers Island in Pelham Manor

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.The August 1896 issue of the New York Athletic Club Journal contained an interesting description of the cycle route from the Club's Cycle House to Travers Island in Pelham Manor. The description is transcribed below, followed by a citation to its source."CYCLE ROUTE

Baseball on Travers Island During the Summer of 1897

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Those who read the Historic Pelham Blog regularly know that periodically I have posted to the Historic Pelham Blog research regarding early organized baseball in Pelham. In fact, I have written extensively on the topic. Among the material I have prepared on the topic

Photograph of Bolton Priory Gardens Published in 1902

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In 1902, Alice Morse Earle published a book entitled "Sundials and Roses of Yesterday". In it she included a photograph of the gardens of Bolton Priory. At the time, Frederick Allen owned the Priory.The photograph shows a sundial that formerly stood at The Mount in

1901 Obituary of Charles Henry Roosevelt, Grandson of Elbert Roosevelt, One of the Early Settlers of Pelham Manor

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.What follows is an obituary that appeared in the Year Book of the Holland Society of New-York for Charles Henry Roosevelt of Pelham Manor. He lived in the Roosevelt family homestead on today's Shore Road and was a grandson of Elbert Roosevelt, one of the early

Photograph and Biography of William E. Barnett, a Founding Member of the Pelham Manor Protective Club

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.According to the minutes of the Pelham Manor Protective Club, on December 3, 1881, "[a]n informal meeting of citizens at Pelham Manor was held at the residence of Mr. H. Reynolds . . . for the purpose of organizing a Protective Club." The citizens of Pelham Manor

1819 New York Statute Authorizing David Pell and Benjamin Underhill To Build Mills on Eastchester Creek in Pelham Manor

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In 1819, the New York State legislature passed a statute authorizing David Pell and Benjamin Underhill to erect a grist mill and a saw mill on Eastchester Creek in the Town of Pelham. The text of the statute appears immediately below, followed by a citation to its

1890 Advertisement for Taft's School for Boys in Pelham Manor

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.One of the nation’s premier college preparatory schools, The Taft School (now located in Watertown, Connecticut), began in Pelham Manor in 1890. Horace Dutton Taft founded the institution. Taft was a brother of William Howard Taft who served as Chief Justice of the

Construction of the Highbrook Avenue Stone Arch

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings. Though each day hundreds of Pelham residents pass beneath the Highbrook Avenue stone arch over which the New Haven Line tracks pass, few residents know of its engineering significance. Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog provides a photograph of the arch

An Account of the Great Election of 1733 Held on the Village Green At St. Paul's Church in Eastchester

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Recently I posted an item summarizing the early history of St. Paul's Church in Eastchester. In that posting I included links to a number of earlier postings regarding the history of the church which, in the 18th and early 19th centuries, was one of the two principal

Text of the 1687 Grant That Formed the Lordship and Manor of Pelham

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Below is the text of the 1687 grant by the Governor of the Province of New York, Thomas Dongan, to John Pell by which Pell's land holdings were elevated to the status of a "Manor" to be known as the "Manor of Pelham"."MANOR GRANT OF PELHAM.THOMAS DONGAN, Captain

Brief History of St. Paul's Church in Eastchester Published in 1886

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.The history of St. Paul's Church of Eastchester, now a National Historic Site, is closely entertwined with that of the Town of Pelham. Consequently, I often have written about the history of the church here. For examples, see:Friday, September 21, 2007: The Ringing

A Secondary Source to Follow Up On Regarding When John Pell, Nephew of Thomas Pell, Died

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.There long has been confusion regarding the date of the death of John Pell, the nephew of Thomas Pell of Fairfield, who inherited the Manor of Pelham following the death of his uncle in late September, 1669. Numerous secondary sources indicate that John Pell drowned

Is This Another Dead End in the Search for the Text of an Indian Deed to Lands That Included Today's Pelham Sold to the Dutch?

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.I warmly invite comment -- by email or by comment link below -- to this posting as it addresses an issue on which I have worked for a number of years.Those who follow the Historic Pelham Blog, including a number of experts on early Dutch settlement of New Netherland

References to Philip Pell in the Minutes of the Commissioners for Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies in the State of New York

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Periodically I have written about Philip Pell, an American officer during the Revolutionary War who lived in Pelham. For a few of the many examples of such postings, see:Friday, March 30, 2007: Biographical Information for Philip Pell Published in 1895Thursday,

Information About William Newman, One of the Englishmen Who Signed Thomas Pell's Treaty on June 27, 1654

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.This is the last in a series of four postings regarding four of the Englishmen who witnessed the signing of Thomas Pell's treaty on June 27, 1654. For yesterday's posting, see Thursday, November 1, 2007: Information About John Ffinch, One of the Englishmen Who Signed

Information About John Ffinch, One of the Englishmen Who Signed Thomas Pell's Treaty on June 27, 1654

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.This is the third in a series of four postings regarding four of the Englishmen who witnessed the signing of Thomas Pell's treaty on June 27, 1654. For yesterday's posting, see Wednesday, October 31, 2007: Information About Richard Crabb, One of the Englishmen Who

Information About Richard Crabb, One of the Englishmen Who Signed Thomas Pell's Treaty on June 27, 1654

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.This is the second in a series of four postings regarding four of the Englishmen who witnessed the signing of Thomas Pell's treaty on June 27, 1654. For yesterday's posting, which includes links to earlier postings dealing with the same topic, see Tuesday, October 30

Information About Henry Accorly, One of the Englishmen Who Signed Thomas Pell's Treaty on June 27, 1654

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.On June 27, 1654, Thomas Pell signed a "treaty" with local Native Americans acquiring the lands that became Pelham and surrounding areas. A copy of that treaty, said to be in Thomas Pell's handwriting, exists. It is among the Pell family papers maintained by the Fort

Brief Genealogical Information Regarding Abigail Pell, Born in 1751, Who Married Samuel Lawrence of Eastchester

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Below is a brief excerpt from a book published in 1899. It reflects biographical data for Abigail Pell who was born in 1751 and married Samuel Lawrence of East Chester."Samuel Lawrence was born in East Chester in 1751 and married Abigail Pell, who was born in East

Mystery: Why Would John Pell Travel to Porte Royall in Carolina in November 1671?

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Barely a year after he first arrived in America to claim his inheritance of the estate of his uncle, Thomas Pell, John Pell received a "pass" to travel from New York to Porte Royall in Carolina. There is no indication of the purpose of any such trip if he ever made

Request by Native Americans To Be Permitted to Retrieve Corn from John Pell's Estate in the Manor of Pelham During King Philip's War in 1676

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.As the violence between settlers and Native Americans known as "King Philip's War" loomed, local Native Americans made a plea to English authorities to be permitted to pass in canoes to collect a portion of the corn they had grown on lands belonging to John Pell,

July 3, 1666 Letter on Behalf of the Governor of the Province of New York To Thomas Pell

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In 1666, Mathias Nicolls wrote a letter on behalf of the Governor of the Province of New York,. Richard Nicolls, to Thomas Pell addressing his complaints regarding efforts by others to receive land patents that he believed infringed upon his own holdings. The letter

1664 Petition of Inhabitants of Westchester to Commissioners for the Affairs of New England Mentioning 1654 Purchase by Thomas Pell

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In 1664, the inhabitants of the settlement known as Westchester sent a petition to the English Commissioners of the Affairs of New England outlining their sufferings since first purchasing their lands from Thomas Pell. The petition mentions the acquisition from Pell

Dutch Authorities Demand That Thomas Pell Halt His "Intrusion" at Westchester in 1656

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.The Dutch meant business when they arrested most of the Englishmen who, in November 1654, settled in Westchester on lands acquired a few months earlier by Thomas Pell from local Native Americans. They removed the men to a prison ship near Fort Amsterdam. Eventually

Thomas Pell Was Feared Drowned or Lost at Sea in 1656

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.A paper delivered by the Director-General, Peter Stuyvesant, to the Council at a meeting in Fort Amsterdam, New Netherland on January 26, 1656 contained indications that the man most hated by the Dutch -- Thomas Pell -- had drowned or was presumed lost at sea. The

April 19, 1655 Dutch Protest Against Thomas Pell's Efforts To Settle Englishmen on Lands the Dutch Called VreedLandt

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.On April 19, 1655, the Dutch issued a protest against Thomas Pell complaining of his efforts to settle Englishmen on lands known by the Dutch as VreedLandt. It is believed that the settlement was near the head of today's Westchester Creek in the area that once was

1669 Map of Lands in Dispute Between Thomas Pell and John Richbell

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.At the time of his death in late September, 1669, Thomas Pell was involved in a dispute with John Richbell over who owned certain lands at the edge of Pell's patent. The New York State archives contain a map of the land created at the time of the dispute. Below is an

Information About Thomas Pell's Treaty Oak Published in 1912

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Periodically I have published to the Historic Pelham Blog postings about the legend of Thomas Pell's Treaty Oak. Indeed, I have written extensively about the legends surrounding the tree beneath which Pell supposedly signed the agreement by which Pell acquired from

Town Proclamation Recognizes Celebration of the 250th Anniversary of Pelhamdale at 45 Iden Avenue

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Pelhamdale is a Pelham jewel. It is a lovely stone house located at 45 Iden Avenue in Pelham Manor. Philip Pell II built portions believed to be part of today’s structure between about 1750 and 1760. The home is one of two in Pelham Manor that include sections built

Images of The Lord Howe Chestnut That Once Stood in the Manor of Pelham

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Once a giant Chestnut stood in Pelham. For more than one hundred years Pelham residents knew that giant tree as the "Lord Howe Chestnut". They knew it by that name because, according to tradition, a few days after the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776 British

Biographical Data and Photographs of Clifford B. Harmon Who Developed Pelhamwood

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In 1909, Clifford B. Harmon & Co. bought from the Winyah Park Realty Company a one-hundred acre tract of land just north of the Pelham train station. The company began development of a lovely residential neighborhood that it named "Pelhamwood".Periodically I have

Thomas Pell Accompanies Delegation of Dutch from New Haven to Hartford in October, 1663

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings. In October, 1663, the Dutch sent a delegation from New Netherland to Hartford to deliver letters demanding that the English abide by the terms of the Treaty of Hartford signed in 1650. That treaty, generally speaking, was intended to set an agreed boundary between

Biographical Data About William Jay Bolton of Pelham

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Today's posting, about William Jay Bolton of Pelham, is the 700th item published to the Historic Pelham Blog since its founding nearly three years ago.William Jay Bolton was a son of Robert Bolton who built Bolton Priory in 1838 and founded Christ Church shortly

American Troops Who Guarded Pelham's Shores in October, 1776

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Long before the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776, General George Washington feared the British might land troops in the Manor of Pelham in an effort to cut off any possible escape by Washington's army from the Island of Manhattan to the interior of the mainland.

Abstract of 1770 Will of Duncan Campble of Minefords Island in Pelham

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Regular readers of the Historic Pelham Blog know that I have collected wills and abstracts of wills of early residents of Pelham. I also have posted an index to such postings. See Thursday, March 29, 2007: Index to Transcripts of Wills and Abstracts of Wills Prepared

Biography of John M. Shinn, Pelham Town Supervisor in Late 19th Century

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.John M. Shinn served as Pelham's Town Supervisor from 1895 until 1904. Below is a brief biography of Supervisor Shinn, followed by a citation to its source."JOHN M. SHINN.Mr. Shinn, Republican, who represents the town of Pelham in the Board of Supervisors, was born

Book by George Rapelje, Pelham Resident Along With His Father, Rem Rapelje, Published in 1834

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Google Books continues to be a wonderful source of information about the history of Pelham. For example, during an unrelated search I ran across a wonderful book published in 1834 entitled "A Narrative of Excursions, Voyages, and Travels, Performed at Different

Biography and Portrait of Theodore B. Comstock, A Professor of Natural Sciences at Pelham Priory, 1871-1872

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.For many years during the nineteenth century, the daughters of Robert Bolton operated a girls' school in their home known as Bolton Priory (also known as Pelham Priory). The home still stands in Pelham Manor and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Few

Pelham Manor, A Lovely Summer Resort of the 1890s

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.There was a time when New Yorkers viewed Pelham Manor as a lovely, breezy summer resort and playground for the wealthy. Even as late as the 1890s, during the summer Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls converted its lovely school buildings into guest cottages filled with

When Incorporated, The Original Village of Pelham Needed More Elected Officials Than it Had Voters

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.One of the oddest pieces of trivia relating to the history of Pelham arises from the incorporation of the tiny little Village of Pelham in 1896. The original Village of Pelham encompassed the area known today as Pelham Heights. The Village of North Pelham, north of

Findings of the Coroner's Inquest That Followed the Pelhamville Train Wreck of 1885

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Today I am continuing a series of postings that transcribe news articles that appeared following the train wreck that occurred in Pelhamville in late December 1885. See:Monday, September 24, 2007: The Pelhamville Train Wreck of 1885Tuesday, September 25, 2007: More

The Pelhamville Train Wreck of 1885 Continued . . .

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Those who read the Historic Pelham Blog know that I recently began a series of postings that transcribe news articles that appeared following the train wreck that occurred in Pelhamville in late December 1885. See:Monday, September 24, 2007: The Pelhamville Train

More About the 1885 Train Wreck in Pelhamville

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Yesterday I began a series of postings to the Historic Pelham Blog in which I am transcribing news articles about the fatal train wreck that occurred on the New Haven main line in Pelhamville in late 1885. See Monday, September 24, 2007: The Pelhamville Train Wreck

The Pelhamville Train Wreck of 1885

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.I have written about an unusual train wreck that occurred in late 1885 in Pelhamville. See The Pelhamville Train Wreck of 1885: "One of the Most Novel in the Records of Railroad Disasters", 80(1) The Westchester Historian pp. 36-43 (2004). For the next several days I

The Ringing of the Bell of St. Paul's Church of Eastchester on the 100th Anniversary of the First Service in the Stone Church

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In late December 1888, the congregation of St. Paul's Church in Eastchester celebrated the centennial of the first service held in the stone church building that still stands as today's Saint Paul's Church National Historic Site. The next day The New York Times

Difficulties Follow the Foreclosure Sale of the Old Le Roy Mansion in Pelham in 1879

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Periodically I have written about the family of Herman Le Roy of Pelham, early residents of the area. For a few of the postings I have published in this regard, see:Tuesday, June 26, 2007: Herman Le Roy of Pelham Offers Reward for Stolen Ewe in 1814Monday, June 26,

New York Times Makes Searchable Historic Newspaper Collection for Period 1851 - 1922 Available for Free

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.The New York Times historic newspaper collection has been available from a number of fee-based databases for years. Recently, paid subscribers to The New York Times have had access to "Times Select" as part of their paid subscription. The "Times Select" collection

Installation of the First Full-Time Pastor of Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church in Pelham Manor in 1877

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.As I recently noted, periodically I have posted items to the Historic Pelham Blog regarding the fascinating history of the church known today as Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church in Pelham Manor. For a few of many such examples, see:Friday, August 31, 2007:

Articles About the 19th Century Boundary Dispute Between Pelham and New Rochelle

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.I previously have written about Pelham's 19th century boundary dispute with neighboring New Rochelle. See, e.g., Thursday, March 16, 2006: 1869 New York Herald Article About Pelham's Boundary Dispute With New Rochelle. Today's Historic Pelham Blog posting transcribes

Malicious Vandals Imperil Lives on a Passenger Train Passing Through Pelhamville in 1893

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In the wee hours of the morning, shortly after midnight on May 31, 1893, a train of the New-York, New-Haven and Hartford Railroad Company passing through Pelhamville struck a railroad tie that had maliciously been placed across the tracks. An article about the

Dedication of St. Catharine's Roman Catholic Church in the Village of Pelham in 1896

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Yesterday I posted to the Historic Pelham Blog a transcription of an article that appeared in the December 25, 1895 issue of the New York Times announcing plans to construct St. Catharine's Roman Catholic Church in Pelhamville. See Wednesday, September 12, 2007:

Announcement of Planned Construction of St. Catharine's Roman Catholic Church in Pelhamville in 1895

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In December, 2005 I posted to the Historic Pelham Blog a brief account of the origins of St. Catharine's Roman Catholic Church in the Village of Peham. See Tuesday, December 6, 2005: The Origins of St. Catharine's Roman Catholic Church in the Village of Pelham, New

Abstract of 1798 Will of Thomas Pell of Pelham

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.As I noted yesterday, in the last few months I have collected abstracts of early wills prepared by residents of the Manor of Pelham and, later, the Town of Pelham. I created an index to such postings earlier this year. See Thursday, March 29, 2007: Index to

Abstract of 1799 Will of Samuel Rodman, Jr. of Pelham

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In the last few months I have collected abstracts of early wills prepared by residents of the Manor of Pelham and, later, the Town of Pelham. I created an index to such postings earlier this year. See Thursday, March 29, 2007: Index to Transcripts of Wills and

1816 Advertisement for Sale of Two Farms in the Manor of Pelham

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In 1816 a brief advertisement appeared in New York newspapers offering two farms located in the Manor of Pelham for sale. The farms apparently belonged to William and George Crawford. A transcription of the advertisement appears below, followed by a citation to its

Information About St. Paul's Church, the Battle of Pelham and Other Revolutionary War Events Near Pelham Contained in An Account Published in 1940

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Noted Westchester County Historian Otto Hufeland authored a book published in 1940 entitled "Early Mount Vernon". The book included information about St. Paul's Church in Eastchester which, of course, now sits in an area within the Town of Mount Vernon. For many

More About the Opening of the Harlem and Portchester Railroad Line Through Pelham in 1873

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Yesterday I published to the Historic Pelham Blog a brief item regarding construction of the railroad line in 1873 that came to be known as the New Haven Branch Line. See Tuesday, September 4, 2007: Constructon of the New Haven Branch Line in 1873.Although

Construction of the New Haven Branch Line in 1873

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In 1873, the railroad that came to be known as the New Haven Branch Line was constructed through the area that soon became the Village of Pelham Manor. At the time there was much excitement among property owners who thought that the arrival of the railroad would lead

A Pelham Lawyer Charged with Defrauding the Railroad in 1871

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In 1871, a well-respected attorney who lived in Pelham was arrested and charged with fraud under a very odd set of circumstances. The lawyer, William Stewart McClellan, was charged with falsely claiming to be the Town of Pelham's Tax Collector and presenting false "

Announcement of the First Services Held in the Little Red Church of the Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church on July 9, 1876

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Periodically I have posted items to the Historic Pelham Blog regarding the fascinating history of the church known today as Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church in Pelham Manor. For a few of many such examples, see:Thursday, August 16, 2007: Biographical Data About

More About the Wartburg Orphans' Farm School on the Border of Pelhamville

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Yesterday I posted to the Historic Pelham Blog an item about the Wartburg Orphans' Farm School founded in 1866. The school began on a 200-acre tract along the border of the tiny settlement known as Pelhamville. See Wednesday, August 29, 2007: Construction of Main

Construction of Main Building on Grounds of The Wartburg Orphans' Farm School Near Pelhamville in 1869

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In 1866, the Wartburg Orphans' Farm School opened. Founded by Evangelical Lutherans of New York, it provided orphaned children with a home and an education. The school taught trades such as farming, printing and homemaking. The school acquired about two hundred acres

The Laying Out of Pelham Avenue from Fordham to Pelham Bridge in 1869

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In 1869, authorities laid out a more direct roadway from Pelham Bridge to Fordham. Known as Pelham Avenue, the roadway shortened the seven-mile circuitous route between Fordham and Pelham Bridge to a more direct distance of three miles. Below is a brief record of the

1861 Judicial Decision Involving Collision of Two Ships in Pelham Waters

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Pelham's maritime traditions have contributed to the body of legal knowledge known as maritime law. In 1861, a federal court in New York released a decision involving two ships that collided in Pelham Waters. See Randall v. The Zebra, 20 F. Cas. 241 (Cir. Ct.,

More About the Wreck of the Steamer Plymouth Rock in Pelham Waters in 1856

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Yesterday I published to the Historic Pelham Blog an item about the wreck of the steamer Plymouth Rock during a snow storm in early 1856. See Thursday, August 23, 2007: The Wreck of the Steamer Plymouth Rock in Pelham Waters in 1856. Additional information about the

The Wreck of the Steamer Plymouth Rock in Pelham Waters in 1856

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Given that the City of New York annexed large portions of the Town of Pelham including City Island, Hart Island and much of today's Pelham Bay Park in the mid-1890s, it is easy to forget Pelham's rich maritime heritage. The Town's history is littered with unusual

Israel Pinkney of the Manor of Pelham, Held in Confinement for Debts in 1769

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.A brief notice that appeared in the June 5, 1769 issue of The New-York Gazette; and the Weekly Mercury sheds light on an unfortunate debtor who lived in the Manor of Pelham at the time. His name was Israel Pinkney. The item suggests that he was held in confinement (

1752 Advertisement for Sale of Home on Boston Post Road in the Manor of Pelham

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.An interesting little advertisement offering for sale a home on Boston Post Road in the Manor of Pelham appeared in the May 11, 1752 issue of The New-York Gazette Revived in the Weekly Post-Boy. The advertisement is transcribed below, followed by a citation to its

Canadian Records of Claim Asserted by Joshua Pell, Formerly of Pelham Manor, A Loyalist Who Fought for the British in the Revolutionary War

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Following the close of the Revolutionary War, the "Commissioners of Forfeitures in the Southern District of New York State" conducted sale proceedings involving lands of those who were not loyal to the Patriot cause during the War. On August 23, 1784, the

Advertisement Offering Alexander Henderson's Island Estate To Let Published in 1807

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Alexander Henderson once owned the island that later became known as Hunter's Island (now connected to the mainland by the Orchard Beach parking lot in Pelham Bay Park). I have posted quite a number of items to the Historic Pelham Blog about Alexander Bampfield

Biographical Data About Rev. Charles Eliphalet Lord Who Served as an Acting Pastor of Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church, 1874-79

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.A book published in 1906 included a brief biography of Rev. Charles Eliphalet Lord who served as an acting pastor in Pelham Manor while the Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church was being formed. That biography is quoted below, followed by a citation to its source."

Plan of Pews in St. Paul's Church 1790

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Throughout the late 18th and early 19th centuries, St. Paul's Church in Eastchester was the principal church attended by residents of the sparsely-populated Manor (later Town) of Pelham. A book published in 1866 included a copy of the "Plan of Pews in St. Paul's

Biographical Data About Thomas Pell, His brother, John, and His Nephew, John Pell of the Manor of Pelham

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.A multi-volume work published in 1912 included biographical information regarding Thomas Pell who acquired the lands that later became Pelham and surrounding areas, and his nephew, John Pell (often referenced as "Second Lord of the Manor of Pelham"). The biographical

1865 Comments of Rev. William Samuel Coffey of St. Paul's Church in Eastchester Regarding the Tenure of Rev. Robert Bolton of Pelham

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.On October 24, 1865, Rev. William Samuel Coffey of St. Paul's Church in Eastchester delivered a "Commemorative Discourse" during the Centennial Celebration of the erection of the church building. In the discourse, published by Perris & Browne in 1866, Rev. Coffey

Information About William Newman: A Witness to the Signing of Thomas Pell's Treaty with Local Native Americans on June 27, 1654

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Yesterday I published to the Historic Pelham Blog an item about "John Ffinch", one of the Englishmen who witnessed, and signed, Thomas Pell's "Treaty" with local Native Americans by which Pell acquired the lands that subsequently became Pelham and surrounding areas.

Information About John Ffinch: A Witness to the Signing of Thomas Pell's Treaty with Local Native Americans on June 27, 1654

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.On June 27, 1654, Thomas Pell signed a "treaty" with local Native Americans acquiring the lands that became Pelham and surrounding areas. A copy of that treaty, said to be in Thomas Pell's handwriting, exists. It is among the Pell family papers maintained by the Fort

A Description of an Eyewitness Account of Interior of St. Paul's Church in Eastchester During the Revolutionary War

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Following the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776, British and German troops occupied the still unfinished church building on the village green in Eastchester. On October 24, 1865, Rev. William Samuel Coffey of St. Paul's Church in Eastchester delivered a "

An Account of the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776 Contained in The McDonald Papers Published in 1926

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In 1926, the Westchester County Historical Society published a two-volume set of "The McDonald Papers". The papers were based on 19th century interviews of American Revolutionary War veterans who fought in and around Westchester County. The first volume includes and

1714 Letter Reporting on the Establishment of the Church at East Chester Built in 1692

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.For more nearly two centuries after its first settlement, the sparsely populated rural settlement that came to be known as Pelham had no church of its own. Many Pelham residents traveled quite a distance to attend the church in East Chester. A church building was

Abstract of Sale of Lands of Joshua Pell of Pelham Manor by the Commissioners of Forfeiture in the Southern District of New York State in August, 1784

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Following the close of the Revolutionary War, the "Commissioners of Forfeitures in the Southern District of New York State" conducted sale proceedings involving lands of those who were not loyal to the Patriot cause during the War. On August 23, 1784, the

Biography of Arthur Middleton Hunter of Pelham, A Descendant of John Hunter of Hunter's Island

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Arthur Middleton Hunter was a descendant of John Hunter of Hunter's Island in Pelham. Like his noted ancestor, he became a noted amateur horseman who enjoyed horse racing and kept a stable of noted horses. Several years after his death in 1918, a brief biography

1805 Real Estate Advertisement Offering Prevost Estate in Pelham for Sale

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.A small advertisement appeared in the April 24, 1805 issue of the Morning Chronicle published in New York City offering the Prevost estate for sale in Pelham. The pertinent excerpt of the advertisment appears immediately below."BY A. & R. S. BARTOW, . . .At private

City Island Historical Society Nautical Museum Expected to Recover From Arson Fire That Damaged it on July 13, 2007

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Shortly before 9:00 p.m. on Friday, July 13, 2007, one or more arsonists set a fire on the front porch of 190 Fordham Street, City Island, Bronx, NY. The resultant fire destroyed the entrance to the City Island Historical Society Nautical Museum. According to an

1885 Report Notes Decline of Oyster Industry Near City Island in the Town of Pelham

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In 1885, the Commissioner of Fisheries of the State of New York issued a gloomy report about the decline of oysters in New York waters. The report focused on the area around City Island in the Town of Pelham as "typical" of such declining oyster beds.A news account

Possible Origins of the Oyster Feud Between City Islanders and Huntington, Long Island

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Yesterday I posted to the Historic Pelham Blog a small item published in 1869 describing a dispute among the oystermen of City Island in the Town of Pelham and those of Huntington, Long Island. There is an intriguing legend that sheds light on the likely origins of

Pelham's City Island Oystermen Feud with Long Islanders in 1869

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In 1869, a feud arose among City Island oystermen in the Town of Pelham and Long Island oystermen who plied the waters of Huntington Bay. A number of ugly incidents arose as a result. Today's Historic Pelham Blog contains the text of an early article about the

Yesterday Was the 100th Anniversary of the Inauguration of Regular Electric Rail Service to Pelham

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Yesterday was the 100th anniversary of the commencement of regular electric rail service to Pelham. According to a press release issued by the New Haven Railroad Historical and Technical Association, Inc.:"On July 24, 1907, the first regularly scheduled all electric

Article About the Pell Treaty Oak Published in 1909

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Yesterday I wrote about the fiery death of the Pell Treaty Oak in 1906. See Monday, July 23, 2007: 1906 Article in The Sun Regarding Fire that Destroyed the Pell Treaty Oak. Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog transcribes the text of an article that appeared

1906 Article in The Sun Regarding Fire that Destroyed the Pell Treaty Oak

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.For many years a gigantic, ancient oak stood on the grounds of the Bartow-Pell Mansion in Pelham Bay Park. According to tradition, Thomas Pell met with local Native Americans beneath the branches of that oak on June 27, 1654 and signed the so-called "treaty" by which

Account of Early Baseball in Pelham: Pelham vs. the New York Athletic Club on Travers Island in 1897

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Those who read the Historic Pelham Blog regularly know that periodically I have posted to the Historic Pelham Blog research regarding early organized baseball in Pelham. In fact, I have written extensively on the topic. Among the material I have prepared on the topic

Members of The New York Athletic Club Were Duped Into Believing the Club Created a Small Nine-Hole Golf Course in Pelham Manor in 1897

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In 1895, "golf fever" swept across Pelham. In response to the craze, two members of the Hazen family, Mrs. John Cunningham Hazen and Miss Edith Cunningham Hazen, organized "The Pelham Manor Golf Club". The founders laid out a small course on Prospect Hill. The course

Another British Military Unit History that Notes Participation in the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.I have previously posted to the Historic Pelham Blog a number of excerpts from British military unit histories that note participation in the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776. See:Wed., November 1, 2006: Two British Military Unit Histories that Note Participation

Mention of the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776 in Writings of Francis Rawdon-Hastings, Aide-de-Camp to British General Clinton

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Yesterday I published to the Historic Pelham Blog a brief item entitled "Mention of the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776 in Revolutionary War Diary of David How", an American soldier who fought in General Washington's Army. Today's posting provides a British view

Mention of the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776 in Revolutionary War Diary of David How

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.There is a very brief reference to the Battle of Pelham that occurred on the 18th of October, 1776 in a diary kept by David How, a private in Col. Paul Dudley Sargent's Regiment of the Massachusetts Line. The brief entry sheds light on the perceptions of the battle

Midnight Fire Destroyed Pelham's Town Hall in October 1908

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.At midnight on October 24 1908 -- just after a Republican rally ended in the building -- Pelham's town hall suffered a major fire that nearly burned it to the ground. The fire began in the cell area at the rear. Thankfully, no prisoners were in the cells at the time.

The Infamous Burglary of the Girls of Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls in Pelham Manor in 1905

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a school for girls stood at the corner of Boston Post Road and Esplanade in Pelham Manor. It was known as Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls.In 1905, an employee of the school committed what became an infamous crime; she

Using the Free "Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers" Database to Perform Local History Research

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Last March the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities unveiled a beta version of the "Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers" database. Presently the database includes newspapers from 1900 to 1910 from the following states: New

An Early Event in the History of Pelhamwood

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Just north of the Pelham station of the New Haven Line is the lovely neighborhood known as Pelhamwood. The neighborhood was developed in the early 20th Century by Clifford B. Harmon and his company, Clifford B. Harmon & Co. A full history of the neighborhood was

Burglars Learn To Use Technology to Rob Pelham Manor Homes in 1901

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In 1901, a technology that we take for granted today -- the telephone -- was still in its infancy. Barely two decades old, the technology was embraced by the bad guys who learned how to use it to further their illicit goals. The article below from The Sun (published

Fatal Train Wreck Near Pelham Manor in 1902

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.On September 26, 1902 there was a fatal train wreck on the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad line near Pelham. The conductor of the train, George Hart, was killed in the accident.A brief account of the wreck appeared in The Sun on September 27, 1902. It read

An Odd Incident in Pelham Manor in 1902

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.On September 19, 1902, The Sun published an article about an odd incident in Pelham Manor that involved a number of prominent Pelham citizens. A young man who tried to catch a train departing from the Pelham Manor Station on the branch line fell from the rear car and

1857 Real Estate Advertisement for Sale of the Pelham Bridge

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.On January 27, 1857, a brief advertisement appeared in the New York Daily Times offering the Pelham Bridge for sale. The advertisement appears below, followed by a citation to its source."FOR SALE - THE PELHAM BRIDGE, OVER East Chester Creek, Westchester Co This is a

1855 Tax Collection Notice for Pelhamville and Prospect Hill Village

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Two small hamlets were developed in Pelham at essentially the same time in the early 1850s: Prospect Hill Village and Pelhamville. New York City land speculators snapped up lots in both the tiny developments. In fact, so many New York City residents owned lots in

Notice of Auction Sale of Lots at Bartow-on-the-Sound in Pelham in 1874

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.I have written extensively about "Bartow-on-the-Sound", a tiny hamlet carved from lands around the Bartow / City Island train station that once stood on the Branch Line not far from today's Pelham Bit Stables on Shore Road. See, e.g., Bell, Blake A.,

Murder of a Member of the Secor Family in Pelham in 1843

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In 1843, a local man named Abraham Devoe murdered Mary Secor, an elderly member of the distinguished Secor family of the Manor of Pelham. A brief account of the tragic event appeared in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. The article is transcribed below, followed by a

19th Century Notice of Executor's Sale of "Hawkswood" After Death of Elisha W. King

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In the early 19th century, Elisha W. King was a distinguished New York City lawyer. He also served as an alderman and an assemblyman. In the 1820s, he built a lavish home in Pelham on Rodman's Neck opposite City Island. According to one source, King purchased nearby

Dissolution of Firm of Black, Starr & Frost and Reconstitution of the Firm as Corporation After Robert Clifford Black's Death

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Robert Clifford Black of Pelham Manor served for many years as one of the principals of the internationally-renowned jewelry firm of Black, Starr & Frost. Both Black and Cortlandt W. Starr lived in Pelham Manor for many years.I have previously written about members

Herman Le Roy of Pelham Offers Reward for Stolen Ewe in 1814

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Today it may be hard to image a time when farmers in Pelham were plagued by sheep rustlers. However, a notice published by Herman Le Roy of Pelham in 1814 serves as a quaint reminder of Pelham when it was principally farmland.I have written a number of times about

1841 Notice of Administrators' Sale of Real Estate Including the So-Called "Sacket Farm" in Pelham

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.There once was a large tract of land that lay, in part, in the northeastern reaches of today's Pelham Bay Park known as the Sacket Farm because it belonged to Joseph Sacket. Following Joseph Sacket's death, a Notice of Administrators' Sale of Real Estate (including

1857 Real Estate Advertisement for Sale of "Country Seat" at Pelham Bridge

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.The February 21, 1857 issue of the New York Daily Times contained an interesting advertisement offering a "country seat" at Pelham Bridge for sale. The rich description warrants transcription of the entire ad which appears below, followed by a citation to its source.

Information About "Aeronautic" Exploits of Clifford B. Harmon Who Developed Pelhamwood in Pelham

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.The lovely neighborhood known as Pelhamwood north of the railroad station in the Village of Pelham was developed in the early 20th Century by Clifford B. Harmon and his company, Clifford B. Harmon & Co. I previously have written about Clifford Harmon. See, e.g.,

John Pell's Early Public Service in the Late 1600s

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.John Pell inherited the lands that came to be known as the "Manor of Pelham" from his uncle, Thomas Pell, following Thomas Pell's death in late September, 1669. John Pell arrived in America from England to claim his inheritance about a year later.Within a short time,

A Brazen Burglary at The Little Red Church in 1904

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In 1904, the Little Red Church still stood at the corner of Boston Post Road and Pelhamdale Avenue in the Manor of Pelham. On December 4 of that year, the Rev. George W. Knox of the Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church entered the sanctuary to prepare for services

Information About Slaves Owned by Joshua Pell, Jr. of the Manor of Pelham

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In 1837, the New York Committee of Vigilance published its first annual report regarding its efforts to fight slavery. Included in that report was a summary of some of the Committee's efforts to obtain recompense for former slaves whose property was taken by