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Thursday, March 6, 2008

Auctioning the Tantivy's Horses at the Close of the 1886 Coaching Season

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web Site
Located 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 an accident involving the four-in-hand road coach "Tantivy" on its way to Pelham in 1886. See Thursday, March 6, 2008: Coaching to Pelham: The Tantivy Has an Accident on its Way to Pelham in 1886.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Coaching to Pelham: The Tantivy Has an Accident on its Way to Pelham in 1886

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web Site
Located at http://www.historicpelham.com/.
Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.

I have written much about the sport of coaching and the many coaches that ran to Pelham during the 1870s and 1880s. I also have written previously about road coaches to Pelham other than Col. Delancey Kane's "Tally-Ho". See, e.g.:

Thursday, June 9, 2005:

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Another Brief Reference to 19th Century Baseball in Pelham

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web Site
Located at http://www.historicpelham.com/.
Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.

As I have indicated before, those who follow the Historic Pelham Blog know that I have posted numerous items regarding early organized baseball in Pelham. In fact, I have written extensively on the topic. Among the material I have prepared on the topic are the

Monday, March 3, 2008

1891 Advertisement May Reflect Summer Rental of One of the Dormitories of Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web Site
Located at http://www.historicpelham.com/.
Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls in Pelham Manor became one of the nation's finest "finishing schools" for young women. As the school grew in stature, it grew in size with numerous dormitories to house the young women.

Friday, February 29, 2008

Advertisement for Sale of Newly-Developed Lots Along Pelhamdale Avenue in 1891

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web Site
Located at http://www.historicpelham.com/.
Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.

The January 25, 1891 issue of the New-York Tribune contained an interesting little advertisement offering lots along Pelhamdale Avenue "midway between Pelhamville Station (main line) and Pelham Manor Station (Harlem Branch)". The text of the advertisement appears

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Presbyterian Conference at the Little Red Church in Pelham Manor on March 20, 1889

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.The Little Red Church was the first sanctuary of The Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church in Pelham Manor. Opened in 1876, the little wooden church stood on the site of the present sanctuary of the Church at "Four Corners" -- the intersection of today's Boston Post

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Brief Obituary of Edwin R. Bertine of Pelham Manor Published on August 7, 1888

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Recently I have tried to collect 19th century obituaries of Pelham residents. One brief obituary for Edwin R. Bertine of Pelham Manor appeared in the August 7, 1888 issue of the New-York Tribune. The text of that obituary appears immediately below."DIED. . . . .

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Disputed Pelham School Board Election of 1882 Led to Charges of Fraud

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 regarding the Pelham School Board elections of 1881. One year later, the School Board election was much more controversial and led to charges of voter fraud. A lengthy article about the election appeared in the

Monday, February 25, 2008

Town of Pelham School Board Trustee Election of 1881

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Residents of the Town of Pelham, including women who owned property, voted in the Town election for two School Board Trustee positions in 1881. A very brief account of the results appeared in the October 13, 1881 issue of the New-York Tribune. The text of that

Friday, February 22, 2008

Burglary Spree in Pelham Manor in 1880

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In the early 1880s, a group of local residents formed a “Citizen’s vigilante committee”. That committee, in turn, created an organization known as “The Pelham Manor Protective Club.” The Pelham Manor Protective Club was formally organized on December 15, 1881 – ten

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Obituary of Cornelius W. Bolton Published in 1906

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.For many years, one of the sons of the Rev. Robert Bolton who founded Christ Church in Pelham Manor served as the rector of the Church of the Redeemer in the area once known as Pelhamville and, later, the Village of North Pelham. His name was Cornelius W. Bolton. I

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Pelham Teachers Threatened to Strike for a Pay Increase in 1906 -- All Eleven Of Them

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In 1906, there were only eleven school teachers in all of Pelham's schools located in the three villages. A brief article that appeared in the May 28, 1906 issued of the New-York Tribune indicated that the teachers that year threatened to strike if they did not

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Foul Play Suspected in Disappearance of the Head of the Pelham Ice Company in 1905

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.For many years in the early 20th century, the Pelham Ice Company maintained an ice plant in a structure located where Tiffany's now maintains a facility behind the Village of Pelham Village Hall on Sparks Avenue. The plant processed ice for delivery to Pelham and

Monday, February 18, 2008

The Night Nearly Everone in the Town of Pelham Died: April 17, 1904

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.On the evening of April 17, 1904, the 5,000 residents of the Town of Pelham narrowly escaped asphyxiation in their sleep due to a massive gas main break. Citizens of nearby towns also were in peril and fumes made 100 sick.The quick action of a Police Sergeant named

Friday, February 15, 2008

Village of North Pelham Saved From a Flood in 1903

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.The Village of North Pelham avoided a catastrophe in 1903. The quick actions of the New Rochelle Fire Chief prevented the calamitous collapse of a dam holding back thirty million gallons of water that would have rushed into the Village. An article published in a New

Thursday, February 14, 2008

True Love: Man Risks Being Shot To Visit His Sweetheart

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.On this Valentine's Day, it seems appropriate to reproduce a rather curious story about a lover who risked life and limb by visiting his sweetheart in North Pelham on the evening of October 19, 1902. The poor man, who did not speak English, left his lover's home

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

North Pelham Election That Ended in a Tie in 1901 Was Decided by Drawing Lots

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.When the election for the Village of North Pelham President (i.e., Mayor) ended in March, 1901, the Republican and Democratic nominees were tied. Thus, the election was decided by drawing lots from a hat. The New-York Tribune reported on the development as follows.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

He Fought the Bull and the Bull Won: Mad Bull Killed North Pelham Farmer in 1900

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.A North Pelham farmer suffered a horrible death in a strange battle with a bull on July 13, 1900. The odd event merited a lengthy article the next day in the New-York Tribune. The sad circumstances are a reminder of an earlier time when Pelham was dotted with farms

Monday, February 11, 2008

Prison Escapee Foiled in Effort to Kidnap Two Small Boys in North Pelham in 1900

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.A hardened career criminal who had escaped from the Westchester County Jail attempted to kidnap two young boys in North Pelham on a May evening in 1900. The kidnapping was foiled by a quickly-formed posse led by the boys' father and Constable Marks. The events were

Friday, February 8, 2008

The New-York, Westchester and Connecticut Traction Company Begins Building a Trolley Line in North Pelham in 1900

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Recently I have posted several items to the Historic Pelham Blog regarding the efforts of the New-York, Westchester and Connecticut Traction Company to obtain a franchise from the Village of North Pelham to allow it to develop a trolley line in the village. Today's

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Village Elections in Pelham in 1900 - New York Athletic Club Members Campaign Against the Prohibition Ticket 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 Village of Pelham Manor election of 1900 appears to have been "one of the liveliest contests" in Westchester County. The prohibition debate was raging. The President (i.e., Mayor) of Pelham Manor was Inventor E. T. Gilliland. He was running for reelection on

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

More on the Application of the New-York, Westchester and Connecticut Traction Company Application to Operate a Trolley Line in North Pelham

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 brief item describing an application filed in January 1900 with the Village of North Pelham by which the New-York, Westchester and Connecticut Traction Company sought to operate a trolley line in North Pelham. Slowly

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Trolley Franchises: The New-York, Westchester and Connecticut Traction Company Applies for a Franchise in North Pelham in 1900

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, momentum grew to provide trolley car service throughout the region as an important means of mass transit. Various companies vied for the right to operate trolley cars on the streets of the three villages that comprised the

Monday, February 4, 2008

Hurt Due to Bad Road on Prospect Hill in Pelham, Wagon Driver Sued Town of Pelham in 1883

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.During the 19th century, by nearly all accounts, the "roads" in Pelham were constantly in a state of disrepair. Typically they were little more than muddy, rutted and eroding pathways. One wagon driver who was badly hurt in an accident on Prospect Hill due to the

Friday, February 1, 2008

Battle Royal in Pelham Manor to Stop the Westchester Lighting Trust from Erecting Electric Light Poles in 1902

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Wealthy residents of Pelham Manor nearly came to physical blows with workers from the Westchester Lighting Trust on April 3, 1902. The Trust had permits from New York City to erect electric light poles along today's Shore Road. When it tried to erect such poles

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Lucky to Be Alive: David Pettet of North Pelham Struck by Train on December 16, 1901 and Lived

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, Pelham residents often walked along the railroad right-of-way to travel between Pelham and Mount Vernon. As one might expect, such a practice led to tragic accidents on numerous occasions. David Pettet of the Village of

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Confusion Over Where Residents of Hart's Island in Pelham Should Vote in 1884

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.During the 19th century, confusion arose over whether Hart's Island was part of the Town of Pelham, part of Westchester County or part of New York City. This created confusion over where residents of the Island should vote. The matter was clarified by statute, but

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Brief Obituary of Rev. Washington Roosevelt of Pelham Published February 13, 1884

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.A brief obituary announcing the death of Rev. Washington Roosevelt on February 11, 1884 appeared in the February 13, 1884 issue of the New-York Tribune. Below is the text of that brief obituary."ROOSEVELT -- The Rev. Washington Roosevelt, at Pelham, Westchester

Monday, January 28, 2008

1884 Burglary and Gun Fight at the Pelham Manor Depot

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.The population of Pelham grew quickly after the Civil War. With development came problems, particularly as so-called “tramps” found the area enticing and hitched rides to Pelham on trains running on the New Haven Main Line and the Branch Line. Before the Village of

Friday, January 25, 2008

Obituary of Richard L. Morris of Pelham Published on June 15, 1880

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Richard L. Morris was an illustrious resident of Pelham during the 19th century. He had a "country home" in the Town. He was a grandson of Lewis Morris, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He died at his home in Pelham on June 14, 1880. An obituary

Thursday, January 24, 2008

An Account of the First Trip of Colonel Delancey Kane's Tally-Ho to Open the 1880 Coaching Season

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.I have posted many items to the Historic Pelham Blog regarding the spectacle of "coaching to Pelham" in four-in-hand carriages during the 1870s and 1880s. Col. Delancey Kane began the practice during the 1870s and many followed in his footsteps. To read a little

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

1901 Notice of Foreclosure Sale of Properties in Pelham Belonging to the New York & Westchester Water Company

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In 1901, a notice of a foreclosure sale of the properties of the New York & Westchester Water Company appeared in New York City newspapers on a number of occasions. A number of the properties involved were located in Pelham. I have been researching the incidents that

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Townspeople of Pelham Vote Down Bond Proposal at the First Prospect Hill School in 1891

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 the first Prospect Hill School in Pelham Manor that once stood on the lands located at 212-22o Jackson Avenue and 966 Plymouth Street. For a brief history of the school and a early photograph of it, see:Monday, January 9, 2006: The

Monday, January 21, 2008

Litigation Over Compensation for Pelham Property Owners Whose Lands Were Taken by New York City for the New Pelham Bay Park

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.During the late 1880s, New York City was engaged in taking lands from Pelham citizens for the creation of the new Pelham Bay Park. Some believed the compensation proposed to them for payment by the city for the taking of their properties was inadequate. Litigation

Friday, January 18, 2008

Studies Created by Noted Architect Cass Gilbert for the Pelham Manor Station

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.A lovely stone train station designed by nationally-renowned architect Cass Gilbert once stood in the Village of Pelham Manor on the so-called branch line. The station replaced an earlier wooden structure and stood at the end of the Esplanade at track level along the

Thursday, January 17, 2008

A Little More Information About 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.Periodically I have posted items to the Historic Pelham Blog regarding John Hunter of Hunter's Island in Pelham. He was a wealthy merchant and close colleague of President Martin Van Buren who visited his grand estate on Hunter's Island. For examples of such

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Plans to Annex Pelham and Make it Part of New York City in 1870

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.On May 10, 2007, I posted to the Historic Pelham Blog the text of an article that appeared in The New York Times on August 12, 1870 indicating that residents of Pelham favored annexation of much of Westchester County by New York City in 1870. See: Thursday, May 10,

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Golf at Pelham Manor in 1903

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Yesterday on the Historic Pelham Blog I wrote about "Golf in Pelham Manor in 1895". Today's posting addresses golf in Pelham Manor in 1903 and demonstrates how truly dangerous it could be. It seems that in 1903, the Pelham Manor Golf Club had laid out a small course

Monday, January 14, 2008

Golf at Pelham Manor in 1895

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Pelham has a long tradition of supporting the ancient sport of golf. Indeed, I have written before about golf in Pelham. See Bell, Blake, The Early Days of Golf in Pelham, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 36, Sep. 10, 2004, p. 12, col. 2.One of the early efforts to

Friday, January 11, 2008

Brief Biography of Henry Heywood Fox Published in 1915

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.In 1915, Harvard published a report on members of the Class of 1900. Included within that report was a brief biography of Pelham Manor resident Henry Heywood Fox. That biography appears below, followed by a citation to its source."HENRY HEYWOOD FOXBorn Cambridge,

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Brief Biography of Reginald Pelham Bolton, Local Historian

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Reginald Pelham Bolton, a member of the Bolton family of Pelham who built Bolton Priory, was a local historian and amateur archaeologist in the late 19th century and early 20th century. His biography appeared in a book entitled "Builders of Our Nation" published in

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

The Aftermath 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.I have written before about the Pelhamville Train Wreck of 1885. See, e.g.:Monday, September 24, 2007: The Pelhamville Train Wreck of 1885.Tuesday, September 25, 2007: More About the 1885 Train Wreck in Pelhamville.Wednesday, September 26, 2007: The Pelhamville Train

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Brief "History of Coaching" Published in 1891 Shows Ties of Sport to Pelham, New York

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.On May 1, 1876 "The Pelham Coach", known as Col. Delancey Kane's "Tally-Ho", began running between New York City's Hotel Brunswick and Pelham Bridge. Within a short time, The New York Times reported that "[t]he Pelham coach has commanded as much patronage as if it

Monday, January 7, 2008

1878 Article Describing the "Attractions of Little-Known 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.On August 25, 1878, The New York Times published an interesting article describing the "Attractions of Little-Known City Island" in the Town of Pelham. The article provides a lovely snapshot of an important part of the Town of Pelham at the time -- a part of the Town

Friday, January 4, 2008

Letters Carried by John Pell, Second Lord of the Manor of Pelham, When He Arrived in America in 1670

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Thomas Pell is often referenced as the "First Lord of the Manor of Pelham". He died in late September, 1669. He died without issue of his own. His principal legatee was his nephew, John Pell, of England.John Pell arrived in America in 1670 to take control of the

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Charges in 1808 Against Lieutenant-Colonel David J. Pell of Pelham that He "Indulges in Inebriety and Habitual Drunkeness"

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Occasionally I have posted information regaring David Jones Pell of the Manor of Pelham, a Revolutionary War Officer who lived in the home now known as "Pelhamdale", a portion of which still stands as part of the home located today at 45 Iden Avenue in the Village of

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

New York State Senate Report on Petition by Inhabitants of Westchester To Allow Construction of Toll Bridge Across Eastchester Creek in 1834

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.On April 2, 1834, the Committee on Roads and Bridges of the New York State Senate issued a report on a petition received from residents of Westchester County to permit Pelham resident George Rapelje to construct a toll draw bridge over Eastchester Creek. The report

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Biographical Sketch of the Reverend Robert Bolton, Jr. of Pelham Published in 1878

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web SiteLocated at http://www.historicpelham.com/.Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.Robert Bolton, Jr. was the eldest son of the Reverend Robert Bolton who founded Christ Church and built Bolton Priory, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Robert Bolton, Jr. was the author of a popular two volume history of Westchester County