¹ At the organization of the co. in 1683, the courts were esta¬
blished at Westchester, and were continued there until 1759. A
court of sessions was held at East Chester for some time. By
act of Dec. 16, 1758, the justices ’and supervisors were directed
to select a new site for a courthouse, which was located at White
Plains; and in that year, 1760, and 1762, £2,000 were voted to
erect and finish it. It was used until 1776, when it was burned.
By an act of May 1, 1786, £1,800 were appropriated for the erec¬
tion of a courthouse at White Plains and another at Bedford,
under the superintendence of Stephen Ward, Ebenezer Lock¬
wood, Jonathan Q-. Tompkins, Ebenezer Purdy, Thos. Thomas,
Richard Hatfield, and Richard Sacket, jr. Prisoners had pre¬
viously been confined in the New York jail; and courts had for
a time been held in the Presbyterian church of Bedford. Both
buildings'thus erected are still standing, and owned by the co.
A clerk’s office was built at White Plains, in 1830, adjacent to
the courthouse, in the old part of the village. The Provincial
Convention held its sessions a few days in July, 1776, at the
courthouse in White Plains; and in front of it the Declaration
of Independence was publicly read upon its receipt by that
body. The building, and what remained of the village, were
wantonly burned by a New England major on the night of Nov.
5, 1776.

² An act passed March 30,1855, authorized the county trea¬
surer to loan $35,000 for the erection of a new courthouse, jail,
clerk’s office, and surrogate’s office, upon a site in White Plains,
to be selected by the supervisors, and under a committee to be
appointed by them. The present buildings were erected in
1856-57, under the superintendence of Abraham Hatfield, States
Barton, Wm. Marshall, jr., David Hunt, and Geo. C. Pinch, at a
cost of $120,000. They are built of granite quarried near the
village, and form 3 buildings connected by corridors. The front
part is devoted to the records of the clerk and surrogate, is fire¬
proof throughout, and its spacious rooms are furnished with
iron cases for books and papers. The records have been re¬
cently bound, and put in complete order for preservation. The
middle portion is devoted to court and jury rooms, sheriff’s
office and residence; and the rear building is the jail, connected
with the court room only by a verandah. Prisoners may be
brought into court without liability to rescue by a crowd. The
cells, 36 in number, are built in 2 tiers in a central block.

By an act of April 16,1858, the office of Register of Deeds was
created, to be filled by election triennially. The act took effect
Jan. 1,1859.

² The Somers Museum was published by Milton P. Cushing
in 1810.

The Westchester Gazette was published at Peekskill by Robert'
Crombie about 1810. It was afterward changed to
The Westchester and Putnam Gazette. Several changes of pro¬
prietors and perhaps of name, occurred when in 1832
it became

The Westchester and Putnam Sentinel, and was published a
short time by Dr. Brewer. It was afterward pub¬
lished about 2 years by Samuel Heustis, as
The Sentinel. It then passed into the hands of Samuel Marks,
who continued it as
The Westchester and Putnam Republican. In 1844 it was sold
to Wm. Richards, who changed its name to
The Peekskill Republican. In 1852 Joseph J. Chambers became
proprietor, and in 1857 the paper was removed to Sing
Sing, where it is now published as

Tlie Republican, by J. H. Platt; J. J. Chambers, editor.
The Westchester Patriot was published at West Barms a short

time in .1812 by Lopez.

The Westchester Herald and Putnam Gazette was published at
Sing Sing in 1817. It was subsequently published as
The Westchester Herald, by Caleb Roscoe. The office was burned
in 1856, and the publication has not been resumed.

The Westchester Spy was commenced at White Plains in 1832

by   Harpending. It was continued by William B.

Lamphear, S. G. Arnold, John W. Bell, and others,
until 1848, when it was discontinued.

Tlie Hudson River Chronicle was commenced at
Sing Sing in 1837 by A. H. Wells. It is now published
by Wm. C. Howe.

The Protector, a campaign paper, was published in 1844.

The Port Chester Banner was pub. by Wm. A. McMillan in 1845.
The Eastern State Jonrnal was commenced at White
Plains in 1845 by Edmund G. Southerland, its present
publisher.

The Westchester and Putnam Democrat was commenced at
Peekskill in 18— by Bailey & Marks. It was con¬
tinued by Samuel Marks, and was for a time discon¬
tinued. It was revived by G. K. Lyman, and soon
after it passed into the hands of J. Arnold, who con¬
tinued it until 1851, when Ezra J. Horton became pro¬
prietor, and changed its name to
The Highland Eagle. In 1855, J. W. Spaight became the pub¬
lisher, and in 1858 the paper passed into the hands of
Dr. Fenelon Hasbrouck, who changed its name to
The Highland Democrat, and still publishes it.

The Westchester Gazette was commenced at Morrisania in 1849.
Stephen Angel was for some time editor. It was discon¬
tinued about 1856.

The Westchester County Journal was commenced
at Morrisania in 1856 by James Stillman, its present
publisher.

The Plain Dealer was removed from Roslyn, and afterward to
Glen Cove.

The Westchester Gazetteer was commenced at West Farms in
1849, hy H. Coggshell; it was removed to Mott Haven
July 14, 1851. and discontinued in 1852.

The YonJters Herald was commenced in 1852 hy Thos.

Smith, its present publisher.

The Westchester News was commenced at New Rochelle in 185-3
by Thos. Towndrow. It was removed to Yonkers in
1854, and published until Jan. 1856, when it was pur¬
chased by M. P. Rowe; and in Feb. following a new
paper was issued in its place, called
The Yonkers Examiner, which is still published by
M. F. Rowe.

The Mount Vernon Gazette was commenced in 1854 by Egbert
A. S. Manning. It was discontinued in 1857.

⁴ The Siwanoys occupied the shores of the sound from Nor¬
walk to near Hellgate; the Manhattans held the island of New
York, and as far N. as opposite Tappan; the Wecquaskecks held
the shore from the Sint Sink to the Armonck; the Sint Sinks
occupied the present town of Ossining and its vicinity; the
Kitcliaiounks claimed the territory on the Croton, and n. to
Anthonys Nose; and the Puchami and Wappingers the High¬
lands. The Tanketenkes resided in the rear of Sing Sing.—
Bolton's W. Chester, J, p. 10.