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WESTCHESTER COUNTY. 699
Peekskill,1 (p.v.,) upon Peekskill Bay, in the n.w. part of the town, was incorp. April 17,
1816. It is situated in an elevated valley surrounded by heights which afford extensive views of
the river. It contains 10 churches, the Peekskill Academy, 4 boarding schools, a bank, newspaper
office, and several manufactories.2 It is connected by a steam ferry with Caldwells Landing, and
by a daily steamer and line of sloops with New York. It is a station upon the H. R. R. R. Pop.
3,538. Verplancks Point, (Yerplanck p. o.,) upon the Hudson, near the center of the w.
border of the town, was laid out in 1836. It contains a church, steamboat landing, several im¬
portant brick manufactories, and 1,456 inhabitants.3 Croton4 (Croton Landing p. o.) is a r. r.
station, in the s. part of the town. It contains 4 churches, a rolling mill, wire mill, and several brick¬
yards. Pop. 400. Crngers5 (Boscobel p.p.) is a landing and r. r. station, 4 mi. s. of Peekskill.
Annsville, a small village on Peekskill Creek, contains a church and wire mill.6 Cortlantf-
ville, near the Yan Cortlandt mansion, contains a church, a planing mill, and about 20 houses.
Oregon, on the line of Putnam co., contains a rolling mill and a wire mill. Mount Airy,
e. of Croton, is a hamlet, Croton Point7 is a peninsula in the s. part of the town, devoted
chiefly to vineyards. Montroses Point is a peninsula s. of Yerplancks and separated from it
by Meanagh Creek. Daniel Birdsall, Nathaniel Brown, Joseph Travis, and Capt. Isaac Conklin
settled at Peekskill, in 1764.® There are 18 churches in town.9
EAST CHESTER.10—was recognized as a town March 7,1788. It is an interior town, lying
in the s. part of the co. Its surface is broken by ridges extending ■ n. and s. and separated by
narrow valleys. Bronx River,11 forming the n. boundary, and Hutchinsons or East Chester Creek,12
forming a portion of the e. boundary, are the principal streams. The soil is a sandy and gravelly
loam, with some alluvium along' the river intervales. Marble is extensively quarried along thew.
border.13 The Harlem R. R. extends along the valley of the Bronx, and the N. Y. & N. H. R. R.
crosses the s. part of the town at nearly right angles to the hills, requiring heavy cuttings and
embankments. A portion of the territory of the town is public land, under the management of
3 trustees. East Chester, (p.v.,) at the head of sloop navigation on Hutchinson Creek, con¬
tains 2 churches and 551 inhabitants. Mount Vernon, (p. v.,) a station at the junction of the
Harlem and N. H. R. R.s, was incorp. Dec. 13, 1853. It contains 4 churches, several private
schools, and 1,161 inhabitants. West Mount Vernon contains 630 inhabitants; East
Mount Vernon 275 inhabitants; and Waverly and Waslaingtonville are suburban
villages, inhabited principally by mechanics and men doing business in New York. Bronx-
Ville, (p. v.,) on the line of Yonkers, is a R. r. station, and contains a manufactory of carriage
axles. Tuckahoe (p. v.) is a r. r. station, near the marble quarries. Burpos Corners is
a small settlement on the n. border. Fleetwood and Jacksonville are places projected
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ment to 1,350 men, and turns out 80,000,000 to 90,000,000 of
bricks annually. The pressed brick made here are known in
market as “Croton fronts,” and sell at from $8 to $9 per M.
There is a small firebrick manufactory at Peekskill, using clay
from N. J.
1 Named from Jan Peek.—Benson's Mem. p. 36; Bolton's West
Chester, I, 62. The vicinity was called Sachus, or Sackhoes, by
the natives, and the stream, Magrigaries.
2 Among the manufactories are 6 iron founderies, chiefly en¬
gaged in the manufacture of stoves and plows, and giving em¬
ployment to 300 men; 2 machine shops, 2 tobacco factories, a
pistol and gun factory, tannery, and gin distillery.
3 Named from the family of Verplancks, former owners.
This point lies opposite Stony Point; and upon it Fort La
Fayette was erected during the Revolution. King’s Ferry, a
part of an important military route, was between the two
points. The fort was captured by the enemy, under Sir Henry
Clinton in person, June 1,1779, hut was abandoned *Oct. 21 of
that year. Col. Livingston held command of this place in 1780,
at the time of Arnold’s treason; and the headquarters of Gen.
Washington were located here for some time. This locality was
called hy the Indians “ Meanagh,” and was sold to Stephanns Van
Cortlandt in 1683, with the lands e. called “Appamaghpogh.” A
small creek n. was called “ Tammoesis.” The purchase was
confirmed hy patent, with a qnitrent of 2 bushels of wheat.
About 1734 it was held hy John Lent, at an annual rent of one
pepper-corn.—Bolton’s Hist., 1,94. The population mentioned
in the text is much less in winter.
4 Formerly called “ Collaberg Landing.”
5 Named from Col. John P. Cruger, whose estate, including
Oscawana Island, is adjacent. ‘•‘Boscobel” (the original name)
was the residence of Staats Morris Dyckman.
6 Cortlandt Bridge, across the mouth of Peekskill Creek, is
1,496 feet long. Upon the point at the mouth of the creek are
the remains of Fort Independence. During the Revolution two
British vessels were sunk opposite this point, and about 40 years
since several cannon were raised from them hy diving hells.
t By the Indians called Senasqua Neck, and long known as
“Tellers Point.” from Wm. Teller and Sarah his wife, first
owners. The ship Vulture anchored opposite this point Sept.
21,1780, with Andrfi’s mission. |
® The first store was built by Daniel Birdsall, in the vicinity
of the Middle Dock. Capt. Swim is said to have sailed the first
sloop from Pemart’s Dock, in 1773.—Bolton’s Westchester, I, 62.
Many stirring events of the- Bevolution occurred in this vici¬
nity, and the country suffered much from the enemy’s incur¬
sions. In March, 1777, Col. Bird landed with 500 men, and the
few Americans stationed here fired the storehouses and retired.
In Sept. 1777, the whole village was sacked and burned. Ed¬
mund Palmer, a tory spy, was hanged on Gallows Hill, 2 mi. n.
of the village; and Daniel Strang, another spy from the enemy,
was executed on a pear tree near the present academy. John
Paulding, one of the captors of Andre, was a native of this vil¬
lage, and received from the State a farm in this town. His
remains repose in the Episcopal graveyard, 2 mi. n. of the vil¬
lage, where a neat monument was erected, at the expense of the
corporation of New York, in 1827; and the work was completed
with imposing ceremonies Nov. 22 of that year. Gen. Pierre
“Van Cortlandt formerly resided 2 mi. N. of Peekskill; and at
this place Gen. McDougal posted his advanced guard when the
enemy took possession of Peekskill in March, 1777. East of the
Van Cortlandt mansion stands St. Peter’s Church, an old, di¬
lapidated building, erected in 1767. The united parishes of St.
Peter’s and St. Philip’s were endowed by Col. Beverly Robinson,
and the title was confirmed Mar. 27,1794. The property has
been sold by order of the court of Chancery, and the avails
equally divided between the two churches.
9 4 Friends, 4 M. E., 3 Prot. E., 2 Presb., Bap., Wes. Meth.,
Prot. Meth., Ref. Prot. D., and R. C.
40 Anciently called “ Hutchinsons,” and afterward “ The Ten
Farms.” Its present name was used as early as 1666.—Bolton’s
Westchester, I, 120.
U Named hy the Indians “ Aquehung.”
12 Named by the Indians “ Aqueanounck.”
is The marble is of the variety called dolomite. The N. Y.
Custom House and the City Hall at Brooklyn were built of this
material. The Custom House at New Orleans is being con¬
structed of stone from these quarries. |
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