LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 014 223 844 5 f. 129 H9 HS2 opy 1 NEW YORK STATE LOCAL HISTORY TOWN RECORDS PREPARED BY THE DIVISION OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY THE RECORDS OF HUNTINGTON, SUFFOLK COUNTY ROMANAH SAMMIS, LOCAL HISTORIAN ALBANY THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 192I Y32r-Mr2i-isoo (7-6191) LIBRARY OF CONQRIII SEpaUMt m PREFACE This inventory of the Huntington town records was made by a committee of which Mrs Irving S. Sammis, the local historian of Huntington, was chairman. Another form of classification in which all the records would be arranged according to the offices which were responsible for their making might be considered more desirable. In the case of Huntington, however, some records were so changed about and then bound up in permanent bindings at the time when the printed volumes referred to in the inventory were published that a scientific system of classification is out of the question. Another difficulty in the way is that no thorough study of the history of town government and town offices in New York State has ever been made, so that we are in no position at present to arrange records according to the best archival methods. Until such a complete study has been made, so that we shall know all the town offices that have ever existed, when they came into being, when they ceased to exist and what records were supposed to be kept in connection with them, we shall never know how complete or incom- plete our town records are. Desirable as such information is from the point of view of trying to locate missing records, it is of the utmost importance at the present time for us to have an inventory such as Mrs Sammis has made, for it shows us what records we have in the year 1920 and establishes a starting point for future activities. James Sullivan State Hi'^torian Director 0} the Division of Archives and History HUNTINGTON TOWN RECORDS Introduction By purchase from the Indians at various times, that body of land lying upon Long Island to the east of the Queens (now Nassau) county line and stretching from Long Island sound to the Atlantic ocean came into the possession of the whites and soon assumed the nature and title of a town known as Huntington. The first purchase, or the northwest portion, was made in 1653; the second, or the north- east portion, in 1656; the various necks of both north and south shores were purchased separately, as were also the Baiting Place and other south upland sections; and finally there were bought " all other unpurchased lands " in the interior. Naturally these purchases were indefinitely bounded and controversies and court proceedings were necessary to settle the limits of individual holdings and to establish township lines. On the east the line decreed by Fletcher's patent (1694) to begin at the north with the west side of the Fresh pond and run south b}^ the west side of Whitman's hollow to the Sumpwam's river and thence to the sea is the line that was finally surveyed and marked in 1S72 and 1884. Defining the limits among the islands to the south of the mainland, valued so highly for fisheries, thatch and meadow grass, was a troublous business, but in agreement with the towns of Islip and Brookhaven a line was finally drawn in 1834. The establishment of a permanent western boundary by agreement with Oyster Bay tov/nship was made in i860, this settlement still leaving Lloyds Neck a part of Oyster Bay. In 1886, by act of the State Legislature, after petition by the inhabitants, that neck — originally Horse Neck and later the Lordship or Manor of Queens Village — became, as its geographical position naturally m.akes it, a part of Huntington township. In the meantime it was deemed advisable to divide the original township of Huntington and by act of the State Legislature of March 13, 1872, the township of Babylon was created from the southern part. Very early in our town records we come upon regulations to pre- vent nonresidents taking clams, fish etc. from the waters of the town. It was a question that was forever coming to the front, nonresidents disputing the town's ownership of lands under water. In 1859 the trustees decided to employ counsel and determine the town's 5 rights. A suit brought to trial at a circuit court at Riverhead was decided against the town. In 1871, after an exhaustive examina- tion of the subject, the case was taken to the Court of Appeals which decided that, under the colonial grants, the lands under water in Northport bay — the particular region in question — belonged to the town. A stubborn fight by nonresidents was con- tinued and the case was carried before the United States Supreme Court which in 1894 upheld the decision of the Court of Appeals, since which the town's territorial claims have been unquestioned. Coincident with the 1872 division of the territory of the old town, the trustees of Huntington township contracted for an examination and revision of the town records and for a binding of some of them into volumes with indexes. As a result of this work, a considerable part of the general town records were, in 18S7, 1888 and 1889, printed in three volumes of these dates, and, as all the material so printed pertained to the old town, the township of Babylon bore a certain portion of the expense of this printing and received a like proportion of the volumes. It is probable that a special effort was made to obtain subscribers to the first volum.e, with the idea that its owners would want the other volimies as issued. That it did not work out that way is evidenced by the comparative scarcity of volume I. The town now owns 20 copies of that volume, 62 of volume 2 and 92 of volume 3, and the set may be bought for $10, single volumes for $3.50. At the time of printing, the revision committee contemplated a fourth volume which should include certain land grants and highway records to that date. Could such a volume now be printed containing, in addition to these, a com- plete detailed index of the four volumes it would be invaluable, as the indexing of the three printed volumes is inadequate. For the original material of the printed volumes readers are referred to Court Records, Town Meetings, Deeds, Surveys, Land Grants, Trustees' Proceedings (these being bound manuscript volumes), to " O " (signifying Onderdonk's Revolutionary Inci- dents) and to File Numbers (these designating certain unbound manuscripts arranged in numerical order and tied in packages). In the half century since the 1872 revision of the records, cus- todians of greater and less efficiency have come and gone and the town's effects have been moved from place to place. Finally set- tled into the new town hall in 19 10, the confused mass of accumu- lated material, now carefully gone through for the first time, dis- closes that losses have occurred and that some officials have been careless in not leaving behind them proper records of their work. Vault During the progress of the present inventory three bound manu- script volumes have been recovered from other custody and placed in the town hall. While that building is of so-called fireproof con- struction and the contents reasonably safe, the bulk of the original material hereafter listed is in the town safes or vault or vault annex. Exact location is designated wherever possible. Inventory Section i Huntington Town Records (printed) Vol. i, 1653-1688. . .20 copies Vol. 2, 1 688-1 77 5. . .62 copies Vol. 3, 1776-1873 . . .92 copies Library case, second floor Section 2 PATENTS 1 Richard Nicolls to Town of Huntington, Nov. 30, 1666. Original parchment (imperfect) and Governor George Clinton's Exempli- fication of same, Sept. 12, 1793. 2 Thomas Dongan to Town of Huntington Aug. 2, 1688. Gov- ernor George Clinton's Exemplification of, Sept. 13, 1793. 3 Benjamin Fletcher to Town of Huntington, Oct. 5, 1694. Original (perfect) . 4 Thomas Dongan to William Nicolls, July 28, 1688. Gov- ernor George Clinton's Exemplification of, July 25, 1791. 5 Benjamin Fletcher to William Smith, Oct. 9, 1693. Governor George Clinton's Exemplification of, July 26 1791. Nos. 4 and 5 relate to lands of disputed town ownership. Safe Section j DEEDS AND GRANTS 1 Indian. See package 2, section 24. 2 Deeds, Vol. i, 1669-17 10. (Bound) Deeds, Vol. 2, 17 10-1746. (Bound) Deeds, Vol. 3, 1746-1789. (One of 1793, one of 1797) (Bound) Index, to 1789. (Bound) Land Grants of Trustees, 1694-1802. (Bound) 7 Surveys and Land Grants, 1697-1787. (Bound) 8 Book of Transcription. Made in 1769 and containing trans- cription of land grants, etc. from several small books, 1666- 1724. (Bound) 1-8, vault 9 Indexes. See package 11, section 24. 10 Trustees' grants. See package i, section 24. 11 Assorted papers (10) of town interest. See package 6, section 24. 12 Assorted papers between individuals. See package 3, section 24. (See also section 23) Section 4 TOWN MEETINGS 1 Vol. I, 1657-1783. 2 Vol. 2, 1 784-1840. 3 Vol. 3, 1841-1872. 4 Abstract of, 1657-187 1. Vault 5 Reports of, 1872 to date, included in town clerk's bound records of all town transactions. 6 Unbound. See package 9, section 24. Section 5 COURT RECORDS 1 Volume (bound) contains copy^ of " Duke's Laws" and Records, 1659-1695; one case, 1781; one case, 1783; Summons, 1791. Vault 2 Justices' Dockets: Wood, i volume, 1 861-1864; Monfort, I volume, 1 862-1 880; Rolph, 2 volumes, 1 865-1 880; Street, 4 volumes unbound, 1881-1884; Loundes, 10 volumes, 1897- 1907; Valentine, 2 volumes, 1904-1913; Partridge, i volume, 1914-1917. Vault annex Section 6 trustees' proceedings I Two books in one, 1837-1865 and 1865-1871. This also contains trustees' accounts for 1 862-1 870. ' This is a manuscript copy and is scemin'^ly contemporary with the copies now at Manha'^sct (Xorth PTcmpstcad) and Easthampton. The copy at Albany is of later date. 2 Vol. I, 1872-1893. 3 Vol. 2, 1893-1914- 4 Vol. 3, 1914 to date. 1-4, vault 5 Unbound. See package 6, section 24. 6 Unbound. Civil War. See package 14, section 24. 7 Thatch Books and Accounts. See package 7, section 24. Section 7 STRAYS AND EAR MARKS 1 Bound volume, 17 45-1 831. 2 See Court Records, Item i. 1-2, vault 3 See package 16, section 24. Section 8 REVOLUTIONARY WAR CLAIMS 1 Vol. I, 1 7 76-1 783. (Tall) 2 Vol. 2, 1 776-1 783. (Short) Vault 3 Unbound. See package 4, section 24. (See also section 21) 1 Vol. A, 1724-1851. 2 Vol. B, 1852-1867. 3 Vol. C, 1868-1872. 4 Vol. D, 1872-1884. 5 Vol. E, 1884-1907. 6 Vol. F, 1907 to date. 7 Index. Section g HIGHWAYS I to 7, safe 8 Unbound. Petitions for, orders for, road districts, overseers etc., undated and from 1689 to 1899. In 17 numbered pack- ages, marked " Highways " and dates of contents. Librar}^ closet, second floor 9 Maps. See section 20. 10 Section lo TOWN EXPENSES Early accounts are largely made up of expenditures of overseers of the poor. 1 Unbound. Undated papers and from 1711 to 1871. These are in twelve nt.mibered packages marked " Town Expenses " and dates of contents. In " Town Chest " in vault annex. With these are three other related packages, as follows: a Records of illegitimacy, 1752-1861. b Records of people moving to or from the township. These were placed with the overseers of the town where they settled and fixed responsibility for their support in case of need upon the town from which they moved. Whole families are listed in some of these papers. 1 765-1835. c Records of apprenticeship, indentures, 1741-1859. Negroes born into slavery, manumissions etc. 1795- 1824. 2 Vol. I, Accounts, overseers of poor, 1805-1862. With list of overseers, 1805-1865. Vault annex 3 Vol. 2, Daybook — Overseers, assorted entries. Rules for care of poor, lists of poor dead, " hired out," " bound out," inmates of almshouse, etc. Period corresponds to item 2. Vault annex 4 Several partly filled ledgers of scattered dates left by overseers. Third floor 5 From April 6, 1872 to March 28, 1899 all town accoimts are entered in bound volumes of Town Board Minutes, such board acting as auditors. Safe Section 11 BOARD OF AUDITORS 1 Vol. I, October 1899-March 19 15. 2 Vol. 2, April 1915-October 19 1 9. 3 Vol. 3, October 19 19 to date. Yearly accounts of supervisor passed by board of auditors cover all town expenses. Vault II Section 12 TAX LISTS 1 Unbound. See package 5, section 24. 2 Estimates of taxes, 1 763-1 791. (Bound) Vault 3 Series of tax books, 181 1 to date. Vault annex Section ij SCHOOLS 1 Vol. I, 1841-1871. 2 Vol. 2, 1S72 to date. 3 Vol. 3, Moneys, 1856-1866. 4 Vol. 4, Moneys, 1872-1914. Apportionments etc., to date — Supervisor's accounts. 5 Unbound. In thirteen numbered packages marked " Schools " and dates of contents: (i) Huntington Academy and Union School, with lists of exemptions, 1859 to 1864; (2 to 11) Dis- trict Schools; (12) District botmdaries and alterations; (13) Records of births, marriages and deaths made by district clerks in 1847, '48, '49 and '50. Vault annex 6 Map of Union School District. Safe Section 14 VITAL STATISTICS 1 Early records of births occur in items 2, 4 and 7, section 3, and also in item i (a and c) and in item 3, section 10. 2 Marriages are recorded in item i and in item 2 (Monfort, p. 332-36, 1872-1880), section 5. 3 Deaths are recorded in item 3, section 10. 4 Church record. See package 12, section 24. 5 Bound volume — Label B M D — January 1847 to December 1849. 6 See item 5, section 13. 7 Classified records (bound), 1880 to date. Safe 12 Section 15 EXCISE 1 Unbound paperf5, including early recognizances, in twelve numbered packages marked " Excise " and dates of contents, 1787-1907. Library closet, second floor 2 See package 13, section 24. Section 16 SLAVES 1 Bound (small volume) Records of Manumission. 2 Manumissions, item 4, p. 620-47, section 3. 3 See item i (c), section 10. Section ly OATHS AND BONDS 1 In seven numbered packages marked " Oaths and Bonds " and giving dates of contents, 1 776-1889. Library closet, second floor 2 Of officials now serving. Safe Section 18 CHATTEL MORTGAGES 1 In thirty-three numbered packages marked " Chattel Mortgages " and dates of contents: (i) Manuscript pamphlet with mort- gages of 1784 to 1793, together with mortgages 1S42-1848; (2 to 33) include 1849 to 1907. Library closet, second floor 2 1907 to date. Vault Section ig ELECTION MATERIAL 1 Vol. I, Poll Lists, 1784 to 1796 and 1868 to 1872. 2 Vol. 2, Canvasses, 1799-1852. 3 Vol. 3, Canvasses, 1853-187 1. 13 4 Unbound. Tied and marked by years, a signifies poll lists, b signifies canvass; (i) 1864, see no. 15, section 24; (2) 1873 to 1876, a — partial; (3) 1874, a, b; (4) 1875, b; (5) 1876, 6; (6) 1877, 6; (7) 1879, b; (8) 1880, b; (9) 1881, b; (10) 1882, b; (11) 1883, a; (12) 1884, b\ (13) 1885, a; (14) 1886, b; (15) 1887, a; (16) 1888, a; (17) 1889, a, b; (18) 1893, b; (19) 1898, b; (20) 1899, b; (21) 1909, a; (23) 1912, a, b; (24) 1913, a; (25) 1914, a; (26) 1915, a; (27) 1916, a, 6; (28) 1917, a, b; (29) 1918, a, 6; (30) 1919, a, b. Not all lists and canvasses are complete. Items I, 2 and 3 are in vault. No. i of item 4 is in safe. Remainder of item 4 is on third floor, except latest poll lists, which are in vault 5 Concerning elections and election districts. See package 13, section 24. 6 Map of Fourteen Election Districts. Safe Section 20 MAPS AND CHARTS 1 See package 4, section 24. 2 In addition to many drawings in highway volumes, there is a bound file of sections showing all highways of the town. Detail maps of highways are also filed in thirteen divisions corres- ponding to the thirteen sections of town highways. 3 1914. Roads Abandoned by Superintendent of Highways. 4 1804. Part of Long Island, showing Huntington Town, from DeWitt's New York State. 5 1844. Long Island and Southern Connecticut. 6 1873. Long Island. 7 Long Island, used in Court in 1893 by David B. Hill. 8 1858. Suffolk County. 9 i860. Huntington Village. 10 1683 and 1734. Lloyds Neck. On one sheet. 11 187 1 and 1873. Long Island R. R. — North division, with school districts located. 12 Main Huntington — Cold Spring Harbor Roads. Old. 13 1859. Huntington — Oyster Bay Line from head of Cold Spring Harbor to South Turnpike. 14 1872. Huntington — Oyster Bay Line from head of Cold Spring Harbor, northerly, to terminus. 15 1883. Showing Stone Monuments on shores of Huntington Bay. ^4 1 6 1883. Showing Stone Monuments on shores of Northport Harbor. 17 1907. Detailed government map of Huntington Bay. 18 i876-'79-'82. Huntington Town's Oyster Lots with List of Lessees. 19 1876. Oyster Lots of Huntington and Lloyds Harbors. 20 1879. Oyster Lots of Northport Harbor with Lessees. 21 1882. Oyster Lots of Northport Harbor with Lessees. 22 Undated. Oyster Lots in Huntington Bay. 23 1887. Oyster Lots in Huntington Bay. 24 Undated. Recent. Oyster Lots in Huntington Township. 25 Oyster Lot No. 106. 26 Roll — Northport Harbor and Batons Neck Beach sections. 27 Roll — Huntington Harbor sections. 28 Roll — Cold Spring Harbor sections. 29 191 7 — Atlas — West part of north shore of Suffolk County. 30 Huntington Fire District. 31 Huntington Manor Fire District. 32 Election Districts (14) of Huntington Town. 33 Huntington Union vSchool District. Many maps and prints of properties used by assessors. Section 21 MILITARY RECORDS 1 Bound. Vol. I. Military Rolls, 185 1 to 1866 and Record of Troops furnished by Huntington township, Apr. 15, 1861 to Oct. 23, 1865. 2 Bound. Vol. 2. Exemption C'aims, 1862. Vault 3 Civil War. See package 14, section 24. 4 Civil War. Election. See package 15, section 24. 5 Census, 191 7. Vault A record of Huntington Town's Sennce, European War, 1914-18, is being compiled. When completed, a copy will be filed with the town clerk. Section 22 BOARD OF HEALTH 1 Vol. I, 1871. 2 Vol. 2, 1872-1898. 3 Vol. 3, 1899-1913. 4 Other reports 1913 to date. Va--:lt Vault Annex At upper right is " Town Chest " (See Section X) which for many years was the sole repository of the town's records, passing from the custody of each town clerk to that of his successor. J5 Section 2j LEASES BY TRUSTEES 1 Lease Book A, 1805-1871. 2 Lease Book B, 1872-1895. 3 Lease Book C, 1895 to date. 4 Lease Ledgers, by Supervisors, to date. Vault Section 24 MISCELLANEOUS The many unbound and unrelated papers referred to in the three printed volumes of town records by file numbers are arranged numerically in five numbered packages and marked " Originals of Printed Papers " and with file numbers of contents: i contains nos. I to 99; 2, nos. 100 to 199; 3, nos. 200 to 311; 4, nos. 312 to 374; 5, nos. 375 to 421, 2 blanks and the files of Batons and Lloyds Neck Papers. Safe With these packages is filed a list of their contents in numerical order, giving title, date and number and page of printed volume where each may be found. Errors, duplications, omissions etc. may be found by this list. Other unbound papers are arranged in packages as follows : No. I Trustees' Grants: Orders for Surveys, undated and 1679- 1793- Surveyors' Returns, one undated and 1699-1779. These are the grants referred to in the introduction as intended for printing in a proposed fourth volume. Safe No. 2 Indian Deeds and Agreements. Safe No. 3 Deeds, mortgages, releases, agreements, letters etc. between individuals, 1677-1860. Vault annex No. 4 (a) Maps and Charts, undated and 1694-1868. (b) Revolutionary Claims and List of Woodland belonging to Capt. Conklin's Company. Safe No. 5 Assessment Rolls and Estimates of Estates, 1683-1862. Safe i6 No. 6 Deeds etc. (originals and copies) of possible town interest: a 1657, Alexander, Anne and Richard Bryan — Henry Baldwin, o. b 1657, Sarah Baldwin — Richard Baldwin, o. c 1685, Crabmeadow Lands. 2. c. d 1688, Dongan Patent, c. e 1694, Confirmation of patent and memorandum of moneys paid (1755) for suit against Huntington, c. / 1697, Patent to Stevanus Cortland, c. g 1 8 10, Trustees to George Sammis, West Neck Meadow, o. h 18 19, Trustees to Gilbert v'^ammis. o. i 1825, Land East End of Huntington to Trustees, o. y 1883, Trustees to Abbie Baldwin, Huntington Bay Beach, o. Safe No. 7 " Thatch Books " of Necks, Meadows and Islands, both north and south sides of township. Also " Island Note Books," Trustees' Accounts. 1 730-1860 Safe No. 8 a Town Boundaries. b The Division of Huntington and Babylon. c Papers concerning other Long Island towns. Safe No. 9 a Fence Viewers — Claims for animals killed, 1S6S-1911. b Scattered Town Meeting records, 1795-1906. Vault annex No. 10 a Concerning the Town's Title to Lands under Water. b The Charles G. Kelsey Case, 1 873-' 74. c Concerning the Binding and Printing of the Town Records. Vault annex No. II Manuscript indexes (8) — five undated and 1770, 1771, 1778. These doubtless refer to small books of original land records later incorporated in the boitnd volumes of deeds and grants, section 3. Their index value is gone on account of the transcribing or repaging of the books but they are retained as of possible use in recovering names, etc. of their period. Safe No. 12 Churches: a 1833, Subscriptions toward Painting First Presbyterian. b 1883, Incorporation of Northport Baptist. c Records of Huntington First Universalist, 1872-1912. In safe drawer 17 No. 13 a Record of Division of Township into four Election Dis- tricts, with inspectors for each district, 1842. b Petitions: 1847, Excise; 1859, Inhabitants of East Street for public use of " the Green "; Undated, to have Town Meetings held at Greenlawn; 1887, Petition and Act to have Town Meetings held in Election Districts; 1 89 1, Against extending Huntington Rural Cemetery to the north; For Voters of Election district No. 7 to be changed to Fairground instead of to Melville; 191 1, Excise. In safe drawer No. 14 Civil War Period. Trustees' resolutions as to war funds, etc.; Aflfidavits for acceptance for U. S. Service; List of MiHtia, 1861; Relief Ticket Certificates; Relief Tickets; Exemption Claims; Trustees' Notes. Safe No. 15 Civil War Period. Election, November 1864. Partial canvass. Challenges. Affidavits. Soldiers' Votes, 127th N. Y. Volunteers. Cafe No. 16 a 1664, Copy of Royal Proclamation by George Cartright. b 1 68 1, Private Paper — Abiall Titus. c 1732, Advertisement of lost Gelding by John Carpenter of Oyster Bay and Account of Horse Neck Moneys. d 1773, Account of Sheep Sold — with marks. e Forage Return, Printed form — - Daniel Wier, Com. Gen. — Revolution. / Petition for release, Uriah Hubbs to Maj. Gen. Pattison — Revolution. g 1805, Inventory of Huntington Town Records. h i82o-'2i-'2 2, Suffolk County Pedlars Licensed. i 1838, Act of Incorporation, Huntington Mutual Fire Insurance Co. j 1840, Account — Foxes caught by James F. Hartt. k List of Papers sent to Albany by Silas Wood. / 1904, Notice of vSuit for Damages, George C. Hendrickson against the town of Huntington, m Northport Papers (3) n 1896, Cold Spring Harbor Fire District Established. In safe drawer 014 223 844 5 4