"m Frederiel^A . ^SBar d PLEASE HANDLE WITH CARE University of Connecticut Libraries ^/V' ,<^ y^' J OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH LIMITED EDITION THIS EDITION IS LIMITED TO ONE THOUSAND NUMBERED COPIES OF WHICH THIS IS NUMBER: 729 .•4 ,■ r^-^h. OTHER DAYS IN " GREENWICH OR TALES AND HK.MIMSCENCES OF AN OLD NEW EN(iLAND TOWN «Y FREDERIC K A. HUBBARD NEW YORK J. F. TAPLEV COMPANY 1913 Copyright. 1913 Bv FREDERICK A. HUBBARD J. F. TAPLEV CO. NEW roRK In my days of hoyliood and youtli, a running mate, as we called liini. belonged to every one. There was always some congenial spirit, who shared confidences, excursions and social events, who. in school and out, was a recog- nized conip.iiiioii. TO MV OLD KIXNIXG MATK E. BELCHER MEAD THIS VOU'ME IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED 'T NEVER learned the -wonder of that lane. Drenched with the Stimmer rain. Where through my boyish feet were xcont to pass. Until I left it for the passionate totcn, Marble and iron and brass. Filled with all laughter; yea, and filled, alas, With life's immortal pain!" Charles Hanson Towne FREDEHICK A. HUBBARD The iVuthor Plioto hv E. Starr Sant'ord CONTENTS CHAPTER TAGE ILiLUSTKATIONS '^1" iNTUODrCTION >^VU I The Village 1 II Commercial Greenwich 17 III The Town 25 IV The White Bridge 54 V Banksville and Stanwich 61 VI The Davis Dock 68 VII ROCKRIDGE AND DkARFIELD ^'3 VIII Theodore H. Mead Farm 86 IX The Titus Mead Farm 92 X The Second Congregational Church . 100 XI The Story oe a Street — ^Greenwich Ave- nue 117 XII W^AR Times 125 XIII Rev. William H. H. Murray . . . .14-1 XIV Along Ptttnam Avenue 153 XV The Days of Boss Tweed 161 X\'I William M. Tweed in Greenwich . . . 180 XVII LiNwooi) — the John Romer .... 202 XVIII The Tweed Family 21 T XIX The Escape of William .M. Twkkd . . 225 XX The Old Town Halt 23S XXI The Lewis and Mason Families . . . 244 XXII The Old Black Walnut Tree . . . 250 [xi] CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE XXIII Rocky Neck — the Silleck House . . 256 XXIV Railroads in the Early Days . . 266 XXV Riverside and Sound Beach . 280 XXVI The Octagon House . 286 XXVII The Old Mill at Stonybrooke . 291 XXVIII The Old Mill at Davis Landing . . 299 XXIX The Ancient Highways .... . 306 XXX Belle Haven . 322 Index 331 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Banksville Stage . Frontispiece PAGE Frederick A. Hubbard ix Daniel S. Mead 3 D. Smith Mead Driving Cows to Pasture 5 S. Merwin Mead Homestead 6 S. Merwin Mead 7 Alvan Mead 8 Luther Prescott Hubbard 9 L. P. Hubbard Homestead 11 Stephen A. Stoothoff 12 Zaccheus Mead Lane 13 Deep Hole 15 Post Office, 1859 18 Post Office, 1861 19 Joseph E. Brush 20 John Dayton 21 First Business Building Erected on Greenwich Avenue, 185i 22 Abraham Reynolds 26 Captain Caleb Holmes 26 Augustus N. Reynolds 27 Stephen L. Radford 28 Jonas Mead Homestead 29 Milo Mead 30 Deacon Jonas Mead 31 \\'indsor Chair used by Deacon Jonas Mead 32 John R. Grigg . . " 33 Judge Augustus Mead 34 Homestead of Augustus Mead in 1859 35 Squire Samuel Close 36 Oliver Mead Homestead 39 Miss Sally Mead 41 Oliver Mead 42 Pottery made by Deacon Abraham Mead, 1790 .... 43 The White Bridge, 1861 55 Church at Banksville 62 The Stanwich Church, Shubel Brush Homestead .... 63 William Brush Homestead 64 Old Inn at Stanwich 67 [xiiil LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS "Dtarfield's" Thos. A. Mead Homestead 74 Thomas A. Mead 75 Zaccheus Mead Homestead 77 Zaccheus Mead 2nd 79 Nathaniel Witherell 81 Buttermilk Falls 91 Titus Mead Homestead 93 Mrs. Luc\' ^lumford Mead 94 Putnam Cottage 95 Solomon Mead 97 Robert Williams Mead 101 Second Congregational Church in 1879 103 Insets: Rev. Dr. Joel H. Linsley Rev. Dr. P'rederick G. Clark Rev. Dr. George A. Gordon Early Church Buildings 113 Inset: Rev. Joel Mann Rockefeller Park in 1860 Henry M. Benedict Shadrach M. Brush Captain W. L. Lyon Elnathan Husted Alvord Peck . Isaac L. Mead Corporal William Bird William Purdy Serg. Caleb Holmes John Bush Matthews '. 129 James Gerald 129 Major D. M. Mead 130 Lieut. Thomas R. Mead Henry H. Mead Silas E. Mead ^ 131 Lieut. David W. INIead William Morrison L. P. Hubbard, Jr 133 William Smith 134 Lyman Mead 134 Captain Selleck L. White Corporal Alexander Ferris Lieut. W. Iv. Savage \- 135 Serg. Norvel Green Corporal Willis H. Wilcox James H. Hovt, M.D 137 fxiv] 116 119 121 123 126 126 127 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Charks H. Staniaii 1 .S7 Lieut. Bfiijainin ^^'l•is Mrs. W. H. H. Murray 119 Residence of Beale N. Lewis 154 Dr. Wm. G. Peck 156 William M. Tweed 168 Tweed's Island. 1871 I-S'i Captain Brinckerlioff 184 Americus Club House 185 The Tweed Bath House 189 Daniel S. Mead. Jr 190 H. W. R. Hoyt. 1869 190 Judge Heusted W. R. Hoyt 191 H. W. R. Hoyt at age of 20 19.S Philander Button 194 Dr. L. P. Jones 195 Joseph G. Merritt 196 T. F. Secor 206 Ca]itain Thomas Mayo 207 Sanford Mead 208 Steph.en G. Wliite 209 Frank Shepard 220 James Elphick 230 Town Hall 234 George J. Smith 235 Town Hall in 1878 236 Robert M. Bruce 237 Amos M. Brush 241 Miss Sarah Lewis 247 Dr. Darius Mead 248 Sackett Homestead 251 Reserved Lot in 1876. Epliraini Head Homestead and Marble House 261 John G. Wellstood 264 Locomotive No. 27 267 Moses Cristy 268 New York Terminals of the New Haven and HarUui Rail- roads in 1848 and 1871 271 Greenwich R. R. Station, 1859 273 William H. Wallace at age of 16 275 Ixv] LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Charles H. Wriglit at 24 276 \^'illiam H. Wallace as Assistant Superintendent Xew Haven R. R 277 Looking down the Harbor in 1859 279 Luke A. Loekwood 282 Amasa A. Marks 283 The Octagon House 287 Brush Knapp 289 The Old Mill at Stonybrooke Inset: Edmund Mead 1st Edmund Mead 2nd 293 Lower Falls, Stonybrooke 295 Snapshots at Stonybrooke 297 The Old Mill at Davis Landing, 1868 301 Woodsev Road 307 Round Hill Woodshed 308 Isaac Howe Mead 309 Charles Mead 310 Edward Mead 311 Edward Mead Homestead 311 Joseph Brush 312 Joseph Brush Homestead 313 Hollv Inn, Cos Cob 311 Falls near the Old Rolling Mill 315 Elkanah Mead Homestead 316 Elkanah Mead 317 Church at North Greenwich 319 Odle C. Knapp 320 Nelson Bush 323 Nelson Bush Homestead 329 [xvi] TXTKODrCTIOX This volume is not a history. It is a collection of personal reminiscences and a few stories of local in- terest, told to the author years ago. They all relate to the Town of Greenwich, Connecticut, where the author has resided since 18,59. He came to that town at the age of seven. All the impressive scenes of the war of '(51-'().5 are firmly fixed in his memory. A hoy of that age is every- where; he sees and hears everything and he never forgets. The records of the town have always heen a de- light: those (juaint old hooks that contain so many suggestions of other days. x\nd when, years ago, the old men told stories of local events long past, they were treasured and often verified with particu- lar dates an.d names. Names and dates herein contained are helieved to he correct. Certainly the dates are, as in no instance has a date heen given until accuracy was first assured. The book is intensely personal. In some res])ects it may he deemed to he trivial. If it were a history — staid and dignified — that criticism might he just. But Daniel ]\lerritt Mead and S])encer P. Mead are the local historians and they have done their work well. The province of this vohime is to deal with families INTRODUCTION and their home farms. Great farms that raised so maiw potatoes, years ago, that the town controlled the New York market afterwards became residence parks. Their improvement brought great wealth; new streets were laid out and from a quiet rural com- munity Greenwich became a lively city suburb. How this happened and when is told herein. The photographs are included because it is believed they will be of interest. No payment for their in- sertion has been exacted, except the actual cost of the plate. Many dollars would have been paid for others could they have been obtained. It has taken twenty-two years to gather the material for this book and now that the work is done the task is laid aside only with a feeling of regret. It has been pleasant to read and talk of the other days; to imagine how some of the characters looked; of what their home life consisted; how conscientious and careful they were and to realize that in many cases, notwithstanding their restricted environment, they builded better than they knew. Greenwich, May 1, 1913. [xviii OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH CHAPTER I THE A'ILI,AGP: WHAT is now the Borough, with a fringe of out- lying territory, consisted in 1859 of farms. The Tliomas A. ^Nlead and Zaccheus Mead farms, comprising over three hundred acres, lay to the west and northwest of the village center. A])raham B. Davis' farm lay to the southwest and the farms of D. Smith Mead, Silas ^Nlerwin JNIead and Dr. Theo- dore L. ^Nlason were in the center, while the Phil- ander Button, Theodore H. Mead and Titus Mead farms lay to the northeast and east. These farms were profitable and were managed with all the skill which had been handed down from generation to generation of practical farmers. Per- ha])s ^Ir. Button and Dr. ^lason should be excepted as their occupations were teaching and the practice of medicine, farming being merely an incident. But the others were in every sense of the word farmers and they were good farmers, devoting their energy and judgment to tilling their productive acres to [1] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH the best advantage. It is less than thirty years ago that CoL ^lead's farm barns stood where Jndge James F. Walsh's house now stands at 111 West Putnam Avenue. Col. Thomas, as he was called for short, owned a famous herd of yellow cows and his ox barn con- tained several yoke of sleek oxen. The farm was known as Dearfields to which I liave devoted another chapter. The Abraham B. Davis farm adjoined Col. ^lead's farm on the south. He was commonly called Benson Davis. He was a native of the town, his birthplace being at Davis Landing where the old tide mill was operated so many years and with his brother, Silas, went to Xew York where he made a fortune in the floiu" business. Ill the eighteenth century the farm had belonged lo William Bush. He came to Greenwich from Xew York about 1750. He was a young man of wealth, the only son of a retired shipping merchant. It is said th.at his shoe buckles were of the finest wrouo-ht silver and his small clothes were of the choicest silk. He had the swiftest horses, the finest oxen and the greatest lierd of sheep and his acres were broad and fertile. The house he built was the talk of the town and upon his death, January 8. 1802, his will disposed of a large estate. He left an only daughter, Rebecca, wht) became the wife of John R. Cozine, from whom she obtained a divorce en- abling her to convev her land as a single woman. [2] S£a^ZxJ^—J, ^>^k-^=<^ THE VILLAGE Slie sold the farm to the Davises and on May 7, 1858, Ahraham B. accjuired from the otliers a complete title to the thirty acres. I recall an antiquated colonial farmhouse that stood west of the present so-called Green Court Inn, I). S.MllH MKAl) During tlie l;ist yrars of his life he daily drove his cows to pasture in the manner shown which had been the homestead of AVilliam Bush be- fore and during the wai- of the Revolution. As A])raham B. Davis grew rich he desired a l)et- ter honse and about 1869, under the supervision of Samuel Adams, the old house was removed and the present one, known as the Green Court liiii, eixcted. [5] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH Here he lived summer aiul winter going to New York daily until his death Fehruary 4, 1879. After the death of the widow, Eleanor R. Davis, who had aequired the farm by a will that was stub- l)ornly contested for many months by ]Mr. Davis' brothers and sisters, Henry R. Marshall purchased the farm. The farm of Daniel Smith ]Mead was pretty much S. MERWIN MEAD HOMESTEAD Built 1S09 all in. the village. It consisted of about one hundred and sixty acres including eleven acres now occupied by the Havemeyer School. It extended east to Davis Avenue, then called Love Lane and south to the railroad. It was a portion of a great tract of land that in the middle of the eighteenth century had belonged to Daniel Smith, the father-in-law of Daniel Smith ^lead and foi- whom his son was named. D. Smith ^Nlead, the grandson, lived in a house built manv years ago but in 1870. when the de- '[6] THE VILLAGE sire for tlu- Mansard or Freiifli I'o:)!' a])i)eare(l its colonial form was wii)e(l out. The house still stan.ds at No. :i.5t) C;reenwieh Ave- nue and is owned by the family. The otlier part l)e- lono-ed to Silas ^lerwin Mead, a hrotlier of I). Smith Mead, the second. :Merwin ^Nlead, as lie was o-enerally called, lived in the house at No. 'iOS (rreenwich Avenue now owned by Dr. AVilliam Burke. This house was built in 1809. The :Mer- win Mead farm extended north from his l)rother's farm along Greenwich Avenue and across to Da- vis Avenue. It was ]SIer- win. .Mead who laid out s. mkkwix mead Elm Street and about the year 18.!8 planted the elm trees that afterw^ard suggested the name it bears. He was one of the most public s])irited of the older generation. The streets that were laid out through his farm re])resented his conti'ibution to tlie ])ublic improvement and lie never asked for land damages. The tract nortli of Elm Street belonged to Edwin ]Mead, a brother, who with Aai'on Woolsey, of Bed- ford, X. Y., as a partner, divided tlie land into half acre plots then considered small and dis))osed of them to William Tiers, Isaac Weed and others. ^Ir. [7] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH Tiers lived where the Cramer huilding now stands and Mr. Weed lived where the lihrary is located. What is now Rockefeller Park belonged to Henry M. Benedict, Brush Knapp and Alvan ]Mead. ALVAN MEAD 1795-1883 These men owned contiguous property amounting to nearly one hundred and fifty acres, devoted to cultivation and containing two fine apple orchards. Occasionally may be seen along Uncoln or I^ex- ington Avenues the stump of an old tree and it is possible that in some of the ])ack vards of the nu- [8] C^tcc/AcA- P/y^^ Cjff^Z^Z^<-^^£-s acciiiiiiiiatcd l)\- thf noii use of t()l>acco ^ly home from 18.51) to 1883 was the house now owned })y 13r. E. O. Parker at Xo. 68 East Putnam Avenue. In the early days when the farms of which I have spoken were devoted to the husiness of agriculture, there were few trees to ohstruct the view and from any ])ortion of my father's home place the Sound was visible for manv miles. Ancient stone walls divided ["] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH the fields that abounded in (j[uail and meadow lark. Pi])in^' Brook ran full before numerous drains had cut off its supply and the muskrat and an occasional mink contributed to my somewhat limited supply of pocket money. In winter the snow often drifted over the stone walls making it possible to coast on the crust over much of this extended territory. Early in the sixties, Henry ]M. Benedict, in the interest of his children and incidentally in his boys' playmates, flooded a portion of his land for a skating pond. Occasionally I walk along the streets that have cut the Benedict place in pieces and en- deavor to locate some of the old haunts so familiar in other days. Re- cently in the backyard of one of the newly erected houses I found a remnant of the old dam and a little further south I identified the old buttonwood tree that grew near it. ^Nlr. Benedict was devoted to his boys and his daughter. Belle, now ^Irs. William C. Horn, and their wants were seldom denied. After the skating pond was established it was thought necessary to build a small house which was warmed bv a wood stove, thus enabling the children [12] STEPHEN A. STOOTHOFF 18;29-1911 THE VILLAGE tn put on tlieir skates in comfort. Tin's building which was erected hy Stephen A. Stoothoit', who did all ^L'. Benedict's work, stood a few rods east of the /. \( ( lll-.l .s .\II:AI) I. \M-. ls( u rear line of L'rank V. 1{. lieynolds' house on Mason Street. The chapter on tlie Octagon house tells of Brush Kna])]) who owned the orchard south of the Benedict land. Lincoln Avenue now i-uns directly thi-ough it. There are several prominent trees on this one [13] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH hundred and fifty acre tract which still live. Near what is now called Putnam Terrace stood an ash tree whose trunk was twelve feet in circumference. It was considered a detriment to the Sound view many years ago and was cut down, but near the home of JNIiss Amelia Knapp may be seen small trees of this variety which have sprung from the roots of the par- ent tree. Two or three buttonball trees graced the landscape but they are all gone except the remains of the one near the old dam. The great oak tree now on the front lawn of B. Frank Finney, on Mason Street, was a popular shelter for the cows that were pastured in that field and the triplet-trunk silver maple on the corner of JNIason Street and Lexington Avenue looks just as it did fifty years ago. When the autumn days came all the boys were in- terested in nut gathering. The ]Mason farm had sev- eral fine hickory trees, one of which still stands on the front lawn of Frank V. R. Reynolds' place. An- other stands in the rear of Dr. J. A. Clark's place on Mason Street and the remains of one that was on the Merwin JNIead farm still stands on the corner of ]Ma- son and Elm Streets. Dr. JNIason was engaged in the active practice of his profession in Brooklyn and his farm was man- aged by George Wellner, whose name I learned years afterwards; a good hearted German wlio must have emigrated to this country late in life as he spoke very broken English. We called him Dutch [14] THE VTIVr.AGE George, liaving lieai'd others eall liini hy that name, and he never resented it. He was inelined to tease us sometimes hut always aceeded to our recjuest for the ])rivilege of <>ather- i)KKl' llOl.K JS()() ino- nuts on the Mason farm. Lon<>-er exeursions for nuts took us down Zaeeheus ^lead's hine and to the chestnut trees near "Sheep Pen" on the Thomas A. jNIead farm. It will therefore a])pear that the one hnndred and fifty acre parcel 1 have des;erihed did not include all the playo^round of the hoys of those times. It was our immediate reservation hut fre(]uently we made excursions to the east across what is now Milhank to [15] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH Theodore H. jNIead's brook (called the brook "Brothers"), for a swim. Then the notion would take us in the other direc- tion across Col. Mead's farm to "Sheep Pen," a fa- mous swimming- hole long ago filled up witli sand because there were no more sheep to wash. Some- times we enjoyed a picnic, perched on the rocky sides of Deep Hole, a rustic spot that is practically un- changed. Occasionally we walked down I^ove Lane, now Davis Aven.ue, to the old tide mill and under its protecting sliadow undressed and dove from the rocks still visil)le north of the causeway. In those days there was no road across the dam. What is now Bruce I'ark was the Isaac Howe ^lead farm and behind a great ledge of rocks, on the west- erly side of the pond, long since removed, we felt that bathing clothes were quite superfluous. The Davis pond was always popular as a bath.ing place because no account need be taken of the tide. At low water the gate was down and the pond was full. [16] CHAPTKR II COMMERCIAL GREENWICH THE preceding- chapter lias dealt with some of the rural parts of Greenwich, hut no allusion has heen made to its commercial interests. These interests were so insigniticant that they are mentioned only to make the story of Greenwich com- plete. Before and (lurii\i>' tlie war of 1801, it is my impression that Xewman ^c Hewes of jNIianus, in their general store did more husiness than all others combined. The Upper Landing, as ^lianus is still called, was a busy place and from thence most of our farm products were shipped. Joseph Brush, at Cos Coh also did a large husiness. The village of Greenwich was not without stores and although thev were called oeneral stores thev were not conducted like the general store in prosper- ous communities at the present time. Remote ])laces in New Kngland have such stores to-day as we had fifty years ago. Putnam Avenue was then called ^lain Street, the successor of the main country road, a name that had been used for manv generations. At the corner of [17] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH Putnam Avenue and Sherwood Place, then called iNIechanic Street, was the husiness center for a numher of years. Under President James Buchanan the post office had heen located in what is now known as Dr. Frank M. Holly's cottage and Squire Samuel Close was postmaster. But M'hen President Lincoln was POST OP^FICE 1859 elected tlie office of jjostmaster went to Joseph E. Brush and the office, ahout six feet square, was opened in the building now owned and occupied by Frederick Denson, ]\Ir. Brusli and later Brusli & Wright, Benjamin Wright being the partner, ran a general store. Thev kept everything but fresh meats, including dry [18] COM.AIERCIAI. GREENWICH o'oods. paints, oils, a <>eneral line of yrot'erics and a limited stoek of hardware and crockery. On the opposite corner stood the old Congrega- tional Chnrch a large frame structnre wliich had heen moved in 18()() after the construction of the present I'OSI' OFl-'ICI', lS(i stone edifice. Col. Thomas A. Mead and his nephew, Amos M. Hrush. were the owners of the pi'operty. It stood on the northeast corner of Putnam iVvenue and Sherwood Place and was occupied hy Dr. James Aiken's drug store, Einus Weed's jewelry store, the law office of Julius B. Curtis and tlie town offices. The upper floor was a })ul)lic b.all, where were held [19] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH many spirited meetings and lectures dm'ing the time of the war. In what is now the front door yard of Dr. Virgil C. Piatti's residence, close to the street line, stood a small one-story hiiilding, used as a meat market by John Henderson. It stood on land leased of Dr. ^Nlason and was not removed till about 1870. Abram Acker kept a grocery store in a two-story frame building that stood where the eastern end of the Lenox House now stands. The old building was removed to the rear of the present structure in 187-3 and was converted into servants' quarters for the hotel. It still stands there. Peter Acker, a brother of Abram Acker, for many years conducted a grocery store in a frame building, standing where Isaac L. ^Mead's building is now located, on the corner of Putnam and Greenwich Avenues. A piazza ran across the south side of this building from which was a fine view of Long Island Sound. It was reached by a long flight of steps which afforded a comfortable roosting place for a lot of genial fellows, who would occasionally crawl down the stairs and through a cellar door that was always [20] .lOSKPH E. BHL'SH 1817-1886 \\'artiiiip Postmaster COMMERCIAL (;KKKX\VICH iii\ itiii^iy open. Kxpeiisixc liais wcw tlR-ii iiii- knowii hereabouts, and a (li-an<>lit of New Knu'land rum (lid not eonie amiss, altliough served aeross the head of a harreh ^Nlattliew Mead ke])t a col)bler's slioj) nearly oppo- site the John A. Bullard <>ara<>e. Benjamin Peck, and later Frank Holmes, con- [21] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH ducted a dry-goods store in a large frame building which for many years after was occupied liy the Greenwich Savings Bank, standing on what is now Mrs. L. P. Jones' land. FIRST BUSINESS lUII.DIXG ERECTED OX CJREEXWICH AVEXUE 18,34 John Dayton, who died August 18, 1908, was the first man to venture the purchase of a lot on (xreen- wich Avenue for business purposes. He was thought to be injudicious when he and Daniel ^lerritt ^lead, as a j^artner, paid $500 for a lot 50x150. On this land they ])uilt the frame building now occupied by the Greenwich Savings Bank. The first floor was the Davton shoe store and Counselor Mead con- [22] COMMERCIAL (iRKKXWICH ducted a law office in the seeoiid story whieli was sub- sequently used for many years l)y Col. Ileusted W. R. Hoyt for the same })ur}3ose. Peter Acker's garden lay along tlie west side of the avenue down to the grocery store of Oliver Lock- wood, whose stand was where Benjamin Lockwood's restaurant and Arthur Phillips' store are now lo- cated. Henry Held conducted the only meat market on Greenwich Avenue and tliat was open only dui-ing the forenoon. It occupied the frame building now owned by S. A. and H. T.r. Brush at Xo. 74-. It was not })r()fitable to keep the store open in the afternoon and evening, the business being insufficient. Xo de- liveries were made and many of the people of wealth, for those days, carried their ])urchases home. John H. ^Nlerritt's fish market, whicli also served home-made ice cream in tlie hot weather, stood on Capt. \Vm. I^. Lyon's land, whei'e the Trust C'o.'s building now stands. Later it was moved across the street and is now occupied as a ])lumber's store by Elias S. Peck. These stores were all the village bad. Kven the tinner and the ])lumber were missing. There was little for a ])bimber to do. tbei'e being no ])ublie wa- ter supply. If a tea kettle needed repaii' or a house required tinning, Port Chester artisans did the work, unless a traveling tinker hap])ened to call. It was not till nearly the close of the war that William and Robert Talbot, brothers, ari'ixed and [23] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH opened a plumbing and tinning shop at the head of the avenue on land then belonging to Jacob T. Weed and still in the possession of his family. The build- ing was removed several years ago. A number of descendants of the Talbot brothers are well-known residents of the Borougli. AVith no street lights, very few side walks, and they of the crudest kind, it is easy to realize what a quiet country village Greenwich was during the war. Very few ventured out at night and those who went to an evening meeting or to pay a social call usually carried a lantern. jNIoonlight nights were always counted on and when the snow was on the ground coasting and sleigh-riding were greatly enjoyed. [24] CIIAriEK 111 THE TOWN TPIE previous cliapters have dealt with the viHage and its ininiechate sinToundin(>s, hut no alhision lias heen made to the townsliip. There are many who have no idea of the territorial extent of (xreenwieii. It is nearly as large as the Distriet of Cohimhia. liefore the days of rural free mail delivery it had a half dozen post oftices and to- day it has foul' railway stations — Greenwieh, Cos Coh, Riverside and Sound Beaeh. In 1859 it was a farming eommunity ])i'o(lueing hay, grain. ])otat()es, apples and milk in sueh ((uanti- ties that its j)opulati()n had l)eeome wealthy. The farms were generally unineum})ered and railroad, hank and insurance stocks were largely liehl. Of course in those days the measure of wealth was much smaller than at ]n'esent hut most of the farmers were worth fifty thousand doHai's, hesides their farms valued at ahout one hundi'ed dollars an acre. The poijulation was ahout (5, .500 and the assessed valuation for taxation was $2,882,3.58 which included nine hundred and ninety-seven houses valued at $701,580. showing that ahout three-fourths of the taxes were levied on faiin huuls. and tliat Ihei'ein hiy the importance of the town. [■25] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH ABRAHAM REYNOLDS 1830-1908 As I have shown, ^Mianus liad more commercial interests than Horse Neck, the usual name for the village. The 'T.,ower I^anding," or Cos Cob, liad its mar- ket boats, as well as Mianus and from these two points most of the farm products found their way to the city. Capt. Daniel ^lerritt at Piping Point, near the foot of Arch Street (the landing having been covered by the ])resent railroad embank- ment), and Capt. Caleb Holmes at Rocky Neck had all they could do in the transportation of produce, but tlie other side of the town outnumbered them in freight tonnage. Oliver ^lead, Thomas A. ^Nlead, Stephen L. Radford, Zaccheus jNIead, Charles ^lead, Abraham and Augustus N. Rey- nolds of North Street and their neighbors. Lot and Drake jNIead, were a few of the large shippers of farm produce. Milk went away by train every night in large quan- tities, while now not a can goes out but instead [2(i] f CAPT. CALEB HOLMES 181,'-1887 THE TOWX many cans are iniported from the nortliern counties of New York and ^lassaeluisetts. Ignoring, for the present the territory nortli of the Parsonage Road, it may })e interesting to recall the various farms that composed that part of the town now included in its thickly settled southern portion, exclusive of the village. At Eyram, and on th.e point t)f the same name, in- cluding very much of East I'ort Chester were the farms of Jonas Mead and Daniel I. yon. That ])art of the town was in closer communication with Port Chester than with our own village hut on the Sahhath day Dea- con Jonas ]Mead. his sons. JSIark and ^Nlilo, and three old ladies with poke hon- nets, seemingly representatives of generations long- departed were regular attendants at the Second Con- gregational Church. The Lyons were, I think. Episco])alians and at- tended church in Port Chester. Sunday consisted of sacred and solemn hours and its ohservance was strict. Now that houses, some very large and expensive and many of more modest })i'()poi-tions cover this ter- ritorv it is hai'd to realize how l)cautifullv rui'al [->7] ALc;rsrrs \. hkynolds OTHER DAYS IX GREEXWICH Bvram Point was lialf a century ai>o. Tliriistin-<>' its head above a rugged ledge in whicli its roots are fas- tened an ancient cedar tree may be occasionally seen, a relic of tlie wild and artistic growth that finally at- STEPHEX L. RADFORD 1S,'8-19;)7 tracted such purchasers as William J. Tingue and Charles and Henry R. ^Nlallory. The soil between the out cro])ping rocks was extremely fertile and those patient, plodding farmers wrested wliat they consid- ered a fortune fi'om the land which later produced to [28] THE TOWN their descendants sndden and marvelous wealth in tlie quick turning- of real estate deals. JNIilo 3Iead has been called the Sage of New Leb- anon, his name for East I'ort Chester. His father, Deacon Jonas ^Nlead, died August 2, 1871. Plis estate consisted of about seven thousand dol- JONAS MKAI) HO.MKSli: AD Tnni down l!)| I lars in |)ersonal property and one hundred and foi-ty- two and one-half acres of land appraised at $40. ()()(). This land went to his two sons, ]Mark and ^lilo, but remained uii(li\ ided until January. 187*>. when all the shore front consisting of thirty acres and much land besides was set off' to Mark Mead while his brother, [29] OTHER DAYS IX GREEXWICH JNlilo, had to content himself with inland property, although eight acres had a frontage on the Eyram River, where the Xew I^ebanon docks were afterwards built. Upon acquiring this land, ]Milo ]\Iead had it sur- w ■flP' 1" i\ > .Mll.O MKAl) ii»(tt veyed and divided into lots fifty feet wide, naming the whole JNIeadville. Subsequently this name was abandoned and the name X'^ew Lebanon adopted and persistently adhered to down to the day of his death, August 2, 1900. Once when asked the significance of the name, he stated that the cedars reminded him of those in Lebanon of Bible history. However, the name was never popular. The mer- chants preferred East Port Chester and William J. [30] THE TOWX Tingue favored Ilawtlioi'ne, after his woolen mills at Glenville. For a short time the i)()st otfiee bore this latter name. The sehool (hstriet was ealled New Lebanon in consideration of a gift of vabiable land for sehool purposes. Henry A. Merritt could })urchase the river front only upon condition that the dock he contemplated building should be called the Xew Lebanon dock, which name it still retains. The Opera House, the Danish club house and the town dock, located on land given by ]Mr. ]Mea(k and a few places of ])usiness, still bear the name. deacon .ion as mkad The Danish club house is ^Ir. ^Mead's best monu- ment. He gave the land and furnished the money for its construction. In front of the building, which is of brick, with stone trimmings, is a bronze has re- lief of 3Ir. ]Mead and beneath it the inscription "The Sage of Xew Lebanon." It is a work of art and a very correct likeness, though so high in the wall that it is seldom noticed. The artist was Carla Christensen, a young lady of Copenhagen. There is a large population of Danes in East Port [31] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH Chester, and they held 3Ir. ^lead in higli esteem, primarily because he was willing to dispose of his land to them at reasonable prices when he mioht have sold to much lietter advantage to the wealthy for large estates. The thirty-acre tract of Sound Shore front set off to ^lark ^Nlead was (juickly sold and is now occupied by such places as those of Joseph Mil- bank, John H. Ha nan, Charles ^lallory and Ya}- gar L. ^Nlarston, president of the Farmers' Loan and Trust Co. Farther west was the farm of John R. Grigg, somewhat remote because what is now Hamilton. Avenue with a trolley line was but a right of way with gates now and then. But his broad fields were none the less productive and all his life he devoted himself to their cultiva- tion. The old white farmhouse, still standing, was then a landmark all by itself, commanding a broad view of Long Island Sound. But it has been dwarfed and rendered insignificant by great three- story Italian apartment houses and by numerous mod- [32] WINDSOR CHAIR Used by Deacon Jonas Mead and his son Mile. Now the proji- ertv of the Author THE TOAVX cm c'()tta'>es in the iR'ar-l)y Jaynes Park, a portion of the original farm. Just across the valley, on the next ridge to the east, was the farm of xVugustus ]Mead. Tlie old homestead moved hack a few rods from the street and enlarged is now known as Homestead Hall, a popular summer hotel. Open the town records of fifty years ago and almost every page reveals his name. He was a careful, methodical, and thrifty farmer of ample means and possessing tlie charac- teristics of wisdom and moderation. He was a man of deliherate judg- ment and those who had no claims ujjon him, ex- ce])t that tliey were his townsmen went to him for advice and counsel. T do not intend to imply that he was not ])rogres- sive; only that always hefore he made a move he was sure of his groimd. Tliose who were his contempo- raries say that he was a close reader of scientific pub- hcations and tliat lie gave careful attention tf) the j)i'oducts of the j)atent office. Any new devices in farming implements particularly interested him and in his outbuildings were many exam]:)les of oddly con- structed plows and harrows with which he had ex- perimented. He was a thorough believer in any [33] .!( 1 1 1 \ CKICC. OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH change of methods suggestive of progress. He was the first man to build an ice house in town. He held various offices of trust including the initial judgeship of the Court of Probate. I recall exactly JUDGE AUGUSTUS MEAD About 18G0 how he looked as he drove along in a s(juare box wagon and tied his brown horse, Dandy, to a stone post stan.ding under a great elm tree, whose branches still hang over the little building that held the Pro- bate Court and the Post Office. His name has been perpetuated in his son, Augustus I. JNlead, and his grandson, Augustus, son of Nelson B. INlead. [84] THE TOWX I can not refrain at tliis point from di^ressino' a little to tell the story of the Post Office l)nihhn<»-, as revealed in tlie town records, sho\vin(>' as it does the confidence in business matters enjoyed })y tlie men of tliose days. Samuel Close was postmaster in IS.jO, r^\.*./S IIOMKSTKAD OF AL'dUSTUS MEAD AS IT APPEARED IX is:,fl He liad succeeded Isaac Weed in 1881 and, with the exception of four years ])i'i<)r to 18.54, when Joseph E. Brush was jjostmaster, held the office till the elec- tion of President Lincoln in 1860. He and Jud^e ^lead were the leaders in their party and it fell to them to arran(>'e for quarters for the new .Ju(li>'e of Probate. ]Mr. Close then owned the jiroperty at 20 East Putnam Avenue now owned by Dr. Frank M. Holly. As soon as Augustus Mead was elected Judge of Probate he liired of ]Mr. Close the nortlieast corner [35] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH of his door yard and, at his own expense, erected a frame building which is still standing. The lease was executed December 3, 1853. It recites the fact that Judge JNIead had already erected the building. The lease provided that it should be used only for the office of tow^n clerk, the post office and Court of Pro- bate. As the building was only 20x28 the limita- tion of its use seems to have been hardly necessary. The postmaster was to have the exclusive right to occu])y the first story, but not to interfere with Judge JNIead in passing- through in order to get to the second story, which indicates tlie location of the Probate Court and carries with it the sugges- tion that ]Mr. Close re- ceived his ground rent in the partial use of the building erected by Judge JNIead. Judge ]Mead died April 22, 1864. still the nominal owner of the building. In the settlement of his es- tate, although the building was a fixture and actually belonged to "Sir. Close as the lease had terminated October 1, 1858, it was api)raised in the estate of Judge ]Mead at $300. On June 8, 1864, Elkanah :Mead, as administrator of Judge ^Mead's estate, sold the building, at the appraisal, to Rebecca R. ^Nlayo, the wife of Captain Thomas Mayo and the daughter [36] SQUIRE SAM'L CLOSE In 1860 THE TOWX of Mr. Close. Dr. TTolly lias improved and greatly enlarged the building making it a very tasty eottage. The front wing represents the original building and the identical letter slot is still at the left of the front door. But the great farm, the farm with a history, was owned by Oliver ^lead and a portion of it is now known as Field Point Park. To-day it is beautiful with its line residences, its sweeping lawns and its brilliant flower l)eds, visible from the water, the growth of trees and foliage having cut oft' the view from any other ])oint. But all its I'ural sim))lieity has departed. It lies like an over-turned spoon one hundred and ten acres south of the homestead, and once from any part of it the view of Sound and village was unobstructed. Those who live on the charming (Uiter circle of this wonderful point have all the view they desire. There are ancient oak trees on this land, some of them perhaps of the forest primeval. There were springs, some very close to the shore, where the cat- tle drank and where the Round Hill and Stanwich picknickers filled their pails. The stone walls were in many places ten feet wide, blasted from the land by the first settler, Zo})har Mead. Vears before the Revolution all the territory be- tween Horse Neck Brook and the extremity of the Point was common land — a great horse ]iasture, into which any of the inhabitants could tui'ii their horses. The early records call it "Horse Neck Field Point" [37] OTHER DAYS IN GREEXWICH from which the original name of the village, Horse Neck, was derived. In the latter part of the eighteenth century Abraham JNIead conducted a pottery where the Held House now stands. He had two sons, Isaac and Zophar. The latter settled on the lower portion of Field Point and was the father of Oliver. Isaac settled on the northern jjortion and was the father of Augustus JNIead. It was the understanding between the sons that their father should divide his time be- tween them. When the old place at Indian Harbor was given up Abraham Mead went to live with his son Isaac, dying before the first year of his residence with him had expired. Abraham Mead was a devout and influential mem- ber of the Second Congregational Church and to dis- tinguish him from some of the other ^Nleads with the same given name, he was called Deacon Potter from his occupation. But to return to the southerly portion of Field Point where Oliver Mead was born and died. When I was a boy he was a man of inferior physical strength, living in the old homestead, a bachelor, but surrounded with all the comforts that his life re- quired. He moved about the farm slowly and ])ain- fully, leaning upon a cane and giving to his men in- telligent directions for their work. He was noted for his fine oxen of which he had several yoke, as a pair was called. He frequently loaned to his neigh- bors his oxen, but it was said that he was so solicitous [38] THE TOWN for tlieir welfare that lie sent a double team or two j)air when hut one pair was recjiiestech Kverv i)()r- tion of Field Point was under the most eareful culti- vation. The old oak trees still standing' alon.i'' the easterly shore, now owned by George F. Dominiek and perhaps some others, and one or two on the extreme point now owned by Sey- mour J. Hyde, were his pride. On one occasion he spoke of them as shad- ing his cultivated land to its damage, but added that he could well afford the diminished crops, the trees were so grand. ]Mr. ]Mead never took any active ])art in public affairs. He was a mem- l)er of the Second Congre- gational Church and a liberal giver to every worthy benevolent cause. He died March 19, 1887. at the age of 87 years. In additio?) to Field Point he owned liound Island and considerable other land. The inventory of his estate shows lOti acres of land valued at Jf'(')4.:j()() and $1()8,()7().22 of personalty. For years the eyes of wealthy men had been on [41] MISS SALI.V Ml'.AI) For main' \i'ars in tlu- family ot OlivtT Mfad OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH Field Point, with its line shore front, more than a mile in extent. Occasionally it was reported that ]Mr. INIead had been offered large sums to part with this land, some of which he had bought, Init most of OLIVE H MEAD w^hich was ancestral estate. But the old man, feeble as he was, outlived many wlio had coveted those broad acres. When he died his last will, dated December 1, 1882, was filed for probate and at once a most in- teresting discussion arose among both lawvers and [42] THE TOWN laymen as to what disposition lie liad made of the hind. His consin, Oliver 1). ]Mead, now president of the Greenwich National Bank, liad lived with Oliver ^Nlead for several years hefore his death and the old man had enjoyed, diirino- that time, the eoiid'ort and solace of the yonnf>'er man's wife and (huiyhters. Bnt some of the lawyers said that Ohver D. ^Nlead had only a life estate in this fine property and was not ahle to convey a perfect fee title. Others took POTTERY MADE \\\ ])K ACOX ABHAIIA.M MlvM) I7!)() the opposite view and while the discnssion was rife no one cared to purchase, whatever liis own opinion of the matter mioht he. The cause of contention was the seventeenth chiuse of the will which 1 venture to quote in full. "I give, devise and hequeath all my real estate, "wheresoever situated inchiding my hurial plot, all my "stock and farming utensils on said real estate, all "my household furniture of every description and all "my wearing apparel to Oliver D. ]\Iead to him and "to his heirs forever. If the said Oliver D. ISIead [43] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH "should die without leaving any heirs, then and in "that event I give my said real estate to Augustus "I. ^Nlead to him and his heirs forever." While the discussion continued Oliver D. ^lead was in possession, certainly with perfect prox^riety, for at least he had a life estate. But it was no easy burden in the days of unprofitable farming to carry on sucli a farm and pay the taxes; at least that is my own conclusion. Under these circumstances it was quite natural for ]Mr. ^Nlead to welcome a possible purchaser for at least a portion of the property whatever the title. Therefore, in. the spring of 1895, a proposition was made that the town purchase Round Island includ- ing a considerable parcel on the main land for a pid)- lic park. The price fixed was seventy-five thousand dollars. A special meeting Avas held on the eighth of April and resulted in the appointment of a committee of purchase, consisting of George G. McNall, John H. Banks and Sheldon E. JNlinor. The deed was signed Init was never delivered, be- cause many of the residents of Belle Haven believed that the extension of the shore road to the island whicli was contemplated in tlie deal and the maintenance of a public park at that place would be undesirable. Influence from many sources was brouglit to bear on the parties interested and it was concluded to aban- don the matter. It has been a great regret to many wlio at the time opposed it, that the park was not estal)lished and especially since it has become known [44] THE TOWN that John I), rhapman. tlic present owner of Kound Ishmd paid very much more and h()n_<>ht eonsidera'nly less hind than was conteni])kited in tlie ])ark scheme. But there came a time, tliree years hiter, when th.e question of title went to the eoni'ts and our Supreme Court of Errors decided that Oliver 1). Mead's title was ])erfeet. The case arose upon a contract for the sale of a portion of the land which had first heen purchased by Judge K. Jay AValsh who contracted to sell it to James McCntcheon. The latter took the "round that Jn(l<^'e A\^dsh had an im])erfect title and could not carry out his contract to convey the fee of the land. I'robably as far as these litig-ants were con- cerned, the suit was a friendly one, the sole object being" to have the will reviewed and its meaning de- termined by the higliest Court in Connecticut. But ^vhen the matter actually got into court othei- inter- ests were cited in: the arguments of all the counsel were very full and complete and appearances indi- cated that the suit could scarcely })e termed friendly but one in which those interested wanted all that be- longed to them. The case first went to the Superior Coui't and without the inti'oduction of testimony the following finding of facts was agreed upon, ''Tiiat Oliver I). Mead derived his title to Field "Point under the will of his cousin. Oliver 3Iead, "That at the time of the execution of the will Oh'ver "D. ^Nlead and his three chiklren were living and are [4.5] OTHER DAYS IX (;REEXWICH "still living. That Augustus I. Mead is living and "that he has two children. That Oliver ^lead de- "rived his title from his father, Zophar ^Mead, hy will "in 1844 and that Zophar ^lead derived title to a "portion of the farm from his father Abraham ^Nlead, "in 1827. Upon the death of Oliver :Mead, Oliver "D. and his family were in possession of the farm, "having been living there some time in the control "and management of the property. Both the father "and mother of Augustus I. JNIead were first cousins "of Oliver Mead. Oliver uNIead's nearest relations "were first cousins. He was never married." Under the 17th section of the will, previously quoted, Samuel Fessenden of Stamford, arguing for the defendant, claimed that Oliver D. ]Mead took an absolute title and that the provision regarding the death of Oliver D. "without leaving any heirs" was intended only to provide for the contingency of Oliver D. dying before the death of Oliver. That the intent must govern unless it is contrary to law. He claimed that the 17th section of the will in con- nection with the 19th section and surrounding cir- cumstances clearly indicated that it was the intention of the testator to create an absolute estate. The 19th section of the will reads as follows: "If "there should not be enough estate outside of what I "have given to Oliver D. jNIead to pay all the legacies "($86,000) then and in that event I order and direct "the executor hereinafter appointed to pay each 2)ro "rata. If any of the legatees should die before my [40] THE TOWX "decease, then and in that event, tlie let^aey I liave "given to siK'li legatee or legatees, I give and devise "to the heirs of sneh deceased legatee or legatees." Taking the two sections ^Ir. Fessenden argued that it was the intention of Oliver ^lead to leave the real estate to Oliver 1),, provided he outlived him. If he died before the testator, leaving heirs, he intended that they should inherit the estate absolutely. If Oliver I), died before Oliver, leaving no heirs, then it was intended that Augustus I. ^Slead should take the land alisolutely. A legatee is one who takes per- sonal property under a will and a devisee is one who takes land. The counsel argued that these two words had been employed by the testator without distinguishing any difference in their meaning. Hence, he claimed that the 19th section included the devise to Oliver D. ^lead, when he provided that the children of such legatees should take, if the legatee died before the death of the testator, showino- that the second half of the 17th section of the will was only to provide against a lapse of the devise. He reasoned that the provision in the 19th section that 'Tf there should not be enough outside of what he had given Oliver 13. to pay all the legacies they were to be })aid pro i-ata" showed conclusively that Oliver intended 01i\er 1). to take the farm unincuinbered and untrammeled by any burden whatsoever. In reply, John K. Keeler, of Stamford, argued that Oliver D. Mead did not ac(juire an absolute title to the land devised to him under the will. He said: OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH "To support the view tliat Oliver D. Mead l)ecame possessed of an absolute title, it is necessary to claim one of two things, either that all of the 17th section after the first sentence is to be rejected as repugnant and of no meaning; or that the words 'die without leaving any lieirs' refer to Oliver D. ^lead's death before the death of the testator, Oliver JNIead. "It cannot be seriously contended that all of tlie "second sentence is to be set aside as having no mean- "ing. Evidently the testator had two methods of "disposition in mind as relating to his real estate, "turning upon the time of the death of Oliver D. "Mead. "If the latter died before him he desired the ''property to go immediately to his heirs in fee; these "heirs were children of Oliver U. ^lead in being at "the time of the making of the will; but if Oliver D. "3Iead died after Oliver ]\Iead leaving no children "then an entirely different disposition takes place and "Augustus I. jMead succeeds to the property." ]Mr. John C. Chamberlain, of Bridge])ort, repre- senting Augustus I. ^Nlead and his children, argued that Oliver U. ^lead had an estate tail in the land, relying largely upon a case decided by the same Court in June, 1890, entitled Chestro vs. Palmer, .58 Conn. Reports, page 207, in which the construction of a will was sought, the will reading (juite like the will of Oliver ]Mead. "In tliat case the Court de- "cided that the estate created by the will was only an [48] TPIE TOWN "estate tail and that the wliole situation was so siin- "ihir to that found in C'liestro vs. Pahiier that it is "apparently inipossihle to eonstrue this estate in "Oliver D. ^lead to he anything more than a fee tail, "without overruling all the law of the State upon the "suhject." Ml". C'haniherlain's eontention eoneerning the rights of Augustus I. Mead in the pi-o])erty was niueh wider than the eiaini made hy Mr. Keeler. AVhile ]Mr. Keeler recognized the possihle accession to the land hy the children and grandchildren of Oliver D. ^Nlead, "Sir. Chamherlain argued that the "remainder." after the death of Oliver 1). Mead, would go to Augustus 1. Mead and that the descend- ants of Oliver 1). Mead would have no interest after the death of their father. Answering ]Mr. Fessen- den with relation to a pi'ovision of the testator in the li)th section wherehy the legacies were to he paid pro rata if there sliould not he money enough. Mr. Chamherlain said that the clause was not in.consistent with his claim. "Oliver Mead had entailed the land "and it was to go to future generations, hence it "could not he sold to pay legacies hut must he kept "intact." Xor did he think that possession and occupation of the premises hy ()li\ei" 1). Mead hefore the death of Oliver ^lead was inconsistent with the theory that Oliver ]Mead intended his cousin to occupy the place for life. [49] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH "The property was partly ancestral estate and if "there had been no will Augustus I. Mead and his "brother, Nelson B. ^lead, would have taken the land "to the exclusion of Oliver D, Mead, and it is not "strange that the old man desired it to remain in the "same branch of the family from whence it had come "to him." Chief Justice Andrews wrote tlie opinion in which he pursued much the same method of reasoning as did j\Ir. Fessenden in his argument. I quote from the opinion. "The language in the 17th paragraph, in its first "clause, creates in Oliver D. ^Nlead an absolute es- "tate in fee simple, in the lands in question. This "Court in a very recent case, ^lansfield vs. Shelton, "67 Conn. Reports, page 390, and after an exam- "ination of the prior cases, held that an express gift "in fee simple will not be reduced to a life estate by "mere implication from a subse(]uent gift over, but "may be by subsequent language clearly indicating "intent and equivalent to a positive provision. "The words of the second clause of the 17th j)ara- "graph, which are supposed to have the effect of re- "ducing the fee simple title created in Oliver D. "^Nlead to a lesser estate are: Tf the said Oliver D. "JNIead should die without leaving any heir, then, "&c.' Read literally these words mean nothing. "No man can die without leaving any heirs. The "law presumes, until the contrary is shown, that "everv deceased person leaves heirs. It is argued [501 THE TOWN "tliat the word lieirs ()UL>ht to l)e read as meaning ehil- "dren. "In a suitable case tlie Court niiglit ])ossil)ly adopt "such a reading. But in tlie present case, wliere the "effect of tlie changed reading would be to defeat "the very clearly expressed general intent of the tes- "tator. as well as to reduce an express gift in fee "simple to a lesser estate, the Court would hardly "feel authorized to do so. . . . There is another "rule of construction which has been followed many "times by this Court, and which is decisive of this "case. It is. that when in a will an estate in fee is "followed by an apparently inconsistent limitation, "the whole should be reconciled by reading the latter "disposition as applying exclusively to the event of "the prior devisee in fee dying in the lifetime of the "testator. The intention of the testator being, it is "considered, to provide a substituted devisee in a case "of a lapse. This construction gives effect to all the "words of the will and makes all its parts consistent. "The reference in the 19th clause to the estate 'given "to Oliver D. Mead' was evidently intended to cover "whatever was disposed of by the 17th clause. Part "of that — the personal estate — was unquestionably "an absolute gift. It is therefore reasonable to sup- "pose that as the testator in this reference made no "discrimination, he had intended none, between the "real and personal property, and understood that he "had given an absolute estate in both. OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH "It is also to be considered that if the provision "for Ohver's death without leaving- any heirs were "read as one as to his death without leaving any sur- "viving issue, whether it occurred either before or "after that of the testator, then it contemplated a "devise to such issue, which would be void under the "former statute of perjDetuities. "The construction which we adopt, on the other "hand, by confining the effect of this clause to a "death before that of the testator, makes this clause "valid and satisfies the rule that when a devise may "fairly be read either as a legal or an illegal one, the "former meaning is preferred. "From all the words of the will examined in the "light of the circumstances, w^e are persuaded that "Oliver jNIead intended by his will to give, and did "give, to Oliver D. ]Mead an estate in fee simple in "all his lands." This decision was generally satisfactory among those disinterested. It was suggested by some that the opinion was strained in the interest of an expedi- ency. It is true that the pu})lic interests would not be conserved by tying up for many years such a valuable tract of land and a feeling of satisfaction was manifest, when it became known that Field Point had been purchased by a corporation known as tlie Field Point Land Co., for the purpose of develop- ment. The deed executed by Oliver U. Mead recited a nominal consideration but the actual consideration [52] THE TOWX was pro})ahly (jreatcr tliaii in any othei* of oui' re- corded conveyances. Sales of the land were consummated as soon as the com])any had laid out the property, and intro- duced liolit, water, sewera(>'e and roads. It has heen said that the land sohl, all of which had shore front. hr()ut)ht from ten to fifteen thousand dolhii's an acre and no lot was sold less than three acres in area. [53] CHAPTER IV THE whitj: bridge T)EFORFi taking up another farm that made -*-^ rural Greenwich in other days, the ohl white bridge occurs to me as a subject for this chapter. It may serve to break the monotony of mv story. Davis' Creek is spanned by a raih'oad bridge near the new pumping station, like scores of others along the line. But in 1859, a covered bridge of heavy frame, shingle roofed and shaped like a spireless church covei'ed the creek above the old mill. It was then about eleven years old. It was painted a glistening white and with the exception of the black smirches at the top from the belching smoke stacks was kept as neat and clean as a country church. Engineers on the night trains have often told how, as soon as they rounded the curve leaving Cos Cob, the white bridge would loom up before them, appar- ently double its actual size and glistening like a snow bank in the moonlight. None of the trainmen ever had any affection for the white bridge. It stood in a spot, until within thirty years, the most isolated between New York and Springfield. Overhanging hills covered with scrub oaks and tall cedars, but re- vealing white, spectral-like tombstones in the old [5i] THE WHITE BRIDGE Davis })iirvint>- (>r()iin(l, were on the north, while on the other sides the (h'versity of forest and meadow land, whieh in the glow of daylight were romantie in the extreme, at night were weird and nncanny enough. The white bridge was removed ahout 1880. hut like its neighbor, the old mill, it had been a lan(huai"k for many a day. Queer stories were often told by su])erstitious en- gineers of the goblins that ])layed at night about the old bridge and swung theii- s])eetral lanterns before the eab windows as the loeomotive leaped into the resounding and ti'embling strueture. In the daytime the ])laee was often frequented by sehool ehildren — by those who ought to have been at sehool. (xirls and boys alike would seurry aeross the ties as a train rounded the eurve and hiding be- hind the great timbei's of the bridge would hold on to the iron braees till the ti'ain had thundered through. It was a (huigerous si)ot and eleven lives were the toll of the white bridge. Besides the ghost stories that the trainmen used to tell about the bridge, tliere was one tale told of this sjjot that was really true. About the year 18(>() the night train for lioston, consisting of baggage express and sleeping ears, was made uj) at 27th Street and hauled by horses through the Park iVveniie tunnel to -t'ind Street. Here, while the ears were being eoupled in what was a far uptown street, suri'ounded by th.e whitewashed eabins of s(juatters. the home of goats and thieves, the ex- OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH press car was boarded by two robbers. How they were able to force the door and get into the car no one can tell, but they succeeded either by the aid of a confederate trainman or by mere chance. Some have said that the door was carelessly left open and that the thieves, happening to be about, saw their opportunity and seized it. Be that as it may they got into the car and shut the door after them. The car was filled with treasiu'e — government bonds, bank notes and bags upon bags of gold coin. No one was ever able or willing to tell just how many millions of dollars was in that rolling treasure house that night. As the train started on its trip how the thieves must have exulted in their rich find! The boxes and bags in which the securities and gold were packed, were immediately broken open and their contents exam- ined with care. JNIany bags of gold and packages of bank notes were piled up by the door and the non- negotiable bonds and other securities were left in a litter upon the floor. Tlie gold and bank notes could be safely handled and of these there was a fortune larger than the wildest fancy of the thieves had ever conceived of. What use then to bother with securi- ties that probably were registered? These, repre- senting millions of dollars which the robbers trampled in the reeling car were to them of no more value than so much brown paper. They were surfeited with the wealth of gold and bank notes. The first stop to be made was at the Cos Cob draw- [58] TIIK W IIITK H1{I1)(;K bridge, where all trains paused, and this the thieves |)r()I)ahly knew, indeed they seem to have been faniiHar witli the country about tlie wliite bridge, as the eircunistances I am about to narrate will show. As the train approached this secluded spot the rob- bers began to unload the car. The bags of gold and bundles of bank notes were thrown out as though an immense scoop had shoveled them through the door. For a mile the track was littered with wealth. As the train moved across the Cos Cob bridge, the rob- bers had alighted, leaving the door open. This M^as observed at Stamford and the robbery reported. Every effort was made to recover the treasure and to apprehend the r()l)bers but not a clew was left to their identity. They were never apprehended. Some of the money came to light and in the most peculiar places. Bundles of bank notes were found in hollow trees and bags of gold to a hirgc amount were found secreted among the upper truss beams of the white bridge. It was here indeed that the largest amount of the stolen treasure was discov- ered, foi- the i-()l)bei-s had evidently believed it a safe bank in wliich temporarily to deposit their ill- gotten hoard. And it doubtless would have been had not the jarring of a train shaken one of the canvas bags filled with gold ahnost into the lap of a young- lady who had baited her line for crabs l)eneatli the old })ridge. For manv vears the railroad men called the ])rcsent [.V.)] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH bridge, without roof and painted black, the "wb.ite bridge" after the one that really was white. About the old white bridge more tales cluster tb.an I could tell in a day. Tales of ball games in the layman ^lead meadow near by, now fenced in as a part of ]Milbank; tales of love and tales of greed. ]Many of my readers will remember that summer night in 1870 when the old bridge was filled with boulders and cross ties into which the shore line ex- j)ress ran with terrible force. That no blood was shed that night was the will of a kind Providence, which protected the unconscious occupants of the long- line of sleeping cars that waited while the trainmen tumbled the obstructions into the creek below. And the same protection perhaps enabled the villains who had planned a robbery to escape to the woods, where the engineer saw them stumbling across the graves in the Davis Cemetery. But no recollections of the wliite bridge are pleas- anter than, to those who remember it as a rendezvous for crabbers. In the quiet days of September when the haze of autunm rested on the creek and veiled the woods be- yond, who has not, in other days, stretched himself upon the bit of sand beneath the railway bank, now covered by the pump house, and waited for the lazy bite of the succulent crab^ Rut the crabs are as scarce these days as the gold in tlie span of tlie new white brid"'e. t-> [00] CHAPTER V BAXKSVILLK AND STANWK'H BAXKSVIIJ.E lies at tlie extreme iioi-theiMi e(]<^'e of the tow!i. It lias a church of (juaiiit cousti'iictiou. The })ost office is in a viUage store, located a few feet over the hue, in the State of Xew York. The outlook of the villa<»'e is towards th.e north where the wooded hills of North Castle and ^liddle Patent are in full si<»ht. The water courses all run to the north and eventually join the waters of the ]Mianus. ^lany years ago — perhaps seventy — when shoe- making was all done by hand, tlie village of Banks- ville was largely engaged in that industry. For thirty years or more it kept in touch with Greenwich through the Banksville stage, which carried mail and passengers. Silas Derby, th.e owner of the line, was a (juaint old character who passed away some years ago but who was well-known })y the older generation. His mode of dress, the trim of liis whiskers and his cheery "Yaj)" to his steeds will be readily recalled. Several years ago a busy South Street merchant encjuired whether l)eri)y was still driving the Banks- ville stage and being answered in the affii'mative I'.e went on to say: "When I was a voung lad mv grandmother, who [61] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH lived on tlie west road, Stanwich, would send nie out to meet the stage for the mail as it made its daily trip. Often through the summer, I made the trip to the steamboat dock, fished all day and came back with Derby at night. Recently I had occasion to again visit Greenwich, after an absence of twenty years, and there was dear old Derby, the only familiar f)bject, driving exactly the same rig he had in the early sixties." Of course the man's im- pression of the rig was in- correct, althougli the style and color of the turnout never changed. Once I interviewed the old gentleman. It was Amono" other things he CHURCH AT BAXKSVU-LE near the close of his life. told me the following incidents: "Along in the late fifties INIiss Ann Purdy came from Syracuse to Banksville. She bought the house opposite the post office, considerably enlarged it and established a boarding school for girls and boys. ]Much to the surprise of everyone in Banksville she soon had a houseful and roomed a few outside. "At that time there was no regular communication with the village and she induced me to start the Banksville and Greenwich stage line. She lent me one hundred dollars and I made mv first trip Jime [62] BANKSVILLE AND STAXWICH '2:i. 18(11. Vol- many yeai-.s I cai-ricd ten |)a.s,SL'ii(>'ers daily. The })ui)ils and teaehei's pati'oni/ed nie freely and even after the school was abandoned, way down into the seventies, the business was |)retty _<>()od. THK STAXWICH CHLKC II Mil lU I UHl'SH HO.ME- STKAl) IX THK H ACKCHtOUXI) Plioto liy .1. C. Hoiinett "^ly line was a feeder to the steainei- John lioiucr and the president, Sanford Mead, always |)assed me to Xew York and l)aek, but I seldom went. In those days the members of the Amerieus Club often hired me to drive them to Rye Beach or Stamford and many times I had l?oss Tweed with me on the front seat. "I left Banksville at six o'clock, caught the Homer [r>;j] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH at seven and left my railroad passengers for the 7.21 train. This gave me all day in the village, as I did not leave on the return trip until the arrival of the steamer at ahout six o'clock. "But husiness isn't what it once was and sometimes -Vm:.-*gi"«i% ■;*'•■-* • WILLIA.M BRUSH HO.MKSTKAD Staiiwich Photo l)y J. C. Bi)iiiU'tt on the up trip the hills seem steeper and longer than they once did and the horses seem to pull with a greater effort. Then it is that 1 realize that the whole rig from the driver down is getting old and that the hest of life lies far, far hehind." South of Banksville lies Stanwich, even more quaint than its sister village. It had a country store that was closed when the rural free delivery drove [64] BAXKSVTLLE AXD STAXWTCII out the postoffice, hut tlierc still reinaius au old inn, now used as a dwelling and a heautiful eountry chureh. huilt in the latter ])art of the eighteenth century. Its graceful white s])ire first conies in view as one drives north hv Kockwood Lake. The wide shini^les that cover it are hand wi'ouyht and its laroe windows are glazed with diminutive panes. What a crime it would he to su])])lant those ancient lights with modern stained glass windows! A heautiful stained glass window is a joy forever, provided it is correctly placed. Such a window in a country church, which nestles among trees, or is shadowed hy mountains, or commands a hroad pros- pect of hill and dale, is an intrusion. 15ut in a city church among hrick walls, the heauty of stained glass takes the place of nature's decoration, and helps the worshiper to forget the sordid world ahout him. In this connection I must (juote from the Right Rev. William Lawrence, the Rishop of JNIassa- chusetts. Recently he s])()ke of the rededication of the old Xortl] Church in Hoston — the ancient house of worshi{) from whose helfry the lanterns are said to have shone forth which guided I'aul Revere on his famous ride: "Fortunately no stained glass has ever desecrated these windows. Xo painted glass can give greater beauty than the sky and th.e swinging hranches of the trees seen through the trans[)arent panes of a Colonial church." [0.5] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH Everything about tlie chiircli. inside and out. is consistent with its age. It rests peacefully under the shadow of great trees that have afforded comfort and delight to several generations. In other days much of this territory belonged to Charles, William and Shubel Brush, with the Inger- sols also ajjpearing as land owners. JNIany of the Stanwich people were interested in tanning, Shubel Brush being the last to engage in it. He lived on the corner, back of the church in an ancient house, which since his death has been much changed architecturally. His brother, William, lived on the cross road in an antique mansion now included within the boinids of Semloh farm. Reverse the spelling and you have the owner's name. The little village of Stanwich is suggestive of by- gone days, when the stagecoach to Bedford made a stop at the old Inn. That building is now owned by ]\Irs. A. I^eta Bonnett, of New Haven, and Har- riette L. I^ockwood, granddaughters of Shubel Brush. It presents a story of the long ago in its sweeping roof and quaint windows. Within, its wide fireplaces, in each room, and its brick oven suggest the near-])y forest, with its ample supply of wood. The second floor was designed for a ball room and as occasion required, the partitions were hooked to the ceiling and the young people, with their friends from Bedford, and North Castle, made merrv all the night long. [66] BAXKSVILLE AND STAXW ICII Stories are told of a Hoiirishino- hoys' hoardiiii;- school on the west road kei)t hy Tlieodore June. There were dehatin<»- elul)s in tlie ohleii (hiys of which there are many traditions and a few stray records. Sometimes I have heard this liamlet called Kast Stanwich. The old records give the name of Staii- wich to all the territory helow Banksville, extending east as far as "the Farms" in Stamford Township, The direct road from the Borough to Bedford through Stanwich has always been known as ''the west street." There seems to be no reason for applying the name of East Stanwich to what is now and has always been the center of Stanwich. ■H| £i^"'^-/^s-> €SHH ^^^ I^skH'^^ '^9H^H ^B ^^■V'':i6sl^, in^B ^^B R^-*-"'" ^^^^^H r^^t^' N ■B felfe'v. ___ - .:_.. ^^BM BK^-awii ^ .^i^^ - m SBg.-ll—i _i-j i'-^^^B 1 H Ol.l) INX AT SIANW It'll I'hotd l.\ ,1. C. 15(UUR-tt [aiii witliiii three years "time then the said stream & privileges to return for "their use and benefit as formerly; and further ^Ir. "Ebenezer Mead & Angel Husted cV, John Ferris are "chosen to lay out the landint*' and highway on the "north side of Horseneek brook." What did this oi-ant mean? Was the mill to be built on town property or on the Bush pr()])erty, the grant applying only to tlie use of the brook which Mr, Bush had under his title to the shore of the stream? The Davis family, who succeeded the Bush ownership, always supposed they owned the fee of the land and for many generations they ])ai(l the town taxes thereon. In 1837 considerable contention arose over this property, which then included a dock as well as a mill. But the only (juestion was as to whether it was a public or private dock. The distinction is wholly as to whether wliarfage has been charged or not. A private dock may be maintained upon one's own shore front but when the owner accepts wharfage it immediately becomes a {)ublic dock to which any ves- sel may tie upon the due tender of wharfage. After the death of Eleanor R. Davis this ])roperty belonged, under her will, to Mrs. Amelia J. Dougan and an action was tried in the Court of Common Pleas between INIrs. Dougan and tlie town to deter- mine her rights therein. It seems from the decision of the Court of Errors, to which the case went for final deternn'nation, that OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH after the litifration was over the ciuestion of the own- ership of the land was still iiiuleterinined. There was a tradition that the same question had once before been tried and considerable time and money were expended in an effort to find the old files. Finally, after the Doiigan case was disposed of the papers were discovered among the criminal files, stored in the garret of the County Court House in Bridgeport. These files disclosed the fact that in 1837 the question as to whether the dock was public or private was determined in favor of Walter Davis then the owner. Capt. Charles Studwell. a boat owner, assumed to use the dock without paying ]Mr. Davis wharfage and thereupon he brought suit claiming $30 damages. The case was tried before Ephraim Golden, a justice of the peace, and the hearing began September 12. 1837, at the Inn of Benjamin Page at Mianus Landing. Jacob Dayton, Jr., was the cionstable who served the papers and his fees were taxed at ninety-four cents. After due hearing, tlie Court, on October 11, ren- dered a judgment for $8.00 for the plaintiff, Walter Davis, with his costs taxed at $10.41, and an appeal was taken to the County Court. This suit was remarkable foi* the personnel of the Counsel engaged. Charles Hawley, of Stamford, one of the most [70] THE DAVTS DOCK eminent lawyers of the State, si"iie(l the wi'it. lie appeared in tlie Pa<>e Inn at Mianns and tried and won the suit for Mr. Davis. Assoeiated witli liini was the famous Roger Minot Sherman, wlio, shortly after the trial of the ease, he- came a judge of the Supreme Court. lie died in Fairfield in 1844. The trial of the case created intense excitement in town and was the su})ject of much discussion for years afterward. Capt. Studwell, heing defeated, appealed through his counsel, Joshua B. Ferris, of Stamford, then a youth, to the County Court (since abolished) where the case was tried before a .jui'v consisting of Walter Sherwood, Stephen Raymond, jNIoses Birkly, Jr., Christopher Hubbel, Renjamin C. Smith, Samuel Reardsley, William R. Dyer, Horace Waterbury, John Holmes, Isaac Scofield, Noah Knapp and John Young. The trial occurred in Fairfield, then th.e County Seat, in xVi)ril, 1- of C'ha])ter I, 1 desire herein to include in one description the farms of Thomas A. Mead and Zaccheus ^lead. These two farms, divided l)y the Glenville road, comprisin<^' three or four hunch'ed acres, stretched away from the Post Road, in valley and hill to the north and west, ending in woodland. The Thomas A. Mead homestead was huilt in 1799 hy Richard ^Nlead and is known as Dear field. The name is not misspelled hut has a significant meanino;. Various stories are told of its derivation: the one most likely to he true is as follows: One of Richard Mead's family, in writing to a friend, de- scrihed the fields of waving grain through the valleys, along the knolls and ridges to the "Hemlock Woods"; all visihle from the windows of the Ijouse and char- acterizes them as "dear fields." Dearfield Drive takes its name from the same inci- dent. The Thomas A. ^lead farm is now known as Edge- wood Park, and the Zaccheus Mead farm as Rock Ridge. [73] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH Fifty years ago looking north from the Post Road at all that great acreage, the two farms seemed one. Tliere were plowed fields, waving grain and rock- rihbed hills, Mdiile to the west the beautiful Hemlock Woods always took the last rays of the setting sun. The Zaccheus ]Mead homestead, lately the home of "DEARFIELDS" Thos. A. Mead Homestead Built 171)9 Charles B. Read, deceased, stood out all alone, prominent against the northern sky. In all that great stretch from the Post Road to the woods at the north and west, there was scarcely a tree, excepting two or three apple orchards and tlie small wood lot near the residence of Judge Charles D. Burnes on Brookside Drive. Farmers always were sohcitous for their lands [74] rockrii)(;k and dearfield iindei" cultivation and a sliaded field was usually un- productive. Hut I i-ecall how desolate that old Zaccheus ^lead homestead looked standing- all alone ag-ainst the steely gray winter sky. From the same point of view it is now lost in a 'IIIO.M AS A. Ml', A I) 17f»i)-lS!IJ jungle of shade trees or hy the ohstiMiction of inter- vening huildings. This great territory was divided hy ancient stone walls, thick and straight and fre(|uently intersected by other similar walls. These walls were made of [T.5] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH boulders that could be drawn only ])y four pair of oxen and lifted to their place by a derrick. Walls were thus frequent because of the supply of stone dug from the earth to make the cultivated iields. Not far from the Edgewood Inn, which, with the Park of the same name, occupies a small portion of the Thomas A. ^Nlead farm, one may still see a few examples of the wall-building skill of the generation that lived before and just after the Revolution. There are still remaining sliort pieces of old walls, covered with moss and vines, so wide that a horse and buggy could be driven along the top. Eut most of the old walls have been ])roken to pieces and are occupying their place in modern liouse construction. The old homestead at Rock Ridge was owned and occupied by two men of the same name — Zaccheus Mead. The first was the grandfather of the second, but I have no knowledge of the generation between, except that Job and Elsie were the parents of Zaccheus. However, the old homestead and its one hundred and fifty acres went, I)y will, from grandfather to grandson of the same name. ()])p{)site the "Roulders" now the home of E. B. Close, the rock caverns of that jagged granite pile, rising more than fifty feet in height, afforded a safe hiding place, when the British red coats made life uncomfortal)le for the Greenwich patriots. There was no road near there when I was a boy, but one (lav, going through those woods in company with my [70] rockrii)(;k and deahiield father and Col. Tlionias. as Mi'. Mead was almost always ealled. tlie lattei' pointed out the I'oeks as the liiding plaee of refu<^ees din-inL>' the wai'. It wasn't quite clear to nie what was meant hy retu<^ees hut the words sounded spookisli, and the surrounding- dense woods, with the murmiu" of Ilorseneck Brook, /.ACCUKTS .MKAI) 1 K ).Nn:S TI'.A H In I So!) were not a<4'i"eeal)le to my nerves and I nevei- l»'o throug-h there without i-eeallin<4- the incident. The hrook is the same and so are the trees and I'ocks hut the human hahitations have taken awav all the som- hei- mystery of my tii'st visit. It is ]j()ssihle that the old homestead still standini^- suj)])lanted one earliei" huilt, hut I am inclined to he- [TT] OTHER DAYS IX GREEXWICH lieve that the first one, an old sweep-})ack, was prob- ably enlarged and improved, thns creating the present building. But whether so or not the present house is the oldest in Roek Ridge. Inside I believe it is appropriately furnished in antique and certainly with much more luxury than was enjoyed by either of its former (jccupants. The first Zaccheus was an old man when he died, October 27. 1846. Having lived all his life in the old place lie had gathered about him a few Windsor chairs, as well as some straight back rush bottoms, and on. a winter night, when the great open fireplace was the only means of heating the living room, the big high-backed settle was the most comfortable spot in which to crack nuts, eat apples or drink cider be- fore the cheerful fire. If some of the Rock Ridge folks could see the house as it was then, how they would wax enthusi- astic over the ancient high-posted and canopied beds, the mahogany tables and ])rass warming pans; the blue dishes in the corner cupboards and all those quaint and lowly things that made the Colonial house- keeper contented and happy. He had all these things because they and many more articles are enumerated in the inventory of his estate. Beyond these simple articles of personal property he had nothing l)ut the wagon, the pung and the chaise. Zaccheus made his will on the loth day of April. 18.*J8. — thirteen years before his death. And thereby the old farm went to the grandson, Zaccheus, subject [78] ROCKRIDGE AXD DEARIIELD to tile life use of one-tliird hy the widow. Her name Wiis Dehoi'ah and she eontinued to enjoy her life estate until September 8, 18.5.'}. The old man (j'ave Dehorah only th.e use of one- ZACCHEIS .MI;aI) Jm) 179S-IS7: thii'd of the farm and the buildings and he must have strained a ])oint in his eonee])tion of the law of dower when he gave hei" the unrestrieted use of all his house- hold furniture "exeept the eloek and hiix-h l)edstea(l and })ed and bedding and warming pan." The elock was a tall one that stood in the living room while the [T9] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH banjo clock that liuiig in the liall was called the time- piece. What has become of all those interesting old relics? They must have remained in the homestead many years, but I imagine that finally when the clock and the timepiece, in the days of a later generation re- fused to go, they were discarded for modern on.es on the theory th.at they were old and all worn out. I th.ink the second Zaccheus nuist have kept them, be- cause as I recall him. during war times, he was just such an old-fashioned man as woidd hold on to the goods of his ancestors. He was accustomed to drive along the dusty road every Sunday in his antique wagon drawn by a fat and logy gray horse, headed for the Secon.d Congregational Church, where he stayed till the close of the afternoon service at three o'clock. His wife and his only child, Hannah R. jNIead, were always with liim. ]Many are still living who recall with interest the members of this quaint family. Hannah came into possession of the farm in the spring of 1872 and there she and her mother lived, honored and respected by all who knew them. Hannah died in 1882 and her mother, I^aura INIead, continued to live in the old homestead until January 18, 189.5. Although she outlived her daugh- ter so many years slie was kindly cared for ])y Nathaniel Witherell who supplied her with every comfort in her last days. Whv Nathaniel AVitherellf [80] ^rzTo.. '^£ ,^^^^^ 184-1 -l!)()(i ROCKKIDGE AND DEARFIET.D Hannah R. jNlead was a very benevolent woman. In her last will she gave legaey after legacy to benevolent societies and institutions of learning. While she reserved to lier mother a life estate, there was ])ractically nothing left but the old homestead and the fai-m. The old lady could scarcely be ex- pected to get a living and ])ay her taxes from the sale of produce. That day had ])assed. As I look over Rock Ridge and note its beautiful villas, its tine lawns and productive gardens, it is hard to realize that less than twenty-five years ago the M'hole place was solemnly appraised at twelve thou- sand dollars. And what is still more I'emarkable, that appraisal is three thousand dollars less than it was after the deatli of the first Zaccheus in 184G. I am not criticizing the appraisers but only point- ing out the fact that two gen.erations ago our farms had a greater value than they had a generation ago, because the value was estimated on their productive- ness. In 1846 they were making their owners rich. Did you ever notice the old potato cellar on Round Island and on many of the way back farms ^ In 1872 all this was changed. The great west had used up the eastern farmer and farms were hardly salable. Xow that is all changed again. The auto- mobile has made the distant farm available and the fruit-grower has discovered that the New England ap])le is the best of all. The farm being in the market, Mr. Witherell bought it "with the widow's life estate reniaiiiiug. [83] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH Tliis is liow lie got it. Everybody, especially, a mis- sionary society or a struggling college, is looking for the present rather than the t'utvn-e dollar. And a long- list of quit-claim deeds from all the beneficiaries under Hannah R. INIead's will shows how the title passed. It was an uncertainty how long the life tenant would be an encumbrance, but three years be- fore her death ]Mr. A\^itherell gathered in all the shares and became the owner. And how fortunate for the old lady that he did, for wdiile the various benevolent societies were con- ducting their operations in foreign lands they might not have been so attentive to the aged hfe tenant at Rock Ridge as was ]Mr. Witherell. The records are silent as to the cost of Rock Ridge but I have it on very good authority that it was $14,500. The roads and avenues Avere laid out, sewer and water pii)es introduced and when the park was all completed three acre plots sold for $15,000. Such transactions as this account for the remark- able growth of Greenwich. In 1872 the Zaccheus jNIead farm was assessed at $12,000, but now Rock Ridge, with all its improve- ments, pays taxes on an assessment fifty times greater than that insignificant amount. Not long after ^Ir. A^^itherell came to Greenwich he opened a Fresh Air Home for children at Indian Field. At that time the Isaac Howe ^lead home- stead was standing, and here he located "The Fold," [84] KOCKRIDCxE AND DKAHFIKLl) as the home was called, l^iit he discovered that no facilities for obtaining water existed, and for this reason he moved "The Fold" to Rock Kidge. It was located on the cedar knoll now occnpied hy William F. Decker's h.andsome bungalow. Not less tlian two liiindi'ed children were cared for at one time. In a house nearby called "Ch.erryvale," owned by Mr. W'itherell, for six consecutive seasons the Work- ing Girls' Vacation Society of New York gave health- ful rest and recreation to the hard working girls, tliirty-tive at a time. As the town grew these institutions were found to be too near the village, and their abandonment was deemed advisable. [8.5] CHAPTER VIII THE THEODORE H. MEAD FARM THE farms lying' to the east of the village he- longed to Theodore H. Mead, Philander But- ton and Titus JMead. The Titus INIead farm will he considered later and an allusion to the Button farm is included in one of the chapters devoted to William M. Tweed. The Theodore H. ]Mead farm consisted of sixty- five acres, according to the record, hut was actually ahout eighty acres in extent. It included the ancient house at the foot of Putnam Hill, now owned })y John ^Nlaher. It was from the front porch of tliis house, in the early morning of Fehruary 2(5, 1779, that Gen. Ebenezer ]Mead saw Gen. Putnam make his famous escape from the British dragoons. It was the General's grandson, Theodore, who owned and occupied the house when I first saw it. It is difficult now to realize that in 1859 Tlieodore H. Mead was only thirty-seven years old and that when he died, January 18, 1876, he was hut fifty-four years old. He always seemed an elderly man, owing perhaps to the fact that my eyes were youthful and also to the peculiar mode of dress ado])ted hy ]Mr. Mead. He alwavs wore a slouch hat, a shirt tliat [86] THE THEODORE H. MEAD FARM was decidedly negligee and trousers thi'iist into tlie tops of hoots that wei'e never l)hieked. He rarely wore a coat. He liad the liahit of riding to the vil- lage for his mail, without a saddle and often without a hridle. There was nothing ahout the man oi- al)()ut his farm suggestive of tidiness. Tlie hai's were generally down and his cattle out. And yet, notwithstanding these defects, he was a man well horn and well schooled. He was proud of his ancestry and of the fact that he was horn in the old homestead at the foot of Putnam Hill that had housed his warrior grandsire. His wife was the daughter of Rev. William Cooper Mead, D.D., LL.D., of Xorwalk, an eminent divine well known throughout New England. His father married twice and he was the youngest of eleven children. He had a half-hrother. Rev. Ebenezer Mead, who was a Congregational minister. He often expressed the regret that his father was not able to afford him a liberal and professional edu- cation. He died in the same room in wliich he was born. He had converted tlie ten acre meadow into a pond, since known as "Ten Acres," splendid for skating but used for the purpose of gathering ice and for many years he alone dealt in it. Just east of the home- stead was a mill site, still extant, which afforded ex- cellent water jjower by which a saw nn'll and cider mill were in commission all the year round. It is only a few years ago that tlie mill was removed but [87] OTHER DAYS IX CxREENWICH the pond remains an ornament to tlie ]\Iilton C. Nichols place, recently erected near it. Giving attention to tlie mill and ice crop explained in part why the farm was not more carefully culti- vated. Furtliermore his sixty-five acres included considerable woodland from which wood was carted to various people about the village and in Cos Cob. The balance, devoted to cultivation, was probably no more than enough to maintain his oxen, a few cows, shee]) and a pair of horses. Another reason for the lack of attention given to the farm and mill was jNIr. JNIead's growing passion for speculation. He was always in a hurry to get ricli and followed the gold market with a vigilant eye. During tlie war of 1861 and up to 1879 gold was at a premium over currency which n.ecessitated its purchase in the open market when recjuired for mercantile piu'poses or the payment of customs duties. The gold board in Xew York city, as the exchange was called, was opened to trade in gold coin, just as stocks are in the regular exchange. Frequently gold fluctuated rapidly and many countrymen, like JNIr. Mead, were interested in buy- ing and selling for a cpiick profit. He \vas therefore always a borrower and constantly in trouble with small local creditors. A large number of attach- ments were filed against his farm and sometimes judgments were entered against liim. This condi- tion of affairs arose from his inattention to business [88] THE TIIKODOKK II. MKAl) 1 ARM and not because lie desired to ignore tlie demands of creditors. Whenever he was sued he took it as a matter of course, paid the costs, treated tlie sheriff to a ghiss of cider and re])eated the operation two or three times witliin tlie next week. Volimie .-31) of the land records devoted to i-eal estate attachments tells the full story of Theodore's troubles, tliough per]ia])s I ouyht not to characterize them thus for ^Ir. ^lead rarely was troubled with anything. He liked children, perha])s because he had none of his own. When the Cos Cob boys, students at the Academy, came up the hill by the mill — a very steep hill that long ago disappeared under modern grading and road making — he would often call them in and removing the bung of a barrel filled with sweet cider supply tliem with: the necessary straws. If the cider was running thi'ough the spout from the press he would hand them a tin cup with which to drink their fill. In winter these same boys and many others helped to float the ice cakes down to the slide. On one occasion Mr. Mead was invited to attend the amiual diiuier of the New I^'.ngland Society in the City of New ^'ork and ])i-omptly accepted. He went with my father and I then realized that Theodore II. Mead, dressed in dark clothes, with polished boots and a silk hat. was a \erv handsome man. Once I'iding along on a bay nag that seemed too frail to carry him, he di'ew u|) in front of the Academy, then on the corner where Dr. 1^\ C. Ilvde's [89] OTHER DAYS IX GREEXWICH house stands, while the boys were enjoying tlie noon recess. CalHno- us around him he told the story of Putnam's ride giving it to us just as he had heard it from the lips of his grandfather, an eye witness. Wlien "Sir. ^Nlead died his creditors were numerous and eventually his estate was settled as an insolvent estate. Col. Thomas A. ^lead had loaned him ten thou- sand dollars made up of various small sums and his appeal from the commissioners on Theodore's estate furnishes some law, still unrevoked. It is only neces- sary for me to refer to the 46 Vol. of Conn. Reports, page 417, and to suggest that if the details of a financial wreck are interesting they may there be found. I started to tell about th.e farm but have devoted most of the chapter to its eccentric owner. The estate being insolvent all of the farm was sold at auction by order of the Court of Probate. It was a rainy morning in the spring of 1881, and yet there was a good deal of money in the crowd that gathered about the auctioneer, in front of the old homestead. The sixty-five acres, Mith ice house, mill right, barns and the "Tand old Colonial house, brought onlv $5,400, less than $100 an acre. The widow, Cornelia J. ]Mead, was then living and as the property was sold subject to her dower it had an influence to de- jjress the price. Subsecpiently, Solomon ^lead, John Dayton and Allen H. Close, as distributors appointed bv the [90] THE TIIKODORE H. .AIEAD YAJiM court, set out to hei- tlic use for life of tlie house and about four acres of land. She died ou tlie 2()tli (hiy of October. 1881. The property went to Henry Wehh and afterwai'ds to John ^Nlalier and nuich of theii- fortune may he ti'aeed to that fortunate purcliase on that rainy s|)i-ino- niorn- ino- in 1881. If you ask tlie o-enial ice and coal dealer, John ^laher. how much he has made ont of lU'iTKK.Mll.K 1 \LI.S Photo by I. L. Mead the farm he will respond with a jolly lau,L>h and noth- ing- more. The small ])arcel recently sold is said to have brouo-ht $20,000. The farm included a lar<^e tract on the south side of the road now included in Alilbank and the famous and romantic Buttermilk Falls tract on tlie north. Here are the homes of E. Helcher Mead and J. M. Alenendez, with I'listic ledges, beautiful trees, the ever mui'mni'ingbi'ook and the view of Long Island Sound. CHAPTER IX THE TITUS :\IEA1) FAKM IJ1VP:RY one knows Titns ^Mead's hill. It is one -^ of the old names that still remain. It is appro- priate, for at its crest, for many years lived a farmer of that name. The line of splendid maple trees a Ion*;' the road side was planted l)y him nearly ninety years ago. He died iMarch 26, 1869, at the age of sixty-five years. By him were hnilt some of the stone walls that divide the fields an.d many of the drains that have made the land so fertile. He was prominent in town affairs, when 1 was a hoy, and for many years was Town Treasnrer. His wife was Lucy ^Nlumford ^Nlead. danghter of Andrew INIead, who died April 21, 1821. "a patriot of the Revolution, " according to his epitaph. Titns jNIead was one of the wealthy men of his time. He had a large and profitahle farm, with a short hanl to the market sloops. The inventory of his estate reveals only the choicest securities and a long list of local mortgages. He was a liheral man. As the treasurer of a cer- tain lodge, in the village it was said that he alwavs [92] TTTE Till S MKAl) FAUM |)ai(I the hills altliouL'ji thi-y wvvv I'ai in (.xclss of the rect'ipis foi" wliicli \\v was always imaiiiiiiously i"e- elected. He wrote his own will, iisiii^- a |)i'inte(l hlaiik in whieh it was necessary only to insert the name of I'.is wife as sole legatee and (le\ isee. He exeented it July 1), 18()2, whieh faet would appeal' of no nionieut except that the names of the sul)scril)inL>- TITUS MEAD I l().\l I ,S 11 , A I ) In 11S,59 witnesses bring l)ack to me a \ivi(l recollection of an old wheelwright's shop shaded })y a mammoth bntton- l)all tree which stood where the First Presl)yterian Church now stands. Joseph K. Kussell ran the shoj) and George S. Ray worked for him. Samuel Close, the Town Clerk and Justice of the Peace, had his office near-hy. This office is fully descrihed in Cha|)- ter III of this volume. These three men witnessed the execution of the w ill and we can readily imagine wS(juire Close calling the (jther two to come across to his little office, while the [93] OTHER DAYS IX CxREEXWICPI shop was left alone, without daiifj'er of anyone call- ing during- those dull days. Titus ^Mead's widow outlived him twenty-two years and many of her personal friends survive her. She was a delightful lady of the old school and it always gave me the greatest pleasure to call upon her. The year after her husband's death, in 1870, she built the house on lower Xorth Street since very much enlarged by the late H. P. Whittaker, and tn^'^m^. '1^^^^' belonging to his es- 1| ijs^HL tate. He called the place " ' Prescourt. living in the village was much more to her taste, than living in the old farmhouse at the top of the hill, after her hus- band had gone. But she thought a great deal of the place and although she had many offers she would not part with it. She did, however, sell many acres of her farm, including Crest View to Henry C. Boswell, and the William H. Teed and Tliomas Young tracts. "The Chimneys" and "Athelcroft" were built by Clarence JNI. Hyde and his late brf)ther on a portion of ]Mrs. jNIead's farm. It l)ecame the good fortune later of Mrs. Mary E. Andrews to purchase from the Lucy ]M. Mead estate the valuable tract u])on Avliich stands the fine house built bv her and since her decease ■[94.] MRS. LUCY MUMFOUD .MEAD 181()-18!)1 THE TITUS ^NIEAD FARM owned l)y Irm- daiio-liter, Mrs. F. Kissaiii Hi'owii. She a'so owns tlic old Titus Mead homestead and she and her h.ushaiid liave sliown tlieii- wisdom and good taste in i'etainin<>' the old lioiise mueli as it ap]K'are(l, in the (hiys that followed the lievolution when it was one of the mansions of the town. AdjoininL>' the Titus Mead farm on the south lies pr 1 N A.M eor 1 AC.1-: "he lioiiu* for lu" rly a c-entury of Hezckiali aiul .(()liii .1. Tracy, father and son territory that has an intei'esting' Kevolutionai'v his- toi-y. In 177.) Isi'ael Kna{jp lived in what is now known as I'utnam e[)ttao-e. He also owned many acres in the neie pui"i)ose.s still re- IS()S-1S!)S main to attest his skillful, seientitie handling- of the l)j-opei"ty. Its present a])j)earanee. due to change in fence lines. o})ening of highways, demolition of old huihl- ings, the erection of new ones, and the ])hinting of OTHER DAYS IX GREEXWICH fruit and ornamental trees — is very different from its appearance eighty years ago. Long before my remembrance an old house and a barn stood near the highway between the present Whittaker and jNIcFadden places. Not many years ago I found the old well near the present line of high- way in front of the old cellar hole. These old build- ings are immortalized in Daniel ^Nlerritt Mead's his- tory of Greenwich, pages 1.56, 157 and 158. After the tenancy of the Holmes family in tlie Put- nam cottage it was owned and occupied by Hezekiah and John Jay Tracy, father and son, for nearly a century. They were both men of attainments and they each occupied the office of Town Clerk for many years. John Jay was secretary of the Tammany So- ciety in Xew York. Tlie public records kept by tliese men are models of j^enmanship at a time wlien a quill pen only was used. For many years the street running near tlie Put- nam cottage through lanxl of A. Foster Higgins was ap2)ropriately called Tracy Street. Its present name of Park Avenue lias no particular significance. Prior to 1858 Solomon JNIead lived in an old fash- ioned sweep-back, standing just inside the gateway leadiu"- to the stone mansion erected bv him in 1854- 1858. The house is known as Xo. 48 JNIaple Avenue and has recently been occupied by tb.e family of William Cooney. After the completion of the new residence, in 1859, the old one was removed. It was a prototv])e of the old Jared INIead house, described [98] THE TITUS .MEAD FxVUM ill Chapter XIV. Under its front windows were bundles of phlox and some marigolds were nodding in the suiiinier breeze when I first saw it. It had a eoiiifortable "sit down" appearance, characteristic of all the old gray shingle, low studded sweep-backs of the eighteenth century. Xear its north end was the well house in which an empty bucket hiing over the curb. It was overshadowed by the great stone house which was then completed, and it was only a short time afterward that it disappeared and the old cellar hole was filled. Mr. Mead began to build the present stone house in 18.54 and completed it in 1858. The method of thorough construction adopted by its owner attracted wide attention. The walls were hollow to prevent dampness and the stones were laid up in shell lime. jNIr. ^lead has often told me that in those days, from his front piazza, he enjoyed an unobstructed view of Long Island Sound as far east as the Xor- walk Islands. But in late years the shade trees growing tall and rank have destroyed much of the summer view. [W] CHAPTER X THE SECOND CONGKEGATIOXAE CHUKCH OX Xovember 9. 191(). will occur the two hun- dredth anniversary of the establishment of the Second Congregational Churcl]. The one hundred and fiftieth anniversary was held in 1806 and was one of the most important that ever occurred in Greenwich. A similar occasion in these days would cause less interest outside the church membership, because the population is larger, more varied in re- ligious faith, and perliaps more secular in disposition. Eut the celebration in 18()() was largely attended and created among the members of all religious sects a general interest. The present stone church, a creation of Leopold Kidlitz, one of the most famous church architects of the Xineteenth century, arouses the admiration of every resident of Greenwicli, whatever his creed or nationality. It was built in 18.5() under somewhat peculiar cir- cumstances. Its predecessors had been compara- tively cheap, wooden affairs and when the building of a new church was agitated Mr. Robert ^Villiams jNIead led the minority in advocating the construction [TOO] SECOND c()\(;rkc;ati()\al crirKCii of the present biiil(lin<>-. Xot only plans liiit a per- fect model ill p'lastei- were shown. (lis})hiyin<^- tlie splendid ])roporti()ns and lines of the ))roposed church. -* ■<•< HOBKKT W. MKAI) 1S14 1S7.-, The ])roposition was strongly opposed on the oromid of expense, hut finally when Mr. Mead de- clared it could he huilt for thirty thousand dollars someone at the church meeting expressed a doulit as to his ability to find a contractor to undertake the work at that price. It is not unlikely that Mr. Mead [101] OTHER DAYS IN GREEXWICH realized this, for he promptly rexjlied that he would take the contract himself. He was not a contractor and never had been one, but he built the church and when the thirty thousand dollar appropriation was exhausted he sold his own securities to continue and complete the building. His monument stands near the church and bears the same inscription that is cut in the tomb of Sir Christopher Wren in St. Pauls, London, ''Si monu- mentum qiiarae circum spice" — "If you would see his monument look about." I fear that Robert Williams JNIead never received half the credit that should have been his for building the handsomest church spire in New En.gland, He was a son of Dr. Darius JNIead, whose home was on the crest of Putnam Hill. He had made a fortune in mercantile pursuits in New York City. ^Vhen he built the church he resided in the house now owned and occupied by his nephew, Frederick INIead. On April 11, 1864, he sold this property to D. Jack- son Steward, who held it till April 15, 1868. when he sold it to Edward Slosson, a retired New York lawyer. ]Mrs. Annie Turnbull Slosson, his widow, a well-known writer, now resides in New York. After the death of ]Mr. Slosson, by a deed dated ]May 28, 1872, the property went to Frederick JNIead, the father of its present owner. The interior of the church was remodeled in 1900, at an expense of about tliirty thousand dolhirs. Those who had tlie matter in liand probably acted [102] ,'M) COXCKI'.CA riON Al. (, illKC 11 1\ ls7() ( No clock .-it tli;it time) Past()r^: Hcv. Dr. Joel H. I.iiislev. Rev. Dr. l-rcdcrick C. Cl.irl Hex. Dr. (lei)i-ae A. Ciordoii SECOND COXGREGATIOXAT. CHURCH for tlie best interests of tlic c'liiiix'li. HoweM'i-. siicli a radical cliaii<>e was a ^Teat (lisappointiiR-iit to inc. There is one incident in connection with the hnild- in<>- of this cliurch tliat shonhl not be omitted. Wdien it was fnlly com])leted with the outside scaff'ohh'n.o- still surroundino- the spire sevei'al ladies, nicnihers of tlie cliui-ch. ch'nil)e(l on o{)en ladders, from scaf- fold to scatt'old, till they reached the circular cap stone, ei<4'ht feet in (hameter, around which they sat and ate their supper, undisturbed by the fact that they were two liundred and twelve feet above the ground. Mrs. Julia A. Button, ^liss Clarissa Mead and jNIrs. Edward Mead were amony- the number. But to recur to tlie celel)ration of IHiW). It comes back to me like an occurrence of yesterday. Per- l]a]Js its most remarkable feature was the historical address by Rev. Joel H. Einsley, D.D., which was his last public eff'ort. He had been tlie pastor of the chan-ch for nineteen years and was then the honorary but retired pastor. His address, finished and schol- arly, was replete with matters of local history and startlin.g in its pro})hetic portrayal of the speaker's vision of the future, in these words. "This town will not for many years, if ever, l)e a ])lace distinguished for business or I'apid achance in population. On this very account it is all the better for a place of quiet homes, and as a seat for the best educational institutions." The committee of arrangements consisted of Dea- con Philander Button, Deacon .Jonas Mead, Dr. T. [10.5] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH S. Pinnen, William A. Howe and Edward P. Holly. They were appointed at a meeting of the church held in 3Iarch, 1866. During the summer the work of arranging details became so onerous that the committee was enlarged by adding the following men : Isaac L. Mead, Alex- ander ^Nlead, Zophar JVIead, Shadrach M. Brush, Ben- jamin Wright, Arthur D. JNIead, George H. INI ills, Gideon Reynolds and the following ladies: ]Mrs. Ed- ward ]Mead, ^Irs. Philander Button, INIrs. T. S. Pinneo, jNIrs. Joseph Brush, Mrs. Augustus X. Reynolds, ^Irs. Benjamin Wright, Mrs. Elizabeth S. Hoyt, Mrs. Stephen Holly, ^Mrs. Moses Cristy, ]Mrs. X^ehemiah Howe, Mrs. Daniel ^lerritt JNIead, Mrs. Charles H. Seaman, JVIrs. William B. Sher- wood, JNIrs. Thomas Ritch, JNIrs. Lockwood P. Clark, Mrs. Caleb Holmes, JNIrs. Alfred Bell, Mrs. Isaac Peck, JNIrs. Jabez Mead, Mrs. Stephen G. White, Mrs. Henry M. Bailey, Mrs. William T. Reynolds, JNIrs. Lewis A. JNIerritt, JNIiss Hannah JNI. I\Iead, JNIiss Eliza J. Scofield, Mrs. Joseph E. Russell, Miss Louisa Mead. As I write these names their owners' faces all come back to me. Of the committee of men four siu'vive and but one of the committee of women is liv- ing. The day was one of the finest of the season. It was one of those glorious autumn days for which Greenwich has always been so famous and when doubt often arises wliether there is more beauty in [106] SECOND COXGREGATIOXAL CHURCH the blue waters of the Sound or in the wealth of forest trees, flaming- with scarlet and orange. The church was decorated with festoons and w^eatlis of evergreen, tastefully interwoven with au- tumn flowers. Upon the wall over the speakers' platform, in the rear of where the organ now stands was the following inscription: IX THE PLACE OF THE FATHERS ARE THE CHILDREN 1710 OUR father's god is OUR (iOD The printed programme, a copy of which lies be- fore me, announced the following order of exercises. 1. Invocation rev. platt t. holly 2. Reading the Scriptures rev. f. g. clark. d.d. 3. Anthem — "O, How Lovely is Zion." 4. Prai/er rev. joel manx 5. Historical Discourse rev. j. h. lixsley, d.d. 6. Prai/er rev. samuel howe 7. Anthem — "Praise Ye the Lord." 8. Benediction rev. stephex hurbeli, Recess For Collatiox p. ^L 9. Anthem. 10. Welcoming Address rev. w. u. h. .murray 11. Historical Paper willlvm a. howe 12. uinthem 1.3. Historji Stillson Benevolent Socict// DH. T. S. PIXXEO Would it be ])ossible in tliis generation to liohl an audience on sucli an occasion all day long? [107] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH The historical address, as I liave stated, was the crowning effort of Dr. Linsley's busy life. He died March 22. 1808. It may not be amiss to quote here the peroration of that discourse. "This is, my hearers, of all tlie days since Feaks and Patrick cut tlie waves of the Sound with their lioht boat, fastened her to Elizal)eth Neck, and by peaceful purchase took possession of these fair fields for civilized man, the best and brightest, the one in which it is the greatest privilege to live. "That our children and children's cliildren are to see a still brighter one, 1 hope, nay, I believe. "And when we scatter at tlie close of this auspicious occasion from this beloved liill of Zion, let us retire with gratitude for wliat our fathers bequeatlied to us from the past; witli rejoicing in the present, tliat the lines have fallen to us in pleasan,t places, and with full pui-pose of heart, that, God helping us, we will transmit a still richer inheritance to those who shall come after us, even to the latest generations." The afternoon session opened with an address of welcome by Rev. W. H. H. ^lurray which seemed to be particularly directed to the ministers present who had formerly been pastors of the church. JNIr. ^Murray was at tliat time a young man of twenty-six years and acting pastor of the church. To most of the guests he w^as unknown, but the ad- dress of welcome thrilled every soul and left such an impression that tlie memory of Murray was never dimmed. [108] SECOND COXGREGATIOXAI. CIIl KCH I recall (listiiR-tiy. how in tin.' midst ol' liis adilrtss, he ran his finders throuoh his thick, raven locks and, turning his massive figure towards Kev. Joel JNIann, the oldest ex-pastor, said: "15nt more especially do we rejoice that you, tlie most aged of this group, whose sun, though glowing and hright, is near the border of the horizon, should once more he with us, to behold and be made happy at the sight of our prosperity, before the shadows deepen farther, and you, passing through them, be lost to our eyes. "It is well, too, that those of us in this congregation whose heads, in the passage of years, have whitened with yours, should see once more the familiar faces, the countenances of former and still beloved pastors, before that hand, which, smites the cloud for all, smites it asunder for us, and our eyes close on ter- restrial objects forever." I think the most touching incident of the day oc- curred at its close, when ^Ir. ^Murray rose and said: "There is one man, my good friends, who did you a service to-day which we cannot too highly appreciate. The graves have been alluded to, and it is well they should be: but before we go out let us remember the cradles. There are ears too young to hear our s])eech to-night, and eyes not yet instructed in vision, so that tliey may read the motto above our heads; and \hvve is one man sitting here before you who has done a service for this class that I can not overrate. A hand has been reached into the past; into the dark past of tradition, and out of it fetched something' more valu- [109] ^& OTHER DAYS IX GREEXWICH able than gold; and it is more pleasant for me to think of it, because that hand is aged, and whether it reaches backward or forward, it will reach not many years again. The man who has done you a service you can never repay is Rev. Dr. Linsley. We cannot consent to separate until this aged man, who has long been your teacher, and who has done you such service, shall have received a public expres- sion of your respect by this audience rising in his honor." I shall never forget the thrill that went through that great audience, as rising to their feet, INIr. ]Mur- ray said: "Receive, my aged friend, this mark of a ])eoples' respect. The thanks of men are common, ])ut the thanks of the multitude are few." For more than forty-six years have I carried in my memory the burning incidents of that day. Xo one present has lived to forget and again and again has the story been told to the new generation, those who now stand in tlie place of the fathers. I cannot conclude this chapter without referring to George A. Gordon, D.D., pastor of the old South Church, Boston. He came to Greenwich, as the pas- tor of the Second Congregational Church, when he was on the sunny side of thirty. He was l]orn in Scotland. He has often told of his first jol) in America, when as a greenhorn he hired out to a blacksmith, who never paid him. After that he took care of the Rev. Mr. Angier's furnace in Cambridge who saw that tlie boy had brains and [no] SECOND COXGREGATIOXAL CHURCH educated him. This same ^Ir. Aiio'ier afterwards supplied tile ])ulj)it of the Second Congregational Church to which Mr. (iordon was sul)sc(iuently called. Before these two men met Mr. Gordon had hut one given name — George, but afterwards Angier was in- serted as the middle name. ^Ir. Angier preaching at (Treenwich suggested young (Gordon for the ])ast()i'ate and he accepted al- though (]ualified for a larger field. To a man of his ability and resources the Greenwich church was as restricted and confining as a flying cage to a skylark. And yet when the summons came from the old South Churcii he hesitated. He loved (xreenwich and his people and they loved him. The town was more rural thirty years ago and he loved the country. Round Island, Field Point and all the territory near were 0})en to his saunterings. His ])arishioners be- souo'ht him not to leave and for two years he heeded them and refused to go. On the 2.'Jd of October, 1912, he came back to (Greenwich to take ])art in his old church in the in- stallation of Rev. Charles F. Taylor. He was the same Gordon, refined and matured. He s])oke feel- ingly of the other days but nothing he said had more pathos and love in it than his allusion to a I'oll of ])a- per among his revered treasures. Tied with a blue ribbon, the ])a])er once white, but now vellow with time, contained six hundred and fifty signa- tures of those who thus asked him to remain their [111] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH pastor. Some were children, now active men and women and many were old men who have gone to the hereafter. And then tin-ning to the new pastor he said: "There is the same fountain of loyalty and love here as there was thirty years ago." There have been four Congregational churches in the village, all occupying nearly the same location. Of the first house of worship, in wdiich the Rev. ]Mr. Morgan preached, little is known, except that it was 32x26 and like the one in "Old Town" (now Sound Beach). The second was erected in 1730 and was a plain barn-like structure, 50x35, surmounted by a tower which was taken down in 17-49. There was a door at each end and one in the side. Twenty square pews were located about the sides of the house and there were five in the south gallery. This structure gave way to the third house in 1798. It was in this building that stoves were introduced in 1818, in the face of great opposition. On the first Sunday of their appearance the congregation was almost overcome by the heat, but it was learned after the service that the stoves contained no fires and that the intense heat was but the force of imagination. When the foundation for the present building was laid, it became necessary to move the old church about one hundred feet south. Here it was continued in use till December 5, 1858, when Rev. Dr. Linsley de- livered in it the last sermon, which was in the form of a commemorative discourse. [112] ! 1 li'5 f ? ^S' ^^•. if :i iff ^ I p :-^ai^^ KAIil,^' ClllltCII lU II.DINC.S Inscrt-Hcv. .locl Mnnii SKcoM) c()\(;rkgati()xal church The following- year the huildiiio- was sold to Thomas A. ^Nlead and Amos M. Brush, who subse- quently moved it to the eorner of Putnam Avenue and Sherwood Plaee, then JNIechanic Street. Rut before mo^ ing it. the steeple was eut down. The eolumns at the belfi'v were first sawed nearly oft'. Stephen Silliek and Henry Waring Howard, then apprentiees to Ste])hen Sherwood, doing the work. A long ro])e h.ad tirst lieen attaehed to the top of the spire and eari'ied down beyond the Town Honse and tied to an ox eart belonging to Jose])h Hrush. ^Ir. Rrush drove a sturdy pair of eattle, that he claimed were ecpial to pulling the moon, if he could get a line to it. Everything being made fast the cattle were started. The line grew taut; the steeple bent, then vibrated under the increased tension, while the ox cart went up in the air, and falling back to its place the steeple snapped cart and oxen more than fifty feet up the road and landed them in one promiscuous heaj). The stee])le was finally con- quered })y loading the cai't with heavy stones. This l)uilding, after its removal, has l)een s])oken of in Chapter II. Here Dr. Sylvester ^lead first a])- peared as the successor of Dr. Aiken in the drug busi- ness, and (xeorge K. Scofield began to learn the art of prescription filling. On the afternoon of July .'J, lS(>r>. a small boy thoughtlessly tossed a lighted fire cracker u])on the roof of the old chureh and at sun-set it was a smoking ruin. [115] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH But the present chiircli building every one knows. Of I^eojjold Eidlitz. an architect of fame, it has been said that of all his successful designs, none is more graceful than that beautiful spire. Where can you .^TL ^ ^' A ^ -fMHflMMM^ ROCKEFELi.EK lAKk IN isiid The large elm at the left now sliades the home of Charles A. Taylor on Connecticut Avenue drive in Greenwich and lose sight of it^ You see it as you ascend every hill. The gleam of its weather vane reaches every valley. Between the delicate lines of its open columns the setting sun will often pierce till it looks as though it were a part of the azure blue, without a foundation upon earth, resting in the clouds. ["(•.] CHAPTER XI THE STOKY OF A STREET GREENWICH A^T.XUE EIGHTY years ago, the road to Piping- Point, was eighteen feet wide, dusty in summer and muddy in winter and yet it was a much, traveled wav. Did it not lead all Stanwich and Banksville to the liome of tlie liumble clam, and what Round Hill man has not traveled it in search of the hardy black fish? How many hundred thousand bushels of potatoes have l)een hauled over it to find their way from Daniel ^Nlerritt's dock to the city of New York? When the crop was ready for the diggers the farmers often worked all night under a bright October moon and in the early morning tlieir teams waited their turn to unload at the dock. What is now Arch Street was then the only con- tinuation of our ])resent Greenwich Avenue. Beyond was the farm of Daniel S. jNIead. the grandfather of Oliver D. Mead and south of the present railway line, on Rocky Xeck, was a forest of great trees, beneath which the underbrush gi'cw i"ank and tangled. The road to Piping Point, as the old records term it, deflected to the southwest from a ])oint near the ])resent Police Headcpiarters. Xo. '270 (Greenwich Avenue, and ran over the to]) of a knoll tiiat oc- [HT] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH ciipied what is now tlie front lawn of the Havemeyer school. On the crest of this knoll, at least twenty feet high, stood, within my recollection, a snug little cottage. Near the front door on the south side of the house a long well sweep pointed to the north star and the wa- ter that came up in the oaken liucket was cool and sweet. How many teamsters have stopped for the cooling draught and to gossip a moment, with the little old lady who lived there! Not a house then save one from that hill to the head of the creek and no trees to shade the cultivated fields. Can you imagine the view the little house had from its vine emhowered porch { Further north on the east side of this same way was a never failing spring much thought of hy those same teamsters. It huhhled up at the top of a knoll on the spot where now stands the Prescott huilding at 105 Greenwich Avenue, and when that ])uilding was erected in 1891 the spring was uncovered and at con- siderable expense turned into the sewer. It had been covered up many years before, when Dr. I^ewis owned the farm and it was sorely missed. It had come to be considered common property and the foot path that led to it was worn deep by the passage of many feet. It was a cozy nook, too, for the bushes grew high above it and kept the sun from its lim])id waters. To what degradation has it fallen that it should be buried beneath a brick building and emp- tied into a sewer! [118] THE STORY OF A STREET But as early as 18o4 the road liad lost imieli of its rural aspeet. The railroad, then in operation five years, had hrounht the town nearer to New Vork. IIFARV .M. BENEDICT rrt'sidfiit (iold I'",xc'hange Bniik, X. Y. Warden, IJoroiigh of Greenwicli IS.'l-lStXi Outsiders had (liseo^■ered the natural l)eauties of the place and had hei^jun to settle here. Among those who eauie ahout IS.jO was Henry M. Benedict, a man of oreat ahilitv. of magnificent [110] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH figure and large wealth. He resided on Putnam Avenue till 1873, when he removed to Brooklyn. He died in 1896 at Sunset Park, N. Y. ]Mr. Benedict did not like the road to the depot and he set about to have it widened. Application was made to the selectmen Init there was a general opposition, to the scheme. Eighteen feet was deemed quite wide enough, because it had answered the pur- pose for generations. The selectmen perhaps were of the same opinion, for nothing was done. ^Nlr. Benedict then employed Julius B. Curtis, a young lawj^er of Greenwich, subsequently located until his death in Stamford. He brought an action to the Count}" Court, then having jurisdiction, and after some time accomplished his purpose and opened the road, which then received the name of Greenwich Avenue. With the widen.ing of the street real estate began to look up. It Avas considered a side street, Putnam Avenue, then called ]Main Street, claiming all the pre- tensions of a business thoroughfare. As a residence street Greenwich Avenue was considered attractive. Any part of it commanded a fine Sound view and there was no obstruction to the refreshing southwest breeze. Edwin JNIead, a brother of Daniel S. ^Nlead, now residing in California, at the age of ninety-three, came into possession, by inheritance, of a number of acres north of Elm Street. He had liis land surveyed and divided into three-quarter-acre plots, offering [120] THE STORY OF A STREET them at six hundred dollars eaeh. In those days such a plot was considered very small and the price asked quite extravagant. William 31. Tiers hought the corner lot, where afterwards, for so many years resided Dr. T. S. Pinneo. Isaac Weed ])ouoht the plot now occu- pied hy the Hhrary and Shath-ach M. Brush se- cured the plot still owned hy his sons, S. Augustus and Henry L. Brush. Most of these sales were made in the spring and summer of 1S55. I have avenue in Chapter II, and told something of this there is very little left to say concerning its progress except ^yh'd{ is known to this generation, and that is not the province of this volume. The old town building, now occupied by flayer H. Cohen, is still the property of the town. Its story is told in Chapter XX. From the head of the avenue was once a steep hill; rustic old stone walls were on portions of either side and young men and boys found it a convenient place to coast in winter, as late as thirty years ago. Hanford Mead had a tannery where Benjamin Lockwood's restaurant is loeated and later, on Sep- [121] SHADRACH M. BRUSH 1818-19f« In early days did a large business at Miamis. Subsequently con- ducted luuil)er business at Rocky Neck. OTHER DAYS IX GREEXWICH tember 4, 18.54, Henry Held opened a market in a huildint)- he had erected near the tan vats. He was then tile owner of all the land on the west side of the avenue from Peter Acker's to Capt. Eyon's, where the Trust Company's building is located. A Port Chester newspaper came out with the an- nouncement that ^Ir. Held was about to build "a new, elegant, imposing and commodious market building." This was an innovation that was un- looked for and besides it was the beginning of a "side street" and a street, too, that did not possess popular favor. When the newspaper later came out witli a description of the building "to be filled with brick and surmounted by a balloon frame," it was the ffen- eral opinion about the village that anything in the nature of a balloon, was decidedly unstable, was likely to be disastrously affected by air currents, and on a windy day would be a menace to those who hap- pened along that way. In Peter Acker's store the subject of the balloon frame was discussed night after night and many a hot word was passed over the subject. Xo one dis- puted the undesirableness of such a structure — it was not that: they were all opposed to the bal- loon frame, and they couldn't agree as to how such a thing could ])e framed. Solomon S. Gansey said he believed they had been used some in other parts — -"in mild climates where the wind blew easy" — but they had generally been set up where they were protected bv forest trees. He thought he could [122] THE STOKY OF A STREET frame one, and he Iiad a theory of constriietion wliieh most of the others failed to favor and hence tlie heated argument over IlehTs balloon frame. 15iit the building- went up, and as the first building in town to be framed after the balloon method, it at- tracted wide local attention. For those days it was really fine. Inside, the marble top counters, against the wall, meat hooks of the latest device, the ])ictures of fat cattle and the polished horns that stood out from the wall, with streaming red and blue ribbons at their tips, made an impressive ap])earance. JNIr. Held was po])ular with all his customers. Xo more honest or conscientious man ever lived. He had many opportunities to invest in Wall Street and to buy Cxreenwich real estate, but he availed himself of \V-d\\ Street opportunities not at all and his local real estate holdings were never large. One morning C'apt. Wm. Ij. Lyon, who then owned the A^oorhis property, tried to sell him all the land south of the market, now Xo. 7-t Cxreenwich Ave- nue to where the (Greenwich drug store stands, for eleven hundred dollars "and trade it out in meat." It is not sui"])rising that jNIr. Held ])r<)mptly de- clined to pay what was then a large ])i"ice foi" land he did not re(]uii'e. [1-2.3] CAPT. W. L. LYOX 1808-1858 OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH The old man was faithful to his market patrons for many years and at last one afternoon down at Indian Harbor, his life went out with the ebbing tide that flowed under his window, a man honored and respected by all who knew him. [124] CHAPTEK XII WAR TniES DriilXC; tlie last (lays of President Buclianairs administration, and up to the time that Fort Sumter was fired on, politics in (Treenwich were so warm that they sometimes hecame bitter. The South had many sympathizers, called Cop- perbxads, while those who favored the abolition of slavery, at whatever cost, were called Black Kepubli- cans. From this it must not l)e inferred that no mem- ber of the Democratic pai'ty favored the abolition of slavery, for thei'e wei'c many among them known as War Democrats, who agreed on that point with members of the other party, sometimes termed Radi- cals. The shooting of young Col. Ellsworth, the first blood shed in the war — it was really a murder — created great excitement, as it pi-obal)ly did all over the country. His photograph encircled with a broad band of black, was on sale at the local stores and many in the village dis])layed the ])icture on their front mantels. Long special trains of cai"s often went through, the bands playing and the cai" j)latfoi-ms filled with soldiers. In some instances Hags were (]is])laved [12.-,] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH KLXAIHAX HUSTED Co. I lOth C. V. Died in service, 1864 along the sides of tlie cars and l)eneath the folds of the flag appeared the name and nnmber of the regiment and co]npany. The boys about th,e vil- lage found a great deal of iiiterest in watching these trains and discuss- ing among themselves the places from whence the soldiers hailed, all of them coming from jNIaine and other eastern States. Be- ing too young to enlist, they declared that they regretted it and one or two made application for the position of drummer boy, but with what success I do not recall. A fine, tall flag pole was erected at the foot of Lafayette Place through the efforts of Wifliam Scofleld, and a few years ago, when the watering- trough was put there, the decayed remains of the old })ole were taken out „ ,, 1 mi 1 Kn. 1861 Co. I 10th C. V.. Dis. ot the ground. Ihe pole is'ii remained there and was in use as late as 1872, when it had so far decayed that it was removed. [126] ALVORD PECK ISAAC J.. -MKAU Serg. Co. I ntli Ct. V I8;u-i9i:5 WILLIAM LI Id)'*' En. Co. 1 lotli C. \'. ISfiJ. Di^ fio^i' of war 1^ ^' J : T-^ y_ ilSF^.: ^^vj. o^i COLL. WILLIAM HILI) jji. ]S{il. I)is. lS(iL Co. I 10th C. V. 15r. ISI-'. I). liiol Sl'.lU,. C.\Li:ii -M. ll()L.Mi:S Fell ill battle hef'orr Kiclimond ()(t. i:?. IS(il., aged ;;?-', while in coniniaiid Co. I 10th C. V. WAR TIINIES "♦ This pole, wlieii it was fii"st contemplated, was a subject of <»reat delight and anticipation. For sev- eral months it lay along the side of Lafayette Place, while the car- penters and painters smoothed and polished its surface. Lying prostrate it looked very short and when it was finallv raised JOHN lUSH -MATTHEWS Co. I lOtli C. \'. Served 3 vrs. and a topmast added, it exceeded the expectations of all. A magnificent flag, purchased hy sub- scription, floated from the mast head every day. Standing where Oscar Tuthill and his brother conduct the Round Hill Farms Dairy, was a small frame two-story building, which subsequently was used I)y the town for pnl)He offices and in 1874 was hired by Henry B. ^Marshall, wlio therein established the beginning of the present ^Marshall's Market. During the early (lavs of the war this l)uii(ling was used as an enlisting • lA.MKS CHKAl.D Co. I lOtli C. V. En. ISfil. l)i<'cl in s(>rvice OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH station. Eilly Acker with his drum and William Johnson with his fife were constantly at work drum- ming enthusiasm into ])ossihle recruits. It was an attractive front door for the boys who hung around IP- while the recruiting officer measured the a23plicants and took their descriptions be- fore including them in the list of raw re- cruits. Company I of the Tenth Conn. Volun- teers was the first to go to the seat of war and included some of the finest young men in town. Daniel INIer- ritt 3Iead, after- wards ]\Iajor, was the captain of this company and for some weeks before they left he was about the streets in his bright new uniform ; on drill days with his sword at his side. We thought him a grand and imposing figure, as indeed he was, and he received the admiration of all the boys, without, probably, realizing it. My brother, I.,. P. Hu])bard, Ji-., had enlisted for three years in a ^Manchester, New Hampshire, Regi- [130] MAJOR D. M. MEAD Who went out as Captain i/r. riio.MAS R. Mi: A I) Kn. IS(n. Dird in scrxicc t'lint. of Co. C li'tli ('. \'. i.r. D.w'ii) w. mi: A I) Kn. Co. I loth C. \'. IS(iJ. He Miiii'.'d is(i:,; WIl.l.lA.M M OK R I SOX En. lS(i2 ' f~^ *-• Co. T lOtli C. V I )iscli;i ri:t'(l cliisc of wiir ni:.\i',v II. mi: A!) Co. I lOtli C. \'. Died in MTvicc A])!-. Joth. ISCJ. at au-c of ,'I .SI I. AS K. .MK,\I) Born IS II. H;i. IS(il Co. I lOth C. \'. Discliariicd close ot' war WAR TIMES nieiit aiul tliis _L>a\ e nic a ^ood staii(lini>" witli tlic other boys of niv own af^c. whose ehler brothers and fa- thers had eidisted. Siibse(iueiitly wlieii my brother made us a visit on furlough 1 was very [)roud to walk ])y liis side as he went about the village in his uniform. Finally on a l)eautiful Autumn day in 18(>1 — September 2.5 — eame the departure of Company I. The soldier boys, for they were generally about t\\'enty-()ne years of age, gathered in the old Town Hall whieli stood where the Soldiers' monument so appropriately stands. I quote from the diary of Capt. Daniel Meri-itl Mead: "On the morning of the "•2.5th of September we "found ourselves ready to leave, with about til'ty-Hve "men for rendezvous. ''Our friends, at home, by thousands eseoi'ted us to "the dei)ot. ha\ ing proeui-ed a brass band from New "Kochelle. \\'e marehed to l*utnam Hill to meet an "ex])eeted eseort from Mianus whieh Tailed to eome. "Then we returned to the Congregational Church "where prayer was offered by l{ev. Dr. Linsley and [133] 1.. 1'. Ill r.i'.AKi). St'i-ved 'A Yv:n->, Wouiulcd Hattle of l^ull Hull OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH "a sword ])resented to the Captain. The presenta- "tion speech was made by Julius B. Curtis in behalf "of the donors, who were Stephen G. White, Wil- "liam Smith, Eyman JNIead, and Charles H. Seaman. "An affectionate leave-taking from friends was "tlien had. when we took up our line of ^Nlarch to the "depot. On our way cheers and tears were alternat- "ing. At the depot a speecli was made by Dr. ^'-.4 WHJ.IA.M SMITH 179S-1S7-^ I.Y.MAX MEAD "James II. Hoyt and replied to by the Captain, when leave-taking- was renewed and continued until "the arrival of the train, when we left in the last car "for Hartford." ]Many of the soldiers w^re members of Dr. liins- ley's church and while I was too young to appreciate his prayer, it was said to have been very fervent. I recall how liis hands trembled as he extended them in his final lienediction. All the village boys followed the soldiers and min- [134] CAPT. SELI.ECK L. WHITE Co. I loili ('. V. Died ill NLT\ic-C' Aiiii'. iMfil I.r. W. I.. SWACK Ci). ! Kllli ('. \'. En. ISiil. Dis. isiil SERG. XORVEL GREEX En. 18()1 Co. I loth C. V Re-enlisted 1864 ^^^■ / '^.^ com'. Ai.i'.x \Ni)i;i{ I'l'.iiiii.s Color lic;ir CHARLES 11. SKA.MAN 1S1!)-1S!)!) OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH William and George Jerman; Stephen and Henry Bi-ady: (xeoroe and AVilliani Robbins; Louis an.d John Sehaffer: Henry and Warren Scott; Aaron and John Sherwood, and John and Thomas Wilson. In addition to this there were three in- stances where father and son stood side by side, and in the ranks of the Company were three brothers-in-law. After the soldiers had departed they were constantly in mind and after every engagement the pa- ])ers were carefully scanned for news of boys at the front. I^etters came often, the envelopes covered with spirited pictures of war scenes. Indeed, plain white envelopes were seldom seen in those days, a flag in colors usually occupying the left hand corner. The Sanitary Commission had a branch here, made up of ladies who sewed for the well soldiers and put up bandages and lint for the sick and wounded. []:i8] LIEUT. BENJAMIN' WKlCiHT WAR ti:mes 4 ^^s^^^k^^, Boxes were sent out hy the families of soldiers filled with siieh simple things as corn meal, onions, salt and pepper; essential, hut often difficult to yet at the front. Quite frequently th.e great flag hung at half mast and then the boys would won- der who had gone and whether hy shot, shell or disease. There were mil- itary funerals of A\hieh 1 recall that of William Donohue and later the more imposing funx^-als of Sergeant AVilliam Long, Thomas K. jNIead, Henry 3Iead, a n (1 C a 1 e 1) ]\I, Holmes, all of Com- ])any I, also that of Oliver D. Benson of another regiment. When jNlajor Daniel ^Nlerritt Mead was brought home in a dying condition the sympathy of all was aroused, and as he lay sick for two weeks in the old homestead on the Post Road many a prayer was of- fered for his recovery. Hut he ])assed awav o!i the [i:Jii] cor., oris Of till- loth Pu-ii-. Conn. N'olunlicrs. Not ;i (iri-ciiu ich man liiit licloNcd l)y cNcry incinIxT of Co. I OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH 19th day of September, 1862, at the early age of twenty-eight. His funeral was held in the Second Congrega- tional Church and I recall that his military hat and sword rested u]}on the coffin. The church was crowded to such an extent that tlie support under the west gallery snapped SERG. WILLIAM LOXG like the report of a pistol En. 1861 Co. I 10th C. V. Died ^^.j^,^ ^,^^^ ^^.^. , ^ ^^^ ^j^^ Morris Island, 1863 ^ people. Few realized the cause of the peculiar noise. It was a sad morning in April, 180.5, when tlie news of the assassination of President Lincoln reached Greenwich. ]Mem- bers of both political par- ties bowed their heads in sorrow and the emblems of mourning were univer- sal. The following chapter contains an account of the sermon preached by Rev. William H. H. JNIurrav on this occasion. A.MO.S MEAD LYON .Master's Mate V. S. X., 1861-186.5. Last year on staflF of .Vdnir. Porter. In several important engaaements including I'ort Eisher [140] CHAPTER XITT REV. WILI.IA.M H. H. Ml'HKAY RKV. WILLIAM IIKXRV IIARllLSOX MLRRAY" was horn in (Tiiilford, Conn., April 2(), 1840. He was graduated from Yale and from a school of Theolooy. hecoming acting pastor of the Secon.d Congregational Church at the age of twenty-four. He remained as long as the church could kee]) him. hut in 18(>() the First Congregational Church, of 3Ieriden offered him a liheral salary and he left. When he came to Greenwich he was, in years, scarcely more than a hoy, yet he had the poise and dignity of a mature man. He stood over six feet in height, was straight as an arrow, and of massive physique. His large, well-shaped head was covered with ahundant black hair. His eyes fairly glittered with life and animation. He had an unhroken colt that he ke})t at Col. Thomas A. ^Mead's, also a row l)()at on the Sound. In ahnost every Congregational home wei-e dis- plavech in cons])icu()Us ])laccs. the photogi'aphs of Mr. and Mrs. Murray. All of tlie ohl generation rememhei" him distinctly. Tlie younger generation has little knowledge of liim, because he disappeared [Ul] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH from public life many years ago and the old photo- graphs ■ have been hidden away or destroyed. He was clever, handsome and magnetic and fearless in W. II. II. MIRRAY At tlie age of 2A: his preaching. His originality was unique, usually pleasing and often startling. In speaking of himself in tlie latter years of his life he once said: "I was born of poor parents, as the majority of Xe^^' England boys were in my day. There had never been a rich rascal in our family, nor [U-2] REV. WILLIA^NI H. H. ^MURRAY did I come of litei'ai-y stock. Xo collco'c-hrcd dunce had cvei- haii(licai)pc(l iis with liis itica|)ahlc i-c.s])cct- ahility. J had, tliercforc, a fair start. Tlic Con- necticut Murrays were not afraid to tell the trutli to any man and could swear b.eartily at hy])ocritical meanness — at least my father could. At the ao-e of seven I beg-an to earn my own living, as every boy should. At fourteen 1 read all the books I could lay my hands on. At sixteen 1 bet>'an to prepare for college. 1 had no help, no encouragement. My father opposed me in my efforts and my mother said notliing. ]My old neighbors in their ignorance said: 'I wonder what Bill Murray thinks he can make of himself f Rut I persevered. I was sensitive to I'idicule. I had an impediment in my speech, but I had taken hold of the roj)e of knowledge with a good grip and I held on. "I started for \"ale with four dollars and sixty- eight cents in my pocket and two small carpet bags in my luuids — one for my few books, tlie other for my few clothes. While at the university I \\ as ui'ged by family and friends, more than once, to give it u]). One winter I lived for four weeks on a diet that cost fifty-six cents a week: Indian meal and water — not over much meal and a good deal too much water. 1 went through the entii'e course — I don't i-cmember that I lost a week. 1 was graduated ci'ammed full of the knowledge of books from enormous reading, seasoned with a fair ])r()ticiency in the studies of the curriculum, but not over seasoned. Then without [143] OTHER DAYS IX GREEXWICH pause I went to East Windsor, where they take young- men as Christians and make them over into Calvinists, and studied old world theology." While at Greenwich ]Mr. Murray made his first ex- cursion into the Adirondack wilderness. It was then almost an unknown territory. While at ^Nleriden he passed his summer vacations in the Adirondacks and wrote to the Mcridcu liccordcr a series of letters that were afterwards incorporated into a hook entitled "Adventures in the Wilderness," wliich made him a literary celehrity and gave him a name that always stuck — "Adirondack ^Murray." Ahout the same time appeared in the Atlantic Mouthhj a story entitled "A Ride with a ^lad Horse in a Freight Car," which was said to contain the hest description of a horse in action that was ever written. Before coming to Greenwich, ^Ir. ^lurray had married the daughter of Sheldon Hull, a prosperous farmer of Essex, Conn. Her sister, Ida Hull, lived with them while in Greenwich and attended the Academy. The news of the assassination of President Lin- coln reached Greenwich on Saturday morning at eight o'clock. Before noon a meeting of the pastor and deacons of the Second Congregational Church was held and it was voted to drape the interior of the church in hlack. INIr. ^Murray agreed to preach an appropriate sermon the following morning. A numher of the active young men and women, as- sisted hy ]Mr. ^lurray. had com])leted the decorations [144] REV. WILLIA:\r H. H. ^MURRAY hv .sunset. Thev covered tlie front of the galleries, twisted the black iniisliii about the })()sts, h)()ped it around tlie i)ul|)it and sti-un<>- it above the oroan, till the great edifice looked heavy with the folds of black, from which wei'e visible, here and there, the bright colors of the stars and stripes. After it was all finished, ^Murray said: "I'll take a little outdoor exercise after supper and when I re- turn I'll prepare the special sermon for to-morrow." Late that night there was a light in his study in the church. He had a window open and he could hear the voices of the i)eepers in the distance. Plis heavy black hair hung like a great shock over his brow. His thoughts, at times, came too fast for his fingers; but at the weird hour when the night })egins to change to another day, he laid down his pen, put out the light, and with body erect as in the morning, he strode across the yard to the parsonage door. The next morning as he arose to deliver his sermon to an immense audience, his face for a moment clouded with sorrow. His voice, always heavy, res- onant and musical, was at first husky, but as he caught the sym])athy of his hearers, his voice cleared and, without a note, he delivered one of the most elo- quent discourses ever heard in that church. He began: "To-day the wicked triumph and the "good are brought low. Two days ago the Re])ublic "stood erect, strong and valiant; her foot advanced "and countenance radiant with ho])e. To-day she "lies prostrate upon the ground, hei- features stained [Uo] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH "with the traces of recent grief, and her voice lifted "in lamentation." The sermon of this boy of twenty-four was filled with the wisdom of a sage. As he drew toward the close he said: "Nor is he wholly gone! He lives; "not in l)odily presence, but yet he lives, in the his- "tory of his times, in the memory of his age — in the "affections of us all. His name will not be forgot- "ten. The living of to-day will tell it to the unborn "and they, in turn, will repeat it to the remotest age. "Amid the doings of the great of every clime will his "deeds be recorded. Among the teachings of the "wise will his sayings be written. In galleries where "wealth gathers the faces of the loved and the re- "nowned will his portrait be suspended, and in hum- "bler homes and in lowlier hearts will his face and "his memory be retained, until the present has be- "come the past, and the children cease to be moved "by the traditions of the fathers. "We cannot measure him to-day. Years must "pass before his influence on his age can be estimated. "It needs the contrast of history to reveal his great- "ness. In the native vigor of his intellect, in the sin- "cerity of his purpose, in the originality of his views, "in the simplicity of his faith, and in his sympatliy "for tlie oppressed, what potentate of his time will "bear a comparison with this backwoodsman of "America? Untaught in the formalities of courts, "he aped not their customs. Unostentatious, he as- "pired to nothing beyond his reach and seemed to [146] REV. WITJ.IAM IT. H. ^VriKKAY "reach more than lie aspired after. He was incapa- "ble of })itterness, and in this doth his <^reatness most "appear, that having' defamers, he heeded tliem not. "persecuted ])y enemies he hated them not, reviled by "inferiors, he retorted not." It is sad to think that a man as ca})al)le as ^Murray shoukl have <»one to pieces, like a ship on a ledge. Ivcaving ]Meriden, he was the settled pastor of Park Street Clmrch, Boston, at the age of twenty-eight. But in Eoston his career seemed a striking case of a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. Sport of all kinds fascinated the man, and the conventionali- ties that hedge about the ministerial cloth became ex- ceedingly distasteful to him. To the Park Street Church deacons it was e(iually distasteful to have the name of their pastor connected constantly with horse racing. Whether Mi'. Murray ever risked money on the races, was never established, but that he organized the Boston Buckboard Co. to introduce a trotting sulky, deemed by him of su])erior quality and put a good deal of time into the business of breeding ^Morgan horses at his Guilford farm, there is no question. At one time the (ruilford es- tate, which included tlie old homestead, which he had purchased after it went out of the family, was worth seventy-two thousand dollars, a fact (piite sufficient to reassure those whom ]\Ir. ^lurray had persuaded to invest heavily in the Buckboard Co. Racing and religion soon began to be blended by INIr. ^Iiirrav in a manner most severelv criticized. OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH g9 ** He owned and edited a weekly paper called The Golden Rule, which had a large number of subscrib- ers in Greenwich. In this paper matters pertain- ing to the turf and the cliurch were treated with so loose an attempt at impartiality that there seemed at times to be a leaning towards favoring the turf the more. As a natm-al con- se((uence, in 1874, he was forced to resign from Park Street Church. But for the following three years he drew great audi- ences to jNIusic Hall where he preached lib- erty, free speech and inde- pendent action. As a pulpit orator he was incomparable. There was a peculiar charm in his delivery, a magnetism in his presence and a profound logic in his reasoning, which rendered his talks positive rhetorical studies. His religion, at this time, was the doctrine of common sense. There was no egotism in his manner, no narrowness in his ideas. To hear him was to realize his powers of mind. To meet him was to comprehend his graces of manner, and to know him was to appreciate his goodness of heart. However he certainly had no business ability. The Golden Rule failed and to the buckboard enter- [148] THOMAS urrcH In 1880 REV. wrTj.TA:sr n. it. :\n khay prise there eanse a Hiiaiieial ei'isis. One morning the pastor, aiithiOr, editor and niannfaeturer was missing. From Texas lie sent a letter to the l^oston newsj)apers deelaring that husiness had ealled him to that (hstant .MKS. \V. n. 11. .Ml'ltKAY In IS(il State. He insisted that he had always intended to retire from ])nhlie life when he was foi'ty and that it was in fulfillment of this determination tl'.at he left Boston a few weeks ])efore his fortieth hirthday. In the fall of 1881 Murray eoneeived a |)r()jcet of shipping Texas wood to Chieago and olhei' noi'thern [149] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH manufacturing centers, but as the scheme necessitated the transportation of material which could be secured better and cheaper nearer home, its chance of success was slight. Yet Murray so believed in it that he built a mill on the Guadalupe, about forty miles from San Antonio, and went there to conduct it. He also in- duced people to invest in this singular enterj^rise. At this time he became, himself, a teamster. He dressed in brown overalls, cowhide boots and a blue and white checked shirt. Then as he left New England — with many debts behind him; so JNIr. ^Iiu'- ray left Texas. In the winter of 1883, the late Thomas Ritch told me that he found him running a restaiu'ant called the "Snow Shoe" in INIontreal where JNIurray himself, in cap and apron, had cooked and served for him a plate of buckwheat cakes. Here he met so many of his old ^parishioners that the restaurant actually served as an entering wedge for the man's return to the world again. The winter of 1884 he was back again on the Bos- ton lecture ])latform. That same winter, or the next, he lectured in Ray's Hall in Greenwich. A few of his old friends were present, but nearly every one had forgotten the eloquent preacher of twenty years be- fore. And yet, after all his vicissitudes, his charm of old had not departed. That night he read from his own works "How John Norton, the trapper, kept his Christmas," a vivid and exquisitely pathetic descrip- tion of a lonely mountaineer's perilous tramp to in- [150] rp:v. wii.lia]si ii. h. ^niurray sure a lia])])y C'lii-istnias to auotlier. iVs tlie story was read, witli tlie same deep resonant voiee of old, those who heard it eould not l)ut do homage to the luimanity and genius of its writer. Refore I elose tliis ])ainful chapter I must reeur to Mrs. ^Murray oi* the story will he incomplete. She was a remarkahle woman, possessed of unusual in- tellectual power. The year that her hushand left her she entered the New York ^ledical School for a term. Then she went to Kurope and for three years studied in Vienna Medical College and finally was graduated in surgery as well as medicine, with high honors. She was the first American woman to re- ceive, in Euro])e, a diploma entitling her to practice as a surgeon. Returning to her native land she opened an office in New Haven. The same year that his wife divorced him Mr. ^lurray married Miss Frances ^I. Rivers of ^lont- real, a Catholic. With her and their four daughters he long lived happily in retirement at the old home- stead in Guilford and there he died in !<.)()() in the same room in which he was horn. His Ixxly was laid at rest under an old apple tree near the house. The following lines were written hy Mr. Murray in 1867 as a ])relu(le to a sermon on Faithfulness: Tilt' |)I;iv is (loin tlie curtain drojjs Slow falling- to tht' pronij)ter's bell; A moment yet the aetor stoi)s. And looks around to say farewell. It is an irksome word and task. And wlien he's laughed and said his say, [151] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH He shows, as he removes the mask, A face that's anything but gay. So each shall mourn, in life's advance, Dear hopes, dear friends, untimely killed — Shall grieve for many a forfeit chance, And longing passion unfulfilled. Amen ! Whatever fate be sent, Pray God the heart may kindly glow. Although the head with cares be bent. And whitened with the winter's snow. [152] CHAl^TKK XIV AI.()N(i PUTXA.AI AAENUE AT tlie opening- of tlie nineteentli century tliere were hut tliree prominent trees on the main country road frcun Putnam Hill to Toll Gate Hill. The hushandman's ax kept the hedge rows trimmed and ornamental trees were rarely set out, as they shaded the orowin^' crops. The three trees that held their hranches hi<>h in the air were plainly A'isihle from vessels cruising in the Sound. They were hutton-hall trees; one stood in fron.t of the old Hol)l)y tavern on what is now the J. H. Fennessy ])roperty on Kast I'utnam Avenue; another spread its immense limhs over Dearfields, the home of Kichard Mead, later of Col. Thomas A. ^Nlead; and the other, until IDH. stood in front of the Peter Acker homestead on Putnam ^Vvenue. This latter tree was the smallest of tlie trio, hut had been sturdy and vigorous at the opening of the Kevo- lutionary War. The Hohhy tavern stood almost exactly on the ground occu})ied by ]Mr. Fennessy \s beautiful house of anti(}ue style. C'a})t. John Hobby had been active in the eighteenth century, liut on the l.'Jth of May. ]8()"2, when |)rol)ablv an old man. lie sold all his Horse [153] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH Xeck real estate to Hannah Courtney. Tliis con- sisted of twentv-two acres, near the Meeting House, on both sides of the Post Road. He bounded the southerly tract on the east by land of Jared ^Nlead and on the south by land of the Rev. Dr. Isaac I^ewis. RESIDENCE OF BEALE X. LEWIS Erected 1807. Siihsequently tlie lioiiie of Henry .M. l^eiiediet and Dr. William Ciiiy Teek Subsequent deeds bound it on the west by land of Dr. Lewis, and it apparently extended east to wliat is now the Frederick ^lead place, west to the present line of Mason Street and south to huid now owned by the Greenwich Hospital. The tract on the north side of the road included property now known as the Elms and a considerable tract west of it. But the land still further west, belon- to Dr. Carl E. Martin [1.5-t] ALONG PUTNAM AVENUE and Walter M. Anderson and Ada M. C'ook, be- longed to Thomas Hobby, probably a brother of the Captain. It is cleai- that C'ajjtain Hobby lived on tlie sonth side of the road and probably on the commanding eminence where Henry 1S\. Benedict lived so many years, and afterwai'd owned and occupied by Pro- fessor Wm. (xuy Peck of West Point and C\)himl)ia College. That tlie house had long been an inn, and that it was of am])le dimensions, shaded by the great button-ball ti'ee. tliere is no doubt. But the slu'cwd Captain Hobby in his ilvvd to ^liss Courtney, a New ^'ork hidv of wealtli and social position, makes no alhision to a tavern, inn, or pul)lic house, but de- scribed the buikhngs as a "mansion house and barn." Miss Courtney paid $2,84<3.75 for the handsomest piece of property in the village of Horse Neck. At that time, li()we\ei-. it couhi liardly be termed a vil- lage. There were l)ut few houses, well scattered and whatever commei'cial interests Greenwich liad were centered at Mianns. wliere the Town Clerk's office was located. From the hilltop j)in'chased by jNIiss Coui'tney was an unobstructed view in all dii-ections. It was said that travelers by stage coach along the Post Road anticipated with pleasure that part of the tri|) from Putnam Hill to Toll (iate Hill where the view of the Sound was unbroken and unobstructed the entire distance. ^Iv fathei- made the stage coach trip from \ew^ [155] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH York to Boston in 1833, and stopped at what was then the ^lansion House, since called the Eenox House, kept by Augustus Lyon. He (my father) often referred to the fact tliat the two front rooms of the present Lenox House, are identical with the two front rooms of that ancien.t hostelry — the jNIan- sion House. ITannali CVinrtncy owned the Hobby property but five years. It is easy to imagine that she did not find it uninteresting, but that it was remote from Xew York, and that the means of transportation by sloop or stage coach were not agreeable. At all events on November 11, 1807, for the consider- ation of $500, she sold it to Beale X. Lewis. It is not likely that ]Miss Court- ney suiFered such a loss, or that Mr. Lewis made such a good luirgain as to actually get the pro])erty for $.500, which was doubtless a nominal consideration. They were cousins. Beale X. I^ewis was also from Xew York City, and was a son of the Rev. Dr. Isaac I^ewis. He was an able lawyer of large wealth. As soon as he accjuired the land, lie removed the Hobby tavern and built what was then con.sidered a grand mansion. It was not deep })ut it was wide, built like tlu'ee cul)es, a [150] Dii. WM. G. PECK ALONG PUTXAM AVENUE large one in the eentei". and one at eaeli end foi- wing's. He died possessed of the ])r()|>erty in the spring of 1817, leaving a widow, KHzal)etli Lewis, but no lineal heirs. His death oeeun-ed seven years before that of his distinguished fatliei'. On May 11, 1829, tlie brothers and sisters of Beale N. Lewis conveyed tlie same twenty-two acres to Peter Tillott, James Tillott and Susan Seymour. They were ])robably speculators as tliey sul)se(|uently owned otlier land in town, and did consideral)le con- veyancing. Eut the venture does not a])pear to have been profitable as they held the land till April 4, 1883, when they sold it at cost to Alvan Mead. In 183.3 Cornelia J. Graham and Mary E. Graham, sisters, were conducting a school on the north side of the Post Road where they ow^ned considerable real estate. The Alvan jNIead purchase was bounded on the east by their property. Tlie school was carried on in tlie liouse now known as the Ehns. The Til- lotts and Miss Sevmour must have been exceedinf>-lv tired of carrying the property as they accepted the entire purcliase price in a note secured by mortgage. Alvan Mead lield it four years when, on February 0, 1837. lie sold it to Obadiah Peck at a profit of $3,o0(). JNIr. Peck was one of our earliest real estate s])ecu- lators. At that time two acres was considered a small plot. Mr. Peck was also a house builder. His aim was to improve the land with buildings and sell at a profit. He occupied the Heale X. Lewis home- OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH stead whose south windows and hroad veranda com- manded a splendid vie^v of Lond Island Sound and the intervening country. Here Henry M. Benedict subsequently resided for nearly twenty years. This same house was torn down by E. V. Harkness after he 2^1^11'chased it from the William G. Peck estate, June 1.5, 1891. Rut to return to Obadiah Peck. In 18.54 he built the home so long occupied by the late L. P. Hubbard and now owned by Dr. Edward (). Parker. Then he built tlie Ranks homestead recently moved by ^Nlrs. Nathaniel Witherell to make room for the new Young Men's Christian Association building. This last venture of jNIr. Peck's was disastrous and he made a bad financial failure. Refore closing this chapter and leaving the neigh- borhood I have been describing, I must allude to the homestead of Jared ^Nlead, which stood where now stands the Frederick ^lead liomestead. Jared ^Nlead was the father of Alvan ^lead and here Alvan was born in 170.5. The house was an old-fashioned sweep-back, covered with shingles to the sills, which were close to the ground. In the center of the house was a great stone chimney which afforded an open fire place in each room of its two stories. Down the liill a short distance were the somber farm barns. ^Ir. ^Nlead was a sprightly little man with a numerous family. He was prominent and active in the affairs of the fleeting House, hard by on the hill. Perhaps it should be called the Sec- [158] ALoxG putxa:m avenue Olid CoiioTegational C'liurcli hut lie always called it "Tlif Meetiii<>' House." The liouse was douhle, the hall in the center ex- tendiii'*- from the front door to the great chimney, where winding stairs with white ])ainted hanisters and a cherry i-ail led to the second stoi'v. On one side of this hall was the li\ing room and the other the ■'hest room/' in later years called the "parloi-." 15oth these rooms had grand old fire places with crane and pot hooks, hlackened hy the smoke and flame. The hearth was an enormous slah of hhie stone, cracked across fi'om the heat of the great logs, seven feet long, that hlazed merrily all the winter day and smouldered under a hed of ashes all night. It was ]Mr. ^lead's duty as an active memher of the church to su})])ly the Sahhath attendants with ma- terial for their foot stoves. On Saturday an unusual supply of fire wood was stacked against the chimney jamhs and hy ten o'clock, Sunday, a large (juantity of live coals was heaped in the s])aci()us chimney place. As the old hell in the ^Meeting House was calling the ])arishioners to worship, they would repair to Mr. Mead's and fill their foot stoves with live coals. It was, however, a rule of the family that no com- munication whatever should he had witli those who called and no niemhei" of the family should go into the "hest room," lest it l)e said that they were enter- taining visitors on the Sahhath day. Those who came understood and approved of the I'ule. They opened the dooi* unhidden and filling their stoves with [1.51)] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH coals went out witli (jiiiet dignity. Tliere was no levity; no common-place remarks, only the most for- mal salutations were made. If anything was said, it referred to the discourse which they expected to hear, or at noon, when the stoves were replenished, concerning the sermon which they had heard. The afternoon was a repetition of the morning and the winter twilight was scarcely an hour away when the church was closed. [160] CHAPTER XV THE DAYS OF 1?()SS TWEED AT tile ])re.sent time there are many people resid- ino- in (rreenwich who have never heard of Boss Tweed. Sinee his day the new generation has been taught history but local ehai'aeters like Tweed have usually been ignored. During the past five years I have made a test and have been surprised how the once notorious ])()litieian has ])een forgotten. For that reason this ehaptei- will be devoted to the man. without any allusion to his residence in Cireenwich. 1 attended Tweed's trial during the fall of 1873 and also did some clerical work for the Committee of Seventy, being then a law student in New A'ork City. But much that follows in this chapter has been culled from 1{. ]{. \Vilson, who wrote a pamphlet on the subject which is said to have been suppressed. Until the year 18;U the Mayor of the City of Xew York was chosen either by the State Council of Ap- pointments oi- by the Common Council of the city. After 18.*U. however, that official was elected by the citizens. In 184() the judiciaiy was made elective and thereaftci' most local offices were chosen by po])u- lar vote. During the first seventy years of Xew York's historv as a free citv the Democratic partv [161] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH was tile one usually in power. The Federalists and after them the Whigs occasionally secured control of affairs, but the Democrats always recovered their hold on the reins. And without exception all the Democratic ^Mayors of that period owed their election to Tammany Hall, a secret association whose social and benevolent aims had been early put aside for political ones. Business men, then as now, shrank from political activity, while the men who directed Tammany Hall kn.ew how to drill and control the mass of poor and ignorant voters, mainly of foreign birth, who after 1840 constituted a majority of the voters. Still the majority which assured the continuance in or return to power of Tammany Hall and its allies was often a narrow one and victories were gained liy fraud, intimidation and violence at the polls. The master spirit of the organization in. the early '50's was Fernando Wood, an able and resolute man, who held to the belief that success was the criterion in politics, and that almost anything was justifiable to win it. In 18.54 Wood became ^Nlayor, and was reelected at the end of two years. Then he quarreled with his associates in Tammany Hall and failed of a reelec- tion in 18.58. Following this he formed Mozart Hall as a rival organization, and with its hel]) and that of the mob in the lower wards succeeded in 18()() in de- feating Tammany Hall and putting himself at the head of the City Government. [162] ir* ^V % !,, '^ i'M'.t -fmtk 7 \ \ / WII.I.IA.M M. JWKED I'hnlo liy lirady in ISTl 18-'S-l!S7S THE DAYS OF BOSS TWEED In 1862 Tammany a<>ain secui'cd control, and for several years political con-iij)ti()n was rife in the City of New York. This era of coi-riij)ti()n was made easy l)y radical changes in methods of municipal administration ef- fected in 18.)7. In that year a new charter was passed foj- the city, which, besides dividing the re- sponsibility among the local officers, created a number of B(;ards and Commissions, the heads of which were not appointed by the Mayor, but elected by the voters of the city, as were also the Comptroller and Corpora- tion Counsel. ]More important still, coincident with the enact- ment of the new charter, a law was passed establishing for the County of Xew York a Board of Su])ervisors, chosen by popular vote, which was made inde- pendent of the city authoiMties, and vested with power to levy tlie local taxes and to direct those branches of administration which in the State at large were relegated to the county authorities. One of the first to discover the chance for private gain at public expense made possible by the legisla- tive changes of 18.57 was William ^1. Tweed, a native of the city. He was a man of Scotch ])arentage, who after failing in business as a chairmaker had in the late 'iO's turned to politics as a means of livelihood. He became first a member and then foreman of one of the volunteer fire companies of the ])eriod, known as the Hig Six. thereby achieving po[)ularity, which brought him to the attention of Tammany [165] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH leaders. He was elected an Alderman of the city in 18.50 and in 1853 was chosen a member of Congress. But he never cared for Wasliington and in 1857 he was elected Public Scliool Commissioner and subse- quently State Senator. INIeanwhile Tweed had liimself elected to the newly created Board of Supervisors, of which he was four times chosen president and of which he remained the directing spirit until 1870 when it passed out of ex- istence. Leadership of this board, wliich had the power of auditing accounts, gave him an opportunity to se- cure various privileges wliicli were frauds upon tlie city, and he made the most of it. Thus obtaining control of an obscure newspaper, he secured tlie pas- sage of a bill by the legislature making it the official organ of tlie City Government and it was paid over a million dolhirs for printing the i)roceedings of the Common Council, whicli no one read. He also established a company for the printing of blank forms and vouchers for which in one year $2,800,000 was charged. A stationers company con.- trolled })y Tweed which furnished all the stationery used in the public institutions and departments re- ceived some three million dollars a year. Tweed em- ployed certain persons as executive heads of these companies wlio were also upon the city pay rolls, some receiving money for work never done. Wliile serv- ing as State Senator and president of the Board of Supervisors, Tweed also hehl the office of Deputy [166] THE DAYS OF HOSS TWEED StiTC't CoinmissioiRT witli "authority to a|)])oiiit as many as a tlioiisaiul oiWvv holders, many of wliom (lid no work except to serve liim. yet were ])aid out of the city treasury." By sueli methods as these Tweed advanced in a few years frcm poverty to _L>'i"eat wealth, and at the same time, made liimself muhsputed master of Tam- many IlalL In ISd.'J lie was chosen chairman of the General Committee of tlie or<»anization and (rrand Sachem of the Tammany Society. In 18(58. also, he assured Tammany Hall's alsolute conti'ol of the city hy ef- fectintr a truce \\ith its rival organization. W'ood's Mozart Hall, the ])rice of peace heing AVood's elec- tion to Congress. This truce hronght Tweed two efficient lieutenants. A. Oakey Hall and Alhert Cardoza. an able lawyer, who was made a judge of one of the city courts. Two other men })lace(l upon th.e bench aliout the same time because "tliey could be relied ui)on," were John H. McCumi and Cxcorge G. Barnard. Other ]K)liticians who came into close alliance with Tweed were Richard B. Connolly and Peter B. Sweeny. In 186.5 Tweed and his associates secured the elec- tion of John T. Hoffman as Mayor and thi-ee years later he was elected Governor. At that time the charge was freely made that Hoffman's election was secured by the ])ractice of frauds described as colossal and "embracing evei'v knoun method of cori-uption in the ballot box." Tammanv Hall at the same time OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH i secured control of the legislature of the State and the Common Council of the City. Hall succeeded Hoffman as ]VIa3^or; Connolly be- came City Comptroller; James Sweeny was City Chamberlain and with Tweed supreme in the street department and the Board of Supervisors, the ring which had long been in the process of formation "be- came completely organized and matured." Then Tweed and his lieutenants set to work to seciu'e a new city charter, which would make doubly sure their control of the finances of the city. This charter became a law in 1870. It abolished the Board of Supervisors, again vesting its functions in the ^Nlayor, Recorder and Aldermen of the city, and centered responsibility for the administration of municipal affairs in the ^layor, who was given au- thority to appoint all his important subordinates. It surrendered the Police Department to men con- trolled by the ring; it re-organized the Park Depart- ment in such manner that three of the five commis- sioners became for five years each, tools of Tweed; it vacated the office of Street Commissioner, vesting all the powers of the office in a Commissioner of Public Works to be appointed by the ^Nlayor for a term of four years. Tweed received the appoint- ment. The Governor had no power to remove him on charges. He could only be impeached through charges made bv the flavor, and could onlv be tried in case every one of the six judges of the Court of Common Pleas was present. [168] THE DAYS OF BOSS TWEED Tile new charter also created a Board of Apportion- ment made up of tlie ^layoi*. C\)mptroller. Commis- sioner of Public AVorks and President of the Park Department, and vested with power to make all neces- sary ajjpropriations for the con(hict of the city ^'ov- ernment. The men who composed this l)oard were Hall, Connolly, Tweed and Sweeny, who had re- signed the office of City Chamberlain to become President of the Park De])artment. And in this way the ring secured unchecked control of the ex- penditures of the city. Yet another tool for j)lun(ler was forged at this time. By a special act of the legislature a Board of Audit was created and it was vested with power to ex- amine and allow all claims against the city prior to 1870. Its purpose was to put money into the pockets of members of the ring and to reimburse them for the large sums they had been compelled to s))en(l to secure the adoption of the new charter by the legisla- ture. This purpose was promptly put into execution and in less than four months after its creation orders were made by the Board of Audit for the payment of claims to the amount of $6,312,500, ninety ])er cent, of which went into the pockets of the members of the ring. Yarious other special legislative acts were ])assed whereby the ring had power to raise and ex])end nearly fifty millions of dollai"s in a single yeai". Other laws were passed which ])laced the ring in more complete control of tlie Hoaid of Education [109] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH and of tlie Police and Health Boards, while there was also created a Board of Street Opening and Im- provement, comi^osed of the Mayor, Comptroller, Commissioner of Public Works and Tax Commis- sioner, vested with power whenever its members "deemed it for the public interest so to do" to close, open, widen or straighten any or all of the streets of the city. The passage of these laws marked the culmination of the ring's power, and it has been said that during the winter they were being enacted "Tweed lived in Albany with all the state of a sovereign who had ju'odigious favors to bestow or awful penalties to en- force." There seemed never to have entered his mind a suspicion of the power of an aroused public opin- ion. The story of the downfall of tlie ring, however, should be prefaced by a brief description of the meth- ods which it employed to fill the pockets of its mem- bers. The opening or widening of streets was one of the most fruitful sources of illicit gain. A favorite method of fraud practiced by the ring consisted in the ])ayment of enormously increased bills to mechanics, architects, furniture makers, and, in some instances to unknown persons for sup])lies and services. It was the expectation that an honest bill would be raised from sixty to ninety })er cent. The average increase was such as to make it possible to give sixty- seven per cent, to the ring, the confederates being al- lowed to keep the thirty-three per cent., and of that [170] THE DAYS OF l^OSS TWEED tliirty-tliree per cent, probably oiR-hall" was a fraud- ulent increase. Tbis «^anie readied a climax in tlie County Court House, still standing- in City Hall Pai'k. \\^)rk on this structure was be^un under a sti])ulation that the cost should not exceed $250, ()()(). but before 1S71 more than eight millions bad been spent on it. one million of which was ultimately traced to Tweed's pocket. When a contractor submitted a bill he would be told to swell the amount of the total, at the same time being given to understand that payment de- pended upon C()m])liance with this oi-der. Then a warrant would be di'awn for the padded claim and the contractor paid a sum slightly in excess of his orioinal bill, while the balance would be divided among the members of the ring. Xor was there any immediate danger of detection. Tweed as Commis- sioner of l^ublic \\'orks would order work done; as President of the Hoai'd of Su])ervisors he would see to it that the bills were passed, and then the County Auditor, wlio was his ])hant tool, would issue warrants of ])ayment. AH this time suspicion was i"ife in the commuin'ty. Thomas Xast, th.e cartoonist for II(irj)cr\s U\'('Jilt/. was constantly illustrating the inicpiities of the ring. Tweed's face and figure, with the blazing diamond in his shirt front, were always })efore the public. He once said. 'T don't care what the papers ])rint so nuich l)ut I don't like those pictui'es," and in the end they were the cause of Tweed's a])pi'ehension. [171] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH One of the politicians of the period was James O'Brien, a former sheriff of the county, who in 1871 was the leader of the Young Democracy, an organiza- tion which had for its piu'pose the overthrow of the power of Tweed in Tammany Hall. Through O'Brien's influence a friend of his named Copeland had secured a place as an accountant in the office of the Comptroller. The magnitude of the city expenditures recorded in the hooks and the fact that these enormous payments were made to a few persons aroused Copeland's suspicions. He transcribed the figures and showed the transcript to ]Mr. O'Brien. They were taken by the latter to the office of a daily newspaper in the city and offered for publication but were "declined with thanks." Thereupon ]Mr. O'Brien called upon George Jones, publisher of the Times, and handed him the transcripts from the Comptroller's accounts. JNIr. Jones con- sulted his editorial staff and it was decided that the figures should be published. This decision was made known to ^Ir. O'Brien, who took the incriminating accounts, retained them for a short time and then returned them to ^Ir. Jones with the unconditional permission to publish. Tweed in some manner discovered that his guilty secrets were about to be published and his desperate efforts to forestall the publication were as charac- teristic of him as their complete defeat was charac- teristic of ]Mr. Jones. Tweed sent an offer to buv the Times at anv price. [IT-''] THE DAYS OF BOSS TWEED The emissary who was sent pr()in|)tly reported the faihire of his mission. Tweed's next move was so extraordinary tliat ^Ir. Jones' own aceount of wliat happened, talven from Harper's Weeklji of Fehruary 22, 1890, deserves to he reproduced here. "Tliis conversation (l)etween Tweed's emissary "and Mr. Jones) occurred in Jones' office in tlie ''Times Buildino", then down town in Printino- House "S(iuare. A lawyer who was a tenant in the ])uild- '"ino- sent for jNIr. Jones to come to his office, as he "wished to see him on an important matter. Think- "ing that the husiness pertained to the })uihhng, iNIr. "Jones went to tlie hiwyer's office, and, heing ushered "into a private room, was confronted hy Richard "B. Connolly, the Comptroller, Tw^eed's partner in "crime. T don't want to see this man.' said ^Ir. "Jones and he turned to go out of the room. 'For "God's sake!' exclaimed Connolly, 'let me say one "word to you.' At this appeal ^Ir. Jones stopped. "Connolly then made a proposition to forego the "puhlication of the documents Jones had in his pos- "session, and offered him an enormous sum of money "to do this. The amount of this offer Mas five mil- "lion dollars. As Connoll\- waited for the answer "Mr. Jones said, T don't think the Devil will ever "make a higher hid foi- me than tliat!' Comiollv "then hegan to plead, and drew a gi'a])hic })ictui-e with "what one could do with such a sum. He concluded "by saying: 'Why. witli five nn'lhOn dollars you "can go to Europe and Vwv hke a ])rince!' 'Ves,' [173] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH "said ]Mr. Jones, 'but I should know that I was a rascal.' " The first installment of the accounts was printed in the Times July 22, 1871. They showed the payment of the sum of $5,663,646 during the years 1869 and 1870 for "repairs and furniture" for the new Court House. Each warrant was signed by Comptroller Connolly and INIayor Hall, and all were endorsed to "Ingersoll k Co.," that is, James H. Ingersoll, the agent of the ring. The Times followed with other installments of secret accounts more fully revealing the extent of the plundering. It had unmasked the ring and it pursued its ad- vantage with extraordinary energy. An immense number of copies of each issue of the paper contain- ing the figures, running into hundreds of thousands, was published. These proofs awakened the slumber- ing city. The Committee of Seventy, made up of prominent citizens, was formed early in September to obtain legal proof of the frauds revealed ])y the Times and to prosecute the offenders. At the same time Samuel J. Tilden, aided by Charles O'Conor and Francis Kernan, all three lawyers of great ability, set to work to achieve the same end. ^Ir. O'Conor, who was then the unchallenged leader of the New York l)ar, consented to aid in the investigation only upon condition that he should serve without com- pensation. Tlie task of bringing the offenders to justice ap- THE DAYS OF BOSS TWEED ])eare(l at tlie outset a (iifticult and nearly hopeless one. Tweed was insolent and defiant. The Board of Aldermen and all the loeal otheers were members of the ring. But in September, 1871, an efl'eetive weapon was unexpectedly placed in tlie hands of ^Ir. Tilden. One morning in tliat niontli lie was visited by a mes- senger from Comptroller Connolly, who was con- vinced that it was Tweed's intention to offer him up as a sacrifice to appease public sentiment on the charge that the frauds had been committed in his department, by his conni^•ance and for his exclusive benefit. This the messenger ex})lained to Mr. Tilden, and asked the latter's advice, suggesting that it nn'ght l)e l)est for Connolly to resign his office. Subsecjuently Mr. Tilden suggested that Connolly appoint Andrew H. Cxreen, an eminent and honored law^yer, his deputy and then surrender the office to him. This was done and jNIr. (Treen became head of tlie Comptroller's office, with power to examine and pul^lish all ex- penditures under the ring, and to prevent any con- tinuation of the fraudulent practices. Though a partially successful attempt was made to burn all the vouchers soon after Mr. (rreen took pos- session, of the charred scraps remaining (great bundles of them), Mr. Tilden was engaged for some ten days in making a searcliing analysis, which fur- nished legal ])roof of the crime. He succeeded also in ti'acing thi'ough one of the banks the checks which [175] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH had been issued in payment of the accounts which the vouchers purported to represent. Indeed, jNIr. Tilden's study of the vouchers and the bank accounts has often been pronounced one of the most remarkable pieces of analysis ever offered to the courts. Judge Noah Davis, of the Supreme Court, who sat upon the trial of Tweed, and heard this demonstration offered in evidence, afterwards de- clared it as perfect a specimen of logic and mathemat- ical proof as the books anywhere contained. AVith checks, stubs, charred vouchers and other documents, jNIr. Tilden was able to show the exact amount of money stolen in each given instance and the exact division of the spoils. It was, however, then or later impossible to make an accurate estimate of tlie total amount of money stolen by the ring. Be- tween 1860 and 1871 the debt of the city increased from $20,000,000 to $101,000,000, and it is believed that at least $14,000,000 of this increase represented fraud and theft. The appointment of ]Mr. Green acting Comptroller thoroughly alarmed Tweed, and he made desperate attempts to stem the tide that was setting against him. At the Democratic State Convention, held in October, he received the nomination to the State Sen- ate and his personal jjopularity in his district, where he had been bountiful in his gifts to tlie poor, assured liis election. Rut he never took his seat. He was arrested October 20, 1871, in a civil action instituted bv tlu^ Committee of Seventv and released on bail. [170]' THE DAYS OF BOSS TWEED III Det'eml)ei- he was indicted for fraud and felony, and two weeks later he resioned his post as Commis- sioner of I'uhlie \\^)rks, eeasino- ahout the same time to he the official head of Tammany Hall. He was hronoht to trial after many delays in January, 187*3, but the ring still retained sufficient influence to se- cure a disaoreement of the jury. On a second trial in the followin<>- Xovemher he was convicted on fifty out of fifty-five chart>'es at^ainst him and sentenced hy .Judge Davis to an aggregate of twelve years imprisonment. But at the end of the year, Tweed was released, the Court of Appeals holding that he could not begin to serve a new sen- tence of a year at the end of a term of service of l)unishnient upon another count. He was at once i"e-ari-ested u]}on civil actions to recover six million dollars stolen from the city, and ])eing unable to obtain bail was kept in confinement in Ludlow Street jail. There he remained until De- cember. 1875. wlien he effected his esca])e and was next heard of in \^igo, S})ain. Here he was arrested and brought back in a Federal man-of-war and re- turned to jail. 'I'his was in November, 187<>, and in the following Mai'ch the city recovered judgment against him foi- -^C). .)()(). ()()(). He could not pay. In April. 1878. he died in jail. I have told this long story of Tweed in oi'der that what follows, connicting him with (ii'eeiiwieh. may he more significant to the younger generation. And before I close this chapter it should a])])ear that [17T] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH Tweed, more than any other man of liis time, fore- saw New York's imperial future. It was at his initiative that, in 1868, the legislature chartered a company for the construction of a rapid transit subway on lines nearly identical with the lower half of the route now^ in operation, and in the same year he was instrumental in setting apart in Central Park a site for the present INIetropolitan JMuseum of Art. Credit must be given him for the establishment of fine floating baths, the New^sboys' Lodging House and the city's paid fire department, which has since become a model for the world. He did much to aid the extension and betterment of Central Park, and it is a matter of record that those who had the work in charge never ap^^ealed to him in vain for legislation or for funds. No suspicion of fraud ever attached to this great undertaking, and it is said that Tweed ordered his followers to keep hands off the park. Another great work designed and accomplished by Tweed was the widening of Broadway from 32nd to 59th Street and the construction of what was long known as the Boulevard, but is now officially a section of Broad- w^ay, and which before its improvement was a narrow unpaved country road. He also led in the creation of the system of city-owned and improved Avater front, in which $6(),()()(),()()() is invested, and which has proved a boon to commerce and at the present time affords what is regarded by students of the subject [178] THE DAYS OF BOSS TWEED as the most strikiii<4- example offered liere or abroad of ])n)fitable municipal ownership. "Tweed was not all had," once declared the late Mayor William L. Strong. 'Tie gave us the l^oulevard, the annexed district, streets, parks, docks, schools and hospitals." [179] CHAPTER XVI WILLIAM M. TWEED IX GREENWICH WILLIAM M. TWEED was a prominent char- acter in Greenwich for a number of years. He took no part in the affairs of the town, but his pres- ence was felt, with an effect very different on some than others. The sensible, well-bred men and women of the place greatly regretted his presence. They felt that the town could not grow in wealth and character, rendering Greenwich desirable as a place of residence so long as he remained to make it no- torious. It probably was true in those years that outsiders gave us a sneer when they alluded to Greenwich as the home of Tweed and the rendezvous of the Ameri- cus Club. I>ut to the boys who admired his checker- board team, his ponies and dog carts, he was an object of admiration. If they ever noticed Tom Xast's caricatures in Harper's IVcckl//, the purpose of such things was probably lost and as for reading all the papers said about him. detrimental to bis reputation, they hardly took tlie pains. He was a Hving hero, with untold wealth, a great deal of which he dispensed locally with a liberal hand. It is not certain whetl^er he came here in 1800 or [180] WILLIA:\r M. TWEED 1801. The first kiiowlcdne that came to any of the villai^e hoys was that a miniher of tents were pitched on l^dimd Ishmd just south of the ohl potato ceUar. And this fact left us in eonsi(leral)le uncertainty as to what the tents meant. It was the talk among the boatmen in the harbor and at Ephraim Read's on the steamboat dock that tlie tents were occupied by a club, but Tweed's name was not mentioned and it was not until the following summer that the name Americus Clul) was heard. But Tweed had visited Greenwich during the first summer that the tents appeared. Certain members of the club, which afterwards became tlie Americus Club, had preceded him. This club was both social and political, being composed of Republicans and Democrats, although more of the latter prevailed than the former. I have never seen a list of the members during those early years of the club's exist- ence, but I have a complete list of the membership of 1871, which was the most prosperous year in the club's history. It was (ieorge E. ^Nlann, Charles H. Hall and P. B. Van Arsdale who one day hired a sailboat at City Island and sailed up the Sound, with the expectation of i-eturning before sunset. Hut the weather sud- denly changed after they had left Kxeculion Eight far astern and I'ather than go about in the stiff' south- west breeze that was blowing, they concluded to make a harbor for the lu'ght. Accordingly, they found good holding ground for the anchor under the lee [181] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH of Round Island and tlie tender took them ashore where they j^itched a tent whicli they brought from the yacht. The j)lace was entirely new to them and they did not realize its beauty until the following mornino-. I have often heard Charles H. Hall tell of that next morning when the sun rose and revealed all the beauty of their siu-roundings. Finch's Island, later known as Tweed's Island, had a beautiful grove of trees and its irregular shores TWEED'S ISLAND, 1871 were not disfigured by sea walls. Captain's Island lighthouse was a short wooden affair to which was attached the diminutive home of the keeper. The same little house is now used as a summer kitchen and store room, the present stone building being erected in 1868. There was no fog horn then. The more the young fellows looked around the })etter they liked the place and it was not until after- noon that they sailed for New York. Hall, who was afterwards secretary of the Americus Club, was one of the clerks in the Tombs Police Court. He was always a Republican, but he was a great favorite with [182] WILLIA^NI M. TWEED ]Mr. Tweed and as long as Tweed's influence lasted Charlie Hall had a hicrative place. ]Mr. Tweed was foreman of the Big Six Volunteer Fire Co. with lieachjuarters in an engine house on the Bowery. All tlie nienihers of this com])any sooner or later were niemhers of the Aniericus Club. Tweed was accustomed to sit with the firemen around the engine house and he soon learned of the trip up the Sound and of the discovery made by his three mates. Their frecjuent allusion to the beauty of the spot Anally caught Tweed's attention, with such force that he determined to investigate for him- self. Tweed and Hall took the train one afternoon con- sisting of an old wo()d-l)urning engine and yellow, gilt-trimmed cars, making the trij) in the best time of those days, one hour and twenty minutes from 27th Street. They called on Oliver ^lead, then owner of the property, and secured his permission to camp out on Round Island. They took possession a few days afterward and remained to the end of the season. They had two or three sailboats Avith enormous jibs and when they were not bathing on the l)each or Ash- ing or sailing, they were over at Rocky Xeck. The saloon on the point was an attraction as was Capt. Abraham Brinckerhoff 's back dooryard, where they exchanged sea tales and discussed the merits of their boats by the hour. Later Captain Brincker- holf and ^Ir. Tweed })ecame very warm friends, and the latter gave the Cai)tain many souvenirs and pic- [183] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH tures, that constituted an interesting asset in his es- tate after his death. Among these are three photo- graphs hy A. Gurney, framed in black wahmt and hanging at the present time in my office. One rep- resents Indian Harbor from Tweed's Ishmd, includ- ing the first club house built the year following the first camp on Round Island. This l)uilding was of simple architecture, two stories high, with a broad veranda. Painted under the peak of the roof in prominent black letters uere tlie words "Ameri- cus Club of New York." It must have been about one hundred feet in width. On the first floor was a spacious reception room, a dinJng-room and a kitchen in the rear. This house stood on the extremity of the point nearly in front of where Elias C. Benedict's house now stands. When the new house, which afterwards was known, as the ^lorton House and later the Indian Harbor Hotel, was built, the old house was removed to a point in "Chimney Corner," now occupied by Mr. Benedicts boa! house. Tliere it remained, somewhat altered and enlarged as the servants' quarters for the ln)tel until 1892 when it was torn down witli all the other buildings on the Point. [184] C A PT. B P. I X C ■ K I'. Pi H ( ) I • V 181()-1S94 WILLIAM M. TWEED The other picture represents Mr. Tweed with the nienihers of the chih fathered about liini on the rocks at the west side of the house and on the veraiuhi; two groups of "the boys," as Tweed used to call them. It is quite easy to distinguish their features. The presi- dent of the club is dressed in a frock coat buttoned close about him. His hat is off, and a white neck- tie is beneath his chin. By his side stands Charles H. Hall, somewhat fop])ishly dressed in white trousers and dark coat. John and Dick Kimmons, great tall twins, and P. 1?. Van Arsdale are close to George E. JNIann, wlio was Conuiiodoi-e in charge of the club fleet. These pictures were taken August 30, 1863. The other picture that Captain Brinckerhoff had, was a (juarter size India ink photograph of Mr. Tweed by the artist Brady, a famous war-time pho- tographer. This picture was autograj)he(l but un- dated. It originally hung in the parlor of the new club house, and went into the possession of Capt. Brinckerhoff when the club broke up. John W. De- laney of this place now owns it. In tlie original club house the Americus boys found their greatest enjoyment. It was more like a camp. The members appeared in their shirt sleeves, and lolled about on the rocks, or under the shade of the tall oaks, enjoying in the most unrestricted fashion their summer outing. Occasionally a visitor from the city or the village would a])pear, in which event Sec- [187] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH retary Hall would do the honors, Avith an old-fash- ioned cake basket and a little wine. Sometimes the club members, in a body, would saunter up to the village, a very small collection of houses then, with a jjost office that paid the postmaster only $250 per annum. But when they did appear, with all sorts of pranks played upon each other and with jolly songs there was no one in the village that did not realize it, especially the children. The new club house was completed in 1871 and stood on the point till the summer of 1892. It was three stories high, with a mansard roof, a tall tower, from which extended east and north two wings, termi- nating also in towers. It was a well-proportioned building, not architecturally bad, although tlie archi- tect, Gage Inslee, had a lingering law suit in our courts in the endeavor to collect his fees. It occu- pied a commanding place on the point and. painted white, was a lan.dmark for many miles up and down the Sound. The summer of 1872 was the first season. of its oc- cu])ancy after its full completion. It had been fur- nislied without regard to expense. The carpet in the great front room was woven abroad, one single piece, a hundred feet long, with tigers' heads in the corners and the center. A grinning tiger was the emblem of the club and Pottier & Stymus, who had big contracts for city furnishings, put the tiger's head upon every piece of furniture wherever it was pos- sible. [188] wit;lia:m m. tweed But Mr. Tweed and his assoeiate.s were never lia|)])y in this hiiihlin^-. lie had a <^rand room in tlie een- tral tower, and Seeretary IlalTs suite was next, hut in 187-3 the revehitions eanie and the plaee was ahan- doned as a ehil) house. It was said that $10.5, ()()() was the expense of running" the cluh that season. Tweed's hest enjoyment of liis eluh was hefore THK IWHKI) HAMl IIOISK Built 1S70 1870. He was considered, in (rreenwicli, a very rieli man and yet compared with tlie owners of the pres- ent-day fortunes. Ills circumstances were moderate. He was an extremely generous man, and indeed it has many times heen said that had lie not heen anx- ious to enricli every one of his ae(|uaintanees no no- tice would have heen taken of his irreL>ulai-ities. 'i'he amount he made out of the city contracts was small com])ared to the sums which went to his friends; and some whom he sujjposed were his friends wei'e (lis- [189] DANIEL 8. MEAD, Jr. 1840-1888 OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH loyal in the gloomy fall of 1873 when his arrest and indictment were accomplished. No man from Green- wich, however linm])le, ever went to tliat little office in Dnane Street for lielp that he did not get it. If INIr. Tweed heard of a threatened foreclosure he hoiight the mortgage and collected such interest as the mortgagors found it convenient to pay. The Land Records show these transactions and they also show^ where from time to time, jNIr. Tweed took a deed of a small piece of pro])- erty, which it was said the owners were unable to dis- pose of to any one else. Early in the summer of 1870, My. Tweed desired to have a family bath- house and with that end in view he purcliased on June 8, of Daniel S. ]Mead, three hundred and thirty-five feet of land on the easterly side of Rocky Neck harbor paid was $2,()()(). On tlie mud Hats south of the causeway to William [190] ^-^ ^- P ^f^W H. W. R. HOYT State Senator 18(59 184;2-18<)4 Tlie price he / ; •'If-;/ :■ HKISTKI) \V. H. HOYT As .Iiidgf of tlie liorougii Court WITJJA^r M. TWEED J. Smith's (lock, lit' l)iiilt an octagonal hath house, which was daily used hy his family at hi<>h tide. The interior contained a ])atliin<)- ])()()1. tlie nuid ha\ ini*' })een removed, and replaced hy a laru,e (|iiantity of fine san(h Around tliis central pool were a num- hei" of rooms for the haih- ers, and it afforded a safe and secluded hathing place, approached hy a wooden hridge from the shore. ]Mr. Tweed sel- dom, if ever, visited this house. After the stress of hard times, on Fehruai'y 8. 187(). he sold this water front to Daniel S. ]Mead, Jr.. a son of the original owner, for $1,000. The sale included the hath- house which is said to have cost more than a thousand dollars. The house was suhse(|uently moxed to the shoi'e aiul foi- a time was used as a dwelling. Later it was converted into an otiice for the Electric Eight Co. and is now used hy that company as a stoi'e room. The outward api^earance of tlie huilding and its coloi- remain the same, with the possihle exce])tion of an added cu])ola. I'ortions of this land which cost Tweed twenty-seven dollars a IVout foot, have since [193] H. W. 1{. HOYT Agv of -'() OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH been sold for about two hundred dollars per foot. After Mr. Tweed was arrested in 187'*i the late Col. Heusted W. R. Hoyt was his local counsel. William L. Ferris, a clerk in his office, made frequent trips to Ludlow Street jail in those days. Tweed occupied three splendidly furnished rooms on the ground floor. The first was a reception room cov- ered with velvet carpet and supplied with luxurious couches and chairs. Ad- joining was the business office where his private secretary, S. Foster Dewey, had his desk and lieyond that was ^Nlr. Tweed's bedroom. Once when money seemed to be a little scarce with the old man, PHiLAXDEH BUTTON he l)rought out a large 1812-1878 1 11 I' bundle or promissory notes, given ])y oyster men and mechanics, but the notes were of no value. "Well," said ^Ir. Tweed, "they had a value once. I had a lot of pleasure in taking them, when the money was needed." It was in 1865, after he had established the Ameri- cus Clul) in their first liouse at Indian Harbor that JNIr. Tweed became an actual resident of tlie village, although voting in Xew York. He bought of Lillie A. Hardenbrook what had been known as the Phil- ander Button place. Mr. Button, who was the priii- [194] wiLi.iA^M :m. tweed cipal of tlie (Greenwich Academy, had purchased it April 1, 1848, of Alvan ]Mead for $.3,-K)(). It in- cluded eighty acres, now a part of jNIilhank. lie hiiilt a modest house on it and sold the building" and forty acres, in Januai-y, 18.59, to Mrs. Ilardenhrook for $15,000. Slie sold it to JMr. Tweed's wife, ^Nlary Jane Tweed, in 18C..>, for $18,000. ^Nlr. Tweed remodeled and eidarged the house and Iniilt a $40,000 barn that attracted a great deal of attention locally as well as in New York. The Xcic Vorl: Siiii sent up a reporter who de- scribed this wonderful barn and its contents, telling how the horses were standing on pleated straw. The barn remained in use till about 1007 when it was torn down. Mr. Robert AVilb'amson, the superintendent at Mil- bank, has told me that it was no easy matter to ac- complish as the Ijuilding was braced with hackmatack braces and trimmed witb bhick walnut and other ex- j)ensivc wood. Tweed was a lover of horses and he had some fine ones in his barn. His checkerboard four-in-hand team, to which I have already alluded, cojisisted of c;!al black and milk white horses, a black and white [195] DH. I.. P. .lOXKS In 1884 1846-1907 OTHER DAVS IX GREENWICH and a white and black in alternating colors. They were driven to a very high two-seated depot wagon. The year 1867 was remarkable for the craze for high carriages. Tweed occupied the back seat of this conveyance, with its enormously high springs. Usually his son was bv his side, but his great weight of nearly three hundred pounds gave the wagon a decided list. He generally wore a stove pipe hat and the closely buttoned frock coat and white tie. It was this rig which took him to the railroad sta- tion that summer morn- ing in 1870 when he })ought the eighteen acres of Frederick ]Mead. E. Jay Edwards recently told this story in The Evening Mail, but I allude to it particularly because in some quarters it has been doubted and the asser- tion made that ]Mr. ^lead never owned land east of what is now ^Nlilbank Avenue. That street was a very narrow coimtry road in those days, called Love Eane. It was never digni- fied with a pro])er street name until Mrs. Jeremiah Mil])ank generously put the Town Clock in the Con- gregational Church steeple and then Dr. licander P. Jones had it changed to Milbank Avenue. JOSEPH G. .MEKRITT 18;2()-1«85 WILLIA:sr M. TWKEIJ In 1870 r'redfi'ifk ^lead owiicd (_'i<>liteen acres directly across the street from the Congregational Church, hounded on the west hy Love I^ane and on the south hy Davis I^ane. now Davis Avenue. There were a few apple trees on it and at times ]Mr. Mead used it foi" ])asture. It made a fine romping place for the Academy hoys. Down at the soutli end was an old yellow hai'ii. tlie front doors o^' which were locked witli a padlock much larger than is made m these days. This lock made a fine target, although it was (|uite a long time hefore any one of tlie hoys was ahle to put a hullet from a ])ist()l through the keyhole of that lock. It was finally accomplished however and the hack of the lock knocked off' hy a man now very well known in New ^^oi'k City, as a mining engineer. Tweed had long wanted this land, and when Mr. Mead declined to [)ut a price on it. Tweed said, ''\Wdl. you will take a Tweed })rice. will you not!'" He had paid for several small places ahout town, anything that the owners demanded and when the price was large, as it always was, it had been usual to designate it as a "'Tweed price." Tweed knew this and wlien he intimated that he was willing to ])ay a "Tweed ])iice."' he ex])ected to pay more than the land was woi'th. Ill reply Mr. Mead said. "Why. yes. I'll sell for i^.3.3. ()()()." which was at least four times the actual value of the land at that time. Hut it did not feaze Mr. Tweed. He asked Jose])]i (i. ]\Ierritt, the ticket agent at the railroad station, for pen and ink [11)7] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH and taking out a pocket check book he wrote a check for the amount to Mr. Mead's order and asked him to send him a deed conveying the property to ^Nlary Jane Tweed. She held it until 1879, when it was included with all the rest of the Tweed place in the sale to Jeremiah ^Nlilbank for $47,500. When Tweed bought this land the stone fence that enclosed it from the street was perhaps a century old, and somewhat out of order. He replaced it with the present bhiestone wall, which extends from the property of A. Foster Higgins along Putnam Ave- nue, down JNIilbank Avenue to where the old yellow barn stood at the top of the hill across the road from the cemetery. In those days the north end of I.,ove Lane at its junction with Putnam Avenue turned with an angle to tlie west. AVhen it was known that ^Ir. Tweed was about to build the new stone wall, ^Ir. Solomon Mead, a member of the Board of Burgesses, called upon him to see how much he would ask for a small angle of this valuable land to straighten the road. "Not a cent, not a cent," said ]\Ir, Tweed. "Take all you want; just Lave your surveyor drive the stakes and I will build my wall according to his lines." And the wall stands there to-day just as perfect as when ^Ir. Tweed finished it, more than forty-two years ago. Before I close this chapter it seems best to give the entire roll of members of the Americus Club in [198] WILLIAM :SI. TWEED 1871. Many of them l)esi(les Tweed were promi- nent and will he rememhered hv the older (generation. Perhaps in no other way will this list be permanently jn-eserved. The officers ^^'ere AVilliam jNI. Tweed, 2.37 Broadway, President; Henry Smith, 300 .Mul- berry St., Vice President; Charles IL Hall, 18.5 Madi- son St., Secretary: George E. ^lann. 197 Mon- roe St., Captain: John \^aiiderbeck, 221 Christie St.. Actuary. Besides the officers were the following members: John S. Betts, Francis Vanderbeck, John ^IcGarigal, P. B, Van Arsdale, William Davison, Lewis J. Kirk, Edward A. Davin, Lawrence Clancy, Francis Kinney, Edward ^larrenner, William H. Schaffer, William B. Dunley, Joseph Southworth, John Scott, Edward J. Shandley, George \V. Butt, James ]\I. ^Nlacgregor, William I^. Ely, Christian AV. Schaffer, \Valter Roche, Peter D. Braisted. Edward D. Bassford, Andrew J. (xarvey, AVilliam K. O'Brien, George \\\ Kosevelt, Patrick H. Keenan, Joseph Shannon, James I^. Miller, Terence Farley, Sheridan Shook, AN'illiam II. Charlock, John T. Barnard, James AVatson, Henry H. Huelat, Edward Boyle, William P. Stymus, John Pickford, Jr., Owen W. Brennan, Eugene Durnin, Charles G. Coi'iiell. John J. Ford, Edwin M. Hagerty, Edward Hogan, Claudius S. (rrafulla. Morgan Jones, Wes- ley S. Vai"d. John T. King, Edward Kearney, Jose])h B. ^"oung. C'^rnelius Corson. Robert M. Taylor, Edward Jones, J()se])h A. Jackson. Amaziah D. [199] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH Barber, Charles L. FlemiiifJ', Jaeob Sharp, Edward Cuddy, James O'Brien. Joliu Satterlee, Andrew Bleakley, Thomas Donohoe, ^Martin B. Brown, Thomas E. Tripler, John T. ^NIcGowan, John :SIc. B. Davidson, James H. Ingersoll, William C. Rogers, Sol. Sayles, Elbirt A. Woodward, George S. ]Miller, John. H. Keyser, William C. Dewey, Daniel Berrien, David ^liller, James Ryan, jNIichael J. Shandley, Isaac J. Oliver, Charles L. I^awrence, Henry D. Felter, John F. Chamberlain, James W. Boyle, Chris O'Connor, Kruseman van Elten, Daniel Winants, Alexander Frear, James Fisk, Jr., Jay Gould. Thomas Kirkpatrick, Joseph G. Harrison, Reeves E. Selmes, Charles E. Loew, Thomas C. Fields. George H. ^Mitchell, John Pyne, James J. Gumbleton., Thomas H. Ferris, Thos. J. O'Donohue, James E. Jones. John Garvey, James L. Harway, T. Augustus I'hillips, John ]M. Carnochan, ^Matthew T. Brennan, James Barker, ^Villiam B. Borrows, Henry A. Barnum, Schayler Halsey, James S. "Wat- son. Xewell Sturtevant. James W. Collier, Henry T. Helmbold, George A. Osgood, John Brice, Francis ^NlcCabe, John H. Harnett, James E. Coul- ter, Gunning S. Bedford, George G. Barnard, An- drew Bleakley, Jr., Augustus Funk, Peter Trainer, William Schirmer, Adolph E. Georgi, Joseph Koch, William Van Tassell, John Pentland, Thomas Ca- nary, S. Foster Dewey, Dennis Burns, James ^Ic- Gowan, George G. Wolf, Frank S. E. Beck, Joseph D. C. Andrade, John 1). Welch, Jr., Henry ^M. Wil- [200] WILLIA.M M. TWEED liaiiLs. All)ert II. Wood. John W. Olixcr, James Ct. Dinioiid. CreortJ'e H. \^in Hnmt. Alex W . Ilarvey, Kic'liard O'Cxoinian. William Hitc-hmaii, Thomas J. Creamer. [•201] CHAPTER XVII LINWOOD THE JOHN KOMER rr^HE place, now known as ^lilbank, owned by ^ iNIrs. A, A. Anderson, was the home of Wilham "SI. Tweed. The present property includes much more territory, eighty acres being its extent, when it was known as Linwood. oNIr. Tweed was very proud of the place and lavished money on it without stint. The name Einwood seems to have been a favorite of his, because he had a yacht of the same name and the word was prominent on his stationery. Tlie yacht Limcood was a modest craft, possibly a catboat. His big sailing yacht, a jib and mainsail boat, bore the name of his wife, Mary Jane Ticeed. These boats, and indeed all the pleasure boats in the harbor in those days, would not compare very favor- ably with the boats of the present time. When it was reported that Tweed had built a steam yacht, a good deal of interest was manifest along the water front. There may have been steam yachts long before, but none had been in this harbor, at least not to remain any length of time. When she came steaming in from Northport where she was launched, she was considered a wonder. Dr. William Schirmer, Abraham Brinckerhoff, Simeon [202] I.IXWOOD— THE JOHN ROMKR Morrell and a string' of the cluh iiieinl)C'i"s were on the steamhoat doek as she came to an anelioi'. It seemed to me that none of tliem was very enthnsiastie ahont her. Pier hull was sha{)ed somewhat like an ocean-going tuo-, although only half the size of such a vessel. Her graceful mold was well-nigh destroyed in ef- fect hy the hoxlike structure which made a large, high, and elegantly furnished cal)in. She had side wheels, housed in like those of an old-fashioned ferry- hoat, and her name which was displayed on the pilot house in large gilt letters was that of the owner. Tw^eed took a great deal of comfort in his pioneer steam yacht. In those days races among the oyster hoats "were common and regattas, in which those l)oats figured, were organized several times during the season. They were very fast jih and mainsail hoats and often stowed helow were halloon jihs and topsails that on occasion were run up to their places, when some other similar ci'aft was showing a disjjosition to take the lead. There were no steamers then for oyster dredging and among the owners of these sailing ves- sels there was much rivalry. It was not limited to (xreenwich oystermen. for these graceful little ves- sels came to join in the regattas from across the Sound. They came also from Xorwalk, Five ^lile River and ^Nlamaroneck. Nothing pleased ^Ir. Tweed hetter than to witness a race hetween these hoats, and he always tendered [203] OTHER DAYS IX GREEXWICH his steam vaeht for the use of the iudffes and the press. Of course that meant an elaborate spread in the cabin, with a lot of guests always eager to quench theii" thirst. While the yacht was homely, she was very comfortable, for the saloon was laroe, hiffh and square. The table in the center on such occasions was loaded with all kinds of good things. To a hungry youth — and what youth is not in- variably hungry — these yacht races were memorable events. Plen.ty to see and plenty to eat. what ex- periences were they! And liow well I recall the al- most affectionate way in which ]Mr. Tweed would put his pudgy hand on my shoulder, with the remark, "Boy, did you get enough down below? Better go down, and get another bird or a plate of whitebait." Of course he had no interest in me, except such feel- ings as any host possesses for a guest, but beyond that was his intense desire to stand well with the press. In a mixed crowd his first thought was for the news- paper representatives. He had a great admiration and affection for Greenwich. He often steamed the yacht down to Jones' Stone and then back to the mouth of the Cos Col) harbor, and back again to Byram, all the while watchiii"' and commentiu"" on the beautv of the shore. One day he asked me to bring my camp stool near the capacious chair he occupied in the bow, and with a wave of his hand he directed my attention to all the wooded shore from Byram Point to Cos Cob, re- marking: 'T shall not live to see the day, but possibly [204] I.IXWOOD— THE JOIIX K():MK1{ yen. and crrtainly yoiii- {•hildi-fiu will st-e all this land ocfiipied hy the fine estates of New ^^)^k hnsi- iie.ss men. In my judgiiient Ochre Point at Xew- ])()rt is not as favoi-ahle for phices of residence as 1^ ield Point and Nelson Push's fai-m." Tlie latter is now Helle Haven Park. Perhaps I looked in- credulons. for he at once repeated the prophecy with emphasis and with just the susj)icion of a sha(lo\\ on his face he added: ■'When I am dead, say twenty- f\xv years from now. I A\ish yon wonld come ont here and see how near 1 have hit it." lie ne\ er lived to see his (h'cam realized, hnt it came trne in less time than he allotted. His <>reat hohhy dni-in^' tliose days was a daily steamhoat to New York, He supposed that sucli an enter})rise wonld yield a large pecuniary profit, and the suhject was fre(]uently on liis lips, when aboard the yacht. He would call a few members of the club ahont him. and ask theii" opinion, none of ^^h()m knew anything moi-e ahont it than he: yet he wonld seek from them information on the cost of coal, the prob- able number of ])assengers and the amount of freight likely to lie carried. He exercised his own judgment finally, hnt he was led astray in this instance by his overweening desii'e to inci'case the pojjnlai'itv and the con\enience of Indian Harbor. W bile he could tignre out in a moment the prob- able majority of a certain candidate in a city elec- tion, lie had no idea of the possibility of the success ()!• failure of such an enleri)i'isc. Indeed, it is prob- [•205] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH able that he h.ad no anxiety on that point, provided he accomplished his purpose. One day as we were sitting on the wide cane settee back of the j^ilot house Mr. Tweed appealed to Capt, Abe Brinckerhoff and I recall how the latter twisted the tobacco under his tongue and drawled out: "She won't earn the purser's salary, ^Ir. Tweed." The latter looked quite crest- fallen, and said, "Do you think so, Abe?" And that Avas all he did say for fully ten minutes ex- cept to order up some seltzer. Rut as usual ]Mr. Tweed had his way, and he had a steamlioat, the ])eautiful John Romcr. She was a very fast boat and slie did not end her career until tlie middle eighties when she was on the line between Boston, Hingham, Hull and Nantasket. He talked about his plans, as they matured. He was very particular about a bartender, and eventu- ally he selected just the right man as well as excellent officers for tlie steamer. The Homer came from Wilmington, Del. She was l)uilt by the famous firm of Harlan &:, Hollings- worth and was sup])lied with Alhiire engines. The Allaire Engine Co. built most of the marine engines [20(>] F. SECOR 1809-1901 LINWOOD— THE JOIIX ROSIER installed inunediately after tlie war. The president of the Allaire Co. was Theodoeiiis F. Seeor, who resided on Lake xV venue for many years and died April 27, 1901, at the age of 02. His widow still lives here. The RoDwr's furnishino's were luxurious and her s])eed was greater than most hoats of her length and tonnage. The ]) r i c e asked was $.)(),()()(). hut her owners were pecun- iarily emharrassed and 31 r. Tweed got her for $8.5,()()() — a great bar- ^^ gain. He was never known to haggle at a ^P^IV**^^* price, and doubtless some of the officers of the cor- poration known as the capt. thomas .mayo ^ . , 1819-188T Cxreenwach & Rye Steam- boat Co. should have the credit of making the pur- chase. This corporation ^vas formed early in 1800. Ca])t. Thomas ]\layo, whose daughters still reside here, was elected its president, and Sanford 31ead, secretary. Subsequently Philander Rutton, then ])rincipal of the Academy, occupied the position of ])resident. The capital stock was $75,()()(). of which $7(),0()() was ])aid in, one-half of which went for the purchase of the lioincr. Mr. Tweed held 200 shares, par value $100, and members of the Americus Club held a suffi- [207] "^ / OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH cient number, with "Sir. Tweed, to control the com- pany. The balance of the stock was held in small lots in Greenwich and Port Chester. The boat was decidedly popular, as is evident from the fact that her gross earninos the first year were $21,7(33.15, expenses $21, 417. 28, leaving a net bal- ance of only $345.87. This small amount was kept as a reserve fund to dis- appear the following year in financial chaos. The summer of 1867 w^as the last of the Homer in these waters. In passing, I must re- call two of her ofi^cers — Captain Stephen G. White and the pilot, Hilly ^Vitherwax. Capt. White had had experi- ence as a steamboat captain on the Pacific Coast, and he made an efficient and popular commander. He was a round, jolly man with a merry laugh, the ring of which I well remember. His son, Warren P. White, is a resident of Greenwich, as is also his daugh- ter, JNIrs. Lucy INI. Delano. Pilot Witherwax had been commander and ]Kirt owner of a sky-sail yard fiver, that had successfully rounded Cape Horn so many times that he was worth $50, ()()() — a snug fortune for those days. He h.ad re- tired from the sea wlien ]Mr. Tweed met him and he [208] SANFOIiD MEAD 1803-18T3 LINWOOD— THE JOIIX ROM Eli consented to take a position on the Uoincr as a I'aNor to ^Jr. Tweed, He was a ty})ieal sailor. His s(]uare hnilt form luid the power of an ox. while liis sphinx-like face recalls the former Vice-President of the United States, AVilliam A. Wheeler. To make the hoat ])o])- ulai-. the company re- sorted to every legitimate means to introdnce her to the puhhc. With this end in view a yrand Fourth of July excursion to Xew Haven, with Dodwortli's l)an(l in at- tendance, was announced in 1S(>7. Tile proposed trip was the talk of the town, and when on that beautiful summer morn- in<>', the order was <>iven to cast off' the lines, the boat was loaded with a ])arty decidedly nn"scellaneous in its make-u]), hut evi- dently happy and bent on havin<>- a good time. As we ])assed Red Rock. I remember well how Capt. White stood forward. chewiiiL'- an uidiL>hted cigar and congratulating everybo^ly on the beauty of the morning. But Rillv Witherwax was umisu- ally glum and once as 1 met him aside from the crowd, he significantly remarked, "Capt. White likes [209] STKFHKX ('.. WHITK, 18;2()-1SSI OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH this weather, but I don't. Look out for a blow when the tide turns." I inquired why he thought so, and he rephed, "Mares' tails to the s'uth'ard!" and diving into the pilot house closed the door. Evervthino" went well until after we left New Haven to return. I had forgotten Pilot Wither- wax's remark about the mares' tails, when I suddenly became conscious of the fact that the wind was fresh- ening and that the sky was becoming overcast. Ladies were sending for extra wraps and there was a general disposition to seek the seclusion of the cabin. Inside, the roll of the vessel became more per- ceptible; a general complaint concerning the close- ness of the atmosphere w^as heard and then followed a stampede for the deck. The storm had arisen with great suddenness, and as the passengers came out, many of them were drenched with flying spray. Tlie boat rolled terribly, and the noise of the guards strik- ing the water as she lay in the trough of the sea struck terror to the now thoroughly frightened ex- cursionists. Two lunch counters and a liberally stocked bar had been well patronized all the morn- ing. In the tumult of the angry elements there seemed to be universal nausea attributable in part to the choppy sea and in ])art to the conviviality of the forenoon. Under the circumstances two hundred and flfty people found it necessary to visit the boat's rail and as the wind was blowing a gale, broadside on. the sea- [210] LIXWOOD— THE JOHX RO.MER sick excursionists foniid the weatlier rail unsatisfac- tory. They all, therefore, with one accord sought the lee rail and there endeavored to relieve their suffering's. As the steamer was three decks higli. two-thirds of the passengers suffered intensely from their h)cation and the only clean liats. coats and honnets were in possession of those who occupied the upper deck. No sicker, sorrier or more dejected set of human beings ever landed in Port Chester tlian those who, late that night, went ashore from the Ronicr. It was deemed unsafe to land at Greenwich. ^Nlany of the present generation have never heard of this sea tri]) })ecause those of the older generation hate to think of it. and never speak of it. There is one otlier incident in connection with the Romcr that I cannot omit. Greenwich has always been interested in temperance, if one may judge from the societies and legions which have usually ex- isted here. In 18()() that famous but erratic man, William IT. II. Murray, was the preacher at the Sec- ond Congregational Church. He was a strong ad- vocate of temperance. lie rejoiced over the new steamboat, but when he was told that a bar was to be maintained lie predicted the failure of tlie enter])rise. It was his wish that tlie boat should l)c run without a bar. and in a (juiet way he made every effort to have his wisli c()m])lied with. The stock list showed a large numl)er of Congregationalists who doubtless would have been glad to have no bar, but the Tweed [•211] OTHER DAYS IX CxREEXWICH stock controlled and the l)ar was an established fact. Sanford jNIead made every endeavor to keep out the bar. ]\lr. ^Iiirray, however, was not satisfied. He be- lieved that it was his duty to preach against that bar, even if some of the company's directors did occupy nrominent pews in his church. Accordingly, the sermon was announced a week in advance and the church was crowded. I cannot recall the text, nor can I remember much about the sermon. There was. however, one exclamation, from the preacher that I have never forgotten. He alluded to the fact that excuses had l)een made for the existence of the bar and tlat one of the officers had informed him that it was ''out of sight; way down below." Then shaking his l)lack locks from his forehead in that tragic way so common to him he added: ''And, brethren, so is hell, way down below!" Four years after that memorable sermon was delivered, ^Murray was the pastor of the Park Street Church, in Boston., and the John Bonier was running from Rowe's Wharf in the same city to Hull, Hingham and Xantasket. As I have said, the Roincr was a boat of great speed and no steamer of her size going out of the port of Xew York could overhaul her. The Sca- tcaultdh'd was a fine boat running to Sea Cliff. She was twice tlie size of the liomcr, with engines of enor- mous power for a small boat, and ecjually well manned and officered. She represented the wealth of [212] LixwooD— THE joiix ro:mer Roslyii and Sea Cliff' and was laiiiiclicd caidy in 18()(>. The claim was freely made tliaf her speed would ex- ceed that of any other steamer on the Sound. The Homer had always heen ahfe to take the lead on the run from lier hertli to Execution l^ight, and it strucfv Ca])t. White and Rilly ^Vithe^wax rather hard to think of iiivinu,' up their laurels. Vor a time they managed to keep out of the Scd-cdiiludid's way. hut finally on the second day of June. 18()7. it was apparent to all on hoard that a race was inevitahle. One of the officers of the lioincr gave me this account of the affair: "We had three-(iuai-ters of an h()ur\ start of the ''ScdicanJtdli'a. hut as we approached Throgg's Neck "we could see her astern, gaining rapidly. Pilot "Witherwax was at th.e wheel and C^ai)t. White "stood aft with a pair of glasses watching the on- "coming steamer. Every two or three minutes With- "erwax would I'ing for more steam, till at last John "l)ari-ah. the engineer, called through the speaking "tuhe that he was doing all he could and that it was "useless to keep ringing, as the throttle was wide ()])en "and there was no more steam to he had. 'Well, "make more steam.' was Witherwax's reply, in re- "sponse to which I heard the engineer gi'oan as '"though the task imposed u])on him was hopeless. "It was evident that the pilot intended, if possihle. "to keej) the lead until he could reach the narrow "channel hetween Hiker's Island and Harrow's l^oint, "for bevond that he thought that once ahead of the [213] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH "Seawanhaka he could maintain his position for "the halance of the trip. The intense interest in the "pilot house and the engine room amounted to ex- "citement among the passengers and many bets were "made on the result. Some of the Americus Club "boys on the quarter deck became hilarious and the "secretary of the Steamboat Co., who happened to be "aboard, went to the bartender and said, 'Now "Henry, I wish you would go a little easy with the "boys.' 'Why, what do you mean, ]Mr. ^lead?' said "Henry. 'Well, I mean,' was the reply, 'that while "this race lasts you must give the boys sarsaparilla "when they ask for whisky, and if they call for "brandy, make it a point to serve seltzer.' Henry "smiled at the idea of thus fooling an Americus Club "man but nevertheless he promised to tr}" it. "But to return to the race. Pilot Witherwax had "calculated correctly, for he succeeded in getting "abreast of North Brother Island before the Scaican- ''haka began to lap over the liomcr. At this point "she was slipping by at the rate of about ten feet a "minute, guard to guard, with the liomcr so close "that conversation was easily carried on between the "two vessels. "The passengers and crews of both boats were now "in a fever heat of excitement. "I think I never saw such a crazy lot as yelled at "each other across the span of a dozen feet between "the two boats. ^Vomen shook their parasols in the "ail" and squealed like a flock of geese. [214] LINWOOD— THE JOHN liOMER "Billy Witherwax's face was as stem as an lii- '"(liaiTs. Again he "-ave the hell for more steam only "to he disappointed. Every minnte made a decided "difference in the relative position of the contending "steamers, and it was i)lain that something more mnst "he done, and without delay, or the Roiiicr would be "left behind. "Witherwax again sought the tube and yelled: " 'Give her more tire. If you can't find anything "else thrown Pat. Donnelly into the furnace. We "must have more fire, and I guess he'll ])nrn.' '•Patrick Donnelly, only recently deceased, then "occupied a responsible position on the quarter deck "of the Bomcr. He knew all about the freight and 'iiow it was stowed. He knew exactly where to put 'iiis hand on a tub of Abe Acker's lard and when "he heard the order repeated by the engineer, rather "than be sacrificed himself, he produced the lard. "The fireman seized it and flung it on the coals. The "steamer leaped ahead like a sailboat in a scpiall. "Black smoke belched from the stack. She walked "by the Seatcanhal'a as the Pih/riin will pass the "Sarah Thorp. "Witherwax's triumph was complete and he held "the Homer on her course in an undisputed lead all "the way to Twenty-third Street." The ScaicaiiJiah'a never bothered the Noincr again, hut I never pass the "sunken meadows" and see the o-hostlv hop- frame of the lost Scaicaiihaka rising amid the swaving drift of sedge grass that 1 do not [215] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH recall the fact that the 2nd June, 1880, when she was driven onto those meadows, wreathed in flames, was the thirteenth anniversary of her famous race with the John Foincr. [216] CHAPTER XVIII THE TWEED FAMILY THE members of ]Mr. Tweed's family were well known about the village. Wliile many of the vil- lagers treated them witli something like an air of awe, they mixed in (]uite well and those who knew tliem liked them. The oldest son was W^illiam M., Jr. We knew him as "Hilly" and he was (juite intimate \vith Henry :M. FitzC;erald and Stephen (;. White. Billy Tweed was a fine-looking young man in those days. He was tall and straight, earried himself well, and wore 13undreary whiskers. If a man eould raise a good pair of "side-boards," as sueh whiskers were called, he was all right. And this Hilly had done to perfection. It is somewhat singular that William ^I. Tweed, Jr.. jnari'ied a (rreenwicl] gii'l whom he met in Xew ^'()rk City. Her father and many eai'lier genera- tions were natives of the town and lived at Davis Landing. Her fatlier was Silas I)a\ is. who for many years was engaged in the Hour business in Xew ^'ork under the firm name of Davis \: Henson. He had made a large fortune and his daughter had all the advantages afforded by wealth. She A\as then a beautiful gii'l of fine character and she is still a hand- [217] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH some woman, upon whom the hand of time has rested lightly. Her husband died about 1908. The next son was Richard. He had a very fast black horse that he drove at top speed from ]Maple Avenue to Putnam Hill. It was his habit to do this nearl^^ every day, till the warden of the Borough put a stop to it by telling Dick that if he wanted to trot his horse, he had better enter him at Jerome Park. Ricliard went to Europe in 1879, subsequently mar- ried the widow of liis brother Charles and shortly afterward died in Paris. There were two daughters whose names I do not recall. They married two wealthy brothers by the name of ]McGuinness who resided in New Orleans and there they went to live about 1871. I am told that one is still living and moves in the best circles of that aristocratic southern city. Josephine came next. She was a young lady of oreat beauty, a brunette, and was about eighteen years old when her father was at the height of his glory. She drove a pair of beautifully matched, high-spirited black horses. It was certainly a pleas- ure to observe the skill and dignity with wliich she would rein the team up in front of the post office for the afternoon mail. She married a wealthy New Yorker by the name of Frederick Douglas and in 1898 they were living on Staten Island. Jennie was a school girl in 1865 and was thus well known by the school children of that period. Hers was a short life, as she died before she was twenty. [218] TITE TWEED FAMIEY Charlie was a ronipiiiL*- hoy in liis early teens, with a lively ])()iiy and witlioiit imich time for his hooks. School had little attraction for him and at one time he had a tutor. Had he lived in these (hiys lie would have possessed a hi<^h power motor car, if not a Hy- ing macliine. Kut everybody hked Charlie Tweed and all were saddened at the news of his deatli some years after Lin wood was sold. George was a baby in 18().5. Of liim I never had a very intimate knowledge, as he died in early youth. After Tweed's troubles began in 187'J, the glory of Linwood began to wane. The checkerboard team was seen no more and many of the other fine horses were sold, ]\Ioney ceased to How in, and after the incarceration in Ludlow Street jail, the demands that were made upon Tweed by his lawyers for a defense fund were large. John (xraham, bewigged and al- ways wearing kid gloves with the fingers amputated, was liis chief counsel. EHhu Root, now so well known, was at the head of a younger coterie of men who woi-ked up the details of the defense that did not succeed. All this re(iuire(l large sums of money and from time to time various tilings were sold at Linwood. The greenhouses were stripped of rare plants and many articles that had special value because of their association, were quietly disposed of for a substantial consideration. When Crreenwich Avenue was re- cently widened at its lower end. on wjiat was foi-merlv the Thomas Ritcli property, 1 saw a couple of oiMuite [210] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH iron lamp posts pulled down that formerly stood in front of the house at IJnwood. There were many other things that found their way into the possession of Greenwieh people who afterwards would some- times covertly allude to their orio-in. By this it must not he inferred that the family was impoverished. Mrs. Tweed owned valuahle real es- ^ tate here and in New York City and it was prohahly only because of a desire to limit expenses and prepare for the final disposition of Linwood that she made such dis- position of her person- alty. The property was listed with many real es- FRAXK 8HKPARD tate ageucies in Xew I" i«''9 York City and was brought to the attention of many local capitalists, but it remained unsold year after year, when the price asked for eighty acres was only fifty thousand dollars. Finally in the fall of 1878 a syndicate was formed consisting of A. Foster Higgins, Solomon Mead, Frank Shepaid, pi'incipal of the Academy, and one or two others, wliose names I do not I'ecall. To one of the syndicate, whose name is not mentioned, was entrusted the duty of closing the deal. The purpose of the syndicate was to establisli a residence park, something like Rockefeller Park, al- [220] THE twep:d 1 AMir>Y thoii^li the demand for house lots was not as active ill those (lays as it was after the piihlie watei' and sewers had heen inti'odiieed. It would ha\(' made, however, an ideal residence park and it was the ])i()iieer effort in that direction. The matter (lra<><>'ed alon"" through the winter months of 1^578. without any re- port to the syndicate, and finally in February, 1871), its members awoke to the fact tliat the land had sbpped away from them and had l)ecome the prop- erty of Jeremiah Milbank, having sold for '$4-7,.5()(). W^ien the title was being closed in the old Town Clerk's office I asked William M. Tweed, Jr., who represented his mother, how it happened that the $.50, ()()() offer was i-ejected. "No such an offer was made," said he. "I would liave been glad of $2, 500 more, but the offer that came to me from the syndi- cate was $40,000 and I was told that no better offer would be made." It was just one of those little inci- dents, growing out of lack of judgment, probably, that often attend I'cal estate transactions and are far- reaching in their conse(iuences. In 18()8 and 18()9 Mr. Tweed was in the height of his glory. He ruled Xew York witli an iron hand and yet tliere must have been times when he realized tliat his political power I'ested on a thin shell of coi'ru|)tion, liable any day to collapse and plunge him into a voi'tex of ad\erse ])ublic sentiment. He loved tlat- tery and he hated to be criticised. Tom Xast, Ilai'- pers' famous cartoonist, had even then sharpened his pencil and occasionally Tweed appeared in the [221] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH WecMi) with a blazing diamond in his shirt front. But nothing in those years appeared that seemed serious to Tweed, although they greatly annoyed him. As an offset to such influences, Senator Harry Genet and a few of that ilk started a general contri- bution to a fund for a public statue to ]Mr. Tweed, to be erected in Central Park. These men realized what many people have failed to give ^Ir. Tweed credit for, and that was his remarkable conception of the future of the City of New York. He often ex- pressed regret that ^lanhattan Island with its mag- nificent water front, should have been laid out in angles and squares, and it was he who planned the Boulevard and Riverside Drive. Dui-ing this period he cast a])out for sustaining influences and in the summer of 1868 and 1869 he invited the children of the city orphan asylum on Randall's Island to visit him at I^inwood. They were called for short the 'Tiandall's Island children," and their coming was announced several days in ad- vanx'e. DodMorth's band — Tweed would have noth- ing else — came with them on a steamboat chartered for the occasion. They were marched up Green- wich Avenue and down Putnam Avenue to IJnwood, with the band in advance and most of the villagers looking on with pride at the benevolent act of their distinguished neighbor. ^Slr. Tweed in his silk hat and frock coat with the inevitable white tie, stood out on the lawn in front of tlie house and reviewed his vouthful guests; on one occasion addressing them [222] THE TWEED FA.AIILY as the future voters of the «>reat metropolis. ^Vl'ter this ceremony they (lisl)an(le(l, with evident relief, and were turned loose on the Einwood j^rounds, to the great disgust of Tiieodore II. ^Nlead, wliose ap])le orchard adjoined and suffered accordingly. Perha])s it was the same spirit of assumed benevo- lence that caused him to donate to one of the village churches a sandstone baptistry around the base of which was inscribed, with letters deeply cut, the words, "The gift of William :M. Tweed, 18()1)." It still remains within the church, although it has lost its foi-mer ])lace of prominence. During this period he was also recognized as gen- erous to the bearer of a subscription paper and the object mattered not: l)lack or white. Catholic or Protestant, all were received with a benign smile and a ready response. On one occasion the good ladies of a certain re- ligious organization called upon him with the request for a subscription for an organ. Before ap])roach- ing him. however, they had gathered up all the sub- sci'iptions possible, but had found rather hard sled- ding, with the result that the })ledges were only half sufficient. Taking the siibsci'iption paper, he footed up the various small amounts, with the stul) of a pencil he had taken from his vest j)ocket. and looking ovei" his gold-rimmed glasses at the somewhat awed commit- tee, he said, "Well, what is the damn thing going to cost, anyway T' [223] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH The ladies were shocked at the expression, but a quickly drawn check for the balance required, served as a relief for their feelings, and they left express- ing many thanks and a world of good wishes. [224] CHAPTER XIX THE ESCAPE OF WII.LTAM :\r. TWEED IX Chapter XV allusio!) lias been made to the escape of Tweed from jail and his subsecpient apprehen- sion and arrest in Vigo, Spain. One of his own ap- pointees in the Sheriff's office took him ont for a ride; he stopped to make a call at his own home in the city, and he never appeared again nntil sexei-al months had elapsed. ^Nlany acconnts have been given of his escape and of his place of hiding before he embarked for Spain, but all of them are very far from the truth. Before I relate the actual story of his esca])e, let jne recall certain facts, within the memory of many Greenwich people, which are closely connected with that event. On the ninth day of June. hSTO. one Isaac Mosher sold twenty-four acres of land and a farm house northwest of Cos Cob village to Lydia (t. McMullen. the wife of William McMullen. The |)i-ice paid was $12, 800 and the transaction was closed in the ottice of Col. Heusted AV. R. Iloyt, counsel for ^Ir. T\\eed. The latter was ])resent on the occasion and subse- quentlv he gave a great deal of attention to the im- provements made to the property. This place is lo- [•.>2.3] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH cated on the easterly side of the hio-hwav running northerly from the Post Road near the residence of Augustus and Catherine ^lead which was then known as the Edward ]Mead homestead. The house is still standing, but since the days of Tweed has been much enlarged and more recently has been known as the Ardendale Sanitarium. He introduced ]Mrs. ]Mc- Mullen as his niece and it was understood that she and her husband were, to a certain extent, dependent upon him. Andrew J. Garvey, a member of the Americus Club, and generally known, from his numerous con- tracts, as the city plasterer, paid all the repair bills on the ^Ic^NIullen liouse. Garvey usually left the train at Cos Cob carrying a carpetbag filled with greenbacks with which to pay the mechanics and ma- terial men employed on the job. Subsequently in on.e of the ring prosecutions in the Xew York Su- preme Court, the fact appeared that, at least the plastering, if not all of the repair work on the ^Ic- 3Iullen house, was charged to the city. At that period the Cos Cob station agent was a young man who has since been a prominent resident and officeholder in the Borough. He had consider- able to do with handling the freight and express pack- ages for the ^Nlc^Iullen house, to his pecuniary ad- vantage, and after the family moved in, he continued to be a great favorite with them because of his uni- versal courtesy and promptness. On his home trip from the Duane Street office in [226] ESCWPE OF \Vir.lJA.M M. TWEED Xew \'()i-k. Mr. Tweed usually left the train at (Treeiiwieli. but. as he held in hiyli esteem his nephew and nieee. it is not strange that oeeasionally he was invited to |)ass the iii^nht with them at Cos C'oh. The youno' station a^^ent be^yan to notiee th.at the D.l.) evenin<>' train at Cos Cob would I'reciuently sto}) a thousand feet west of the station, down by Edward ^lead's hars. and then erawl u]) to the station. In the glare of the headlight it was hard to determine Avhy the pause was made, as down the length of the train was impenetrable darkness. Frank Hermanee was the eonduetor of the train. He was one of the old-fashioned conductors, who carried a lantern with his name ground on the glass globe and a rose in his buttonhole. WHien he entered the door he came with a bound and a smile and many will recall how he purred the words, "(rood morning. l)rother," as he punched the tickets. It was the duty of the station agent to report such an irregularity as halting a train down by Edward Mead's bars and especially when the occurrence was frec|ue!it. Finally he told ]Mr. Hermanee that he would be ol)Iiged to re])ort him if it occurred again, but I'' rank only smiled and gave the station agent a friendly salute as he started his train. About this time Tweed was indicted by the (irand Jui'\" of Xew \'oik County, locked up in the Tombs and ujjon the ti'ial before Judge Noah Davis and a jui'v \\as eon\ icted. Judge Davis had never been a fi'ieiid of Tweed's and on the opening dav of the [•2-2r] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH trial, Jolm (xrahani, bis leading counsel, very humbly .su<>(»ested tliat His Honor "was disqualified," for wliieli insinuation ]Mr. Graham was promptly fined $250. But the charge to the jury was fair and the only criticism counsel for the defense made was "tlie remarkable sentence imposed by the Court." He was convicted on fifty out of fifty-five charges against him and sentenced by Judge Uavis to an aggregate of twelve years imprisonment. He might have been sentenced for sixty years, but Judge Davis decided that he would give him a sentence proportion- ate to his average share in the stealings; that is that he would give him twenty per cent, of what he might have imposed upon him. Tlien the question was generally discussed as to whether a cumulative sentence, as it was called, was legal, (xraliam appealed to the General Term, now called the Appellate l^ivision, and was defeated, but afterwards the Court of Appeals held that Tweed could not l)egin to serve a new sentence of a year at the end of a term of service of punishment u])on an- other count. ^Meanwhile Tweed went to RlackwelTs Island and began to serve his sentence, occupying a double room luxuriously furnished, near the northeast end of the penitentiary building. In going down the East River, on the Brooklyn side you may still see in the grim walls of the great building a double win- dow, the only one, which was made expressly to add to the comfort of ^Ir. Tweed in his davs of imprison- [•>28] ESCAPE OF WIEETAM M. TWP^ED nic'iit. when he was l)ein_i>' attended ))y the otfieers who owed their appointment to their prisoner. Upon the reversal of the judgment l)y the Court of Appeals Mr. Tweed was re-arrested and held in Eudlow Street jail under the eivil suit hi'ought l)y the eity for six million dollars damages and it was from this plaee that one night he made his eseape. It is unneeessary here to go into the partieulars of that esea])e further than as they are conneeted with and ap})ly to the town of Greenwich. Tweed had disappeared and there was no clew to his where- ahouts. Andrew H. Cxreen, Charles O'Conor, Jose])h II. Choate and the others of the famous Com- mittee of Seventy offered a reward of fifty thousand dollars for his apprehension. If you will read the newspapers of those days you will notice that from the time of his depai"tui"e till he was I'eported in Vigo, Spain, there is no positive account of his whereabouts. There were at least two men, however, who might have made the story clear. One was the young sta- tion agent at Cos Cob and the other was George AV. Hoffman. It was in the early winter of 187.5 that the Cos Col) agent, who liad _just laid aside an evening paper telling of the escape of Tweed and advertising the fifty-thousand dollar rewai'd notice, that the D.to ti'ain again made its mystei-ious stop at Edward JNIead's bars. The agent was angry. The conduc- tor had disi'egarded his threat to rej)o!'t him. and was again disobeving the rules. Seizing a lantern he I'an [■220] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH do^vn the track. As he passed beyond the glare of the Jieadliglit and reached the baggage car, he saw the side door shde open. At that moment a woman from behind smashed his lantern. Bewildered in the sudden, darkness, he stepped forward and put his hand on the great bulk of AVilliam ]M. Tweed. There was a man with him and a woman followed, leaping across the ditch beside the track, and up the bank through Edward JNIead's bars. There a carriage was in waiting and George W. Hoff- man was on the box. AVho was Hoffman ? He was not a member of the Americus Club and I could never get any defi- nite information as to who lie was, except that Philip X. Jackson, the son of an Americus Club man, said he was one of Tweed's men. Jackson was a messenger in the Xew York Su- preme Court by Tweed's appointment and in the late seventies and early eighties was the trial justice in Greenwicli. After Tweed's death Hoffman came to Green- wich to reside. He apparently had considerable money and he purchased of James Elphick a large area of oyster groiuul. A long and serious litigation then followed between Elphick and Hoffman over [230] JA.MKS ELPHICK 18;34— 1889 ESCAPE OF WILLIAM M. TWEP:D the contracts for the purchase of this oyster <>r()un.(l, and the case finally terminated in the Court of Errors in favor of ]Mr. Elphick and is reported in the 49th volume of Connecticut l{e[)orts. While this litigation was in ])r()i>ress, I saw much of Hoffman and on more than one occasion he ad- mitted that Tweed came up on the 9.1.5 on the night in question, occupying the baggage car. Hoffman never told how he got Tweed into the car at 42nd Street, hut at that time there was ample ()p})oi-tunity to walk, unseen, down what had once been Fourth Avenue, on the south side of the ti'ain and shp into the baggage car. From Cos Cob tlie cari"iage. with Tweed in it. was driven to the McMullen house, wliere his last meal in Greenwich was eaten. Thence he was driven across to TaiM-yto\\n where a tug chartered by Hoffman was waiting. This tug took >L". Tweed down to the lower bay and to an outgoing freight steamer bound for Cuba. In the port of Havana under the beetling walls of ^Nloro Castle Tweed was transferred to another steamer bound for S])ain and was sul)se(|uentlv cap- tured at A igo and sent back to Ludlow Street jail where lie died April 12. 1H7'ht of Oetoher 1.5, 1874. 'I'his hoildiny liad heen used many years for puhlie meetings, theatrieal shows, ehnreh fairs, elections, and as a court room for the trial Justice of the Peace. It was a sino'le room, lii»'hted hv eiu'ht windows, containing a portahle bench for the court and an enclosure for the lawyers, which usually stood on the east side of the room. The Selectmen and other town officials had their offices m a small frame buildin<>', on (Treenwich xVvenue, which stood where the brick building- of Tuthill Brothers now stands. At a later date the officials occupied rooms in the old C'oni>re- *>'ational Church buildino- after it was removed to the corner of Putnam Avenue and Sherwood Place. At the time of the fire it had outlived its useful- ness. As early as 187'J the (juestion of a new to\\ii hall was sei'iously considered. At the annual meet- in<>' in that year, lAike A. I^ockwood, Drake JNlead, AVilliam J. JNlead, Odle C. Kna})|) and Thomas A. JNlead were ap])ointed to in(|uire into the expediency of erecting a new building. This committee was also [238] OTHER DAYS IX GREEXWICH charged with the duty of recommending the location, the size, architectural character and internal arrange- o ment of such a building, and the estimated cost. The following year the committee was continued. TOWN HAIX Drawn from description liy Carleton W. Hul)bar(l having reported progress. A set of plans had been prepared for a building which was to be erected on the northeast corner of Putnam Avenue and Sher- wood Place, then considered the business center. These plans were afterwards framed and for many years hung on the wall of the Town Clerk's office. Mr. George Jackson Smith, the Town Clerk at that time, had a habit of boasting of his expensive [234] THE oi:d town hall wall decoration, for the picture cost the town twelve hundred dollars. It would seem, however, that many were interested in the suhject and desirous of carrying out the plans, hecause in 1874? the Selectmen were authorized to aj)- ply to tlie General Assemhly for authoi-ity to hond the town for $7.).0()(). foi- the pui'j)ose of huildiii^' a new town hall. A spe- cial town meetnig was called Xovemher 28, 1878. and the Town Hall C o m mitt e e was in- structed to present j)lans and make re])ort to a "s})ecial meeting here- after to he called to con- sider the whole suhject of a new Town Hall." While the new Town Hall was heing discussed, the officials moved into Aaron 1*. Ferris' new huilding. which had heen erected for a hotel and is the huilding now owned hy the town and ()ccu])ied hy Mayer H. Cohen. The town paid an annual rent of $()()(). The Se- lectmen occupied the south side and the Town Clerk and Judge of Prohate the noi'tli side, tiivst Hoor. The second and third floors were occuj)ied as tenements until the tii'st of July. 187.3. when the second floor was c()n\erted into j)ul)lic offices. Mvron L. Mason. [•i:j.5] (;i:()i{(;i': .i. smiiii 1S14-1S77 OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH Edward J. Wright. Charles Cameron. I^eander P. Jones, IM.U.. Ur. Beverly E. INIead, R. Jay Walsh, James F. AValsh, Frederick A. Hubbard and pos- sibly others occupied offices on tlie second floor of this building. T()\V\ UAI.I. I.\ IS7S John }i. Kay aiul .lolm K. Hay stand in tlit- forcfiround iindfr tlie tree plantt-d liy Kdward .1. Wrif>lit It was crowded, uncomfortable and badly ar- ranged for such pin-poses and yet for years it was the only place for an office because it was the actual business center. The Assessors. Board of Relief and Tax Collector all found })laces wherever they could, unless actually excluded by a justice trial, held in tlie Selectmen's office. [230] TIIK OLD TOWN HALL But ilie scliLine to hiiild a new [oww l;all was t'or- <»()ttfii and we iiii^ht still \)v usiiiL*' the iVarou V. Fer- ris l)iiil(lin_L>'. hut I'oi- the lihei'ahty of tlie late Robert ]NL Hruee who. with liis sistei'. Miss Sarah Bruee, donated the new Ijuildiuii. HOIJEKT .M. BKIC i: Pliilimtlir()])ist Besides many otlicr l)ciu'\ olcnt frifts, donated to (ireenwieli its Town Hall, i'uhlie I'ark and Hospital On "Sidy 1.). 187.>. Mr. Feri'is made a wi'itten ])r()|)- osition to sell his huildinL*' to the town. He deseril)ed the projjerty as .30 feet wide and 2.j4 feet dee]) and the priee named was -^11, .300, to he ])aid in a series of notes, drawinn- interest at tlie i-ate of se\ en j)er eent.. };ayahle o\er a teiin oi' ten years. 'I'he j)i'oposition [2;37] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH was accepted at a special town meeting and the town took title and still owns the property; the front half of which yields a rental of about twelve hundred dol- lars a year and reserves shed room in the rear. At the time the town took title we had no public water, sewers or lights. The water supply for the town building- was a large well, which was filled up in 1896. But the occupants of the building realized its unsanitary condition and at the annual town meet- ing in 1878 the Town Clerk and the Judge of Pro- bate w^ere appointed a committee "whose duty it shall be, at an expense not exceeding $300, to make needed repairs and improvements in and about the rear of the town building, for the purpose of proper use and protection of the well; to effect safe and convenient exit from the rear doors of the building; to build a cistern for the use of the tenants and as a provision against fire." At the same meeting it was voted to build a lockup and it is still standing as a storage room in the rear of Cohen's store. But for seventeen years matters went on in this way without a ripple until September 9, 1895, when an attempt was made to purchase the land adjoining on the south owned by ^Nlary F. Dayton and now occupied by Elias S. Peck. It was thought that the lot enlarged to a width of 100 feet would warrant the town in tearing down tlie old building and erect- ing a new town liall about fiftv feet ])ack from the street, with light on all sides. But the proposition was voted down and we struggled on under the old [•238] ' THE OLD TOWN HALL conditions until January 1, lUOO. when the new town hall was occupied. Both of these old town huildings are of ])ecnhar interest. The first one was pi-ohahly huilt a})out 18.30 and represented a huildin^- typical of the rural, farming people. 'I'he illustration which is «>'iven is made from a description of the huilding. there heing no photograph of it in existence. Hut the drawing so accurately illusti'ates the old huilding that those of the oldci" generation will at once recogni/e it. During all those fervid times hefore and during the war of 18()1 it was used as a })olling place, as indeed it was up to the time of its destruction. Hut in the war time it was the ])lace of many an angry dehate and many incidents occurred which are still talked ahout. Two very estimahle and ])r()minent neighbors once got into a hot ])olitical dispute on an election day. One resisted the entrance of the other, through the door, with the result that one of tlie doors was pulled off the hinges and the two contestants with the door rolled down the hill. From 18.54 till long after the war the Horough meetings were held in the old town hall, hut the Bur- gesses met at pri\ ate houses and usually at the home of the Clerk. I first knew of Horough meetings in 18()(). Billy Ti-umhle. a (piaint little old man. was the town jani- tor. For a numher of ycai's he had been man of all work for the Rev. Dr. Joel H. Linslev, and, holding [■2:i!)] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH such a post, he fancied he knew all the affairs of the parish. The old man had (juite an attraction for nie and liis sterling character and odd sayings made their im- pression. It was his duty to open and light the hall for the annual meetings of the Borough. After he had arranged the benches and dusted the chairs, he would take his seat and with the immense brass door key across his lap aw^ait the coming of the Warden. On such occasions I enjoyed sitting by his side and listening to the queer stories of what he claimed to have seen and heard around the old wdiite church, then standing in front of the present stone edifice. I was only a small boy, but I realize how the old man enjoyed impressing upon my youthful fancy his visits at night to the puli)it and the pews, where he routed out the bats that were circling around in tlie moon- light. In those days the workmen were ])usy on the new church and piles of rul)bish and blocks-af^cut stone occupied every possible place about the town hall. The cellar had also been invaded by the stonecut- ters and it was a weird place at night after they had abandoned it to the darkness and the bats. One of Billy's duties w^as to gather up the chisels and ham- mers which the workmen had carelessly left, and as his "chores" at the parsonage, as he called his small errands about the place, often kept him till his lan- tern was needed, it was my great delight to go with [240] THE OLD TOWX HALL liiiii oil sut'li noc'tiii'iuil trips, poking al)oiit among the cliips for tl'.e stray tools. Hut notliing ^^■as iiioi-e agreeable to Hilly than the oeeasion of the annual Horough meeting. 1 think lie felt (juite as important as tiie AVarden and he was certainly better paid, as that otfieial drew no sal- ary. After the ai'i'ival of the W^arden the next man to appear was Robert \V. ^Nlead, the clerk. These officials would talk a few minutes, but no one else appearing, the \\'^arden would ste]) ovei" to the ])arsonage, while the clerk would hurry up to Solomon Mead's and C'hai-les H. Seaman's, and Hilly, while I tagged at his heels, would be sent down to invite Henry M. Benedict, I^. P. Hub!)ar(l, Joseph K. Hrush and George Sellick up to vote. It was invariably the case in those days that a suf- ficient number of voters to till the offices would not attend the meetings excei)t upon personal solicitation. and Billy and I did most of the ro])ing in. My part was to carry tlie lantern. He had an odd but very [241] AMOS M. HKlSIl III IS()() is,>,j-i !)():. OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH polite way of touching his hat and saying, "Please, sir, there are only four at the meeting and it takes eight to fill the offices. Won't you come up and vote for somebody, and somebody will vote for you?" Such an appeal was irresistible and we elected the full Board. I can rememlier no other moderator in that building on election days except Amos M. Brush. In those times there was not such a system of regis- tration and such a poll list as are now employed. Of course, the Town Clerk's record showed who were voters and when they became voters. Both political parties were rej^resented at the polls and there was always a record of the number of votes deposited. My. Brush, the moderator, stood behind the ballot box and as the voter deposited his ballot ^Nlr. Brush would poke it down among the others with his lead pencil. On one occasion a voter, whose political be- lief was opposed to that of the moderator, charged the latter with not depositing his ballot in the box. "Stop the voting," said INIr. Brush, "unlock the box and count the ballots," which was quickly done, and the disoTuntled voter was satisfied that his ballot was among the others and not upon tlie floor, as he had charged. In the old days when the town building on Green- wich Avenue was filled with tenants, a local wit dubbed it "Lincoln's Inn," and a young man who then resided here but who subsequently became a gi-ave and learned professor in a great American Uni- versitv wrote the following lines which were i)ul)- [242] THE OLD TOWX HALL lislied in tlie Stain ford Ilvndd. The first and last verses only ai'e ((noted: Oil. I wish I li\((l ill Liiu'ciln s Inn WIrti' the siiiiis are made of gilt and tin ; Witli my feet in a clia-r I'd sit and grin. It's the way they do in Lincoln's Iini. Then at night when the darkness is complete. When the faithful watchman treads his beat. And his boots resound in the silent street, Full many a s))ectre. weird, he sees, The ghosts of de])arted lawyers' fees And s])irits jiale of all degrees, Who ))erch in the dark; on the signs of tin — Ob. a rare old place is Lincoln's Inn. [243] L CHAPTER XXI THE LEWIS AND MASOX FAMILIES EWIS and jMason Streets are named after two ])r()miiient old-time families. One of the most interesting- spots in the Borough, rife as it is with historic memories, is the northeast corner of Putnam Avenue and Lafayette Place, where the Rev, Dr. Lewis lived, and M'hicli was suhsequently owned by his daughter, jNIrs. INIary E. JMason, and his grand- son, Theodore L. IMason, INLl). Before the war of the Revolution this corner and many acres besides belonged to Henry JMead. He was the landlord of a Colonial tavern which stood near tlie junction of the main country road and the road to Sherwood's Bridge, now Glenville. Here he entertained, in such style as the times permitted. Gen. Putnam. Gen. Lafayette and other Revolutionary notables. Times were hard in Greenwich after the close of the war and Henry JNIead struggled along for a few years and then moved with liis family to New Vork City. As far as is known, none of them returned. He sohl the old homestead or tavern in 17H7 for three himdred and twenty })()unds. The land, bounded nortlierly by tlie liigliway and what is now the Lenox House ])r()perty and westerly by the road [2U] THE LEWIS AND ^SIASON FAMILIES to Pipiii^L*' Point, now Cireenwicli .Vnciuk'. was ])iir- chased from Amos JNIead and Henry Mead, respec- tiveh'. I^ewis Street divides the soutlierly tract and was very appropriately named after Dr. Lewis. He was a man of note thVonghout New England. He was <^i-a(luate(l from ^'ale College in the class of 17<>.>. and entei'ed the ministi'v of the Congregational Chnrch. His long and lahorions pi'ofessional hfe was largely passed in the pastorate of the Second Congregational Society in this town., which position he assnmed in 17S() and occupied for thirty-three years. In 17*>'i ^'ale College conferred on liim the degree of Doetoi- of Divinity, and fi'om 181() to ISIS he was a mem})ei" of the Cor])oration. and in ISKJ was made a Fellow of the College. LTpon accjuiring the property he at once ])r()ceeded to remove the Henry ^lead house, and as the church then had no ])arson- age, lie l)uilt a tine Colonial mansion ahout seventy- five feet hack from the corner. The old fig tree, still there, was ])lanted hv him and it grew very near the south end of the house. It was a heautiful house in all its })roportions and in the look of hos])itality which always pervaded it. It was huilt in the summei- of 17H(), hut was not an old-fash- ioned sweej)-l)ack, l)ecause the Colonies had hecomc in- dependent, and the necessity for a one-story house, which is said to have heen exempt from taxation hy the Crown, no longer existed. I have had manv interesting conversations wit!i tlie [245] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH late Col. Thomas A. JNIead, Solomon S. ]Mead, I). Smith ^lead and Isaac L. jNIead concerning this old mansion. There was no conflict among them as to the location and appearance of the house. As the fig tree grew near the south end, it is easy to locate it. The house faced the west, and from the front door, over which was an old-time porch with a graceful trellis, a walk between rows of box-wood lead to La- fayette Place. It was considered a grand house and its owner was looked up to by old and young as a wise and good man. It was his home for thirty-three years, and dm-ing that period it was the center of social and re- lio-ious activities. "He was kind and affectionate in his social relations, and for piety and learnin.g emi- nently distinguished," according to his epitaph. It is easy to believe he wielded a powerful influence for good in the community. Dr. Lewis died August 27, IS-iO, at tlie age of ninety-five, leaving six children and a considerable es- tate. Here, also, on November 20, 1821, died, at the early age of twenty-four, ]Miss Elizabetli Stillson of Bethlehem, Conn., a member of the family of Dr. Lewis, for whom the Stillson Benevolent Society of the Second Congregational Ch.urch was named. The children wlio survived Dr. Lewis were Zach- ariah; Isaac, who succeeded his father as pastor of the church; ISIrs. Piatt Buffett of Stanwich; ]Mrs. ]Mary E. jNIason, widow of David ]\Lison; Roswell W., and [240] THE LEWIS AND ^SIASOX FA^SIII.IES Sarali. Mrs. Haniiali Eewis, tlie niotlier of these children, died in April, 1829. On the lOth of Decemher, 1846, all the Lewis i)rop- erty was conveyed to ^Nlary E. ^lason a!id Sarah Lewis, and until 18.50 they were inmates of the old mansion. Later they moved to tlie new house which was huilt in tliat year and is still stanchng. Mary E. JNIason was tlie mother of Dr. Theodore L. ^lason, for whom Mason Street, opened in 1881, was ap- propriately named. iNIiss Sarah Lewis Mas very active in tlie cliui'ch that for so many years had been under the ])as- torate of her father and brother. She organi/ed .miss sah ah i.i-.wis the Sunday School, and was its first superintendent. Her jioi'trait hangs upon the wall in the Sunday School room. In 1801 David ^Nhison. Es(|., married ^lary Eliza- beth Lewis, daughter of the Kev. Dr. Lewis, at the old homestead. He was a lawyer of ability and as an advocate had s])ccial influence. He was engaged in ])ractice in C'o()i)erst()wn, X. V., with Mi'. William Cooper, an elder brother of James Fenimore C\)oi)er. His cousin was Jeremiah Mason of Hoston, who in his day often crossed swords with Daniel AW-bstcr in the courts of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. [247] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH David ^Nlason was tlie father of three chiklreu, of wlioiii Tlieodore I.^. jMason was the eldest. At his death his widow and cliihh-en removed to Dr. I^ewis' residence in (xreenwicli, where Theodore's youth and early nianliood were spent. Under the direction of various teachers, and notably in the private school of his uncle, the Rev. Piatt BufFett of Stanwich, he re- ceived a thorough training- in English and the classics. Later he be- came a medical student under the direction of Dr. I3arius ]\Iead, who lived on the top of Putnam Hill where Edwin H. Baker's h o u s e n o w stands. Dr. ]\Iead gave the young men who studied under him clinical instruction at the bedside of the sick, as well as in- struction in the proper text books. Subsequently young Dr. Mason was graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York and practiced a few months in Greenwich. He then went to Wilton, Conn., and later to New York City, removing from there to Brooklyn, X. Y., in 1834, wliere he remained in the active practice of his profession until his death February 12, 1882. He frecjuently visited Greenwich and during his life [248] DR. DAUirS MEAD In 1H()0 1788-1864 THE T.EWTS AND :y[AS()\ FAMITJES Avas well kii()\\ii in this town. At'tci- his death tlie land on hoth sides of Mason and Lewis Streets as well as that alonu' (ireein\ieh Avenne was sold. [249] CHAPTER XXII THE OLD BLACK AVALXUT TREE THE "Teat black walnut tree that stands on ]Mrs. George E. Nichols' front lawn on jNIaple Avemie is said to be the largest in the State. It is certainly a very old tree and was a seedlino; lon^' be- fore the Reyolution. It must haye been planted yery early in the eighteenth century and it is not improb- able that the Rey. Abraham Todd, a minister who seryed the Second Congregational Church for forty years, planted it with his own h.ands. At that time and until 1833 the church owned no parsonage, but in addition to his salary the minister was "iyen the use of the "parsonage lands." ]Mr. Todd was graduated from Yale in 1727 and came to Greenwich fiye years later. For those days his salary was princely. He receiyed a "settlement" of one thousand dollars, the use of the ]:)arsonage lands and five hundred dollars i)er annum, besides firewood, and after three years an additional one hundred and fifty dollars ])er annum. As Mr. Todd on the 29th of May, 1733, purchased for eleyen hundred dollars twelve acres of land of Theo])hilus Peck, with his homestead, we may as- sume that the "settlement" money above referred to [2.50] THE OI.D lU.AC K WAT.XUT TREE was thus invested and liei'e was estal)lislied tile par- son a <>e. These twelve aei'es were identieal with the land now extending' from Patterson Avenue south to pro]3erty of Edward Inrush and Avest heyond Maher SACKKT'l" noMKSTKAI) Hiiilt 17 7!). Suhscqueiitly tin- lioiiii-s of , lames W. I)i)minick and .Inliii Sriiffcii. Hciiiodeled 18.50. Tlie old tree does not ajipear in tlie |)liot()iii-a])li .Avenue. In this ti"aet stood For many years the John Snillin house. \\'hen Mi'. Todd !)ouL>lit the land it \\as hounded on the east hy North Street. the name hy wliieh Maple Avenue was known until lono- after the adoption of a IJorough (government in 1S.)4. Tlie house oeeupied h\' Mr. Todd until his death [2.31] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH in 177'^ stood well I'ack from tlie road, in wliat was subsequently called the old orchard. ]Mr. Alvan JNIead, who died at an advanced ai>e in 1881. was able to locate the house by tradition and to describe it as an old-fashioned sweep-back, facing the south. ]\Ir. Todd left seven children. Five years after his death they sold, for twenty-three hundred and fifty dollars, the place occupied by the family for more than forty years. Xehemiah ^Nlead, Jr., was the 23urchaser and it may not be uninteresting to copy the descri]3tion of the property as it appears in his deed. He purchased from the Todd heirs "Fourteen acres, "he it more or less, with a dwelling house and barn "thereon, northward of the Country road (meaning "what is now Putnam Avenue) it being that house "and land whereon our honored father. Rev. Abra- "ham Todd, deceased, lately lived. Bounded East- "erly by North Street. Northerly by land of "Humphrey Denton, ^^^esterly by land of Justus "Sackett in part and partly by land of Isaac Holmes, "Jr.. and Southerly by land of Justus Sackett." ^Ir. ^Nlead held it for only nine months when, on December 4, 1778, he sold it for one pound more than he paid to Justus Sackett. It was Mr. Sackett who built the original John Sniffin homestead under the shade of the old black walnut tree and it was probably built immediately after he came into possession, in the Summer of 1770. Here he lived until January 15. 1827. when, he died at the age of eightv-seven vears. [2.52] THE OIJ) lU.ACK WALXI T TREE In passiiiL)- it may not he amiss to (luotc from Mr. Sackett's will in which he speaks of the '"Todd lots," referring to the location near the old orehai'd. the former home of Rev. Ahraham Todd. Tliis sjjot is not far from the })laee oecnpied by the reeently re- moved and remodeled "Sniff'en homestead" on I'at- terson Avenue belonging to William H. Hoggson. To his son he gives his black boy "Charles" and the ancestral tall clock, showing that slavery was extant in Connecticut as late as 181.3, when the will was dated, and that the tall clock was then valued more than by later generations. Anna Sackett, the widow, continued to reside in. the homestead in the enjoyment of her dower uiitil February 1.5, 18.*37. when she died at the age of ninety- six years. Justus Sackett, Jr., was the next owner of the property. Pie appears to have been some- what of a trader in real estate, for in 1832 he aecpiired contiguous property exten.ding north and west as far as Sanford Mead's and south to Augustus Eyon's, latei' known as the I'erry land and now belonging to William G. and Percy A. Rockefeller. He did not hesitate to borrow money and give mortgages, a somewhat unusual ])roceeding in those days. Hut on Mai'ch 19, 184(), he seems to have been willing to abdicate in favor of his son, William II. Sackett, to whom he gave a deed of more than fifty acres, re- serving to himself a life estate. A>"illiam H. Sackett continued to i-eside in the old homestead under the famous tree until 18.51 when [•-'.5.'i] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH he sold tlie property to Justus Ralph Sackett, who held it until October 1, 1852, when he sold and conveyed it to James W. Dominick. And now we get down to the memory of many Greenwich people. James W. Dominick and his brother, William, who resided on Putnam Avenue in the house now owned by Mrs. Susan C. Talbot, were two of the early Greenwich commuters. They each possessed a fam- ily of likely boys, wlio have sustained their early reputations and are now men, well known in financial circles being honored and respected by all. George F. Dominick and his son of the same name are both residents, but James W. Dominick's sons have never lived here. ]VIr. James W. Dominick was rated a rich man and he belonged to a lineage of culture and refinement. Therefore the old Sackett homestead built in 1779 was not to his liking. It is true it possessed some attractive features, both within and without. The wide fireplace, the quaint mantel cupboards, the long shingles and the colonial roof with its diminu- tive dormers were artistic, but more room was needed and hence, more than fifty years ago, the remodeling was accomplished. Until it was moved in 190(3 to make room for the new Nichols house it remained unchanged. It went to John Sniifen jNIay 19, 1864, and continued in his possession imtil liis death Janu- ary 31, 1888. It was subsequently sold by tlie widow and heirs. [254] THE OLD BLACK \VALXUT TREE The Saekett boys, the IJoiiiiiiiek hoys and the Sniffen boys all had a happy home under the old blaek walnut tree whieh may eontinue to grow for eenturies to come. [2.5.5] CHAPTER XXIII ROCKY NECK THE SILLECK HOUSE AIMONG the cherished articles of personal prop- erty found among- the effects of the late Solo- mon Mead and now owned hy his nephew, Elhert A. Silleck, is a map of "Rocky Neck Point." Ex- actly given, the title of the map is as follows: "Map 'of eleven acres of land lying on Rocky Xeck Point, 'Greenwich steamhoat landing, laid out into huild- ing lots 50 feet front on the road, unless otherwise 'expressed upon the map and extending to the water. 'Surveyed October, 1836, and plotted from a scale of '132 feet to one inch by Wm. H. Holly, X. Currier 'Lith., Cor. Xassau and Spruce Streets, X. Y." The map shows Indian Harbor Point, Field Point and an island then called Great Island, but now Round Island. It also shows the depth of water at the steamboat landing to be six feet at low tide, and it indicates the course of a steamboat to Stamford and Sawpits. The latter place now has the more dignified name of Port Chester. At the foot of the map is written in ink, "the above lots to be sold on the 23d of .March, 1837." This is sug- iJfestive of a vendue, as an auction in those (lavs was called. There were fifty-eight lots and one acre on the extreme point was reserved. [256] ROCKY XKCK THE SILT.ECK HOUSE From the fact that tliis ma]) was litliograplied by the firm afterwards so well known as Currier & Ives, it is clear tliat the ])uhlic vendue must liavc been ex- tensively advertised. At that time New York City was a day's journey away and was readied usually by market sloop and sometimes by team down the stajL»'e road. Greenwich was then si^irsely settled, devoted to agriculture exclusively, and possessed of considerable wealth. The land in (juestion was wild, filled with rocks, and seamed with ledges overshadowed by enormous trees. Tlie eleven acres included all the land south of the north line of the property of ^Vil- liam H. Teed. It appears from the records that as early as 17*25, all the land from Grigg Street south to the end of the ])oint and east as far as the Held House was called "Rockie Xecke." It \\as common land, as wild as the Adirondack forest. About that time it was ap- portioned off* by the town to the different taxpayers, who were called "Proprietors," in pro])ortion to their respective assessmen.t lists. Under the apportion- ment and by a few subse(juent conveyances all of "Rockie Xecke" went into the jxossession of two brothers, Daniel Smith and John Smith. Through the marriage of a daughter of Daniel Smith much of this property went to Daniel Snu'th Mead, the grandfather of Oliver D. Mead. When the Rocky Xeck Co. was formed Daniel Smith Mead was deceased and the com})anv bought [257] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH the land of his heirs. Tliis purchase represented the first effort of land speculators in Greenwich. I often talked with those interested in the venture and I recall very distinctly the details of the transac- tion as they were given to me and as they are found in the puhlic records. It was a wild and rocky stretch with nothing but a cart path over the line of the present highway. No attempt had been made to cultivate any part of it. ^Nlany of the primeval forest trees were still standing — great oaks that had stretched their limbs across the Indian paths of a century earlier. There were bowlders of enormous size covered with a wealth of moss, and resting in beds of lichens and ferns that ffrew with rank luxuriance about their base. One larger and more rustic than all the others was shaped like a great chair, filled with moss and backed with ce- dars over which the woodbine trailed in graceful profu- sion. It was well named the "Indian Chief's Throne." To cut such a piece of land as that into fifty-eight buildiu"- lots seemed a wild and chimerical scheme. But as I read the list of stockholders of the Rocky Neck Co. I find them all men of nerve and character, as far as I knew them, and I have a personal knowl- edge of all but three. These were John D. Spader, who held three shares, Benjamin Andrews, two shares and Thomas Simons four shares. ^Ir. Spader was the man who subsequently married a daughter of Silas Davis and the other two were probably residents of New York. [2.58] ROCKV NECK— THE SIEEECK TTOTTSE The other stoekholders were Silas Davis, one share; Auoustus Lyon, five sliares; William A. Hiisted, two shares; Jonathan A. Close, three shares; AValter Davis, one sliare; Alvan ^Nlead, one share; Solomon ^lead, thi'ee shares; Daniel S. ]Mead, one share; Zaccheus JNlead. Jr., two sliares; Husted Hohhy, two shares; Al)i-aham H. Davis, tliree sliares; and Thomas A. JNIead, two shares. Eaeh sliare had a par valne of one hundred dollars, Silas Davis aj^pears to have heen the leadei- of the enterprise, as he held what was termed a refusal of the property for $.*}.5()(). At the present time it would be ealled a thirty-day option, except that Mr. Davis had nothing- in wi-itino-. But perhaps he was merely carrying out the instructions of such men as Solomon ISlead and Thomas A. oNIead in securing the ()])tion. At tliat time Solomon Mead was only twenty-eight years old and as he lived here all his life and died at the age of ninety, ])ossessed of more than a million of dollars, it is fair to assume that this a])parently crazy investment was advised and perhaps urged ])y him. .Vlthough he thought tlie ])rice too high, he finally a])])r()ved the scheme, put up his thi'ee hun- (li-ed dollars and carefully preserved the ma]), pos- sibly as a reminder that in this enterprise he made some of his first dollars. The company was formed under tlie joint stock laws, and tlie articles of the association whicli a])])ear in the land recoi'ds \\ci"e evidently pi'epared hy a lawver. [239] OTHER DAYS IX GREEXWICH Tile purpose of the association was to acquire the land and to build a store house or store houses, and a wharf in order that passengers and freight to Stamford, Xew York and other points could be transported. This was clearly a bid to steamboats and sailing vessels to call for passengers and produce, but no suggestion was made that the company should engage in the transportation business. The corporation was, however, to l)e a close one and a special jjrovision was made wherel^y any stock seeking a purchaser must be offered to tlie other stockholders. This was too good a thing to afford even a taste to outsiders. The first meeting was called for September 14, 1836, at seven o'clock in the evening at the inn of Augustus I^von. The name of that inn, which was one of the stage stops on the mail route between Xew York and Boston, was ''The T^^Iansion House," since known as the Lenox House. Here all the inc()r))o- rators gathered an.d evidently without any lawyer, because all they did was to sign the ai'ticles of incor- poration. There appears to have })een no election of officers or directors. However, we can imagine what a jolly time these young men had in the front room of the inn that September night. They all jnit up their money, and in due time the land was con- veyed and in the following month "Bill Hen" Holly, of Stamford, as everybody called him, made the sur- vey and map. The following Spring sales began to be made, but [260] ROCKV NECK— THE SILLECK HOUSE tliey were not vvvy aetixe and many times tlie owners were almost diseouraoed. It is not unreasonable to suppose that most of the buyers were (hseouraged too, for Captain Al)raliam Brinckerhoff, wlio hou^lit one of tlie lots fi'om the ma]). (liseovered when he made his way in between RESERVED lOl l\ lS7(i SHOWIXCI EPHRAIM READ HOME- STEAD !N lOKI'.CHOrXD AND THE .MAUHI.K HOUSE BEYOND the rocks and trees, that in order to reaeh his lot he would have to liuy two more. The map shows one acre reserved on the extreme ]3oint. Tliis was afterwards known as the l^iphriam Head pro])ei'ty and includes the Indian Harljor yacht club house and ^^rounds and the cotta<»-e sites on the east side of the road, built by Charles T. \Vills, now owned by the Indian Harl)or yacht club. The incorjjorators all af>rce(l that the reservation should l)e made, but no two of them thought alike as to the pui-pose of the reservation. One wanted it for a com- [201] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH moil cow pasture, after the trees were removed, for tlie use of those who might hiiy and huild on the lots. Anotlier suggested that such a dense forest would supi^ly sufficient firewood for all who might huy lots. Another urged the erection of a cider mill. William A. Husted thought that the lumber could be shipped to New York at a large profit and the cleared ground used for an apple orchard. Col. JNIead [who, by the w^ay, had no such title then, but was just Thomas] and Solomon JNIead thought that as the reservation had been made, there was no imme- diate necessity of passing upon the (juestion of its disposition. They thought that would take care of itself, and indeed it did. Four of the company built potato cellars where the Silleck House now stands. They were built with openings at either end, like the one on Round Island, which bears the date, 1827. These cellars belonged to Solomon ^lead, Thomas A. ^lead and Zaccheus JNIead, Jr., but it is uncertain who owned the fourth one. The Silleck House was erected over these very cellars in 18.38, just one year after they were built. This building, a small affair, owned by Jared ^lead, proved to be unsuccessfid. Situated near the shore witli a dense forest on three sides, it was an ideal spot for a cpiiet summer retreat. The trouble with the "White House," as ^Ir. Mead called it. was due to the fact that table sup])lies were difiicult to obtain. At that time there was no market in Green- M^ch. To supply the table with meat it was Jared [262] ROCKV NEC K— THE SILIJX K TTOUSE Mead's custom to ])iirchase lambs and calves of the farmers and butclier tliem on tlie premises. Vege- tables were secured at the market sloops. 15 utter was difficult to buy as tlie farmers preferred to send it to Xew York. The cows were pastured on Field Point, assuring a good supply of milk and cream. The water was l)rought from one of the Field Foint springs, there being no well near the hotel. Apples were free to anyone who would gather them. ]Mr. jNIead had a good class of boarders at what was then thought to be remunerative prices, but he found it (juite a struggle to maintain a satisfactory table. His fried iish, broiled lobsters, succulent oys- ters and scallops were considered most ])alatable, ])ut there always came a time when the appetite demanded fresh meat. In the spring of 1849, when the railroad was just six months old, he sold out to ^Irs. Fanny Runyan and ^Irs. ^lary Dennis. These ladies, although they were joint owners of the real estate, were ])artners in business only one summer. On the 9th of February, 1850, ]Mrs. Dennis sold out to Thomas Funston. His wife was Mrs. Uunvan's sister and Mi's. Elbert A. Silleck is his granddaughter. In tlie winter of 1851'-.) u]K)n the death of jNIrs. Funston. Mr. Funston sold his interest to Thaddeus Silleck, although he did not take title till May '25 of the latter year. The Silleck Flouse is the oldest hotel on either shore of the Soimd rrom Sands" Point to Stoiiiiigton. [208] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH These details have been carefully oathered for the reason that it has many times been erroneously stated that Thaddeus Silleck was the founder of the hotel bearing his name since 1876. ]Mrs. Runyan died at Rocky Neck Jan. 26, 1913, aged 98. From her I obtained many interesting facts about the White House long before the war. Imaff- ine board at $2.50 per week! And yet she and INIr. Silleck had many serious conferences that first year V of their partnership over the advisability of in- creasing the rate a single dollar. But when it was done, to their great sur- i, T^ prise, nobody objected ^^jjl^^B^ ^^^^B ^''^^y ^^^ <-'ollect the $3.50 JOHN (;. w 1,1.1. STOOD as the old rate. 181S-1893 Tl^g ()}j registers show feather of Town Clerk Wellstood the class oi boarders was exceptionally good. Among them were Prof. King of Columbia College, W. B. Taylor, the New York postmaster, Robert INI. Bruce, Horace Greeley, Charles A. Whitney, John G. Wellstood, Charles G. Cornell, Peter Asten, Archibald Parks, John Hoey, afterwards President of the Adams Express Co., and his talented wife, for many years the leading lady at Wallack's. Years ago there was a fascination al)()ut Greenwich [264] ROCKY NECK— THE SIEEECK HOUSE that to some extent lias disappeared. 'I'lie place was rather inaccessible, the roads were ])()or, there were no sidewalks or modern conveniences of any kind, bnt there was the beantifnl Sound, serene skies, the broad fiehls, with no bar})ed wire fences or trespass signs, so that all the ])lessinos seemed to be individual in which one's ownership was ])erfect. This is probably what made (Treeinvich so popular when once established as a place of (juiet enjoyment. The children and the grandchildren of many of those early boarders are still ])atronizing the Silleck House. The old land com})any has been well-nigh side- tracked. I^ict us see how it finished. The amount invested had been small but the stockholders sighed for dividends, and some were so (lisa])])ointed that they sold out to the others at a loss. Hut the re- served acre on the point saved the day to tliose who held on and about 18.50 all the land had been sold at constantly increasing prices. Wh.en the final settle- ment was made there was distriliuted to the survivors a net pi'ofit of a substantial amount. Before Solomon ^lead died, that reserved acre had been sold for about fifty thousand dollars. How much Solomon ^Nlead made out of h,is first venture is unknown, but he was one of the survivors and he ahva\s said he was satisfied with the result. When I look at the map that he folded away so many years ago, 1 am inclined to believe that he re- garded th.e Rocky Xeck Land Co. as the coi-ner stone of his great fortune. [263] CHAPTER XXIV RAILROADS IX THE EARLY DAYS EARLY in the nineteenth century there was con- siderable activity in our General Assembly, in granting charters to railroads. The turn])ikes and canals of the preceding century liad proved remu- nerative and it was reasoned that railroads as means of transportation w^ould be still more profitable. In 1832 the Norwich & Worcester was incorpo- rated, followed in 1836 by the Housatonic; the New York & New Haven in 1844; the Naugatuck in 1845, and the New Haven & Northampton in 1846. I am not aware when these roads were constructed but the New Haven R. R. sent its first train through Greenwich on Christmas day, 1848. Among the passengers from New York was AVilliam Henry INIead and he is the last survivor of the Cxreenwich people who were on that train. He was also on the first trolley car that came up Greenwich Avenue, August 17, 1901. It has been said that the first construction of the New Haven railroad was quite a crude affair. But in 1859 it was double-tracked and had in a great measure recovered from the financial difficulties into which its first president, Robert Schuyler of New York, had plunged it. [266] KAII.KOADS IX THE EARLY DAYS 111 the early days a stoekholder, and tliere were many in (ireein\ ieli, was never willing- to admit that lie owned a share. Owin^' to what were termed the "Sehuvler frauds" and also to i»Teat losses oeeasioned hy the Xorwalk disaster whieh oeeurred ^lay 0, 1853, when a train ran into an o])en draw and killed fifty passengers, the stoek had very little value. At that time Justin 1{. Hueklev of New \'()rk was ])resi(lent ■-*, --«& I.(K'().M()1"I\K XO. 27 X. Y. & X. H. R. R. and among the directors were Capt, William L. Eyon of (xreenwieh and J. \V. I^eeds of Stamford. Capt. Eyon owned and occupied what is now known as the John Voorhis homestead on Putnam Avenue, with extensive gai'dens and lawns extending along (xreenwieh Avenue as far south as the garage of Allen l^rothers. He was the grandfather of I^ike Yincent Lock wood. James H. lloyt of Stamford was Superintendent and lie possessed greater ])ower and influence in the [267] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH management of the road tlian the president, wlio was little known in Conneeticut. Snperintendent Hoyt was the father of George H. Hoyt, who began his bnsiness career as ticket agent in the Stamford station and at the time of liis death had, for many years, l)een president of the Stamford Savin^gs Bank. The rails were light, rarely meeting at the ends, being plugged with a block of wood. The rails rested on wliat were called "chairs" and were not fastened so as to make a practically continuous rail as at present. To travel on such a railroad re- quired considerable forti- tude as well as patience. Greenwich had seven trains each way in 1859 and no Sunday trains. Tliere were five trains to Xew York in the morning, namely the .5.20, 6.36, 7. '21, 8.87 and 11.30. The 7.21 was the popular morning train, used by the commuters, of wdiom there were a very limited number. Of these I recall Robert INI. Bi-uce, John G. Wellstood, Charles A. Whitney, Moses Christy, Luther Prescott Hubbard and Henry M. Benedict. From Xew A^ork the first train left Twenty-seventh Street at 7 a. m. The cars were drawn up Foiu'th Avenue — four horses to eacli car — to 32nd Street [a [268] MOSES CHISTY 1S17-1884 RAILROADS IX THE EARLY DAYS little later to 42n(l Street] whei-e a wood l)iii-iiiii^>- engine was attaehed. Tliiiik of siieli a tliin^' liapjjeii- ing now in front ol' the iie\\ X'anderhilt Hotel! The first stop was at Willianishridge at 7.-57. This was originally the nortb.ern terniinns of the Harlem railroad, the first railroad built out of New York, and on tlie nortli side of the traek may still he seen the remains of the foniidation of tlie old turntahle. The stations following were ^Nlt. Yernon, Xew Roehelle. ]Mamaroneek. Rye and Port Cliester. reaeh- ing Green wieh at 8,21. There were no sueh stations as Columbus Ave., 125th St., Pelham, Larchmont or Harrison. There was at that time no South Nor- walk. but at the Xorwalk station a horse ear line ran to the Rorough of Xorwalk. The time table of that year, a bit of yellow paper, printed on both sides and only six by ten inehes in size, is among my possessions. The diff'erenee be- tween that modest little affair and the thi'ough time table of to-day. with its sixty-two pages, represents the difiference in the importanee of the road then and at the present time. This was before the days of eonsoliilations and tlie inconveniences of trans]Jortation of half a century ago b.ave been eliminated by the union of eoi'poi'ations. We take a parloi* ear at Xew ^'oi-k. and in five hours, having had all the eomfoi'ts of a delightful journey, step out at the South Station in I'oston. Rut on this little yellow time table there is no assur- ance that the Roston express — there were two daily — [269] OTHER DAYS IX GREEXWICH would ever carry you beyond Xew Haven. That was the end of tlie Hne and upon arrival you were turned over to another road. If the trains made good connections you might expect to reach Boston in seven hours, including ten minute stops for refresh- ments, at such points as Hartford, Springfield and Worcester. You were in charge of a new set of trainmen, without uniforms, and you jogged on over a rough roadbed, dodging hot cinders from the engine and swaying back and forth in the narrow rigid seats. There existed scarcely a community of interest between the Xew Haven road, seventy-two miles long, and the other roads of the State. The first train out of Xew York left at 7 a. :\i. and passengers for the Danbury & Xorwalk R. R. were told to take that train and change cars at Xorwalk. The same remark was made of the Housatonic, the Xaug- atuck and Xew London R. R. Companies. Each was an independent concern, never waiting beyond its time of departure. The Xew Haven road simply suggested, but not in words, "we will take you where you can find another railroad and you take your cliances." But the road was making money and paying ten per cent dividends, with a good surplus in the treas- ury. Indeed the law makes it compulsory to pay to the State all railroad earnings in excess of ten per cent unless the same is required for equipment or roadbed. It is needless to say that the State has never received a dividend. Tliere were enough op- [270] RAILROADS IX THE EARLY DAYS })()rtiiniti(,s to make iiiiproveiiR'nts and otic of these was in new locomotives. When No. 27 came out the directors gave Currier iv: Ives of New York a commission to make litho- grapli ])iMnts. in coloi's. of tlie engine and tliey were o'iven awav to friends of tlie road. It was a light CIM'.lvWVlCII n. U. STATION ISoO affair, with a great ludging smoke stack, the (Ii'i\ing wheels painted a gay I'cd. hut half the weight of an oi'dinary yard engine of the present day. In the spring of 18(58 two j)arlor cars were put on the Hoston ex])ress trains. These it was believed would add matci-ially to the comfort of the traveler. These cars were of the English Coach model. di\ ided [273] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH into compartments with a door from each opening onto the running board. They were called "New York" and "Boston" and left each city about eight o'clock. They were supplied by the Wagner Parlor Car Co. They were never popular and the following year one was destroyed in a train shed fire and the other was withdrawn. The club car was unknown in those days but cer- tain commuters who desired to play cards occupied their own camp chairs in the baggage car. These chairs were in charge of the baggage master, who had little else to do, and his compensation was a generous Christmas collection. This w^as the origin of the present club car service. The location of the Cireenwich station in 1859 was about seventy feet north of the present site but the building now in use is the same, enlarged and im- proved, when the four tracks were laid in 181)8. It was a quiet spot, where that old station stood fifty years ago. Heiu"y Sackett's great farm barn across the road, south of where the Daly building now stands, gave fortli an aroma of the country as the passengers left the train and walked past it on a lane twelve feet wide to (xreenwich Avenue. There w^as always one hack in attendance, owned and oper- ated by AVilliam Elliott. He was a man of various responsibilities, for besides being the hackman he was the ticket agent, baggage master and hotel pro- prietor. He was just such a bustling type of thin, sinewy man as one finds to-day occui)yin<'; similar [274] RAILROADS IN THE EARLY DAYS positions, at remote little stations in Maine and Xew Hampshire. In those days there was no tele<^'ra])h station and W Il.l.IA.M H. WALLACE At a. lie of U) it was years after\\ai-(!s before the Adams Kxjjress Co. took any notiee of (rreenwieh. It was Ml'. Klhott's enstcm to sit on tlie station platform din'inL>- the lono snmmer days, li«>htino- flies and do/ino- away the time between trains, while the boys wonld sneak up beliind him and tiekle bis ears [275] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH with a timothy head. When tliey tired of this, they would ()■() down under tlie stone arch, after which the street has since l)een. named, and, hurrvino- alonu' the dusty road in their haste to get into the water at the liead of the creek, shed their clothing, one ]:)iece after another, until there was scarcely a i^ause be- fore they were nude and immersed. 15ut the boys' fun was considerably curtailed af- ter ^Ir. Elliott employed William H. AYallace as an assistant. Although "'Billy" Wallace was then only sixteen years old he felt the responsibilities of his position and the boys CHARLES H. WRIGHT J^^d to stoi) fooHug arouud Age of 24 • 1 1 1 • 1834.-1878 the station, although it was several years before the swimming hole was aban- doned. There wasn't much for young Wallace to do but paint the chairs and scrub the floors, but he made the old station such a model one that it attracted the at- tention of the officials. His reputation for cleanli- ness must have been well established among the school children, for I know that the following incident actu- allv occurred: One dav Charles H. Wright, the [27(1] RAILROADS IX THE EARLY DAYS ])riiK'ipal of Ww public scliool, was walking- aloii^- tlu- track with a favorite scholar. The siiiiinier sun was just sinking- in the west as tlie man and l)oy looked ahead at the glittering rails and exclaimed "I low beautiful!" At their feet the iron was (lull and tar- nished hut where the sun- light struck th.em, in front of the station and down at the Field Point cross- ing, the rails shone hke burnished silver. "It is the finger of God in the sunshine, my boy. that turns this homely iron to those threads of silver," said the teacher. The boy replied. 'Oh. no. scouring 'em." However, Mr. W^allace secured the confidence of the officials and became the first baggage master at the station. Then he succeeded ^Ir. Elliott as ticket agent and from freight conductor to conductor of one of the finest through ti-ains, he finally became assist- ant snpei"intendei>t. which position he held for many years, with an otfice at New Haven. lie died at his home on Milbank Avenue A])i'il .5. 10()(). In those days tliere were no through freight trains: one local that I'an down in the forenoon and back at nigiit. C'oiwhictoi" .Jones was in chai'ge with old [277] W n.l.l AM II. WALLACE As Avst. Sunt. N. v.. X. H. & H. H. 1{. Rillv AYallace has been OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH engine Xo. 10. He knew everybody on tlie line and after his freiglit was loaded he was sometimes reluc- tant to leave till an especially good story was told. The milk train down at 10.30 at night was some- times used by passengers who occupied the caboose. The conductors and brakemen were not compelled to wear a uniform, the only mark of their official posi- tion being a piece of metal, fastened to the front of the cap marked "Conductor" or "Brakeman." But the conductor then had all the responsibility of run- ning his train, while now the trains are controlled by the tower men. They were often the recipients of presents from commuters in the form of gold watches and lan.terns of rich cut glass, bearing the name of the official. The cars were low, and covered with a flat roof, with- out ventilators, with very small windows and lighted by four coach lamps containing coal oil. This ab- sence of light required the conductor to have a lantern on his arm wliile punching and collecting tickets and reading liy the passengers was impossible. At each end of the car was a long wood stove, by the side of which was a Avood box, usually filled with white birch. The brakeman attended to the fire and "l)roke" the train at the call of the engineer by two sharp whistles. Every train carried a "water boy" whose duty it Mas to go through the train occasionally and su])ply the passengers with water carried in a tin receptacle resembling a watering pot, without the rose, and sur- rounded by lialf a dozen glasses in tin brackets. [278] RAILROADS TX THE EARLY DAYS JNlany of the old time coiiductors rose tVoin the liimihle post of water })oy. eiiteriiii*- the service at tlie a"htiii(>' man, the hardships and liiorics of the Pc'(|ii()t War in 16.37. The other settlers were men of peace. Feaks and Patrick came to (xreenwich early in 1()4<0. Tliey \vcrc actiii<»' nnder the authority and in behalf of the Colony of Xew Haven and they at once ()])ened negotiations witli the Senawaye Indians for the |)iii'chase of hind foi' a settlement. The red men, caring less for land than for coats and blankets, were (jnitc willing to pai't with their ancient possessions, and on July 18. 1()4(), they formally executed to Feaks and Patrick a conveyance of a large tract including all of what is now Sound Beach. Th.is deed was un- recorded for forty-five years, when it took its place in Vol. 1, page 1, of the Greenwich Land Records, where the copy now is. yellow and faded with age but per- fectly legible, under a magnifying glass, and signed by old Amogorone, whose name is now associated with the (Treenwich Fire Department. In the early sixties there was nothing but open fields, beautiful trees, alon.g the highways and a mag- nificent view at Sound Beach. Of course it had farmers and they were prosperous, because the soil was wonderfully ])roductive — the ])lace often being called the garden s])ot of (Greenwich. The soil is black, free from ledge oi- bowlder and ^^■ell adapted to the cultivation of celery, strawberries and aspar- agus. A\'h,cn it \\as out of season on the farm there was an oyster boat in the cove near by, for the Sound Beach farmer ])l()we(l the sea as well as the land. The old I'V-n-is homestead, still standing, was at the [•281] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH entrance gate of tlie Sound shore, where scallops in large quantities were caught after the first of October. During the warm summer days after the hay had been gathered and the potatoes hoed for the last time, the farmers from Greenwich and Stamford, and some even from Bedford, made it a i^oint to give their „-, ^ families an outing on the I *' broad beach or thev would camp out for a week or ^,.'_^' two un.der the great oaks X . ,^ that grow on the point. Riverside had no rail- road station until about 1870. Both the station i.UKE A. LOCKWOOD and the post office were 1833-1905 established through the efforts of Jeremiah W. Atwater and Luke A. Lockwood. ^Ir. Atwater and his family came to Greenwich from Brooklyn and bought a house and lot of Titus ^Nlead on February 27, 186.5. The place was located on the west side of Xorth Street and is now owned by William F. H. Eock- wood. ]\Ir. Atwater was a commuter on the railroad, having a real estate office in New York. Some three or four years afterwards he moved to what is now Riverside and began the active development of that part of the town. He bought large tracts at what were considered large prices but what he sold brought him a good profit. He also engaged in house con- [282] RIVERSIDE AXD SOT XD BEACH striK'tion. l)iiil(lino- some of tlie best lioiises in River- side and tliiis iin])i-ovinL>' liis land ^^■as better able to dispose of it. He was very ojjtiniistie and althouoh the hard AMASA A. MARKS lS-25-190:} times of 187'3 and the years that preceded the re- sumption of s])ecie ])ayments made liis schemes of develo))ment more difficult, he never lost coura<^-e but was always confident tliat in the end he would "come in a sure w inner," as, in fact, he did. Luke A. Lock^^()od. a New York lawyer who h'ved at the old homestead and (h'ed Xo\ember '20. 1 !)().), in [28:JJ OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH the house in wliieh he was born, gave to "Sir. Atwater hearty eneouragement and thus were estabhshed the raih'oad station, a post office, and St. Paul's chapel, now an Episcopal Church independent of Christ Church, organized originally as a private corporation. The growth and importance of Sound Beach may be largely attributed to the efforts of Amasa A. Marks. He was a New York manufacturer and business man, who came to Greenwich and, on Janu- ary 12, 1872, bought of Charles Hendrie, Jr., about tw^enty-five acres of shore front land for $10,500. The price he paid for the land shows that he was a pioneer. The man who sold him the land was a native and the old homestead still stands, a beautiful example of an old-time mansion. INIr. Charles Hendrie had a brother, J. W. Hendrie, mIio is well remembered by his neighbors at Sound Beach. He was a graduate of Yale College, a mem- ber of the famous class of 1851, and upon receiving his degree he embarked for California. In the citv of San Francisco, where he was early a large land- owner, he became rich from the profits of the gold mines. The law school building at Yale, known as Hendrie Hall, was his gift. ^Ir. JNIarks and ^Ir. Hendrie, who in those early days spent a few montlis each year at the old home- stead, cooperated as far as possible in the improve- ment of the roads, the construction of a new school building and in many other ways made their infiuence felt in the community. ^Ir. ^larks left a son, Wil- [284] RIVERSIDK AND SOIXI) RKAC II liaiii L. Marks, who is still a resident of Sound Hcacli. being the ])ul)lie s})irite(l owner of LaddiiTs Koek Farm, (xeoroe E. Marks, another son, who in his younger days was a eivil engineer in town, is now a resident of New ^'ork City. Tlie advent of tlie railroad in 1848 led many of the old residents to l)elieve that a station would he loeated in that neia'hhorliood. (iilhert Marshall resided in the house still standing nearly op})osite the present Sound Beaeh station. He owned eonsiderable land in that vieinity and it was his desire to have a station at that ])oint. It is diliieult to imagine for whose aeeommodation it was re(iuired, hut Mr. ^larshall was determined to get the station and he got it — on the map. In his dvcd of a jnirt of the right of way he had h.is lawyer in- sert these words: "Said Company is to esta})lish a "regular stopping ])laee on said land and if said Com- "pany should fail to use it as a passenger depot for "tlu-ee months at any one time after said road shall "have been eom])leted between Xew Haven and New "York, then the said laiul shall revert to and beeome "the j)i-opei'ty of said Marshall." The old man told me it was just as sti'ong as Chai'les Ilawley eould write it and still the statioii remained a ])i-<)mise uid'ulfilled for thirty-one years and long after the old man had passed away. For years before his death I often saw him standing at th.e south dooi- as the ti'ain rattled by looking as if he was still waiting and exp'eeting the long- deferred statio:). [-85] CHAPTER XXVI THE OCTAGON HOUSE THE Greenwich Hospital on JNIilbank Avenue occupies land where formerly stood the Octagon House. In the spring of 1859 tliis house stood alone in a wide territory of farm land. It had been built about two years. JMason Street, then called on a map in the Town Clerk's office "First Avenue," had not been opened and JNIilbank Avenue from Putnam Avenue to Davis Avenue was called Love Eane, sometimes JMill Lane. South of tliat it went by tlie name of Second Avenue. Aaron Woolsey and Edwin ^Nlead owned all that tract north of P^lm Street bounded on the east by INIil- bank Avenue, on the west by Green^wich Avenue and extending north to the JNIason property, now Lewis Street. This land was all very productive and from the Octagon House was an un})roken view, south and west across fields of timothy and grain. Solomon S. Gansey built the house from plans claimed by him to be original. Pie said he expected to build a house of an entirely new and original style of architecture and the plan as first drawn showed one more story than was finally constructed. The [286] THE OC TACtOX house third story for lack of riiii(ls was omitted and the eupola oeeupied its j)hiee. Jaeoh T. Weed h,ad an inn at the head of Cireen- wieli Avenne. in tliose (hiys. and anion^' tliose who made the inn a phiee of rendezvous, partiewhirly Sat- in i-: ocr Acox iiorsK in'(hiy ni^lits, was the l)uihler. Mr. Ciansey. W'lieii Mr. (xansey showed tlie phms to Mr. AN'eed, tlie latter sugg-ested that tlie house he huilt out of plumh, so as to resemble tlie leaning' tower of I'i/a. Mr. (iansey told Mr. Weed that he didn't know what lie meant, hut that he had a sus])ieion that Mr. AVeed was lau<>hino- at him. However, the house eonstruetion went on with its [i'S7] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH windows and doors on eight sides, till it was com- pleted in the imperfect manner already described. Brush Knapp was a native of Greenwich who, when lie was a youth, had left the Round Hill farm for New York City. He became wealthy as a whole- sale grocer and in 1850 retired, and purchased of William E. I^iyon seven acres and a dwelling house on North Street, now the property of Cornelius Mead and lately occupied by George Guion. On the second of April, 1859, he bought the Octagon house of George A. Palmer for $5,0()(), in- cluding one and one-half acres of land. The same month he bought of Aaron Woolsey of Bedford, N. Y., for $1,500 five acres adjoining his first pur- chase. At that time the opening of what is now ]Ma- son Street between Elm and the present Lewis Street was somewhat uncertain, as shown by ^Ir. Knapp's deed which reads as follows: "In case the said Brush Knapp and adjoining "owners shall deside to keep it (First Avenue) ])er- ''manently closed then each, party shall own to the "center of said First Avenue, opjjosite tlie land owned "by him." It was about ten years before this portion of ^lason Street was opened and it held the name of First Avenue till 1881 when it was extended north to Put- nam Avenue and the street, for its entire length, named Mason Street. ^Ir. Knapp had been an active business man in [288] TIIK OCTAGON HOUSE Xew York and for tliosc days had amassed a roi-tune. He was pleased with the loeatioii and siii-i-()im(hii,us of tile lioiise. hut he often stated that when the plaee was new to him he had to take his hearinos with some care, lest in attem])tini>' to l>() out at the fi'ont door he emerged at the haek door, so eonfusin^- was the eon- sti'uetion of his eiL»ht sided liouse. jNlr. Kna])p was a man of excellent jud;L»"- ment and was acti\'e in the manayement of Horoui>'h atfaii's, oeeui)yin<^' the position of Hur- g e s s ma n y terms. His keen business instinct enabled him as the 15 o r o u i»" h grew to sell off from time to time ]jortions of his original purehtise until he had gotten his money l:aek several times over, and still I'etained his home \\ ith ample gi'ound. Wlien Mason Sti'eet was opened from l^hn Street to Lewis Street he built one of the first liousrs on the [289] OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH street, where his daughters, Amelia and JNIartha Knapp, hved for a numher of years. The h.ouse is now owned by David K. Allen. In 1885 ]Mr. Knapp sold the home to ^Nlary War- ing ]Mead and went to live in the jNIason Street house, where his last days were spent. [290] T CIIAPIKl? XXVII TIIK OLD .MILL AT STON VHKOOKE UK tii'st house iioi'tl) ()[' Cornelius Mead's on the road to Stanwieh is the home of George P. Waterbuiv, known as Stonyliiooke. and recently purchased hy J. Ilowland Hunt. One hundred and seventy years ago this road was called the By- field Road. X^o one knows why it hoi'e that name. l)ut it is fi'e(juently mentioned in the early land records and may have referi'ed to a road hy a field, at a time wh.en cleared ground was rare. The house, which stands on a knoll beneath an an- cient ehn, looks out across a merry brook and down a road, curving between moss-covered stone walls. Beyond this road, with its graceful cui'\es, is a bi'oad stretch of meadow, called in the old deeds "the Hook land." and still farther^away the ti'ces of a dense foi-est meet the sky line. The first settler on this sjjot, tlien common land, was Caleb Mead. He was boi-n in KJD.'J and ti'adition has it that he was foi'ty-one years old when he built the first house at Stonybrooke. It was on the exact spot where the })resL'nt house stands. In 17o() at the age of fifty-six Caleb Mead died, leaving three sturdy sons, Caleb. Jeremiah and Titus. [291] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH Caleb, tlie father, left a will hv whieli lie "ave all his land, divided and undivided, "lyin*^' in (rreenwieh Township, Fairfield County, Connecticut Colony, in New England," to be equally divided between his three sons, above mentioned. After his deatli the boys made division of the land by the exchange of quit claim deeds, and the homestead went to .leremiah. The following year, 17.)1, Jeremiah tore down the old house, and using some of the old frame, built the western half of the present house. Tlie tire])laces in the kitchen and living-room and in the chambers above are suggestive of a time when they were the only means of cooking the food and wai-ming the house. The eastern half of the house lias been built within the last sixty years. That ])()rti()n of the liou'-e firs!: 1 uilt, reveals massive oak beams, wrought iron nails and handmade latches and hinges that tell of house construction methods one hundred and fifty years ago. It is probable that about this time the mill site on the ])ro])erty was first utilized. While the dam was relmilt in 1880 and bears that date, it is well known that the new dam gave place to one of more ancient construction and by some it has been claimed that Caleb Mead, the first settlei', made use of the water ])ower for a cider mill, traces of the foundations of which ai"e still pointed out in the orchard south of the house. It is more likely, how- ever, that the first use of the water power was for a saw mill. It is known that mai»v of the earliest y^^^^m/"^ y :v-j^..j,j ■ft. ^-^ ■'''.•-:>i:\ ' - ' - Sk^ ?. y 'I*,«s VL'-i V. -•y TIIK OLD MILL AT STOX VKllOOKE houses in (Greenwich wvvv siij)])lie(l with iiiatci'ial sawed at tliat mill. Jeremiah JNIead i-aii the mill and managed tlie farm dmMiio- his hfe. His son. K(hmind Mead, taking n]) tlie ^^■()^k after his deatli, raised a family of twelve children. The lat- l.()\\!:i{ I'AI.I.S. SIOXVHROOKI': Power for tlic cluirn ;iti(1 icc-crfnin freezer ter consisted of six hoys — James, Reuben, Allen, Al- fred, Kdmund and L'vini>-, and six dauo'liters, Laura, Kunice, Anna, Lydia, Kmeline and Saiuantlia. L^pon the third son, Allen, the father of Dr. Ik-verly E. ^lead, devolved early in life the mana<^ement of the old mill. He measured the lumber and thereby learned to solve manv a mathematical problem which [295] OiHP:R DAYS IX GREEXWICH the school hoys of those (hiys could not master. He learned music when musical attainments were not looked upon with favor hy the liard-working farmers, hut Allen caught many a s])are moment among the logs around the old mill to study the art of music as taught hy I^owell ^Mason, a famous Boston teacher who had a class in Stamford. Later, the farm descended to the son, Edmund, who ran the mill for many years and died at the old place M-dv 9, 1893. He was the father of Irving ^lead of Stanwich and of JNIrs. John H. Banks of the Borough. It was less than thirty years ago that the mill wheel was stopped and the old mill was given over to the storage of plows and liarrows. It was torn down ahout 1909. The illustration shows how the old huilding rested aaainst a i>'reat tree. But for that tree it would have fallen several years hefore it finally hecame unsafe. It was ])rohahly the last of its kind near the village and it was an interesting relic of the generations that have i>'one hefore. [296] SXAI' SHOTS AT S r( )XVni{()()K K CHAPTER XXVIII TIIK OLD MILL AT DAVIS LANDING IX ail early chapter, reference lias been made to tiie old Davis mill. It was a <^reat disappointment to me that it had to be torn down, because I always loved the old mill. I caught eels under its great wheel before I was ten years old. I dove from the rocks into the pond, and swam with the tide through the race-way and as I grew older I fished for snap- pers from the window on the south side. I knew every mysterious nook and cranny in the old building. But at last it grew so weak with age that it was no longer safe to allow it to stand. The upper part of the building was sound. Every timber and ])lank in it were hewn from the native forests and the marks of the adze were visible. Some of the oak was as hard as })one, but tlie sills and the lower floor timbers had for so many years felt the direct influence of the salt water that they were thoroughly decayed and there was great danger of a complete collapse. Tlie mill was built in ITOo. At that time Church and State were closely united. Ecclesiastical ])rop- erty was town property. The meeting house, as the name indicates, was used for })oth religious and secu- lar i)ui poses. The minister was supported l)y the taxpayers, and the town meeting hired and discharged [299] OTHER DAYS IX GREEN WRIT as it saw fit. Rev. Josepli ^lorgan was tlie minister ill that year and by a vote of tlie town, January 9, 1704<, he was granted the privilege of huildiiig a mill on Cos Cob river. The stream referred to as Cos Cob river was some- times known as Brothers brook and later Davis' creek. INIany have supposed that the river referred to is the creek at Cos Cob, l)ut in this they are mistaken, as that was always called in the records the "Myanos river." The grant to I uild the mill was accorded to Mr. Morgan with a view to aiding in his support, and as a convenience to th.e inl^al)itants who wanted their corn ground. But the mill was very profitable and it became a serious question with the deacons of the church whether ]Mr. ^Morgan was not devoting less time to the spiritual interests of his parish and more to the running of the mill tlian was best for those concerned. Tlie town had given to ^Nlr. ^Morgan thirty acres of common land and a house lot where the village is now located, and the peo])le thought he should be there most of the time, rather than at the mill. There was, however, a dift'erence of opinion as to whether Mr. ^lorgan was justified in his course and therefore at a town meeting held July 20. 1708, it was voted to leave the matter for decision to the minis- ters of the County, very much as such differences in these days would be settled. Ebenezer Mead and Caleb Knapp were a])i)()inted [800] THE OI>D :M1LL at DAVIS LANDING a c'oiHiiiittee to lay the .subject before the united min- istry of Fairfield County and the result was adverse to Mr. Morgan. The ministers decided that "Sir. Moi-oan oui>ht to hire a competent miller, while its owner should attend to the s])iritual wants of his parish. The matter was decided with <4reat promptness, but Mr. ^Morgan showed a reluctance to yield and on the 27th of Auoust. ITOS, the town voted that Mr. JNIorgan must obey or the committee should hire an- other minister by "ye last of September." However, ^Ir. ^lorgan held out till the 17th of October, when he gave up the fight, stuck to his mill, and the committee secured another preacher. The mill must have been a soiu'ce of great profit, for after Mr. Morgan's death it was sold at auction foi' a large price, and what seems very singular to a man who had no interests here — to a genuine out- sider by the name of Valentine. He lived in Oyster Bay, Long Island, then called "Nassau Island." He owned a trading sloop, that had frecpicntly made a harbor in "Chimney Corner" and in that way Capt. Valentine knew of the value of the property and was ])resent when it was offered for sale. The Valentine family owned the old mill till 17()1 when it was sold to Thomas Davis, who also came from Oyster bay. He ran the mill up to the time of the Revolutionary war. His two sons, Stephen and Fdisha, ran it jointly during the war. Fdisha Davis Avas a Tory and secretly ground grain for the British [.303] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH fleet lying- in the Sound. Stephen Davis remained loyal and at the end of the war the State of Con- neeticut. being able to convict Elisha Davis of his offense, confiscated his property, which constituted the undivided half of the mill. Afterwards, by an act of the General Assembly and in conformity with the treaty of peace with Great Britain, Stephen Davis bought back the share which had been taken from his brother and for many peace- ful years thereafter the wheel went round with every tide for the convenience of the people and the profit of Stephen Davis. For more tlian a century thereafter, the white- aproned miller that lifted the sacks of grain in at the old Dutcli door and passed back the meal into the waiting ox cart, was a Davis. Stephen Davis was laid at rest with his father on tlie hillside, in the woods just north of the railroad and was followed by his sons and his grandsons, all millers. There was Silas, Walter the "Commodore," Henry and last of all, Edward, who died in the winter of 1891. He loved the old mill but he realized that its end had come and the day before the demolition began he went all through it in his half blindness. He passed his hands over the girders and the floor timbers and stroked the long shingles as tliough they were creatures of life and knew him and realized the part- ing hour. The warming pan, the old brass andirons and tlie ancient clock of his forefathers were all in [304] THE OLD MUA. AT DAVIS LAXDING the mill, l)ut wei'c taken out with tender eare and not long since I saw the eloek. now nioi'e than two hnndred years old. still tieking the time away in the sho]) of Henry Sehifferdeeker. Although the old mill is gone, all the surroundings are much as they were fifty years ago. The winding road witli the wayside well, the picturesque walls, the granite howlders, moss-eovered and overgrown with stunted cedars and climbing vines, the bold and wooded shores up and down the creek all lend a charm to Davis I^anding that the removal of the old mill has not effaced. [:io.5] CHAPTER XXIX THE ANCIENT HIGHWAYS THE highway commissioner, Leon H> Peck, says there are about one hundred and seventy-five miles of public ways and streets in Greenwich. During the last lialf century they have increased in small proportion to the growth of the town. The map of Greenwich, from a survey made in October, 1757, and April, 1773, a copy of which appears in Spencer P. INIead's history, shows practically the same highways that are in use to-day. As a boy and youth I was familiar with all the roads. INIany of the old landmarks have disap- peared; the dirt road has been changed to macadam; grades have been altered; ancient stone walls have been sacrificed to the greed of the house builder and curves have been eliminated to accommodate the swift moving motor car. I like to think of them as they were in other days, although we are not without artistic and beautiful highways. But fifty years ago all our roads ran between ancient w^alls of granite bowdders, softened witli tlie moss of a century and overrun with creep- ing vines. The stone fences were one of the prettiest features of an afternoon drive. They were as [306] THE ANCIENT HIGHWAYS crooked in their winding as tb.e track of an adder. They were stranoely irregular in sluipe; some low and some high; some of small stones and some of massive bowlders. INIany of them would have fallen to the ground hut for the tenacious grasj) of the ivy that ran in and out the fissures of the rock and held them like the strong- est mortar. Some of them were so hui'ied heneath woonsi:^' koad the foliage that oidy here and there was revealed a glimpse of their mossy surface. It was hard to believe that they were the creation of man. and not tlie wild growth of nature. JNIany of the roads were shaded and some of them were typical "woodsy roads" where the maiden hair fei-n would rustle against the s])okes of the wheels and the overhanging chestnuts hi'ush against the carriage toj). The farmhouses all had a look of |)i"()si)erity. The massive chimnevs were the stvle of a century [.•i(l71 OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH before, when the great open fireplace was the only method of heating the house. Some of the fields were rugged with rocks. The plowman would dodge between the ledges and back and go ahead again with perfect indifference. The soil was sweet and warm between the rocks and the harvest always abundant. The houses were never connected, bv woodsheds, ROUND HILI. W(X)DSHED wath the barns, as in New Hampshire and in many parts of Massachusetts. The snow has never pre- vailed sufficiently in these parts to warrant such a construction of farm buildings that a fire in one of them means certain destruction to all. The woodshed was usually a feature among the farm })uildings, although at points near the village it had often been degraded into a storehouse for broken dow^n farm implements, among wdiich the hens would steal their nests and hatch their young, out of season and in open defiance. For what [308] THE AXCIEXT HTGHWxWS farmer's hoy would Imiit for eg<>'.s between tlie rusty knives of disearded iiiowing maeliines^ Hut in the northern part of tlie town tlie woodshed eontinued to ])erforni its duty of a century earlier. In the I'all and early winter it was piled to the roof w i t h seasonioo- hickory and aj)- ])le tree wood and its perfume was easily detected. As the shades of evening- came on one could see the thin line of wood smoke from the great chimney and often the odor of flap-jacks came out at the half open door. The Greenwich farmers always lived well. I used to note the bee ski])s about the back yard and the milk cans upon ])egs in the cleansing sunlight. There were vegetable gardens, a]j])le orchaids and melon ]:)atches. Hows of Mason jars in the |)antry told of how they had everything "in season and out." [:io<)J ISAAC HOWK .Mi;\l) Sn;i)is!iot by Nelson 15. .Mead 18:33-1889 OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH In other days the walk to Cos Cob was over the Post Road unless one avoided the dust in summer and the mud in winter by going "across lots" from Davis I^anding over the dam and througli tlie Isaac Howe JNlead farm, now Bruce Park. In laying out Bruce Park care was taken to preserve all the natural and rustic features of the place, but tlie removal of the old stone fences and the construction of invit- ing drives has taken away all the seclusion that its former inaccessibility as- sured. South of the Isaac Howe Mead farm was the farm of Charles ]Mead, usually known as JNIead's Point, for it has a magnif- icent water front. It had yielded hay and grain to successive generations of Meads. The ancestral home stood not far from the present house owned by his sons. Whitman S. JMead and Charles N. IMead. The old house, wliich was su- perseded by the new house longer ago than I can re- memlier, had Dutch doors and a brick oven which tohl something of the family life of those who lived there more tlian a century ago. Like all Greenwich farms, it had its potato cellar and once on tlie key- stone of its arch 1 dug the moss from the words "Noah JNIead, 1812." The marks of the chisel re- [310] CHARLES MEAD 1813-1898 THE ANCIENT HIGHWAYS vealed tlic hand of a hoy wlu) like tlie hoys of to-day had left his name and the date for fiitnre oenerations to read. The same hoy lived to honored manhood and died at the age of seventy-seven. Isaac Howe INIead lived in the tii'st hriek house hiiilt in Cxreenwieh. It stood near the road in front of the present home of William II. Truesdale. Along the lane, for the road was scarcely more, where this house stood, the oaks are very old a!ul thrifty and even in tliese days artists find many a suhject EDWAKI) MKAI) ]S()!)-1HS,5 i;i)\\ AIM) mi: AD IIO.MI SI I. \l) P.uilt is;}j for their hrush. Cos Coh harhor and the Sound are in ])lai?i sight and to the northwest one could look across the fields and over the tree tops, now within [311] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH tile enclosure of ^Milbauk, to the village with its tall chiireli spire. Just north of the Isaac Howe Mead house, on the same road, was a square white house still standing, .iOSKl^H BRUSH 179:2-1870 but now suri'ounded by other dwellings which was the lionie of Lyman jNlead. He was prominent in town affairs for many years, and a member of the Legislature. A little farther along, through a road that retains [31-.'] ■ THE ANCIENT TITGTTWAVS all of its fornuT beauty, is the old Post Road at Cos Col). ()p])(!sitL' the junction of these roads stands one of the old-time mansions, with its four i^reat chimneys and its chaste and artistic fi'ont dooi- im- -►^ ^ •^'WiM JOSI'.PH BKLSH HO.MESTKAI) lU ILT IN THK .MIMDIJ': OF THK KICHIEKXTH CKXTURY 'I'liis house and tlic |-',])liraiiii I.. •me, James War:ng, and IJoliei't ("ark houses were the lionies at (ine tinic of fifty-three children. In the Brush Homestead were born all of the fourteen childicn in the family with the cxcciition of Amos, llie eldest, who was horn in llorscneck nioi'tali'/ed hy \nttin'narle(l clieri V tree and an cnergrown hlac bush, ixlies of the front dooryard. The locust trees grew on that road and in tlie si)ring tlie air was heavy witli the fragrance of their l)l()s- sonis. Near some of the aban- doned liouses were piles of locust, in lengths for posts, looking old and storm-beaten as though they had been entirely forgotten and had no vahie. Vears ago — more tlian tifty — these small places ^^ere occupied by operatives in the rolling mill long ago al)andonefl. Tlie Cognewaugh lload enters tlie North Cos Cob Road, not far from the little settlement, with school- house and ehui'ch that once went l)y tlie name of Dingletown. ])erha|)s because tlie cow bells were so often heard in that neighboi'hood. Not fai" away was the home of Klkanah Mead. It was a great white house visible for half a mile down tlie road. Here he h\ed for forty-eight yeai's. He saw his ehildi'eii. that were spared, g^o^\■ u|) to honoi" and [:U7] I'.I.KAXAH MEAD lSlS-1894- OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH cherish him in liis declining years. How much of joy and sorrow came to him in this home! So much that it made him tlie sweet-tempered and genial old man that everyone loved and respected. The heauty of Greenwich is in its valleys as well as its hills. There is much life and warmth hidden in the meadows and hy the hrooksides. And in other days most of the farmers appreciated the beauties of n.ature. It is true they were living in houses, built by earlier generations, who had had no time to look beyond the hay field. In many instances magnificent views had been obstructed by planting apple orchards or by the erection of barns and out- buildings, when perhaps a hundred acres more de- sirable for such purpose had been left open for culti- vation. But they were always quick to admit the mistake and to point out the prominent knolls on the farm, where a view could be obtained and where, in many instances, have since been built fine residences for city people who appreciate the country. One of these is Benjamin T. Fairchild, who bought the sightly Caleb W. JNIerritt home at North Green- wich years before the automobile had made the place accessible and furnished it throughout with Colonial furnitiu'e. He may drive or ride one of liis fine horses across to Round Hill, but his automobile, never. Down in that deep valley, approached by a tortuous road, runs the infant Byram roaring over the rocks of an ancient millsite. Here in Revo- lutionary days the military operations in AVestchester [318] TKE AXCIENT HIGHWAYS County and in Western C'onneetieiit were conceived and ])lanne(l. Tile old mill, which lono- ago disappeai'cd, was the meetinLi" place of the Cxenerals and on one occasion in 17H1 W'ashintJ'ton himself was ])i-esent to advise and encourage. Hound Hill was always a fascinating place. It was so quiet, so rural, so peaceful. Perhaps to- day it has as many attrac- tions as in the past, hut they are not (juite the same, (rrand mansions, "^^ h e a u t i f u 1 lawns, tall fences and formidahle gateways o c c u ]) y t h e l)laces of many old houses with well-sweeps in the yards and the simple latch gates that led out to the road. In th.e early morning hours the salty. ])ungent odor of the sea-marsh, seven miles away, has often heen home to my nostrils hy a favorahle wind. Perha])s Saturday night in Hound Hill was no different from other weekday nights and yet some- times as I drove through that (piiet hamlet there a])- peared evidences that the week's Avork had terminated differently from that of other nights. The farmer l)()ys had tidied u]) the side-har huggy and the silver- mounted harness, pre])aratory to the Sunday drive [319] CHl'UCH AT XORTH C.H KKXW K H DKSTUOYKD I5Y I 'IKK DEC". 1.5, 1S9.5 OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH Avith their best girls. The carriage liouse doors were still opeji. while the pool of water by the grassy wash- stand, the rubber boots and the water-soaked overalls I J ODI.K C. KX Al'P 1815-1888 dripping on their pegs told their own story. Round Hill was a village with a store, a post office and a hill of the same name. To see the hill in all its glory one must ascend it at high noon of a clear October day and look at the horizon of forest, farms and water in one grand sweeping circle. It is now the prop- ertv of the banker, William Stewart Tod. but once [320] THE AXCIENT IIiailWAYS ei^'ht acres on the siiiiimit helonu'ed to Fi-ederiek Bonner, one of the sons of Kohei't Honner. of Phila- delphia Lcchjcr fame. Fred Bonner was the ehnni of Alexander Taylor, Jr.. and onee. when on the hitter's steam yaeht, /S'/.v/- l(irh\ eruisino- in the Sound he saw through the ii'lasses Round 1 1 ill with its sin<>le apple tree at the apex. Tui-nin_i>' to Taylor he said. ''Alex, do you see that land that lies nearer to Heaven than any other in sights 1 want to huy it." And within a month it was his. The old stoi'e at Round Hill stood on the west side of the road, in those days, but since it lias been moved aci'oss the way. It beloniJ-s to Xathaniel A. Kiiapp, l)ut the name "(). C Knap])" over the door has looked the same since the son was a baby boy, making" mud ])ies with his brothers and sisters in the little pools about the hitching posts. [321] CHAPTER XXX BELI.E HAVEN RECURRING finally to the farms which consti- ' tuted rural Greenwich lialf a century ago, the Nelson Bush farm, now Relle Haven, comes naturally to mind. In 1882 this farm was put on the market at forty thousand dollars. (Tcorge H. and Henry Dayton ^ ought six acres of it for $(),00(), which brought th price of the balance down to $34,000. Subsequently the Belle Haven Land Co. paid that amount to the Bush heirs and acquired the land. A tract of twelve acres was also purchased of Augustus I. Mead for $12,000, located about where the Hackett Day, Wilbur S. AVright, Thompson and Tyler cot- tages stand. This made the total original cost of Belle Haven, before any improvements were made, about $4*6,000, quite small compared to the price of $150,000, paid for the D. Smith iNIead farm in 1907. I visited the ground with about a dozen ])rospective stockholders early in the spring of 188.'5. No finer day could liave been selected for the ])urpose. There was just a reminiscence of winter in the air and the soiled snow lay in ridges along tlie north, side of the stone walls. But the sun was warm and the twitter of tlie bluebirds and the joyful whistle of the meadow hirk, the first of all our song birds, could be lieard [322] BELI.E HAVP:X across the fields. Tlie matter of tlie ])iireliase was 13ractically settled that day and Belle Ha\ en. the first residence park that (ii'eenwieh e^'er had, was an as- XKI.SOX lUSll IS()()-IS7,J snred fact hefoi'e tlie cheery trees had hlossonied. Before this, hnid had heen (h'\ ided into huildin^- plots such as Rocky Xeck, Init tliis was the first land s])ecu- lation that conld I'cally claim the name of a residence jjark. In 1882 all the h-iiid now included in Hellc Haven excepting the Wilham II. McC'ord pr()[)ei-tv OTHER DAYS IN GREENWICH and about forty acres liesides, was assessed for town taxes at $15,490, yielding an annual tax of $193.62. The taxes now paid by the various owners at Belle Haven amount to many thousand dollars. The men who bravely took up the 15elle Haven enterprise saw many dark days and in 188.5, '86 and '87 the sales were slow and expenses heavy. There were mo- ments, perhaps, when they wished they had taken pronounced views against farm land on that spring day in 1883. Capt. Thomas ]Mayo, Nathaniel Witherell and Robert ]M. Bruce were among the pioneers in the Belle Haven scheme. It is interesting to think of Belle Haven, when it was an open farm many years ago. Once I knew an old man who gave his personal recollections of the place as it appeared early in the last century. On the Byram side of Belle Haven W'as what was known as the Banks lands, consisting of 29 acres, and after tlie park was quite well built u]), it was bought of Nelson B. :Mead for $9,000. This occurred in January, 1889. It was shortly after this that I had an interview with the old man and his recollections are as follows: "I enjoyed going down there as early as 1820, "when Samuel Bush owned what is now the upper "portion of the park. My recollection of the old "gentleman is very distinct. Never a great talker, "lie possessed plenty of ideas and the quaint origi- "nality with which they were expressed, made it worth "all it cost to get them. When alone he said but [324] BELLE HAVEN little, hut wlien I lin'ed him up to Deacou Ahi-aham JNleacrs or dowu to John Hauks' he would talk, especially if he ^'ot onto the suhjeet of Ohadiah Banks' will. Ohadiah was the father of uine chil- dren, all of whom otcw to full aoe, and in the earlv years of the nineteenth century lived in that ])art of Belle Haven |)ui'chased of Nelson H. Mead. The old man died in 17U(). He had heen personally inter- ested in the Revolutionary war, and the liint-lock iJ'un that hunL»- ahove the mantel had heen his ])ride. His son, John Banks, and the widow, Elizaheth, never removed it, and I used to see it just as it hung when its owner's silent form was carried out of the narrow south door for its last I'estino- place. Well, Ohadiah's will was always an interesting topic for Sam Bnsh and Deacon Ahraham ]Mead. Sam never liked it. He used to say that Ohadiah/s widow was altogether too restricted in her rights to the farm, and that when he made his will he would pro- vide that his widow shouhl have the use of all his farm for twenty-one years after his death. And that is exactly what he did when lie came to make his will along in coi'u-husking time in 182(). But he used to com])lain to the Deacon that the widow Hanks had too liheral a dower in the use of the house and hai'u which Deacon Mead had set out to her in the following language : " 'The one-third ])art of the dwelling house, heing the west room, with the chamher aho\c said room and one-third part of the cellar, with the pi'ivi- [32.5] OTHER DAYS IN GREEXWICH "lege of the entry and chamber stairs to go to and "from said chamber, and to bake in the oven; also "the one-third part of the barn being the west bay, "with the liberty of the floor to cart in and through.' "Sam thought that the mother and girls could "manage their unity of interest in the oven, but tliat "when a sudden shower was coming up an.d the widow^ "and her sons, Ben, Daniel, John and Joshua, were "each getting in their hay, on their respective parcels, "they were all likely to get a load to the barn at the "same time and in the strife for the 'liberty of the "floor' the hay might get wet. It was certainly a "small barn for all that was expected of it, and I "felt a little sorry to hear that it was toni down last "week. Sam Bush at times would tell us of his boy- "hood days and how, in the summer evenings, he used "to sit by Obadiah's west door, and count the potato "laden sloops sail down the Sound. He thought a "wonderful sight of Obadiah's children, the oldest of "w^hom was quite grown, but tb.e little tow-headed "ones were a merry lot and they were in and out at "the door, off to the barn and back, across the knoll "to the shore, singing and laughing like school chil- "dren at recess. "When winter came and the snow fell deep in the "Field Point Road and drifted across the lane, Dea- "con Abraham ^lead's boys, Isaac and Zophar, ac- "com])anied by the Banks boys with their ox team, "would join forces in breaking the roads. After "the work was done and the evening chores at the [:3-2r,] EELI.E HAVEN "hain ac'c'(;ini)Ii.slK-(l. how luitiii'al it was i'oi" the hoys "to I't'ti'ac'L' tlic'ir .stc|;.s over the newly heateii traek "to Ohadiali's h.onie, wh.ere the glow of the great open "fire tilled the south room and shone out of the win- "dows across the snow, to where the tide had tunihled "the iee against the scarred and seamed rocks along "the shore. "The striped cider mug on the shelf, the a])])le "hasket and the pop corn bag, were not greater at- "traclions to them than tlie merry girls gathered in "a half circle about the hearth. "1 remember well just how tlie old l^aidss home- "stead looked, both without and witliin. In the cor- "ner cu})board of the south room was the best blue "china, that made a beautiful array, and so precious "that to-day the few pieces th.at remain would almost "brina' their weight in silver. Their odd but "race- "ful sha})es were decorated with historic scenes, of "which 1 recall Washington crossing the Delaware, "tlie siege of \^orkt()wn and the landing of Columbus. "One could eat veal })ie and study history at the same "time. "Xear the china cupboard was a s(|uare mahogany "clock, trimmed with brass, th.at has long outlived "its owner, for in a certain office in the village it still "ticks the time away. K|)slaii-s, tlie great canopied "bedsteads were piled high with feathers, and the "small windows were cuiiained with the most delicate "shades of chintz. There were \\\() pictui'e mirroi's "that hung on the wall: one of exciuisile design and [327] OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH "workmanship, representiiio- the fierce marine strug- "gle between the frigates Gucrricre and Constitution "in the war of 1812. "Tlie Constitution on even keel, her flags flying, "bnt her sails riven with shot, was firing with terrible "effect npon the hapless Guerriere lying almost upon "her beam ends, with her foremast gone by the "board, and her severed shrouds hanging over the bid- "warks. "Sam Bush bought the mirror in New York in "1813 for his neighbor, Thomas Hobby, and after ^Nlr. "Hobby's death John Banks bought it at a vendue. "The other mirror was much older, but more crude "in design and workmanship. It represented a girl " — a grotesque little thing — with a basket on her arm "and her forefinger in her mouth. Her rosy clieeks "and red boots were of the same tint and she stood "out against a yellow l)ackground and beneath a "scarlet canopy. "For more than twenty-flve years after Obadiah "died, his son, John Banks, occupied the old "homestead, but his brothers Uan, Joshua, Ben and "their sister Elizabeth from time to time sold theii" "lands to Deacon Abraham Mead, till finally in 18"25, "after the deacon had died, John Banks sold the home- "stead to Isaac ^Nlead, the son of Abraham ^Nlead and "the grandfather of Xelson B. ^Nlead." Just as tile old man gave me these facts, with here and tliere some verbal clianges and the occasional insertion of a date, I have written them. As I sat [328] BELI.E IIAVEX listenini*' to the story 1 could see liiin close his eyes as thou<^'li xisions of the past filled his luiiid. With the present he showt'd no sym])athy. and ex|)rcssed no interest exce])t as it j)ointed to the past and to those "vvho had f>()ne hefore. In h-is anticipations of the future he a<4ain saw his M-.i.SOX lUSH H()-Mi:S'l'KAI) Hcllf H;iv<-n old neii'it\- was |)ro- verhial and theii" confidence in tlu- honesty and piu'ity of their fellow men. uidimited. Sentiment and af- fection in. their natures were not so much lackiuL*' as the ahilitv or disposition to exj)ress them. OTHER DAYS IX GREENWICH A sturdy, honest, reputable race were they of whom their descendants may well be proud and whose sterling qualities very generally have descended to the present generation. THE END [330] IXDEX INDEX Acker, Alir;ih,nii, .'(), 215 Acker, I'ttcr, JO; fiardcn and homestead of, 23, 122, 1,53 Acker, ^\'illialll, drums up recruits, i;}() Adams, Saiimtl, ."> Aikeu, Dr. James, 19, 11,5 Allen, David K., ])ro])erty of, 289 Allen Brotliers, garag-e of, 2(u AII;iire ?jngines, used in marine service, 206, 207 Amcncun Club. 180, 181, 182, 184, 187, 188, 189. 194; mem])ers of, 63, 199, 200, 201, 203, 20,5, 207, 214- Amogorone. 281 Andrews, Benjamin, 2,58 Andrews, (Mrs.) Marv E., ]iro])- erty of, 91 Andrews, Cliief .Fustiee, sitting in trial. Mead will case, <)|)ini()n of, ,50 Anderson, \\'alter M., |)ro])ertv of, 1 ,5.5 .Anderson, (Mrs.) A. A., ])ro)iertv of, 202 Andrade, Jose])!! D. C, 200 Apples, become a product of Greenwich farms, 83 Apartment houses, Italian, 32 Arch Street, 2(i, 1 17 Ardendnlc Saiiifnriinii. 226 Artisans, Port Chester. emploNcd in Greenwich, 23 Asten, Peter, 264 Athf'Irroff. 94 Atwater. Jeremiah W., 282, 284 Bailey, (.Mrs.) Henry M.. 106 Baker, I"",dwin H., residence of, 248 Balloon frame huilding, ))rojection of causes comment, 122 Banks, Benjamin. 326. 328 Banks, Daniel, 326, 328 Baiik.s, (Mr.s.) Elizabeth, 325, 328 Banks, John, 44, 325, 326, 328 Banks, (Mrs.) John H., 296 Banks, Joshua, 326, 328 Banks, Obadiah, homestead of, 325, 326, 327; will of, 325, 326 Banks' Homestead, built by Oba- diah Peck. 158 Banksville. 61, 117 Banksxille .stage, connecting link with Greenwich, 61 Baptistrv, donated bv Wm. M. Tweed, 1869, 223 Barber, .Vma/.iah D.. 200 Barker. James. 200 Barnard. George G., 167, 200 Barmnn. Henry .V., 200 Barnard, JoIui't., 199 Barrow's Point, 213 Bars, unknown in Greenwich, 21 Bassford, Edward D., 199 Bathhouse, The Tweed, 190, 193 Bay])ort. 314 Be(-k. Frank 8. P:., 200 Bedford, 282 Bedford. Gunning .S.. 200 Bedford stage, .sto})ped at Slcui- irich I mi. Ii6 Bell, (Mrs.) Alfred, 106 Belle Haven, 322, 323, 324; objec- tion of residents to extension of slu)re road. 44 Belle Haven Land Co., pro])ertv of. 322 Belle Haven Park, 205 Benedict, (Miss) Belle, 19 Benedict, Elias C., residence of, 184 Benedict, Henry :\I., 8, 12, 119. 241, 268; residence of, 155, 158; se- cures widening of Greenwich -Avenue, 120 Benedict Place. 12, 13 15enson, Oliver D.. 139 Berrien, Daniel, 300 [333] INDEX Betts, John S., 199 Big Six Volunteer Fire Co., 165, 18:} Black Republicans, abolitionists so called, 1^'.5 Blackwell's Island, AVni. M. Tweed sent to, ^^8 Black Walnut Tree, the old, 250 Bleaklev, Andrew, -'00 Bleaklev, Andrew, Jr., 200 Bonnett, (Mrs.) A. Leta, 66 Bonner, Frederick, property of, 321 Borrows, William B., 200 Boswell, Henry C, property of, 94 Boithhrs. The, home of K. B. Close, 76 lioyle, Edward, 199 Bovle, James W., 200 Brady, Henry, 138 Brady, Stephen, 138 Braisted, Peter D., 199 Brennan, Matthew T., 200 Brennan, Owen W., 199 Brice, John, 200 BrinckerhofF, Captain Abraham, 183, 187. 202, 206, 261 Brookside Drive, 74 Brothers' Brook, 16, 300 Brown, (Mrs.) F. Kissam, ])roj)- ertv of, 95 Brown,' Martin B., 200 Bruce Park, 16, 310 Bruce, Robert M., 237, 264, 268, 324 Bruce, (Miss) Sarah, 237 Brush, Amos M., 19, 115, 242 Brush, S. Augustus, 121 Brush, Charles, ]iroperty of, (Hi Brush, Edward, proiierty of, 251 Brush, Henry L., 23, 121 Brush, Joseph, 17, 18, 35, 115. 241; homestead of, 315 Brush, (Mrs.) Josei)h, 106 Brush, S. A., 23 Brush, Shadrach M., 10(); iirojiertv of, 121 Brush, Shubel, granddaughters of, 66; property of, 66 Brush. William, ^iroperty of. 66 liuchanan. James, Pres. U. S. A., 18, 125 Buckley, Justin R., 267 Buffett, Rey. Piatt, 248 Buffett, (Mrs.) Piatt. 246 Bulla rd. John A.. 21 Burying groimd, the Davis, 57, 60 Burke, Dr. William, 7 Burnes, Judge Charles D., prop- erty of, 74 Burns, Dennis, 200 Burns, Erastus, 137 Burns, James, 137 Bush, Nelson, farm of, 205, 322 Bush, Rebecca, 2 Bush, Samuel, 325, 326, 328; prop- erty of, 324 Bush, William, 2, 5 Butt, George W^, 199 Buttermilk Falls, tract so called, 91 Button-ball Trees, the old, 153 Button. (.Mrs.) Julia A., 105 Button, Philander, 105, 194, 207; farm of, 1, 86, 194 Button, Philander (Mrs.), 106 Byfield Road, the, 291 Byrani, 27, 204, 324 Byram Point, 27, 204; rural con- dition of, 28 Byram River, 30, 318 Cameron, Charles, 236 Canary, Thomas, 200 Captain's Island, lighthouse on, 182 Cardoza, Albert. 167 Carnochan, John M., 200 Central Park, Tweed statue pro- jiosed for, 222 Chamberlain, John C, attorney in Mead will case, 48, 49 Chamberlain, John F., 200 Chapman, John D., owner of Round Island, 45 Charlock, John T., 199 Chcrriirnlc, Recreation Home for \Vorking Girls at, 85 Chimiiei/.'). the, 94 Chinmey Corner, the, 184, 303 Choate," Josejih H.. 229 Christensen. Carla. artist, 31 Christy, Moses, 268 Crist'y, (Mrs.) Moses. 106 City "island, 181 Clark, Dr. J. A., home of, 14 Clark, (Mrs.) Eockwood P., 106 Clancy, Lawrence, 199 Close," Allen H., 90 Clo.se, E. B. owner of the "BnuhJ- ers," 76 Close. Jonathan A.. 259 [334] INDEX Close, Sainuel, IH, 3,5, :}7, !»:5 Coasting, favorite ])lac'e tor, IJl Cogiu'waugh Road, :31(), SI 7 Cohen, Maver H., 2'.i5; jiroixrtv of, IJl," ;?38 Collier, James W., ^00 ('oloninl Taceni. .Mead's, 244 Columbia, District of, ('om])ared in size with Greenwich, J.> Company I, Tenth Conn. N'ohni- teers, first to go to war, i:?(>, i:«, i:j7 Committee of Sevent\ . work of, 161, 174, 17(), -'-^0 " Congregational Churcli, old. 1!); first edifice, llx?; second edi- fice 1730, 112; third edifice 1798, 112; burning of 18()(i, 115 CoiuioUv, Richard H.. I(i7. l(i!>. 173", 17,5 Coonev, M'illiam, residence of, 98 Cook, .Vda .M., jiroperty of, 1,55 Cooper, A\'illiam, associate of David .Mason, 247 Copperheads, Southern syinpathi/,- ers called, 125 Cornell, Charles G., 199, 2ti4 Corson. Cornelius, 199 Cos Cob, 17, 25, 2(i, 54, 88, 204, 2-25, 22(i, 229, 231, 310, 313, 314, 316; Harbor, 311; River, 300 Coulter, James E.. 200 Courtney, (Miss) Hannah, }>rop- erty of, 154, 155, 156 Cozine. John R., 2 Crabs, found at old \\"hitc Bridge, 60 Cn-nt ]'liir. sale of, 9t Cramer Uuilding, S Creruncr, Thomas J.. 201 Cuddy, Ivlward, 200 Curtis. Julius H., attorney for H. M. Benedict, 19, 120,"l34 Dalv Building, 274 Daili. the old. 12, U, 16 Ddiidif. horse owiu'd bv .ludgc Mead, 34 Danes, ])o))ulation \u Ivist I'ort Chester, 31 Danish Club House, I)uilt bv Milo Mead, 31 Darrah, John, 213 Davin, Edward .\., 199 Davis Avenue, 6, 7, Ki, 197, 286 [33 Davis. .M.rahani B.. 2, 5, 259; farm of, 1 Davis' Creek, ,54, 300 I)a\is Cemetery, 57, 60 Davis' Dock, origin of, 68; owned and held by Davis family, 69; litigation over ownershi]), ()9, 70, 71; jury in litigation over ownershi]!, 71 ; witnesses called in suit over ownershi]) of, 71 ; ownerslii]) of Walter Davis, sustained 1837, 70, 71 Davis, Edward, 304 Davis, Eleanor R., 6; estate of, 6, 69 Davis, Elisha, 303, 304 Davis, Henry, 304 Davis Landing, 2, 217, 310 Davis Lane, 197 Davis Mill. old. 57. 299, 300, 303, 301, 305 Davis, Judge Noah, 176, 177, 227, 22>^ Da\is I'ond, 16 Davis, Silas, 2, 258, 259, 304 Davis, Stephen, 303, 304 Davis, Thomas, 303 Davis, Walter, 259, 304 Davidson, John McB., 200 Davison. William, 199 Day, Hackett, residence of, 322 Dayton, George H.. pro])erty of, '322 Dayton, Henry, j^rojierty of, 322 Dfivton, Jacob, Jr., 70 Dayton, John, 22, 90 Da\ton, ;\Iarv 1''., ])roiiert\- of, 238 Dcarfu'ldx. 2," 153 Dearfield, built in 1799, 73; origin of name, 73 Dearfield Dri\c. origin of name, 73 Deep Hole. 16 Decker. William I*'., residence of, 85 Delano, (:Mrs.) Lucy .M., 208 Democratic I'.artv, during war times, \2ri Drings, 263 Fields, Thomas C, 200 Finch, David, 137 Finch's Island, 182 Finch, Jared, 137 Finney, B. Frank, 14 First "Avenue, 286, 288 First Presbyterian Church, 93 Fisk, James, Jr., 200 Fitz Gerald, Henry M., 217 Vive Mile River, 203 Flag pole, erected during wartime, 126, 129, 1.39 Fleming, Charles !>., 200 Fold, The, a home for children, 84, 85 Ford, John J., 199 F'ort Siunter, fired upon in Civil War, 125 Frear, Alexander, 200 Freight tonnage, early, 26 Fresh Air Home, opened by Na- thaniel AVitherell, 84 Funk, Augustus, 200 Funston, Thomas, 263 Gansey, Solomon S., 122, 286, 287 Garvev, Andrew J., 199, 226 Garvey, John, 200 Genet,' Harry, 222 Georgi, Adol'ph E., 200 • [386] INDKX r.oldcii, I-:|ilir.iim, 70. 7i I l,i rdcnlin.ok, (.Miss) l.illic A., Gordon, Kcv. ( '.corec A.. I). I)., property of, li)l, l)).> jiastor of Stcond Coiifi-. I Inrkiu'ss, 1.. \'., ))roi)frtv of, 1j8 C'liurch, IK), III ll;iriictl, .loiiii H., JOO Could, .lay, JOO lliiriu rs' Wcckli/. J:2J CHiMivillf. -Ml; woolen mills at, :}| Harrison, ,Iosei)li (J., 200 Glcnville Road, dixided Mead Ilarway, .lames L., -200 farms, 73 Ilarxcy, Alex W., iJOO Cirafiilla, Claudius S., 19!) li.iven'ieyer Seliool, H, 118 Craham, (.Miss) (\)rnelia .1., I,>T Hawley, Charles, attorney Davis' Ciraham, .lolu;, chief counsel for Dock suit, 70, 2S3 Wm. .M. Tweed, 219, 22S Hawthorne, origin of name, 31 Craham, (Miss) .Mary K., l.>7 Held House, site of old pottery I'.rand .lurv indicts Wm. M. plant, 3S, ;?,)7 Tweed, y.'T Held, Henry, meat market of, 23, Crant, the ,1 list us Bush, (iS. (i!) \22, l_'.3 Creat Hill, owned hy Israel Hemhold, Henry T., ,'()() Knajip, 9,) Heudock Woods, 73, 7 1 Creat Island, 2M\ Henderson, .lohn, market of, 20 Creelev, Horace, 2() !• Hendrie, Ch.irles, ,(r., property of, Creen,' .\ndrew II., 17.), I7(), 229 2S4 (Ireen Courl liin. .) Hendrie, .). W., 2S t Greenwich .Xcidemy, 19,>, 197, 207, Hermance, Frank, 237 220 " Iliggins, .\. Foster, 220; i)roperty Greenwich .\ venue, 7, 20, 22, 23, . of, 98, 19S IIS. 123 137 219 222 233 Historians, local. \\'II 242 245 249, 266, 267 274 Hitehman, M'illiam, 201 286'; first purchase of land for Hobby, Captain .lohn, l,-,3, l.w business i)uri)oses, 22- original Hobby, Ilusted, 2.)9 widening of, 120 llohhi/ T'''- ^"^ Greenwich Savings Bank, 22 Jogan, Kdward, 199 Creenwicli Trust Co., building of, Hoggson, Willimn H.. residence of. 23, 122 2.53 Holly, Kdward P., 106 Grl!;!;' s;;!"t''^57"''"' "'• "' H'^''^-- (^'-•) '^• 'ir-l^ ''- ^l'>> I'-I-ty (iiiion George, 288 ,, ,, ,,, . .,, r,,,,.l.l,.i,,„ T..,. T mo Holly, (Mrs.) Stephen, 06 liiimhleton, .lames ,1., 200 ,, .,■ ,,.-,,• it ^,-,1 Holly, W ilhani H., 260 Ifnlh/ hni. 31.5 Hagerty, Edwin M., 199 Holmes, (^ai)tain Caleb, 26 Hall, A. Oakley, 167, 169, 174 Holmes, Caleb M., 1.39' Hall, Charles II., 181, 182, 183, Holmes, (Mrs.) Caleb, 106 187, 188, 189, 199 Holmes, Frank, 21 Hall, Judge, hands down decision Holmes, Reuben, characteristics in Davis Dock litigation, 72 of, 96; property of, 9.5 Halsey, Schuyler, 200 Holmes, Isaac, .Tr,"2.52 H.nmlton \ venue, 32 ffomrstecHJ II, .11. origin of. 33 Ilanan, .lolm H., ])r()perty of, 32 Hook lands, the so called '91 [337] INDEX Horse Xet-k, .'(>; origin of name, 38 Horse Neck, Hohliv ]n-oi)ertv in, 154. Horse Neck Brook, 77; territory near, 37 Horse Xeek Field Point, original name, 38 Houses, number built and assessed up to 1859, 25 Howard, Henry Waring, 115 Howe, (Mrs.) Xeheniiah, 106 Howe, William A., 10() Hoyt, (Mrs.) Elizabeth R., 10() Hoyt, George H., i?68 HoVt, Col. Heusted W. R., 23, 194, ■ 2:35 Hoyt, Dr. James H., 267, 268; de- livers farewell speech to Co. I, 131 Hubbard, Frederick A., 236; home in 1859, 11 Hubbard, Hollv, 137 Hubbard, John", 137 Hubbard, L. P., 241, 268; home- stead of, 157 Hubbard, L. P., Jr., enhsts in X. H. Regiment, 130 Huelat, Henrv H., 199 Hunt, J. Hovvland, 291 Husted, William A., 259, 262 Hvde, Clarence M., property of, 94 Hyde, Dr. F. C, proi>erty of, 90 Hvde, Sevmour J., property of, ■ 41 " Ice cream, sold in fish market, 23 Ice liouse, first in town, 34 Indian Chief's Throne, landmark at Rocky Xeck, 258 Indian Pleld, Fresh Air Home at, 84 Indian Harbor, 124, 184, 194, 205; Mead Home at, 38 Indian Harbor Hotel, 184 Indian Harlior Point, 25Q Indian Harbor Yacht CluV), 26, 261 IngersoU, James H., 174, 200 Ingersolls', ]iro]ierty of, 66 Innls Ardcii. 280 Inslee, Gage, architect, 188 Jackson, Joseiih A., 199 [3 Jackson, Philip X., 230 Jacoi)s, Hobart B., 315 ■lavnes Park, part of Griggs' farm, 33 Jerman, George, 138 Jerman, William, 138 Jerome Park, 218 John Romer, the, 63, 64, 206, 207, 208, 209, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216 Johnson, William, solicits recruits with fife, 130 Jones, Conductor, 277 Jones, Edward, 199 Jones, George, publisher of the N. Y. Times, 172, 173, 174 Jones, James E., 200 Jones, Dr. Leander P., 196, 236 Jones, Morgan, 199 Jones' Stone, 204 Jime, Theodore, kept boarding school for boys, 67 Kearney, Edward, 199 Keeler, John E., attorney in Mead will case, 47, 48, 49 Keenan, Patrick H., 199 Kernan, Francis, 174 Keyser, John H., 200 Kimmons, John, 187 Kinnnons, Richard, 187 King, John T., 199 King, Professor, 264 Kimiev, Francis, 199 Kirk, "Lewis J., 199 Kirk])atrick, Thomas, 200 Kna])]), (Miss) Amelia, 14, 289 Kna})p, Brush, 8, 13, 288, 289, 290 Knai)]i, Caleb, 300 Kna]>]>, Israel, property of, 95 Knai)p, (Miss) Martha, 289 Kna]ip, Xathaniel A., property of, 321 Knaiip, Odle C, 233, 321 Kocli, Josei)h, 200 Laddin's Rock Fann, 285 Lafayette, General, 244 Lafayette Place, 126, 129, 244, 246 Lake Avenue, 207 Lawrence, Charles L., 200 Lawrence, Rt. Rev. William, liisho)! of Mass., decries use of stained windows, 65 Leeds, J. W., 267 Lrno.r House. 20, 156, 244 88] INDEX Lewis, Beale X.. l.>(>; property of, lo(), 1,)T Lewis, Rev. Dr. is,iac, l.Vi, JKi, 217, 21^; resideiue of, IIS, 154, :?44., 2U, 2Mi, -'1-8 Lewis, (Mrs.) Elizahetii, widow of Iie\'. Dr. Lewis, l.)7 [.ewis, (Mrs.) Ilaiiiiali, wife of Dr. Lewis, :J47 Lewis, (Miss) Marv Kli/.al.ctli, .'17 Lewis, Roswell W." 2Ui Lewis, (Miss) Saraii, -'47 Lewis Street, 2U, J4.5, 2W, -'S(>, ■2HS, 2S9 Lewis, Zaeiiariah, 2l(i Lexiiiiiton Avenue, 8, 14 Lincoln, Abraham, Pres. I'. S. A., IS, 3.5, 140, 144 Lincoln Avenue, 8, 13 Liiicdlii's Inn. so called, 2\2 Linslev, Rev. Joel H., D.D., Pastor 2nd Cong. Clnircii, 10.5, 108. llx?, 13.3, 239 Linwood. 202, 2\9, 220, 222, 223 Linirnod, the vaclit owned 1)\ W'ui. M. Tweed, 202 Lockwood. Benjaniiti, propertv of. 2.3, 121 ' Lockwood, (Miss) Harriette L.. pro))ertv of, 66 Lockwood. i.uke A., 233, 282, 283 Lockwood. Lnke A'.. 267 I^ockwood, Oliver, grocery of, 23 Lockwood, William F. H., ])ro])- ertv of, 282, 283 Lowe, Charles E., 200 Long Island Somid, 1.53, 181. 183. 188. 20.3, 26.3. 280, 282. 311; view of, 11. 14, 20, 32. 37. 91, 99, 1.5,5, 1.58; .Sound sIkhv tract, .32 Long, Serg. Willi.ini. 137, 139 Love Lane. 6, 16. 196, 197. 198, 28(i I^ower Landing. 2() Lvon. .Augustus. 1.56, 2.59; i)ropei-l\ of, 2.53 Lvon, Daniel, farm of, 27 Lvon, Captain William L., 23, 122, 123, 267; iirojiertv of, 122, 288 Ludlow Street .la 11. 191. 219, 229. 231 Macgregor. Jameson. 199 Maher, John. ])roi)erty of, 86, 91 ■Mailer Avemie, 2.51 Maine, soldiers from .State of, 1 2(i .Main Street, 17. 120 Mallorw Charles. 2S; ])roi)ert\ of. 32 .Mallory. Henry R., 28 Mamaroneek, 203 M.inn, Rev. Joel, ex-]iastor of .Second Cong. Church, 109 Mann, Conunodore (leo. 1''., IS], 187, 199 Man.fion Ilonsr. the, 1.5() Maple Avenue, 98, 218, 2.50, 2.51 .Markets, Early, oihmi only in the forenoon, 23 Marks, .\nu»sa A., 284 .Marks, Cicorge E., 28.5 Marks. William L., 28.5 .Marremier, Edward. 199 .Marshall. Drake, 137 .Marshall, Cilhert, residence of. 28.5 M.irshall. Heiirv B., 6, 129 .Marshall, Williiim. 137 .Marston. Edgar L.. ]>roi)erty of. 32 Martin. Dr. Carl E.. ])roj)erty of, 1 .5 1 Mason, David. 246, 247, 248 .Mason l"'arm, the, 14, 1.5 .Mason, Jeremiah, 247 .Mason, CaDtain John, 280 .Mason, (Mrs.) .Marv E., 244, 246, 247 Mason, Mvron L., 2.3.5 Mason, T)v. Theodore L., 11, 20, 244, 247, -'48; farm of, 1 .Mason Street, 13, 14, 154, 244, 249, 286, 288, 289 Mayo, Captain Thomas. 3(). 207, 324 Mavo, (Mrs.) Rel)ecca R., :W .McCahe, Fr.ancis, 200 McCann. Charles. 137 McCami. ,»olm. 137 .McCord. William II.. ])n)periy of, 32.3 McCunn, John II.. 167 .McCutcheon, James, 45 .McFadden, Parmelee J., estate of, 9() .McGarigal. John. 199 Mcdowan. .lames. 200 MeC.owan. John T., 200 .McCluimu'ss brothers, 218 ^IcMullen, William, .'25; ])roi)ertv of, 231 McMidlen, (Mrs.) Lydia C, 22i); i)ro)>ertv of, 225 .McXall. ('.('orge C... 44 [XV,)] INDEX :Mead, Deacon Ahraliani, 38, 3:25, 328 ]Mead, Alexander, 106 Mead, Alfred, 295 .Mead, Allen, -295, 296 Mead, Alvan, 8, 158, ;259; property of, 157 Mead, Amos, 2i5 Mead, Andrew, 92 Mead, (Miss) Anna, 295 Mead, Arthur D., 106 Mead, Augustus, 33 Mead, Augustus, son of Isaac Mead, 38; farm of, 33 Mead, Augustus, son of X. B. Mead, 34; residence of, 22li Mead, Augustus I., 34; property of, 3:?-' Mead, Judge Augustus, 35, 36 Mead, E. Belcher, home of, 91 Mead, Dr. Beverlev E., :236, 295 Mead, Caleb, 391," 399 Mead, Caleb, Jr., 291 Mead, (Miss) Catherine, 226 Mead, Charles, 26; farm of, 310 Mead, Charles X., 310 Mead, (Miss) Clarissa, 105 Mead, Cornelius, property of, 388, 391 Mead, (Mrs.) Cornelia J., 90 Mead, Major Daniel Merritt XVI I, 22; captain of Co. I, 26, 130; sword presented to, 134; ex- tracts from diary, 133; re- turns dying, 139; death and funeral of, 140 Mead, (Mrs.) Daniel Merritt, 106 Mead, Daniel S., 130, 359; property of, 117, 190, 357 Mead, Daniel S., Jr., property of, 193 Mead, Daniel Smith, 6 Mead, D. Smith, 6, 346; farm of, 1, 6, 333 Mead, D. Smith, 3nd, 7 Mead, Dr. Darius, 103, 348 Mead, (Mrs.) Deborah, 79 Mead, Drake. 26, 333 Mead, (letieral El)enezer, sees Gen. Putnam esca])e from British, 1779, 86 Mead, Pev. Ebenezer, half brother of Theodore H., 87 Mead, Edmund, 395, 396 Mead, Edmund, Jr., 395 Mead, Edward, home of, 336, 227, 339, 330, 313 Mead, (Mrs.) Edward, 105, 106 Mead, Edwin, 7, 386; property of, 130 Mead, Elkanah, administrator. Es- tate of Judge Mead, 36; home- stead of, 317 Mead, (Mrs.) Elsie, 76 .Mead, (Miss) F^meline, 395 Mead, (Miss) Eunice, 395 ;\Iead, Frederick, 103; jjrojierty of, 103. 154, 158, 159. 196, 197 Mead, Hanford, 131 Mead, (Miss) Haimah M., 106 Mead, (Mrs.) Haimah, property of, 96 Mead. (Miss) Hannah P., 80; leg- acies of, 83 Mead, Henry, 345; property of, 344 Mead, Henry, military funeral of, 139 ^f('fuVs Hisfon/, 306 Mead, Isaac, .38, 336, 338 Mead, Isaac Howe, farm of, 16, 84, 310, 311, 313 Mead, Isaac L., 106, 246; building of, 30 Mead, Irying, 395, 396 Mead, (Mrs.) Jabez, 106 ]\Iead. James, 395 Mead, Jared, property of, 154, 158, 262, 363 Mead, Jeremiah, 291, 392, 295 Mead, Job, 76 Mead, Deacon Jones, 37. 105; death of, 39; Estate of, 37, 39 Mead, Joshua, 96 Mead, (Miss) Laura, 395 Mead, (Mrs.) Laura, 80 Mead, Lot, 26 Mead, (Miss) Louisa, 106 Mead, (Mrs.) Lucy Mumford, 92, 94 Mead, (Miss) Lydia, 395 Mead, Lyman, part donatilr of sword, 134; liomestead of, 312 Mead, layman, meadow, 60 Mead, Matthew. 31 Mead, Mark, 37, 39; projierty of, 33 Mead, Mary Waring. |)ro])erty of, ;^90 >'cad. .Merwin, farm of, 14 [340] INDEX Mc:h\, Milo. -'7, ;2<), :}(); held in es- teem by Danes, 32 Mead, Xcheniiah, Jr., 252; propertx- of, 2r>2 Mead, Nelson 1?.. M, :}-'S; iJiopcrtv of, 1121 Mead. Oliver. :?(}, S8, 183; conten- tion over will of, 43, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52; Estate of, 41; farm of, 37; Errors, Su- ])reme Court of, decides for ])erfeet title to Oliver Mead farm, 45; last will and testa- ment of, 4J, 43, 44, 46, 47, 51 3Iead, Oliver D., 43. U, 117, ^57 ftlead's l»oint. 310 i\Iead, Richard. 73; homestead of, 153 Mead, Keuheii, 295 Mead, Robert AVilliams, ^41; ad- vocates new church building, 100; home and interests of, 102; builds Second Cong. Church, 102 Mead, (Miss) Samantha, 295 Mead. San ford, -'07, 212, 2H ; Pres- ident Clreenwich & Rye Steam- boat Coiupanv. 63; ])ro]iertv of. 253 Mead. Silas Merwin, 7; farm of, 1 Mead. Solomon, 90. 96. 97, 198, :2:-'0, -'41, ::?46, 25(i, 259, 26;^', 365; early residence of, 98; later residence, 99; farm of, 98 Mead, Spencer P., XVII Mead, Dr. Sylvester, 115 Mead, Theodore H., characteristics of. W6. SS, 89; farm of, sold iiy order of Probate Court, 90; speculations of, 88. 89, 90; jiroperty of, Ki, 8(), 223 Mead, Theodore, 8() Mead, Colonel Thomas A., 2, 16, 19, 26, 77, 233, 246. 259, 262; lumie of, 153; loans to Theodore 11., 90; buys old Cong. Church building, 115; farm, 1, 15, 73, 7() Mead, Thomas R., miiitarx funeral of. 139 Mead. Titus, 291; Town Treasurer, 92; hill so called. 92; will of, 93; {iroperty of. 1, 86. 92, 95, 283 Mead. Wliitman S.. 310 .Mead. Rev. William Cooper, D.D., 1.. I.. !).. 87 Mead, William lleiirv. 26(5 .Mead. William J.. 2:V.i Mcadville. origin of, 30 Mead. Zaccheus, 2(); characteristics of, 78, 80; proj)erty of, 1, 73. 74. 75. 77; ])r,)visions of will. 79 Mead's l.ane, Zaccheus. 15 Mead, /accheus. 2nil. 7(). 78, 259, 262 Mead, Zophar. 38, 106. 32(); oiu' of original settlers, 37 .Mechanic Street, 115 .Meeting House, the old, 154, 158 Menendez, J. M., property of, 91 .Merritt, Caleb W'., farm* of, 318 .Merritt, Henry A., conditions gov- erning his purchase of dock ])r()))ertv, 31 Merritt, Joseph G., 197 Merritt, John H., 23 Merritt, (.Mrs.) Lewis A.. 106 Metroi)olitan .Museum of .\rt. site of, 178 Mianus, 17, 2ii, 155 .Mianus River, streams that join, 61 .Middle Patent, hills of, 61 .Milbank, 15. 91, 19,5, 202, 312 .Milbauk .\vetme, 196, 198, 277, 286; origin of name, 19() Milbank. Jeremiah, 198; ]>ropertv of, 221 Milbank, (Mrs.) Jeremiah, donates Town Clock, 196 .Milbank, Joseph, projierty of, 32 .Milk, present importations of, 27; shijuuents of, 26 .Miller, David, 200 .Miller, C.eorge S., 200 .Miller, James I,.. 199 Mills, Ceorge H., 106 Mill Lane. 286 Minor, Sheldon E., 44 .Mitchell, George H., 200 .Monakawave. 280 .Morgan, Rev. Joseph, 300, 303; pastor in first house of wor- shiji, 112 Morrell, Simeon, 203 Morton House, 184 Mosher, Isaac, ])roperty of, 235 Mozart Hall, established bv Mayor Wood, 162, 167 [341] INDEX Mulberry tree, old landmark on Greenwich Avenue, 137 Murray, Rev. William H. H., 140, 201, 21-2; birth and early days of, 141, 143; characteristics and life of, 141, 142, 143, 144, 147, 148, 149, 150; delivers ad- dress of welcome, 108, 109, 110; pastorate at Greenwich, 141 ; sermons and writings of, 144, 145, 147, 148, 150, 151, 153, 312; lectures in Ray's Hall, 150 Murray, (Mrs.) W. H. H., 141, 144, 151 Myanos River, 300 Nast, Thomas, cartoonist for Har- pei-'s Weekly, 171, 180, 231 News Boys' I^odging House, estab- lishment of, 178 New Haven, excursion on the Johti Rotner to, 209, 210, 211 New I>ebanon, docks at, 30, 31 ; school district of, 31 ; Sage of, 39; origin of name, 30 Newman and Hewes, 17 Newport, 205 New York, Municipal and political affairs from 1834-1873, 1(31, l(i2, 1(53, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 173, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179 Nichols, Milton C, property of, 88 Nichols, (Mrs.) George E.", 350 North Brother Island, 314 North Castle, hills of, 61 North Cos Cob Road, 317 North Greenwich, 318 North])ort, 303 North Street, 26, 94, 251, 288 Norwalk, 303; horsecar line at, 369 Norwalk Islands, visible from Solo- mon Mead homestead, 99 O'Brien, James, 173, 300 O'Brien, William K., 199 O'Connor, Charles, 174, 229 O'Connor, Chris., 200 O'Donohue, Thos. J., 200 O'Gorman, Richard, 301 Oak trees. The Oliver Mead, 41 Ochre Point, 205 Octagon House, the, 13, 386, 387, 388 Old Greenwich, 280 Old Greenwich Point, 280 Oliver, John W., 201 Oliver, Isaac J., 300 Old Town, 380 Osgood, George A., 300 Opera House, 31 Park Avenue, originally Tracy Street, 98 Park Street Church, Boston, 312 Parsonage Road, 27 Patterson Avenue, 251, 253 Palmer, George A., propertv of, 288 Page, Benjamin, owner (1837) of Inn at Mianus I^anding, 70, 71 Parker, Dr. Edward O., 11; home- stead of, 158 Parks, Archibald, 264 Parlor cars, first used 1868, 273 Patrick, Captain Daniel, 280, 381 Peck, Benjamin, 31 Peck, Elias S., 33, 338 Peck, (Mrs.) Isaac, 106 Peck, Peon H., 306 Peck, Obadiah, 157; propertv of, 157. 158 Peck, Theo]>hilus, property of, 250 Peck, Prof. Wm. Guy, residence of, 155; estate of, 158 Pentland, John, 300 Pequot War, 1637, 381 Perrv Land, known as, 353 Philliixs, Arthur, 33 Phillips, T. Augustus, 300 Piatti, Dr. Virgil C, jiropertv of, 30 Pickford, John. Jr., 199 Pllf/rin). the, 315 Pinneo, Dr. T. S., 106; residence of, 131 Pinneo. (Mrs.) T. S., 106 Piping Brook, 13 Piping Point, 26 Piping Point Road, 117, 345 Police Headquarters, 117 Population. 1859, 25 Port Chester, 37, 308, 311, 356; East, 27, 39, 30 Post Road, 73. 74, 1.39, 154, 155, 157, 226, 310, 313 Post Offices, early, 25, 34, 35 Potato cellars, old, 310 [342] INDEX Potterv, made hv Deacon Aliraliain Mead, ITW)," t;} Preseott Biiildiii-r, US Prcxcdurf. owned hv H. P. Wliit- taker, <)}■ Probate Court, initial judiie of, I51-; location of, lii, ;5(), x?S5 Pro])rietors, orijiinal term aj)])lied to taxpayers \~t2i), 257 Purdy, (Sliss) Ann, estalilishes i)()ardini;- school, Q2 Puniping- station, the new, 5-t Putnam Avenue, 2, IT, 18, 20, 35, 115, 120, 153, 198, 222, 233, 234, 214, 2()7, 286, 288 Putnam Cottage, 95, 98 Putnam, General, 90, 244 Putnam Hill, 8(), 87, 153, 155, 218, 248 Putnam Terrace, 14 Pyne, John, 200 Radford, Stephen P., 2(i Radicals, Republicans called, 125 Railroads, earlv, 266, 267, 268, 269, 270, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278, 279 Railway stations, four in (Ireen- wich, 25 Randall's Island, ori)han children from, visit Liiurood. 222 Rav, George S., wheelwright, 93 Read. Charles B., 74 Read, Ephraim, 180; ])ri)pertv of, 261 Red Rock, 209 Regattas, in Tweed's day, 203 Reynolds. Abraham, 26 Revnolds, Augustus X., 26 Reynolds, (Mrs.) Augustus X., 106 Reynolds, Gideon, 106 Revnolds. Frank, V. R.. house of, 13. 14 Revnolds. (Mrs.) William T.. 106 Piker's Island, 213 Ritch, Thomas, 150; projx'rtv of, 219 Ritch, (Mrs.) Thomas. 106 Rivers, (Miss) Frances .M.. 151 Riverside. 25, 280, 282 Roads, ancient, 306, 307, 308, 310 Rogers. William C, 200 Round Hill. 37, 117 Round Hill Farms Dairy, 129 Robbins. George. 138 Rnl)bins. William. 138 Hoche. Walter. I!)!) Rorkt'fcllcr /'ark. S. 220 Rockefeller, Perc\' A., pnvpertv of, 253 Rockefeller, M'illiam (!.. i)ro))ert\- of, 253 Rock Ridge, 73, 76; oldest house in, 78; ai)prai.sed value of, 83; sale of, 84; becomes site of Fresh Air Home for children, 85 Rockv Xeck, 2(i. 117, 183, 190, 257, 258, 323 Rocky Xeck Comi>atn'. the, 257, 259, 260, 262, 265 Rockv Xeck Point 18.36, Maj) of, 256 liocky Point, 184 Rockwood Pake, 65 Root, Elihii, junior counsel for \Vm. M. Tweed, 219 Rosevelt, George W., 199 Hoshn. 213 Round Island, 111, 180, 182, 183, 256; potato cellar on, 83, 182, 262; owned by Oliver Mead, 41 ; proposed purchase bv Town of, 44 Round Hill, 288, 318, 319, 320, 321 Kunyan, (Mrs.) Fanny, 263, 264 Rural free deli\erv, before davs of, 25 Russell, Jose})h E., 93 Russell, (Mrs.) Jose])h E., 106 Rvan, James, 200 live Beach, 63 Sackett, (Mrs.) Aima, 253 Sackett, Henrv, farm of, 274 Sackett, Jnstu's, 252 Sackett, Justus, Jr.. 253 Sackett, Justus Ralpn, 254 Sackett, William II., 253 Sand's Point, 263 Sanitary Conunissioii, has branch in Greenwich. 138 Sarah Thorp, the, 215 Satterlee, John, 200 Saw]iits, 256 Sa\les, Solomon, 200 Sciiaffer, Christian W., 199 Schaffer, John, 1,38 Schaffer, Louis, 1.38 Schaffer, William H.. 199 Schifferdcckcr. Henrv. 305 [lua] INDEX Schirmer, Dr. William, ^00, -20-2 Shi])yard. the Palmer & Duff, 316 Sohiivler, Robert, Pres. New Haven H. R., -266 Seofield, (Miss) Eliza J., 10(j Seofield, George E., 115 Seofield, William, 1:26 Scott, John, 199 Scott, Henry, 138 Scott, Warren, 138 Sea Cliff", 212, 213 Seaman, Charles H., 134, 241 Seaman, (Mrs.) Charles H., 106 Second Congregational Church, 27, 144, 159, 196, 197, 211, 250; anniversaries of, 100, 107; Companv I assembles in, 133; members of, 38, 41, 80, 105, 134, 211; present edifice built 1856, 100; remodelled 1900, 102 Secor. Theodocius F., 207 Selectmen, offices of, 233, 235, 236 Selmes, Reeves E., 200 Semloh Farm, 66 Senawave Indians, 281 Seawanhnka. the, 212, 213, 214, 215 Sennour, (Miss) Susan, property of, 157 Shandlev, Edward J., 199 Shandley, Michael J., 200 Shannon, Josejih, 199 Shar]>, Jacob, 200 Shei>ard, Frank, 220 Sheej) Pen, 15, 16 Sherman, Roger Minot, attorney in Davis' Dock suit, 71 Sherwood, Aaron, 138 Sherwood, John, 138 Sherwood, Stephen, 115 Sherwood, (Mrs.) William B., 106 Sherwood's Bridge, 244 Sherwood Place, 18, 19, 115, 233, 234 Ship])ing, ]ioints of, 26 Shook, Sheridan, 199 Sidewalks, absence of, 24 Silleck, Elbert A., 256 Silleck, (Mrs.) Elbert A., 263 Silleck, George, 241 Silleck Ilauxe. 262, 263, 265 Silleck, Thaddeus, 263, 264 Sillick, Stei)hen, 115 Simons, Thomas, 258 Skating Pond, old, 12 Slaverv, extant in Comi. 1815, 253 Slosson, Edward, 102 Slosson, (Mrs.) .\nnie Turnbull, 102 Smith, Daniel, 6; property of, 257 Smith, George Jackson, 234 Smith, Heniy, 199 Smith, John, property of, 257 Smith, William J., 134, 193 Sniffin, John, homestead of, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255 Soldiers' Monument, 133, 233 Sound Beach, 25, 280, 281, 284, 285 Southworth, Joseph, 199 Sjiader, John D., 258 Spring, the old, 118 Stamford, 63, 256, 282 Stamford Savings Bank, 268 Stanwich, 37, 117; location of, 64; old church at, 65, 66; old de- bating clubs of, 67; tanning industry in, 66; East, name ap- plied improperly to Stanwich Center, 67 Sltnnrirh Inn. the, 65 Stanwich Road, the, 291 Staten Island, 218 Steward, D. Jackson, 102 Stillson Benevolent Society, origin of name, 246 Stillson, (Miss) Elizabeth, death of, 246 Stonybrooke, 291 Stoiiington, 2(>3 Stoothoff", Stejihen A., 13 Stores, earlv, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 ■ Stoves, first used in church 1818, 112 vStreets, unlighted, 24 Strong, William L., Mayor of New York, 179 Studwell, Capt. Charles, party to suit over Davis' Dock owner- shij), 70, 71 Sturtevant, Xewell, 200 Stymus, William P., 199 Sunday, early observance of, 27, 159, 160 * Sunken Meadows, the so called, 215 Sweeny, Peter B., 167, 169 Talbot, Robert, 23; descendants of, 24 Tali)ot, William, 23; descendants of, 24 [344] IXDKX Tarrytown, -I'.U Taylor, Alcxaiultr, .1 r., '^:2^ Taylor, Rev. CMiarlos !•'., installed as pastor, 1 1 1 Taylor, Robert M.. 19!) Taylor, W. B., ~'()1 Ta'nimnini ]l(tll. early history of, I(j-',' 1()5, KiT, 1()8, M2, 177 Teed, Win. H., traet so called, 94 Ten Acres, mill site at, S7; skating jionil. S7 Thompson, (Mrs.) Amy K., f)() Thom])son, (.Miss) Caroline, 9(j Thomi)son, (.Miss) Cornelia, 96 Thom]>son, (.Miss) Harriet, 90 Thomjison, James, 9() Throgjrs' Neck. -'13 Tiers, William M., 7, IJi: home of, 8 Tilden, Samuel .1., 174, 175, 17(5 Tillott, Peter, property of, 157 Tingne, William J., 28, 31 Tod, J. Kennedy, 280 Tod, William Stewart, ])roi)erty of, 320 Todd, Rev. .Vhraham, 250, 251, 252; residence of, 251, 252, 253 Toll Gate Hill, 153, 155 Town Building, original, 36 Town Clerk, office of, 155, 235 Town Clock, donated hv .Mrs. Jere- miah Milhank, 196 Town Hall, old, 233; used as ren- dezvous for Comjiany I, 133; new, built 1906, 239 Town offices, old, 19 Tracy, Hezekiah, ]ir()])erty of, 98 Tracy, John Jay, i)ro])erty of, 98 Tracy Street, origin of name, 98 Trainer, Peter, 200 Trii)ler, Thomas K., 200 Trollev cars, first run in 1901. 2(i() Truesdale, William 11., property of, 311 Trumble, "Billy," 239, 240, 241, 242 Tuthill. Oscar, ])ro|)ertv of, 129 Tuthill Building, 233 Tweed. Charles, 219 Tweed, George, 219 Tweed's Island, 182, 184 Tweed. (.Miss) Jemiie, 218 Tweed. (.Miss) Josephine. 218 Tweed, (.Mrs.) .Marv Jane, 195, 198, 220 [34 TveccI, Man/ Jane, yacht owned by Wm. M." Tweed,' 202, 203, 204 Tweed Price, origin of saying; i)ur- chase of Mead acres by Tweed, 197 Tweed, Ri<'hard, 218 Tweed, Wm. M., 63, 8(), 199, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 212, 217, 218, 219, 221, 222, 223, 225, 226, 227, 228, 229, 230, 231 ; life and characteristics of, 161, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 17.3, 175, I7(), 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 187, 188, 1S9, 190, 193, 191, 19.5, 196, 197, 198, 199; trial of, 1883, 161, 176, 177; escape of, 177; ])ro[>erty of, 257 Tweed, Wm". .M., Jr., 217, 221 Underhill, Cai)tain John, 280 Upper Landing, 17 Valentine, Captain, 303 Valuation, re])resented by taxation in 1859, 25 Van .Vrsdale, P. B., 181, 187, 199 Van Brunt, George B., 201 ^'anderbeck, Francis, 199 Vanderbeck, John, 199 Van Tassell, William, 200 \'oorhis, John, homestead of, 1;^.), 2()7 Wallace, William H., 276, 277 Walls, ancient stone, 76 Wall Street, Clreenw ich investors in, 123 Walsh. Judge James F., 2, 236 Walsh, Judge R. Jay, 45, 236 War Democrats, fa\c)r abolition, 1 2:) Waterburx". Geo. P.. ])r(>i)ertv of, 29 1 Watson, James, 199 Wat.son, James S., 200 Webb, Henry, ]iro))erty of, 91 Webster, Daniel, 217" Weed, Isaac, 7; Postmaster to 1831, 35; ]>roi)erty of, 8, 121 M'eed, Jacob T., 287; property of, 287 Weed, I.inus, store of, 19 Welch, John D., Jr., 200 Wellner, George, 14 Wellst(K)d, John G., 264, 268 5] INDEX West Street, the direct road to Bedford from the Borough, 67 Wheeler, William A., Vice-Pres. U. S. A., 209 White Bridge, the old, 54; money found in, 59; rendezvous of crab hunters, (jO; removed about 1880, 57; the robbery at, 58; wreck prevented at, 1876, 60 White House, the, (see also Silleck House), '262, 26i White, Captain, Stephen G., 208, 209, 213 White, Stephen G., 217; part donator of sword, 134 White, (Mrs.) Stephen G., 106 White, Warren P., 208 Wliitnev, Charles A., 264, 268 Whittaker, H. P., property of, 94 Williamsbridge, first terminus of H. R. R., 269 Williams, Henry M., 201 Williamson, Robert, 195 Wills, Charles T., 261 Wilson, John, 138 Wilson, R. R., writings of, 161 Wilson, Thomas, 138 Winants, Daniel, 200 Winthrop, John, Governor of Mass., 1630, 280 Witherell, Nathaniel, 80, 83, 324; becomes owner of Rock Ridge, 84 Witherell, (Mrs.) Nathaniel, 158 Witherwax, Pilot Billv, 208, 209, 210, 213, 214, 215 Wolf, George G., 200 Wood, Albert H., 201 Wood, Fernando, Mavor of New York 1854, 162 Woodward, Elbirt A., 200 Woolsev, Aaron, 7, 286; property of,' 288 Working Girls' Vacation Society, recreation home of, 85 Wright, Lieut. Benjamin, 18, 106, 137 Wright, (Mrs.) Benjamin, 106 Wright, Charles H.,'276, 277 Wright, Edward J., 236 Wright, Wilbur S., property of, 322 Yard, Wesley S., 199 Young, Joseph B., 199 Young, Thomas, tract so called, 94 Y. M. C. A. Building, the, 158 [346] University of Connecticut Libraries iiiiii;;ii lliil'iiliiiiiii MIUHBIHHfl 11 i li J.