The Feud Between Mainlanders And City Islanders in the Town of Pelham Turned Ugly in 1859

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During the mid-19th century, the Town of Pelham was splt politically.  Interestingly, it was not split on party lines but on geographic lines:  the islanders versus the mainlanders.  

The principal population of the Town resided on City Island.  The population on the mainland, however, was growing.  The mainlanders began to chafe at the refusal of City Islanders to vote in favor of authorizing funds to improve roads and infrastructure on the mainland.  In 1859, the feud prompted many of the most illustrious mainland residents to file an application with the Board of Supervisors of Westchester County to splt the Town of Pelham into two towns.  One was to consist of City Island, Hart Island, and High Island (and their "appurtenances") and the other was to consist of the mainland, Hunter's Island, the Twins (and their "appurtenances").

The application was made by members of the Marshall, Morris, Bartow, Grenzebach, Coudert, Roosevelt, Hunter, Schuyler, and Secor Families, among others.  On September 23, 1859, the group published notice of the application in the Eastern State Journal published in White Plains, New York.  

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog transcribes the text of the notice in its entirety, followed by a citation (and link) to its source.

"NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY. -- Notice is hereby given that the undersigned, freeholders of the town of Pelham, in the county of Westchester, will apply to the Board of Supervisors of said county, at the next Annual Session thereof, to commence at White Plains, in said county, on the fourteenth day of November next, for a division of said town of Pelham into two towns, by the following division, viz.""

That so much of the said town of Pelham as lies on the main land, with its present boundaries, except on the Sound side and the Islands known as Hunter's Island and the Twins, and each of their appurtenances, shall constitute a separate and independent township, and be known and designated as the town of Pelham -- the boundary on the Sound side being a line equi-distant between the main land, Hunter's Island, and the Twins with each of their appurtenances, on one side, and City Island, High Island, and Hart Island, with each of their appurtenances, on the other side.

That all the rest and residue of the present town of Pelham, as at present constituted, and not comprised in the above, including City Island, Hart Island, and High Island, and each of their appurtenances, shall constitute a separate and independent township -- thus diving the town of Pelham, as at present known, into two separate towns. -- Dated September 9th, 1859.

L. R. MARSHALL,
RICHARD L. MORRIS,
RICHARD S. MORRIS,
ROBERT BARTOW,
WILLIAM O'CALLAGHAN,
JAMES FLANEGAN,
HENRY GRENZEBACH,
JAMES HINMAN,
VALENTINE G. HALL,
E. A. PATTERSON, 
CH. COUDERT,
E. J. ROOSEVELT,
P. C. ROOSEVELT,
E. D. HUNTER,
PH. SCHUYLER,
FRANCIS SECOR."

Source:  NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY, Eastern State Journal [White Plains, NY], Sep. 23, 1859, Vol. XV, No. 20, p. 3, col. 2.  

Map of Town of Pelham with Inset of City Island, 1868.

Source: Beers, F.W., Atlas of New York and Vicinity, p. 35

(NY, NY: Beers, Ellis & Soule, 1868).

NOTE:  Click Image to Enlarge.

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