Famous Meyers Mansion in Pelham Manor Burned Down in 1897

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During the mid-1890s, the Village of Pelham Manor Fire Department suffered turmoil that led to the resignation of most members of the volunteer fire department.  Since its founding, members of the volunteer department had elected their own Fire Chief.  In about early 1896, the Fire Commissioners determined that the Commission would exert control over the department by removing the selection from the members of the department and, instead, providing for the appointment of a Fire Chief by the Fire Commissioners.  In response, all but seven members of the fire department resigned, leaving the village with a meager force. 

This dispute, of course, foreshadowed a similar dispute involving the Village of Pelham Manor Fire Department nearly three decades later when the Village Board of Trustees took steps to exercise control over the Department and its ability to elect its own leaders without oversight by the Board of Trustees.  That dispute led to the disbandment and subsequent rebuilding of the entire department.  See Mon., Jan. 04, 2016:  Pelham Manor Voters Voted to Disband the Pelham Manor Fire Department in 1928.  

In 1897, the turmoil involving the Pelham Manor Fire Department had dire consequences.  On the windy afternoon of Wednesday, March 31st, young boys were playing in an empty lot along Wolfs Lane next to the home and carriage house of Henry Iden.  Somehow, the boys started a fire that burned the tall grass in the empty lot.  The winds fanned the flames toward the Iden Estate.  

There stood on the Iden estate a lovely old home built in about the late 1860s.  The structure had been converted to a carriage house to serve the Iden mansion on the estate grounds.  

The history of the old home converted into a carriage house was quite fascinating.  The home was built in the late 1860s by a well-known New York City wine merchant named James Meyers.  At the time, the Coudert estate centered around the home known as "Pelhamdale" and "Pelham Dale" (located at 45 Iden Avenue) was the adjacent property, bordering the property acquired by Myers for his home.  

Myers built his new home on the border between his estate and the Coudert estate.  It turned out that the eaves of his new home extended over the Coudert property line by about four inches.  After the Coudert family discovered the issue, they demanded that Myers move his home.  Myers refused.

Coudert, an attorney, filed suit against Myers.  No records of the lawsuit yet have been located, but according to a newspaper account, Coudert obtained a court order authorizing him to saw off four inches of the eaves of the Myers home which he had a Westchester County sheriff handle, thereby removing the incursion from his property.

Detail from 1881 Bromley Map Showing Location of the

Meyers Estate Along Wolfs Lane Near Center of Image.

Source:  "Town of Pelham. (with) Pelham-Manor. (From

actual surveys and official records by G. W. Bromley & Co.,

Civil Engineers" in Atlas of Westchester County, New York.

From Actual Surveys and Official Records by G. W. 

Bromley & Co., Civil Engineers, pp. 56-57 (NY, NY: Geo.

W. & Walter S. Bromley, 1881).  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Myers later sold his home to Henry Iden who incorporated it as part of an estate with three structures including a grand home that no longer stands on the site.  For a time, Henry Iden allowed a family member to live in the old Myers Mansion.  During the 1890s, however, the family member moved out and Iden converted the structure to a carriage house.

On that windy afternoon, March 31, 1897, the fire sparked by the young boys in an adjacent field whipped sparks into the air, some of which landed on the carriage house, setting it afire.  The alarm was sent to the Pelham Manor Fire Department.  Alas, all but one of the seven village firefighters were out of town at the time.

A single, brave Pelham Manor fire fighter drafted a group of boys who struggled with him to pull the hose carriage to the scene of the fire.  Upon arrival, the fire was raging and looked as though it might leap to the nearby Iden mansion.  The firefighter organized a group of bystanders into an "impromptu volunteer fire department," but the fire was simply too big.  To make matters worse, according to one account, the former Pelham Manor firemen who had resigned from the force in connection with the dispute over electing a fire chief "would not give any assistance."   A call was sent to the nearby Mount Vernon Fire Department which sent two steam engines to the scene.  The two streams of water soon brought the fire under control.  Although the main Iden mansion was saved, the carriage house originally built as a home for James Myers was destroyed.

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Immediately below is the transcribed text of an article describing the events that are the subject of today's article.  Following the text are a citation and link to its source.

"CALLED FOR HELP.
-----
Mount Vernon Fire Department goes to Pelham.
-----
A FAMOUS HOUSE BURNED DOWN.
-----
Blaze Started by Some Boys Who Set Fire to Dry Grass in a Lot Next Door.  Owing to Friction Among the Pelham Firemen They Didn't Respond Promptly.
-----

Fire, Wednesday afternoon, destroyed the old Meyers mansion at Pelham Manor.  It was owned by Henry Iden and until recently had been occupied by his brother-in-law.  The house was a frame structure and of antique design.  It has quite a history.  It was built about thirty years ago by James Myers,  a wine merchant of New York city.  The adjourning [sic] property was owned by Mr. Coudert.  When the house was built Coudert learned that the eaves projected four inches on his property.  He brought suit and demanded Myers to move his house.  Myers refused to do so and Coudert ordered the sheriff to saw four inches off the eaves, which he did.  Myers later sold the house to Henry Iden.  After Mr. Iden's brother-in-law moved out he used it as a carriage house.

Wednesday, it is alleged, some boys in that neighborhood set fire to the dry grass.   heavy wind was blowing and the sparks from the flames caught on the house.  An alarm was sent to Pelham [Editor's Note:  actually the Village of Pelham Manor Fire Department] and the Hook and Ladder and Hose companies attempted to respond.  It is said that one brave fireman turned out and with the assistance of a number of boys dragged the hose carriage to the scene.  Meanwhile the flames had spread rapidly and the fire was now beyond control.  An impromptu volunteer fire department was organized on the spot among bystanders and work was commenced to keep the flames from spreading.  It was feared that the sparks might set fire to Mr. Iden's big residence which is nearby.  The firemen worked earnestly but the flames kept spreading.  Word was sent to Mount Vernon asking for assistance.  Niagara and Steamer No. 3 responded.  Two streams of water were now playing on the fire and it was soon gotten under control.  Chief Jewell and his men did excellent work.  The loss is about $2,000.  The fire probably would not have gained much headway had the fire department at Pelham been united.  A disruption occurred about a year ago over the action of the fire commissioners in taking the power to elect a chief away from them and only seven members remained.  When the alarm sounded Wednesday most of the men were out-of-town and the others who had resigned would not give any assistance, there was much delay in getting to the fire.  The term of office of the present fire commissioners expire this spring.  New commissioners will be elected and probably the companies will be reorganized."

Source:  CALLED FOR HELP -- Mount Vernon Fire Department goes to Pelham -- A FAMOUS HOUSE BURNED DOWN -- Blaze Started by Some Boys Who Set Fire to Dry Grass in a Lot Next Door.  Owing to Friction Among the Pelham Firemen They Didn't Respond Promptly, Mount Vernon News, Apr. 2, 1897, Vol. IV, No. 217, p. 1, col. 3.  

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Pelham Manor Dutifully Extinguished a Fire That Nearly Burned Down its Hated Wooden Train Station in 1896

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An important development in the transportation history of the Town of Pelham was the opening in 1873 of the so-called Branch Line that included two new train stations in the Town of Pelham:  Bartow Station near City Island along today's Shore Road and Pelham Manor Station that once stood at the end of the Esplanade near today's Manor Circle. 

The Branch Line opened for passenger traffic in November, 1873.  Its opening prompted real estate speculation in the area as well as major efforts to develop new suburban subdivisions that came to be known as Bartow (or, Bartow-on-Sound) and Pelham Manor.

The 12-1/4 miles long Branch Line was built and owned by the Harlem and Portchester Railroad Company which promptly leased the line for operation by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company.  (The short Branch Line extended from the Harlem River to a junction with the main New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad at New Rochelle.)  The formal name of the Branch Line was "The Harlem River Branch of the New Haven Railroad."

Upon opening of the Branch Line, the railroad constructed a tiny wooden railroad station at the end of the Esplanade in Pelham Manor.  The map detail below, published in 1881, shows where the wooden train station was located.

Detail from 1881 Bromley Map Showing Location of

Pelham Manor Depot on The Harlem River Branch

of the New Haven Railroad.  Source:  "Town of Pelham

(With) Pelham-Manor From Actual Surveys and Official

Records by G. W. Bromley & Co., Civil Engineers. Published

by Geo. W. & Walter S. Bromley, 1881)" in Atlas of

Westchester County, New York, From Actual Surveys and

Official Records by G. W. Bromley & Co., Civil Engineers,

pp. 56-57 (NY, NY:  Geo. W. & Walter S. Bromley, 1881).

At the time the wooden Pelham Manor Station was built, there were only a handful of residents in the area that became the Village of Pelham Manor and, of course, even fewer commuters.  By the mid-1890s, in contrast, after the Village of Pelham Manor was incorporated, the area had about 300 residents and a much larger group of commuters.  By that time, the wood station known as Pelham Manor Depot had worn out its welcome.  

Pelham Manor residents felt the tiny wooden station was ugly and inadequate.  They believed it was inadequate for its purposes.  The lack of aesthetics was deemed inconsistent with the idyllic beauty of the tiny village.  The entire village began clamoring for the railroad to construct a new, larger station.

The railroad, according to one report, was "obdurate."  In its view, there were only 300 residents in the village with an even smaller number of commuters.  The cost of building a new station at Pelham Manor simply was not worth it.

The Village of Pelham Manor was so insistent regarding the need for a beautiful new station that it offered to provide the railroad with the stones necessary to construct a beautiful new station.  Still, the railroad remained "obdurate" and unwilling to construct a new station.

Pelham Manor residents grew to hate the decrepit old wooden station.  Burglars constantly broke into it and even used explosives several times to blow open the station safe.  

On Sunday, July 19, 1896, however, things looked a little brighter for those who hated the wooden station.  At about 5:20 p.m., the decrepit little station caught fire. . . . 

What was Pelham Manor to do?

An alarm was sounded and the Village of Pelham Manor Fire Department turned out.  Upon arrival, members of the Department were "of divided mind" regarding whether to fight the fire.  Nearby residents who turned out for the spectacle, however, were not of divided mind.  They wanted the Fire Department to let the tiny wooden structure burn to the ground.  

As newspapers from New York City to San Francisco subsequently reported, "[t]he habit of devotion to duty triumphed . . . over the incendiary spirit of Pelham Manor."  The Village firemen rushed in and put out the fire.  Although the structure was badly damaged, all the money and papers in the station were saved.

Once the fire was out and the firemen and spectators began to depart, they reportedly "mourned the fact that the water supply had not been interrupted long enough to give the fire a fair chance."

The little wooden station was repaired.  It would not be until 1908 that the railroad built the lovely stone railroad station that Pelham Manor wanted.  It was designed by nationally-renowned architect Cass Gilbert and, indeed, was quite beautiful.

Image of the New Pelham Manor Depot Shortly After It

Was Built in 1908.  Source:  Source: "Along the Harlem River

Branch", The Architectural Record, Vol. XXIII, No. 6, Jul. - Dec.,

pp. 422-23 (NY, NY: McGraw Hill Publishing Co. Dec. 1908).

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

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"Fire in the Pelham Manor Station.

MOUNT VERNON, N. Y., July 19. -- Fire almost destroyed the Pelham Manor railroad station about 5:20 o'clock this afternoon.  Pelham Manor is a station of a branch of the New Haven road between West Chester and New Rochelle.  All the money and papers in the station were saved."

Source:  Fire in the Pelham Manor Station, The Sun [NY, NY], Jul. 20, 1896, p. 5, col. 5.

"PELHAM MANOR'S VIRTUE.
-----
It Triumphs Over an Incendiary Spirit.

Pelham Manor's Fire Department was of divided mind on Sunday, when a fire alarm sounded and the local station of the New Haven Railway's suburban branch was found to be on fire.  Meanwhile residents of Pelham Manor outside the Fire Department were not of divided mind touching the fire, but were unanimous in the wish that the station might be damaged beyond repair.  The habit of devotion to duty triumphed, however, over the incendiary spirit of Pelham Manor and the fire was put out.  When all was over the firemen and every one else went belated to supper and mourned the fact that the water supply had not been interrupted long enough to give the fire a fair chance.

Pelham Manor, which is the most beautiful suburb of New York, has long been at odds with the railway company over its ugly wooden station.  Pelham Manor has offered to furnish stone for the building of a station that should be in keeping with the many beautiful stone houses of the place, but as Pelham Manor has but 300 inhabitants and comparatively few commuters, the railway company has remained obdurate and rested content with its ugly wooden station.  Virtue through force of habit triumphed on Sunday to the rescue of the threatened station, but when it next catches fire strong arms may hold back the firemen, and the structure mmay perhaps burn to the ground. -- New York Sun."

Source:  PELHAM MANOR'S VIRTUE -- It Triumphs Over an Incendiary Spirit, San Francisco Chronicle, Aug. 16, 1896, p. 28, col. 4.  

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For additional information about the early days of the Pelham Manor Depot and the Pelham Manor Post Office, see, e.g.:  

Tue., Jan. 28, 2014:  The Pelham Manor Post Office.

Wed., Feb. 10, 2010:  Train Station Safe at Pelham Manor Was Blown Open with Dynamite Yet Again on April 24, 1902.  

Tue., Nov. 17, 2009:  1883 Advertisement by Pelham Manor Protective Club Offering Reward for Information About Pelham Manor Depot Burglary.  

Tue., Aug. 11, 2009:  News of Pelham Manor and City Island Published on July 14, 1882.

Fri., Mar. 6, 2009:  Burglars Blow the Safe at the Pelham Manor Post Office in 1894.  

Mon., Jan. 28,, 2008:  1884 Burglary and Gun Fight at the Pelham Manor Depot.  

Fri., Jan. 18, 2008:  Studies Created by Noted Architect Cass Gilbert for the Pelham Manor Station.  

Tue., May 22,, 2007:  Photograph of Pelham Manor Station on the Branch Line Published in 1908.  

Tue., Mar. 29, 2005:  The Earliest Telephone in Pelham Manor?  

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Two of the Earliest Yet-Known Sightings of The Sea Serpent of the Sound that Plied Waters Off the Shores of Pelham

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As I have noted before, Loch Ness, Scotland has nothing on the little Town of Pelham, New York.  A sea serpent known variously as The Sea Serpent of the Sound, The City Island Sea Serpent, and other appellations has been sighted off Pelham shores on many more occasions than Nessie has been spotted.  Moreover, Pelham's own sea serpent clearly is a much fiercer beast that has tossed ships out of the water, grabbed and crushed porpoises throwing their bodies high into the air, and has even taken on steamboats in the waters of the Sound.  The gentle ambling Nessie of Loch Ness must be a doting, slow, and gentle distant relative of the fierce City Island Sea Serpent.

I have written of the Sea Serpent of the Sound on numerous occasions and even have an extensive article on the fearsome beast coming out in an upcoming issue of the magazine Westchester Historian, an amazing journal that has been published continuously since 1925.  For examples of my prior articles on the Sea Serpent of the Sound, see:

Bell, Blake A., The Sea Serpent of the Sound:  Spotted in Pelham Waters in 1877, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIV, Issue 29, July 29, 2005, p. 9, col. 1. 

Wed., Jun. 29, 2005:  The Sea Serpent of the Sound: Spotted in Pelham Waters in 1877 (Part I). 

Thu., Jun. 30, 2005:  The Sea Serpent of the Sound: Spotted in Pelham Waters in 1877 (Part II). 

Fri., Jul. 01, 2005:  The Sea Serpent of the Sound: Spotted in Pelham Waters in 1877 (Part III).

Wed., Oct. 29, 2014:  Sea Serpent of City Island: Sea Serpent Sighted in 1877 Returned on Many Occasions.

Mon., Aug. 03, 2015:  More on the City Island Sea Serpent, Pelham's Monster of the Deep.

Detail from 19th Century "Bird's Eye View" Map of

Manhattan Entitled "NEW YORK" Published by Rogers,

Peet & Co. With Reports of Sightings of the Sea Serpent of

the Sound Arising on Nearly an Annual Basis Late in the

Nineteenth Century, the Mapmaker, Tongue-in-Cheek, Included

this Serpent Cavorting in the Waters of the East River.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Mariners and coastal dwellers seem to have sighted supposed sea serpents as long as there have been mariners and coastal dwellers.  Such beasts, however, reportedly have been sighted in waters along the nation’s northeastern shores since at least the late 1630s.

A truly sensational “sighting” of a sea serpent off American shores occurred in August 1817. Dozens of respectable citizens reported seeing a giant, snakelike creature in Gloucester Harbor in Massachusetts.  The creature reportedly visited the harbor almost every day for a month. Many notable citizens observed it and many people traveled to Gloucester to see the curiosity.  See O’Neill, J.P., THE GREAT NEW ENGLAND SEA SERPENT: AN ACCOUNT OF UNKNOWN CREATURES SIGHTED BY MANY RESPECTABLE PERSONS BETWEEN 1638 AND THE PRESENT DAY, pp. 25-66 (Camden, ME: Down East Books 1999) (reprinted by Lightning Source Inc. 2003).

Following the Gloucester Harbor sea serpent sightings in 1817, sea serpent hysteria washed over the nation.  The New York and Pelham regions were not immune.  Indeed, only weeks after the Glouster Harbor sea serpent sightings, the Sea Serpent of the Sound was sighted on several occasions.  

On Friday, October 3, 1817, Westchester resident James Guion was on a point of land on the east side of the mouth of Mamaroneck Harbor.  As he looked toward the Scotch Caps, rocks that lay off Rye Point, he saw “a large marine animal, going with great rapidity up sound.”  Guion “judged his speed to be little or no less than a mile in a minute” and described the “irregularity and unevenness of his back, about fifty feet of which appeared above the surface of the water.”  See Oudemans, A.C., THE GREAT SEA-SERPENT. AN HISTORICAL AND CRITICAL TREATISE. WITH THE REPORTS OF 187 APPEARANCES (INCLUDING THOSE OF THE APPENDIX), THE SUPPOSITIONS AND SUGGESTIONS OF SCIENTIFIC AND NON-SCIENTIFIC PERSONS, AND THE AUTHOR’S CONCLUSIONS, p. 151 (Leiden, Netherlands: E.J. Brill & London, Luzac & Co., 1892; reprint by Coachwhip Publications: Landsville, PA, 2007).  

An extensive account dated only two days later by a Westchester resident who ran along the shore trying to keep up with the beast he saw in the waters of the Sound, said:

"On Sunday, the 5th. Inst. at 10 o’clock A.M. while standing a few rods from my house on Rye-Neck, I observed at a small distance to the southward and eastward of Mr. Ezekiel Halsted’s dwelling on Rye Point, and perhaps not more than a half mile from the shore, a long, rough, dark looking body, progressing rapidly up sound [i.e., toward New York City] against a brisk breeze, and a strong ebb tide.  Viewing it with my glass convinced me it was a large living animal.  –  His back, forty to fifty feet of which was seen above the surface of the water, appeared to be irregular, uneven, and deeply indented.  I did not at this time remark that his head was more elevated above the water than the ridges or humps on his back.  Some trees standing near the water, Rye Point soon intercepting my view of him, I hastened to a situation from which I obtained another sight of him as he passed that part of the sound opposite Hempstead bay.  At this time he appeared to be nearly in the middle of the sound – his body more depressed below and his head more elevated above the water, going with increased velocity in the direction of Sand’s point, creating a swell before him not unlike that made by a boat towed rapidly at the stern of the vessel.  From the time I first saw him till I lost sight of him perhaps could not have exceeded ten minutes, in which short time he had gone probably not less than six or seven miles. 

I was yesterday informed on creditable authority, that on the day on which I saw the above mentioned animal, he was seen by some persons at or in the vicinity of the light house on Sand’s Point. 

That it was a sea animal of great bulk to me is certain. – that it is what is usually called a Sea-Serpent, and the same which appeared in Gloucester harbor, is only probable. 

With much respect, Sir, yours, &c. 

Thos. Herttell.”

Source:  Oudemans, A.C., THE GREAT SEA-SERPENT. AN HISTORICAL AND CRITICAL TREATISE. WITH THE REPORTS OF 187 APPEARANCES (INCLUDING THOSE OF THE APPENDIX), THE SUPPOSITIONS AND SUGGESTIONS OF SCIENTIFIC AND NON-SCIENTIFIC PERSONS, AND THE AUTHOR’S CONCLUSIONS, p. 152 (Leiden, Netherlands: E.J. Brill & London, Luzac & Co., 1892; reprint by Coachwhip Publications: Landsville, PA, 2007).

These two supposed sightings of the Sea Serpent of the Sound that spent (or whose progeny spent) so much time in Pelham waters near City Island during the 1870s, 1880s, and 1890s appear to be the earliest reported sightings of the beast in our region.  

Reports of the Gloucester Bay Sea Serpent and the Sea Serpent of the Sound in 1817 stirred up such excitement and hysteria that an entrepreneurial gentleman who claimed to have seen and studied the monster hired an “artist of the first talents” who painted a massive 35-feet by 10-feet oil on canvas painting of the creature.  The monumental painting was hung in Washington Hall on Broadway in New York City where visitors were charged a mere 25 cents to view the depiction of the sea serpent.  Many advertisements soliciting visitors for the exhibit appeared in local newspapers at the time.  The text of one such advertisement, with a citation and link to its source, appear immediately below.

"THE SEA SERPENT, A MONSTER OF UNCOMMON SIZE, WHO

has paid a long visit to our eastern coast, and excited the admiration of scientific men, and the western world in general, has been accurately painted by an artist of the first talents, under the direction of a gentleman, whose genius and minute observation of the monster entitle him to the confidence of the public and is now ready for exhibition at

WASHINGTON-HALL, -- BROADWAY.

On upwards of three hundred square feet of canvass.

PRICE OF ADMITTANCE, 25 CENTS.

The Painting of this wonderful animal, which is now exhibited at Washington-Hall, is, in many respects, one of the most interesting displays ever presented to the public.  It covers a canvass about 35 feet by 10, representing a beautiful view of a bay opening to the ocean, with boats, vessels, and hills, in the distance, and the Serpent stretching his enormous and formidable length across the front.  The painting is well executed, and every object in it -- and the land, waves, vessels, clouds, sky, light and shade, so justly arranged, as to please the taste of general beholders.  When we consider that the principal design is to give the public a correct idea of a terrible animal which is now known to exist, as it were, in the neighborhood of our city, which appals [sic] the courage and baffles the skill of ever one attempting its approach, we feel fully warranted in asserting, that it is a spectacle so magnificent, so sublime, as to be surpassed only by the awful monster which it represents.  The interest of the spectator is increased by the consideration that there is no fancy, no fiction, and no poetry in the view -- but that it is only a PENCIL DISPLAY of a monster whose force is irresistible, whose movement is swift as the wind, and the terror of whose eye can no more be painted than the strength, the swiftness, or the noise of his movement over the ocean waves.

The views are taken from the representations of a celebrated naturalist whose enterprising vigilance has given him an opportunity, six different times, to approach so near the animal as to see his eyes, teeth, tongue, and the color of his head and neck distinctly.  We may therefore look on the painting as a fact, and contemplate the animal, with his lofty head erect in the air and his long and spiral volumes dashing over the waves as a moving miracle, bearing down stubborn incredulity and oppressing the beholder with the wight of the most 'TERRIBLE' and the most 'SUBLIME.'  In all the arts there is nothing like the painting -- for the academicians never before knew of any thing in nature like the SEA-SERPENT; and every AMERICAN should be proud that we are the first to give this interesting subject of the pencil a SHAPE AND FORM.

sc 29 1 w"

Source:  THE SEA SERPENT, A MONSTER OF UNCOMMON SIZE, The Evening Post [NY, NY], Oct. 2, 1817, p. 4, col. 1 (Note:  Paid subscription required to access via this link).

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Another Pelham Prize Fight: American Jim Larkin Defeated Englishman Bill Hook on June 27, 1889

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As I have noted on a number of occasions, during the 19th and early 20th centuries, Pelham was an important center for illegal prize fights.  The tiny little town was near New York City.  At the time, it lacked a large, modern police force.   Additionally, the population of the town was small, so vast portions of the town were unimproved, unpopulated, and desolate.   Yet, travel between Pelham and New York City was easy via two rail lines:  the main New Haven Line to Pelhamville and the New Haven Branch Line to Bartow Station and Pelham Manor.  Additionally, steamships and all sorts of marine traffic served the area via the East River and Long Island Sound.   Thus, Pelham was the perfect place for crowds to gather and bet on quietly-arranged illegal prize fights -- and then to disperse quickly before police or Constables arrived.

I have written about illegal prize fighting in Pelham on numerous occasions.  For examples, see:  

Wed., Jan. 27, 2016:  Yet Another Illegal Prize Fight in Pelham in 1887.

Wed., Jan. 20, 2016:  Another Exciting Account of 1884 Pelham Prize Fight Between Jim Murray of New York and Tom Henry of England.

Wed., Nov. 04, 2015:  The Famous Nineteenth Century Prize Fighter Yankee Sullivan Fought in Pelham in 1842.

Thu., Jul. 10, 2014:  Illegal Prize Fight in Pelham in 1902.  

Wed., Feb. 12, 2014:  Pelham Was the Scene of Illegal Prize Fights During the Early Days of the "Sweet Science" of Boxing. 

Wed., Mar. 23, 2005:  Prize Fighting At Pelham Bridge in 1884. 

Tue., Oct. 04, 2005:  Front Page of the May 12, 1902 Issue of The Pelham Republican (describing the fight between Joe Gleacher and Joe Kerwin held in the spring of 1902; Gleacher was found in Mt. Vernon after the fight and was arrested, although Kerwin apparently escaped to Philadelphia before his arrest).

On June 27, 1889, yet another illegal prize fight was held in the Town of Pelham.  It was a notable fight that attracted national attention.  The fight was highly anticipated.  When it was over, brief accounts of the results appeared in newspapers throughout the United States.

The fight was a featherweight championship "skin-tight gloves" fight between Jimmy Larkin of New Jersey and Bill Hook of England.  This was Bill Hook's first prize fight in the United States.  Hook had a nice pedigree in English prize fights.  He and Fred Johnson fought to a draw after four rounds in a championship fight held at the Blue Anchor Public House, Shoreditch, London on November 6, 1884.  Hook and Johnson had a rematch in another championship competition at the Post Office, Mile End, London on December 16, 1884.  Hook won the championship, on points, at the close of the four-round match.  Only weeks later, Hook defended his championship and won a three-round decision, again on points, against Owen Hannon at the St Andrew’s Hall, Westminster, London on January 12, 1885. 

In 1889, American fight promoter Ed Holske was looking for a fighter to match against Jimmy Larkin of Jersey City, New Jersey.  As one report put it, Holske had looked for months for a fighter to match against Larkin because he wnted to "win the money of the 'Jersey Crowd.'"  Bill Hook came to Holske's attention after Hook had a notable prize fight with Dido Hopwood in London.  Holske came to terms with Bill Hook and brought the fighter to America where Hook trained intensively.

The fight was arranged to take place at night on Thursday, June 27, 1889.  Some accounts say the fight occurred in Pelham Manor.  Other accounts say it occurred "near" Pelham Manor.  Though the precise location of the fight is not known, it almost certainly occurred at Pelham Bridge near City Island where many such prize fights were held.

Each side put up a "prize" of $500.  A purse in addition to the prize was offered to the winner based on ticket sales.  One hundred fifty tickets were sold for $10 per ticket.

The men fought with "skin-tight gloves" to a finish under Queensberry Rules.  Larkin weighed in at 121-1/4 pounds.  Hook weighed in at 123 pounds, one pound over the 122-pound weight limit.  Larkin was a much taller fighter than his English foe.  The two sides decided to proceed despite Hook being over the weight limit.

The fight began at 10:25 p.m.  It immediately became apparent that Larkin's height gave him an immediate advantage over Hook.  Nevertheless, the two fighters pummeled each other brutally from the start.  Larkin had the advantage and had to chase Bill Hook around the ring.  Each time they engaged, however, Hook banged away brutally at Larkin's stomach and head.  Shortly before the first round ended, Jimmy Larkin landed a "hot right hander" on Bill Hook's jaw.  Hook went down, but returned and fought savagely, even drawing the first blood of the night from Jimmy Larkin.  Still, when the round ended, Hook was groggy.

Bill Hook came out for the second round and landed a "savage right hander" on Jimmy Larkin's ribs.  Larkin, however, responded with a terrific blow to Hook's nose "and the blood flowed furiously."  This seems to have staggered Hook.  Larkin then landed a solid punch to one of Hook's eyes and knocked him flat.  Hook staggered to his feet, groggy again.  Larkin seized the opportunity and landed a right hander to Hook's face knocking him flat again.  Hook stood again, but all he could do was stagger.  Larkin finished him off with a right hander to Hook's jaw, knocking him unconscious.  The fight did not go even two full rounds and only lasted five minutes and thirty seconds.  Larkin was declared the victor.

The result was a shock.  Newspapers savaged Englishman Bill Hook, saying he simply was not up to the challenge of American pugilists.  

The Scottish American Athletic Club in New York City took in Bill Hook to allow him to lick his wounds.  He enjoyed the Club's hospitality for the next several weeks while members of the Club tried, unsuccessfully, to secure him another fight for a purse. 

Without a fight, or more importantly, a purse, Bill Hook joined with Alexander Gallagher, a Scottish fighter who recently had beaten Jake Valinski of Hoboken.  Gallagher was affiliated with the Scottish-American Athletic Club.  On August 4, 1889, the two men left for England where Hook promised Gallagher he would help him get some fights.  

Bill Hook's American fighting career began, and ended, during a five and a half minute fight on June 27, 1889 in Pelham, New York.

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Below is the text of a number of articles about the prize fight in Pelham between Jimmy Larkin and Bill Hook.  Each is followed by a citation and link to its source.

"THE ENGLISH PUGILIST WHIPPED.
-----
Jimmy Larkin of Jersey City Knocks Out Bill Hook of London.

In a quiet resort on the shores of the Sound, near Pelham Manor last night, was decided the much-talked-of prize fight between Jim Larkin of Jersey City and Bill Hook of England.  Hook was not the equal of Jimmy, and the latter won a quick battle.

For months Ed Holske had tried to secure a man to fight Larkin and win the money of the 'Jersey crowd,' and after Hook fought Dido Hopwood in London, Holske made terms with him and brought him to this country.  He was trained to the hour, too, and there was no lack of condition apparent.

The battle was for $500 a side and an added purse, tickets being sold at $10 each, fully 150 being disposed of.  The men fought with skin-tight gloves to a finish under Queensberry rules.  Larkin tipped the beam at 121-1/4 pounds and Hook at 123 pounds, the latter being one pound over weight.

Time was called at 10.25 o'clock.  As the men sparred for an opening the difference in the size was very marked, Larkin standing well over his opponent.  It was one of the hottest punching matches seen hereabout in months.  It was biff, bang, smash from the start, Larkin driving the English lad before him around the ring.  But Hook was busy, and sent in heavy blows on the stomach and head.  He soon got a hot right hander on the jaw and went down.  Both men then fought savagely with left and right, Hook obtaining first blood when a minute had expired.  Hook was groggy when time was called.

Hook was refreshed when he toed the scratch for the second round, and he immediately planted a savage right hander on Larkin's ribs.  Larkin returned the compliment with a hot left on Hook's nose and the blood flowed furiously.  Then the Englishman got a hot one on the eye and he fell flat.  He arose groggy and a right hander on the face sent him to the floor again.  When Hook arose he could only stagger, and Larkin, landing another right-hander on the jaw, knocked him unconscious.  He could not answer the call of time and Larkin was declared the winner.  The fight lasted 5m. 30s."

Source:  THE ENGLISH PUGILIST WHIPPED -- Jimmy Larkin of Jersey City Knocks Out Bill Hook of London, The Press [NY, NY], Jun. 28, 1889, Vol. II, No. 576, p. 1, col. 2.  

"JIM LARKIN WHIPS BILL HOOK.
-----
The Englishman Knocked Out in the Second Round -- A Rattling Mill.

NEW YORK, June 27. -- In a quiet resort on the shores of the sound, near Pelham Manor, tonight was decided the much talked of prize fight between Jim Larkin of Jersey City and Bill Hook of England.  Hook was not the equal of Jimmy, and the latter won a quick battle.  It was biff, bang, smash from the start, Larkin driving the English lad before him around the ring.  Hook was groggy when time was called.

Hook was refreshed when he toed the scratch for the second round, and he immediately planted a savage right-hander on Larkin's ribs.  Larkin returned the compliment with a hot left on Hook's nose and the blood flowed furiously.  Then the Englishman got a hot one on the eye and he fell flat.  He arose groggy and a right-hander on the jaw, knocked him unconscious.  He could not answer the call of time and Larkin was declared the winner.  The fight lasted five minutes and thirty seconds."

Source:  JIM LARKIN WHIPS BILL HOOK -- The Englishman Knocked Out in the Second Round -- A Rattling Mill, Chicago Daily Tribune, Jun. 28, 1889, p. 6, col. 6 (NOTE:  Paid subscription required to access via this link).  

"Fight With Skin Gloves.

JERSEY CITY, N.J., June 27. -- The much talked of fight with skin gloves, for $500 a side, between Bill Hook of England, and Jimmy Larkin, of Jersey City, took place tonight at Pelham, Westchester county.  Larkin had the best of it from the start, and knocked Hook down twice in the second round.  When he got up the last time, Larkin knocked him out with a terrific right-hander on the jaw."

Source:  Fight With Skin Gloves, Los Angeles Daily Herald, Jun. 28, 1889, p. 4, col. 5.  

"We have had a couple of rattling bouts near this city during the past couple of days, and one which proved a great surprise to knowing ones.  I refer to Thursday night's fight between Bill Hook of England and Jim Larkin of Jersey.  The smart people considered Hook a wonder before the fight, but as being no good after it.  I am sorry for Ed Holske, who backed Hook, for he has been in hard luck with his fighters of late, both Matt McCarthy and Hook proving soft jobs for the men they were stacked up against.  But luck will turn, they say, if the money holds out, and I trust Eddie's cash lasts until the turn of the tide.  He will not, I know, rest satisfied with his latest failure, and we may soon hear from him again.  So let it be.

P. JAY."

Source:  [Untitled], The Weekly Press [NY, NY], Jul. 3, 1889, p. 7, col. 4.  

"Larkin Sustains His Record.

JERSEY CITY, N.J., June 27. -- The much talked of fight between Bill Hook of England and Jimmy Larkin of Jersey City, took place to-night at Pelham, West Chester county.  The men entered the ring at 10:15 o'clock.  Hammer and tongs was the order of the fighting.  Larkin had the best of it and knocked Hook down twice in the second round when he got up a second time.  Larkin landed a terrific right hander on the jaw and he went down like a shot.  He ws knocked out.  The fight was with skin gloves for $500 a side.  Larkin has never been beaten."

Source:  Larkin Sustains His Record, Bismarck Weekly Tribune [Bismarck, ND], Jul. 5, 1889, p. 2, col. 4.  See also WENT DOWN LIKE A SHOT -- Larkin the Jerseyman Knocks Out Bill Hook of England, St. Paul Daily Globe [St. Paul, MN], Jun. 28, 1889, p. 2, col. 5 (same text).

"Fighting Notes.

Chappie Moran says he intends to take it easy and will do no more fighting until fall.

Bill Hook, whom Jimmy Larkins defeated so easily a week ago, is still enjoying the hospitality of the Scottish American Athletic Club.  The members are working to secure him a situation.  Hook says he would like a go with some of the other 122-pound men around New York for a purse.  Prof. Hart says Hook will make a good one if placed in charge of a capable trainer."

Source:  Fighting Notes, The Sun [NY, NY], Jul. 8, 1889, p. 3, col. 3.  

"Bill Hook, the English pugilist who was defeated by Jimmy Larkin, the Jersey lightweight, a month ago, started for England yesterday.  Alex. Gallagher, the Scot, who whipped Jake Valinski, the Hoboken lightweight, went with him, much to the surprise of his friends in the Scottish-American Athletic Club.  Alex. expects to get on a match with some crack Englishmen in England, and Hook says he will see that he gets fair play.  Hook will return to this country the latter part of September."

Source:  [Untitled], The Pittsburgh Post, Aug. 5, 1889, p. 6, col. 4.  

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Extract of December 3, 1776 Letter Addressing Battle of Pelham Casualties on October 18, 1776

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The Battle of Pelham was fought along, and in the countryside adjacent to, Split Rock Road and today's Wolfs Lane on October 18, 1776.  The battle began in an area within today's Split Rock Golf Course in Pelham Bay Park and continued toward Prospect Hill, then along Wolfs Lane to today's Colonial Avenue (Old Boston Post Road) where the Americans crossed the Hutchinson River and the British halted their pursuit and encamped.

I have written extensively about the Battle of Pelham.  For a list of my 46 previous articles addressing aspects of the battle, see the bibliography of articles (many of which, like today's, document research regarding the battle) at the end of today's posting.  

One of the most controversial issues regarding the Battle of Pelham concerns how many casualties were suffered by the British and German troops during the battle.  American casualties seem uncontroverted.  In his well known letter from Mile Square dated October 22, 1776, Col. John Glover (who led American troops during the battle) stated:  "I had eight men killed and thirteen wounded, among which was Colonel Shepard, a brave officer."  (Shepard was wounded in the throat, but recovered.)

The issue of British and German casualties during the battle has been hotly debated for more than 165 years.  No dispositive records reflecting German casualties have been located by researchers.  Additionally, British reports included aggregated figures for a number of skirmishes and engagements leading up to, and including, the Battle of Pelham making it difficult to sort out clear numbers.  Enemy deserters questioned by American forces shortly after the battle claimed losses by the British and German forces of between 800 and 1,000 men, claims that do not seem consistent with available evidence or even a hint of reality. 

Today's Historic Pelham article transcribes an "Extract" of a letter from General William Howe, who led the British and German troops during the battle, to Lord George Germain (whose last name is misspelled "Germaine" in the Maryland newspaper that published the extract).  Lord George Germain was a British soldier and politician who was Secretary of State for America in Lord North's cabinet during the American War of Independence.  The extract of Lord Howe's letter appeared in the May 1, 1777 issue of The Maryland Gazette published in Annapolis, about six and a half months after the Battle of Pelham.    

This account appears to be a more extensive description of British casualties over a similar period of time (September 17 through October 18, 1776) than a similar extract dated December 8, 1776 about which I previously have written.  See Wed., Feb. 17, 2010:  British Report on Killed, Wounded and Missing Soldiers During the Period the Battle of Pelham Was Fought on October 18, 1776.  The extract of the December 3, 1776 Howe letter indicates that among the dead and wounded tallied in the letter were a sergeant and three rank and file service members who were killed on October 12, 1776 when a boat ferrying men and equipment overturned in the East River.  

The Maryland Gazette that published the extract is one of the oldest continuously-published newspapers in the United States.  William Parks (1699-1750) who was a printer and journalist in England and, later, colonial America founded the newspaper in Annapolis in 1727.  Extant copies of the newspaper serve as a rich record of colonial America including, in this instance, a record related to the Battle of Pelham.

"George Sackville Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville"

A Miniature Portrait by Nathaniel Hone in the National

Portrait Gallery (NPG Number 4910).  Source:  "George

Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville" in Wikipedia -- The Free

Encyclopedia (visited Apr. 24, 2016).  NOTE:  Click on

Image to Enlarge.

1777 Mezzotint Depicting the Honorable Sir William Howe.

NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.

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The text of the extract of the December 3, 1776 letter that appears immediately below is followed by a citation and link to its source. 

"Extract of a letter from general Sir William Howe to lord George Germaine [sic], dated New-York, Dec. 3, 1776.

I HAVE the honour to inclose to your lordship a return of ordnance and stores taken from the enemy since the landing his majesty's troops at Frog's Neck, in West-Chester county, from the 12th of October to the 20th of November.  Those in the commissary and quarter-master general's branches are also very considerable; but as it has not been in their power hitherto to ascertain them, the report must therefore be deferred to the next opportunity.  I also inclose a return of prisoners taken during the campaign.

Return of commissioned and non-commissioned officers, rank and file, killed, wounded, and missing, belonging to the army under the command of his excellency the hon. gen. Howe, in several actions, &c. with the rebels, from the 17th of September, to the 16th of November, 1776, inclusive, specifying the different periods, and the corps the casualties have happened in.

Head-quarters, New York, 1st December, 1776.

In the action at Pelham-Manor, on the 18th of October, and in previous skirmishes, from the 17th of September, inclusive.

BRITISH.

17th regiment of light dragoons:  1 drummer missing.  1st battalion of light infantry:  1 serjeant, 2 rank and file killed; 1 field officer, 1 captain, 1 subaltern, 3 serjeants, 1 drummer or trumpeter, 23 rank and file, wounded; 2 rank and file missing.  2d ditto:  1 rank and file killed; 3 rank and file wounded.  2d ditto grenadiers:  2 rank and file wounded.  4th regiment:  1 rank and file missing.  27th, 28th, 58th, 57th and 59th regiments, one in each wounded.  71st ditto:  5 rank and file killed; 7 rank and file wounded.  Royal artillery:  1 serjeant, 3 rank and file killed. -- Total:  2 serjents, 11 rank and file killed; 1 field officer, 1 captain, 1 subaltern, 3 serjeants, 1 drummer or trumpeter, 40 rank and file wounded; 1 drummer, 3 rank and file, missing.

Names of the officers killed and wounded, &c.

1st battalion of light infantry:  Capt. Evelyn, of the 4th regiment, mortally wounded, since dead; lieut. col. Musgrave, of the 40th regiment, wounded; lieut. Archibald Rutherford, of the 22d regiment, wounded.

N.B.  The serjeant and 3 rank and file of the royal artillery, returned killed, were drowned in the East River, by the oversetting of  boat the 12th of October."

Source:  Extract of a Letter from General Sir William Howe to Lord George Germaine [sic], dated New-York, Dec. 3, 1776, The Maryland Gazette [Annapolis, MD], May 1, 1777, p. 1, col. 3 (Note:  Paid subscription required to access via this link).   

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I have written extensively about the Battle of Pelham fought on October 18, 1776.  See, for example, the following 46 previous articles many of which, like today's, document research regarding the battle:  


Bell, Blake A., The Battle of Pelham:  October 18, 1776, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 41, Oct. 15, 2004, p. 10, col. 1.  

Bell, Blake, History of the Village of Pelham:  Revolutionary War, HistoricPelham.com Archive (visited Dec. 18, 2015).  

Fri., Feb. 19, 2016:  The 600-Year Old "Lord Howe Chestnut" Tree that Once Stood in Pelham.

Fri., Dec. 18, 2015:  Brief Report on the Battle of Pelham Fought October 18, 1776 Prepared Five Days Afterward.

Tue., Sep. 08, 2015:  Pelham Manor Resident Makes Revolutionary War Discovery.

Mon., May 18, 2015:  Cannonball Fired in The Battle of Pelham Found on Plymouth Street in Pelham Manor.

Mon., Apr. 27, 2015:  Obituary of British Officer Who Participated in the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776 as a Young Man.

Mon., Feb. 28, 2005:  Glover's Rock on Orchard Beach Road Does Not Mark the Site of the Battle of Pelham.  

Mon., Apr. 18, 2005:  Restored Battle of Pelham Memorial Plaque Is Unveiled at Glover Field.  

Fri., May 27, 2005:  1776, A New Book By Pulitzer Prize Winner David McCullough, Touches on the Battle of Pelham.  

Thu., Jul. 14, 2005:  Pelham's 1926 Pageant Commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Pelham.  

Wed., Oct. 26, 2005:  Remnants of the Battlefield on Which the Battle of Pelham Was Fought on October 18, 1776.  Fri., May 19, 2006:  Possible Remains of a Soldier Killed in the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776 Found in 1921.  

Fri., Aug. 11, 2006:  Article by William Abbatt on the Battle of Pelham Published in 1910.  

Thu., Sep. 21, 2006:  A Paper Addressing the Battle of Pelham, Among Other Things, Presented in 1903.  

Mon., Oct. 30, 2006:  Brief Biographical Data About Sir Thomas Musgrave, British Lieutenant Colonel Wounded at the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776.

Wed., Nov. 1, 2006:  Two British Military Unit Histories that Note Participation in the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776.

Tue., Jan. 16, 2007:  Brief Biography of British Officer Who Served During the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776.

Fri., Feb. 09, 2007:  Extract of October 23, 1776 Letter Describing British Troops in Eastchester After the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776.  

Mon., Feb. 12, 2007:  Saint Paul's Church National Historic Site Opens New Exhibition:  "Overlooked Hero:  John Glover and the American Revolution."  

Thu., Jan. 18, 2007:  Three More British Military Unit Histories that Note Participation in the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776.

Mon., Jul. 16, 2007:  Mention of the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776 in Revolutionary War Diary of David How.  

Tue., Jul. 17, 2007:  Mention of the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776 in Writings of Francis Rawdon-Hastings, Aide-de-Camp to British General Clinton.  

Wed., Jul. 18, 2007:  Another British Military Unit History that Notes Participation in the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776.  

Tue., Aug. 7, 2007:  An Account of the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776 Contained in the McDonald Papers Published in 1926.  

Wed., Aug. 8, 2007:  A Description of an Eyewitness Account of the Interior of St. Paul's Church in Eastchester During the Revolutionary War.  

Thu., Sep. 6, 2007:  Information About St. Paul's Church, the Battle of Pelham and Other Revolutionary War Events Near Pelham Contained in an Account Published in 1940.  

Mon., Oct. 8, 2007:  American Troops Who Guarded Pelham's Shores in October 1776.  

Fri., Oct. 12, 2007:  Images of The Lord Howe Chestnut that Once Stood in the Manor of Pelham.  

Fri., Oct. 27, 2006:  Orders Issued by British Major General The Honourable William Howe While Encamped in Pelham After the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776.

Thu., Jan. 22, 2009:  Another Brief Biography of Sir Thomas Musgrave, a British Officer Wounded at the Battle of Pelham on October 18 1776.  

Wed., Feb. 17, 2010:  British Report on Killed, Wounded and Missing Soldiers During the Period the Battle of Pelham Was Fought on October 18, 1776.  

Fri., Apr. 23, 2010:  Charles Blaskowitz, Surveyor Who Created Important Map Reflecting the Battle of Pelham.  


Thu., Feb. 06, 2014:  A Description of the Revolutionary War Battle of Pelham Published in 1926 for the Sesquicentennial Celebration.

Mon., May 19, 2014:  Biography of British Officer Who Fought in the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776.

Wed., Jun. 04, 2014:  An Account of the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776 Presented and Published in 1894.  

Fri., Jun. 27, 2014:  Newly-Published Account Concludes Colonel William Shepard Was Wounded During the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776.

Mon., Jun. 30, 2014:  A British Lieutenant in the Twelfth Foot Who Fought at the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776.

Fri., Sep. 19, 2014:  Abel Deveau, An American Skirmisher on Rodman's Neck as British and Germans Landed Before the Battle of Pelham.

Wed., Sep. 17, 2014:  References to the Battle of Pelham in 18th Century Diary of Ezra Stiles, President of Yale College.

Fri., Oct. 17, 2014:  First-Hand Diary Account of Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776.

Mon., Oct. 20, 2014:  American Diary Account of Events Before, During, and After the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776.

Tue., Oct. 21, 2014:  November 1, 1776 Letter Describing the Battle of Pelham and Events Before and After the Battle.

Fri., Oct. 24, 2014:  October 21, 1776 Report to the New-York Convention Regarding the Battle of Pelham.

Wed., Feb. 18, 2015:  Young American Hero James Swinnerton, Badly Wounded in the Battle of Pelham.

Wed., Feb. 25, 2015:  Where Were the Stone Walls Used by American Troops During the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776?

Thu., Mar. 24, 2016:  An Account of the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776 Published in The McDonald Papers.  

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