More on Efforts to Divide Pelham Into Two Towns During the Late 1850s

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During the mid-19th century, the Town of Pelham was split into two principal camps:  the islanders versus the mainlanders.  The principal population of the Town at that time lived 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. 

As I have written before, during the late 1850s, there was an initiative by many of the most illustrious mainland residents to have the Westchester County Board of Supervisors split the Town of Pelham into two towns. 

Eventually, the proposal was to create a then-unnamed town consisting of City Island, Hart Island, and High Island (and their "appurtenances") and a second town consisting of the mainland, Hunter's Island, the Twins (and their "appurtenances").  In 1859 an application was made to the Board of Supervisors by members of the Marshall, Morris, Bartow, Grenzebach, Coudert, Roosevelt, Hunter, Schuyler, and Secor Families, among others, to have the town split along these lines.  

I have written before about this multi-year campaign to split the Town of Pelham into two towns.  See, e.g.:  

Thu., Feb. 16, 2017:  Pelham Mainlanders Wouldn't Give Up: More Efforts to Split the Town in Two During 1859.

Fri., Jul. 15, 2016:  Efforts to Divide the Town of Pelham Into Two Towns Began as Early as 1856. 

Mon., Mar. 09, 2015:  The Feud Between Mainlanders And City Islanders in the Town of Pelham Turned Ugly in 1859.

Although we know that the Town of Pelham was not split into two towns at that time, research has not yet revealed the precise manner in which the petition to divide Pelham was resolved.  As I have noted before, however, one possibility is that the Board of Supervisors of the County of Westchester may not have had the authority to enact such legislation.  Only the State of New York had such authority since the Town of Pelham and its boundaries were created by State statute in 1788, as reaffirmed by State statute in 1827, defining the "limits and divisions" of the Town of Pelham. See Mon., May 07, 2007 1827:  Statute Defining the "Limits and Divisions" of the Town of Pelham.

Today's Historic Pelham article documents the fruits of additional research on the failed efforts to divide Pelham into two towns.

It now is clear, as one might have suspected, that the citizens of City Island, Hart Island, and High Island fought back against the initiative over a period of years.

The Board of Supervisors of the County of Westchester appears to have rejected the initiative, at least initially, as early as 1856.  Thus, on Tuesday, November 18, 1856, the Board of Supervisors of the County of Westchester met in White Plains.  During the meeting, the Supervisor of White Plains who also was a member of the Board's Judiciary Committee, John J. Clapp, summarized the situation involving a petition received from Pelham residents who wanted to divide the Town into two towns and a "remonstrance" from Pelham residents who opposed the initiative.

Mr. Clapp then presented a report on the matter recommending against the division of the Town of Pelham.  According to records of the Board, "On motion, the Report was agreed to by the Board."  (Emphasis in original.)

The Board's agreement with the report read by John J. Clapp of the Judiciary Committee does not, however, seem to have ended the matter.  The initiative clearly continued well into 1859, though there remain gaps in the historical record that must be filled in as best possible. 

On November 17, 1859, the Board of Supervisors of the County of Westchester met pursuant to adjournment.  At the time, the Supervisor of the Town of Pelham was Samuel Lippencott.  

During the meeting, the Town Supervisor of the then-Town of New Rochelle, Thaddeus Davids, presented a "remonstrance" of citizens of the Town of Pelham opposing division of the town.  It is interesting that the remonstrance was presented to the County Board by the Supervisor of the Town of New Rochelle and not Samuel Lippencott, the Supervisor of the Town of Pelham.  The record of the meeting indicates only that a "quorum" was present, without indicating which Supervisors attended.  Thus, it is possible that Lippencott was not present.  Of course, it also is possible that Lippencott was attempting to maintain an appearance of impartiality in the matter because, as Town Supervisor, he represented all of the citizens of Pelham including, of course, both mainlanders and islanders.  Lippencott's name does not appear in any of the published newspaper legal notices giving notice of the proposal to divide the Town of Pelham, though the names of many supporters of the measure were included in such notices.

Interestingly, Samuel Lippencott most likely opposed the initiative to split the Town as he was a "carpenter" who lived with his wife and family on City Island.  See Mon., Nov. 02, 2015:  Samuel Lippincott, Town Supervisor of Pelham in 1859, 1860, and 1861.  It would not be unreasonable to assume that Lippencott made his views on the initiative known to his fellow members of the County Board.  

The County Board received the remonstrance from Mr. Davids and immediately referred it to the Judiciary Committee for consideration.

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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"Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors.
-----
ANNUAL SESSION, NOVEMBER, 1856.
-----
Members of the Board.

Bedford........................Truman Clark.
Cortlandt......................Frost Horton.
East Chester,................Darius Lyon.
Greenburgh,.................Seth Bird.
Harrison,......................Daniel W. Gray.
Lewisboro,...................Daniel Hunt.
Mamaroneck,...............John Morrell.
Mount Pleasant,...........Henry E. Paulding.
Morrisania,..................Gouverneur Morris.
New Castle,.................John Y. Haight.
New Rochelle,.............Thaddeus Davids.
North Castle,...............Charles Purdy.
North Salem,...............Isaac H. Purdy.
Ossining,.....................John F. Purdy.
Pelham,.......................George W. Horton.
Poundridge,.................Alsop H. Lockwood.
Rye,.............................John E. Marshall.
Somers,.......................Joseph Reynolds.
Scarsdale,...................Francis Secor.
West Chester,..............Abraham Hatfield.
West Farms,................Samuel M. Purdy.
White Plains,...............John J. Clapp.
Yonkers,......................William W. Scrugham.
Yorktown,....................Samuel Fowler.
-----
Chairman,
Hon. DANIEL HUNT.
Clerk,
HIRAM P. ROWEL, Esq.
-----

Tuesday, Nov. 18.

The Board met pursuant to adjournment.

-- Mr. Hunt, in the Chair, and a quorum present. . . . 

Mr. Clapp, from the Judiciary Committee, . . . to whom were referred the petition for and the remonstrance against the division of the town of Pelham, presented a Report, against dividing said town.  On motion, the Report was agreed to by the Board. . . ."

Source:  Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors -- ANNUAL SESSION, NOVEMBER, 1856, Eastern State Journal [White Plains, NY], Dec. 19, 1856, Vol. XII, No. 32, p. 2, cols. 5-7.

"BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, 
WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
-----
November Session, 1859.
CHAIRMAN -- ALSOP H. LOCKWOOD, Esq.
CLERK -- E.O. SUTHERLAND.
-----

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD:

TOWNS.                        NAMES.
Bedford,........................HEZEKIAH D. ROBERTSON.
Cortlandt,......................OWEN T. COFFIN.
East Chester,................DARIUS LYON.
Greenburgh,.................CHARLES W. LITTLE.
Harrison,......................SAMUEL HOPPER.
Lewisboro,...................DANIEL HUNT.
Mamaroneck,...............WILLIAM L. BARKER.
Mount Pleasant,..........ISAAC M. TWITCHINGS.
Morrisania,..................WILLIAM CAULDWELL.
New Castle,.................DANIEL HALLOUCK.
New Rochelle,.............THADDEUS DAVIDS.
North Castle,...............CHARLES PURDY.
North Salem,...............GILBERT F. BAILY.
Ossining,.....................GEORGE A. BRANDRETH.
Pelham,.......................SAMUEL LIPPENCOTT.
Poundridge,.................ALSOP H. LOCKWOODK.
Rye,.............................JOHN K. MARSHALL.
Scarsdale,...................FRANCIS SECOR.
Somers,......................WILLIAM MARSHALL, JR.
West Chester,..............ABRAHAM HATFIELD.
West Farms,................JOHN BUSSING.
White Plains,...............GILBERT S. LYON.
Yonkers,......................AUG. VAN CORTLANDT.
Yorktown,....................BENJAMIN D. MILLER.
-----

WHITE PLAINS, Thursday, Nov. 17.

The Board met pursuant to adjournment -- Mr. Lockwood in the Chair, and a quorum present. . . .

Mr. Davids presented the remonstrance of citizens of the town of Pelham against the division of said town, which was referred to the Judiciary Committee. . . ."

Source:  BOARD OF SUPERVISORS -- WESTCHESTER COUNTY -- November Session, 1859, Eastern State Journal [White Plains, NY], Nov. 25, 1859, Vol. XV, No. 29, p. 2, cols. 2-7.

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