Pelhamville Bicentennial Celebration in 1894

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On July 4, 1894, the tiny little hamlet of Pehamville celebrated the bicentennial of its "settlement".  There were fireworks, orations and more.

Oddly enough, I have yet to identify what the little hamlet considered to be its initial settlement in 1694. . . . . . .

Below is a brief reference to the celebration that appeared in the July 5, 1894 issue of the New-York Tribune.

"PELHAMVILLE

Pelhamville yesterday celebrated the two-hundredth anniversary of its settlement.  There were orations, music and games in the day, and the evening was devoted to a display of fireworks and to other amusements.  Hundreds of people from the surrounding towns and cities took part."

Source:  Pelhamville, New-York Tribune, Jul. 5, 1894, p. 12, col. 1.

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John Pell's Early Public Service in the Late 1600s

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John Pell inherited the lands that came to be known as the "Manor of Pelham" from his uncle, Thomas Pell, following Thomas Pell's death in late September, 1669. John Pell arrived in America from England to claim his inheritance about a year later.

Within a short time, John Pell was a respected citizen of the area that came to be known as Westchester County. He became involved in public service.

A book published in 2005 summarized John Pell's public service. It noted that an examination of the earliest records of the Court of Sessions held in Westchester suggests that the first Court of Sessions was held on June 3, 1684. That year, according to the account, "it seems" that John Pell was appointed First Judge of Westchester County. Additionally, Pell "seems to have been recommissioned by James II in 1688, after the status of the latter had changed from the duke to the king."

In 1691, "John Pell represented Westchester in the 1691 General Assembly, which is known as the First General Assembly. He was also a member of the Second Assembly, 1692-93, and with Joseph Theal sat in the Third Assembly, 1693, also in the Fourth (1693-94), with Humphrey Underhill."

Source: Chester, Alden, Courts and Lawyers of New York: A History 1609-1925, Vol. I, pp. 1298-1299 (Clark, NJ: The LawBook Exchange, Ltd. 2005).

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