Historic Pelham

Presenting the rich history of Pelham, NY in Westchester County: current historical research, descriptions of how to research Pelham history online and genealogy discussions of Pelham families.

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

John E. Price of City Island, One of Pelham's Earliest Commercial Oystermen


Not much is known of the earliest oystermen in the Town of Pelham.  Not much, of course, was done to document their lives during the early to mid-19th century.  By piecing together snippets from a wide variety of sources, however, it is possible to assemble a rough portrait of some of those pioneer oystermen.  One such pioneer oystermen was John E. Price, among the earliest oystermen to operate from City Island in the Town of Pelham.

 According to a host of sources including several Federal census records, John E. Price was born in New York in about 1826.  As a young man in the 1850s he began oystering from City Island in the Town of Pelham.  At the time, the natural oyster beds off the shores of Pelham were rich with the bivalves.  Additionally, oystermen in the region were just developing the practice of "planting" oyster beds in the waters of Long Island Sound.  Thus, Price began oystering at the best possible time.

 According to an obituary, Price soon "started a string of boats, and made a comfortable fortune" by oystering off the shores of Pelham.  

 As one might expect, John E. Price planted and maintained oyster beds in Long Island Sound.  This is known because in 1879, famed City Island oysterman Joshua Leviness became the first person in the State of New York charged with illegally dredging oysters using steam power.  At trial, the attorney for Leviness argued that Leviness was hired by the owner of an artificial oyster bed that was adjacent to a bed planted by John E. Price to harvest the owner's oysters from his bed.  The attorney contended that the statute did not bar steam-powered equipment when dredging one's own oysters from one's own artificial bed -- only when dredging natural beds or unlawfully dredging the artificial beds of others.  The argument failed and Leviness was convicted.

 The Federal Censuses for the Town of Pelham in 1850, 1860, and 1870 suggest that oysterman John Price married a woman named Caroline who was born in New York and was three years younger than he and that the couple had several children including:  (1) Stephen, born in about 1847; (2) John E., born in about 1850; (3) Robert H., born in about 1856; (4) Charlie S., born in about 1858; (5) Annie, born in about 1861; (6) Sarah, born in about 1863; (7) Maura, born in about 1866; (8) Mable E, born in about 1868; (9) Jennie, born in about 1869; and (10) William, birth date unknown.   A brief obituary in a local newspaper indicates that Jennie died at the age of 16 in 1885 of "lingering consumption."

 Brief newspaper clippings from the 1880s and 1890s shed a little light on the life of John E. Price.  For example, he was hailed as a hero in December, 1881 for saving the life of City Island oysterman Joseph Horton.  Horton was operating a skiff with a sail while oystering off the shores of City Island.  The sail snagged on a stake marking the boundary of an oyster bed, capsizing Horton's boat.  Horton scrambled out of the cold water and climbed onto the bottom of the skiff bobbing upside down in the waters of Long Island Sound.  He began to shout.  

 John Price and one of his sons were out oystering as well.  They heard Horton's shouts and rescued him from his imperiled condition.

 Several different accounts emphasized John Price's love for sailing and rowing in the waters of Long Island Sound for fun.  Indeed, an obituary noted that he rowed all around in the waters off the shores of City Island only days before his death in 1910 at the age of 85.  Another example was a sailing race Price ran against Samuel Pell of City Island in September, 1885.  Pell raced his large oyster sloop Louise H.  Price raced a smaller oyster sloop, the Wm. H. Lockwood.  Because Pell's boat was so much larger, Pell had to give a "time allowance" (i.e., spot Price some time).  Although the race was highly anticipated, there was no wind that day.  The race began at 1:00 p.m. from City Island Bridge and only involved a ten-mile course, but with no wind it took the sloops until dark to complete the race.  Pell's sloop, the Louise H., finished 3 minutes and 20 seconds ahead, but when the time allowance was considered, Price's sloop, the Wm. H. Lockwood, was declared the winner by 47 seconds.  

 As one of the earliest oystermen on City Island, John E. Price became one of the most respected mariners in the Town.  His counsel and guidance were sought by oystermen throughout the island.  

 Members of John E. Price's family also gained similar respect.  For example, one of his sons, John E. Price, Jr., was a leader of City Island oystermen during the infamous 1895 Oyster War about which I have written before.  See:

 Wed., Jun. 24, 2015:  The 1895 Oyster War Involving City Island Oystermen - Part I. 

 Thu., Jun. 25, 2015:  The 1895 Oyster War Involving City Island Oystermen - Part II.

 In 1899 John E Price had the sad duty of searching for and discovering the body of his friend, Thomas Collins.  Collins was 80 years old at the time of his death and was said to have been, at the time, "the oldest fisherman of City Island."  Since the 1840s Collins had been engaged in the oystering trade and fished the waters around City Island.  Indeed, he and John Price had virtually grown old together oystering in Long Island Sound near City Island.  Yet, on April 8, 1899, Collins headed to the oyster beds near City Island for the last time.

 No one knew what happened.  In the evening, two of his sons returned home and were surprised not to see their father.  They searched for him, but found only his rowboat overturned on a nearby beach where it had been washed ashore.  All of City Island was called out to search for old Thomas Collins in the waters around City Island.  According to the New York Times:

 "It was almost 9 o'clock, however, before John Fordham, John Price, and Henry Glazier, grappling from the sides of their boat, came upon something heavy.  It was the body of their old friend Collins.  They towed the body to shore and stretched it on the beach.  A doctor sad the body had been in the water for at least four hours.  It was taken to the Collins home at 31 Carroll Street."

 John E. Price died in his home at 146 King Avenue on November 24, 1910.  He was found dead "of paralysis" (likely a stroke) by William Price, one of his sons.  According to his obituary, "until a few days ago was able to row around the island as easily as any boatman of the younger generation.  He owned some property near his home."



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 Below is the text of a number of newspaper articles that touch on the life of City Island oysterman John E. Price.  Each is followed by a citation and link to its source.

 "STEAM DREDGING FOR OYSTERS.

 Yesterday in the Court of Sessions, at White Plains, the first case under chapter 302 of the Laws of 1878, providing that in none of the waters of the State of New York shall dredging for oysters be done by steam power, was tried before Judge Silas D. Giffor and Associate Justices Howe and Lawrence.  The District Attorney was assisted by ex-Judge J. M. Peters, and Martin J. Keogh was counsel for the defendant.  The indictment in the action charges that Joshua Leviness, an oysterman, dredged on John Price's oyster-bed with his steam dredge in violation of the statute.  It appeared that Charles McClellan owns, or is reputed to own, an adjoining oyster bed, and that Leviness had been engaged to take up some of the oysters for him.  When he got to the boundaries of the bed he had to go upon Price's bed but did not dredge thereon or raise any of the oysters.  These beds are in Long Island Sound, off the Town of Pelham, near City Island.  The defense claimed that they had the right to dredge for their property by whatever means they chose.  Inasmuch as it was not a natural bed of oysters.  The prosecution, and the Judge in charging the jury, said that the letter of the law 'dredging for oysters in the waters of the State by steam power,' had been violated, and the jury found Leviness guilty of dredging upon private grounds."

 Source:  STEAM DREDGING FOR OYSTERS, N.Y. Times, Dec. 9, 1879, p. 5, cols. 1-2.  

 "City Island. . . .

 Just before sunrise on Saturday morning last, Mr. Joseph Horton, with a sail in his skiff, started out to work.  The sail caught in an oyster stake off House Rock, capsizing his boat.  Mr. Horton climbed up on the bottom of the boat and set his vocal powers to work, and was heard by some oystermen and was rescued by Capt. John Price and Son.  Mr. Horton was very numb with the cold when picked up and is now confined to his bed. . . ."

 Source:  City Island, The Chronicle [Mount Vernon, NY], Dec. 16, 1881, Vol. XIII, No. 639, p. 2, col. 4.  

 "PELHAM AND CITY ISLAND. . . .

 Miss Jennie, daughter of Mr. John Price, died of lingering consumption on Monday afternoon last, and was buried from the M. E. Church, Wednesday.  The young lady was 16 years of age. . . ."

 Source:  PELHAM AND CITY ISLAND, The Chronicle [Mount Vernon, NY], May 15, 1885, Vol. XVI, No. 817, p. 3, col. 3.  

 "PELHAM AND CITY ISLAND. . . .

 The match race between the oyster sloops, Louise H. owned by Mr. Samuel Pell, and Wm. H. Lockwood, owned by Mr. John Price came off last Saturday, as announced, but it was rather a tame affair as there was little or no wind, the boats being nearly six hours going over the course of ten miles.  The boats started about one o'clock from City Island bridge and it was nearly dark when they returned to the starting point.  The Louise got in 3 minutes and 20 seconds ahead, but as she is a larger boat than the Lockwood, and had to give time allowance, the later won the race by 47 seconds.  The friends of the respective boats each think their favorite is the smarter and the late contest will, in all probability, result in another, when it is hoped the conditions of the weather will be more favorable to a more exciting race."

 Source:  PELHAM AND CITY ISLAND, The Chronicle [Mount Vernon, NY], Sep. 4, 1885, Vol. XVI, No. 833, p. 2, col. 4.  

 "OLD FISHERMAN DROWNED.
----
Thomas Collins's Boat Comes Ashore Alone at City Island -- Body Found.

 The body of Thomas Collins, known as the oldest fisherman of City Island, was found last night in the oyster beds near Rodman's Neck, from which he had gained a livelihood for the last fifty years.  He was 80 years old.

 Collins was in the habit of going alone on the Sound to catch fish and gather oysters.  He had three sons, and for many years they helped him, but recently all got jobs as clerks and left their father to ply the old trade by himself.  

 Yesterday afternoon, the sky being clear, he ventured to the foot of Carroll Street, where he had his boathouse, with the intention of rowing out to the oyster beds.  He was not expected home until suppertime, and his daughter set the table in anticipation of his return.

 At about 6 o'clock his two sons, Frank and Stephen came home for their supper and inquired for their father.  They waited until 7 o'clock and then started a search.  They found their father's rowboat overturned on the beach north of the boathouse, the tide having washed it ashore.  Immediately the little colony of fishermen on the island was informed and about fifty of them went with lanterns and grappling hooks in rowboats and launches to the oyster beds, about 600 feet from shore.

 It was almost 9 o'clock, however, before John Fordham, John Price, and Henry Glazier, grappling from the sides of their boat, came upon something heavy.  It was the body of their old friend Collins.  They towed the body to shore and stretched it on the beach.  A doctor sad the body had been in the water for at least four hours.  It was taken to the Collins home at 31 Carroll Street."

 Source:  OLD FISHERMAN DROWNED -- Thomas Collins's Boat Comes Ashore Alone at City Island -- Body Found, N.Y. Times, Apr. 9, 1899.

 "STORM AT CITY ISLAND.
-----
Wind and Lightning Combine to do Considerable Damage.
-----

 During the thunderstorm which passed over City Island yesterday lightning struck the flagstaff on the large yacht shed in the shipyard of Robert Jacob.  This is the second pole struck by lightning in this shipyard within two weeks.

 Another bolt struck the chimney of Dr. Seifert's residence, completely demolishing it and tearing away a portion of the roof of his house.  The occupants were badly frightened, but no one was injured.

 A tree in the Pelham Cemetery was struck, and at the residence of John Price, an oysterman, the chimney was carried away by the wind."

 Source:  STORM AT CITY ISLAND -- Wind and Lightning Combine to do Considerable Damage, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Aug. 28, 1900, p. 5, col. 4.

 "Old City Island Oysterman Dead.

 John E. Price, one of the first oyster men on City Island, was found dead of paralysis at his home, 146 King Avenue, last night, by his son, William.  He was 84 years old.  He was known to every one on City Island, and until a few days ago was able to row around the island as easily as any boatman of the younger generation.  He owned some property near his home."

 Source:  Old City Island Oysterman Dead, N.Y. Times, Nov. 25, 1910, p. 11, col. 6 (Note:  Paid subscription required to access via this link).  

 "Pioneer Oysterman Dead.

 John E. Price, the pioneer oysterman of City Island, died suddenly at his home, No. 146 King Street, City Island, last night in his eighty-fifth year.  He went to City Island sixty years ago, when oysters were plentiful in the neighboring waters, started a string of boats, and made a comfortable fortune.  When the supply gave out he retired, but was very active up to a month ago, spending most of his time rowing about City Island."

 Source:  Pioneer Oysterman Dead, The Evening Post [NY, NY], Nov. 25, 1910, p. 14, col. 4.  

 "PIONEER OYSTERMAN DEAD.
-----

 John E. Price, the pioneer oysterman of City Island, died suddenly at his home, 146 King street, City Island, on Thursday night of last week, in his 85th year.

 He went to City Island 60 years ago, when oysters were plentiful in the neighboring waters, started a string of boats, and made a comfortable fortune.  When the supply gave out, he retired, but was very active up to a month ago, spending most of his time rowing about City Island."

 Source:  PIONEER OYSTERMAN DEAD, New Rochelle Pioneer, Dec. 3, 1910, p. 2, col. 5. 

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The oystering industry was, for decades, a critically-important economic activity in the Town of Pelham.  Many residents of City Island made their living from the industry or ran businesses that catered to the oystermen.  Accordingly, I have written about Pelham oystering on many, many occasions.  See, e.g.:

Thu., May 11, 2017:  Nineteenth Century Fake News: Announced Discovery of Another Great Oyster Bed in 1871 Led to a Near "Oyster Riot".

 Wed., Mar. 29, 2017:  Important Description of the Oyster Industry in Pelham in 1853.

Thu., Feb. 11, 2016:  Was a City Island Hotel Keeper Among the First to Learn of the Great Oyster Bed Discovered in 1859?

Wed., Jun. 24, 2015:  The 1895 Oyster War Involving City Island Oystermen - Part I.

Thu., Jun. 25, 2015:  The 1895 Oyster War Involving City Island Oystermen - Part II.

Mon., Dec. 01, 2014:  Jury Finds City Island Oystermen Guilty of Stealing Oysters from Planted Bed in 1878.

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Wednesday, March 08, 2017

Stephen S. Pell of the Town of Pelham, a Son of Colonel David Jones Pell of Pelhamdale


Stephen Sneden Pell was a notable early Pelham resident who served as Town Supervisor from 1827 to 1831 and also in 1841.  In 1845 the Westchester County Board of Supervisors appointed Pell to a two-year term to serve with two others as Westchester County's "Superintendents of the Poor."  Pell continued to serve in that capacity until his term expired in late 1847.  He also served for a time as "Town Auditor" of the Town of Pelham during a period that also included 1847.  Pell also served numerous terms as a vestryman at St. Paul's Church in Eastchester (1826-1831; 1834-1842; and 1848-1850).

 Stephen S. Pell was born November 29, 1803 in a portion of the home today known as Pelhamdale located at 45 Iden Avenue.  The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Stephen Sneden Pell was a son of David Jones Pell and Hester ("Hetty") Sneden.

 Stephen S. Pell married Adeline M. Turnbull on December 5, 1830.  The couple had at least one son, Walter T. Pell.  Stephen and Adeline Pell and their family lived for a time in a home that was on today's Boston Post Road near the Hutchinson River.  The property was located about sixty feet away from the Town Dock on the Hutchinson River (also known as Eastchester Creek).  Stephen Pell was a "merchant."  From his property on Boston Post Road he operated a lumber yard, a coal yard, and a country store.

 On the property Pell maintained a full assortment of lumber and a large quantity of coal.  In his country store he maintained an inventory, and sold a large assortment, of dry goods, groceries, earthenware, hardware, boots, shoes, and even liquor.  He also kept on the site a grocery wagon, a "pleasure wagon," a rockaway carriage, a horse cart, and livestock.  He maintained fruit trees on the property to produce fruit for sale in his country store.  

 Pell's property included about six acres on which stood a two-story home that was 40 by 35 feet.  There also was a barn nearly as large as the house (40 by 28 feet).  There also were an ice house, a hay scale, and a number of additional outbuildings.  

 It appears that in the late 1840s, Stephen Sneden Pell and his family suffered some form of financial difficulties.  Legal notices published in New York City newspapers in 1849 and early 1850 suggest that Pell had debts owed to two men named John R. Hayward and Jesse Lyon.  It appears that he assigned his interests in both his real and personal property to the two men who arranged for an auction of the contents of his country store and other personal property, followed later by an auction of his six-acre property, dwelling, and the other buildings on the site.  The auction of the contents of the store and other personal property was scheduled for September 21, 1849.  

 The sale of the real property, according to one legal notice, was first scheduled to take place on February 2, 1850 at 12:00 noon at the Merchants' Exchange.  It appears that the auction either did not take place or did not result in a sale of the property.  Another auction was scheduled to take place on October 13, 1850 at 12:00 noon on the premises.  Although research has not yet revealed the results of that auction, if it occurred, no later auction notices seem to have been published.  The legal notices of the auctions styled them as "Assignees' Sale at Auction" of the property.  

 A notice of Stephen Sneden Pell's death appeared in the June 16, 1870 issue of The New York Herald.  The notice indicated that he had died in Brooklyn and that the funeral would be held in the home of his son, Walter T. Pell.  

 Stephen Sneden Pell's wife, Adeline Turnbull Pell, died eleven years later of pneumonia on January 31, 1881.

Detail of Map Published in 1853 Showing What Is Believed to Be the Area
Where the Stephen Sneden Pell Property Was Located.  Property May Be
One or More of the Structures Located Opposite the Prevost Property on
the Other Side of Boston Post Road.  Source: Dripps, Matthew &
Conner, R.F.O., Southern Part of West-Chester County N. Y. (1853)
(Museum of the City of New York, No. 29.100.2628).
NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.

Notice of Assignees' Sale at Auction of Personal Property
of Stephen Sneden Pell of the Town of Pelham, New York.
Source:  ASSIGNEES' SALE AT AUCTION [Advertisement],
Eastern State Journal [White Plains, NY], Sep. 21, 1849,
p. 3, col. 4. NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

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 Below is the text of a number of items that shed light on the life of Stephen Sneden Pell.  Each is followed by a citation and link to its source.

 "FOR SALE -- A neat cottage with an excellent well near the door, carriage house, out buildings, &c, with one quarter acre of land laid out in garden, situated in Pelham, Westchester county, on the Boston turnpike, 16 miles from the city.  There are every variety of fruit trees, gooseberry and other valuable bushes.  --  Apply to Stephen S. Pell, Pelham, or S. Taylor, No. 556 Grand st, N. Y.          430 1m*"

 Source:  FOR SALE -- A neat cottage [Advertisement], The Sun [NY, NY], Apr. 30, 1842, p. 3, col. 6.  

 "ASSIGNEES' SALE AT AUCTION.

 THE Subscribers, Assignees of Stephen S. Pell, of the town of Pelham, Westchester County, will sell at Public Auction, at the Dwelling House and Store lately occupied by said Pell, in the said town of PELHAM, on FRIDAY, THE TWENTY-FIRST DAY OF SEPTEMBER INSTANT, at 10 o'clock in the forenoon, the personal property lately belonging to said Pell, consisting of a full assortment of Lumber, selected for a Lumber Yard, and a large quantity Coal, selected for a Coal Yard.  The contents of a Country Store, consisting of a large assortment of Dry Goods, Groceries, Earthenware, Hardware, Boots, Shoes, Liquors, &c.  One Pleasure Wagon; one Grocery Wagon; one Rockaway; one Horse Cart and Harness; one Horse; Harness; Sow and Pigs.

 The articles to be sold are in first-rate condition, and will be sold to the highest bidder.  The sale will commence on the 21st day of September instant, at 10 o'clock, A. M., and be continued until the whole of the personal property is sold.

 Dated September 12, 1849        17w2
JOHN R. HAYWARD,  }
JESSE LYON, }
Assignees."

 Source:  ASSIGNEES' SALE AT AUCTION [Advertisement], Eastern State Journal [White Plains, NY], Sep. 21, 1849, p. 3, col. 4.  

 "SATURDAY, Feb. 2.

 At 12 o'clock at the Merchants' Exchange.

 Town of Pelham -- That valuable business stand lately occupied by Stephen S. Pell, as a Store and Coal and Lumber Yard, situated in the lower part of the town of Pelham, in the county of Westchester, on the Boston Turnpike, opposite Pelham Dock, (which is within 60 feet of the d), containing about 6 acres of good land.  On the premises is a two story dwelling, 40 by 35 feet; a barn, 40 by 28 feet; ice house, hay scale, with all the necessary outbuildings, and an assortment of fruit trees -- suitable for a large country business.  The premises are in good repair and well calculated for a boarding house.  The property will be sold without reserve, to close a concern.  The terms are liberal and will be made known on the day of sale.  For further particulars apply to the Auctioneer, No. 7 Broad street."

 Source:  SATURDAY, Feb. 2, Morning Courier and New-York Enquirer, Jan. 31, 1850, Vol. XLI, No. 7053, p. 5, col. 9.  

 "ASSIGNEES' SALE OF REAL ESTATE.  --  A BUSINESS STAND AT AUCTION.  --  That valuable business stand, lately occupied by Stephen S. Pell, as a store, coal and lumber yard, situate in the town of Pelham, Westchester County, on the Boston turnpike road and opposite Pelham dock, containing about 6 acres of land.  On the premises is a large two-story dwelling-house, with all the necessary out-buildings, suitable for a large country business, (the premises are well calculated for a boarding-house,) all in good repair.  Said premises will be sold on Saturday the 13th day of October at 12 o'clock, noon, on the premises. Terms liberal; made known on the day of sale.

 JOHN K. HAYWARD,
JESSE LYON.

 s29 2w*"

 Source:  ASSIGNEES' SALE OF REAL ESTATE.  --  A BUSINESS STAND AT AUCTION, New-York Daily Tribune, Oct. 1, 1849, Vol. IX, No. 149, p. 3, col. 7.  

 "PELL.  --  in Brooklyn, STEPHEN S. PELL, formerly of Pelham, Westchester county, New York, in the 67th year of his age.

 The funeral will take place from the residence of his son, Walter T. Pell, 11 Abingdon square, New York city, this (Thursday) afternoon, at two o'clock.  The relatives and friends are invited without further notice."

 Source:  MARRIAGES AND DEATHS . . . Died . . . PELL in Brooklyn, STEPHEN S. PELL, The New York Herald, Jun. 16, 1870, p. 3, cols. 4-5 (Note:  Paid subscription required to access via this link).    

 "MARRIAGES AND DEATHS. . . . 
DIED. . .

 PELL. -- On Monday, January 31, of pneumonia, ADALINE M. PELL, widow of Stephen S. Pell, late of Pelham.

 Funeral from the residence of her daughter, Mrs. Moore, 101 Waverly place, on Wednesday, at two o'clock.  Interment at Greenwood."

 Source:  MARRIAGES AND DEATHS . . . DIED . . . PELL,  New York Herald, Feb. 2, 1881, p. 9, col. 6.  

 "Supervisors of the Several Towns. . . .

 PELHAM. . . .

 Stephen S. Pell, 1827 to 1831, 1841. . . ."

 Source:  Smith, Henry T., ed., Manual of Westchester County Past and Present - Civil List to Date, Vol. I, p. 58 (White Plains, NY:  Henry T. Smith, Publisher, 1898).

 "VESTRYMEN. . . .

 Stephen S. Pell, 1826-1831, 1834-1842, 1848-1850."

 Source:  Coffey, William Samuel, Commemorative Discourse Delivered at the Centennial Anniversary of the Erection and the Sixtieth of the Consecration of St. Paul's Church, East Chester, West Chester Co., N.Y., October 24th, 1865, by the Rev. William Samuel Coffey, M.A., Rector, p. 35 (NY, NY:  Perris & Browne, Printers, 1866).

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Monday, August 25, 2014

Earthquake! Is Pelham on Shaky Ground?


Early yesterday morning, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake damaged buildings and knocked out power to thousands in northern California.  Dozens reportedly were injured, some critically.

Earthquakes don't happen in Pelham, do they? 

Well, most recently . . . . . . . .  Shortly before 2:00 p.m. on August 23, 2011, many in Pelham and surrounding areas could not believe their senses.  Dishes seemed to rattle.  Tables and chairs seemed to vibrate.  Some thought they perceived a rumble.  It was not their imaginations.  The earth shook that day.

The earthquake felt that day in Pelham (and in more than a dozen eastern states and Canada) originated 4 miles beneath ground surface in Louisa County, Virginia, nearly 350 miles away.  It registered a magnitude of 5.8 and a maximum perceived intensity of VII on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (very strong).

Could a damaging earthquake occur in Pelham?  Is Pelham on shaky ground?  The answer to both questions may surprise you:  "yes."  In fact, history reveals that Pelham already has suffered damaging earthquakes and likely will experience more.

Major Temblors

The earliest major earthquake in the Pelham region in historical times occurred on December 18, 1737.  Scientists estimate that like the recent quake centered in Louisa County, Virginia, the 1737 New York quake reached a perceived intensity of VII on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale and registered a magnitude between 5.0 and 5.5.  It toppled chimneys and rang bells in the New York City region and reportedly was felt as far away as Boston, Philadelphia and Delaware.

There is no record of damage in Pelham during the 1737 earthquake.  That, however, is no surprise.  The region known as the Manor of Pelham at the time was virtually uninhabited.  There were only a few households in the area consisting mostly of members of the Pell, Rodman, Rylander and Contine families.

By the 19th century, however, the population of Pelham had grown.  On a sultry summer morning, July 11, 1872, just as the sun began to rise, the earth quaked and Pelham shook again.  At about 5:30 a.m., according to witnesses, an earthquake seemed to begin to the south and roll to the north.  According to the New York Times:

"Houses were shaken to their foundations, and crockery and glassware in the closets were considerably disturbed by the shock.  Timid ladies became greatly alarmed, fearing results of a more serious character.  In the villages of East Chester, Mt. Vernon, Pelhamville, New Rochelle, Mamaroneck, Rye and Portchester, in Westchester County, and at Greenwich, Conn., the earthquake was both heard and felt very distinctly."

A dozen years later, on August 10, 1884, Pelham and much of Westchester County experienced another such earthquake -- this one significant.  That day, a magnitude 5.2 quake centered off the shore of Far Rockaway, Queens shook the New York metropolitan region at about 2:00 p.m., followed by aftershocks as late as the following day.  The initial shock was so great that a bell in White Plains was rung.  Once again, according to the New York Times:

"[I]mmense trees were swayed to and fro.  Houses trembled to their very foundations, shaking loose articles from their fastenings and causing general consternation among the inhabitants.  People rushed from their houses to the streets, asking each other the cause of their own fright.  The course of the earthquake was from the northwest to the southeast."

The same article noted that the earthquake was the fourth significant temblor to strike the region in 35 years, the others occurring in 1850, on August 7, 1868 and, as noted above, on July 11, 1872.

The New York Herald described the earthquake that day as follows:

"In Westchester county the shock was felt in every town and village, and while it lasted there was great consternation.  People ran out of their houses, and some of the superstitious fell on their knees, fully believing that the judgment day had come.

"The shock was announced by a shaking of houses and a rattling of windows.  Then a noise resembling the approach of a mighty wind was heard.  The dwellings shook more violently and the inmates began to scamper for the open air.  The sick suffered especially, and last evening many serious relapses through fright were reported by the physicians.  The shock came at precisely seven minutes past two o'clock.  It  seemed to pass from east to west.

"In New Rochelle, Pelham, Mount Vernon, Port Chester, White Plains, Tarrytown, Sing Sing, Yonkers and Peekskill the shock was felt.  At White Plains the shock was so great as to twice distinctly ring the gong in the hall door of the Orawaupum Hotel.  Professor John Swinburne, how has boarded in the hotel for thirty years past, has taken great pains to select a very valuable collection of minerals, agates, rare stones, shells and specimens of all the ores and quartz known to the world.  These he has in a glass case, which occupies one side of his room.  When the shock came Professor Swinburne was asleep, but was awakened by the rattling of his mineraological specimens.  When he examined the case he found many of the specimens displaced.  Some had fallen from the shelves against the glass door and others had huddled together as if for protection. 

"One gentleman in New Rochelle described the undulations as resembling the rapid rolling of a heavy cannon carriage over the bare floor of an upper room.  He said the house in which he resided shook so that he thought it was coming down.  The brick dwellings trembled more violently than the wooden ones, but, as far as heard from, no damage of any kind was done to property.

"From all along the Hudson River come reports of a similar experience to that just detailed.  At Hudson two distinct shocks were felt at a quarter past two o'clock."

Source:  THE SUBURBS IN A FLURRY.  HOUSES EMPTIED, DINNERS ABANDONED AND THE SUPERSTITIOUS FRIGHTENED, N.Y. Herald, Aug. 11, 1884, p. 3, col. 3. 

Could It Happen Again?

The 1884 earthquake was the last significant quake experienced in Pelham.  That is not to say, however, that it was the last earthquake centered in the region.  According to the United States Geological Survey, since 1974 there have been 18 earthquakes centered within 50 miles of southern Westchester County.  They ranged from magnitude 2.0 to magnitude 4.0.  Also according to the USGS, there is a 3.742% chance of a major earthquake centered within 50 miles of southern Westchester County within the next 50 years.

Nor should this surprise.  Few may realize it, but only 13 miles from Pelham -- far beneath 125th Street in Manhattan -- lies the so-called "125th Street Fault Line."  While it is nothing like major fault lines such as the "San Andreas Fault" on the west coast of the United States, the 125th Street Fault Line is still a concern to experts who recognize that population growth (as well as urban and suburban development) in the region since the late 19th century have increased the risks of substantial damage from major earthquakes in the region.  Indeed, in a report entitled "Earthquake Loss Estimation Study for The New York City Area" published in 1999, experts from Princeton and Columbia concluded that: 

"New York City's seismic risk exposure is of increasing concern.  The New York City metropolitan area has been classified by the United States Geologic Survey (USGS) to the moderate level for potential earthquakes. . . . Risk is typically defined by three components:  a hazard (the earthquake), the assets involved and the fragility of those assets.  For New York City, the probability of a large earthquake is moderate, however, it becomes an area of high risk because of its tremendous assets and the fragility of its structures, which have not been seismically designed as most on the West Coast."

Moreover, recently a group of scientists and engineers who formed the "New York City Area Consortium for Earthquake Loss Mitigation" released a report concluding that a "catastrophic" earthquake with a magnitude of 6 or larger is possible in this region and estimating that a magnitude 6 earthquake striking the region at 2:00 p.m. would cause up to 1,170 deaths and up to $40 billion in damages.

Though a major temblor may never occur in our lifetimes in Pelham, if history is any indication, the region remains on "shaky ground" and faces further quakes.




Learn More About Earthquakes in Pelham and Future Risks

I have written before about earthquakes in Pelham.  See, e.g.:

Tue., Sep. 15, 2009:  An Earthquake in Pelham and Surrounding Areas on Sunday, August 10, 1884. 

Mon., Aug. 08, 2005:  The Day the Earth Shook in Pelham: July 11, 1872. 

Tantala, Michael, et al., Earthquake Risks and Mitigation in the New York / New Jersey / Connecticut Region (The New York City Area Consortium for Earthquake Loss Mitigation:  2003).

Nordenson, Guy, et al., Earthquake Loss Estimation for The New York City Area (The New York City Area Consortium for Earthquake Loss Mitigation:  May 1, 1999).

NYCEM:  The New York City Area Consortium for Earthquake Loss Mitigation (Apr. 30, 2013).

THE SUBURBS IN A FLURRY. HOUSES EMPTIED, DINNERS ABANDONED AND THE SUPERSTITIOUS FRIGHTENED, N.Y. Herald, Aug. 11, 1884, p. 3, col. 3.

United States Geologic Survey:  New York Earthquake History (Apr. 30, 2013).

An Earthquake in Westchester County and Long Island, N.Y. Times, Jul. 12, 1872, p. 5.

The Earthquake, New Rochelle Pioneer, Aug. 16, 1884. 


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