The Whereabouts of the Pelham Coach: Colonel Delancey Kane's Famed 19th Century Tally-Ho Road Coach

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In 1876 a horse-drawn road coach known as “The Pelham Coach” (also known, informally, as the "Tally-Ho") began running between New York City’s Hotel Brunswick and the “Pelham Manor” of yore. This road coach was not a simple hired coach that ferried passengers from New York City.  Rather, this road coach was driven by Colonel DeLancey Kane, one of the so-called “millionaire coachmen,” who engaged in a sport known as “public coaching” or “road coaching” as it sometimes was called. The purpose of the sport was to rush the carriage between designated points on a specified schedule, with quick changes of horses at strategic points along the way, and to maintain that schedule rigorously. 

Colonel DeLancey Kane became quite famous for his handling of The Pelham Coach, a bright canary yellow coach that was cheered along its route from the Hotel Brunswick in New York City to Pelham Bridge in the Town of Pelham and, later, along Shore Road into New Rochelle. The iconic image of the Tally Ho! immediately below appeared on song sheets, in etchings and engravings distributed throughout the United States. It shows The Pelham Coach. 

Click on Image to Enlarge.

Colonel Kane changed the terminus of the Tally Ho! a number of times. In various years the coach traveled to the Lorillard cottage (Arcularius Hotel) at Pelham Bridge, the Pelham Bridge Hotel, the Huguenot House in New Rochelle, and a number of other locations in the region in and around Pelham. The Tally Ho! route always, however, either terminated at Pelham Bridge or continued through Pelham along Shore Road past the settlement of Bartow and Bolton Priory on its way to New Rochelle.

The first "Coaching Season" for the Delancey Kane's Tally Ho! was in 1876.  According to a number of sources, Delancey Kane ran his Pelham Coach at least during the coaching seasons of 1876, 1877, 1880, and 1882.  

Kane, who reportedly was the first to "put on a public coach" in sport, inspired others.  For example, as I have noted before, On April 25, 1881 a coach named the Tantivy was put on the road to Tarrytown by Colonel W. Jay, George Peabody Wetmore, T. A. Havemeyer, Hugo O. Fritsch, Isaac Bel, Jr., and F. Bronson.  The Tantivy ran at least six months that year and, the following year, was put back on the road to Yonkers.  In 1884, 1887, and 1889, public coaches were run by J. Roosevelt Roosevelt, C. Oliver Iselin, F. Bronson, R. W. Rives, and the Coaching Club (of New York).  See Whitney, Caspar W., "Evolution of the Country Club" in Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. XC, No. DXXXV, pp. 16 & 28 (Dec., 1894).  

I have written for many years and on many occasions about the Pelham Coach established by Col. Delancey Kane in 1876.  For dozens of examples, see the list of articles with links at the end of today's Historic Pelham Blog article.

A fascinating article about the current location of the Pelham Coach appeared in the August, 2009 issue of The Carriage Journal, the journal of the Carriage Association of America.  The article describes recent events leading to a change in the ownership and location of the Pelham Coach since I last visited that issue more than thirteen years ago in 2005.  See Fri., Feb. 11, 2005:  Col. Delancey Kane's "Pelham Coach", Also Known as The Tally-Ho, Is Located.  The wonderful article, by Ken Wheeling is available within Google Books.  See Wheeling, Ken, "The Tally-Ho:  A Road Coach," in The Carriage Journal, Vol. 47, No. 5, p. 261 (Oct. 2009).  

Although, as one would expect, Ken Wheeling's article focuses on the coach itself, the article also includes fascinating information about the color lithograph of the Pelham Coach included above (and in a number of other Historic Pelham Blog articles).   The lithograph was published by J. B. Brewster & Co., a New York City firm.  It was taken from a massive five-foot-long painting on the coach created by Philadelphia artist Henry C. Bispham who was "more known for his western art."  According to Ken Wheeling's article:

"It was also in 1876 that the Tally-Ho made its first appearance in art.  The Philadelphia artist Henry C. Bispham (1841-1882) painted a five-foot canvas depicting the coach and gave a reception at the Brunswick Hotel to unveil it.

'The picture . . . represents the coach and four-in-hand in a swinging trot out on the road, the Colonel driving and the horses well in hand, the nigh leader pacing and the others trotting.  The seats and top of the coach are filled with passengers, the box seat occupied by Colonel Kane and his wife, and just behind are seated Colonel Jay, the president of the Coaching Club; Mr. Sherman and Colonel Kane's brother, with the guard standing and sounding the horn.  The back seats are occupied by several passengers denoting the business element of the establishment.  Inside is one of the old-fashioned elderly women who have seen enough of this world to be content with quiet and retirement.  The horses are portraits and careful attention has been paid to the details of the gold mounted harness.  The extra straw collar hangs at the side of the coach, to be used in emergencies, and on the side under the window is painted in gilt letters the sign, 'Mott Haven and Pelham Bridge' . . ."

Id., p. 264 (endnotes omitted).  

According to Ken Wheeling's article, the Pelham Coach was built by Holland & Holland of Oxford Street in London.  The article states:

"John Holland was Master of the Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers in 1873, exhibiting his carriages five years later at the Paris Exhibition of 1878.  Ten years later the company was owned by V. Kesterton.  In 1912, Thrupp & Maberly bought out the business along with Wyburn & Co. and Silk & Sons.  Holland & Holland coaches were highly desirable then and very much prized today."

Id., p. 261.  

The Pelham Coach, as the Tally-Ho was called by many, was a striking sight.  As the image at the outset of today's Historic Pelham Blog posting shows, it was a striking canary yellow (with matching risers).  As noted by Ken Wheeling, the "lettering was red, highlighted in black.  When used for public coaching, the names of the terminal cities were painted in the crest panels, and the New York terminus points were altered accordingly".  Id., p. 262.  

When last I wrote (in 2005) of the whereabouts of the Pelham Coach, it was in the possession of the Museum of the City of New York.  At the time, I noted:

"The Pelham Coach still exists. I have corresponded with Ms. Melanie Bower, Collections Access Associate of the Museum of the City of New York.  On February 10 she wrote me saying '[t]he Museum does own the Tally-ho coach used by Col. Delancey [Kane]. The coach is currently stored in the Museum's off-site curatorial facility. While it is possible to schedule an appointment to view the coach in storage, it is currently not on display at the Museum.'"

Since then, ownership of the coach has changed, as has its location.  Ken Wheeling has detailed the provenance and location of the Pelham Coach as follows:

"Colonel DeLancey Kane died on Easter Sunday, April 3, 1915, ironically preceded in death by Colonel William Jay on March 28.  The two founders of the Coaching Club, both of whom had contributed so much to its success, died within days of each other.  The Tally-Ho remained at 'The Paddocks,' Colonel and Mrs. Kane's home in New Rochelle, New Jersey, until 1933, when Mrs. Kane donated it to the Museum of the City of New York.  In September 2008, ownership of the coach was transferred to the Long island Museum of American Art, History & Carriages. . . . Any subsequent chapters remain to be 'written.'"

Id., p. 267 (endnotes omitted).

The Pelham Coach that played a role in making Pelham famous in the 19th century as a playground of the rich and famous lives on.  Indeed, its "subsequent chapters remain to be written."

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Below is a list of articles and blog postings that I previously have posted regarding the subject of "Coaching to Pelham."

Tue., Apr. 10, 2018:  Crash of Col. Delancey Kane's "Pelham Coach" During its First Season in 1876.

Mon., Feb. 12, 2018:  Is This a Rare Photograph of the Famed Pelham Coach?

Tue., Aug. 15, 2017:  1877 Advertisement for Colonel Delancey Kane's Pelham Coach Known as the "Tally Ho".

Bell, Blake A., Col. Delancey Kane and "The Pelham Coach" (Sep. 2003).

Thu., Jul. 28, 2016:  The Chicago Tribune Lampooned Coaching to Pelham in 1884.

Wed., Jul. 30, 2014:  Yet Another Attempt in 1894 to Resurrect the Glory Days of Coaching to Pelham.  

Tue., Jul. 29, 2014:  Wonderful Description of Coaching to Pelham on the Tally-Ho's First Trip of the Season on May 1, 1882.

Wed., Apr. 14, 2010:  Col. Delancey Kane Changes the Timing and Route of The Pelham Coach in 1876.

Tue., Sep. 08, 2009:  1877 Advertisement with Timetable for the Tally Ho Coach to Pelham.

Mon., Mar. 23, 2009:  The Greyhound and the Tantivy-- The Four-in-Hand Coaches that Succeeded Col. Delancey Kane's "Tally-Ho" to Pelham.

Fri., Jan. 16, 2009: The Final Trip of the First Season of Col. Delancey Kane's "New-Rochelle and Pelham Four-in-Hand Coach Line" in 1876.

Thu., Jan. 15, 2009:  The First Trip of Col. Delancey Kane's "New-Rochelle and Pelham Four-in-Hand Coach Line" on May 1, 1876.

Thu., Mar. 06, 2008:  Auctioning the Tantivy's Horses at the Close of the 1886 Coaching Season.

Wed., Mar. 05, 2008:  Coaching to Pelham: The Tantivy Has an Accident on its Way to Pelham in 1886.  

Thu., Jan. 24, 2008:  An Account of the First Trip of Colonel Delancey Kane's Tally-Ho to Open the 1880 Coaching Season.

Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2008: Brief "History of Coaching" Published in 1891 Shows Ties of Sport to Pelham, New York

Thursday, August 3, 2006: Images of Colonel Delancey Kane and His "Pelham Coach" Published in 1878.

Wednesday, September 28, 2005: Taunting the Tantivy Coach on its Way to Pelham: 1886.

Wednesday, July 27, 2005: 1882 Engraving Shows Opening of Coaching Season From Hotel Brunswick to Pelham Bridge.

Thu., Jun. 09, 2005:  Coaching to Pelham: Colonel Delancey Astor Kane Did Not Operate the Only Coach to Pelham.

Fri., Feb. 11, 2005:  Col. Delancey Kane's "Pelham Coach", Also Known as The Tally-Ho, Is Located.

Bell, Blake A., Col. Delancey Kane and "The Pelham Coach", The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XII, No. 38, Sept. 26, 2003, p. 1, col. 1.

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Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.
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Crash of Col. Delancey Kane's "Pelham Coach" During its First Season in 1876

Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.

Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.

Order a Copy of "Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Pell Treaty Oak."

In 1876 a horse-drawn road coach known as “The Pelham Coach” (also known, informally, as the "Tally Ho!") began running between New York City’s Hotel Brunswick and the “Pelham Manor” of yore. This road coach was not a simple hired coach that ferried passengers from New York City.  Rather, this road coach was driven by Colonel Delancey Kane, one of the so-called “millionaire coachmen,” who engaged in a sport known as “public coaching” or “road coaching” as it sometimes was called. The purpose of the sport was to rush the carriage between designated points on a specified schedule, with quick changes of horses at strategic points along the way, and to maintain that schedule rigorously. 

Colonel Delancey Kane became quite famous for his handling of The Pelham Coach, a bright canary yellow coach that was cheered along its route from the Hotel Brunswick in New York City to Pelham Bridge in the Town of Pelham and, later, along Shore Road into New Rochelle. The iconic image of the Tally Ho! immediately below appeared on song sheets, in etchings and engravings distributed throughout the United States. It shows The Pelham Coach. 

Click on Image to Enlarge.

Colonel Kane changed the terminus of the Tally Ho! a number of times. In various years the coach traveled to the Lorillard cottage (Arcularius Hotel) at Pelham Bridge, the Pelham Bridge Hotel, the Huguenot House in New Rochelle, and a number of other locations in the region in and around Pelham. The Tally Ho! route always, however, either terminated at Pelham Bridge or continued through Pelham along Shore Road past the settlement of Bartow and Bolton Priory on its way to New Rochelle.

The first "Coaching Season" for the Delancey Kane's Tally Ho! was in 1876.  I have written before about the first trip of the Pelham Coach on May 1, 1876 as well as the last trip that ended the season on November 30, 1876.  See:

Thu., Jan. 15, 2009:  The First Trip of Col. Delancey Kane's "New-Rochelle and Pelham Four-in-Hand Coach Line" on May 1, 1876. 

Tue., Jul. 29, 2014:  Wonderful Description of Coaching to Pelham on the Tally-Ho's First Trip of the Season on May 1, 1882.

Fri., Jan. 16, 2009:  The Final Trip of the First Season of Col. Delancey Kane's "New-Rochelle and Pelham Four-in-Hand Coach Line" in 1876.

All was not rosy during that first Coaching Season for the Tally Ho! in 1876.  Research has revealed that early in that first season, the Pelham Coach crashed into a vehicle while traveling through Central Park.  The crash turned into a public relations disaster for Colonel DeLancey Kane as he tried to promote the "Sport of Coaching."

It seems that the Pelham Coach was "thundering through Central Park at a rate of speed prohibited by law" when it "ran into a private conveyance and overturned it."  One of the two occupants of the vehicle that was overturned was injured.

It is impossible, of course, to know today precisely what happened at the time of the accident.  Newspapers in New York and elsewhere, however, seem to have excoriated DeLancey Kane, "the Millionaire Coachman."  According to one account, the New York City newspaper The World reported that after the accident, DeLancey Kane simply tossed his calling card to the driver of the overturned vehicle, an act that the newspaper reported with some disgust.  The story reported by The World was picked up in newspapers as far away as Deer Lodge, Montana (see below). 

Colonel DeLancey Kane and the Pelham Coach survived the public relations problems of that first season of coaching.  Although there were many such seasons to follow, the public seemed to tire of the notion of "Millionaire Coachmen" promoting a "Sport" of coaching.  Newspapers parodied coachmen including DeLancey Kane.  See, e.g., Thu., Jul. 28, 2016:  The Chicago Tribune Lampooned Coaching to Pelham in 1884.  Publicity seekers took to taunting coachmen by following them in mule-drawn vehicles with drivers and passengers dressed to make fun of the coachmen and their passengers.  See, e.g., Wed., Sep. 28, 2005:  Taunting the Tantivy Coach on its Way to Pelham: 1886.  Still, the Pelham Coach continued its historic route from the Brunswick Hotel to Pelham and the surrounding region for many years of coaching!

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"NEW NOR'WESTERS. . . 

-- The New York press is coach mad.  Because the Pelham coach, thundering through Central Park at a rate of speed prohibited by law, ran into a private conveyance and overturned it, injuring one of the two occupants, the World criticises [sic] the latter for their carelessness and the unfashionable appearance of their turnout, and blames the park police for not keeping the road clear.  The courtesy of the coachman, 'Col.' Delancey Kane, in throwing his card to the driver of the overturned vehicle, it regards with evident approbation."

Source:  NEW NOR'WESTERS, The New North-West [Deer Lodge, Montana], Jun. 16, 1876, Vol. 7, No. 51, p. 1, col. 4 (Note:  Paid subscription required to access via this link).

*          *          *          *          *

Below is a list of articles and blog postings that I previously have posted regarding the subject of "Coaching to Pelham."

Mon., Feb. 12, 2018:  Is This a Rare Photograph of the Famed Pelham Coach?

Tue., Aug. 15, 2017:  1877 Advertisement for Colonel Delancey Kane's Pelham Coach Known as the "Tally Ho".

Bell, Blake A., Col. Delancey Kane and "The Pelham Coach" (Sep. 2003).

Thu., Jul. 28, 2016:  The Chicago Tribune Lampooned Coaching to Pelham in 1884.

Wed., Jul. 30, 2014:  Yet Another Attempt in 1894 to Resurrect the Glory Days of Coaching to Pelham.  

Tue., Jul. 29, 2014:  Wonderful Description of Coaching to Pelham on the Tally-Ho's First Trip of the Season on May 1, 1882.

Wed., Apr. 14, 2010:  Col. Delancey Kane Changes the Timing and Route of The Pelham Coach in 1876.

Tue., Sep. 08, 2009:  1877 Advertisement with Timetable for the Tally Ho Coach to Pelham.

Mon., Mar. 23, 2009:  The Greyhound and the Tantivy-- The Four-in-Hand Coaches that Succeeded Col. Delancey Kane's "Tally-Ho" to Pelham.

Fri., Jan. 16, 2009: The Final Trip of the First Season of Col. Delancey Kane's "New-Rochelle and Pelham Four-in-Hand Coach Line" in 1876.

Thu., Jan. 15, 2009:  The First Trip of Col. Delancey Kane's "New-Rochelle and Pelham Four-in-Hand Coach Line" on May 1, 1876.

Thu., Mar. 06, 2008:  Auctioning the Tantivy's Horses at the Close of the 1886 Coaching Season.

Wed., Mar. 05, 2008:  Coaching to Pelham: The Tantivy Has an Accident on its Way to Pelham in 1886.  

Thu., Jan. 24, 2008:  An Account of the First Trip of Colonel Delancey Kane's Tally-Ho to Open the 1880 Coaching Season.

Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2008: Brief "History of Coaching" Published in 1891 Shows Ties of Sport to Pelham, New York

Thursday, August 3, 2006: Images of Colonel Delancey Kane and His "Pelham Coach" Published in 1878.

Wednesday, September 28, 2005: Taunting the Tantivy Coach on its Way to Pelham: 1886.

Wednesday, July 27, 2005: 1882 Engraving Shows Opening of Coaching Season From Hotel Brunswick to Pelham Bridge.

Thu., Jun. 09, 2005:  Coaching to Pelham: Colonel Delancey Astor Kane Did Not Operate the Only Coach to Pelham.

Fri., Feb. 11, 2005:  Col. Delancey Kane's "Pelham Coach", Also Known as The Tally-Ho, Is Located.

Bell, Blake A., Col. Delancey Kane and "The Pelham Coach", The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XII, No. 38, Sept. 26, 2003, p. 1, col. 1.

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Installation of Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church's First Permanent Pastor in 1877

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Rev. Dr. Henry Randall Waite was the first permanent pastor of Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church.  (Rev. Charles Eliphalet Lord served as an acting pastor from the time the church opened until Rev. Waite became the first full-time pastor.) 

Huguenot Memorial was founded as the nation's only "Centennial Church" and, thus, opened its doors for its first service on the Sunday after the nation celebrated its July 4, 1876 Centennial.  Reverend Waite began service as the pastor of the Church in 1877 and was formally installed in that post on the afternoon of Tuesday, December 4, 1877.

Rev. Waite served as pastor of Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church for a little less than three years.  He resigned the pastorate in November, 1880.   A few years later he founded the tiny little Church of the Covenant at Pelhamville, and was its minister without salary from 1887 to 1889. 

Reverend Waite was a fascinating man. While serving as minister of the Church of the Covenant at Pelhamville, he also served as Secretary and Treasurer of the Julien Electric Company, which operated the first street cars propelled by storage battery in the United States. He also was a man of letters. He edited a host of important publications of his day.

I have written about Rev. Dr. Henry Randall Waite before.  See, e.g.: 

Thu., Sep. 29, 2005:  A Brief Biography of Henry Randall Waite, 19th Century Clergyman in Pelham.  

Wed., Oct. 25, 2006:  A Biography of the Rev. Henry Randall Waite, Ph. D., a 19th Century Pastor of Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church.

Tue., Sep. 18, 2007:  Installation of the First Full-Time Pastor of Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church in Pelham Manor in 1877.

The installation of Rev. Waite as pastor of Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church on December 4, 1877 was, of course, a seminal event in the history of the little church.  The installation services were conducted in the afternoon of that day.  Members of the clergy from throughout the Westchester Presbytery and elsewhere attended the services in the tiny little wooden sanctuary that stood where today's magnificent stone sanctuary stands.  The little church was painted red and became a famous landmark because it stood on Boston Post Road, then the principal thoroughfare between New York City and New England.  The red church gave the name "Red Church Corner" to the intersection of Boston Post Road and Pelhamdale Avenue where it stood.

Among the clergy present for the installation services that day were:  Rev. Washington Roosevelt and Rev. Charles Higbee, both of Pelham Manor; Rev. Dr. Baird of Rye; Rev. Dr. William J. Tucker and Rev. Dr. Lewellyn Bevan, both of New York City; Rev. Robert A. Davison, Moderator of Westchester Presbytery; Rev. Dr. Wilson Phraner of Sing Sing, Rev. Dr. Rollin A. Sawyer of Irvington, Rev. Hiram H. Waite (father of Henry Randall Waite); and Rev. L. Francis of Greenpoint, Long Island.

Rev. Davison, Moderator of the Westchester Presbytery, propounded the constitutional question to Rev. Waite.  Rev. Phraner gave the charge to the new pastor.  Rev. Sawyer gave the charge to the people of the congregation.  Rev. Dr. William J. Tucker of New York City delivered the sermon.  According to one newspaper account:

"Dr. Tucker, of this city, preached an admirable sermon on what he called the inspiration of faith, which, he argued, always preceded the inspiration of writing.  So that before Moses or David, Isaiah or Paul could write, they must have believed.  And had they not been obedient as well as believing, God could not have developed His truth in them with sufficient clearness and power for them to have written it."  

Three vocalists ("Miss Phillips and Messrs. O'Brien and Grover") from New Rochelle celebrated the installation with music.  Rev. Waite's father, Rev. Hiram H. Waite, delivered the closing prayer.  Following the services, the clergy dispersed to the homes of various residents of Pelham Manor and were "entertained by the hospitable Pelhamites at their homes."

A Glass Lantern Slide Created by Pelham Town Historian

William Montgomery Between December 10, 1916 and June

10, 1917. It Depicts the "Little Red Church," the Predecessor

Building to Today's Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church

Sanctuary. The Little Red Church was a "Centenary Church"

Opened in July 1876 in Part to Commemorate the Centennial

of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

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"WESTCHESTER COUNTY. . . .

A special meeting of the Westchester Presbytery will be held in the Huguenot Memorial Church, at Pelham Manor, on Tuesday afternoon next, for the purpose of installing the new Pastor of the church, Rev. Henry Randall Waite, Ph. D.  Among the prominent clergymen who will take part in the exercises are Rev. Washington Roosevelt, Rev. Llewellyn Bevan, Rev. T. Ralston Smith, Rev. William J. Tucker, Rev. Wilson Phraner, Rev. Rollin A. Sawyer, and Rev. Hiram H. Waite."

Source:  WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. Times, Dec. 2, 1877, p. 2, col. 5.  

"A HUGUENOT INSTALLATION.
-----
THE NEW CHURCH THAT HAS BEEN ERECTED AT PELHAM MANOR.

The Huguenots were an important factor in the morals and politics of Westchester county, N. Y., a century ago, though their history is still unwritten save in sketches.  The old Pelham Manor having been laid out in village plots by an association composed largely of New England descendants of the Huguenots a few years ago, they resolved to plant a church there which should be a memorial to their persecuted ancestors.  They have built one of the plainest and prettiest country churches anywhere within an hours' [sic] ride of New York, and yesterday the edifice was filled with persons from the city and the villages adjacent between this and Sing Sing to witness the installation of the Rev. Henry Randall Waite, Ph. D., as pastor.  Mr. Waite was formerly pastor of the American Chapel in Rome, but has been back about a year.  The little Huguenot church was opened for worship on the first Sabbath of the second centenary of American independence, and is therefore properly named the Huguenot Centenary Memorial Church of Pelham Manor.  It is the only Huguenot church in the land.  Being within the bounds of the Westchester Presbytery a large representation of that body was present at the installation services yesterday afternoon.  The exercises were participated in by the Rev. Washington Roosevelt and the Rev. Charles Higbee, of Pelham Manor, the later rector of the Episcopal Church there; by the Rev. Dr. Baird of Rye; Rev. Drs. W. J. Tucker and L. Bevan, of this city; Rev. Robert A. Davison, moderator of Presbytery, who propounded the constitutional question to the new pastor; by Dr. Phraner, of Sing Sing, who gave the charge to the pastor, and Dr. Sawyer, of Irvington, N. Y., who charged the people.  The Rev. H. H. Waite, father of the Huguenot pastor, is engaged in the same relation with the Second Congregational Church in Jersey City.  He was present yesterday at the installation of his son and made the closing prayer, and the Rev. L. Francis of the First Reformed Church, Greenpoint, L. I., also took part.  Dr. Tucker, of this city, preached an admirable sermon on what he called the inspiration of faith, which, he argued, always preceded the inspiration of writing.  So that before Moses or David, Isaiah or Paul could write, they must have believed.  And had they not been obedient as well as believing, God could not have developed His truth in them with sufficient clearness and power for them to have written it.  Dr. Sawyer's charge to the people was a model of its kind.  It was delivered extempore and related to their reception of the new pastor as a man and as a minister.  As a man, he was theirs; as a minister, they were to be him.  The first meant that they should provide adequate support for him; the second that they should hear the Word of God from his mouth, not in a perfunctory manner, but as if Christ, whose ambassador he is, stood before them.  A trio from New Rochelle -- Miss Phillips and Messrs. O'Brien and Grover -- furnished the vocal music, and the visitors were entertained by the hospitable Pelhamites at their homes."

Source:  A HUGUENOT INSTALLATION -- THE NEW CHURCH THAT HAS BEEN ERECTED AT PELHAM MANOR, N. Y. Herald, Dec. 5, 1877, No. 15,080, p. 4, col. 4.  

"Dedication of a Huguenot Church.

The Huguenots were an important factor in the morals and politics of this county a century ago, though their history is still unwritten save in sketches.  The old Pelham Manor having been laid out in village plots by an association composed largely of New England descendants of the Huguenots a few years ago, they resolved to plant a church there which should be a memorial to their persecuted ancestors.  They have built a plain but handsome edifice, which was filled with people on the 4th inst. to witness the installation of Rev. Henry Randall Waite, Ph. D., as pastor.  This is the only Huguenot Church in the land.  Being with the bounds of the Westchester Presbytery a large representation of that body was present at the installation services.  The exercises were participated in by the Rev. Washington Roosevelt and the Rev. Charles Higbee, of Pelham Manor, the latter rector of the Episcopal Church there; by the Rev. Dr. Baird, of Rye; Rev. Drs. W. J. Tucker and L. Bevan, of New York city; Rev. Robert A. Davison, Moderator of the Presbytery, who propounded the constitutional question to the new pastor; by Dr. Phraner, of Sing Sing, who gave the charge to the pastor, and Dr. Sawyer, of Irvington, who charged the people.  A trio from New Rochelle -- Miss Phillips and Messrs. O'Brien and Grover -- furnished the vocal music, and the visitors were entertained by the hospital [sic] Pelhamites at their homes."

Source:  Dedication of a Huguenot Church, Eastern State Journal, Dec. 14, 1877, Vol. XXXIII, No. 35, p. 3, col. 3.

"COUNTY JOTTINGS. -- Interesting Items of Happenings in all Parts of this County. . . . 

Rev. Henry Randall Waite has resigned the pastorate of the Presbyterian Church at Pelham Manor. . . ."

Source:  COUNTY JOTTINGS. -- Interesting Items of Happenings in all Parts of this County, Eastern State Journal [White Plains, NY], Nov. 12, 1880, p. 3, col. 3.  

"Westchester County. . . . 

Rev. Henry Randall Waite has resigned the pastorate of the Presbyterian Church at Pelham Manor. . . ."

Source:  Westchester County, The Port Chester Journal [Port Chester, NY], Nov. 25, 1880, Vol. XIII, No. 627, p. 4, col. 2.

Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.

Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.

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Is This a Rare Photograph of the Famed Pelham Coach?

Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.

Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.

Order a Copy of "Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Pell Treaty Oak."

On the coach for Pelham, Hear the long horn blowing;

Dashing on for Pelham, Bless me! How we’re going,

Sound the horn “yo ho!” again, Snap the whip now, Colonel Kane!

Give the “four-in-hand” full rein, Be on time at Pelham

-- From the Song “Coaching To Pelham” Published in 1876

eBay continues as an interesting forum to find items related to the history of the Town of Pelham.  Currently a cabinet photo is being auctioned that is described as "Ca 1890 Cabinet Photo The Pelham Coach passing Park Plaza New York City NY".  The reverse of the image has "The Pelham Coach" handwritten in ink.  Does this cabinet photo depict the Pelham Coach?  

Click on Images to Enlarge.  

In 1876 a horse-drawn road coach known as “The Pelham Coach” (also known, informally, as the "Tally Ho!") began running between New York City’s Hotel Brunswick and the “Pelham Manor” of yore. This road coach was not a simple hired coach that ferried passengers from New York City in the days before Henry Ford mass produced his Model T. Rather, this road coach was driven by Colonel Delancey Kane, one of the so-called “millionaire coachmen,” who engaged in a sport known as “public coaching” or “road coaching” as it sometimes was called. The purpose of the sport was to rush the carriage between designated points on a specified schedule, with quick changes of horses at strategic points along the way, and to maintain that schedule rigorously. 

Colonel Delancey Kane became quite famous for his handling of The Pelham Coach, a bright canary yellow coach that was cheered along its route from the Hotel Brunswick in New York City to Pelham Bridge in the Town of Pelham and, later, along Shore Road into New Rochelle. The iconic image of the Tally Ho! immediately below appeared on song sheets, in etchings and engravings distributed throughout the United States. It shows The Pelham Coach. 

Click on Image to Enlarge.

Colonel Kane changed the terminus of the Tally Ho! a number of times. In various years the coach traveled to the Lorillard cottage (Arcularius Hotel) at Pelham Bridge, the Pelham Bridge Hotel, the Huguenot House in New Rochelle, and a number of other locations in the region. The coach route always, however, either terminated at Pelham Bridge or continued through Pelham along Shore Road past the settlement of Bartow and Bolton Priory on its way to New Rochelle.

The cabinet photo depicting "The Pelham Coach" does not depict Colonel Delancey Kane's famed Tally Ho!  Colonel Kane no longer ran his Pelham Coach in the late 1880s or early 1890s.  Color images of his coach (and descriptions) indicate that portions were canary yellow.  Additionally, some engravings show lettering on at least one door at one point ("New York and Pelham Manor").  There are no indications that the cabinet photo depicts the actual Tally Ho!

Click on Image to Enlarge.

Yet, that does NOT mean that the photograph does not depict The Pelham Coach.  Over the years, a number of sporting coachmen ran coaches to -- and through -- Pelham Manor.  Given the fame of the original Pelham Coach, it should come as no surprise that such coaches often were referenced as "The Pelham Coach."

The cabinet photo likely depicts The Tempest, a sporting coach that began running to Pelham in 1894 in an effort to resurrect the bygone days of coaching to Pelham.  It occasionally was referred to as "The Pelham Coach" and, significantly, stopped at the Plaza Hotel in New York City which this cabinet photo purports to depict.  I have written before about The Tempest and its efforts to resurrect the glory days of coaching to Pelham.  See:  Wed., Jul. 30, 2014:  Yet Another Attempt in 1894 to Resurrect the Glory Days of Coaching to Pelham.  

Despite the fact that The Tempest was referenced, occasionally, as The Pelham Coach, I have not yet located evidence that The Tempest traveled all the way to Pelham.  Rather, it ran to "The Country Club" which, by the late 1880s, had moved from Shore Road in Pelham to a location on nearby Throggs Neck.

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Below is a list of articles and blog postings that I previously have posted regarding the subject of "Coaching to Pelham."

Tue., Aug. 15, 2017:  1877 Advertisement for Colonel Delancey Kane's Pelham Coach Known as the "Tally Ho".

Bell, Blake A., Col. Delancey Kane and "The Pelham Coach" (Sep. 2003).

Thu., Jul. 28, 2016:  The Chicago Tribune Lampooned Coaching to Pelham in 1884.

Wed., Jul. 30, 2014:  Yet Another Attempt in 1894 to Resurrect the Glory Days of Coaching to Pelham.  

Tue., Jul. 29, 2014:  Wonderful Description of Coaching to Pelham on the Tally-Ho's First Trip of the Season on May 1, 1882.

Wed., Apr. 14, 2010:  Col. Delancey Kane Changes the Timing and Route of The Pelham Coach in 1876.

Tue., Sep. 08, 2009:  1877 Advertisement with Timetable for the Tally Ho Coach to Pelham.

Mon., Mar. 23, 2009:  The Greyhound and the Tantivy-- The Four-in-Hand Coaches that Succeeded Col. Delancey Kane's "Tally-Ho" to Pelham.

Fri., Jan. 16, 2009: The Final Trip of the First Season of Col. Delancey Kane's "New-Rochelle and Pelham Four-in-Hand Coach Line" in 1876.

Thu., Jan. 15, 2009:  The First Trip of Col. Delancey Kane's "New-Rochelle and Pelham Four-in-Hand Coach Line" on May 1, 1876.

Thu., Mar. 06, 2008:  Auctioning the Tantivy's Horses at the Close of the 1886 Coaching Season.

Wed., Mar. 05, 2008:  Coaching to Pelham: The Tantivy Has an Accident on its Way to Pelham in 1886.  

Thu., Jan. 24, 2008:  An Account of the First Trip of Colonel Delancey Kane's Tally-Ho to Open the 1880 Coaching Season.

Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2008: Brief "History of Coaching" Published in 1891 Shows Ties of Sport to Pelham, New York

Thursday, August 3, 2006: Images of Colonel Delancey Kane and His "Pelham Coach" Published in 1878.

Wednesday, September 28, 2005: Taunting the Tantivy Coach on its Way to Pelham: 1886.

Wednesday, July 27, 2005: 1882 Engraving Shows Opening of Coaching Season From Hotel Brunswick to Pelham Bridge.

Thu., Jun. 09, 2005:  Coaching to Pelham: Colonel Delancey Astor Kane Did Not Operate the Only Coach to Pelham.

Fri., Feb. 11, 2005:  Col. Delancey Kane's "Pelham Coach", Also Known as The Tally-Ho, Is Located.

Bell, Blake A., Col. Delancey Kane and "The Pelham Coach", The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XII, No. 38, Sept. 26, 2003, p. 1, col. 1.

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The Original Name of a Famous Pelham Roadway Was "Woolf's Lane"

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Wolfs Lane extends from today's Boston Post Road to the New Haven Main Line railroad tracks where it becomes Fifth Avenue, the principal commercial stretch within the Village of Pelham.  Pelhamites have debated for years whether the proper name of the road is Wolfs Lane or Wolf's Lane (i.e., with or without an apostrophe).  There is, however, evidence that the original name of the roadway was "Woolf's Lane."  This, of course, would make sense because the pathway that became the roadway extended from today's Boston Post Road to the homestead of early Pelham settler John Anthony Woolf (known in Pelham as "Anthony Wolf").  Woolf was a shoemaker and early Mormon convert who settled his family during the 1830s in a homestead once located on the north side of Third Street between today's Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue long before the area became known as "Pelhamville."  The roadway, of course, is named after John Anthony Woolf.

There are a few early records that refer to the roadway as "Woolf's Lane."  None of those early records refers to it as either "Wolf's Lane" or "Wolfs Lane."  

For example, on Monday, December 23, 1872, the Board of Supervisors of Westchester County met in an adjourned meeting of the Board's Annual Session.  One matter before the Board was the Town of Pelham's application to issue bonds to fund the "building, completing and repairing of a road now being constructed in said town, and known as Woolf's Lane, and for the building, completion and repairing a certain road in said town, running from Woolf's Lane to Hutchinson's River. . ."

The town officers of Pelham had made application to be permitted to borrow $2,000 to build, complete, and repair "Woolf's Lane."  The matter had been referred to the Judiciary Committee of the Board of Supervisors.  Reporting that day on behalf of the Judiciary Committee, Supervisor Odle Close reported that the committee had considered the matter favorably and proposed the following resolution:

"Resolved, That the Supervisor of the town of Pelham be, and he hereby is authorized, with the consent of the Justices of the Peace, Town Clerk and Commissioners of Highways of said town, to borrow on the credit of said town the sum of $12,000, for the building and completing a highway in said town, known as Woolf's Lane; and also a highway running from Woolf's Lane to Hutchinson's River; and also a bridge across said Hutchingson's [sic] River; that the bonds or obligations to be issued to secure such loan shall be exercised by the Supervisor of said town, and shall be executed by the Supervisor of said town, and shall be each of the denomination of $500, and bear interest, respectively, at the rate of 7 per cent per annum; that the entire principal sum and interest shall be made payable within eleven years from the date of said bonds or obligations, at the East River Savings Institution, and the consent of the Justices of the Peace, Town Clerk and Commissioners of Highways of said town to the issuing thereof, shall be endorsed on said bonds or obligations, and upon each and every of them."

As the authorized work later was being performed, public records continued to reference the roadway as "Woolf's Lane."  For example, an abstract of the town accounts of various Westchester towns published on the front page of the February 23, 1877 Eastern State Journal of White Plains.  The abstract of accounts audited by the Board of Town Auditors of the Town of Pelham indicated that during 1876, the Town of Pelham appropriated $300 "To build retaining walls on road from Woolf's lane to Hutchinson river."  See Fri., Oct. 23, 2015:  Abstract of the Town Accounts of the Town of Pelham in 1876.

John Anthony Woolf in An Undated Photograph. Caption:

"Born July 31, 1805. Came to Utah Oct. 6, 1847, Edward Hunter

Company. Pres. of Seventies. Bishop's Counselor, Farmer and

Stockraiser." Source: Esshom, Frank, PIONEERS AND PROMINENT

MEN OF UTAH COMPRISING PHOTOGRAPHS - GENEALOGIES -

BIOGRAPHIES, p. 96 (Salt Lake City, UT: Utah Pioneers Book Publishing

Co., 1913).  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

I have written about members of the Woolf family and the Woolf Homestead (often referenced in an anglicized fashion in local records as the "Wolf Homestead) on numerous occasions.  See, e.g.:

Tue., May 09, 2017:  Absolom Woolf, Famed Original Mormon Convert, Born in Pelham in 1832.

Thu., Aug. 27, 2015:  More About Anthony Wolf of Wolfs Lane Fame Who Built the Wolf Homestead that Once Stood in Pelhamville.

Wed., Aug. 26, 2015:  Stories About The Old Wolf Homestead in Pelhamville, Told by J. Gardiner Minard.

The Anthony Woolf Homestead that Once Stood in Pelhamville in an

Undated Photograph Courtesy of The Office of The Historian of the 

Town of Pelham.  NOTE:  Click Image to Enlarge.

No one knows how the name of the roadway came to be anglicized to "Wolf's Lane."  Nor is there any indication as to why the roadway since has been referenced in official and unofficial records as "Wolfs Lane" without any apostrophe.  It certainly seems, however, that in its earliest days, when the roadway was still under construction, it was named "Woolf's Lane."

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"MONDAY, December 23, 1872.

Board met pursuant to adjournment. . . . 

MR. CLOSE, from Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred the application to borrow money upon the credit of the town of Pelham, presented the following report thereon; said report was considered and adopted, two-thirds of all the members of the Board, including the Supervisor of the town of Pelham voting in favor thereof.

To the Board of Supervisors:

The Judiciary Committee, to whom was referred the application of the town officers of the town of Pelham, for authority to the Supervisor of said town to borrow the sum of $2,000 for, and upon the credit of said town, for the purpose of building, completing and repairing a road now being constructed in said town, and known as Woolf's Lane, and for the building, completion and repairing a certain road in said town, running from Woolf's Lane to Hutchinson's River, and also for building and completing a bridge across said Hutchinson's River, pursuant to chapter 855 of the Laws of 1869, respectfully report that your committee have had the matter under consideration, and submit for adoption the following resolution:

Resolved, That the Supervisor of the town of Pelham be, and he hereby is authorized, with the consent of the Justices of the Peace, Town Clerk and Commissioners of Highways of said town, to borrow on the credit of said town the sum of $12,000, for the building and completing a highway in said town, known as Woolf's Lane; and also a highway running from Woolf's Lane to Hutchinson's River; and also a bridge across said Hutchingson's [sic] River; that the bonds or obligations to be issued to secure such loan shall be exercised by the Supervisor of said town, and shall be executed by the Supervisor of said town, and shall be each of the denomination of $500, and bear interest, respectively, at the rate of 7 per cent per annum; that the entire principal sum and interest shall be made payable within eleven years from the date of said bonds or obligations, at the East River Savings Institution, and the consent of the Justices of the Peace, Town Clerk and Commissioners of Highways of said town to the issuing thereof, shall be endorsed on said bonds or obligations, and upon each and every of them.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

ODLE CLOSE,                 )
AMHERST WIGHT, Jr.     }     Judiciary
DANIEL HUNT,                }      Committee.
E.G. SUTHERLAND,       ) "

Source:  ANNUAL SESSION OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF WESTCHESTER CO., pp. 363 & 366-67 (Westchester County:  1873).  

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