Sale of The Pelham Horse Railroad in 1900

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It was a sleepy one-track horse railroad -- Pelham's first.  Beginning in the 1880s, it ran in two sections from Bartow Station on the New Haven Branch Line down City Island Road to Marshall's Corners near the beginning of City Island Bridge, then across the bridge to Belden's Point at the end of City Island.  Some called it a trolley.  It really was just a dilapidated trolley car pulled along on tracks by a pair of horses.  Yet, at the turn of the 20th century, the sleepy little horse railroad found itself in the eye of a business hurricane.

At the turn of the 20th century, two trolley companies were in a brutal corporate battle to be the first to acquire small trolley franchises throughout the region and connect their trolley tracks to permit travel by trolley from The Bronx to the Connecticut border roughly parallel to the New Haven railroad lines.  The New York, Westchester and Connecticut Traction Company (also known as the "Traction Company" and the "P. H. Flynn Syndicate") was in a race against the Union Railway (also known as the "Huckleberry Railway").

Both companies were taking over and consolidating small trolley franchises and horse-drawn railroads along the coast.  Early in 1900, the Union Railway reportedly paid half a million dollars for the Tarrytown and Mamaroneck trolley line only to discover that the P. H. Flynn Syndicate had made strategic acquisitions in Larchmont and "other points" to block the ability of the Union Railway to connect its main trolley lines along the coast with its new acquisition.

The P. H. Flynn Syndicate then made its next strategic move.  The Pelham Horse Railroad was the only railway line that ran within Pelham Bay Park.  Moreover, it was the only line in that region that ran all the way to Long Island Sound.  The line pre-dated the final assemblage of the parcels that comprised Pelham Bay Park (and the annexation of the park lands by New York City).  Thus, it was permitted to continue to operate, though no further railways were permitted within the park.  

In January, 1900, newspapers began reporting breathlessly that the owners of the Pelham Horse Railroad were in talks with the P. H. Flynn Syndicate to sell a majority of their stock in the sleepy little railroad to give the syndicate control of the only railway in The Bronx that ran all the way to Long Island Sound.

The Pelham Horse Railroad was controlled by majority owner Judge Henry DeWitt Carey of City Island.  He was a colorful entrepreneurial character and a long-time, respected resident of City Island.  I have written before about him and his son of the same name who became a famous actor in Cowboy Westerns.  See, e.g.:

Mon., May 28, 2007:  Brief Biography of Henry DeWitt Carey, 19th Century Pelham Justice of the Peace.

Mon., Jun. 02, 2014:  Henry DeWitt Carey Of City Island in the Town of Pelham.

Wed., Jul. 01, 2015:  Western Actor Harry Carey of Pelham, Born Henry DeWitt Carey, Recalls His Boyhood Days in Pelham.

Tue., Mar. 28, 2017:  More on Famed Western Film Actor Harry Carey, Who Grew Up in Pelham.  

Rumors began circulating in January, 1900 that Henry DeWitt Carey was negotiating with a Mount Vernon attorney named William J. Marshall who represented the P. H. Flynn Syndicate to sell his majority stake in the Pelham Horse Railroad for $140,000 (about $4.75 million in today's dollars).  Newspapers further reported that the Flynn Syndicate made a deposit of $10,000 with Carey (and other stockholders) "as an evidence of good faith" as the negotiations proceeded.  

According to news reports, the P. H. Flynn Syndicate planned to "equip the line with electricity at once, and then build lines on its other franchises in the Borough of The Bronx, Pelham, Mount Vernon and New-Rochelle" as part of its plan to cover the entire Westchester and Bronx coastal regions with a lattice-work of trolley lines to serve New Yorkers.  

Finally on February 15, 1900, a local newspaper reported that the sale had been completed.  It said:

"The Bartow and City Island horse car line, owned by ex Judge Carey and others, has been purchased by the Westchester and Connecticut Traction Co.  The price paid was $140,000.  This is considered a great defeat for the Union Company.  The horse cars will be supplanted by modern electrical equipment as soon as Contractor O'Rourk completes the new bridge, now building at City Island.  The line will be extended to Mount Vernon and New Rochelle."

1910 Postcard View of the "CITY ISLAND HORSE CAR.  CITY ISLAND,

N. Y."  Source:  From the Author's Collection.  NOTE:  Click on Image

to Enlarge.

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"AFTER CITY ISLAND FRANCHISE.
-----
THE FLYNN SYNDICATE ABOUT TO PURCHASE THE PELHAM RAILROAD.

Negotiations are pending and it is expected will be completed to-day for the purchase of the Pelham Railroad Company in the Borough of The Bronx by the New-York, Westchester and Connecticut Traction Company, known as the P. H. Flynn syndicate.  The Pelham Railroad extends from the Bartow Station of the suburban branch of the New-Haven Railroad to Belden's Point, on the extreme end of City Island, a distance of about two miles.  Although it is only a single track horsecar line, with two antiquated cars which are run at irregular intervals, the franchise is regarded as one of the most valuable in The Bronx, as it is the only road which can run through Pelham Bay Park and thus reach City Island and Long Island Sound.

It is said that the traction company has arranged to purchase the majority of the stock, which is held by ex-Judge H. D. Carey, of City Island, at $140,000.  William J. Marshall, Corporation Counsel of Mount Vernon, who represents the Flynn syndicate in the transaction, is said to have made a deposit of $10,000 on Wednesday with Judge Carey and the stockholders, as an evidence of good faith.  Mr. Marshall was not at his office last night, and his assistant said that he had gone to New-York to complete the deal.  It is said that the traction company will equip the line with electricity at once, and then build lines on its other franchises in the Borough of The Bronx, Pelham, Mount Vernon and New-Rochelle.

By the acquisition of the City Island road the Flynn syndicate has stolen a march on its rival, the Union or 'Huckleberry' Railway, and the latter will not be able to reach Long Island Sound at any advantageous point in the Borough of The Bronx.

It is said that in some manner the New-Haven Railroad is interested in the New-York, Westchester and Connecticut Traction Company, and also in the Port Chester Street Railroad and the Larchmont Horse Railroad.  These three companies now practically parallel the New-Haven lines from the Connecticut boundary line at Port Chester to the Harlem River."

Source:  AFTER CITY ISLAND FRANCHISE -- THE FLYNN SYNDICATE ABOUT TO PURCHASE THE PELHAM RAILROAD, New-York Tribune, Jan. 26, 1900, p. 12, col. 2 (Note:  Paid subscription required to access via this link).

"To Buy City Island Railroad.

Negotiations, it is expected, will be completed, to-day, for the purchase of the Pelham Railroad Company in the Borough of The Bronx, by the New York, Westchester and Connecticut Traction Company, known as the P. H. Flynn Syndicate.

The Pelham Railroad extends from the Bartow Station of the suburban branch of the New Haven Railroad to Belden's Point, on the extreme end of City Island, a distance of about two miles.  Although it is only a single track horsecar line, with two antiquated cars which are fun at irregular intervals, the franchise is regarded as one of the most valuable in The Bronx, as it is the only road which can run through Pelham Bay Park and thus reach City Island and Long Island Sound.

By the acquisition of the City Island road the Flynn Syndicate, it is said, has stolen a march on its rival, the Union Railway."

Source:  To Buy City Island Railroad, The Yonkers Statesman [Yonkers, NY], Jan. 26, 1900, Vol. XVII, No. 4,967, p. 2, col. 3.  

"TROLLEY LINE NOW BETWEEN CITY ISLAND AND MOUNT VERNON
-----
Flynn Syndicate Steals March on Rival and Gets Line Through Pelham Bay Park.
-----
(BY TELEGRAPH TO THE EVENING TELEGRAM.)

MOUNT VERNON, N. Y., Friday. -- The New York, Westchester and Connecticut Traction Company, better known as the P. H. Flynn syndicate, and which has been working to get a foothold in Westchester County, has stolen another march on its rival, the Union Railroad Company, and purchased the Pelham Railway, a horse car line two miles long, which operates between the Bartow station on the Harlem River branch of the New Haven Railroad, and Belden's Point on City Island.

For this franchise the Flynn syndicate is to pay $14,000 [sic].  The Pelham company held the only franchise through the Pelham Bay Park, and it is anticipated that the syndicate will immediately abolish the horse car line and replace it with a trolley line between City Island and Mount Vernon."

Source:  TROLLEY LINE NOW BETWEEN CITY ISLAND AND MOUNT VERNON -- Flynn Syndicate Steals March on Rival and Gets Line Through Pelham Bay Park, The Evening Telegram [NY, NY], Jan. 26, 1900, p. 6, col. 1.  

"REPORTED SALE CITY ISLAND RAILROAD.
-----
To Traction Company.
ADMITTED TO BE A VALUABLE PROPERTY.
-----
Flynn Syndicate Said to Have Acquired It -- It Holds a Valuable Franchise -- It is Within Park Territory -- No Similar Privilege to Others.
-----

It is reported that the New York, Westchester & Connecticut Traction Co., or P. H. Flynn syndicate, which is attempting to rival the 'Huckleberry' Railway in the Borough of the Bronx, has purchased the horse railway which runs from the Bartow Station of the New Haven Suburban Railroad to City Island on the Sound.  The price paid is said to have been about $150,000.  

The syndicate secures an outlet to the Sound for its lines in the Bronx, Mount Vernon, Pelham and New Rochelle, and also secures the privilege of running through Pelham Bay Park, which no other company can get without a special act of the Legislature.

If this sale proves to be true in every respect Mount Vernon is bound to have a most advantageous outlet to the southeast and through a territory sure to become as thickly populated as any part of Mount Vernon.

All shore property is destined to become more valuable both for resident and business purposes as the years go by and none more so than that lying and being on Eastchester Creek, which enters this city at the southeast, and all that territory in the vicinity of the great Pelham Park and City Island.

For many years the Hon. Henry D. Carey, at one time Justice of Sessions in this county, was President and principal owner of this line.  It is destined to be one of the most valued properties in any outlying section of Greater New York.  

With the granting of certain additional franchises to the Traction Company in this city direct connection could be made with this line and it is to be hoped such will be the early outcome.

The Pelham Railroad extends from the Bartow Station of the suburban branch of the New Haven Railroad to Belden's Point, on the extreme end of City Island, a distance of about two miles.  Although it is only a single track horsecar line, with two antiquated cars which are run at irregular intervals, the franchise is regarded as one of the most valuable in the Bronx, as it is the only road which can run through Pelham Bay Park and thus reach City Island and Long Island Sound.

It is said that the traction company has arranged to purchase the majority of the stock, which is held by ex-Judge H. D. Carey, of City Island, at $140,000.  William J. Marshall, Corporation Counsel of Mount Vernon, who represents the Flynn syndicate in the transaction, is said to have made a deposit of $10,000 with Judge Carey and the stockholders, as an evidence of good faith.

It is said that the traction company will equip the line with electricity t once, and then build lines on its other franchises in the Borough of the Bronx, Pelham, Mount Vernon and New Rochelle.

By the acquisition of the City Island road the Flynn syndicate has stolen a march on its rival, the Union or 'Huckleberry' Railway, and the latter will not be able to reach Long Island Sound at any advantageous point in the Borough of the Bronx.

It is said in some manner the New Haven Railroad is interested in the New York, Westchester & Connecticut Traction Co., and also in the Portchester Street Railroad and the Larchmont Horse Railroad.  These three companies now practically parallel the New Haven lines from the Connecticut boundary line at Port Chester to the Harlem River."

Source:  REPORTED SALE CITY ISLAND RAILROAD -- To Traction Company.
ADMITTED TO BE A VALUABLE PROPERTY -- Flynn Syndicate Said to Have Acquired It -- It Holds a Valuable Franchise -- It is Within Park Territory -- No Similar Privilege to Others, Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Jan. 27, 1900, Vol. XXXII, No. 2,402, p. 1, col. 5.

"Its Outlet to the Sound.

It is reported that the New York, Westchester and Connecticut Traction Company, or P. H. Flynn Syndicate, which is attempting to rival the 'Huckleberry' Railway in the borough of The Bronx, has bought the horse railroad which runs from the Bartow station of the New Haven road to City Island on the Sound.  The price paid is said to have been about $150,000.  The Flynn Syndicate thus secures an outlet to the Sound for its lines in the borough of The Bronx, Mount Vernon, Pelham and New Rochelle, and also the privilege of running through Pelham Bay Park, which no other company can get without a special act of the Legislature.  It is said to be the syndicate's intention to equip the line with electricity as early as possible. -- N. Y. Sun."

Source:  Its Outlet to the Sound, New Rochelle Pioneer, Jan. 27, 1900, p. 4, col. 2.  

"SUBURBAN NOTES.
-----

The New York Tribune says that the Union Trolley Company has recently paid $500,000 for the Tarrytown and Mamaroneck trolley line, and is now in a predicament.  Owing to the opposition of the Flynn syndicate, at Larchmont and other points, the company is unable to connect the main lines with this new and expensive purchase.
-----

The Bartow and City Island horse car line, owned by ex Judge Carey and others, has been purchased by the Westchester and Connecticut Traction Co.  The price paid was $140,000.  This is considered a great defeat for the Union Company.  The horse cars will be supplanted by modern electrical equipment as soon as Contractor O'Rourk completes the new bridge, now building at City Island.  The line will be extended to Mount Vernon and New Rochelle.
-----

It is reported that the extension of the Union Trolley line through Boston road, Eastchester, will be completed in time to allow the Crawford syndicate, Carroll and others to place their property on the market by Decoration Day, in which event one or more extensive auction sales will be the result. . . ."

Source:  SUBURBAN NOTES, Mount Vernon News [Mount Vernon, NY], Feb. 15, 1900, p. 7, col. 2.  

"-- Nine cars, containing 7,500 ties for the New York, Westchester and Connecticut Traction Company, have arrived in Mt. Vernon.  They will be used to complete the line which will connect Mt. Vernon with New Rochelle, Bronxville, Pelham Manor, Pelham, City Island and the Borough of The Bronx.  The work of building the lines, it is said, will be pushed with all speed."

Source:  [Untitled], New Rochelle Pioneer, Aug. 4, 1900, Vol. 42, No. 20, p. 5, col. 3.

"THE FLYNN SYNDICATE TO BEGIN RAILWAY BUILDING.
-----

New Rochelle, Aug. 15. -- The New York, Westchester and Connecticut Traction Company, of Flynn syndicate, which is attempting to rival the Union Railway in Westchester County, has announced that it will begin building lines over the routes upon which it has received franchises before next Monday.  The first tracks will be laid in Firth avenue, in Upper New Rochelle, to connect with the Larchmont Horse Railway.  After this connection is made the company expects to push through Wingate avenue to North Pelham to connect with a line built there several years ago.

It will then cross the Hutchinson River to Mount Vernon, where it will form a junction with the North Mount Vernon road operated by it."

Source:  THE FLYNN SYNDICATE TO BEGIN RAILWAY BUILDING, Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Aug. 15, 1900, Vol. XXXIV, No. 2,570, p. 1, col. 5.  

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How the Women of Pelham Saved the Manor Club From Poor Management by the Men Who Founded It

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In 1899, a group of local women began gathering informally in Pelham Manor homes “to do fancy work.”  As they worked, one of them read aloud from a local resident’s lecture notes about “some famous character in history.”  From this modest beginning grew a second club in the area that came to be known as “The Tuesday Afternoon Club.” 

According to an article published in The Pelham Sun in 1914, The Tuesday Afternoon Club of Pelham Manor was “a women’s study club, which meets weekly for four months each winter to give its members an opportunity to come together and to study some subject more or less seriously.  Its aim is to give purpose to the reading of the busy housewife so that the years may not drift by in desultory fashion but with passing time may yield some substantial intellectual accomplishment, some definite spiritual gain.” 

I have written before about the history of the Tuesday Afternoon Club.  See Thu., May 26, 2016:  A Brief History of the Tuesday Afternoon Club Before It Merged Into the Manor Club of Pelham Manor.  

Founded formally in 1900, the Tuesday Afternoon Club paid the Manor Club to permit it to meet in a room of the Manor Club.  Throughout the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, the Manor Club served as a social and cultural center for the little Village of Pelham Manor.  Though at that time members included men and women, men held the principal governing positions in the Manor Club.  Indeed, according to one historian of the club, it was “run” by the men – a fact that the same historian notes with some satisfaction when pointing out that in 1913 “the Manor Club . . . ran into financial difficulties.” 

The Manor Club’s financial difficulties arose at just the time The Tuesday Afternoon Club was beginning to flower.  According to one account, at about this time an unidentified member of The Manor Club “almost in jest, suggested that they offer the Clubhouse along with the Club name, to the Tuesday Afternoon Club.”  The same account notes that although the Manor Club was heavily in debt, “the ladies could not resist the temptation to own their own clubhouse.”  Within a short time, the Tuesday Afternoon Club became the new Manor Club, “taking over its name, its clubhouse and a debt of several thousand dollars.”

The ladies of the Tuesday Afternoon Club proceeded to reform the club and its finances.  They cleared its debt and raised sufficient funds so that, by 1922, they could build a new clubhouse on the site of the original clubhouse -- a structure that still stands and is still used by the club.  It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The First Clubhouse of the Manor Club Where The Tuesday Afternoon

Club Met During the Fifteen Years Or So It Existed Before Taking Over

and Merging Into the Manor Club.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

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"Our Clubs, Societies and Fraternal Organizations. . . .

The Tuesday Afternoon Club OF PELHAM MANOR.
-----

The Tuesday Afternoon Club is a woman's study club, which meets weekly for four months each winter to give its members an opportunity to come together and to study some subject more or less seriously.

Its aim is to give purpose to the reading of the busy housewife so that the years may not drift by in desultory fashion but with passing time may yield some substantial intellectual accomplishment, some definite spiritual gain.  

Of course, not every member can nor will give the time necessary for serious work, but lecturers and books are supplied, and members are encouraged to go as deeply into a subject as they can.

In the beginning, some fifteen years ago, the club was a little group of perhaps a dozen women who met to do fancy work while some one read aloud one of Dr. Lord's lectures about some famous character in history.  The women were too timid to write papers or to read them if they had been written.

In course of time the lectures proved tiresome and a novel was ventured upon which proved still more fatiguing.  The club was at its lowest ebb intellectually.  But a decided reaction set in which showed itself in a desire for more worthy things and which lasted for some years.

The first expression of this desire was a season spent in reading Homer's Iliad and in studying the Hellenic period, and excellent papers were not only prepared but read.

Refreshed by contact with virile Greek life the club women then pressed on to another great masterpiece and read the entire Divine Comedy of Dante which was followed by a season's study of the Renaissance in various countries.  This latter year was the first time that the club had ventured to do without a text book, depending entirely upon a plan arranged by itself.  Many of us remember with pleasure the hard work of these two seasons, especially the study of this medieval poem and its early Italian background.

Coming a little closer to modern times another great poem was chosen for study, and a season was well spent in reading both parts of Goethe's Faust.  This poem proved heavier reading than most busy women cared to undertake alone, but under the stimulus of weekly meetings and the companionship of earnest minds many of them persevered to the end which brought its own reward.

Two delightful seasons were then given to Shakespeare, which were followed by the study of a group of leaders of modern thought.

A winter's study of Browning was to have rounded out the cycle of the masters of literature, but the club, now grown large, decided to turn its attention away from the realm of the imagination and toward the problems of daily living.  The growth of feminism brought with it a certain sense of responsibility toward practical mundane affairs which caused the club to give several seasons to the study of Political Economy, Elementary Law and kindred civic subjects until after a time another current turned the tide in the direction of the arts.

Because it was the most vital and personal of the arts as well as one which combined not only literary and pictorial interest but the representation of human emotion and struggle, the art of the Diana was chosen as the subject both for last year and this.

It is gratifying to look back and to note the healthy development of the Tuesday Afternoon Club during the past fifteen years, from a dozen members to more than a hundred, and from the reading of a printed lecture to the program for the present season of 1914, when the members of the club will listen to eight lectures on the Theory of the Theatre by Clayton Hamilton, of Columbia University, and will themselves conduct discussions upon eight subjects of present day interest, such as socialism, suffrage, modern religion, modern literature, music and art.

The spirit of the club is most generous and kindly and there is shown a steadily increasing interest in the higher things of life, both intellectual and spiritual, which is due in large measure to the influence and inspiration of the President of the club, who has held that office since the beginning.

EVELYN RANDALL."

Source:  Randall, Evelyn B., Our Clubs, Societies and Fraternal Organizations. . . . The Tuesday Afternoon Club OF PELHAM MANOR, The Pelham Sun, Dec. 20, 1913, p. 3, col. 2. 

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"Mrs. Joan E. Secor Dies In San Francisco; Manor Club President 26 Years
-----
One of Pelham Manor's Most Revered Citizens; Was First President of Tuesday Afternoon Club Founded in 1900; Later Merged With Manor Club; Town Historian for Five Years.
-----

Mrs. Joan Elizabeth Secor, who for twenty-six years was president of the Manor Club and the guiding spirit in the growth of the club, died suddenly on Saturday at San Francisco, where she has made her home since May, 1925.  Funeral services were held at San Francisco on Monday.  The remains will be brought east for interment.  Plans for interment have not been arranged yet.

She was the widow of James F. Secor, old resident and at one time school trustee.

Mrs. Secor was the aunt of Miss Anna Cockle and Isla V. Cockle of Pelham Manor.  She is also survived by four sisters, Mrs. Vincent Cottman and Miss Jane Klink of San Francisco, Mrs. Emil Theiss and Mrs. Franklin Huntington of Norfolk, Va., and two brothers, George T. Klink and William M. Klink, of San Francisco..

Mrs. Secor was born at Vallejo, Calif., in 1858.  In 1880 Mr. Secor while inspecting the dry docks at Vallejo, which were constructed by his father, met Miss Joan Elizabeth Klink, and after a short courtship the couple were married at Vallejo.  They came to the Secor home in Pelham Manor to live shortly after.  The dynamic personality of the young bride soon established her as a leader.

In 1900 the need for a women's club in Pelham Manor was recognized and Mrs. Secor was instrumental in establishing the Tuesday Afternoon Club whose meetings soon became the culture center of the village.  Mrs. Secor was elected president of the club.  Other officers were Mrs. Charles B. Hull, vice-president; Mrs. William B. Randall, secretary; Mrs. Charlotte E. Cowles, treasurer.

The Tuesday Afternoon Club used to meet in one of the alcoves of the Manor Club building.  The Manor Club had been established as a men's club in 1887, and for years it has been successful.  However, at the time of the organization of the Tuesday Afternoon Club, the Manor Club was experiencing difficulties, and the organization was glad to encourage the use, at a nominal fee, of the building by the women's club.

(Continued on Page Four)

MRS. JOAN E. SECOR DIES SUDDENLY
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(Continued from Page One)

In 1914 the Manor Club joined with the Tuesday Afternoon Club, and the women replaced the men as officers.  Mrs. Secor was elected president of the new Manor Club and she remained in the chair until her departure from Pelham in 1925.  After that she was honorary president.

It was under the guidance of Mrs. Secor that the Manor Club extended its membership from a handful of women to more than 500.  It was also under her direction that the present clubhouse of the Manor Club was financed and constructed.  She officiated at the laying of the cornerstone in 1921 and at the dedication of the building in 1922.

Mrs. Secor retired as president of the club in May, 1925, at which time she left Pelham to take up her residence in San Francisco.  Glowing tribute to her 26 years as president of the club was paid by the members of the Manor Club at the annual banquet.  An engrossed resolution was presented to the retiring president as well as handsome gifts in token on the esteem in which Mrs. Secor was held.  

Mrs. Secor was unanimously elected Honorary President and in recent years acted in an advisory capacity.  

Annually at the final meeting of the Manor Club a telegram of love and congratulation was forwarded to the honorary president of the club.  A similar greeting was received from Mrs. Secor.  At the last annual meeting she sent the following message:

'Greetings from the far away California coast, where I lived until I was in my 23rd year and then upon occasion of my marriage to Mr. Secor in 1880, I came to New York and shortly afterward to Pelham Manor.  I can truly say that I have lived my life in Pelham Manor, that is, in its working years, and they are the years that count.

'It was the Manor Club which gave me my first experience in the art of managing public affairs, and I learned during the years I was its president.  It is not the length of time one is in office, but what one accomplished while there which counts.  I now see that the whole-hearted cooperation in things that are uplifting, the generous willingness to do something to make the club better, more stimulating to what is highest and best in our daily lives, had made the Pelhams a finer place in which to live.  This was the great aim of our young years, and it has been accomplished as I see and feel although so many miles away.

'Life in the Pelhams is a finer thing by reason of the influence of a group of women who worked and still do, to bring out the best qualities of those about them through the study of literature, music, art, the drama and the various sections.

'Therefore, I say to you who thus labor, 'go forward, be not weary of well-doing.'  To my dear friends Mrs. Longley, who is to retire from the office of president, I send my warm love and congratulations upon her successful presidency, and now will close, my dear Sophie (Mrs. H. E. Dey) with kind remembrances to my many friends in the Manor Club, among whom you are surely included.

'JOAN E. SECOR,

'Honorary President.'

Mrs. Secor was for many years a contributor to The Pelham Sun.  Her historical articles were widely read and her history of Pelham, which she compiled as Town Historian, is very interesting.

Mrs. Secor's love for Pelham is shown in the tribute, 'A Toast to Pelham' which is printed in this issue of The Pelham Sun.  A framed copy of this tribute was presented to The Pelham Sun by Mrs. E. T. Gilliland, old resident who was a dear friend of Mrs. Secor.

As a tribute to the memory of the late Mrs. Secor the flag on the clubhouse grounds will be flown at half mast staff for a month.

The portrait of Mrs. Secor, painted by George Brehm and hanging in the assembly room of the club is draped in black.

A large spray of flowers to entirely cover the coffin was sent by the Manor Club to San Francisco."

Source:  Mrs. Joan E. Secor Dies In San Francisco; Manor Club President 26 Years -- One of Pelham Manor's Most Revered Citizens; Was First President of Tuesday Afternoon Club Founded in 1900; Later Merged With Manor Club; Town Historian for Five Years, The Pelham Sun, Jul. 29, 1932, Vol. 23, No. 19, p. 1, cols. 1-2 & p. 4, cols. 4-7.  

"Pelham Manor:  Manor Club Directors To Open Season Tuesday. . . .

Mrs. William B. Randall, the Manor Club Bulletin, which contains an apt summary of the club's later history.

Founded Afternoon Club

'In 1900 a small group of women of the Manor arranged to read and study together.  They founded the Tuesday Afternoon Club, which for 14 years had but one president, Mrs. James Secor.  This little club held its meetings in the Manor Club house, and it grew as the village grew.  It developed a fine spirit and a real love for culture.  In congenial company the members felt equal to almost any task, and were wont to spend an entire year studying Homer, Dante, Goethe or Browning.'

As the village was not large, the income of the Manor Club was totally inadequate to the task of financing itself.  After 20 years of effort, the club was ready to give up the struggle, when Mr. Harry Dey suggested turning the Manor Club over to the women of the Tuesday . . .'

'So it was that the old Manor Club became a typical women's club, devoted a typical women's club, devoted to study and to the personal development of its members, and again it continued to grow . . . On a certain Winter evening in 1922 the new club house was formally opened by a gala performance on the stage, with flowers and speeches and congratulations on both sides of the curtain.' . . . .

Source:  Pelham Manor:  Manor Club Directors To Open Season Tuesday, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Oct. 3, 1937, p. 14, cols. 1-2.  

"40th Birthday Of Tuesday Afternoon Club Is Observed At Gala Luncheon
-----
Mrs. Hillard Birney, Manor Club President, Hostess at Luncheon Honoring Tuesday Afternoon Club, Honorary Club Members and Past Presidents.  Mrs. Dey is Made an Honorary Member.
-----

Mrs. Hilliard C. Birney, president of the Manor Club was hostess at a gala luncheon party in the clubhouse on Tuesday afternoon, honoring members of the Tuesday Afternoon Club, honorary members of the club and past presidents.  The occasion marked the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Tuesday Afternoon Club, one of the predecessors of the present woman's club.  Reminiscences of members of the early club added interest to the occasion which also marked Mrs. Birney's own birthday, and brought out the fact that the Manor Club was founded in 1882 as a social organization for both men and women.

The Tuesday Afternoon Club, after 14 years independent existence was merged with the Manor Club in 1914 and the organization has continued to flourish as an outstanding woman's club.  The Manor Club will observe its 60th birthday in 1942.  

At the luncheon party which was also attended by presidents of nearby women's clubs and by Mrs. Edward Whitney, president of the the Westchester Federation, Mrs. Birney announced on behalf of the Board of Directors, the election of Mrs. Henry E. Dey of Pelham Manor as an honorary member of the Manor Club.  Calling Mrs. Dey, 'one of the most beloved members of both the Tuesday Afternoon Club and of the Manor Club,' Mrs. Birney made known the honor paid to her in recognition of long and devoted service.

Singing of the tradition 'Blessing' the words of which were written by Mrs. Joan E. Secor who was first president of the Tuesday Afternoon Club and also of the Manor Club when it became a women's organization in 1914, opened the exercises.  Mrs. Hugh G. Curran, widely known as Pearl Curran, the composer, who wrote the music was at the piano.  The 'Blessing' was sung by Mrs. Winfred B. Holten, Jr., Mrs. Clarence H. Connor, Mrs. Laurence T. Hemmenway and Mrs. Francis Moore.

Mrs. Birney paid tribute to the women who made up the Tuesday Afternoon Club, 'a forward-looking' group who grew from 1900 to 1914 at which date they merged with the older Manor Club, and developed into the large and flourishing woman's club of today.

Mrs. Francis T. Kingsley and Mrs. William B. Randall both presented intimate pictures of the days of the Tuesday Afternoon Club as they knew it.  Mrs. Kingsley, who became the first treasurer of the Manor Club as a woman's club in 1914, recalled the earlier days of the community when telephones were few and far between and when the work of organization was necessarily much slower than it is today.  In Pelham was to be found, she said, a very cultured group of people.  She described briefly the limited quarters of the old Manor Club, the scene of much cultural and social activity.  

Mrs. Randall, who was the first secretary-treasurer of the Tuesday Afternoon Club and the first secretary of the Manor Club when it became a woman's group in 1914, gave an interesting view also of the 'old days.'  She recalled a small group of about twenty women meeting once a week in the months after Christmas, in the music room of the home of Mrs. Robert C. Black and her own collaboration with Mrs. Secor in mapping out a five year study plan for the Tuesday Afternoon Group which studied the world's great writers.  Mrs. Robert C. Black became the first vice-president of the Manor Club as a woman's club in 1914.

Mrs. H. G. K. Heath, an honorary member of the Manor Club, and a vice-president of the Tuesday Afternoon Club spoke briefly and the past presidents of the Manor Club were presented by Mrs. Birney and also were heard briefly.  They are:  Mrs. James Longley, Mrs. Walter B. Parsons, Mrs. Charles M. Chenery and Mrs. Louis Carreau.

Mrs. James L. Gerry, club historian and Mrs. Manning Stires, club representative with the Westchester Federation, both of the Tuesday Afternoon Club, were also presented by Mrs. Birney.  Mrs. Henry E. Dey acknowledging the honor paid to her by making her an honorary member of the club, paid tribute to Mrs. Secor, 'the spirit of the old days was the spirit of Mrs. Joan Secor,' she declared.

Guests Are Introduced

Presidents of women's clubs in nearby communities were introduced by Mrs. Birney who also presented Mrs. Whitney the Westchester Federation head; Mrs. Wilfred Winaus, president of the New Rochelle Woman's Club; Mrs. Stirling Smith, president of Larchmont Woman's Club; Mrs. Albert Ferris, president of the Crestwood Woman's Club, and Mrs. F. Leslie Jones, president of the Rye Woman's Club.

Mrs. Birney also introduced members of the present Board of Directors of the Manor Club:  Mrs. Arthur Procter, Mrs. William G. Luke, Mrs. Charles M. Hart, Mrs. John F. Hamond, Mrs. James Aukland, Mrs. Richard G. Knowland, Mrs. J. Donald Robb and Mrs. Wm. R. Butler.  Alas Mrs. Alexander Freehold, editor of the Club Mullets and the chairmen of that section; American Home, Mrs. John W. Darr; Mrs. Edward Albright, Art; Mrs. William R. Bull, Choral; Mrs. Edward A. Scott, Jr., Civic; Mrs. Talbert Sprague, Drama; Mrs. Edmund D. Scotti, French; Mrs. James B. Thorpe, Garden; Mrs. C. Kermit Ewing, Junior; Mrs. H. Llewelyn Roberts, Literature; Mrs. Pike Waldrop, Travel; Mrs. Richard Block, Music; Mrs. Robert J. Woods, Chairman of the Holiday Dance Committee; Mrs. Forrest M. Anderson, Hospitality Chairman; Mrs. George Cusack, Social Committee Chairman, and Mrs. William S. Banks, Librarian.

A birthday cake with lighted candels, in honor of the occasion was carried to the speakers' table where Mrs. Randall, at the invitation of Mrs. Birney, cut the first piece of cake.  Birthday greetings appropriate to the anniversary and birthday greetings for Mrs. Birney were sung by the club members and guests.

Songs written by Mrs. Curran added to the anniversary luncheon.  Mrs. Moore sang a number called, 'Contentment,' and Mrs. Holton, daughter of the composer, sang 'The Best is Yet to Be.'  Mrs. Curran accompanied both singers.

Guests of honor at the anniversary luncheon included:  Mrs. R. Clifford Black, Mrs. William H. Blymer, Mrs. Danforth Brown (an honorary member); Mrs. Louis Carreau, Mrs. Charles Chenery, Mrs. Theodore J. Deuscher, Mrs. Dey, Mrs. J. T. Fenlon, Mrs. Albert C. Field, Mrs. Gerry, Mrs. E. Kendall Gillett, Mrs. Ezra T. Gilliland (an honorary member); Mrs. H. G. K. Heath (an honorary member); Mrs. Edward C. King, Mrs. Kingsley (an honorary member); Mrs. George W. Lawrence, Mrs. Longley, Mrs. Schuyler Mills, Mrs. William R. Montgomery, Mrs. Robert M. Morgan, Mrs. H. B. Mulliken, Mrs. William H. Orchard, Mrs. Walter B. Parson, Mrs. Edward Penfield, Mrs. William B. Randall, Mrs. Merton C. Robbins, Mrs. Manning Stires, Mrs. W. W. Warner, Mrs. Ellen S. Whitall, Mrs. Joseph C. Wilberding. 

Mrs. Randall and Mrs. Wilberding are both honorary club members also.

The luncheon tables were decorated with red roses and stocks.  Luncheon arrangements were made by the Social Committee and the Hospitality Committee.  About 100 club members and guests also made reservations.  

The musical part of the program was under Mrs. Curran's direction."

Source:  40th Birthday Of Tuesday Afternoon Club Is Observed At Gala Luncheon -- Mrs. Hillard Birney, Manor Club President, Hostess at Luncheon Honoring Tuesday Afternoon Club, Honorary Club Members and Past Presidents.  Mrs. Dey is Made an Honorary Member, The Pelham Sun, Jan. 12, 1940, p. 7, cols. 3-4.

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The Town of Pelham Had to Save Pelham Firefighters From the Wrath of Taxpayers in the Early 20th Century

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The early history of today's Village of Pelham Fire Department is complex but fascinating.  Pelhamville residents banded together before incorporation of the Village of Pelham (today's Pelham Heights) and the Village of North Pelham to form the "First Fire District."  The First Fire District served residents and businesses of the Town of Pelham located north of today's Colonial Avenue.  After incorporation of the Villages of Pelham and North Pelham, the First Fire District continued to handle fire protection north of Colonial Avenue.  It raised money by taxing local residents.  It submitted its annual budgets to voters residing in the district for approval.

By the first decade of the Twentieth Century, however, the First Fire District was in trouble.  A massive fire in 1907 revealed the First Fire District's lack of resources.  Known as the Pelham Livery Stable Fire and the Vaughn Livery Stable Fire, the disaster took four lives (though some reports claim three died).  See:

Tue., Dec. 06, 2016:  An Account of the Tragic Vaughan Livery Stable Fire in Pelhamville in 1907.

Wed., Jan. 18, 2006: Newspaper Report of the Infamous Vaughan's Livery Stable Fire in North Pelham in 1907.

Shortly after the Pelham Livery Stable Fire, the First Fire District proposed a massive increase to its annual budget.  The fire commissioners concluded it was time to install a modern fire alarm signal system and to "improve the equipment of the firemen who were rendering excellent service under discouraging conditions."  Thus, the fire commissioners sought an annual budget of $2,000 and submitted the proposal to voters.  The voters voted down the increased budget.  The First Fire District responded with a second proposal seeking approval of a $200 annual budget to cover its operating expenses.  To the surprise of all, voters rejected that proposed budget as well.

Things reportedly became difficult for the First Fire District.  According to one account, things became so bad that the volunteer firefighters paid the expenses necessary to run the operations:

"The two companies were paying for the coal and electric light bills to say nothing of locks, keys and badges which were supposed to be supplied by the commissioners.  Had it not been for the loyalty of the firemen, the department would have ceased to exist.  Liberty Hose company even loaned the fire board $50 to help meet expenses."

Residents of the Villages of Pelham and North Pelham simply ceased to support the local Fire District they had created through payment of taxes to supply the revenue the district so desperately needed.  Town government decided to step into the breach to get the job done.

A special law was framed and passed by the New York State Legislature thereafter to permit the five fire Commissioners of the First Fire District to prepare the district's annual budget and then submit it to the Town Board for approval rather than have the proposal voted on by residents of the district.  The law gave the Town Board the power to approve, increase, reduce, or even reject the budget entirely.

Eventually, the process was returned to the First Fire District.  For a time throughout the teens and early twenties, however, the First Fire District was able to avoid the wrath of local taxpayers who believed their taxes were too high to fund a more modern fire-fighting force by turning to the Town Board of the Town of Pelham to approve its annual budgets.



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"North Pelham
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A local taxpayer asks:  'Will you kindly explain the fire commissioner-town board combination.  I have been a resident of this fire district for nine years, and have always been puzzled when I read how the two boards meet to fix the budget for the coming year.  What has the town board  got to do with the first fire district?  Two of their members come from Pelham Manor, outside the district, yet the budget, it seems must have their approval.  Has the town board any jurisdiction over the expenditures of the fire board?  I am sure there are many like myself [who] would welcome a little light on the subject.'  Ans.  The town board meets the board of fire commissioners each year in January to approve or amend their estimate or budget for the ensuing year.  At the time the First Fire district was incorporated, the territory taken in was all that part of the Town of Pelham situated north of Boston Post road, (now Colonial avenue).  The village of Pelham was not incorporated at that time, and the territory north of the railroad track was known as Pelhamville.  The villages of North Pelham and Pelham were incorporated after the fire district had been established, thus two villages were created within its limits.  The apparatus in use was found to be [obsolete] after the disastrous Pelham building fire in 1900 [sic; the fire was in 1907] which caused the loss of three lives.  The commissioners, five, who had been elected for five years, decided it was time to install a fire alarm signal system and otherwise improve the equipment of the firemen who were rendering excellent service under discouraging conditions.  A budget of $2,000 was submitted to the taxpayers of the district and voted down.  The budget was reduced to $200 to meet the running expenses of the companies, and this too was defeated.  The two companies were paying for the coal and electric light bills to say nothing of locks, keys and badges which were supposed to be supplied by the commissioners.  Had it not been for the loyalty of the firemen, the department would have ceased to exist.  Liberty Hose company even loaned the fire board $50 to help meet expenses.  It was at this time some level headed taxpayers suggested the option be taken away from the taxpayers and the power vested in the town board.  While the town board has the power to approve, increase, diminish or even reject the budget, they have absolutely no jurisdiction over the expenditures after the budget had left their hands.  A special law was framed and passed the state legislature authorizing the present method.  While there seems to be no question that the law at the time it was created, was necessary for the proper fire protection of the residents of the districts, many now believe the district is able to pass upon its own budget without having to submit it to a board consisting of, in part members who have no real interest in the district.  It is a far cry from the estimate of $200 to run the department twenty years ago and the budget [of] $12,237.70 for the present year.  The taxpayers rejected the former but, to use the homely expression of an old resident, 'Now they shove it down our throats.'  Be that as it may, if the medicine will do the patient good, the method of administering it must be alright.  At the joint meeting, there was included in the estimate budget appropriation to purchase a Ford runabout for the chief and to be used as a 'chemical' for minor alarms.  This was disallowed.  Whether it is cheaper to take out the big engine for minor alarms than to purchase a Ford, may be subjected to dispute; Judge Crawford striking the keynote by saying, 'I am in favor of giving the firemen anything they ask for; in fact they should not ask for anything; they should demand it."

Source:  North Pelham, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Feb. 3, 1920, p. 8, cols. 5-6.

Hand-Drawn Hose Cart of the Type Still Used by One of the

Companies of the First Fire District as Late as 1912.  This is

the Sort of Equipment That the First Fire District Needed to

Modernize After the Vaughan Livery Stable Fire of 1907.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

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Below is a list of prior Historic Pelham Blog postings that touch on firefighting and the history of firefighting units within the Town of Pelham.

Wed., Nov. 01, 2017:  Pelham Manor Firemen Helped Their San Francisco Brethren After the Great Earthquake in 1906.

Tue., Sep. 12, 2017:  Sale of Antiquated Fire Equipment in 1922 Reminded All of the History of North Pelham Fire Fighting.

Fri., Jul. 21, 2017:  Pelham Firemen Turned Their Hoses on Trolley Construction Crew in 1898.

Fri., Jun. 23, 2017:  A Little of the Early History of Hose Company No. 2, the Pelham Heights Volunteer Fire Fighting Unit.

Fri., Jan. 20, 2017:  A Proud Pelham Fire Department Took Possession of a New American La France Fire Engine in 1914.

Thu., Jan. 19, 2017:  Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold:  Don't Mess With a Pelham Fireman.

Thu., Jan. 12, 2017:  Six of Pelham's Earliest Firefighters Marched in the 36th Annual Fire Inspection Parade in 1930.

Tue., Dec. 06, 2016:  An Account of the Tragic Vaughan Livery Stable Fire in Pelhamville in 1907.

Wed., Nov. 16, 2016:  More on the 1889 Fire that Destroyed the Hunter House on Travers Island.

Tue., Oct. 04, 2016:  Harry R. King, Fire Chief of the First Fire District From 1911 to 1913.

Wed., Jun. 15, 2016:  Organized Volunteer Fire Fighting in Pelhamville Began as Early as 1885.

Tue., Jun. 14, 2016:  The First Annual Inspection of Pelhamville Fire Fighting Units in 1894.

Tue., Jun. 07, 2016:  When Did Pelham's Minneford Engine Company Acquire its First Fire-Fighting Steam Engine?

Mon., May 16, 2016:  Fatal Fire in 1902 at One Fifth Avenue Burned Down the Post Office and Pharmacy.

Fri., Apr. 29, 2016:  Famous Meyers Mansion in Pelham Manor Burned Down in 1897.

Thu., Apr. 28, 2016:  Pelham Manor Dutifully Extinguished a Fire That Nearly Burned Down its Hated Wooden Train Station in 1896.

Mon., Jan. 04, 2016:  Pelham Manor Voters Voted to Disband the Pelham Manor Fire Department in 1928.  

Mon., Dec. 14, 2015:  Early History of the Village of Pelham Manor Fire Department.

Fri., Dec. 11, 2015:  Evidence of An Early Independent Firefighting Unit in Pelham Named "Indians."

Thu., Dec. 10, 2015:  Grand Fire-Fighting Competition and Parade Held in the Town of Pelham in 1891.

Wed., Dec. 09, 2015:  Pelham's Minneford Engine Company Built a New Fire House on City Island in 1894.

Mon., Dec. 07, 2015:  The Code Used on the City Island Fire Bell in the Late 19th Century Used for Fire Alarms.

Mon., Nov. 30, 2015:  Another Detailed Account of the 1901 Fire that Destroyed the Clubhouse of the New York Athletic Club on Travers Island.

Fri., Nov. 20, 2015:  Account of 1894 Fire in One of Pelham's Earliest Newspapers.

Wed., Sep. 30, 2015:  Was it Arson that Destroyed the Prospect Hill School at Jackson and Plymouth Avenues in 1917?

Thu., Sep. 17, 2015:  An Account of the February 28, 1925 Fire at Pelhamdale, A Home on the National Register of Historic Places.

Fri., Jun. 12, 2015:  The Tumultuous Reign of Pelham Manor Fire Chief J. Louis Cunningham in the Early 1900s.

Tue., Jun. 09, 2015:  Reminiscences of Firemen Who Served From 1893 Until 1923 in North Pelham.

Wed., Jun. 03, 2015:  The Bell in Firemen's Memorial Park at First Street and Wolfs Lane.

Tue., Jun. 02, 2015:  Important Early Images of the Pelham Fire Department.

Fri., May 22, 2015:  History of Pelham's Beloved "Nott Steamer" Known as "Jim Reilly's Boiler."

Thu., Mar. 26, 2015:  Fire Destroyed the Old Pelham Manor Post Office in 1945.

Fri., Mar. 20, 2015:  Fire in 1932 Devastated the Bolton Priory in Pelham Manor.

Tue., Feb. 17, 2015:  More on the Early History of Organized Firefighting in the Settlement of Pelhamville.

Mon., Feb. 16, 2015: The Great Furniture Fight of 1896: Company of Pelhamville Firemen Resigned En Masse.

Thu., Feb. 12, 2015: Rare 19th Century Image of Pelhamville Firemen Who Served in Relief Hook and Ladder Company No. 1.

Fri., Dec. 12, 2014: Parade and Housewarming Hosted by Pelhamville Fire Department in 1894.

Thu., Dec. 11, 2014:  Pelhamville's First Attempt to Create a Fire Department in 1893 Failed Due to a Legal Technicality.

Thu., Jul. 24, 2014: Dedication of the New Fire Headquarters in the Village of Pelham on December 29, 1927.

Wed., Jul. 02, 2014: Election Shenanigans Involving Fire Commissioner Election in 1898.


Thu., Apr. 24, 2014: Information About the History of Fire Departments in the Town of Pelham Published in 1927.

Thu., Jan. 30, 2014:  The Night Pelham's Town Hall Burned.

Fri., Jan. 24, 2014: Early Days of Organized Fire Fighting in Today's Village of Pelham.

Thu., Jan. 23, 2014:  Another Account of the Devastating Fire that Destroyed the Travers Island Clubhouse of New York Athletic Club in 1901.

Wed., May 12, 2010:  Fire Partly Destroyed Pelham Town Hall in 1908.

Fri., Jan. 15, 2010: Photograph of Augustine C. McGuire, President of the Board of Fire Commissioners of the First District Fire Department in 1913.

Thu., Jan. 14, 2010: 1913 Report of the Firemen's Benevolent Association in Pelham.

Thu., Dec. 10, 2009: More 19th Century Baseball and Firefighting References.

Tue., Dec. 08, 2009: The Darling Triplets: Three Brothers Among Pelham's Earliest Firefighters.

Thu., Oct. 08, 2009: Firefighting Units on City Island in Pelham During the Early 1890's.

Fri., Sep. 04, 2009:  1901 Newspaper Article About Fire that Burned New York Athletic Club Clubhouse on Travers Island.

Mon., Aug. 31, 2009: Contest in 1891 To Determine Which Steam Fire Engine Company Could Throw a Stream the Greater Distance.

Fri., Aug. 28, 2009: Reorganization of the Minneford Engine Company on City Island in February, 1891.

Thu., Aug. 06, 2009: Brief History of the Fire Department in the Village of North Pelham Published in 1913.

Wed., Aug. 05, 2009: Pelham Manor Fire Chief Pleads for Taxpayers to Authorize Purchase of Village's First Fire Engine.

Wed., July 15, 2009: Liberty Hose Company Election in 1898.

Thu., Feb. 19, 2009:  The Old Hunter House Burns to the Ground in an Arson Incident on Travers Island on April 4, 1889.

Thu., Jan. 19, 2006: Pelham Manor's Earliest Fire Fighting Equipment.

Wed., Jan. 18, 2006:  Newspaper Report of the Infamous Vaughan's Livery Stable Fire in North Pelham in 1907.

Mon., Oct. 17, 2005:  The Firemen's Memorial of the Pelham Fire Department.

Mon., Aug. 01, 2005: An 1896 Inspection and Drill of the Fire Department in Pelham.

Tue., May 31, 2005:  The June 6, 1940 Fire That Destroyed the George M. Reynolds Mansion (Part I of II).

Wed., Jun. 01, 2005:  The June 6, 1940 Fire That Destroyed the George M. Reynolds Mansion (Part II of II).

Fri., May 06, 2005:  The Great Furniture Battle at Pelhamville's Relief Hook and Ladder Company in 1896.

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