More on the New York Athletic Club Cross Country Course that Crossed Much of Pelham Manor in the Early 1900s

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It is hard to imagine for the many, many Pelham Manor residents who live between Shore Road and the Branch Line railroad tracks that cross Pelhamdale Avenue at Trestle Field, but that area once was virtually pristine woods and meadows and was used by the New York Athletic Club to lay out a nationally-famous cross country course on which major cross country championship races were held.  Indeed, as noted before by Historic Pelham, "In 1903 and 1904, the large area of Pelham Manor bounded by Shore Road, the boundary with Pelham Bay Park in New York City, Pelhamdale Avenue and the railroad tracks along which Pelham Manor Station once stood looked very different than it does today. The area was virtually undeveloped with heavy woods. Indeed, before the area was developed it was widely used as a picnic ground."  See Tue., Sep. 13, 2016:  Notable 1903 and 1904 Cross-Country Championships Were Run on a Course Between Travers Island and Pelham Manor Station.  

In the earliest years of the 20th century, the New York Athletic Club was still an international force in the sport of Cross-Country.  Indeed, "The thirteen years extending from 1891 to 1903 are considered by many to be the Golden Age of NYAC's track and field history."  The Winged Foot, Vol. 62, p. 99 (1951).  

In 1903 and 1904, the cross-country course was the site of very significant competitions. On November 4, 1903, the "Cross-Country Championship of America" was held on the course. John Joyce of the Pastime Athletic Club ran the six-mile course with a time of 32:23-4/5ths. 

Only three weeks later on November 25, 1903, the "Intercollegiate Cross Country Championship" was run on the course with teams from Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale. W. E. Schutt of Cornell won the six-mile race with a time of 53:15. Cornell finished first among the six teams that competed. 

The following year, on November 23, 1904, the Intercollegiate Cross Country Championship was run again on the same course. Unlike the previous year, this championship was for eastern teams with a separate championship scheduled for western teams. E. T. Newman of Cornell won the six-mile race with a time of 32:52. Once again, Cornell finished first among the five teams that qualified and competed.

Lest one believe that the only races run on the course were Intercollegiate championships, news reports make clear that in these same years the course was used for a host of other cross country races.  Indeed, on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 1904 (the day after the 1904 Intercollegiate Cross Country Championship held on the course), the Metropolitan Cross Country Championships, senior and junior, were held on the course.  

News accounts of such races give some sense of the nature of the course that once covered the area.  For example, it appears that the cross-country races typically began and ended on the oval running track on the grounds of Travers Island.  The course was two miles long with runners making three laps of the course to complete a race.  Additionally, one of the more difficult aspects of the course was a fourteen foot water jump with shrubbery in front of it that runners had to leap over and run out of the water to the extent they could not clear the entire obstacle.  

The area of the course extended between Travers Island and the Pelham Manor Train Station at a time when the station still existed and served passengers and commuters who traveled between Pelham Manor and New York City.  This area, for a time, was a national focus as newspapers from coast to coast reported on the Intercollegiate Cross Country Championships in 1903 and 1904.

Detail from Plate 24 of the John F. Fairchild Atlas of the City of

Mount Vernon and the Town of Pelham Published in 1899 Showing

the Area of the NYAC Cross-Country Course. NOTE: Click Image to Enlarge.

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"CORNELL AN EASY WINNER
-----
CAPTURES THE INTERCOLLEGIATE CROSS COUNTRY RUN.
-----
Pennsylvania Second, Yale Third, Harvard Fourth and Columbia Last -- Four Out of Seven Ithacans Entered Come in First in the First Five Places -- Yale Man Comes in Third.

New York, Nov. 23. -- Cornell's sturdy athletes once more captured the inter-collegiate cross country championship, in the run to-day, over the course between Pelham Manor station and the home of the New York Athletic club on Travers' Island in Long Island sound.  Five teams, made up of thirty-four runners representing Cornell, Columbia, Harvard, Yale, and the University of Pennsylvania, took part in the contest, and of the seven men who carried the Ithacan colors, four finished in the first five places, winning the honor with a total of 12 points.  E. T. Newman of Cornell led the big field during the greater part of the journey and finished fully fifty yards in front of his teammate, C. F. Magoffin, who in turn was a like distance ahead of W. J. Hall of Yale.  Nearly 100 yards back of these three leaders were D. C. Munson and A. Starr, both of Cornell.  The sixth place was won by C. D. MacDonald of Columbia, while W. G. Howard of Harvard was seventh and C. R. Major of the University of Pennsylvania, eighth.

Newman's time, 32:52, is 23 seconds faster than the time of his college mate, Schutt, made on the same course, a little over six miles, a year ago.

Cornell's colors were always in the van and while every one expected that the Ithaca men would win very few thought that they would be so well to the fore at the finish.  To-day's contest was the sixth event or its kind which has taken place under the auspices of the Intercollegiate Cross Country association of amateur athletes of America, and Cornell has won five times, upon the birth of an heir and tendering have been improved upon, and the race was well contested throughout.

Following is the result by points:

Cornell, first with 12; Pennsylvania second, with 41; Yale third, with 51; Harvard fourth with 52, and Columbia last with 73."

Source:  CORNELL AN EASY WINNER -- CAPTURES THE INTERCOLLEGIATE CROSS COUNTRY RUN -- Pennsylvania Second, Yale Third, Harvard Fourth and Columbia Last -- Four Out of Seven Ithacans Entered Come in First in the First Five Places -- Yale Man Comes in Third, Journal Courier [New Haven, CT], Nov. 24, 1904, Vol. LXX, No. 238, p. 1, col. 4.  

"CORNELL'S SWIFT RUNNERS.
-----
For the Fifth Time Won the Cross Country Event.
-----

New York, Nov. 23. -- Cornell's sturdy athletes have once more captured the inter-collegiate cross country championship in a run today over the course between Pelham Manor station and the home of the New York Athletic club on Travers Island, in Long Island Sound.  Five teams made up of thirty-four runners representing Cornell, Columbia, Harvard, Yale and the University of Pennsylvania took part in the contest and of the seven men who carried the Ithacan colors, four finished in the first four places, winning the honor, with a total of twelve points.

Today's contest was the sixth event of its kind which has taken place under the auspices of the inter-collegiate cross country association of amateur athletes of American and Cornell has won five times."

Source:  CORNELL'S SWIFT RUNNERS -- For the Fifth Time Won the Cross Country Event, The Arizona Republican [Phoenix, AZ], Nov. 24, 1904, Vol. XV, No. 187, p. 1, col. 6.

"Cross-Country Championships.

The revival last year on Election Day of the once popular paper chase, or hare and hounds run, elevated and dignified into a general competition for all registered amateur athletes, under the sonorous title of Cross-Country Championships, will be repeated this year.  The Marathon Race at the Olympic Games at the St. Louis World's Fair covered some of the elements and purposes of this method of testing the ability of athletes for sustained effort in running, but could not compare with a cross-country run as managed here in value or interest.  The second annual Cross-Country Championships will be started at 1.30 P.M., Tuesday, November 8, Election Day, at Travers Island.  The entries include runners of wiry muscles and good wind, and the winners will not have a walk-over.  With the good fortune of crisp, cool, bracing weather this will be one of the interesting events of Election Day in the vicinity of the Metropolis."

Source:  "Cross-Country Championships" in New York Athletic Club Journal, Vol. XIII, No. 11, p. 28 (Nov., 1904).

"Cross Country Championships.

The Metropolitan Cross Country Championships, senior and junior, were run on Thursday, Nov. 24, Thanksgiving Day, at Travers Island.  The winner was an Irishman from County Galway, J. J. Daly, although he represented the Greater New York Irish Athletic Association of the Borough of Queens.  The race was under N. Y. A. C. auspices, the start and finish being on Travers Island track.

The runners covered the course three times.  At the very start Daly dashed ahead, took the lead and covered the first lap of the three in 10.46 2-5.  Each lap measured two miles, and the final sprint was over the N. Y. A. C. track for a quarter of a mile.  For the first three miles John J. Joyce, his team mate, was the only man of the field of thirty able to keep at his heels.  When half of the second circuit had been covered Joyce turned the weak ankle that had prevented him from competing at St. Louis, and was forced to retire from the race.  This withdrawal left no one in the race who could force Daly to extend himself, so that it is hard to compare his running with that of Newman, of Cornell, who Wednesday covered the course in better time by eleven seconds than did Daly.  At the finish of the second lap Daly had a lead of two hundred yards on Carr of the Xaviers, who was being hard pressed by W. G. Frank, of the Irish A. C.  Three hundreds yards behind.  Newton was leading the second squad.

Daly came out of the woods for the final dash seemingly as strong as he was at the start, and, unlike most of the other runners, he neither stepped on the hedge in front of the fourteen foot water jump nor fell into the pool, but easily hurdled both and sprinted over the last hundred yards.

He covered the six and a quarter miles in 33 m. 11 s.  Twenty-two seconds afterward Carr came in, with the veteran runner Frank forty yards behind.

The Xavier A. C. team of five men won the club trophy with a score of 35 points, the Greater N. Y. I. A. A. took second place with 62, and the New West Side A. C. third with 65, and the Star A. C. fourth with 77.

M. Spring, of the Pastime Athletic Club, and winner of the last Boston Marathon road race, set the pace throughout the entire distance in the junior championship race.  Sullivan, from the same club, was at his heels at the conclusion of the first two miles, but from there on Spring increased his lead at each step, until he reached the tape a hundred yards ahead of Farrell, of the Star A. C.

The Pastime A. C. scored 38 points; the St. Bartholomew A. C., 48; the Mohawk A. C., 90; the Starr A. C., 92, and the Mort Haven A. C. came last with 111.  Summary:

Winners -- Senior Championship -- J. J. Daly (G. N. Y. I. A. A.), first, 33.11; E. P. Carr (X. A. C.), second, 33.33; W. G. Frank (G. N. Y. I. A. A.), third, 33.40; J. Foy (S. A. C.), fourth, 34.48; E. Coates (X. A. C.), fifth, 35.02; A. L. Newton (N. Y. A. C.), sixth, 35.18; R. Todd (N. W. S. A. C.), seventh, 35.23; C. Andrews (X. A. C.) eighth, 35.40; J. Burns (X. A. C.), ninth, 36.14; P. H. Pilgrim (N. Y. A. C.), tenth, 36.22.

Junior Championships -- M. Spring (P. A. C.), first, 34.18; J. J. Farrell (S. A. C.), second, 34.34; J. Hayes (St. B. A. C.), third, 34-37; W. C. Bailey (Mohawk A. C.), fourth, 34-42; P. Smallwood (P. A. C.), fifth, 34-43; J. N. Lonergan (National A. C.), sixth, 34.50; J. Sullivan (St. B. A. C.), seventh, 35.08; L. P. Marks (P. A. C.), eighth, 35.09; D. Miller (N. Y. A. C.), tenth, 35.28."

Source:  "Cross Country Championships" in New York Athletic Club Journal, Vol. XIII, No. 12, p. 22 (Dec., 1904).

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The Pelham Heights Police Force: A Little History

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Though difficult to imagine, the neighborhood of Pelham Heights once was a village of its own.  Though barely a square mile in size, New York passed special legislation to permit incorporation of the tiny village in 1896.

Formally named the Village of Pelham, it had no police force during its first six or so years.  The neighborhood relied on Town of Pelham Constables for its policing at the time.  

According to one account, Pelham Heights hired its first uniformed police officer in 1903.  His name was John Smith.  The same account noted:  "He had to buy his own uniform, but since there were no clocks to punch or alarms to ring in those days, duties were on the informal side."  In 1903, one of John Smith's principal policing duties was to meet each train that arrived at Pelham station during the evenings and nights and "walk the residents home."

By about 1905, it was time for Pelham Heights to appoint a Police Chief to oversee the work of the tiny department that was responsible for the tiniest incorporated village in the State of New York.  The village opted to appoint Village of Pelham Manor Police Chief Raphael H. Marks also to serve at the same time as Village of Pelham Police Chief.  He served in that capacity from 1905 until 1910.

Village of North Pelham Historian J. Gardner Minard recalled the succession of Village of Pelham Police Chiefs from the beginnings of the Department until the 1950s slightly differently.  He recalled the line of succession as follows:

John Smith 
Fred Quick
George Sundquist
Raphael H. Marks
George Holden
Joseph McGuire
George Duff
Arthur Burrows (Served as Chief from 1951 until his death on March 30, 1962)
John Keppel (Acting Chief) 

The first Village of Pelham Police Station was located in the storefront at 103 Wolfs Lane where it remained until 1923.

103 Wolfs Lane Where the First Village of Pelham
Police Station was Located Until 1923.  Source:
Google Maps.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

In 1923, the Village of Pelham Police Station moved to larger space within the Village of Pelham Village Hall in a residence that once was located at 198 Sparks Avenue, across the street from today's Village Hall.  In 1940,  the Village of Pelham moved its Village Hall (and its police station) across the street to the residential structure at 195 Sparks Avenue that serves today as Village of Pelham Village Hall.  

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Below is the text of an article published in 1963 that provides much of the information that forms the basis of today's Historic Pelham article.  It is followed by a citation and link to its source. 

"Westchester Today!
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Pelham Village Police:  Once Shared A Chief

The police department of the village of Pelham can claim 3-1/2 ways in which its history may be different from the police departments of North Pelham and Pelham Manor.

Pelham was the first department to have a uniformed policeman.  He was John Smith, appointed in 1903.  He had to buy his own uniform, but since there were no clocks to punch or alarms to ring in those days, duties were on the informal side.  A principal one was to meet the night trains and to walk the residents home.

Pelham was the only department in Pelham Town to have captains as head of the department -- Joseph McGuire and George Duff.

A third point is having an unsolved murder.  The victim was Julius Rosenheimer.  J. Gardner Minard, village historian of North Pelham, is the authority for details on that case and on the lines of succession of the Pelham Police.

The remaining half point difference is that Pelham and Pelham Manor once shared the same police chief.  He was Chief Raphael H. Marks of Pelham Manor, who served from 1905 to 1910.

Starting with John Smith in 1903, the line of succession was Fred Quick, George Sundquist, Chief Marks, George Holden, Joseph McGuire, and George Duff.  In 1951, the late Arthur Burrows, brother of Chief George Burrows of North Pelham, was appointed chief.  He directed the affairs of the department until his death last March 30.

Acting Chief John Keppel is now head of the department.  Headquarters is at village hall, a converted residence that retains a quaint Colonial charm.

The first station was located in a store at 103 Wolf's Lane.  It remained there until 1923 when headquarters was moved to 198 Sparks Ave., across from its present location.  It's been at 195 Sparks Ave. since 1940.

Pelham's most famous criminal case was the unsolved murder of Julius Rosenheimer.

Mr. Rosenheimer was the proprietor of the London Needle Corp. of New York.  His house was located on the present site of the Pelham Picture House at 175 Wolf's Lane.

On election night, Nov. 6, 1905, as Mr. Minard remembers it, he was sitting in the home of the newly elected Supervisor Louis C. Young (1905-07) discussing the returns when word came, there was a murder on the Rosenheimer place.  

Earlier Mr. Rosenheimer had told his wife he thought he saw someone in the garden near the creek.  The Rosenheimer property ran down to the Hutchinson River and as far south as the Boulevard.  Saying he was going to investigate, Mr. Rosenheimer left Mrs. Rosenheimer.

A moment later Mr. Rosenheimer was heard to cry:  'Mother, They're killing me!'  Mrs. Rosenheimer screamed and fainted. Her son, Edward, and Kid Everett, a fight trainer friend ran out.  When they reached Mr. Rosenheimer they found him stretched on the ground.  He had been bludgeoned to death.

The Village of Pelham comprises one square mile of territory and has a population of 2,106 persons, according to the recent police department census.  There are 1,227 adults, 879 children and 171 dogs.  Six hundred and one families live in 495 private homes and six apartment houses.  There are 70 stores and offices.

To police this community Chief Koppel directs a force of three sergeants, 10 patrolmen and two civilian crossing guards.  Equipment is modern consisting of two patrol cars with first aid kits, oxygen units, fire extinguishers, blankets and radios."

Source:  Westchester Today! -- Pelham Village Police:  Once Shared A Chief, The Herald Statesman [Yonkers, NY], Feb. 22, 1963, p. 23, cols. 1-4.

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News from the February 2, 1903 Issue of The Pelham Republican

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He had done it many times, always when he was in a hurry to make it to the New York bound platform at the Pelham Train Station from Pelham Heights.  At the time (1903), there was a low metal fence that separated the east-bound and west-bound tracks at Pelham Station to discourage commuters from trying to run across the tracks to get to their platforms.  The fence, however, extended only slightly beyond the station house on the eastern end.  Thus, Pelham Heights commuters running late would simply cross the tracks where the metal fence ended, as August R. Kolb of Pelham Heights tried to do in late January, 1903.  Kolb was late for the 8:41 a.m. train to New York City that fateful day.

The day was foggy.  Visibility was down to a few hundred feet.  Yet, Pelham commuters could see enough.  They watched in horror from both platforms as events unfolded.  

August R. Kolb made his way to the tracks from Pelham Heights at a point near the eastern end of the low fence separating the east- and west-bound tracks.  He was trying to get to the New York bound station platform before his train pulled into the station.  Wearing a fedora and carrying a package, he was running late.  Looking both ways, he began to dart across the tracks.

Precisely as he reached the center of the tracks, two trains burst out of the fog bearing down on him.  As Pelham commuters looked on in horror from the platforms, the two trains barreled past with poor August Kolb nearly in between them.  Commuters watched as his fedora was blown from his head by the rushing hulks and was lifted high into the air.  Some, if not all, may even have turned away from the scene, not willing to view the aftermath.  .

The aftermath, it turned out, was August R. Kolb standing at the end of the low fence separating the tracks frozen in fear and still grasping the last rail of the little fence.  When the trains first burst out of the fog, he had realized he had no chance of making it across either of the two tracks, so he froze in the center of the tracks between the two trains.  It was so tight that as the tumult sucked the fedora from his head and blew it high into the sky, one of the trains also grazed the package he held under his arm.  Though traumatized, Kolb was untouched.  He did, however, miss the 8:41 to New York City that day. . . . 

We know of the close call of August R. Kolb that day because, at the time the Town of Pelham had two tiny local newspapers:  The Pelham Republican and The Pelham Record.  Thirty-seven years later in 1940, August R. Kolb's daughter, Gertrude Kolb, provided a copy of the February 2, 1903 issue of The Pelham Republican to the then local newspaper (The Pelham Sun) which prepared a lengthy article describing the contents of the old newspaper.  The lead story on the front page of The Pelham Republican described how August R. Kolb cheated death.  

We are lucky to have The Pelham Sun article published in 1940 describing the contents of the old newspaper because the old news reported a number of notable Pelham matters and subsequent The Pelham Sun added important commentary with important information including information about the history of the two Pelham newspapers once known as The Pelham Republican and The Pelham Record. 

Trolley Operator James Bailey Was the Inspiration for the Toonerville Trolley Skipper

For nearly a century, there has been debate regarding who was the Pelham Manor trolley car operator who inspired Fontaine Fox to create "the Skipper" who operated the "Toonerville Trolley" in the internationally-famous comic "Toonerville Folks" that was syndicated in newspapers across the United States and ran for nearly fifty years.  Fontaine Fox repeatedly said that he was inspired to create the "Toonerville Trolley" and its skipper based on a trolley ride he took in Pelham Manor.  During that ride he observed the trolley car operator gossip with passengers and, once, stop the vehicle to pick apples in an adjacent orchard.  Who was the trolley car operator who inspired Fontaine Fox to create the "Skipper" and the trolley that "met all the trains"? 

A number of trolley operators on the line claimed that distinction.  See, e.g.:  

Thu., Jul. 06, 2006:  Who Was the Skipper on the Pelham Manor Trolley the Day Fontaine Fox Rode the Line and Was Inspired?

Fri., May 27, 2016:  Was Max "Maxie" Martin the Man Who Was the Skipper on the Pelham Manor Trolley the Day Fontaine Fox Rode the Line and Was Inspired?

The best evidence always has suggested that the Pelham Manor trolley operator who inspired Fontaine Fox that day was James ("Old Jim") Bailey who lived for many years at 717 Grote Street in the Bronx.  Now, the combination of a reference in the February 2, 1903 issue of The Pelham Republican and the 1940 commentary on the reference printed in The Pelham Sun provides further evidence in support of Old Jim Bailey.  

The Pelham Republican reported in 1903:  "The courteous and popular trolley conductor of the Pelham Manor route was laid up for a few days last week as the result of a fall he received at the car yard of the company.  The injuries received, while painful, were not serious and he is at his post again."  The Pelham Sun, in turn, commented on the report as follows:  "Remember Jim Bailey, the 'Skipper' of the Pelham Manor car?  Fontaine Fox sets 1909 as the year in which he discovered Jim and drew from him the inspiration for the famous 'Toonerville Trolley' cartoons.  Jim had proven his worth to the editor of The Pelham Republican as far back as 1903."

More on the Histories of The Pelham Republican and The Pelham Record

One complete and one partial copy of The Pelham Republican are the only copies of the newspaper published in at least 1901, 1902, and 1903 known to survive. (Lockwood Barr, in his popular History of the Ancient Town of Pelham published in 1946, listed a newspaper published in Pelham known as The Republican, but says it was published only in 1903.) 

The newspaper seems to have been founded in 1901 and was published at least as late as February 3, 1902.  The newspaper was published each Monday and was distributed in the Villages of Pelham, North Pelham and Pelham Manor.  For $2.00 a year, subscribers received a weekly publication that was about eight pages long and focused on local news. The editor and publisher of the paper was W. F. C. Tichborne. On Friday, November 14, 1902 the Board of Trustees of the Village of North Pelham voted to designate the publication as the "official newspaper" of that village.

A summary of the news that appeared in the February 2, 1903 issue of The Pelham Republican appears at the end of today's Historic Pelham article.  The 1940 commentary on that news (published by The Pelham Sun) provides a little additional information on The Pelham Republican.  It said:

"The Pelham Republican was absorbed by The Pelham Sun many years ago.  The late Walter W. F. C. Tichborne was editor and publisher of the eight page tabloid-size weekly newspaper.  According to J. Gardner Minard, Pelham's unofficial journalism historian, the office and printing plant of The Pelham Republican was located on Wolf's Lane not one hundred yards south of the present location of The Pelham Sun office.  The Republican was the first newspaper to be printed in the Town of Pelham.  Tichborne used a Gordon hand press to run off a few hundred copies of his newspaper each Monday."

The 1940 article in The Pelham Sun also provided a little additional information regarding The Pelham Record, the principal competitor of The Pelham Republican in 1903.  It stated:  

"There was one other Pelham newspaper published at that time.  Charles B. Forbes of New Rochelle printed The Pelham Record.  Both of these newspapers served the town for several years until the late Peter Ceder established The Pelham Sun, and in later years The Republican and The Record were absorbed by The Sun."

The news in the February 2, 1903 issue of The Pelham Republican makes for fascinating reading.  It is well worth your time (see below).

1995 U.S. Postal Service Postage Stamp Commemorating

the "Toonerville Folks" Comic and Showing the "Skipper" at

the Back of the Toonerville Trolley Tossing an Anchor to Slow

its Descent Down a Hill.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

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"Pelham In February, 1903
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A page of local history is gleaned from an old newspaper.

An interesting example of early journalism in the Pelhams was viewed this week by The Pelham Sun staff when Miss Gertrude Kolb of Pelbrook Hall brought to light a copy of the Feb. 2, 1903 issue of The Pelham Republican.  The 36-year-old newspaper contains many news which are of pertinent interest to Pelhamites who still reside in the communities.

Among the social items we read the following:  Mrs. Dey's play, 'Desperate Measures, or the Domestic Problem Solved,' will be given next Wednesday at Trinity Parish House, New Rochelle, for the benefit of the Women's Exchange.'  Mrs. Henry E. Dey, the author of the play, is still a resident of Pelham Manor.

And -- 'Mr. James Cremins, of Pelham Manor sailed on Saturday for Europe.  He is going on a short business trip.'  Mr. Cremins, the father of Receiver of Taxes Robert A. Cremins will not recall that trip to Europe.

And this -- 'President William Edinger of North Pelham last week struck his thumb with a hammer.  The finger became so inflamed that it had to be lanced.'  President Edinger was the father of former Fire Chief Louis Edinger of Fourth avenue.

Perhaps Seth T. Lyman of Linden avenue, former Postmaster and pharmacist will remember the occasion for this article appearing in The Republican:  'Mr. George P. Hermes is in charge of Lyman's Pharmacy while its proprietor is on a trip through Pennsylvania.'

Here's one for Fontaine Fox:  'The courteous and popular trolley conductor of the Pelham Manor route was laid up for a few days last week as the result of a fall he received at the car yard of the company.  The injuries received, while painful, were not serious and he is at his post again.'  Remember Jim Bailey, the 'Skipper' of the Pelham Manor car?  Fontaine Fox sets 1909 as the year in which he discovered Jim and drew from him the inspiration for the famous 'Toonerville Trolley' cartoons.  Jim had proven his worth to the editor of The Pelham Republican as far back as 1903.

The Pelham Republican was absorbed by The Pelham Sun many years ago.  The late Walter W. F. C. Tichborne was editor and publisher of the eight page tabloid-size weekly newspaper.  According to J. Gardner Minard, Pelham's unofficial journalism historian, the office and printing plant of The Pelham Republican was located on Wolf's Lane not one hundred yards south of the present location of The Pelham Sun office.  The Republican was the first newspaper to be printed in the Town of Pelham.  Tichborne used a Gordon hand press to run off a few hundred copies of his newspaper each Monday.  There was one other Pelham newspaper published at that time.  Charles B. Forbes of New Rochelle printed The Pelham Record.  Both of these newspapers served the town for several years until the late Peter Ceder established The Pelham Sun, and in later years The Republican and The Record were absorbed by The Sun.

Miss Kolb has had reason to hold this single issue of The Pelham Republican for all these years.  The leading article tells of her father's narrow escape from death death on the New Haven Railroad tracks.  Following is the account:

Had a Narrow Escape

'Mr. B. Kolb [sic; it was Gertrude Kolb's father, August R. Kolb] of Pelham Heights had a narrow escape from death last Monday morning.  He was hurrying to catch the 8:41 train for New York and crossed the tracks at the upper end to reach the station in time.  The weather was foggy and he could not see more than a few hundred feet ahead of him.  When he reached the center tracks he saw both the local and an express train approaching.  There was only one thing to do, and that was to stand between the tracks.  He held firmly to the post at the end of the fence while both trains grazed him.  A package he held under his arm was touched by one of the locomotives.

'Passengers on the station platform who saw the situation thought surely that Mr. Kolb ws killed, as his hat was blown high into the air.  

'Mr. Kolb did not catch his train.  He was pretty well frightened and is not likely to cross the tracks again.

'This is the dangerous place where Mrs. Smith was killed a few years ago.  A number of people cross there daily, and it is a wonder that more have not been killed.'

Following are a few articles reprinted from the 36-year-old newspaper:

St. Catherine's [sic] Church Euchre

'The Euchre held under the auspices of St. Catherine's Church of North Pelham, last Wednesday at Lyman's Hall was a great success.  About 250 persons from Pelham and neighboring cities were in attendance.  A large representation from the Knights of Columbus came down from New Rochelle.  Just 164 sat at the tables.  The game was conducted by Mr. Gilligan, formerly of Pelham.  A most enjoyable time was spent by every one present, and there was much praise spoken for the way all the arrangements were carried out.  After the games, refreshments were served and the younger folks participated in dancing until 12:30 o'clock.

'The ladies' prizes were awarded to Miss Rachel G. Hewitt, Mrs. W. Edinger, Miss M. Smarkey and Miss Katie Griffin.

'The following gentlemen won:  Mr. Daniel Y. Jenning, Mr. Peter Sheridan, Mr. John A. Peterson.  Booby prize, Mr. Frank F. Brennan.'

Pelham Manor P. O. Promoted.

'The Pelham Manor Post Office, owing to its increase in business has been raised from a fourth to a third class office.  This means beside having the government pay the rent and fuel bills, that there will be better facilities.  The Pelham Manor Post Office will now be on the same footing with the one in Pelham.  This has come about principally through the efforts of Postmaster G. H. Kerr and our County Committeeman.'

At the time the newspaper was issued, John D. Rockefeller, Sr., was increasing his holdings at Pocantico Hills.  From information received from an 'exchange' Editor Tichborne announced that Mr. Rockefeller was planning to erect a half-million dollar residence on Kykuit Hill, and an observatory on Buttermilk Hill.

Where Were the Fire Commissioners?

In an editorial urging that prominent men take an interest in local affairs, Editor Tichborne remarks, 'The office of Fire Commissioner doesn't seem to mean a great deal to those holding office at present.  We have not been informed of a meeting held by them for nearly a year.  When they convened last they recommended an appropriation for a fire alarm system, but did not stipulate where the boxes were to be located.  They have never recommended an appropriation for the heating and we think it is a shame to ask the active members of the company to pay for the same out of their pockets.  If the town profits by the work of the firemen who volunteer to get out of bed at any time during the night, whetherr it be Summer or Winter, it should surely appreciate the protection to its inhabitants to the extent of paying the expenses of the fire house.

'Gentlemen of the Town of Pelham, it's nearly time we shook off the lethargy which has so long been characteristic of the place.  If we expect to grow, if we desire to have Pelham a safe and wholesome place to live in, we must be up and doing something all the time in order to have something always doing.'

Included among the advertisers in The Record were several who are now advertising in The Pelham Sun.  Ware's Department Store in New Rochelle offered '$1 and $1.25 calico wrappers at 49 ccents.  George Fennell of Mount Vernon was advertising Westchester's Biggest Furniture Store; J. D. Kennedy, local real estate broker has a house for rent in North Pelham at $15 per month.'

The Board of Education advertised the sale of an $18,000 bond issue for the purpose of erecting a new school for the Village of Pelham.  

1903 seems a long time ago."

Source:  Pelham In February, 1903 -- A page of local history is gleaned from an old newspaper, The Pelham Sun, Nov. 8, 1940, p. 10, cols. 5-8.  


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More on the History of the First Pelham Country Club, Renamed to Become Today's Wykagyl Country Club

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During a meeting held on May 12, 1898, Pelham residents organized what we refer to today as the "First Pelham Country Club."  The club is not related either to today's Pelham Country Club or to the club that once stood along Shore Road known simply as "the Country Club."  Rather, as the open countryside around today's Fowler Avenue began to be developed, the Club was forced to move to a new property along North Avenue in New Rochelle and changed its name to "The Wykagyl Country Club."

Immediately after its organization, the First Pelham Country Club constructed four holes of golf.  Within a short time the club added five additional holes for a nine-hole golf course.  The club built its links on leased land in the area of today's Fowler Avenue.  The course extended from Colonial Avenue to Boston Post Road.  The club used a residence that stood on the land near Colonial Avenue as a clubhouse.  By 1904, the club secured land to open a larger course in New Rochelle.  The club became today's Wykagyl Country Club.

A map published in 1899 shows the golf course of the First Pelham Country Club.  A detail from that map showing the course appears below.  

PELHAM COUNTRY CLUB GOLF LINKS" From Map Published in 1899.
The Road on the Left is Boston Post Road. The Small Road on the Right
is Colonial Avenue. Source: Fairchild, John F., "Town of Pelham Plate 22"
in Atlas of the City of Mount Vernon and the Town of Pelham, Plate 22
(Mount Vernon, NY: John F. Fairchild, 1899).
NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.

Extensive research recently has shed additional light on the history of the First Pelham Country Club.  The club leased about fifty two acres of land between today's Colonial Avenue and Boston Post Road from its owner, Benjamin F. Corlies.  Within a matter of weeks after the May 12, 1898 organizational meeting, construction of the first few holes of a planned nine-hole course began.  

The club hoped to complete six holes and hold a grand opening of the course on July 4, 1898.  Though construction progressed nicely, only four holes were complete by July 4.  That did not dissuade members of the Club.  They opened the four holes for play on July 4 that year.

At its outset, the club limited membership to one hundred.  The club marketed memberships by portraying the new course as particularly "sporty" and one of the most accessible such courses in the New York City region with train and trolley transportation nearly to its doorstep.

On Saturday, July 2, 1898, the club filed its certificate of incorporation with the Office of the County Clerk of the County of Westchester.  The stated purposes of the club were "to encourage golfing, to promote physical culture among it members and for social purposes."

Members of the club did not elect their first officers until late July, 1898.  Its first officers were:  

President - Howard Scribner
Vice President - Frederick Wilson
Secretary - George K. Perry
Treasurer - John Butler
Golf Captain - Harlan Victor Gause

The members of its first Board of Governors included all of the officers listed immediately above as well as the following members:  Lincoln Pierce, John K. Muir, William H. Webster, Ralph K. Hubbard, Jabish Holmes, Jr., William B. Randall, and C. W. Colton.  

Almost immediately after opening the first four holes of the new golf course, members of the club began planning to construct a new clubhouse rather than continuing to rely on the tiny little residence they had converted for the purpose that stood near the first tee of the course.  Also within days after opening the first four holes, the number of members of the club had "almost reached" its one hundred member limit.  

By September 20, 1898, a local newspaper reported that the "full nine holes of the Pelham Country Club Golf links will be completed this week."  The newspaper further reported that one of the new features of the course was a lake hazard.  The lake stood on the sixth hole of the course (see map detail above).

The little nine-hole golf course was an immediate success.  Once the 1898 golf season drew to a close, members of the club immediately began planning to improve the golf course and to hold a second season opening of the club the following May. 

In March, 1899, members of the club held their annual election and elected their second set of officers.  Those officers were:  

President - Howard Scribner
Secretary - George K. Perry
Treasurer - John Butler
Golf Captain - William K. Gillett

The members of the second Board of Governors included all of the officers listed immediately above as well as:  Harlan Victor Gause, Kenneth J. Muir, Frederick Wilson, Charles W. Colton, William B. Randall, Ralph K. Hubbard, F. S. Rollins, George K. Perry and Jabish Holmes, Jr.  Although it may simply have been a news reporting error, there does not appear to have been a Vice President during the club's second year.  

By 1902, the First Pelham Country Club was, in effect, bulging at its seams.  The Board of Governors authorized, and work began on, a project to expand and lengthen the nine holes that comprised the course.  

That year the First Pelham Country Club announced a host of grand plans.  It announced that negotiations were "pending" for the lease of additional property to serve as a baseball diamond on which the Club's baseball team could play home games rather than constantly traveling to play other teams.  It further announced that plans to erect an indoor sports building to include squash courts, ping pong, shuffleboard, and other such sports were "under consideration."  A new tennis court was built for club members.  

The club offered "club dinners" to its members and their guests that year beginning on Friday, May 30, 1902 (Decoration Day).  Thereafter such dinners were offered on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays during the season.  

By 1902, the club still had not built a new clubhouse.  Indeed, before the 1902 golf season began, efforts were still underway to secure a lot and build a new clubhouse "in the fall."  

By 1904, the days of the First Pelham Country Club were numbered due to the press of local residential development.  The club never owned its land in Pelham.  It leased the land from Benjamin F. Corlies, a real estate speculator who had been heavily involved in the development of Pelham Heights.  By 1904, Corlies was pushing to develop the land he had leased to the club.  

In September, 1904, residential development in the area of the club began in earnest.  On September 28, 1904, a local newspaper reported that "Excavation has been made for a residence on Fowler avenue on the first green of the Pelham Country Club's golf links.  This spoils the course to such an extent it may be necessary to change the location of the first green."

With the handwriting on the wall, the First Pelham Country Club chose not to change the location of the first green but, instead, to change the location of the club.  Barely three months later, in December, 1904, the club announced that it had secured a lease of extensive property in New Rochelle.  The 186-acre tract bordered on North Street and had been used as a pasture for "the greater part" of the previous thirty years.  The club announced that it already had in hand plans for a new eighteen hole golf course on the site with a playing distance of 6,200 yards.  It further announced plans to open the first nine holes of the course on May 1, 1905 and the remaining nine holes by June 1.  The club stated that it would build a new clubhouse, tennis courts, and an indoor sports center with squash courts, among other indoor sports facilities.  


With the move of the club out of Pelham, a name change seemed in order.  During the Spring of 1905, the club pursued judicial proceedings and obtained an order from the Special Term of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Westchester County, authorizing the club to change its name from the "Pelham Country Club" to "The Wykagyl Country Club."  Notices announcing the name change appeared in local newspapers that spring.  

Pelham was, for a short time, without a country club. 

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Below is the text of a number of news articles and materials that relate to the history of the First Pelham Country Club.  Each is followed by a citation and link to its source.

"NEWS OF THE GOLFERS.
-----
Pelham Country Club's New Links to Be Ready July 4. . . . 

The recently organized Golf Club of the Pelham Country Club, Pelham, N.Y., has a nine hole course in process of construction.  It announces the opening day for the Fourth of July.  By that day it is expected that six holes will be in good condition and the full nine holes very soon thereafter.  The links are probably the most accessible of any about New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad from Forty-second street to Pelham, from which station it is but a short walk to the grounds on the Boston road, or by train from One Hundred and Twenty-ninth street and Third avenue to Pelham Manor, thence by the new trolley line, which will shortly be running past the grounds on the Boston Post road.  The new extensions of the trolley system between Mount Vernon and New Rochelle will make the links very convenient for residents in those places.

An expert has described the links as 'sporty.'

The membership is limited to 100, and includes the principal citizens of Pelham, Pelham Manor, and New Rochelle.  The secretary is G. K. Perry, Pelham, N.Y. . . ."

Source:  NEWS OF THE GOLFERS -- Pelham Country Club's New Links to Be Ready July 4, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Jun. 27, 1898, p. 5, col. 6.  

"PELHAM'S NEW GOLF CLUB.
-----
Six-Hole Course Will Be Ready for the Opening, July 4.

The new golf club recently organized by members of the Pelham Country Club, Pelham, N.Y., has a nine-hole course in process of construction.  It announces July 4 as the opening day.  By that time it is expected that six holes will be in good playing condition, and the full nine holes soon thereafter.

The links probably are the most accessible of any about New York.  They can be reached by train on the New York, New Haven and Hudson River Railroad from the Grand Central Depot, Forty-second street, to Pelham, from which station it is but a short walk to the grounds on the old Boston road, or by train from the 129th street and Third avenue to Pelham Manor, thence by the new trolley line which shortly will be running past the grounds on the Boston post road.  The new extensions of the trolley system between Mount Vernon and New Rochelle will make the links convenient for residents in those places.

An expert has described the links as 'sporty.'  The membership is limited to 100, and includes the principal citizens of Pelham, Pelham Manor and New Rochelle.  The secretary, G. K. Perry, Pelham, N.Y., will be pleased to answer all inquiries."

Source:  PELHAM'S NEW GOLF CLUB -- Six-Hole Course Will Be Ready for the Opening, July 4, The New York Press, Jun. 28, 1898, Section BC, p. 6, col. 7.

"--The Pelham Country Club plans to open its new course on July 4.  By that day it is expected that six holes will be in full playable condition, and the full nine holes shortly afterward.  The links may be reached from Pelham Manor, by the new trolley line, which will soon run past the grounds on the Boston Post Road.  The new extensions of the trolley system between Mt. Vernon and New Rochelle will make the links convenient for residents in those places.  The membership is limited to one hundred.  G. K. Perry, the secretary, Pelham, N. Y., will be pleased to answer any inquiries."

Source:  [Untitled], New Rochelle Pioneer, Jul. 2, 1898, p. 5, col. 2.  

"WHITE PLAINS.

The certificate of incorporation of the Pelham Country Club was filed in the County Clerk's office yesterday morning.  The association is formed to encourage golfing, to promote physical culture among it members and for social purposes.  The principal office is to be in the town of Pelham, and the directors are Howard Scribner, John Butler, Frederick Wilson, Ralph K. Hubbard, Lincoln Pierce, George K. Perry, W. H. Webster, H. V. Gause and K. J. Muir, all of Pelham, N. Y. . . ."

Source:  WHITE PLAINS, New-York Daily Tribune, Jul. 3, 1898, p. 13, col. 3.  

"PELHAM CLUB TO OPEN TO-DAY.

The Pelham Country Club, which includes among its members many of the prominent residents of Pelham, Pelham Manor and New-Rochelle, will open its links to-day with an attractive series of matches.  The club has leased a large tract of land near the old Boston Post Road, and is planning an active season."

Source:  PELHAM CLUB TO OPEN TO-DAY, New-York Daily Tribune, Jul. 9, 1898, p. 5, col. 6.  

"NOTES FROM THE GOLF LINKS. . . . 

The Pelham Country Club held a successful opening on the Fourth of July on the grounds leased from Benjamin F. Corlies, of Pelham Manor.  The entire golf course, of nine holes, has been laid out on an area of fifty-two acres of exceptionally promising country, extending from the old Boston Post Road on the north to the Boston Turnpike on the south and west of Sycamore Park.  Four holes are now in playing condition, and work on the remaining five is being pushed with so much vigor that in three or four weeks play over all may be commenced.  The first limit of membership has been almost reached, although the club is scarcely eight weeks old.  The course is easily accessible from the city.  The secretary is G. K. Perry, of Pelham, N. Y."

Source:  NOTES FROM THE GOLF LINKS, N.Y. Herald, Jul. 10, 1898, p. 11, col. 6.  

"PELHAM COUNTRY CLUB.
-----
Its Nine-Hole Golf Course Soon Will Be Ready for Play.

The Pelham Country Club had a successful opening on July 4 on the grounds recently leased.  The entire golf course, of nine holes, has been laid out on an area of fifty-two acres of exceptionally promising country extending from the old Boston Post road on the north, to the Boston turnpike on the south and west of Sycamore Park.  Four holes are now in playing condition, and work on the remaining five is being pushed with so much vigor that in three or four weeks play over all may be begun.

The first limit of membership has been almost reached, although the club is scarcely eight weeks old.  The golf course is the most accessible about the city.  The secretary is G. K. Percy, Pelham, N.Y."

Source:  PELHAM COUNTRY CLUB -- Its Nine-Hole Golf Course Soon Will Be Ready for Play, The New York Press, Jul. 12, 1898, Section BC, p. 5, col. 3.  

"NEW ROCHELLE. . . . 

The Pelham Country Club this week elected the following officers:  President, Howard Scribner; vice president, Frederick Wilson; secretary, George K. Perry; treasurer, John Butler; captain, H. V. Gause.  The Board of Governors comprises these officers, together with Lincoln Pierce, John K. Muir, William H. Webster, Ralph K. Hubbard, Jabish Holmes, Jr., W. B. Randall and C. W. Colton.  The members are considering a proposition to erect a clubhouse close to the links."

Source:  NEW ROCHELLE, The New York Press, Jul. 24, 1898, p. 21, col. 3.  

"NORTH PELHAM NEWS. . . . 

PELHAM'S GOLF CLUB

The full nine holes of the Pelham Country Club Golf links will be completed this week.  This course is one of the most sporty courses near New York.  The Union Railway Company now has its line on the South front of the course and with the proposed extension on the old Boston Post Road will make the course of most convenient access to the whole section.  

A lake is one of the features of the new links.

The club's membership is increasing rapidly and already plans for a fine club house are being discussed. . . ."

Source:  NORTH PELHAM NEWS, Mount Vernon Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Sep. 20, 1898, Vol. XXVI, No. 1,976, p. 1, col. 5.  

"PELHAM COUNTRY CLUB.
------

The second annual election of the Pelham Country Club was recently held and the following Board of Governor was elected:  -- Howard Scribner, John Butler, Harlan Victor Gause, Kenneth J. Muir, Frederick Wilson, Charles W. Colton, William B. Randall, Ralph K. Hubbard, F. S. Rollins, William K. Gillett, George K. Perry and Jabish Holmes, Jr.  Mr. Scribner, Mr. Butler and Mr. Perry were re-elected president, treasurer and secretary, respectively, and Mr. William K. Gillett, captain.  

The Greens Committee have arranged to improve the golf links and active work will be immediately commenced.  They have secured the best talent obtainable, and it is expected that the picturesque  links will become even more attractive than they were last season.  The Pelham Country Club has become very well know of late and is attracting considerable attention from all lovers of the golfing sport."

Source:  PELHAM COUNTRY CLUB, N.Y. Herald, Mar. 18 1899, p. 13, col. 4.  

"NOTES FROM THE GOLF LINKS. . . .

The Pelham Country Club, which laid out a small golf course last year is making arrangements to improve the links this season, and it will probably be opened in May with better facilities for playing.  The new officers, recently elected, are:  President -- Howard Scribner; Treasurer -- John Butler; Secretary -- George K. Perry; Directors -- Harlan Victor Gause, Kenneth J. Muir, Frederick Wilson, Charles W. Colton, William B. Randall, Ralph K. Hubbard, F. S. Rollins, William K. Gillett, and Jabish Thomas, Jr.  Gillett has been chosen Captain of the club for the coming year. . . ."

Source:  NOTES FROM THE GOLF LINKS, N.Y. Times, Mar. 20, 1899, p. 8 col. 3.

"PELHAM COUNTRY CLUB. 
-----

The management begs to announce that improvements in the links are now under way, as the result of which the course will be widened and lengthened, giving better turf and greater playing distance.

The links is in better condition today than it has ever been before at this time of year and we anticipate putting and fair greens of exceptional quality during the season.

The schedule of handicap and scratch events is being made up and will include five-men matches with prominent local clubs.

Negotiations are pending for the lease of additional property, to be converted into a base ball field, which we hope may be the scene of many victories for the Country Club nine.  

The erection of a 'squash-court' building, containing accommodations as well for 'ping-pong,' shuffleboard and other indoor sports, is under consideration and will be built if sufficient interest is shown.

A club dinner will be served to members and their guests at the Club house on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, commencing Friday, May 30 (Decoration Day).

We hope to receive the cordial and hearty support of every member in our efforts to make the Club agreeable and attractive.

A new tennis court has been added to the outfit and a lot secured upon which a new club house will  be erected in the fall.

E. M. Fowler, chairman house committee; A. K. Alexander, chairman greens committee."

Source:  PELHAM COUNTRY CLUB, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Apr. 5, 1902, p. 6, col. 2.  

"PELHAM NOTES. . . .

Excavation has been made for a residence on Fowler avenue on the first green of the Pelham Country Club's golf links.  This spoils the course to such an extent it may be necessary to change the location of the first green. . . ."

Source:  PELHAM NOTES, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Sep. 28, 1904, p. 4, cols. 4-5.  

"NEW LINKS FOR PELHAM CLUB.
-----
Extensive Property Secured in New Rochelle -- Plans for Tennis and Squash.

An eighteen-hole golf course, with a playing distance of 6,200 yards, will be available for the members of the Pelham Country Club of Pelham Manor early next year.  The club which was organized several years ago, has had only a nine-hole course at Pelham manor.  The difficulties of enlarging the course and the steady growth of the club during the past two years has led the committee to look around for new quarters, and a few days ago a tract of 186 acres was leased in New Rochelle.  The property borders on North Street, and having been used as a pasture during the greater part of the last thirty years, its facilities for an excellent golf course are apparent.

Plans for the new course have been drawn and work will begin as early next season as possible.  It is the intention of the officers to have nine holes ready for use by May 1 and the entire eighteen holes are expected to be thrown open by June 1.  In addition to the enlarged golf course, the club proposes to add other attractions to its list of amusements.  A number of tennis courts will be laid out near the new clubhouse, and plans are being made to build a house for squash courts.

T. L. Jaques is Captain of the Pelham Country Club's golf team, and, with the additional opportunities for playing next year, he hopes to arrange a number of team matches with neighboring clubs and to hold several tournaments."

Source:  NEW LINKS FOR PELHAM CLUB -- Extensive Property Secured in New Rochelle -- Plans for Tennis and Squash, N.Y. Times, Dec. 19, 1904, p. 10, col. 3.  

"PELHAM'S NEW LINKS.
-----

The Pelham Country Club has closed a three years' lease of the Livingston Disbrow farm of 186 acres adjoining the Tom Paine farm on North street, New Rochelle, and will transform the property into one of the largest golf links in the vicinity of New York.  The new course will cover a distance of 6,700 yards, which is about the size of the links at Deal Beach.  L. E. Van Etten, who laid out the Deal Beach links and also the Pelham Bay Park and Knollwood Country Club courses, will have charge of the construction of the new links.  The property includes two houses, the large residence of Mr. Disbrow, which will be remodelled [sic] and used for the main club house, and the other, a smaller building, will be used as a dormitory and fitted up with lockers and shower baths.  About $25,000 is to be spent in remodelling [sic] and refitting the buildings.  

The Pelham Country Club has been forced to move because the links at Pelham Manor will soon be cut up into building lots.  It is probable that the Siwanoy Tennis Club, of New Rochelle, will be merged into the new club and that members of the Larchmont Club will also join, as the Larchmont links are being rapidly encroached on for building purposes."

Source:  PELHAM'S NEW LINKS, N.Y. Herald, Jan. 2, 1905, p. 10, col. 2.  

"AT A SPECIAL TERM OF THE Supreme Court of the State of New York, held in and for the County of Westchester, at the Court House in the Town of White Plains on the 10th day of May, 1905. -- Present, Hon. Martin J. Keogh, Justice.  In the matter of the application of Pelham Country Club for authority to change its name to 'The Wykagyl Country Club.'  Upon reading and filing the petition of the Pelham Country Club, a domestic corporation, duly verified by Morton J. Condon, its president, wherein said petitioner prays for an order authorizing it to assume another corporate name, to wit:  the name of 'The Wykagyl Country Club,' and upon filing the certificate of the Secretary of State annexed thereto, certifying that the name which such corporation proposes to assume is not the name of any other domestic corporation, or a name which he deems so nearly resembling it as to be calculated to deceive, and upon filing due proof by affidavits showing that notice of the presentation has been published for six weeks in the Albany 'Evening Journal,' a newspaper published at Albany in the State of New York, and in the 'New Rochelle Pioneer,' a newspaper of the County of Westchester, in which County such corporation has its principal corporate property, and the Court being satisfied by said petition and the affidavits and certificates presented therewith, that the petition is true and that there is no reasonable objection to the change of name proposed, and that the petition has been duly authorized, and that notice of the presentation of the petition, as required by law, has been made; now, on motion of Robert Davidson, Attorney for the said petitioner, no one opposing, it is ordered that said petition be and the same hereby is granted and that the petitioner herein, the Pelham Country Club, be and it hereby is authorized to assume another corporate name, to wit, the name 'The Wykagyl Country Club' on and after the 15th day of June, 1905, and it is further ordered and directed that this order be entered and the papers on which it is granted be filed within ten days from the date hereof in the office of the Clerk of the County of Westchester, the County in which the certificate of incorporation of said corporation is filed and that a certified copy of this order within ten days after the entry thereof, be filed in the office of the Secretary of State, and further that a copy of this order be published once a week for four successive weeks in the 'New Rochelle Pioneer,' a newspaper in the County of Westchester, beginning within ten days after the entry hereof.

MARTIN J. KEOGH, J. S. C."

Source:  [Untitled Legal Notice], New Rochelle Pioneer, Jun. 3, 1905, Vol. 47, No. 10, p. 3, col. 4.

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I have written before about the First Pelham Country Club that became the Wykagyl Country Club.  See, e.g.:

Tue., Nov. 29, 2016:  1902 Report on Activities of The First Pelham Country Club on Fowler Avenue.

Mon., Jan. 11, 2010:  The First Pelham Country Club's Plans for a July 4, 1898 Opening of its New Nine-Hole Golf Course Accessible by a New Trolley Line. 

Thu., Nov. 26, 2009:  The First "Pelham Country Club" Established in 1898 Built a Nine-Hole Golf Course in Pelham in 1898.  

Bell, Blake, The Early Days of Golf in Pelham, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 36, Sep. 10, 2004, p. 12, col. 2.

Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.

Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.
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