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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1904 Burglary of Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls in Pelham Manor

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It was a dirty little secret.   Headmistress Emily Hall Hazen and the faculty of Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls on Esplanade at Boston Post Road in Pelham Manor wanted to keep it as quiet as possible.  The school and its students were repeated targets of robbers, burglars, and scammers throughout the history of the school.  Of course, given the reputation and fame of the school, it was hard to keep the secret since newspapers reported on each such crime against the school with gusto.  

Historic Pelham has written before about such burglaries and robberies including a gun battle on one occasion at the select finishing school for young women.  See, e.g.:

Tue., Jun. 13, 2017:  A Sensational Burglary in 1899 at Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls in Pelham Manor.

Tue., Nov. 25, 2014:  Too Smart for Late 19th Century Scammers: Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls.

Thu., Jul. 12, 2007:  The Infamous Burglary of the Girls of Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls in Pelham Manor in 1905.

Truth be told, Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls, known officially as "Pelham Hall," was famous.  It was known throughout the United States as one of the nation's premier educational institutions for young women from wealthy families.  It should come as no surprise that an institution for the daughters of affluent families was repeatedly targeted by the evil lower element of society.  Today's Historic Pelham details yet another such burglary at the school -- this one in 1904.

Monday, February 22, 1904 was a holiday.  It was "Washington's Birthday" (now known as President's Day).  That evening the young women of Pelham Hall gathered for what most likely was a festive dinner in celebration of the holiday.

As the young women of Pelham Hall celebrated and dined in one building on the school campus, a technologically advanced thief began to prey.  Carrying an early portable electric light rather than candles or matches, the thief climbed a veranda pillar to the second floor of an empty dormitory nearby.  He then calmly moved from room to room, "helping himself to diamond rings, watches and chains by the dozen."  By the time he had ransacked all the rooms, he had collected $3,000 worth of jewels (nearly $93,500 in today's dollars).  

When the dinner ended and the young women returned to their rooms "a mild panic" ensued as the women discovered that their jewelry was missing.  The school quickly summoned the Pelham Manor Police who, in turn, alerted police elsewhere in Westchester and in adjacent New York City of the robbery and the missing jewels.  `

It appears that the jewels were never recovered and the the thief was never caught.  Pelham Hall had been burglarized yet again.

Undated Postcard View of "MRS. HAZEN'S SCHOOL PELHAM MANOR, N.Y."

All Three "Houses" of Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls Are Depicted in the

Photograph Which Was Taken From Across the Esplanade (Both Lanes

Visible in the Foreground). Chester House is on the Left. Edgewood House

is in the Center, Slightly in the Rear (It Was Named After the Street it Was

Closest to). Marbury House, named after Anne Marbury Hutchinson, Is on

the Right. NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.

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Below is the text of a pair of articles on which today's Historic Pelham article is based.  Each is followed by a citation and link to its source.

"THIEF WITH ELECTRIC LIGHT.
-----
He Steals $3,000 Worth of Jewelry From Pupils of Mrs. Hazen's School.

PELHAM MANOR, N. Y., Feb. 22. -- Mrs. John Cunningham Hazen's school for girls in Pelham Manor was visited by a burglar this evening while the pupils were at dinner.  He got away with about $3,000 worth of their jewelry.  The police say he is the same fellow who recently robbed a house in New Rochelle.  He does his work by the light of an electric lantern instead of matches or a candle.  Mrs. Hazen's school has among its pupils General Chaffee's daughter and the daughter of Judge Martin J. Keogh.

The burglar climbed up one of the veranda pillars and entered the dormitory from the second floor.  He left the building by the same route.  When the burglary was discovered the Pelham Manor police were telephoned for and they sent out a general alarm to the police of Westchester county and New York city."

Source:  THIEF WITH ELECTRIC LIGHT -- He Steals $3,000 Worth of Jewelry From Pupils of Mrs. Hazen's School, The Sun [NY, NY], Feb. 23, 1904, Vol. LXXI, No. 176, p. 1, col. 2.  

"THIEF INVADES SELECT SCHOOL FOR YOUNG GIRLS
-----
Robs the Rooms During Dinner Hour, Securing Jewels Valued at Many Thousands.

NEW YORK, Feb. 23. -- Jewel cases owned by daughters of some of the wealthiest families in the East have been despoiled by a clever burglar, who obtained entrance to a select school for young ladies at Pelham Manor, near this city. The robber made off with property worth more than $3,000.

The robbery occurred during the dinner.  No one saw the interloper, who must have climbed to an upper story window.  He had the house to himself and calmly went from room to room, helping himself to diamond rings, watches and chains by the dozen.

When the girls returned there was a mild panic and the police were hurriedly summoned, but the thief had made good his escape."

Source:  THIEF INVADES SELECT SCHOOL FOR YOUNG GIRLS -- Robs the Rooms During Dinner Hour, Securing Jewels Valued at Many Thousands, The San Francisco Call, Feb. 24, 1904, p. 1, col. 4.

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I have written extensively about the private school known as "Pelham Hall" and "Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls."  For a few of the many examples, see:

Bell, Blake A., Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls: Pelham Hall, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 40, Oct. 8, 2004, p. 12, col. 1.

Tue., Jun. 13, 2017:  A Sensational Burglary in 1899 at Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls in Pelham Manor.

Fri., Apr. 07, 2017:  The Twentieth Annual Commencement of Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls Held on June 2, 1909.

Wed., Dec. 30, 2015:  Interesting Account of 1894 Graduation Exercises Conducted by Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls in Pelham Manor.

Wed., Mar. 18, 2015:  Account of Women's Cricket Match Played by Pelham Manor Women in 1898.

Tue., Feb. 03, 2015:  1907 Commencement Exercises at Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls in Pelham Manor.

Mon., Feb. 02, 2015:  The Three Houses of Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls in the Late 19th Century.

Tue., Nov. 25, 2014:  Too Smart for Late 19th Century Scammers: Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls.

Tue., Mar. 11, 2014:  An Early History of Mrs. Hazen's School For Girls in Pelham Manor, Published in 1913.

Tue., Feb. 16, 2010:  Photograph of Only Known 19th Century Women's Baseball Team in Pelham, New York.

Fri., Jul. 24, 2009:  Late 19th Century Photos of Students with Tennis Rackets at Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls in Pelham Manor.

Mon., Mar. 3, 2008:  1891 Advertisement May Reflect Summer Rental of One of the Dormitories of Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls.

Thu., Jul. 12, 2007:  The Infamous Burglary of the Girls of Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls in Pelham Manor in 1905.  

Wed., Sep. 6, 2006:  Pelham Hall Shelter, a "Refuge for Erring Girls", Founded by Alumnae of Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls in Pelham Manor.  

Tue., Aug. 22, 2006:  Early Advertisements for Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls in Pelham Manor.  

Fri., Oct. 14, 2005:  A Reunion of Alumnae of Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls. 

Mon., Aug. 15, 2005:  952 Pelhamdale Served as a 19th Century School for Girls, Then a School for Boys. 

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James Francis Secor, Builder of Union Monitors, Ironclads, and Drydocks During Civil War, Lived in Pelham

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James Francis Secor was a son of Francis Secor (b. May 22, 1776, d. Aug. 23, 1863).  Francis Secor was a merchant, shipwright, and ship chandler who reportedly was associated with Robert Fulton in the construction of the first successful steam vessel.  Francis Secor was a son of Eli Secor (b. 1743, d. 1830) and Ann Gedney. He bought a 150-acre estate in Pelham Manor and built a grand summer home on the grounds.  The family first alternated between their fashionable Murray Hill residence and their grand summer home in Pelham Manor until they suffered a major financial setback and lost a large portion of the family fortune. At that time, they gave up their New York City residence and moved to the Pelham Manor home where they lived thereafter.

I have written about the notable Secor family and the Secor estate on a number of occasions.  For examples, see:

Mon., Mar. 27, 2017:  More on Francis Secor of Pelham, Father of James Francis Secor and Grandfather of James Frances Secor, Jr.

Tue., Aug. 25, 2015:  Joan Elizabeth Klink Secor, Known as Annie, Was a Notable Pelham Manor Resident and Town Historian.

Wed., Apr. 15, 2015:  The Secor Estate in the Village of Pelham Manor.

James Francis Secor was born in New York City in about 1814.  He and several of his brothers followed in the footsteps of their father, Francis Secor.  James and three of his brothers, Zeno, Henry, and Charles, formed the shipbuilding firm of Secor Brothers that operated out of Jersey City.  During the Civil War, Secor Brothers constructed at least five ironclads to the United States Government, including the Mahopac.  

The Monitor Mahopac on the Appomattox River, 1864.

Source:  U.S. National Archives Photograph, No.

NWDNS-111-B-409. NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.

According to obituaries published after his death, James Francis Secor's most notable accomplishments included the construction of the Mare Island Navy Yard in San Francisco, the Pensacola Navy Yard and "many of the monitors, ironclads and dry docks which contributed so largely toward putting an end to the civil war."  

The father of James Francis Secor, Francis Secor, died on August 23, 1864.  James Francis Secor succeeded to the Secor home on Secor Hill after his father's death.  Like Francis Secor, James Francis Secor and his son James Francis Secor, Jr. (and his daughter, Anna M. Secor,) became notable Pelham residents who shaped the early Village of Pelham Manor and various of its important institutions including the Manor Club.

James Francis Secor died at about the age of 90 on Tuesday, December 27, 1904.  According to an obituary, "until a few hours of his death retained the mental clearness and physical vigor which had been the marvel of his friends for many years."

Today's Historic Pelham posting transcribes the text of several obituaries of James F. Secor below and provides citations and links to their sources.

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"FAMED NAVAL BUILDER, JAMES F. SECOR, IS DEAD
-----
Family at Bedside in Beautiful Pelham Manor Home
-----
HAD PASSED HIS 90TH YEAR
-----
He Built Navy Yards at Mare Island and Pensacola, Besides Monitors for Civil War.
-----

After a long and eventful business and social career, which had brought him into close relations with Daniel Webster, Admiral Farragut and hundreds of other men who a half century ago were prominent in shaping the destinies of the Nation.  James F. Secor, builder of the Mare Island Navy Yard in San Francisco, the Pensacola Navy Yard and many of the monitors, ironclads and dry docks which contributed so largely toward putting an end to the civil war, died suddenly in his handsome country home in Pelham Manor last evening.  He was 90 years old and until within a few hours of his death he retained the mental clearness and physical vigor which had been the marvel of hundreds of friends for many years.  

Mr. Secor complained yesterday morning of being ill and went to bed.  That was such an unusual thing physicians were summoned.  At first they did not think his condition serious, but when he continued to grow weaker they advised the family to summon his daughter, Mrs. Frank Dickerson of this city, at one time commander of the New York Yacht Club.

FAMILY AT BEDSIDE.

Mr. Secor's other children, James F. Secor, Jr., a New York business man; Mrs. Washington Cockle and Miss Anna Secor, were with their father when he was stricken, the handsome old manor house, which in Colonial days belonged to Lord Pelham [sic], being their home, too.  All day long they remained at the bedside watching the life that had been such a strong link between the past and the present slowly and peacefully come to an end.

When it became known in Pelham Manor that Mr. Secor was dead the expression of regret was general.  He not only was one of the wealthiest and most prominent men in that section, but his remarkable vitality, mental vigor, uniform good nature and acute interest in the development of the Pelham Manor district had served to make for him thousands of friends who never failed to grasp an opportunity to show their warm regard.

Only a few weeks ago Mr. Secor celebrated the ninetieth anniversary of his birth.  Hundreds called at the manor house to congratulate him upon having joined the ranks of the nonogenarians [sic], and many others sent flowers and other tokens of friendship.

LOVED OLD MANOR HOUSE.

One of the strong traits of Mr. Secor was affection for the old Colonial manor house in which he died.  It came into the possession of the Secor family several generations ago, and then passed from it.  After Mr. Secor had won wealth as a builder of navy yards, dry docks and warships he decided to dedicate part of his fortune to regaining possession of Lord Pelham's manor [sic].

About twenty years ago the opportunity presented itself and Mr. Secor seized it.  He converted the estate into one of the handsomest country places in Westchester County and went there to live.  Having more land than he needed, he decided to develop it, and it is upon land he sold that a large part of the town [sic] of Pelham Manor now stands.

Mr. Secor was born in New York city.  His father was a famous shipbuilder here in the early part of the last century.  Mr. Secor succeeded to this business and enlarged it to such an extent that before the civil war began his name had become known widely.  When the Federal Government wanted navy yards and dry docks on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts Mr. Secor built them, and when monitors and other armored craft were needed to assist in putting down the secession movement Mr. Secor received many of the construction contracts.  

It was when engaged in this work that he became known so well to Admiral Farragut and other men prominent in the struggle to preserve the Union.  Being an ardent supporter of the Union movement and an uncompromising Republican, Mr. Secor was in hearty accord with the purposes of these men and did everything possible to forward them.  His home became a social and political centre, although Mr. Secor never aspired to or held office.

INTERESTED IN RAILWAYS.

Several years after the close of the civil war he retired from active business life, although he retained large holdings in several of the big railroads in the country.  He devoted himself to the development of his handsome estate in Westchester, and it was one of the sights in Pelham Manor in recent years to see Mr. Secor, who was nearing his century mark, out in the grounds and gardens, engaged actively in supervising the work.

His accurate reminiscence of events in the last seventy years, his knowledge of the motives underlying many important historical movements and his facility in the recital of stories bearing on the political and social lives of men of national and international prominence with whom he had been intimate and whom he had outlived, made Mr. Secor the delight of hundreds of friends."

Source:  FAMED NAVAL BUILDER, JAMES F. SECOR, IS DEAD -- Family at Bedside in Beautiful Pelham Manor Home -- HAD PASSED HIS 90TH YEAR -- He Built Navy Yards at Mare Island and Pensacola, Besides Monitors for Civil War, The New York Press, Dec. 28, 1904, Vol. XVIII, No. 6,237, p. 2, col. 5.  

"AGED WARSHIP BUILDER DEAD.

New York, Dec. 28. -- James F. Secor, builder of the Mare Island navy yard in San Francisco, the Pensacola navy yard and many of the monitors, ironclads and dry docks which contributed so largely toward putting an end to the civil war, is dead at his country home in Pelham Manor.  He was 90 years old."

Source:  AGED WARSHIP BUILDER DEAD, The Minneapolis Journal, Dec. 28, 1904, p. 1, col. 7.  

"JAMES F. SECOR DEAD.
-----
Built Monitors, Ironclads and Drydocks During Civil War.

New York, Dec. 29. -- James F. Secor, builder of the Mare Island navy yard in San Francisco, the Pensacola navy yard and many of the monitors, ironclads and drydocks which contributed so largely toward putting an end to the Civil War, is dead at his country home in Pelham Manor.  He was ninety years old and until a few hours of his death retained the mental clearness and physical vigor which had been the marvel of his friends for many years."

Source:  JAMES F. SECOR DEAD -- Built Monitors, Ironclads and Drydocks During Civil War, The Bemidji Daily Pioneer, Dec. 29, 1904, Vol. 2, No. 205, p. 1, col. 5. 

"James Francis Secor.

James Francis Secor, a well known  resident of Pelham Manor, died Tuesday night aged 90 years.  The funeral services will be held from the residence on Friday morning at 11 o'clock, and the interment will be made in Woodlawn cemetery."

Source:  James Francis Secor, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Dec. 28, 1904, p. 5, col. 6.  

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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.

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