Was this the First Automobile Accident on Today's Pelham Bridge?

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For about the last two hundred years, some form of bridge has stood above the waters of Eastchester Bay where the Hutchinson River meets Long Island Sound.  The histories of the several bridges that have stood there over the years are fascinating.  Often referenced as Pelham Bridge and, occasionally, Eastchester Bridge, the current version was built more than a century ago and opened to the public on October 15, 1908.  The Department of Transportation has announced that it plans to replace the current Pelham Bridge entirely with construction scheduled to begin in 2022.

I have written about the histories of the various bridges at that location numerous times.  A number of such articles, with links, are listed at the end of today's Historic Pelham article.

An odd incident in the early history of the current Pelham Bridge occurred only a few weeks after the bridge opened in mid-October, 1908.  The dramatic incident involved a 17-year-old young person named Henry Goodsell.

Though accounts differ, Henry Goodsell lived on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.  Late in the day on Friday, November 6, 1908, he was in his large touring car on Shore Road after dropping friends off in the region.  He was on his way back to the Upper West Side as he approached Shore Road.

Ahead, in the darkness, the draw of Pelham Bridge was open to let a vessel pass on the waters below.  The bridge tender, a man named Michael Selig (or Seelig, depending on the account) stood on the roadway tending a rope stretched across the roadway with two red signal lanterns hanging from the rope to warn approaching motorists.

As the vessel in the waters below passed, the bridge engineer began lowering the two halves of the draw.  As the two giant halves of the draw closed slowly, young Henry Goodsell came burning down Shore Road at the then incredible speed of thirty miles per hour.  The bridge tender saw the touring car approaching too fast and grabbed one of the two lanterns hanging from the rope.  He began swinging the lantern frantically, to no avail.

Henry Goodsell's touring car blew through the rope, slicing it like a hot knife through butter.  Goodsell realized his circumstance at the last moment and slammed on the brakes.  The car climbed the inclined draw just as the two halves were about to close.

The touring car barely made it through the steel jaws of the closing draw and plunged over the edge.  The bridge tender hear Henry Goodsell's scream as the touring car made a complete "somersault" before plunging into the waters of Eastchester Bay below, sending a "geyser" of water into the night air.

The bridge tender began scrambling down from the bridge to get to a nearby rowboat.  A second bridge tender, Elijah Miller, and the bridge engineer, John Beyer, also witnessed the accident and likewise scrambled down from the bridge to try to save the young man.

Once again, accounts differ, but clearly the car sank immediately.  The young driver was unconscious, but reportedly -- according to one account -- was found floating face up before he was dragged into a rowboat and taken ashore.  The three men called an ambulance and tended to the young man until he was transported to the hospital.

Miraculously, Henry Goodsell survived.  He was badly hurt with broken ribs and was in serious condition when taken to the hospital.  Yet, the three men had saved the young lad's life.

The touring car was left at the bottom of Eastchester Bay, although its location was marked with a float.

"NEW PELHAM PARK BRIDGE OVER EAST CHESTER BAY.

Formally opened yesterday.  Source:  NEW BRIDGE OPENED,
New-York Daily Tribune, Oct. 16, 1908, p. 12, cols. 2-3.  NOTE:
Click on Image to Enlarge.

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"AUTOMOBILE LEAPS THROUGH DRAW INTO BAY
-----
With Driver at Wheel Plunges Into 60 Feet of Water While Going at Full Speed -- Driver, Floating Unconscious, Rescued and Revived.
-----

New York, Nov. 8. -- A big motor car traveling more than thirty miles an hour, driven by Henry Goodsell, 17 years old, of No. 324 West Seventy-second street, its sole occupant, went through the open counter-balance draw on the new Eastchester bridge over Pelham bay last night, and plunged down into sixty feet of water.

Young Goodsell, who said he was the owner of the car, had taken a party of friends to New Rochelle and was returning to his home alone and driving at high speed along the road when he came in sight of the bridge.  The structure was recently opened and is not completed.  Instead of iron gates to protect passengers a heavy rope was used.

Michael Selig, one of the bridge tenders, was standing at the rope barrier as the draw had been opened to permit a vessel to pass through.  He saw the lights of the approaching car and realized that it was travelling at a high rate of speed.  The red lanterns hanging to the rope had evidently failed to warn the driver of the car, and Selig picked up one of them and waved it frantically as a signal for the automobile to stop, shouting a warning at the same time.

Goodsell put on the brakes, but too late, and the car tore through the rope barrier, ran up the platform and with a loud splash disappeared beneath the water.  The car barely missed being caught between the ends of the platform as they came together.

Selig shouted for help and called over the rail of the bridge below in a vain attempt to get a response from the driver of the car.  Failing, he climbed down one of the piers and set out in a rowboat to try to find the man.

Engineer John Beyer and Bridge Tender Elijah Miller, stationed on the opposite side of the span, had witnessed the accident and heard Selig's call for aid.  They also set out in a small boat and joined in the search.  After a few minutes they came upon the body of Goodsell.  He was unconscious, but was floating face up on top of the water.

A call was sent to the Fordham hospital, three miles away, and the three men worked over Goodsell while waiting for the ambulance.  They succeeded in resuscitating him and bringing him back to consciousness just as the ambulance arrived.  He gave his name and address.  The surgeon found that several of his ribs had been fractured and removed him to the hospital.  No attempt was made to recover the automobile, but a float was set to mark the place where it had disappeared."

Source:  AUTOMOBILE LEAPS THROUGH DRAW INTO BAY -- With Driver at Wheel Plunges Into 60 Feet of Water While Going at Full Speed -- Driver, Floating Unconscious, Rescued and Revived, The Topeka Daily Capital [Topeka, KS], Nov. 9, 1908, Vol. XXXII, No. 264, p. 1, cols. 4-6 (Note:  Paid subscription required to access via this link).  

"AUTOMOBILE AND BOY DROP INTO BAY
-----
Large Touring Car, Driven by Henry Goodsell, Plunges Through Draw of East Chester Bridge.
-----
LAD'S LIFE IS SAVED
-----

Driving a large touring automobile at a high rate of speed, Henry Goodsell, seventeen years old, who lives at No. 234 West Seventy-second street, plunged through the open draw of the East Chester Bridge, over Pelham Bay, yesterday afternoon, and the boy and machine tumbled thirty-five feet into the stream below.  Young Goodsell was rescued just in time to save his life, but the automobile lies at the bottom of the bay.  The boy was taken to the Fordham Hospital, where it was found he was suffering from a fractured rib, possibly internal injuries and submersion.

Alone in the car, Goodsell was on his way home from City Island when he approached the bridge.  The structure has not been finished, and in lieu of a gate which could be closed against vehicles and pedestrians when the draw is open ropes are stretched across the roadway.

It was about half-past five o'clock when Michael Seelig, watchman on the bridge, saw the automobile coming along at a furious pace, and he ran out and waved his arms, at the same time shouting to John Byer, engineer in charge of the construction work, to close the draw.

Before Byer could reach the levers the car had cut through the ropes as if they were threads of silk, and as the boy uttered a scream of fright the machine turned a somersault in the air and, striking the water with a splash that sent up a geyser, sank to the bottom.  Seelig ran to the foot of one of the piers, jumped into a boat and rowed toward the spot where the machine and boy had gone down.  Byer and Elijah Miller, a bridge tender, also put out in another rowboat, but before they could pull far Goodsell had risen and sunk several times.

He had gone under the surface again when both boats reached the spot, and Byer, stripping off only his coat, plunged overboard.  He caught the lad in his arms and just managed to lift him into Seelig's boat.  When the shore was reached Goodsell was taken to Geck's Hotel and a call for an ambulance was sent to Fordham Hospital, three miles away.  Meantime, the three men worked over the unconscious boy, and when Dr. O'Reilly arrived he said that while his condition was serious it was likely that he would recover.

In the hospital Goodsell told the policemen that he as the owner of the automobile, but because of his youth this statement was doubted, and an investigation was begun.  It was promptly learned that the lad had told the truth.  He is the son of a lawyer now dead, and lives with his mother at the address he gave.  When an inquirer called there Mrs. Goodsell was at a front window, watching for her son, and she fainted when she learned of the accident.  When she had been revived sufficiently she started for Fordham Hospital to see the boy."

Source:  AUTOMOBILE AND BOY DROP INTO BAY -- Large Touring Car, Driven by Henry Goodsell, Plunges Through Draw of East Chester Bridge -- LAD'S LIFE IS SAVED, N.Y. Herald, Nov. 7, 1908, p. 1, col. 5.  

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Below are examples of previous postings that address the histories of the various Pelham Bridges that have spanned Eastchester Bay for the last two centuries.

Thu., Oct. 13, 2016:  The Eastchester Bridge Company Raised Tolls on Pelham Bridge Before It Was Even Built.

Wed., Oct. 12, 2016:  More on the Early History of Pelham Bridge Including Ownership of the Bridge Between 1834 and 1860.

Tue., Oct. 11, 2016:  Is It Possible The First Pelham Bridge Built in About 1815 Was Repaired After Near Destruction by a Storm?

Wed., Oct. 1, 2014:  Bridge Keepers of the Pelham Bridge from 1870 to 1872.

Mon., Jul. 21, 2014:  Image of the Second Pelham Bridge Built in 1834 From a Sketch Created in 1865.

Thu., Jul. 17, 2014:  Sabotage Brought Down the 70-Ton Draw Span of Pelham Bridge in 1908 and Delayed its Opening. 

Tue., Jun. 10, 2014: Construction of the Concrete Arch Pelham Bridge.

Mon., May 12, 2014: The March 6, 1812 New York Statute Authorizing Construction of the Pelham Bridge.

Tue., Sep. 22, 2009: Names of Early "Keepers of Pelham Bridge" Appointed by Westchester County.

Thu., Jan. 08, 2009: Another Brief History of The Pelham Bridge.

Thu., Jan. 1, 2009: A Brief History of Pelham Bridge.

Wed., Jan. 2, 2008: New York State Senate Report on Petition by Inhabitants of Westchester to Allow Construction of Toll Bridge Across Eastchester Creek in 1834.

Tue., Aug. 28, 2007: The Laying Out of Pelham Avenue From Fordham to Pelham Bridge in 1869.

Wed., Jul. 4, 2007: 1857 Real Estate Advertisement for Sale of the Pelham Bridge.

Fri., Jul. 22, 2007: 1857 Real Estate Advertisement for Sale of "Country Seat" at Pelham Bridge.

Fri., May 18, 2007: Celebration at Pelham Bridge in 1872.

Wed., May 16, 2007: Board of Supervisors of Westchester County Vote to Build New Iron Bridge to Replace Pelham Bridge in 1869.

Tue., May 15, 2007: The Owner of the Pelham Bridge Hotel Sold it for the Princely Sum of $22,000 in 1869.

Mon., May 14, 2007: Plans to Widen Shore Road in the Town of Pelham in 1869.

Fri., May 11, 2007: A Sad Attempted Suicide at Pelham Bridge in 1869.

Thu., Dec. 08, 2005: The First Stone Bridge Built Across Eastchester Creek in Pelham, 1814-1815.

Thu., Aug. 18, 2005: The Opening of the New Iron "Pelham Bridge" in 1871.

Tue., Aug. 9, 2005: Cock Fighting at Pelham Bridge in the 19th Century.

Thu., Jul. 21, 2005: Today's Remnants of the Bartow Station on the Branch Line Near City Island.

Tue., Jun. 28, 2005: The Hotel and Bar Room at Pelham Bridge.

Thu., Mar. 24, 2005: The Bartow Area of Pelham in the 19th Century: Where Was It?

Wed., Mar. 23, 2005: Prize Fighting at Pelham Bridge in 1884.

For more about the Pelham Bridge and its history, see Pelham Bridge, Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia, available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelham_Bridge (visited May 6, 2014).

Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.
Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.
Order a Copy of "The Haunted History of Pelham, New York"
Order a Copy of "Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Pell Treaty Oak."

Beautiful Image of the Old Iron Pelham Bridge Built in 1869-1870

Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.
Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.
Order a Copy of "Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Pell Treaty Oak."

For much of the last two hundred years, there has been a bridge over the Hutchinson River where it empties into Eastchester Bay. The various bridges that have been built there have played a critical role in the development, and thus the history, of the Town of Pelham. 

On March 6, 1812, the New York State Legislature enacted a statute incorporating the "Eastchester Bridge Company" to build a bridge over the Hutchinson River where it empties into Eastchester Bay. The bridge was built shortly afterward and is believed to have been completed by about 1815. 

In 1817, the Westchester and Pelham Turnpike Company was incorporated to construct a turnpike from the causeway at Westchester to the bridge. That bridge came to be known as "Pelham Bridge" -- the name it bears today. Even in its first iteration, Pelham Bridge included a draw to permit ships to pass. Within its first few years, the first Pelham Bridge was destroyed by a storm. On April 12, 1816, the company was authorized by the Legislature to sell its property and toll franchise for a period of forty-five years. 

Some sources say the second bridge was built in 1834 by George Rapelje, with the right to charge tolls for a period of thirty years, but the supervisors of Westchester County purchased the bridge in 1860 and made it free. The bridge was replaced with an iron bridge constructed in 1869-1870. That bridge, in turn, was replaced by the present larger bridge, opened by the New York City Department of Bridges on October 15, 1908.

Today's Historic Pelham presents a lovely postcard image of the old iron Pelham Bridge constructed in 1869-1870 that was replaced by the concrete arch bridge that stands to this day.  The image appears immediately below.

"PELHAM BAY BRIDGE, PELHAM BAY PARK, NEW YORK."

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Though the postcard is undated, it most certainly depicts the Pelham Bridge about 1907.  There is no evidence in the image of any construction of the abutments of the current concrete arch Pelham Bridge that opened adjacent to the site of this old iron bridge on October 15, 1908.  The photograph immediately below shows the bridge in the postcard image above in the background of a photograph showing the new bridge abutments under construction in the foreground.

"FOUNDATIONS FOR PELHAM BRIDGE-- OLD STRUCTURE

IN BACKGROUND."  Source:  Concrete Arch Bridge at Pelham

Bay Park, Good Roads, May 1910, pp. 190-92 (NY, NY: E.L.

Powers Co. 1910).  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

An earlier image of the old iron bridge published in 1884 in Harper's Weekly as part of a page of images showing various parts of Pelham Bay Park shows the Pelham Bridge about 25 years earlier from a slightly different angle.  Careful scrutiny of each of these three images will show features in addition to the paired arches of the bridge that appear in all three images.

Detail from Engraving Published in 1884 Showing Old Iron

Pelham Bridge. Source: "PELHAM PARK, NEW YORK. -- DRAWN

BY CHARLES GRAHAM.", Harper's Weekly, Vol. XXVIII, No. 1442,

1884, pp. 514 & 521. Note that the iron arches of the bridge are visible

in the distance on the right edge of the image.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

The undated postcard image of the old iron Pelham Bridge reminds us of a simpler and quaint time when horses, carriages, cattle, and oxen wandered the roads of Pelham and crossed the bridges of our region.

*          *          *          *          *

Below are examples of previous postings that address the histories of the various Pelham Bridges that have spanned Eastchester Bay for the last two centuries and development of associated roadways.

Mon., Jan. 08, 2018:  Remnants of the Ten-Story Mountain of Garbage That Looms Over Pelham Bridge.

Wed., Nov. 22, 2017:  The Westchester and Pelham Turnpike Road Company Incorporated in 1817.

Wed., May 17, 2017:  More on the History of the Pelham Bridge Hotel that Burned Down on October 28, 1882

Fri., Oct. 14, 2016:  Early History of Pelham's Ancient Shore Road, Long an Important Pelham Thoroughfare Along Long Island Sound.

Thu., Oct. 13, 2016:  The Eastchester Bridge Company Raised Tolls on Pelham Bridge Before It Was Even Built.

Wed., Oct. 12, 2016:  More on the Early History of Pelham Bridge Including Ownership of the Bridge Between 1834 and 1860.

Tue., Oct. 11, 2016:  Is It Possible The First Pelham Bridge Built in About 1815 Was Repaired After Near Destruction by a Storm?

Tue., Aug. 02, 2016:  More Research Regarding the 19th Century Grand View Hotel at Pelham Bridge.

Mon., Aug. 01, 2016:  Pelham Bridge Hotel Used by Col. Delancey Astor Kane's Pelham Coach Burned Down in 1882.

Fri., Jul. 29, 2016:  Shooting Death at the Grand View Hotel at Pelham Bridge in 1892.

Thu., Jul. 21, 2016:  "Base Ball" Match Played at Arcularius Hotel at Pelham Bridge in 1875.

Tue., May 17, 2016:  Rare Images of the Lorillard Cottage of "Coaching to Pelham" Fame.

Wed., Oct. 1, 2014:  Bridge Keepers of the Pelham Bridge from 1870 to 1872.

Mon., Jul. 21, 2014:  Image of the Second Pelham Bridge Built in 1834 From a Sketch Created in 1865.

Thu., Jul. 17, 2014:  Sabotage Brought Down the 70-Ton Draw Span of Pelham Bridge in 1908 and Delayed its Opening. 

Tue., Jun. 10, 2014: Construction of the Concrete Arch Pelham Bridge.

Mon., May 12, 2014: The March 6, 1812 New York Statute Authorizing Construction of the Pelham Bridge.

Tue., Sep. 22, 2009: Names of Early "Keepers of Pelham Bridge" Appointed by Westchester County.

Thu., Jan. 08, 2009: Another Brief History of The Pelham Bridge.

Thu., Jan. 1, 2009: A Brief History of Pelham Bridge.

Wed., Jan. 2, 2008: New York State Senate Report on Petition by Inhabitants of Westchester to Allow Construction of Toll Bridge Across Eastchester Creek in 1834.

Tue., Aug. 28, 2007: The Laying Out of Pelham Avenue From Fordham to Pelham Bridge in 1869.

Wed., Jul. 4, 2007: 1857 Real Estate Advertisement for Sale of the Pelham Bridge.

Fri., Jul. 22, 2007: 1857 Real Estate Advertisement for Sale of "Country Seat" at Pelham Bridge.

Fri., May 18, 2007: Celebration at Pelham Bridge in 1872.

Wed., May 16, 2007: Board of Supervisors of Westchester County Vote to Build New Iron Bridge to Replace Pelham Bridge in 1869.

Tue., May 15, 2007: The Owner of the Pelham Bridge Hotel Sold it for the Princely Sum of $22,000 in 1869.

Mon., May 14, 2007: Plans to Widen Shore Road in the Town of Pelham in 1869.

Fri., May 11, 2007: A Sad Attempted Suicide at Pelham Bridge in 1869.

Thu., Dec. 08, 2005: The First Stone Bridge Built Across Eastchester Creek in Pelham, 1814-1815.

Thu., Aug. 18, 2005: The Opening of the New Iron "Pelham Bridge" in 1871.

Tue., Aug. 9, 2005: Cock Fighting at Pelham Bridge in the 19th Century.

Thu., Jul. 21, 2005: Today's Remnants of the Bartow Station on the Branch Line Near City Island.

Tue., Jun. 28, 2005: The Hotel and Bar Room at Pelham Bridge.

Thu., Mar. 24, 2005: The Bartow Area of Pelham in the 19th Century: Where Was It?

Wed., Mar. 23, 2005: Prize Fighting at Pelham Bridge in 1884.

For more about the Pelham Bridge and its history, see Pelham Bridge, Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia, available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelham_Bridge (visited May 6, 2014).

Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.
Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.

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

North Pelham Officials Sued the Railroad in 1907 to Compel it to Change the Name of the Railroad Station

Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.

Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.

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

A recent Historic Pelham article detailed efforts by Village of North Pelham officials in 1906 to resurrect the long and bitter fight with the Village of Pelham (Pelham Heights) over naming the Pelham Train Station.  See Thu., Oct. 5, 2017:  North Pelham Officials Wouldn't Let it Go:  1906 Resurrection of the Fight Over Naming the Train Station.  It had been more than a decade since Pelham Heights pulled a fast one and incorporated as the "Village of Pelham" while successfully having the name of the local train station changed from "Pelhamville Station" to "Pelham Station."  Yet, in 1906, the newly-elected President of the Village of North Pelham, Honest Jim Reilley, decided to pursue the matter again.

As noted at the conclusion of the recent article, Jim Reilley's efforts were rebuffed.  Yet, as the article concluded:

"President Reilley of the North Pelham Board was not finished.  The next morning he told a reporter that he was going to "compel" the railroad to change the station name.  He further said "We expected this action of the company, but the matter has not been dropped by any means." 

Though research has not yet revealed any further efforts by North Pelham officials to compel the railroad to change the name, clearly the effort eventually failed.  Today (and ever since 1896), the station is (and has been) known as the "Pelham Station."

Research now has revealed what followed.  True to his word, Honest Jim Reilley sought to compel the railroad to change the name of the station to "North Pelham Station."  He had the Village of North Pelham seek injunctive relief against the railroad to force it to change the name of the station.  It took nearly a year to resolve the legal claims that are the subject of today's Historic Pelham article.

In 1907, the Village of North Pelham already was in the midst of a nasty lawsuit against the New Haven Railroad trying to force it to move the west abutment of the Fifth Avenue Railroad Bridge rather than the east abutment.  See Fri., Oct. 06, 2017:  Early History of the Wolfs Lane Railroad Bridge on the New Haven Line in Pelham.  On March 25, 1907, Village President James Reilley and the Village Board instructed the Village Attorney, George P. Breckenridge, "to take steps to have the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad company change the name of the passenger station from Pelham to North Pelham."

It appears that Breckenridge used the lawsuit against the Railroad pending before New York Supreme Court Justice as the vehicle to assert an additional claim for injunctive relief against the railroad.  The parties battled the matter for nearly the next year.

In mid-January, 1908, Justice Tompkins denied the Village of North Pelham's claim for injunctive relief.  A local newspaper reported the matter succinctly:

"The decision of Justice Tompkins brings to an end the efforts of the board of trustees to have the name of this passenger station changed.  The matter has been in the courts for nearly two years.

Shortly after President Reilly took office he suggested that the name of the station should be changed from that of Pelham to North Pelham, on the ground that the station was nearer the dividing line of North Pelham than that of Pelham on the opposite tracks.  President Reilley also argued that the existence of North Pelham as a village was not designated on the railroad map.  For that reason, if for no other, he thought that the name should be changed.  He was upheld in his contention by the other trustees and Village Counsel Breckenridge was instructed to proceed legally."

This time the matter was laid to rest.  Research has revealed no further efforts by North Pelham to rewrite history and change the name of the train station to "North Pelham Station."

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"VILLAGE APPOINTMENTS
-----
Made at the Session of the Board of Trustees Last Night.

The annual meeting of the village trustees was held last night in the village hall, at which time the village clerk, village constables, highway commissioner and the village counsel were appointed for the year.  Incidentally, this was the first meeting of the new board after election and had to be held at the time specified according to law.  There is always great interest manifested in this meeting held after election in view of the appointments made.

James W. Caffrey was appointed clerk and will begin his sixth consecutive term in that office.  The following were appointed constables:  Eugene L. Lyon, William Robinson, John Costello, Joseph Burke and Walter King.  Vincent Barker was re-appointed highway commissioner, and George P. Breckenridge, village counsel.  The first Friday in each month was designated as the regular meeting night of the board which is the same night as that of the old board.  The Mount Vernon Trust company was designated as the depository of the village funds.

The village counsel was instructed to take steps to have the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad company change the name of the passenger station from Pelham to North Pelham.  It was also resolved that the clerk should instruct the Westchester Lighting company to install another light in Chester Park.  No further business the meeting adjourned.  After the meeting the ballot box matter was made known to the board."

Source:  VILLAGE APPOINTMENTS -- Made at the Session of the Board of Trustees Last Night, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Mar. 26, 1907, p. 3, col. 2.  

"NORTH PELHAM
-----
Want Name Changed.

A well known resident of this village stated yesterday to the Argus man that the majority of the residents want the name of the passenger station changed from Pelham to North Pelham.  It will be remembered that at the annual meeting of the board last Monday night Counsel George P. Breckenridge was instructed to take steps to have the name of the station changed.  According to the railroad law, it seems that the station should be named after the village in which it is located.  If this is so, there is no denying the fact that the name of the passenger station should be North Pelham instead of Pelham.  This resident said it is not a very pleasant thing to feel that the village in which one lives, and which has a passenger station, is not listed in the New York, New Haven and Hartford time table.  Under existing conditions this person believed that it should be so listed and that it was an injustice to the residents of the village to have the passenger station known as Pelham instead of North Pelham."

Source:  NORTH PELHAM -- Want Name Changed, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Mar. 30, 1907, p. 4, col. 5. 

"NOT TO CHANGE STATION NAME
-----

North Pelham, Jan. 15. -- The name of the passenger station located at Pelham on the New Haven road, will not be designated as North Pelham, for Supreme Court Justice Tompkins has denied a motion made by Village Counsel George P. Breckenridge to compel the road to change the name of the station from Pelham to that of North Pelham.

The decision of Justice Tompkins brings to an end the efforts of the board of trustees to have the name of this passenger station changed.  The matter has been in the courts for nearly two years.

Shortly after President Reilly took office he suggested that the name of the station should be changed from that of Pelham to North Pelham, on the ground that the station was nearer the dividing line of North Pelham than that of Pelham on the opposite tracks.  President Reilley also argued that the existence of North Pelham as a village was not designated on the railroad map.  For that reason, if for no other, he thought that the name should be changed.  He was upheld in his contention by the other trustees and Village Counsel Breckenridge was instructed to proceed legally."

Source:  NOT TO CHANGE STATION NAME, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Jan. 15, 1908, p. 5, col. 4. 

Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.

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Did an Overcrowded Barn Dance Prompt Pelham to Consider Construction of its Lovely Town Hall?

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Pelham's beautiful Town Hall building located at 34 Fifth Avenue was funded through the sale of bonds and built in 1909.  Designed by Pelham Manor architect Frederick Roosevelt Loney, the building replaced the old wooden Town Hall building constructed on the same spot in 1890 and burned in a fire on the night of October 23, 1908.  The facade of the building has been extensively modified from its original design by Loney.  (See below.)

Town Hall in About 1910 (On Left) and Town Hall in 2013 (On Right).

Note, in Photo on the Left, the Double Pilasters with Corinthian Capitals

Located Near Corners of Front Facade.  Note Also the Second-Story

Doors that Open Onto a Balcony Where Now There Are Three Windows

and No Balcony.  Note, Among Other Changes, the Stone Porch Added

to the Front of the Building Rather than Steps Leading from the Street

and the All-Brick Front Facade.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Though there is no doubt that the fire that destroyed the old wooden Town Hall was the principal catalyst for construction of today's Town Hall, there had been talk in Pelham for years before the fire regarding the need to build a new, more modern building to replace the old wooden structure.  Indeed, as today's Historic Pelham article posits, it appears that an overcrowded barn dance held in the old wooden Town Hall on December 7, 1906 drove home to Pelhamites the need for a more modern structure.

I have written before regarding the histories of both the old wooden Town Hall building and its modern replacement that still stands nearly 110 years later and is still used as Pelham's Town Hall.  See, e.g.:  

Mon., Jun. 26, 2017:  More on How Pelham Women Swung the Vote to Build a New Town Hall in 1909.

Tue., Apr. 21, 2015:  The Early History of Pelham's Town Hall, Built in 1909.

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

Fri., Jul. 13, 2007:  Midnight Fire Destroyed Pelham's Town Hall in October 1908. 

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

During the first five years of the 20th century, it became clear to all that the old wooden Town Hall building was inadequate to meet its necessary purposes.  At that time there was no community center like today's Daronco Town House adjacent to the current Town Hall.  Thus, the old wooden Town Hall served not only as town offices and jail, but also as a makeshift community center.  There was a "hall" on the first floor, but it did not encompass the entire floor -- only a portion.  There also was a hallway adjacent to the hall and offices located on the side of the hallway opposite to the "hall."  The hall served as a community meeting room and gathering space.  

On Thursday, December 7, 1906, the inadequacies of the wooden Town Hall were on display for all Pelhamites to see.  That night, a large "barn dance" was held in the hall of the building.  The hall was overcrowded and was entirely inadequate for the purpose.  To make matters worse, such social events were planned on a monthly basis throughout the upcoming winter.  It was clear that it would be a long winter of crowded social events in the old wooden structure.

Following the overcrowded dance, a local newspaper noted that the affair had "served to renew the agitation" for a new Town Hall on Fifth Avenue.  According to the report, Pelhamites "felt that the present building is entirely inadequate and as a town hall is for the people it is the opinion of many, that a better building should be seen on Fifth avenue than the present structure."

The matter seemed so urgent that Pelham began considering a reconfiguration of the first floor of the building to provide more gathering space.  The same news report noted:

"There is talk now, to meet existing conditions, of taking down the long partition between the hall and the hallway.  It is not known whether or not this partition is a factor in holding up the ceiling.  If it is not the removal of this partition will enlarge the hall considerably.  As it is at present, the hallway is of little use."

Pelhamites were still talking of the need to build a new Town Hall building when the old one burned two years later on October 23, 1908.  The problem, it seems, finally would be solved with a new Town Hall.

Detail from Undated Photograph of the Original Pelham Town Hall

on Fifth Avenue on an Election Day. The Building Later Burned on the

Evening of October 23, 1908 in a Suspicious Fire. Source: Courtesy of

The Office of The Historian of The Town of Pelham.  Note:  Click on

Image to Enlarge.

Undated Post Card View of the Town Hall Showing

It Shortly After It Was Built. Note the Stucco Surface and

the Spanish Tile Roof of the Original Structure.

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Below is the text of the news item that forms the basis for today's Historic Pelham article.  It is followed by a citation and link to its source.

"NEW TOWN HALL
-----
For Pelham is Being Considered at Present Time.
-----

North Pelham, Dec. 11. -- The advisability of building a new town hall is being discussed in the town.  It is felt that the present building is entirely inadequate and as a town hall is for the people it is the opinion of many, that a better building should be seen on Fifth avenue than the present structure.

The barn dance held last Thursday evening, has served to renew the agitation.  The hall was crowded on that evening.  It is understood that similar social affairs will be held during the winter, probably once a month.  

There is talk now, to meet existing conditions, of taking down the long partition between the hall and the hallway.  It is not known whether or not this partition is a factor in holding up the ceiling.  If it is not the removal of this partition will enlarge the hall considerably.  As it is at present, the hallway is of little use."

Source:  NEW TOWN HALL -- For Pelham is Being Considered at Present Time, Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Dec. 11, 1906, No. 4492, p. 1, col. 5.  

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Early History of the Telephone in the Town of Pelham

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I have written on several occasions about my efforts to determine when the first telephone was installed within the Town of Pelham. United States Patent No. 174,465 for "Telegraphy" was issued to Alexander Graham Bell on March 7, 1876.  For a few examples, see:

Tue., May 03, 2016:  More on the Earliest Installations of Telephones in the Town of Pelham.

Mon., Mar. 24, 2014:  The Earliest Telephone in Pelham? When and Where Was it Installed?

Mon., Dec. 21, 2009:  More on What May Have Been the First Telephone Installed in Pelham.

Tue., Mar. 29, 2005:  The Earliest Telephone in Pelham Manor?  

Residents of the Town of Pelham seemed to recognize the importance and value of the new invention very early.  On July 19, 1884, the New Rochelle Pioneer reported that during the previous week City Island had been "connected with the outside world by the telephone" and that "Manager Deveau has been quite active the past few days in putting up telephones."  See LOCAL INTELLIGENCE, New Rochelle Pioneer Supplement, Jul. 19, 1884, p. 4, col. 2. The same issue of the New Rochelle Pioneer elsewhere reported that "Several of the tradesmen of City Island concluded that they may as well be buried alive as be out of the fashion, so they have put in telephones in order to keep pace with the times. . . . "  PELHAM AND CITY ISLAND, New Rochelle Pioneer Supplement, Jul. 19, 1884, p. 4, col. 6.

Though Pelhamites were early adopters of the new technology,  the town was small with few residents in the late 19th century.  The technology expanded slowly.  

In the late 19th century, New York Telephone created a central district that included "all that territory bounded on the north by New Rochelle, on the east by New Rochelle and Long Island Sound, on the south by City Island and on the west by Mount Vernon."   The district was served by a central office at New Rochelle so that when Pelham Manor residents cranked their phones and connected with an operator, it was an operator in the New Rochelle central office.

By 1900, the Village of Pelham Manor had fourteen telephone lines with fifteen telephones installed on those lines.  New York Telephone decided that there were enough local telephones in Pelham Manor to create a separate telephone district for the village (which was still served by the central office in New Rochelle).  The rest of the town of Pelham including the Village of Pelham (the Heights) and the Village of North Pelham was included in the Mount Vernon District and was served from the Mount Vernon switchboard.

According to one source:

"The number of subscribers kept growing, however, and in 1908 the two districts were combined and the central office of Pelham was established.  At that time the total number of lines in the Pelham Manor office was 108, with 227 subscribers.  The consolidation resulted in a grand total of 218 lines, serving 473 telephones."

Though it may come as a surprise, between 1908 and 1920, only about one hundred new telephones were installed in Pelham each year.  Then came the Roaring Twenties.  Indeed, in just the first two years the annual installations nearly quadrupled.  By 1922 there were 1,044 telephone lines in ltown serving 2,038 telephones -- without City Island which long before had been annexed by New York City.

To get a sense of the growth of the telephone in the Town of Pelham between 1900 and 1922, the following appeared in the September 3, 1922 issue of The Pelham Sun:  

"Some idea of the regularity with which the New York Telephone Company has developed in Pelham since 1900, may be gained from the following figures:

Year                     Lines     Instru. in use
1900                      14          15
1910                    265        545
1915                    498        901
1920                    773       1393
1922 (Aug. 1)    1014       2036"

Pelham, it seems, had finally fully embraced the technology of the telephone.

1884 Telephone Like Those Installed in Pelham.

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Below is the text of the newspaper article that forms a basis for today's Historic Pelham article.  It is followed by a citation and link to its source.

"Growth And Development Of The Telephone System In Pelham
-----

The development of the telephone business in Pelham has kept pace with the phenomenal growth of the telephone system all over the country during the past few years.  Five hundred and one new telephones were installed in this community in 1921, and the first seven months of 1922, an increase of 300 per cent over the next highest period of growth.  In keeping with this growth the average daily number of calls now originating in the Pelham section is more than 7,000 as compared with 5,800 calls on January 1, 1921; and the daily average of calls during the 'busy hour,' which in telephone means that hour of the day when the most calls are handled ,is approximately 885 -- an increase of more than 200 calls since the same date.

The Pelham central office district comprises all that territory bounded on the north by New Rochelle, on the east by New Rochelle and Long Island Sound, on the south by City Island and on the west by Mount Vernon.  The district is served by the central office at New Rochelle.

The first telephone district of Pelham was known as Pelham Manor and, was also served by New Rochelle.  It was established in 1900 with the small number of fourteen lines and fifteen stations.  The rest of the town of Pelham was included in the Mount Vernon district and was served from the Mount Vernon switchboard.

The number of subscribers kept growing, however, and in 1908 the two districts were combined and the central office of Pelham was established.  At that time the total number of lines in the Pelham Manor office was 108, with 227 subscribers.  The consolidation resulted in a grand total of 218 lines, serving 473 telephones.  

From 1908 to 1920 the number of new telephones installed by the New York Telephone Company was about 100 per year.  The biggest increase in the development and growth of the section has come in the last two years.  Two hundred new instruments were put into use in 1920 and four hundred in 1921.  There are now 1,044 lines serving 2,038 telephones in Pelham.  Only twelve percent of these are for business purposes.

Some idea of the regularity with which the New York Telephone Company has developed in Pelham since 1900, may be gained from the following figures:

Year                     Lines     Instru. in use
1900                      14          15
1910                    265        545
1915                    498        901
1920                    773       1393
1922 (Aug. 1)    1014       2036

From all this it can be seen that the telephone is keeping pace with the development of the village; and that the people of Pelham, like the people throuughout the rest of the United States, are appreciating more and more that the telephone is a necessity in modern life.  When Thomas Pell in 1645 [sic], bought the land Pelham is now located on, he named it with old English words to mean 'remote mansion.'  The Bell system now has changed the ancient meaning of the town, by uniting it to the rest of the world, through the 'modern miracle' -- the telephone."

Source:  Growth And Development Of The Telephone System In Pelham, The Pelham Sun, Sep. 3, 1922, p. 6, cols. 2-3.  

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