Abstract of the Town Accounts of the Town of Pelham in 1876

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What can we learn from a review of an abstract of the 1876 town accounts of the Town of Pelham published in 1877?  Plenty, as it turns out.  

On February 23, 1877, the Eastern State Journal of White Plains published abstracts of the 1876 town accounts of various Westchester towns including Pelham on its front page.  Though the abstracts are brief, they provide a wealth of information that I am summarizing below.

Town Officials of the Town of Pelham During 1876

Town Supervisor:  James Hyatt
Town Clerk:  Ethan W. Waterhouse
Assessor:  N. W. Abbott
Assessor:  James W. Roosevelt
Assessor:  E. A. Patterson
Town Counsel:  Joseph S. Wood
Excise Commissioner:  William H. Sparks, Jr.
Excise Commissioner:  Thomas Martin
Justice of the Peace:  William H. Sparks
Justice of the Peace:  Joseph Lyon
Justice of the Peace:  Thomas Peressoni
Justice of the Peace:  David Carll
Constable:  John N. Munson
Constable:  Joseph H. Glazier
Constable:  James Anderson
Constable:  James E. Ketchum
Constable:  Charles Golding
Constable:  Charles C. McClellan
Town Auditor:  Samuel P. Billar
Town Auditor:  John Hewitt
Commissioner of Highways:  Thomas Hewitt
Commissioner of Highways:  David Lyon
Commissioner of Highways:  Elisha Booth
Inspector of Election:  Thomas Martin
Clerk of Election:  John F. Adams
Poormaster:  William N. Hazier
Poormaster:  Jacob Heiser

Notable among the information above is the fact that in 1876, the entire Town of Pelham with a population of about 2,000 people and covering an area much larger than today's Town of Pelham had only a part-time constable force of up to six persons.  In addition, by law the Town was responsible for the care of paupers and, thus, had up to two poormasters charged with the task.  Finally, the Town Supervisor was James Hyatt, about whom I have written before.  See Mon., Jan. 05, 2009:  Brief Biography of James Hyatt, Town Clerk and Town Supervisor of Pelham in 19th Century.

The abstract of Town accounts indicates that in 1876, the Town of Pelham collected $1,390.92 in school taxes from its residents to fund its tiny public school system.  

The appropriations authorized by the Town of Pelham in 1876 likewise are interesting.  At the time, the Town was responsible for the Pelham Bridge over the mouth of the Hutchinson River.  Thus, the Town appropriated $300 to pay a bridgekeeper who was responsible for opening and closing the drawbridge to permit the passage of ships up and down the creek.  

Additionally, the list of appropriations suggests that the construction of some or all of Pelhamdale Avenue was completed in 1876, as was First Avenue and River Avenue in Pelhamville.  Additionally, the data appears to confirm that Fordham Street on City Island was, indeed, named after John O. Fordham.    

The Town of Pelham in 1868 Before the Creation of

Pelham Bay Park. Source: Beers, F.W., Atlas of New York

and Vicinity from Actual Surveys By and Under the

Direction of F.W. Beers, Assisted By A.B. Prindle &

Others, pg. 35 (NY, NY: Beers, Ellis & Soule, 1868)

(Detail from Page 35 Map Entitled "Town of Pelham,

Westchester Co., N.Y. (With) City Island").

NOTE: Click Image to Enlarge.

*          *          *          *          *

Below is the abstract of town accounts of the Town of Pelham in 1876.  The abstract is followed by a citation and link to its source.  

"ABSTRACT OF TOWN ACCOUNTS -- 1876
-----
PELHAM.

Abstract of Accounts audited by the Board of Town Auditors of the town of Pelham at their annual session, November 9, 10, and 15, 1876:

Bills of –		Claimed.	Allowed.
E.W. Waterhouse, town clerk	……………..	$205.36	$305.36
William H. Sparks, Jr., excise commissioner	……………..	60.00	60.00
Thomas Martin, do	……………..	36.00	36.00
John F. Adams, clerk of election	……………..	10.50	6.50
William N. Hazier, poormaster	……………..	45.50	45.50
Joseph Lyon justice of the peace	……………..	30.00	30.00
John N. Munson, constable	……………..	30.00	30.00
Thomas Peressoni, justice of the peace	……………..	135.00	135.00
Thomas Hewitt, commissioner of highways	……………..	200.00	200.00
David Lyon, do	……………..	208.00	208.00
David Lyon, do	……………..	36.00	36.00
N. W. Abbott, assessor	……………..	45.00	45.00
James W. Roosevelt, do	……………..	65.00	65.00
E. A. Patterson, do	……………..	45.00	45.00
James Hyatt, supervisor	……………..	322.45	322.45
Thomas Hewitt, commissioner of highways	……………..	62.00	62.00
William H. Sparks, justice of the peace	……………..	202.50	202.50
Joseph H. Glazier, constable	……………..	31.50	31.50
James Anderson, do	……………..	3.00	3.00
John O. Fordham, opening Fordham street, City Island	……………..	30.00	30.00
James E. Ketchum, constable	……………..	26.75	26.75
Thomas Martin, inspector of election	……………..	10.00	6.00
Charles Golding, constable	……………..	6.00	6.00
Joseph S. Wood, counsel	……………..	10.00	10.00
Chronicle, printing for the board of excise	……………..	15.00	15.00
Charles C. McClellan, constable	……………..	14.88	14.88
John R. Boulle, stove-pipe for town hall	……………..	11.31	11.31
John Leviness, horses and carriages for town officers	……………..	60.00	60.00
Jacob Heiser, poormaster	……………..	41.00	41.00
Elisha Booth, commissioner of highways	……………..	72.00	72.00
Robert H. Scott	……………..	6.00	6.00
David Carll, justice of the peace	……………..	33.00	33.00
David Carll, supplies	……………..	14.14	14.14
Samuel P. Billar, town auditor	……………..	5.00	5.00
John Hewitt, do	……………..	15.00	15.00
Totals	……………..	2,307.37	2,209.37

Pelham, November 15, 1876.
LEWIS K. OSBORN,
SAMUEL P. BILLAR.
JOHN HEWITT,
Town Auditors.

State tax	…………….	$2,457.25
County tax	…………….	3,451.09
School tax	…………….	1,390.92
School commissioner’s extra compensation and traveling expenses	…………….	26.07
Total	…………….	7,325.33

APPROPRIATIONS.

To pay salary of keeper of City Island bridge	……………...	300.00
To repair bridge and culvert on road from Hutchinson river to Third street	……………...	300.00
To pay principal Winyah avenue bonds, 6 to 11 inclusive	……………...	3,000.00
To pay principal East Chester creek bonds, 1 to 4 inclusive	……………...	2,000.00
To pay interest on town bonds	……………...	4,440.00
To build culvert on Pelhamdale avenue	……………...	100.00
For general road purposes	……………...	1,750.00
To repair road from Bartow to Prospect Hill	……………...	200.00
To repair road in front of estate of P. Roger’s	……………...	100.00
To complete First Avenue, Pelhamdale	……………...	300.00
To repair bridge on Hutchinson river	……………...	350.00
To repair culvert between M. Meyer’s and Hargon’s	……………...	250.00
To repair road from Pelham road to City Island bridge	……………...	200.00
To remove obstructions and repair town dock, City Island	……………...	250.00
To complete River avenue, Pelham	……………...	100.00
To grade Second avenue between Third and Fourth streets	……………...	100.00
To build bulkhead at the foot of Ditmar street, City Island	……………...	500.00
To pay for lots bid off to town	……………...	264.09
To pay audited town bills	……………...	2,299.37
To repair and alter bridge over Hutchinson river	……………...	200.00
To build retaining walls on road from Woolf’s lane to Hutchinson river	……………...	300.00
For improvement of East Chester creek	……………...	29.68
To pay principal, interest, and fees of first bounty loan	……………...	2,556.52
Total	……………...	27,219.99
Returned school tax, district No. 2	……………...	97.20
Rejected tax (amount not specified)	……………...	-----
Returned school taxes, district No. 1 (amount not specified)	……………...	-----"

Source:  ABSTRACT OF TOWN ACCOUNTS -- 1876 -- PELHAM, Eastern State Journal [White Plains, NY], Feb. 23, 1877, p. 1, col. 2.  

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The Precise Location of the Congregational Church as Shown on a Map Published in 1908

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A tiny, but beautiful white wood clapboard-sided country church once stood on Second Avenue between third street and fourth street (now Lincoln Avenue).  It was known as the Congregational Church of North Pelham and was organized by a group known as the Union Sabbath School of Pelhamville.  It had a knee-high white-picket fence surrounding it, and evoked a simpler rural time when much of the Village of North Pelham (once known as Pelhamville) was entirely undeveloped.

I have written several times about the tiny little church.  See:

Wed., Nov. 19, 2014:  Rare Early Image of the Congregational Church of North Pelham in the Early 20th Century.

Tue., May 06, 2014:  More on the History of the Congregational Church of North Pelham.

Fri., Apr. 18, 2014:  The Union Sabbath School of Pelhamville. 

Fri., Feb. 28, 2014:  Brief History of the Role Churches Played in the Growth of the Pelhams Published in 1926. 

Mon., Sep. 21, 2009:  January 1882 Account of the 1881 Christmas Festival Held at the Union Sabbath School in Pelhamville. 

Mon., Aug. 24, 2009:  1878 Advertisement for Services of The Union Sabbath School Society of Pelhamville. 

Obverse of Undated Real Photo Post Card (RPP) Showing

"CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. NO. PELHAM, N.Y." Circa 1910.

Source: Recent eBay Auction Listing for the Post Card.

It was so wonderful to see yesterday that a civilized and enjoyable debate erupted on the "Remembering North Pelham" Facebook page addressing the question of precisely where the Congregational Church.  The area, as one might expect, is so different today that it is virtually impossible to tell where the church was located from looking at the entirely altered terrain.  

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog uses the hard-to-find 1908 Fairchild Atlas of Mount Vernon and Pelham to locate the church precisely.  There are two editions of the Fairchild Atlas.  The first was published in 1899.  The second was published in 1908.  They are very, very rare.  About a decade ago I was able to locate both from a Pennsylvania rare books dealer and bought copies that I have used for years.  Recently, however . . . . . . . . .

The New York Public Library Digital Collections have added high resolution images of the maps from the 1899 Fairchild Atlas and the 1908 Fairchild Atlas that can be magnified to a very high level.  See:

Fairchild, John F., Atlas of the City of Mount of Vernon and the Town of Pelham. Compiled from Official Records, Personal Surveys and Other Private Plans and Surveys. 1899. Compiled and published by John F. Fairchild. Civil Engineer and Surveyor. Rooms, 10-11 Bank Buliding, Mount Vernon, N.Y. (1899) (Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division, The New York Public Library). 

Fairchild, John F., Atlas of the City of Mount Vernon and the Town of Pelham Second Edition. Compiled from Official Records, Personal Surveys, and Other Private Plans and Surveys. 1908. Compiled and Published John F. Fairchild. C.E. Civil Engineer and Surveyor Engineering Building Mount Vernon, N.Y. (1908) (Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division, The New York Public Library).

NOTE:  In every instance when using these resources, it is critically important to consider the following as you are scrolling through the pages of the Atlas.  If you find a map that you wish to enlarge much larger than the book view permits you to enlarge, you find the tiny link above the book view to the map in the Atlas in which you are interested.  Once you click on that link, you can magnify the map page to a massive level.  When you are simply in the book view (but not the page view that is accessed by clicking on the link above the pages you see in the book view), you can only magnify the image slightly -- typically not to the extent necessary.

Below are two details from plate 27 of the 1908 Fairchild Atlas.  The first shows much of the plate.  In the upper left corner is the block on which the Congregational Church stood -- the block between First and Second Avenues bounded by Third Street and Fourth Street (today's Lincoln Avenue).  The second shows a magnified detail from the same plate (Plate 27) showing the block in question.

Detail from Plate 27 Showing Block on Which

the Congregational Church Stood at Upper

Left of the Street Grid.  Source:  See Citation Above.

NOTE:  Click Image to Enlarge.

Magnified Detail of the Same Map Showing the Block on Which

the Congregational Church Stood in 1908.  Source:  See Citation

Above.  NOTE:  Click Image to Enlarge.

As the magnified detail immediately above shows, the Congregational Church stood on a lot that extended through the entire block with frontage on both Second Avenue and First Avenue.  The church building, however faced Second Avenue and stood only a few feet away from the street.  The church lot was about halfway between Third Street and Fourth Street (today's Lincoln Avenue).  The church lot had 50 feet of frontage on Second Avenue and fifty feet of frontage on First Avenue.  The length of the lot was 309 feet (a combination of two lots, one of which was 155 feet long and the other 154 feet).  In 1908, about the time of the real post card image of the church shown above, the lots on both sides of the church when facing it from Second Avenue were empty.  The southerly lot of the two lots adjacent to the rear half of the church property was empty.  Two adjoining small structures (perhaps sheds) were on the northerly lot adjacent to the rear half of the church property.  They belonged at the time to C. W. Russell.  

Interestingly, directly across First Avenue from the rear of the church lot were the ice houses of the American Ice Company which was one of the local business that harvested "natural ice" from the Pelham Reservoir, the very tip of which can be seen at the bottom of the magnified map detail near the ice houses.

When a current satellite image of the same block is juxtaposed adjacent to the magnified map detail above, one can get a much better sense of how much the area has changed in the last 106 years.  Although I have made no meaningful effort to research the issue or survey the area, it would seem that none of the structures that were standing in 1908 on the block in question are standing on the block today.  

Google Maps Satellite Image of Block in Question

Juxtaposed Adjacent to Magnified Detail from Plate

27 of 1908 Fairchild Map of the Same Block.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

In short, although one would be hard-pressed to find any evidence today, the Congregational Church stood about halfway up the block on Second Avenue between Third Street and Fourth Street (today's Lincoln Avenue).  According to Plate 27 of the 1908 Fairchild Atlas, the church building was approximately 160 feet north of the northern edge of Third Street, and about fifteen or twenty feet westward from the western edge of Second Avenue.  

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