The Feud Between Mainlanders And City Islanders in the Town of Pelham Turned Ugly in 1859

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During the mid-19th century, the Town of Pelham was splt politically.  Interestingly, it was not split on party lines but on geographic lines:  the islanders versus the mainlanders.  

The principal population of the Town resided on City Island.  The population on the mainland, however, was growing.  The mainlanders began to chafe at the refusal of City Islanders to vote in favor of authorizing funds to improve roads and infrastructure on the mainland.  In 1859, the feud prompted many of the most illustrious mainland residents to file an application with the Board of Supervisors of Westchester County to splt the Town of Pelham into two towns.  One was to consist of City Island, Hart Island, and High Island (and their "appurtenances") and the other was to consist of the mainland, Hunter's Island, the Twins (and their "appurtenances").

The application was made by members of the Marshall, Morris, Bartow, Grenzebach, Coudert, Roosevelt, Hunter, Schuyler, and Secor Families, among others.  On September 23, 1859, the group published notice of the application in the Eastern State Journal published in White Plains, New York.  

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog transcribes the text of the notice in its entirety, followed by a citation (and link) to its source.

"NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY. -- Notice is hereby given that the undersigned, freeholders of the town of Pelham, in the county of Westchester, will apply to the Board of Supervisors of said county, at the next Annual Session thereof, to commence at White Plains, in said county, on the fourteenth day of November next, for a division of said town of Pelham into two towns, by the following division, viz.""

That so much of the said town of Pelham as lies on the main land, with its present boundaries, except on the Sound side and the Islands known as Hunter's Island and the Twins, and each of their appurtenances, shall constitute a separate and independent township, and be known and designated as the town of Pelham -- the boundary on the Sound side being a line equi-distant between the main land, Hunter's Island, and the Twins with each of their appurtenances, on one side, and City Island, High Island, and Hart Island, with each of their appurtenances, on the other side.

That all the rest and residue of the present town of Pelham, as at present constituted, and not comprised in the above, including City Island, Hart Island, and High Island, and each of their appurtenances, shall constitute a separate and independent township -- thus diving the town of Pelham, as at present known, into two separate towns. -- Dated September 9th, 1859.

L. R. MARSHALL,
RICHARD L. MORRIS,
RICHARD S. MORRIS,
ROBERT BARTOW,
WILLIAM O'CALLAGHAN,
JAMES FLANEGAN,
HENRY GRENZEBACH,
JAMES HINMAN,
VALENTINE G. HALL,
E. A. PATTERSON, 
CH. COUDERT,
E. J. ROOSEVELT,
P. C. ROOSEVELT,
E. D. HUNTER,
PH. SCHUYLER,
FRANCIS SECOR."

Source:  NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY, Eastern State Journal [White Plains, NY], Sep. 23, 1859, Vol. XV, No. 20, p. 3, col. 2.  

Map of Town of Pelham with Inset of City Island, 1868.

Source: Beers, F.W., Atlas of New York and Vicinity, p. 35

(NY, NY: Beers, Ellis & Soule, 1868).

NOTE:  Click Image to Enlarge.

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Three Important 19th Century Structures That Stood in Pelham

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As in most towns, many storied structures that once stood within the Town of Pelham no longer exist.  Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog celebrates three such storied structures that once stood in our town.

The first was the old "Grenzebach Homestead."  It once belonged to Henry Grenzebach and stood on the hill where the chapel of today's Our Lady of Perpetual Help now stands. The main house commanded a large farm with rolling meadows that extended from today's Boston Post Road beyond today's Colonial Avenue, all the way to the new Haven Main Line tracks.  I have written about the storied Grenzebach Homestead before.  See, e.g., Wed., Aug. 02, 2006:  The 19th Century Grenzebach Homestead in Pelham.  

The photograph below shows the Grenzebach Homestead in 1889.  It appeared in the December 16, 1927 issue of The Pelham Sun with a brief caption prepared by then-Town Historian William R. Montgomery.  The text of the caption is transcribed and appears after the photograph and the related image of a painting of the same scene.

The Grenzebach Homestead.

Source:  Montgomery, William R., Do You Remember When - ?,

The Pelham Sun, Dec. 16, 1927, p. 3, cols. 1-2.

The image below shows a detail from an oil painting by former Pelham Town Supervisor John M. Shinn, who served as Town Supervisor from 1895 until 1904, showing the Grenzebach Homestead.  Clearly the painting was created from the photograph above.  The painting is one of a number of paintings by Shinn that hang in Peham Town Hall on Fifth Avenue.

Detail from Painting of Grenzebach Homestead by John Shinn.

Original in Town Hall, Pelham, NY.  Photo by the Author.

"DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN - ?
By William R. Montgomery

THE GRENZEBACH HOMESTEAD

Do you remember the old house that once stood on the Boston Post road at the corner of Fowler avenue, on the site of the residence of Mr. Wm. T. Grant?

It was originally the farm house of the Grenzebach family, who owned a large farm which extended north crossing the old Boston Post road (now known as Colonial avenue) to the New Haven R. R. tracks.  The part of the farm which was north of Colonial avenue is now included in the village of Pelham [i.e., today's Pelham Heights].

The property later was transferred to Robert Mitchell and by him to David I. Carson.  This photograph was taken in 1889 when the place was owned by Mr. Carson.  Afterward it was transferred to Dr. Fowler and about eight years ago it became the property of Mr. Wm. T. Grant, who replaced it with the present building.  [Editor's Note:  William T. Grant was a multi-millionaire who owned the nationwide chain of W. T. Grant's Five and Ten Cent Stores and who built his mansion -- now torn down -- on land owned by today's Our Lady of Perpetual Help].  

We are indebted to Mrs. D. I. Carson of Atlanta, Ga., for the above picture."

Source:  Montgomery, William R., DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN - ?, The Pelham Sun, Dec. 16, 1927, p. 3, cols. 1-2.  

Another storied structure in the 19th century history of Pelham, New York was the grocery built and operated by Loftus Brotherton.  Before the incorporation of the Village of North Pelham in 1896, the area north of the New Haven Main Line railroad tracks was known as Pelhamville. During the 1880s, Loftus Brotherton ran a tiny grocery store located on 5th Avenue near what was then known as 4th Street (today's Lincoln Avenue).  I have written before about Brotherton's Grocery Store.  See, e.g., Fri., Sep. 08, 2006:  An Image of The Brotherton Store in Pelhamville Before It Burned in 1890.  The store burned to the ground in May 1890.  

The photograph below shows Brotherton's Grocery in 1889. The photograph was taken during a gathering of The City Island Social Club at the grocery which was often used as a local gathering place.  The large banner held by the crowd on the left of this photograph is blowing in the wind and, thus, is seen from behind.  It reads "CITY ISLAND SOCIAL CLUB."  The image appeared in the December 16, 1927 issue of The Pelham Sun with a brief caption prepared by then-Town Historian William R. Montgomery.  The text of the caption is transcribed and appears immediately below the photograph.

The Brotherton Store.

Source:  Montgomery, William R., Do You Remember When - ?,

The Pelham Sun, Dec. 16, 1927, p. 3, cols. 1-2.

"The Brotherton Store.

Do you remember the old Pelhamville grocery store that was situated on 5th Avenue near 4th Street, long before the [trolley] car tracks were laid there?  It belonged to Mr. L. Brotherton and was noted for its high grade groceries.  It was well patronized by many families from Mount Vernon, New Rochelle as well as Pelham.  

The City Island Social Club, then a very flourishing organization made Brotherton's store its headquarters.  In May, 1890, the building was destroyed by fire, and the community lost its treasured village flag, which had been placed in the care of Mr. Loftus Brotherton.

We are indebted to Mr. John Rohr for the above picture."  

Source:  Montgomery, William R., DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN - ?, The Pelham Sun, Dec. 16, 1927, p. 3, cols. 1-2.  

A third storied structure in the 19th century history of Pelham, New York was a hotel operated by Fred Case and called, appropriately, "Fred Case's Hotel."  The hotel was located on Fifth Avenue near today's 3rd Street.  I have written before about Fred Case's Hotel.  See, e.g., Mon., Sep. 11, 2006:  An Image of Fred Case's Hotel on Fifth Avenue Near 3rd Street Before it Burned in About May 1892.  The hotel burned to the ground in about May 1892.

The photograph below shows Fred Case's Hotel in an undated image. The image appeared in the December 16, 1927 issue of The Pelham Sun with a brief caption prepared by then-Town Historian William R. Montgomery.  The text of the caption is transcribed and appears immediately below the photograph. 

Fred Case's Hotel.

Source:  Montgomery, William R., Do You Remember When - ?,

The Pelham Sun, Dec. 16, 1927, p. 3, cols. 1-2.

"FRED CASE'S HOTEL.

Do you remember the old hotel that stood on 5th avenue near 3rd street on the site of the Pelnord Apartments?  It was called Fred Case's Hotel and was built about 1852 being destroyed by fire about 1892.  In its early days it was a rendezvous of the old time peddlers and sporting men.  On part of a crusade by the then village of Mount Vernon against loads of peddlers and out of town sportsmen, these people came to Pelhamville, as North Pelham was then called.  I have been informed that it was a common sight to see three or four men leave Fred Case's each evening in hired hacks to canvass nearby places, including Mount Vernon.  Fred Case's hotel was well known throughout the county for the high standard it maintained in both dry and wet goods.  It was at this hotel in October 1855 that Samuel J. Tilden, then a young lawyer made several addresses.  He was running for Attorney General on the ticket of the Liquor Dealers and the Constitutional Rights Party.  

Fred Case's Hotel was likewise noted for its many cock fights which were conducted by the sporting element from the nearby communities.  It was the destruction of this old hotel that stimulated the people of the village of Pelhamville to organize a regular fire department.  

We are indebted to Mr. Frederick Case for the above picture."

Source:  Montgomery, William R., DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN - ?, The Pelham Sun, Dec. 16, 1927, p. 3, cols. 1-2.  

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1846 Notice of Sheriff's Sale of Land Owned by William McClellan of the Town of Pelham

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William McClellan once owned a large swath of land between the location of today's New Haven main line tracks and the old Boston Post Road (known today as Colonial Avenue) in today's Village of Pelham. (He also owned at least one other large tract in Pelham, nearby.) In 1846 a notice of sheriff's sale of those lands appeared in a Sing-Sing, New York newspaper. That notice is quoted in its entirety below, followed by a citation to its source.

An interesting feature of the notice is that it affirms local tradition of the origins of the street name "Wolf's Lane". The notice makes reference to "the lane leading to Andrew Wolf's". The notice immediately follows:

"Sheriff's Sale. - By virtue of an execution to me directed and delivered against the goods and chattels, lands and tenements of William W. McClellan, I have levied upon and will expose to public sale at the Court House in the village of White Plains, on the 7th day of May next, at 1 o'clock, P. M. of that day, all the right, title and interest which the said William W. McClellan had on the 5th day of March, 1845, or at any time afterwards, in whose hands soever the same may be, in and to the following described premises, viz. :

All that certain piece, parcel or lot of land, situated, lying and being in the town of Pelham, county of Westchester, and state of New York, and bounded and described as follows: On the south by the old Boston Post Road, on the west by the lane leading to Andrew Wolf's, on the west by lands of Philip Pell, on the east by lands of Henry Granzebeak [sic], containing about fifty acres, be the same more or less.

Also, all that certain lot, piece or parcel of land, situated, lying and being in the town, county and state aforesaid, and bounded and described as follows: On the south by lands of Philip Pell, on the west by lands of Andrew Wolf, on the north by lands of Francis Seacor [sic], on the east by lands of Henry Guion, and on the south and east by lands of Henry Granzeback [sic], containing about 30 acres be the same more or less.

WM. H. BRIGGS, Sheriff.
By JACOB FOSHAY, Under Sheriff 22w7"

Source: Sheriff's Sale, Hudson River Chronicle [Sing-Sing, NY], Vol. 9, Issue 22, Mar. 17, 1846, p. 3, col. 3.

That particular Sheriff's Sale does not appear to have been held since essentially the same notice appeared in the same newspaper later the same year. See Sheriff's ale [sic], Hudson River Chronicle [Sing-Sing, NY], Vol. 9, Issue 38, Jul. 7, 1846, p. 4, col. 3.

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