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
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Family at Bedside in Beautiful Pelham Manor Home
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HAD PASSED HIS 90TH YEAR
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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.
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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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Report on the Previous 25 Years of Progress in Pelham Published in 1913

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The year was 1913.  Pelhamites were proud.  They were supremely proud of the progress of the previous twenty-five years.  They were proud of the technological progress that prompted construction of trolley service to connect Pelham with surrounding Villages, Towns, and Cities.  They were proud of their three "artistic" railroad stations:  the Pelham Station, the Pelham Manor Station, and the Fifth Avenue Station of the New York, Boston and Westchester Railway.  Pelham also was proud of its new high school, the first ever opened in the little Town.  We know that school today as Siwanoy Elementary School.  Pelham was especially proud of its new sewage disposal plant.

The local newspaper, The Pelham Sun, was not yet three years old.  It clearly saw its mission not only to report the news, but also to extol the virtues of the growing Town of Pelham, still in its infancy.  As the newspaper sought to gain its footing, it relied heavily on articles of interest prepared by local residents.  

On December 20, 1913, The Pelham Sun published an article by James Francis Secor, Jr., one of Pelham Manor's most notable early residents.  The article extolled the progress in the Town of Pelham during the previous 25 years.  It was a rightly prideful article that also was optimistic for the future.  Today, the article sheds light on Pelham of yore and the efforts of those who came before us to make Pelham what it is today:  a community of note.  

James Francis Secor, Jr. was born in 1847.  He married Joan Elizabeth Klink in 1880.  Joan Elizabeth Klink Secor became President of the Manor Club and served in that capacity for decades.  She was a social force in Pelham and is still esteemed by members of the club she nurtured.  She also is remembered by those who appreciate the history of the little Town of Pelham.  

At the time, the Secors owned a large swath of land adjacent to Boston Post Road.   Eventually, they began to subdivide and sell the property.  In 1913, of course, James F. Secor certainly understood the need to extol the virtues of his little Town, particularly if he planned to subdivide and sell his lands. . . . . 

The report on 25 years progress in Pelham published in 1913 provides us today with a fascinating glimpse of the things about which Pelhamites were proud.  The entire report prepared by Mr. Secor appears below.   

"PELHAM MANOR VILLAGE HALL"

Source:  Progress in Pelham Township DURING

PAST 25 YEARS, The Pelham Sun, Dec. 20, 1913,

p. 9, cols. 4-5. NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

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Below is the report written by James F. Secor on the previous 25 years of progress in Pelham published on December 20, 1913.  The text is followed by a citation and link to the source.  

"Progress in Pelham Township
DURING PAST 25 YEARS.
-----

The advance made in Pelham Township during this period will certainly bear comparison with that made in other localities.  To begin, only a very small part of the town was settled.  In Pelham Manor between the Boston Turnpike and the Pelham Manor station there were but a few houses.  In 'Pelhamville,' now North Pelham, the number was greater.  The section now known as Secor Hill, Fowler Hill and Pelham Heights, contained not more than six houses.  The section between the Pelham Manor station and the Sound contained (including the 'Priory' and church) but three houses.  City Island and Pelham Bay Park were part of the town.  The small stone building on the Shore Road near Bartow Station was the Town Hall, where votes were cast at all elections, and where town meetings were held.  City Island, having the largest population, controlled the election, and hence the appropriations.  The 'Main Land,' as our part of the town was called, received but a small sum for the improvement of roads, although our part of the taxes.  What changes have taken place in twenty-five years, the foregoing statement, contrasted with the present condition, will show, New York City has annexed City Island and Pelham Bay Park.  The latter has been improved with fine roads, a golf links, and bathing beaches established, of which residents of the town have the same privileges as city residents.

Our town now has its own town government.  We have three separate villages -- North Pelham, Pelham and Pelham Manor -- also a portion still unincorporated, bordering on the Village of Pelham Manor and New York City.  Since the elimination of City Island we have by the fortunate selection of our town and village officials secured large amounts of money for improvements, also its honest and efficient expenditure, the result showing in our well paved streets of brick, asphalt and macadam, cement and flagstone sidewalks, sewers, water, gas, with electricity in our streets, and the lighting of the same.

We now possess a trolley service through the town and to neighboring cities, also transportation to New York City by trolley, or electric railroad, giving frequent service to Grand Central Station, and Third Avenue Elevated Railroad, from the three comfortable and artistic stations.  The town owns a fine Town Hall, situated in the village of North Pelham, also a sewage disposal plant.  The Villages of North Pelham and Pelham ('Pelham Heights') have a modern and well equipped fire department and an efficient police force.  The town has one Free School District, and through liberal appropriations has erected three modern school buildings in which are maintained a fully graded grammar school at North Pelham, a fully graded grammar school and high school at Pelham Manor, a building at Pelham Heights (not in use at present) and in addition the old brick school building with with one acre of land in Pelham Manor.  We also have in Pelham Manor an influential private school, known as 'Pelham Hall.'

The Township also has within its borders the new Pelham Country Club, the Manor Club, the New York Athletic Club at Travers Island, and an artistic building in North Pelham, housing the Masonic Lodge.  We also have five churches, the Priory (Episcopal), Huguenot Memorial (Presbyterian), Congregational, Catholic and Church of the Redeemer (Episcopal).

Contrast all these comforts and conveniences as factors of civilization with the former conditions of dirt roads, no sidewalks, no gas, no electricity, no running water, no sewerage, few trains, no trolleys, inadequate school buildings, no telephones, -- and it is most apparent that Pelham has progressed along material lines very greatly during the past twenty-five years.

JAMES F. SECOR."

Source:  Progress in Pelham Township DURING PAST 25 YEARS, The Pelham Sun, Dec. 20, 1913, p. 9, cols. 4-5.

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Joan Elizabeth Klink Secor, Known as Annie, Was a Notable Pelham Manor Resident and Town Historian

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Joan Elizabeth Klink Secor, known by family and close friends as "Annie," was one of the most beloved residents to have lived in the Village of Pelham Manor.  She was born in Vallejo, California in 1858.  She met James F. Secor, Jr. in 1880 while he was in Vallejo to inspect dry docks that had been built there by his father.  After a brief courtship, the couple married and moved to Pelham Manor where James Secor's father, James F. Secor, Sr., had built a large summer estate.  (I have written about the Secor estate before.  See Wed., Apr. 15, 2015:  The Secor Estate in the Village of Pelham Manor.)   

Joan Secor quickly became a social and cultural force in Pelham Manor.  She became president of the Tuesday Afternoon Club in 1900 and, when that Club merged into the Manor Club (which became a women's club) in 1914, she served as president of the newly-merged institution as well.  She stablized the finances of the Manor Club, presided over the fund-raising for, and the construction of, the new Manor Club building that is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  She retired from service as president of the club after 26 years in May 1925 when she departed for California to live with family members there.  A beautiful oil portrait of her, painted by George Brehm, still hangs in the assembly room of the Manor Club.

Mrs. Secor served as the second Town Historian for the Town of Pelham.  She served in this capacity for five years before she removed to San Francisco upon her retirement.  While serving as Town Historian, she wrote a pamphlet detailing the Town's historic landmarks published in 1924.  For the electronic text, see Secor, Joan Elizabeth, Landmarks In and Near Pelham (Pelham, NY:  The Town of Pelham, 1924) (published by the Town of Pelham on the occasion of the dedication of Pelham Memorial Park on May 30, 1924).

On Saturday, July 23, 1932, Joan Secor died suddenly at her home in San Francisco.  Once word reached Pelham, tributes poured in.  Her obituary, a series of tributes, and a number of photographs of her appeared in the local newspaper, The Pelham Sun.  Those materials are presented below.  Each is followed by a citation and link to its source.

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"Mrs. Joan E. Secor Dies In San Francisco; Manor Club President 26 Years
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One of Pelham Manor's Most Revered Citizens; Was First President of Tuesday Afternoon Club Founded in 1900; Later Merged With Manor Club; Town Historian for Five Years.
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Mrs. Joan Elizabeth Secor, who for twenty-six years was president of the Manor Club and the guiding spirit in the growth of the club, died suddenly on Saturday at San Francisco, where she has made her home since May, 1925.  Funeral services were held at San Francisco on Monday.  The remains will be brought east for interment.  Plans for interment have not been arranged yet.

She was the widow of James F. Secor, old resident and at one time school trustee.

Mrs. Secor was the aunt of Miss Anna Cockle and Isla V. Cockle of Pelham Manor.  She is also survived by four sisters, Mrs. Vincent Cottman and Miss Jane Klink of San Francisco, Mrs. Emil Theiss and Mrs. Franklin Huntington of Norfolk, Va., and two brothers, George T. Klink and William M. Klink, of San Francisco..

Mrs. Secor was born at Vallejo, Calif., in 1858.  In 1880 Mr. Secor while inspecting the dry docks at Vallejo, which were constructed by his father, met Miss Joan Elizabeth Klink, and after a short courtship the couple were married at Vallejo.  They came to the Secor home in Pelham Manor to live shortly after.  The dynamic personality of the young bride soon established her as a leader.

In 1900 the need for a women's club in Pelham Manor was recognized and Mrs. Secor was instrumental in establishing the Tuesday Afternoon Club whose meetings soon became the culture center of the village.  Mrs. Secor was elected president of the club.  Other officers were Mrs. Charles B. Hull, vice-president; Mrs. William B. Randall, secretary; Mrs. Charlotte E. Cowles, treasurer.

The Tuesday Afternoon Club used to meet in one of the alcoves of the Manor Club building.  The Manor Club had been established as a men's club in 1887, and for years it has been successful.  However, at the time of the organization of the Tuesday Afternoon Club, the Manor Club was experiencing difficulties, and the organization was glad to encourage the use, at a nominal fee, of the building by the women's club.

(Continued on Page Four)

MRS. JOAN E. SECOR DIES SUDDENLY
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(Continued from Page One)

In 1914 the Manor Club joined with the Tuesday Afternoon Club, and the women replaced the men as officers.  Mrs. Secor was elected president of the new Manor Club and she remained in the chair until her departure from Pelham in 1925.  After that she was honorary president.

It was under the guidance of Mrs. Secor that the Manor Club extended its membership from a handful of women to more than 500.  It was also under her direction that the present clubhouse of the Manor Club was financed and constructed.  She officiated at the laying of the cornerstone in 1921 and at the dedication of the building in 1922.

Mrs. Secor retired as president of the club in May, 1925, at which time she left Pelham to take up her residence in San Francisco.  Glowing tribute to her 26 years as president of the club was paid by the members of the Manor Club at the annual banquet.  An engrossed resolution was presented to the retiring president as well as handsome gifts in token on the esteem in which Mrs. Secor was held.  

Mrs. Secor was unanimously elected Honorary President and in recent years acted in an advisory capacity.  

Annually at the final meeting of the Manor Club a telegram of love and congratulation was forwarded to the honorary president of the club.  A similar greeting was received from Mrs. Secor.  At the last annual meeting she sent the following message:

'Greetings from the far away California coast, where I lived until I was in my 23rd year and then upon occasion of my marriage to Mr. Secor in 1880, I came to New York and shortly afterward to Pelham Manor.  I can truly say that I have lived my life in Pelham Manor, that is, in its working years, and they are the years that count.

'It was the Manor Club which gave me my first experience in the art of managing public affairs, and I learned during the years I was its president.  It is not the length of time one is in office, but what one accomplished while there which counts.  I now see that the whole-hearted cooperation in things that are uplifting, the generous willingness to do something to make the club better, more stimulating to what is highest and best in our daily lives, had made the Pelhams a finer place in which to live.  This was the great aim of our young years, and it has been accomplished as I see and feel although so many miles away.

'Life in the Pelhams is a finer thing by reason of the influence of a group of women who worked and still do, to bring out the best qualities of those about them through the study of literature, music, art, the drama and the various sections.

'Therefore, I say to you who thus labor, 'go forward, be not weary of well-doing.'  To my dear friends Mrs. Longley, who is to retire from the office of president, I send my warm love and congratulations upon her successful presidency, and now will close, my dear Sophie (Mrs. H. E. Dey) with kind remembrances to my many friends in the Manor Club, among whom you are surely included.

'JOAN E. SECOR,

'Honorary President.'

Mrs. Secor was for many years a contributor to The Pelham Sun.  Her historical articles were widely read and her history of Pelham, which she compiled as Town Historian, is very interesting.

Mrs. Secor's love for Pelham is shown in the tribute, 'A Toast to Pelham' which is printed in this issue of The Pelham Sun.  A framed copy of this tribute was presented to The Pelham Sun by Mrs. E. T. Gilliland, old resident who was a dear friend of Mrs. Secor.

As a tribute to the memory of the late Mrs. Secor the flag on the clubhouse grounds will be flown at half mast staff for a month.

The portrait of Mrs. Secor, painted by George Brehm and hanging in the assembly room of the club is draped in black.

A large spray of flowers to entirely cover the coffin was sent by the Manor Club to San Francisco."

Source:  Mrs. Joan E. Secor Dies In San Francisco; Manor Club President 26 Years -- One of Pelham Manor's Most Revered Citizens; Was First President of Tuesday Afternoon Club Founded in 1900; Later Merged With Manor Club; Town Historian for Five Years, The Pelham Sun, Jul. 29, 1932, Vol. 23, No. 19, p. 1, cols. 1-2 & p. 4, cols. 4-7.  

"PELHAM MOURNS LOSS AT DEATH OF MRS. SECOR
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Officials of Manor Club and Old Residents of Pelham Express Sorrow
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Pelhamites grieved at the news of the death of Mrs. Joan E. Secor.  The Pelham Sun has received many expressions of tribute from old residents and those who were associated with Mrs. Secor in her 26 years as president of the Manor Club.

Mrs. Walter B. Parsons, who recently was elected president of the Manor Club, was deeply moved at the news of the death of Mrs. Secor.  In an interview with The Pelham Sun she said as follows:

'To those of us who had the privilege of working under Mrs. Secor's guidance, she will always stand out preeminently as a dominant personality, because of executive ability and force of mind and character.  She had an unusual appreciation of all things beautiful, especially beautiful literature.  She was tolerant, patient, sympathetic and understanding; added to this, the endearing faculty of remember-

(Continued on Page Four)

PELHAM MOURNS LOSS AT DEATH OF MRS. SECOR
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(Continued from Page 1) 

ing people's names.  She was peculiarly fitted for her position as president of the Manor Club because she loved people, and in return, they all loved her.  The fullness of her life will always be an inspiration.'

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Mrs. William B. Randall of Pelham Manor, historian of the Manor Club, said as follows:

'Although Mrs. James F. Secor removed from Pelham in 1926 her death will bring to her many friends and neighbors here, a renewed sense of loss.  For she was a woman of distinguished talent and education, a leading spirit in the village activities for many years and the beloved friend of everyone who knew her.  Blessed by nature with a brilliant mind as well as a heart particularly warm and sympathetic, she enthusiastically gave herself to her friends, the church, philanthropies and especially to club work.  

'At the time of her death she was honorary President of the Manor Club of which she had been president for thirteen years.  Previous to that she had been president of the Tuesday Afternoon Club for as long a period.  She was an Honorary Director of the Pelham Home for Children of which she had also been President.

'The nobility of her nature and her ardent love for the higher things of life will always remain an inspiration to everyone who knew her.'

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'News of the sudden death of Mrs. James F. Secor has come as a great shock to her many friends of twenty years or more.  Her love and devotion to the finer things of life set a standard of high thinking and purposeful living.  She was an inspiring leader of the Manor Club in its various activities and with a genuine love of womankind was able to harmonize and appreciate the efforts of each and every group engaged in club work.  In passing, she has left a heritage of understanding and sympathy which has enriched the lives of all who knew and loved her.'  -- Mrs. James L. Gerry.

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'Mrs. Secor's death brings a feeling of deep loss to all who knew her.  She was a friend of thirty-four years standing, a woman whom I admired as one of the most talented in the community.  In her death I feel a keen sense of personal loss.'  -- Mrs. Edward Penfield.

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'To me the passing of Joan E. Secor, a deep friend of forty-two years, is an irreparable loss.  As a citizen of this community she manifested a splendid kind of civic pride and love for everything that was fine and beautiful.  Her memory will remain with us many years.' -- Mrs. E. T. Gilliland, old resident of Pelham Manor.

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'We were grievously shocked when the news reached us, that Mrs. Secor had died at her home in California.  We had known the Secors as friends and near neighbors for upwards of thirty years.  Mrs. Secor was indeed a faithful friend, a tender hearted sympathizer in times of trial, a consistent Christian and a loyal citizen whose loss was deeply felt when she decided to make her home in California among the friends of her youth, after her husband's death.  We are all glad that those friends have graciously permitted her to rest beside her husband.

'The people of Pelham will not soon forget Mrs. Secor who for many years did so much toward making our town such an attractive place in which to live.'

-John M. Shinn,
Former Town Historian.

'I can think of no woman in Pelham Manor who will be more sincerely mourned than dear Mrs. Secor.  Her name is closely associated with the upbuilding of the Manor Club which will stand as a memorial to her efforts and devotion to its members and to her numerous friends.' -- Mrs. H. G. K. Heath.

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'I have known Mrs. Secor since I came to Pelham almost thirty-two years ago.  As a friend she was always loyal, sympathetic and inspiring.  She was a natural leader and her leadership was never disputed from the beginning of the Tuesday Afternoon Club and the formation of the present Manor Club, until she resigned in 1925 when she went to live in San Francisco.  She was generous, liberal-minded and forward-looking, always eager to adopt the good ideas of the younger generation.  She held a unique position, not only in the Manor Club but in the whole community.  No woman was more loved, admired and respected or will be more sincerely mourned.'

-- Mrs. Henry E. Dey.

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'The death of Mrs. Joan Secor marks the passing of one of the loveliest characters for whom we are all so sincerely grieving.  It has been my greatest privilege to have known and loved her truly.  And she was kind.'

Mrs. Danforth Brown."

Source:  PELHAM MOURNS LOSS AT DEATH OF MRS. SECOR -- Officials of Manor Club and Old Residents of Pelham Express Sorrow, The Pelham Sun, Jul. 29, 1932, Vol. 23, No. 19, p. 1, col. 2 & p. 4, cols. 5-7.

"A TOAST TO PELHAM
By the Late Joan E. Secor
-----

Pelham!  Wherein three great racial strains were mingled in the early settlement of the locality -- English, Dutch and French -- a glittering triad through which glows Britain's brain and Holland's soul and the undaunted spirit of France!  Stand at attention, citizens of the Pelhams and briefly review our glorious inheritance.

Borne from afar on the breeze, hear Chaucer's lay and Milton's strain, and Shakespeare's song blending with the majestic rhythms of the 'King James Vision!' Catch the gleams of Rembrandt's brush; the stern notes proclaiming the 'Revocation of the Edict of Nantes,' of the mighty voices of statesmen, philosophers, poets, as the battalions of France step to the music of the 'Marsellaise,' or answer the call from early America to the great Lafayette!  From leaf-strewn lane and quiet wood catch echoes of the marching feet of Revolutionary soldiers!  The rattle of wheels along the 'Old Boston Post Road,' mingling with the whir of wings and the soft calls of linnet and lark!

Headquarters of Washington!  Site of the Battle of White Plains!  Site of the Battle of Pelham!

Cottage of Anne Hutchinson!

Cottage of Aaron Burr!

Scenes of the exploits of Cooper's Indian crowd upon the vision -- an ancient house; a giant tree!

A mouldering headstone here and there along the King's Highway or the old Indian trails and paths leading to the waters of Long Island Sound recall the early picture.

Pelham!  Founded upon the principles of civil and religious liberty; vitalized by the toil of Puritan, patroon and Huguenot; consecrated by their sacrifices; dedicated to the service of God and country, we the inheritors of this region offer 'Salutation' to our favored township!

Pelham!  Fairest community with[in] Westchester County's boundaries!  Lilac-crowned!  Lupin-wreathed!  Clover-scented!  Tall trees of glistening dogwood fuard her walks and lanes where merry children shout and play, where church bells ring and school bells call, and homes are altars raised to God our King!"

Source:  Secor, Joan E., A TOAST TO PELHAM By the Late Joan E. Secor, The Pelham Sun, Jul. 29, 1932, Vol. 23, No. 19, p. 4, cols. 4-5.  

Also:  http://fultonhistory.com/Newspaper%2018/Pelham%20NY%20Sun/Pelham%20NY%20Sun%201932/Pelham%20NY%20Sun%201932%20-%200449.pdf

Joan E. Secor in an Undated Photograph.

Image Courtesy of The Manor Club, Pelham

Manor, NY.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

"MRS. SECOR when she became president of the

Manor Club.  Source:  The Pelham Sun, Jul. 29, 1932,

Vol. 23, No. 19, p. 4, col. 6.  NOTE:  Click Image to Enlarge.

"THE LATE MRS. JAMES F. SECOR
-----

It was with deepest regret that the members of the Manor Club and residents of Pelham in general received news of the passing of Mrs. James F. Secor in California on Saturday.  She had passed the allotted span of three-score-and-ten and her life was full of accomplishments that engraved their deeds deep in the history of the Pelhams.

And as a chapter of Pelham's history is ended.  It was a very complete chapter, the many leaves of which it consisted being richly embellished with the virtues of cultural leadership, wisdom, wise counsel and judgment and an inspiring idealism, and all centering on the courageous command given to Mrs. Secor and followed so loyally by members of the Manor Cllub for more than a quarter century.  Mrs. Secor was idolized and her memory will always be revered.  

Turning back those few short years since she left Pelham in 1925, we remember the lines written during a week in which Pelham in its entirety was paying homage to Mrs. Secor and her accomplishments as she retired from public life.  It will bear reprinting:

'A Beloved Woman

'Never before has it been our privilege to witness such a deep tribute of love paid to any woman as that tendered on Tuesday afternoon to Mrs. James F. Secor, retiring president of the Manor Club.

'For twenty-six years she has held that one office and filled it with dignity, remarkable diplomacy, and an unswerving loyalty to the ideals on which it was founded and by which it has grown.

'It was an afternoon of deep emotions for Mrs. Secor is to leave Pelham for California this month, there to make her future home, and as speaker after speaker told of their love for her, of her great service to the club and to the community, of their sadness at the parting they bravely but unsuccessfully strove to master their emotions.  Handkerchiefs were busy, too, in among the members of the audience for whether it be those of the older members or those recently become members, to all, their president is a beloved friend.

'There was never any quation about the power exercised by Mrs. Secor, never any doubt as to the correctness of her judgment, nor of her leadership, never any complaint at the arduous duties which her office entailed, just an inpiring service to the community of all those talents and charms of which she is possessed.  Pelham loses much by her going.

'For the last two weeks social activities in Pelham Manor have centered themselves on individual tributes given at receptions at which Mrs. Secor was the honored guest.  No one in the Pelhams and few outside have been paid greater homage -- sincere, prompted from hearts of those who gave them.

'It is a wonderful thing for any woman to enshrine herself in the hearts of the women of her community as Mrs. Secor has in the hearts of members of the Manor Club, and for the recipient the memories of it all will be pleasant pondering on the sunny slopes of California -- we hope for many years, for Joan Elizabeth Secor has richly earned long life, health and all the blessings which a Great Creator can bestow.

'Our farewell is tempereed in its sadness by the hope of a welcoming return against some day.'"

Source:  THE LATE MRS. JAMES F. SECOR, The Pelham Sun, Jul. 29, 1932, Vol. 23, No. 19, p. 2, col. 1.  

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The Secor Estate in the Village of Pelham Manor

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James Francis Secor was born on July 13, 1816.  He was a son of Francis Secor (b. 1776, d. 1863) and Hannah Carpenter (b. 1782, d. 1861).  In 1846 he married Anna Maria Ely who was born May 12, 1819 and was a daughter of Moses Benjamin Ely and Anna Lawrence.  James Francis Secor and Anna Maria Ely Secor lived for many years in a home in the fashionable Murray Hill section of Manhattan located at 5 West 38th Street.  Anna Maria Ely Secor died in the couple's residence in Pelham Manor, New York, on October 5, 1898.  James Francis Secor died in his residence at Pelham Manor on December 27, 1904.  

The couple had five children:

1.  James Francis Secor, Jr., born 1847, married Joan Elizabeth Klink in 1880.
2.  Thomas Ely, born 1848.
3.  Anna Amelia, born 1851.
4.  Clara Gonzalez, born 1853, married Frank Dickerson in 1877.
5.  Isla Virginia, born 1855.

See Vanderpel, George B., ed., The Ely Ancestry, p. 336 (NY, NY:  The Calumet Press, 1902).

The father of the elder James Francis Secor, Francis Secor (b. 1776, d. 1863), was a shipbuilder who reportedly was associated with Robert Fulton in the construction of the first steam vessel.  James Francis Secor followed in the footsteps of his father, Francis Secor, and became a prominent shipbuilder during the Civil War who built several naval vessels.

According to tradition, the Secors bought a 150-acre estate in Pelham Manor and built a grand summer home on the grounds.  The family 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.

Detail from Photograph Showing the Main Secor

Residence in 1915.  NOTE:  Click Image to Enlarge.

Photograph Showing an Interior View of the Main House

on the Secor Estate in 1915.  NOTE:  Click Image to Enlarge.

Detail from 1867 Map Showing Location of the Home

of "F. Seacor," the Secor Home Near the Intersection

of Wolf's Lane and the Boston Post Road.  Source:

"Plan of East Chester, Pelham and New Rochelle,

Westchester Co., N. Y." in Beers, Frederick W., Atlas

of New York and Vicinity From Actual Surveys by and

Under the Direction of F. W. Beers, p. 7 (Philadelphia, PA:

1867).  NOTE:  Click Image to Enlarge.

Detail from 1868 Map Showing Location of

"F. Secor Est." Near Intersection of Wolfs

Lane and Boston Post Road.  Source:  Beers,

Frederick W., "City Island, Pelham Township,

Westchester Co., N.Y. (with) Town of Pelham,

Westchester Co., N. Y." in Atlas of New York and

Vicinity from Actual Surveys by and Under the

Direction of F. W. Beers, Assisted by A. B.

Prindle & Others, p. 35 (Philadelphia, PA:  1868).

NOTE:  Click Image to Enlarge.

Detail from 1881 Map Showing the "F. Secor Est."

Source:  Bromley, George W., "Town of Pelham,

(with) Pelhham-Manor.  (From Actual Surveys and Official

Records)" in Atlas of Westchester County, New York.  From

Actual Surveys and Official Records by G. W. Bromley &

Co., Civil Engineers, pp. 56-57 (Washington, D.C.:

G. W. Bromley & Co., 1881).  NOTE:  Click Image to Enlarge.

Detail from 1914 Map Showing "Anna M. Secor Est." and

Location of Main House and Service Buildings and Also

Showing Beginning of Development of Portions of the Estate.

Source:  Bromley, George W., "Pelham Manor" in Atlas of

Westchester County, N. Y. Pocket, Desk and Automobile

Edition, Vol. 1, pp. 128-29 (NY, NY:  G.W. Bromley & Co., 1914).

NOTE:  Click Image To Enlarge.

During the 1930s, the Secor family intensified efforts to sell off portions of the Secor estate for development.  With the death of Secor matriarch Anna M. Secor in 1939, the end of an era was at hand.  The Secor family that once had controlled 150 acres of lovely rural land in the Village of Pelham Manor had ended its reign. 

*          *          *          *         *
"OBITUARY. . . . 

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

"MISS ANNA SECOR, OLD RESIDENT, DIED ON FRIDAY
-----

Miss Anna A. Secor, 87, member of one of Pelham Manor's oldest families died at her home No. 4577 Boston Post Road, on Friday afternoon after a short illness.  Miss Secor was one of the founder members of the Manor Club and was for many years actively associated with the Pelham Home for Children.  Miss Secor was born in the Eastchester section of Mount Vernon in the neighborhood of the old St. Paul's Church.  She was a descendant of Jacques Francois Sicquard, one of the original Huguenot settlers of Westchester County.  Her father was the fourth to carry the name of the early settler, which was changed to the English James Francis Secor.  Her mother was Anna M. Ely Secor.

James F. Secor Sr. was a prominent shipbuilder during the Civil War period and built several naval vessels.  Sixty years ago the family undertook the development of its extensive property in Pelham Manor in which is now known as Secor Hill.  The Secor homestead was at Wolf's Lane near the Boston Post Road, and is now the residence of Mrs. Julius Manager.  The family was prominent in the early affairs of the village.

Miss Secor was a member of the Huguenot Memorial Church and in its early days was prominent in its women's organization work.  In recent years Miss Secor made her home with her nieces, Miss Isla Cockle and Mrs. Enos Booth.

The funeral service was conducted at the Burr Davis Mortuary in Mount Vernon on Monday morning.  The Rev. Lewis Gaston Leary, former pastor of the Huguenot Memorial Churcch officiating.  Interment will be at Woodlawn.

Surviving are her sister, Mrs. Frank Dickerson, of Long Island, and several nieces and nephews."

Source:  MISS ANNA SECOR, OLD RESIDENT, DIED ON FRIDAY, The Pelham Sun, Apr. 14, 1939, Vol. 29, No. 2, p. 3, col. 6.

"THE LAST OF THE LINE.
-----

The death of Miss Anna Secor at the age of 83 marks the passing from Pelham Manor of a family inseparably bound up with the formative years of the growth and development of this village.  Descendants of Jacques Francois Sicquard, one of the original Huguenot settlers, who achieved fortune as a shipbuilder in the early days of American history, the Secors came to Pelham Manor and purchased a tract of 150 acres upon which they built a summer home, as apart from their New York establishment.  Subsequently a large part of the family fortune was lost during the period of Civil War and the Secors removed from the fashionable Murray Hill section of New York in which lived the merchant prince, Arnold Constable, and came to Pelham Manor.  When the Secor estate came into possession of the father of Miss Anna Secor its financial strength was ample to gain social leadership.  Then James F. Secor Jr. invested largely in the McAdoo tunnel, the first to pierce the terrain beneath the Hudson River.  An English contractor, Westman Pearson, afterward Lord Cowdray, who had successfully constructed the Blackwall Tunnel under the Thames River, was engaged for the larger operation under the Hudson River.  The capital of the construction company proved inadequate and the company failed.  It was successful after reorganization, but the Secor fortune was washed out during the process.  James Secor was a member of the Pelham Board of Education and a very familiar figure in the Pelhams until the late 1920's but it was to his wife, Mrs. Joan Secor, that Pelham owes much of its cultural development.  She was president of the Manor Club for 25 years.  A charming personality, she possessed excellent judgment and infinite tact.  She was a leader of great resourcefulness, amazing energy, and was beloved of every member of the Manor Club.  Subsequently she removed to California and passed away there.  On the walls of the Manor Club hangs her picture, a grand painting by George Brehm, but in the history of the Manor Club her name will forever be associated with its ideals of culture and her accomplishments will ever be inseparable with its success.  Joan Secor was beloved and wore her many honors with the dignity of a queen.

History turns it pages as time passes on, and the Secor name changes from an active, vital, living force for idealism among Pelham women to a gravure on a tombstone, a memory to be revered, a force for culture and integrity to be remembered well and truly.  To them all, requiescat in pace."

Source:  THE LAST OF THE LINE, The Pelham Sun, Apr. 14, 1939, Vol. 29, No. 2, p. 2, col. 2.  

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