Reminiscences Of Long-Time Pelham Manor Resident Evelyn Randall Published in 1938

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Evelyn Smith Randall and her husband, William Bradley Randall, were important early residents of the Village of Pelham Manor.  The couple began spending their summers in Pelham Manor in a bungalow they built on a lot extending from Park Lane to Beech Tree Lane in the early 1890s when there were only a few homes built on Manor Circle and virtually no other homes between the branch line railroad and Shore Road along Long Island Sound.  In 1896, the couple moved to Pelham Manor permanently and expanded their bungalow into a beautiful home named the "Hermitage."  

The Hermitage, Home of William B. and Evelyn Randall in

Pelham Manor for Many Years.  The Home No Longer

Stands.  Source:  Courtesy of The Office of The Historian

of the Town of Pelham.  NOTE:  Click Image to Enlarge.

I have written about William B. Randall, Evelyn Randall, and their home, the Hermitage, on a number of occasions.  See:

Thu., Apr. 30, 2015:  Obituaries of William B. Randall, a Notable Pelham Manor Resident, and Information About His Family and Home.  

Fri., Apr. 29, 2005:  Mr. and Mrs. William Bradley Randall And Their Pelham Home Known as The Hermitage. 

Tue., Jul. 10, 2007:  An Early Event in the History of Pelhamwood. 

Fri., Jul. 17, 2009:  Brief Biography of William B. Randall of Pelham Manor Published in 1900. 

Thu., Oct. 23, 2014: A Mystery: The Club House Built by the Pelham Shore Improvement Company.

In 1938, Evelyn Randall wrote a pair of articles published in the local newspaper, The Pelham Sun, recording her reminiscences of her early days in Pelham Manor.  She and her husband were active members of the community.  Consequently, Evelyn Randall's reminiscences touch on a host of historical matters including early development of the Park Lane and Beech Tree Lane area, the transition from horses to automobiles, the early days of the Manor Club and the Tuesday Afternoon Club, the origins of Wykagyl Country Club, and the origins of today's Pelham Country Club.  

Mrs. Randall's reminiscences provide a fascinating glimpse of life in Pelham Manor during a simpler, more rural time.  The text of her two articles appears immediately below.  Each is followed by a citation and link to its source.

"EARLY DAYS IN PELHAM MANOR

By EVELYN RANDALL (Mrs. Wm. B. Randall)

Reminiscences of an oldtime Pelham Manor resident, presenting an intimate and charming picture of life in the early days of the village.
-----

This article, the first in a series of two, written by Mrs. William B. Randall of Park Lane, longtime resident of Pelham Manor, will make its appeal to both old and new residents of the community.  To the former group, it will doubtless recall many pleasant memories and associations of other days, and to the newer residents it will serve to bring a vivid picture of what Pelham Manor was like in the days before the turn of the century and in the years that followed.  Mrs. Randall, long a prominent resident, has with Mr. Randall for many years taken a leading part in the social and club activity and general life of the community.  A woman of cultured tastes, her influence has long been felt in the Manor Club.

Early Days in Pelham Manor

When we were young, Mr. Randall and I used to enjoy traveling up from the City to see the Spring Games at the New York Athletic Club, and as we walked past Christ's Church and along the thickly shaded country road toward the railroad station [i.e., today's Pelhamdale Avenue] we thought that Pelham Manor must look like rural England, and that we should like to live in it.  

After we were married we did come to Pelham Manor where we acquired a modest lot on Park Lane.  

When children came the problem of where to go for the Summer became so urgent that we built a bungalow on our lot and we spent several Summers there before enlarging it for our year-round home in 1896.  [This is the origin of the home on Park Lane known as "The Hermitage."]  

Early Troubles

When we first came to the country, I was afraid of tramps, of the dark woods, of the noise of the hoot owls, in fact of everything.

If Mr. Randall were detained late in town I would go to bed with a pistol and a candle on a chair by my bedside.  In my nervousness I might easily have shot someone by mistake.  

In those first years we suffered many inconveniences.  We had neither water, gas, sewer, electricity, nor sidewalk, and of course, no telephone.  The narrow road had a layer of stone at the bottom but it needed several layers more before it could be called a road.  The road ended at our property and later on Mr. Randall extended the road down to the Sound at his own expense.  

Our land was very rough, it had never been subdued or cultivated in any way.  We struggled long to make a lawn, and had a gang of men with grub hoes to dig up the stones and rocks and level it off.  

In the fields adjoining, weeds and grasses grew as high as one's head, and one day our little daughter, Phoebe wandered down a tiny path and was lost for hours.  She was finally picked up by the carpenter and brought home.  We also were devoured by mosquitoes.  

In our year-round house we proudly put in one of the first hot water heating systems, the first pure white kitchen, and one of the first sleeping porches.  

As soon as we came to live in Pelham Manor, Mr. Randall joined the sewer commission.  We also struggled to put in water and gas and each achievement would seem like an exciting adventure.

As a reward for his efforts, Mr. Randall was elected a trustee of the village and he finally became President.  During his term an amusing incident occurred.

An Amusing Incident

One warm Summer evening at about nine o'clock, a gentleman wandered into the little old station at Pelham Manor to take the Branch Line train of the New Haven, to New York.  He was intoxicated after spending a happy day with his friends among the 'Indians' on Huckleberry Island, and he failed to make the train which was moving slightly.  He fell to the ground and our policeman, Joseph Colgan, and Mr. Harry Dey ran out on the track to assist him.  Unfortunately, he mistook them for robbers and to their horror drew out his gun.  They thought it unwise to force the matter to an issue and the intoxicated man walked the supposed 'robbers' all the way to the Athletic Club at the point of his pistol.  The man, later on, was identified, arrested and fined and after being lectured by the Rev. John H. Dey, editor of the Evangelist, on the evils of drink, he was glad to evaporate.

Spreading Out

Soon after we built our year-'round home we built a stable and began to keep horses.  We took on a coachman and a gardener and two maids and we laid out flower and vegetable gardens.  We also built cowshed and purchased a cow which unfortunately proceeded to run dry.  We purchased coops and a runway for chickens but as we did not understand chickens they soon failed to lay and we ate them.  There was a long, succession of dogs, large and small, and our boats ran from row boats up to power boats.  We also bought adjoining land until we owned five acres.  It was all in the game.  

The Old Manor Club

Our principal amusement, evenings, in those early days was going to the old Manor Club for dances, entertainments, pool and cards.  

Although the clubhouse was small, seating barely one hundred, our affairs had quite an air of smartness.  

People wore evening dress, the women wore long white gloves and at dances the men wore gloves.  I remember that Mr. Randall had eight pairs at once, and Mrs. Corlies would bring me a package of white gloves every year from Paris.  

The old Manor Club was restricted by the deed of gift of the land from having or serving alcoholic beverages and we were constantly troubled to make welsh-rarebits without beer.  The 'he men' of the period also complained at our mild refreshments of ice cream and cake and all this had a bearing on the success of the new Country Club where anything could be had to drink.  

The Tuesday Afternoon Club

One of the very best things that ever happened for the women of Pelham Manor was the founding of the Tuesday Afternoon Club in 1900.  This club was a modest little reading group.  It grew with the growth of the village until in 1914, when the Old Manor Club was about to expire it 'took over' the old club, and made it a regulation women's club with sections for the study of various subjects.  

The present Manor Club is a valued factor in the lives of the women of the Pelhams, enabling them to exercise their talents whether cultural or executive and to make and cement friendships.

Mrs. James F. Secor was the leading spirit in these two women's clubs, and she was the beloved president of one and then of the other during a period of no less than twenty-five years.  

Ed. Note:  The second and last article by Mrs. Randall presenting her reminiscences of other days, will appear in next week's issue of The Pelham Sun."

Source:  Randall, Evelyn, EARLY DAYS IN PELHAM MANOR By EVELYN RANDALL (Mrs. Wm. B. Randall) Reminiscences of an oldtime Pelham Manor resident, presenting an intimate and charming picture of life in the early days of the village, The Pelham Sun, Jul. 29, 1938, p. 7, cols. 1-2.  

"EARLY DAYS IN PELHAM MANOR
By EVELYN RANDALL (Mrs. Wm. B. Randall)
-----

This is the second and last article written by Mrs. Randall long a resident of Pelham Manor , in which she has presented a vivid and intimate picture of life in the village of days gone by.

Early Automobiling

About 1910, when a few automobiles began to be owned in Pelham Manor, we still clung to our horses.  

At that time people used to put up their cars in Winter, featuring to have them freeze or get blocked in a snow drift.

It used to give us considerable inward glee on cold, Winter mornings to see these rich and bloated owners of cars standing shivering on street corners waiting trustfully for the 'Toonerville Trolley' to take them to their train while we drove gaily by, nestling in fur robes, our sleigh bells jingling and red tassels waving.  If there happened to be room we would invite one or two to ride.

The Pelham Country Club

It may surprise you to learn that the original Pelham Country Club rented some farm land on the easterly side of Fowler avenue for a nine hole golf course in the early years of golf.  

After a time the land was sold and the club was forced to remove.  The old Disbrow farm on North avenue ,New Rochelle was rented and finally purchased and an eighteen hole course was built.  

The leading spirits were the men from Pelham Manor, though new members soon increased the membership.  The first three presidents were from Pelham Manor, Martin J. Condon, Paul Heubner and William B. Randall who also became life members.

The name Wykagyl was substituted by William K. Gillett who discovered a native Indian tribe associated with that neighborhood.  

About that time there was a tennis club in Pelham Manor which had its home at the Iden Mansion on Wolf's Lane, where they had six tennis courts.  

In 1908 this cljub decided to expand and they chose the present site of the Pelham Country Club.  

The property was the much despised Spreen Swamp which Mr. George Lahey described as 'a repository for discarded iron beds, boilers and tin cans and debris of every description.'  Drainage from half of Pelham Manor flowed into it; it contained a peat bed, quick sands and a swamp where frogs, snakes and mosquitoes flourished.  

With infinite courage and tenacity and at great expense, this unlovely spot 'has been transformed into a lovely park with fine trees, shrubs and running brooks, where formerly there was only rough terrain and stagnant water.'  A full length golf course was finally completed within the village.

This great undertaking was accomplished under the leadership of Mont D. Rogers, Edmjund E. Sinclair and William B. Randall, faithfully supported by the Board of Governors and the entire membership.

I quote again:  'After the construction of the golf course, Pelham Manor property in the vicinity that had been offered at $4,000 per acre, eventually sold as high as $40,000 per acre greatly increasing the wealth of the owners.'

The Pelham Country Club has been a boon to its members giving them health and pleasure."

Source:  Randall, Evelyn, EARLY DAYS IN PELHAM MANOR By EVELYN RANDALL (Mrs. Wm. B. Randall), The Pelham Sun, Aug. 6, 1938, p. 6, cols. 7-8.  

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Obituaries of William B. Randall, a Notable Pelham Manor Resident, and Information About His Family and Home

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William Bradley Randall and his wife, Evelyn Smith Randall, lived for many years in a home they called The Hermitage located at 1385 Park Lane on a large plot of land that extended from Park Lane through to today's Beech Tree Lane in the estate section of Pelham Manor.  After Ther Hermitage was razed in the mid-20th century, the Randalls' land was subdivided and a number of homes were built on the site that now stand between Park Lane and Beech Tree Lane near Pelham's border with Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx.

William B. Randall was one of the most notable citizens of the Village of Pelham Manor in the early 20th century.  His wife, Evelyn, was a social force in the Village and was an important member of The Manor Club for much of her life until her death at the age of 94 in 1955.

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog transcribes the text of a number of obituaries of William Bradley Randall, includes a photograph of The Hermitage, includes the text of a couple of wedding announcements describing the wedding of the couple's daughter at The Hermitage during World War I, and transcribes the text of a brief biography of Evelyn Randall published in 1914.

"Deceased The Late WILLIAM B. RANDALL"

Source:  WM. B. RANDALL EARLY PRESIDENT OF

MANOR DIES, The Pelham Sun, Mar. 22, 1940, 

Vol. 29, No. 51, p. 1, col. 3.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

"WM. B. RANDALL EARLY PRESIDENT OF MANOR DIES
-----
Took an Active Interest in Development of Pelham Manor for More Than 40 Years.
-----

William Bradley Randall, 82, former official of the Village of Pelham Manor, who was one of the pioneers of development of the residential village, died on Saturday at his home No. 15 Gramercy Park, New York City, where he had lived for the last two years.  Death followed a brief illness.  His Pelham Manor home was on Park Lane.

Mr. Randall was president of the Security Transfer and Registrar Company of No. 39 Broadway.  He had been trust officer of the Knickerbocker Trust Company from 1889 until he organized his own business in 1907.  He was also a vice-president of the Amalgamated Picohe Mines and Smelter Corporation, a director of the Bankers National Life Insurance Company, and former director of the Marine Midland Trust Company.  

Mr. Randall was born at South Lee,, Mass., the son of Abel Bradley Randall and Ann E. Ormsby Randall.  

When Mr. Randall and his family moved to Pelham Manor more than 40 years ago, there was neither water, gas, electricity or trolley service in the village.  A few weeks after his arrival here, Mr. Randall organized a committee to plan a new sewer system for the village.  Since that time, is [sic] committee, as an official, and as an individual citizen, he ccontinued his effort to make Pelham Manor an attractive residential community.  

Mr. Randall served as President of the village in 1902, and continued close association with its affairs subsequently as chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Planning Commission.  He resigned two years ago, when he took up permanent residence in New York City.

Mr. Randall was one of the founders of the Pelham Country Club and was elected a life mem-

(Continued on Page 4)

W. B. RANDALL, FORMER VILLAGE OFFICIAL DIED IN NEW YORK
-----
(Cointinued From Page One)

ber.  He served as its treasurer for 17 years.  He was also one of the founders and a life member of the Wykagyl Country Club.  He served as president of the Wykagyl Club in 1912 and 1913.  He was the founder and first president of the Hampton Roads Golf Club, a charter and life member of the National Arts Club, a member of India House in New York City Railroad Club and the Downtown Athletic Club.  

Mr. Randall also was a director of the Southern States Lumber Co., Old Point Comfort Improvement Co., and Hurricane Lodge, in the Adirondacks.

Mr. Randall served for 20 years as a director of the Mount Vernon Trust Co.  He had been president of the Security, Transfer and Register Co. of New York City, a director of the Coal & Iron National Bank, the Puritan Mortgage Co., and was a director of the Chamber of Commerce of Westchester County.

He served as president and treasurer of the old Manor Club, which preceded the present organization.  

Surviving are the widow, Mrs. Evelyn Smith Randall, a son Bradley Randall and a daughter, Mrs. Vernon Radcliffe, of Pelham Manor.

The funeral service was held on Monday afternoon at St. George's Protestant Episcopal Church, East 16th street, New York City."

Source:  WM. B. RANDALL EARLY PRESIDENT OF MANOR DIES, The Pelham Sun, Mar. 22, 1940, Vol. 29, No. 51, p. 1, col. 3 & p. 4, cols. 4-6.

"WILLIAM BRADLEY RANDALL
----

The death of William Bradley Randall, removes from the list of old Pelham residents, one who had a great deal to do with the planning and development of the Pelhams as a high-class residential suburb.  He took a great deal of pride in the growth of Pelham, and was a zealous guardian of its residential interests.

From a very close friend, The Pelham Sun has received the following tribute:

'The death of our beloved fellow-townsman, William B. Randall has shocked us beyond expression.  Pelham has lost one of her great citizens, who will be sorely missed when vital questions confront the people.  His principles were interwoven with the sacred ideals of the early settlers of Pelham and these he defended strongly and stubbornly.  He was loath to follow the new communistic ideas which for a time have excited the American people.  He had a wonderful capacity for judging correctly the trend of the times, but he could never sympathize with the viewpoint of the radical socialist.

Aristocratic in his bearings, he portrayed in the highest degree the ideal of the old-time gentleman.  Yet he always exercised careful consideration for the opinions of his fellow men, weighing their judgment without bias.  He was gifted with a well-ordered mind which enabled him to decide methodically and logically the perplexing problems that were continually confronting him.  

He will remain indwelt in our memory for many years, and it is the hope of all of us that his mantle will fall upon one deserving of that distinguished honor.'"

Source:  WILLIAM BRADLEY RANDALL, The Pelham Sun, Mar. 22, 1940, Vol. 29, No. 51, p. 2, col. 1.  

The Hermitage, Home of William B. and Evelyn Randall in

Pelham Manor for Many Years.  Source:  Courtesy of The

Office of The Historian of The Town of Pelham.

The Hermitage, pictured above, once stood at 1385 Park Lane in the Beech Tree Lane section of the Village of Pelham Manor.  It was, for many years, the home of William Bradley Randall, his wife (Evelyn), and their two children.  The home was the scene of the wedding of the couple's daughter, Phoebe Randall, at the height of World War I on February 12, 1918.  Below is the text of two brief announcements of the wedding.

"RADCLIFFE -- RANDALL.

Officers of the United States Signal Corps and several college professors attended the wedding of Miss Phoebe Randall, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Bradley Randall, to Vernon Radcliffe, who is connected with the photographic division of the aviation department of the United States Signal Corps.  The ceremony took place at the Hermitage, the country home of the bride's parents, on Park lane, Pelham Manor, N. Y.  It was performed by Rev. William L. Sullivan, pastor of All Souls' Church, Manhattan.

It was a simple military wedding, because the bridegroom expects to be called to France on short notice.  The bride's only attendant was Miss Katherine Seymour, and her brother, Bradley Randall, was best man."

Source:  SOCIAL AND PERSONAL . . . RADCLIFFE--RANDALL, The Yonkers Statesman, Feb. 13, 1918, p. 5, col. 1.  

"Wedding of Miss Phoebe Randall to Vernon Radcliffe.

An out-of-town wedding of this afternoon which has a very decided interest for Brooklyn society is that of Miss Phoebe Randall to Vernon Radcliffe, son of Mrs. James Anderson of Manhattan, formerly of 201 Lafayette avenue, Brooklyn.  Mrs. Radcliffe, who before her marriage was Miss Elizabeth Wills Vernon, comes from the old Brooklyn family of that name.  Her son was graduated from Amherst class of 1911 and is now connected with the signal work of the United States Aviation Corps.  The wedding was hurried on account of Mr. Radcliffe's orders.  Miss Randall is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Bradley Randall of Pelham Manor, N. Y.  She attended Miss Master's School at Dobbs Ferry, N. Y.  The hour of the wedding which occurred at the Hermitage, the bride's home in Pelham Manor, was 3:30, the Rev. William L. Sullivan of All Souls' Church officiating.

Miss Randall's only attendent [sic] was her maid of honor, Miss Katherine Seymour, the bride's brother Bradley Randall, acting as best man for Mr. Radcliffe.

Bride roses, palms and smilax decorated the house.  Miss Randall's gown was of rich cream brocade and duchess lace, a family heirloom.  Her veil was also of the duchest lace and she carried lillies of the valley and bride roses.  

Only relatives and intimate friends witnessed the ceremony."

Source:  Brooklyn Society:  Wedding of Miss Phoebe Randall to Vernon Radcliffe, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Feb. 12, 1918, p. 7, col. 1.  

Immediately below is the text of a brief biography of Evelyn Smith Randall published in 1914, followed by a citation and link to its source.

"RANDALL, Evelyn (Mrs. William Bradley Randall, Park Lae, Pelham Manor, N.Y.

Born N.Y. City, 1860; dau. Addison P. and Phoebe (Cargill) Smith; ed. N. Y. City public schools; m. 1888, William Bradley Randall; children:  Jerome, Bradley, Phoebe.  Mem. Mary Washington Colonial Chapter D.A.R. (cor. sec.); treas.  Pelham Summer Home for Children.  Clubs:  Tuesday Afternoon, National Arts, MacDowell, N. Y. Browning.  Recreations:  Walking, music, art, literature.  Favors woman suffrage; mem. Suffrage League of New Rochelle, N. Y."

Source:  Leonard, John William, ed., Woman's Who's Who of America - A Biographical Dictionary of Contemporary Women of the United States and Canada, 1914-1915, p. 671 (NY, NY:  The American Commonwealth Co., 1914).

*          *          *          *          *

I have written about William Bradley Randall, his wife Evelyn Smith Randall, and their home known as The Hermitage on a number of occasions.  For examples, see:

Fri., Apr. 29, 2005:  Mr. and Mrs. William Bradley Randall And Their Pelham Home Known as The Hermitage.

Tue., Jul. 10, 2007:  An Early Event in the History of Pelhamwood.

Fri., Jul. 17, 2009:  Brief Biography of William B. Randall of Pelham Manor Published in 1900.

Thu., Oct. 23, 2014:  A Mystery:  The Club House Built by the Pelham Shore Improvement Company.

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."

Reminiscences of Pelham Manor in 1910, Published in 1931

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It may seem unimaginable today, but there was a time not so long ago when stray cows blocked traffic on Pelhamdale Avenue, sheep and goats grazed on a hill overlooking Shore Road and the Long Island Sound, and every home in the area had its share of horses, pigs, chickens, ducks, guinea-fowl, pigeons, rabbits, bees, dogs and cats. 
 

During the depths of the Great Depression in 1931, the Pelham Sun published a brief and romanticized reminiscence penned by local resident Mary Hall Blymyer who described Pelham Manor from the Branch Line train tracks to the Long Island Sound in 1910.  Her recollections paint a lovely picture of an area that had not yet shed its rural character and had not yet become the suburban bedroom community that we know today.
 

Ms. Blymyer's recollections are transcribed below, followed by a citation to their source and a note about one of her references.
 

 

 

Detail from 1910 Map Showing the Area of Pelham Manor

About Which Mary Hall Blymyer Wrote in Her Reminiscences.

Source:  Atlas of Westchester County, New York, Volume

One, From Actual Surveys and Official Plans by George

W. and Walter S. Bromley, Civil Engineers, Plate 19 "Part

of the City of New Rochelle Ward 2" (Philadelphis, PA:

G.W. Bromley & Co., 1910).
 

"OVERLOOKING THE SOUND IN 1910
By Mary Hall Blymyer

The beautiful view of the Sound to be had from the hill above the Shore Road, is seldom seen by residents of the Manor and few of them remember how lovely it was in 1910; the blue water seen over a foreground of rocks and dark Italian-looking cedars.  About that time the wreck of a schooner lay off Pass Rock, more picturesque than the bathing sheds which now cover it.  Stargin's [sic, i.e. "Starin's"] boats were then bringing crowds of east-siders to Glen Island where in summer they had picnics on the grass beneath the castle towers of 'Little Germany,' where today a thousand cars park while their owners disport themselves in Lido-like costumes on the fine Park beach.  Then, there were sail-boats on the Sound in summer and a few steamers, where now there is a nightly procession of steamers going to Boston and Fall River and scores of power-boats and yachts taking their owners from down-town New York, to their palatial homes along the Sound.

In those days, what looked like a forest stretched across Twin Island -- this was a favorite walk with the old residents who, as they sat on the rocky shore, congratulated themselves on having such a beauty spot so near.  The Shore Road was narrow and poorly paved, blocked in winter with snow-drifts; now thousands of autos crowd the road on fine days.

In 1910 Mr. Elbert Roosevelt with his mother and daughter lived on the hill.  The old Roosevelt farm house, where Roosevelts had lived for over one hundred years, still stood on the Shore Road, a row of stately pines marching up the hill along 'Roosevelt Lane' leading from it.  Two of the last of these giants came down in the recent storm.  Next to the farmhouse was the 'Field and Marine Club' -- 'a Field Club when the tide was out and the flats bare, a Marine Club when the tide was in.'  When the club languished, because Manorites were not sufficiently marine, the place was named 'Cove House' and rented to Mr. Dorrance.

The Roosevelt estate began to break up about this time; the first house was built by Mr. Brinkerhoff, another by Mr. Blymyer and later one by Mr. Kelly.  After the death of Mr. Roosevelt in 1911, the Lawtons came to live with Mrs. Roosevelt and her daughter, and in 1913 Mr. Cole bought the estate and made it one of the show places of the County, planting thousands of trees, shrubs, blubs [sic], and making a sunken rose-garden.  

In those days Pelham Manor had good train service from its handsome stone station:  we indulged in dreams of the time when the Harlem Branch would deliver us at the Pennsylvania Station.  Today there are no trains, the handsome station is boarded up -- the only way one can reach the other side is by crossing six tracks or walking down to Pelhamdale avenue.  Pelham Manor must now go to the Pelham station, own a limousine and chauffeur or use the humble Toonerville trolley.  In those days we walked to the Manor station, taking a short cut across what is now the Munro Hubbard place, then through a grove of giant beeches where, in the spring, the ground was covered with violets and anemones.  Where now Park Lane boasts two rows of handsome houses, one passed but two between the Randall's and the railroad:  the old Longley home and the house of Capt. Beach.

About 1913 Alexander Laing, author of 'End of Roaming,' came to live on the hill and could be seen riding round on a scooter or skidding down hill on a shingle.  Children came to the hill with sleds and skis from far and near, in wintry weather.  The two Dorrance children attended school with difficulty in the winter, climbing the icy hill sometimes on hands and knees.

For a time we were 'truly rural' on the hill.  Flocks of sheep grazed on the grass, there were lambs in the spring and city folk, driving out, sat on the rocks and watched them.  Besides the sheep, we had horses, pigs, chickens, ducks, guinea-foul [sic], pigeons, rabbits, bees, dogs and cats, who squeeled [sic], clucked, crowed and barked.  The rabbits ate the lettuce, the cats ate the birds and young chicks; the dogs chased the cats, bit the milkman, the postman and finally the policeman -- a singular lack of judgment on the part of the dog.  ('Die like a dog, march on' -- he said.)  Sometimes the pigs got out and all able bodied males on the hill gave chase.  When this singular animal is chased it becomes hysterical and runs fleetly, screaming wildly.  On one occasion a large porker ran between the legs of a dignified resident of the hill, who sat down suddenly while piggy sped away.  A boy scout meeting, being held at the Trowbridge's adjourned in haste; scouts leaped from door and windows and joined the fray and a sprightly scene ensued never duplicated in these dull days!

Well, well, those robust days are over!  Gone from our midst are Mr. Laing's cow, which blocked traffic on Pelhamdale avenue, Mr. Cole's pigs and sheep, gone are chickens, goats going are cats and pigeons, the 436 dogs of Pelham Manor would never dream of biting a policeman, whatever they might do to the milkman who comes before daylight.  Instead of those simple rural sounds we now have the neighbors [sic] 'loud speakers' which bellow, yelp, roar, squeal and bleat, so that our once peaceful village sounds like an annex to a lunatic asylum."

Source:     Blymyer, Mary Hall, OVERLOOKING THE SOUND IN 1910, The Pelham Sun, Apr. 17, 1931, p. 13, cols. 1-2. 

The reference at the end of the article quoted above to "the neighbors [sic] 'loud speakers' which bellow, yelp, roar, squeal and bleat, so that our once peaceful village sounds like an annex to a lunatic asylum" is interesting.  It clearly is a reference to outdoor loudspeakers that were installed in 1930 at "Hollywood Gardens," a restaurant, dance hall and speakeasy that was located on Shore Road in the old estate built by James Augustus Suydam.  The noise from those loudspeakers that were used by the establishment to lure patrons from other establishments on Shore Road was a major headache for Pelham Manor residents at the time.  For more information, see Broadcast Ends at Police Order, The Pelham Sun, Aug. 29, 1930, p. 2, col. 4.  See also Mon., Mar. 03, 2014:  The Suydam Estate known as “Oakshade” on Shore Road in the Town of Pelham, built by James Augustus Suydam.     

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William B. Randall was a noted resident of Pelham Manor in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  He had a house that stood between today's Beech Tree Lane and Park Lane near the Village border with Pelham Bay Park.  The house no longer stands. 

Below is a brief biography of Randall published in 1900.  The text is followed by a citation to its source.

"RANDALL, WILLIAM B. -- Banker, 66 Broadway, New York City; residence Pelham Manor.  Born in South Lee Berkshire Co., Mass., Oct. 2, 1859.  Educated at Prospect School, Bridgeport, Conn. (Married.)  Trust officer Knickerbocker Trust Co.  Treasurer Southern States Lumber Co.; treasurer and director Gorham Coal Co.; secretary and director Laguna Valley Co., and Hampton Roads Hotel Co.; secretary Ashtabula Water Co.; director Suburban Land Improvement Co.; trustee village of Pelham Manor.  Member National Arts Club."

Source:  Biographical Directory of the State of New York 1900, p. 391 (NY, NY:  Biographical Directory Co. 1900).

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