Historic Pelham

Friday, March 18, 2016

1894 City Island Newspaper Editorial Addressing Annexation by New York City

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In 1894, the Town of Pelham was on the brink of losing a substantial portion of its territory to annexation by New York City. The largest population center of the town to be affected at the time by the Behemoth's proposed annexation was City Island.

One of the most interesting aspects of the debate over whether residents of City Island would vote in favor of annexation was the complete and utter confusion among virtually everyone (including City Islanders) regarding precisely WHY New York City wanted to swallow up the island.

City Island, frankly, was difficult to reach. In 1894 it was considered to be truly way out "in the country" according to one account. It clearly was "way out" in Long Island Sound.

In 1894, City Islanders had many questions about annexation. It is fascinating, today, to try to think like our forbears and ask the same questions. There were questions nearly a quarter of a decade before in 1870 regarding whether New York City's Tammany Hall wanted to annex City Island and much more of the surrounding region to feed its need for corrupt purposes. In 1894, residents of City Island continued to fear precisely the same thing.

On August 4, 1894, City Island's little local newspaper published an editorial that questioned whether the promises made by New York City to encourage City Islanders to vote in favor of annexation. Interestingly, the editorial asked many of the questions that troubled City Islanders. The editorial provided in part:

"What can she want to possess in this direction? Is it water front? There is plenty of water frontage in other quarters better adapted to the needs of New York than we can lay claim to. Does she want another asylum for the confinement of the insane, her criminals, or her paupers? She wants the nicest spot on the Sound if she wants City Island for that purpose. Does the city want us as more territory for corruption purposes? Does she want more property holders to help bear the presdent indebtedness, and that which soon promises to come to light? The city will not improve facilities for reaching us anyhow. This must come through private enterprise, and will not come until there is a demand for it."
Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog transcribes the entirety of the editorial that appeared in the August 4, 1894 issue of The City Island Drift. The text is followed by a citation and link to its source.

Detail Showing City Island from Map Published in 1893,

Shortly Before Annexation of the Area by New York City.

Source: Source: Bien, Julius R., "Towns of Westchester

and Pelham [with] Villages of Westchester and Unionport

[with] Village of Pelhamville" in Atlas of Westchester County,

New York, Prepared Under the Direction of Joseph R. Bien,

E.M., Civil and Topographical Engineer from Original Surveys

and Official Records, p. 3 (NY, NY: Julius Bien & Co., 1893).

NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.

* * * * *
"Annexation Discussion
-----

The Herald of July 29 has, through a reporter, placed a number of our residents on record concerning the annexation question. But one man is placed on record as against it, he being Mr. Seaman Williams. Three others, Mr. J. O. Fordham, Mr. A. Robertson, and Mr. Henry Piepgras are in favor of the question. J. O. Fordham is made to say that he favors annexation but gives no reasons. Mr. Robertson is made to say that 'Annexation cannot fail to improve the island, and improve the facilities for reaching it. Such improvements would certainly increase business.' As to the last sentence we agree; but concerning the clause, 'improve the facilities for reaching it' we disagree. New York will not improve the facilities for reaching us unless there is something here that it would be for her interests to possess, and this can be acquired without annexation. What can she want to possess in this direction? Is it water front? There is plenty of water frontage in other quarters better adapted to the needs of New York than we can lay claim to. Does she want another asylum for the confinement of the insane, her criminals, or her paupers? She wants the nicest spot on the Sound if she wants City Island for that purpose. Does the city want us as more territory for corruption purposes? Does she want more property holders to help bear the presdent indebtedness, and that which soon promises to come to light? The city will not improve facilities for reaching us anyhow. This must come through private enterprise, and will not come until there is a demand for it. In another issue, we will try to point out why there is no present demand and how to condition matters to cause a demand.

Mr. Piepgras states that 'We want anything which will improve business and I think that annexation will do it. If taxation is increased by annexation, we shall get more for our money than we have ever before received.' As to the first sentence we are at a loss to find any reason. As to the last sentence we are wonderfully in doubt. If the record of the 'annexed district' as it is called, above the Harlem, is any standard of judgment, the prospects are that we would have to wait ages before we got anything for our money.

Improvementsthat the 'annexed district' should have had years ago, are just developing. It is thought that they were paid for once, but property holders find they will have to pay for them again. Besides this district is really a portion of the great metropolis, while we are 'way out in the country' and two hours ride from city hall. If one will take the trouble to examine the material that will show what we have received for our money, we are convinced that he will find that we [are] in better condition than some towns that use more money."

Source: Annexation Discussion, The City Island Drift, Aug. 4, 1894, Vol. 1, No. 30, p. 2, cols. 1-3.

* * * * *

I have written before about New York City's efforts to annex all, or a large portion, of the Town of Pelham during the last few decades of the 19th century. For a few examples, see:

Tue., Mar. 15, 2016: More on New York City's Plans to Annex Pelham and Lower Westchester County in 1870.

Fri., Jan. 29, 2016: Did Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall Have Designs on Pelham and Plans to Annex It to New York City in 1870?

Wed., Jan. 16, 2008: Plans To Annex Pelham and Make It Part of New York City in 1870.

Thu., May 10, 2007: Report That Pelham Favored Annexation of Much of Westchester County by New York City in 1870.

Wed., Apr. 6, 2005: A Behemoth Looks to the Suburbs: Talk of New York City Annexing Pelham As Early As 1870.

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Labels: 1894, Annexation, City Island, Editorial, The City Island Drift

Friday, November 20, 2015

Account of 1894 Fire in One of Pelham's Earliest Newspapers

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In early January, 1894, Orrin F. Fordham established a weekly community newspaper "devoted to the interests of the Town of Pelham and City Island." The newspaper, The City Island Drift, was published on City Island every Saturday morning. The cost of a subscription was "$1.00 per Year in Advance." When the newspaper first began, the earliest issues were offered for one cent per copy, although the newspaper quickly raised its price to two cents per copy.

By February 24, 1894, The City Island Drift had reached a weekly circulation of nearly 200. Consequently, the following week the little newspaper raised its newstand price to two cents a copy. At the time, in addition to a one-year subscription for a $1.00, it was offering subscriptions of six months for fifty cents, and three months for twenty-five cents.

The quick success of The City Island Drift is somewhat surprising and strongly suggests that the growing Town of Pelham was becomingly increasing hungry for local news and a local newspaper devoted solely to Pelham news. The United States suffered the "Panic of 1893" that led to a severe economic depression. During that depression, by some accounts, unemployment in New York State reached an astounded level of 35%. More than 500 banks across the nation failed and were closed. More than 15,000 business failed and countless farms ceased operations. In the midst of all this, Orrin F. Fordham was able successfully to establish a tiny little community newspaper in the Town of Pelham even while recognizing the extent of the economic devastation caused by the depression. In the March 3, 1894 issue of The City Island Drift, he wrote:

"The depressing times through which we have been passing will be felt for a long time to come. Even though more prosperous times should be at hand, the effect of the depression will offset, to a degree, the prosperity." (See page 2).

Extant copies of the newspaper have been digitized and, via optical character recognition technologies, are now available online in full text searchable format via the New York State Historic Newspapers Web site, a project being administered by the Northern New York Library Network in partnership with the NY 3Rs Association, Inc. The entire database is available via http://dev.nyshistoricnewspapers.org.

The database includes 37 issues of The City Island Drift, all published while City Island was still part of the Town of Pelham, before its annexation by New York City was completed in 1895. (Actually, the database includes 38 issues -- a January 22, 1894 "EXTRA" issue is erroneously combined with a February 17, 1894 issue as a single issue.)

Shortly after The City Island Drift first appeared, City Island suffered a significant fire. The newspaper put out an "EXTRA" edition on January 22, 1894 describing the fire, efforts to fight the fire by the local "Minnefor Engine Co.," and including a hand-drawn sketch of the remnants of the building after the fire. The entire EXTRA issue of the newspaper was prepared in long-hand writing (as were a number of the earliest issues of the newspaper).

The fire virtually destroyed Jacob Gruse's Boat House, Saloon and Restaurant on main street, City Island. For some time before the fire, Pelham residents had been engaged in a debate over funding for the volunteer fire fighting units established on City Island and whether such units would really make a difference in stopping significant fires and saving lives and property.

The fire at the Jacob Gruse Boat House, Saloon and Restaurant demonstrated that quick response by local volunteer fire fighters using state-of-the-art equipment (crude by today's standards) could halt such a fire and preserve some of the property involved.

The fire seems to have occurred on or about the evening of January 21, 1894. City Islander Samuel Bell was on his way home and noticed smoke wafting across main street near the structure. Smoke from the restaurant was not unusual, so Bell continued home assuming that a fire was being kindled. Soon after he settled in, he heard another resident shouting "Fire!" and realized what he had seen. He raced to the fire house as others took up his cries of "Fire!" By the time he arrived, however, the horse cart had already departed the fire house on its way to the fire.

Members of the Minneford Hose Company arrived early on the scene, but had trouble removing the rusted cap from a nearby hydrant. After getting the cap off, they were able to begin a stream of water through a window of the burning structure. Soon members of the Minneford Engine Company arrived with their steam pumper which had a good head of steam going. After attaching a siamese connector to permit the use of two hoses, the firefighters disconnected the original hose and began using the steam pumper to inundate the fire with water. Soon, the fire was under control.

The little two-room restaurant and saloon, however, was a wreck. The firemen were able to recover the pocketbook of the wife of the owner within a bureau inside. When they asked the wife of the owner if she wanted the liquor and beer, she said no. The firemen retrieved beer and liquor from the structure and spectators enjoyed the contents. When the firemen emerged with an entire keg of beer, however, the owner's wife demurred and told them to replace the keg as she would prefer to keep it.

The entire contents of the "EXTRA!" edition of The City Island Drift reporting on the fire appear below. The transcription of the entire text of the issue appears immediately below. Following the text, images of each of the four pages of the issue are included.

"[Page 1]

The City Island DRIFT EXTRA! FIRE

Trifold Pub. Co. Publishers City Island, N.Y. Jan. 22nd, 1894 ONE CENT.

FIRE!
-----
Great Fire!!!
-----
Minnefor Engine Co. on hand.
-----

Everybody knows about the fire.

It was J. Gruse's boat house, saloon and restaurant on main street on the 'Meadows Lots.' It did not burn down but it is a complete wreck. It is only fit for firewood now.
-----

As near as we can get to the actual time the fire started is seven o'clock. A number of persons saw the smoke drifting across the road, but no one dreamed of a fire as it is quite a common experience to see smoke persisting in the air about that place.
-----

Mr. Saml. Bell, going home from the Post office and passing there about five minutes past seven, smelled smoke, but thought it was a fire being kindled. He got home & was comfortably seated when he heard Mrs. Lane shouting Fire!

Mr. Bell blowed out the light, locked the door and ran down the street shouting Fire! and a voice, presumably Mr. A. S. Wilson, took up the cry and passed it allong. When Mr. Bell reached the engine house the horse cart was on its way to the fire.

We saw the hose attached to the [illegible] and by the time the engine arrived, a stream had been playing on the fire for some time, and another line of hose was being laid from the hydrant. Thje engine had on a good head of steam by the time the pipes were made fast to the hydrant, the first stream was cast off, and the engine began her noble work. The firemen worked noisily before the first the first streams soon quenched the blaze, as the engines two streams put an end to it.

[Page 2]

The City Island Drift
Published on
City Island, New York.
-----

The Fire!

Our reporter was informed by Mrs. Gruse that Mr. Gruse was away to the city, and no business was being done in the house at the time. The lights were out and no signs of business were visible about the place before the fire broke out. What there was in there to start a fire was not known except the stoves. Some said the stove had upset, but when the fire was out sufficient enough to enter, the stove stood in its place ready to do duty again, if another pipe were furnished it.

The interior of the building on the south side is entirely burned out -- showing the rafters and the sheathing very plainly.

The furniture is more or less charred, some of it being useless, while some of it may be utilized again.

This building is divided into two rooms, the southern room being used for a restaurant and the northern room as a saloon. It was in the southern room that the fire seems to have started, and it is where the most damage is done, confining itself to that room entirely but for a place over the front door of the saloon.

In the restaurant was

[Page 3]

"SCENE OF THE FIRE -- SKETCH BY 'DRIFTS' SPECIAL ARTIST."

Source: FIRE! -- Great Fire!!! -- Minnefor Engine Co. on hand,

The City Island Drift, Jan. 22, 1894, EXTRA, p. 1.

NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.

a bureau in which was Mrs. Gruse's pocketbook. The firemen carried this out and she got her pocket-book. Constable Anderson took her into the saloon and opened the till in which the money was kept, but only one cent was found. She was asked by the constable if she wanted the liquor. She told them no, they could drink it.

Upon receipt of this news another of our constables proceeded to carry out the beer by the box, and many bystanders freely indulged.

A keg of beer was carried out, but it was ordered back again by the owner.

Very few firemen indulged and those not to excess.
-----

More about the Fire in our next issue.

[Page 4]

Fire!

When our reporter arrived at the fire, the blaze was leaping forth with tremendous fury, making the air around, red with its furious glare. The smoke was curling up in great volumes, and it seemed the whole place would be consumed before the hose could be brought to bear on the fire. The Hose Company were there, but the sticky rusted hydrant refused to work as it should. With considerable difficulty the noble boys succeeded in unscrewing the caps to the hydrant, then soon had the hose attached to it and before another minute had [illegible] stream was pouring on the blaze, which felt the effect immediately.

The men at the nozzle had their eyes open, and as soon as they could reasonably leave the worst part, they turned the hose on the window, smashing that and getting at the real seat of the fire.

Soon the engine came up, fired their suction pipe with the 'Saimese,' [sic] attached one side, then cut off the supply from the hose already at work, and started in on its noble work.

The engineer was wide awake and was ready with stream before the pipe was attached to the hydrant.

The firemen, after the first excitement was over, were quite systematic in their work and were quite prompt in obeying the foremans instructions.

The consequence is, the house did not burn down as has been predicted by many of our people.
-----

We are compelled to get our EXTRA out in this shape on account of our force being at the Fire!"

Source: FIRE! -- Great Fire!!! -- Minnefor Engine Co. on hand, The City Island Drift, Jan. 22, 1894, EXTRA, pages 1, 2, 3, 4.