For Once, Pelham Manor Mainlanders Told City Islanders "No" in 1883

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Throughout much of the 19th century, most of the population of the Town of Pelham lived on City Island -- not on the mainland.  Thus, initiatives to appropriate taxpayer funds for improvements on City Island were nearly always successful.  In contrast, initiatives to appropriate taxpayer funds for improvements on the mainland (including appropriations to repair roads and bridges on the mainland) often failed either at the ballot box or during votes taken at Town meetings controlled by City Island Democrats.  Residents of Pelham Manor, Bartow, Prospect Hill, and Pelhamville grew angrier by the year about their circumstances. As far as they were concerned, "City Island always voted no" regarding appropriations to improve mainland roads and the like.  The battle became one between the islanders and the mainlanders.

Finally, in 1883, the Pelham Manor mainlanders said "no!" -- not in a vote, but in a lawsuit.

At an annual Town meeting that City Islanders ensured was packed with islanders, a vote was held to authorize the Town of Pelham to seek authorization from the Westchester County Board of Supervisors to levy a tax against all Pelham taxpayers to raise $25,000 to repair City Island Bridge and $1,750 for general road purposes, most of which would go to repairing roads on the mainland leading to City Island Bridge.  Pelham Manor residents were furious.  Their roads were in horrendous condition.  They wanted something done.

In 1883, Pelham Manor was not yet a village.  It was "governed" by agreement among the local residents by the Pelham Manor Protective Club, a vigilance club established in 1881.  George H. Reynolds was one of the most prominent members of the club.  In fact, he hosted many meetings of the club in his home.  He served as first President of the club.  In 1883, he served as President again, and was Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Club.  

Residents of Pelham Manor felt that City Island Democrats governed corruptly via "machine" politics.  They felt that the Democratic Machine failed to represent their interests and that, through machine politics, it was able to control the appropriations process and dole out the funds for the principal benefit of City Islanders and the cronies of the Democratic Machine.  Indeed, an anonymous and sarcastic letter to The Chronicle published in Mount Vernon written at about this time claimed as much. See Tue., Jan. 19, 2016:  City Island Always Voted No.  

George H. Reynolds brought a lawsuit against the Supervisor of the Town of Pelham, City Islander James Hyatt, seeking to block any tax levy to fund the bridge and roadway repairs sought by City Island.  The suit alleged that the tax levy should be blocked because appropriations were being handled in an unfair and unequal manner to benefit certain taxpayers at the expense of others.  At some point, perhaps the same time or perhaps later, Reynolds filed a second lawsuit against the Westchester County Board of Supervisors seeking similar relief. 

At first it looked as though the lawsuit against Town Supervisor Hyatt might fail.  According to one news account, a local court initially entered judgment in favor of defendant, rejecting the claims made by Reynolds.  On Saturday, November 3, 1883, however, a local judge entered an order to show cause against the defendant directing that he appear before the court and "show cause why the judgment for the defendant should not be set aside and a reargument ordered."  Moreover, the court enjoined the defendant "from taking further proceedings in the matter until argument on the matter is heard."  It appears from a subsequent news report that, after hearing rearguments, on December 12, 1883 a local New York Supreme Court Justice entered judgment for defendant Hyatt again.  

Newspaper accounts of the day do not specify the nature of the proceedings that followed.  Most likely an appeal was taken from the December 12 decision of the New York Supreme Court (the trial court level in New York). In any event, the attorney for George H. Reynolds (W. R. Lamberton) continued battling on behalf of Pelham Manor Protective Club President George H. Reynolds.  Finally, on Saturday, March 1, 1884, Lamberton filed in both lawsuits (the one against the Pelham Town Supervisor and the one against Westchester County Board of Supervisors) a notice of entry of final judgment in favor of plaintiff George H. Reynolds "for the relief demanded" in the complaints filed in each action.  As one news account put it:  "Those decisions annul the appropriation of $25,000 for City Island Bridge, and that of $1,750 for general road purposes -- both of which were carried at the last town meeting in Pelham."

For once, the mainlanders of Pelham Manor said "no!" -- and it stuck.  For once, they had beaten "The Machine."

1881 Map of the Town of Pelham Showing the Mainland and the Islands

that Comprised the Town Before Annexation. Source:  Bromley, George

Washington & Bromley, Walter Scott, "Town of Pelham, (With) Pelham-

Manor. (From Actual Surveys and Official Records by G.W. Bromley

& Co., Civil Engineers, Published by Geo. W. & Walter S. Bromley,

1881)" in Atlas of Westchester County, New York, From Actual Surveys

and Official Records, pp. 56-57 (Washington, D.C.: G.W. Bromley & Co.

1881).  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

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Transcribed below is the text of a number of news articles concerning the lawsuits filed by George H. Reynolds in 1883.  Each is followed by a citation and link to its source.

"WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

In the suit brought by George H. Reynolds against James Hyatt, Supervisor of the town of Pelham, to restrain the levy of a tax of $25,000 for making repairs to the City Island bridge, Judge Dykman granted an order last Saturday to show cause why the judgment for the defendant should not be set aside and a reargument ordered.  The defendant is also enjoined, by the terms of the order, from taking further proceedings in the matter until argument on the matter is heard."

Source:  WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. Times, Nov. 5, 1883, p. 8, col. 3 (Note:  Paid subscription require to access via this link).

"WESTCHESTER COUNTY
-----
Epitome of the News. . . . 

-- In the suit brought by George H. Reynolds against James Hyatt, supervisor of the town of Pelham, to restrain the levy of a tax of $25,000 for making repairs to the City Island bridge.  Judge Dykman granted an order last Saturday to show cause why the judgment for the defendant should not be set aside, and a re-argument ordered.  The defendant is also enjoined, by the terms of the order, from taking further proceedings in the matter until argument on the matter is heard. . . ."

Source:  WESTCHESTER COUNTY -- Epitome of the News, New Rochelle Pioneer, Nov. 10, 1883, p. 3, cols. 6-7.

"JUDGMENT REVERSED. -- In the action brought by George H. Reynolds against James Hyatt Supervisor of the town of Pelham, the Supreme Court rendered judgment on the 12th day of December last, in favor of the defendant, with costs.  On Saturday an order was entered by the plaintiff's attorney, reversing this judgment and rendering judgment for the plaintiff.  At the same time an order was entered in the action of Reynolds against the Westchester County Board of Supervisors, rendering final judgment for the plaintiff for the relief demanded in the complaint.  Those decisions annul the appropriation of $25,000 for City Island Bridge, and that of $1,750 for general road purposes -- both of which were carried at the last town meeting in Pelham.  The plaintiff has been represented in these suits by W. R. Lamberton, and the defendants by Martin J. Keogh."

Source:  JUDGMENT REVERSED, The Yonkers Statesman, Mar. 3, 1884, Vol. I, No. 94, p. 1, col. 4.  

"PELHAM AND CITY ISLAND. . . . 

On the 12th of December last a judgment was rendered by the Supreme Court in favor of James Hyatt, Supervisor, the defendant in the action brought by George H. Reynolds against him.  On Saturday last the plaintiff's attorney entered an order reversing the judgment and giving judgment for the plaintiff.  Another order was also entered in the suit of Reynolds against the Board of Supervisors of Westchester County, being final judgment for him for the relief demanded in the complaint.  The appropriations of $25,000 for a new bridge at City Island and $1,750 for road purposes are annulled by these judgments. . . .

[I]f there is one appropriation that should be granted more than another it is certainly that one for repairing and grading City Island road and the one for bluestoning that portion of the road from City Island bridge to Marshals corner.  This piece of road has been for weeks past, literally in an impassable condition and no one could be more deeply impressed with the necessity of repairing it than the writer.  From the nature of this piece of road it would be a useless expenditure of money to attempt to repair it, by the method ordinarily employed, of putting clay or sand upon it."

Source:  PELHAM AND CITY ISLAND, The Chronicle [Mount Vernon, NY], Mar. 7, 1884, Vol. XV, No. 755, p. 3, cols. 4-5.

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