But list the hour sounds to depart, And thy bright shores we leave with pain; While life or thought or hope remain ; And often shall I think of thee, Thou mildly beauteous Croton Lake. "The supplies of the Croton are derived exclusively from the elevated region of the Highlands, in Westchester county and Putnam, being furnished by the pure springs which so remarkably characterize the granitic formation of this region. Many of the ponds and lakes from which it is maintained, are, three or four hundred acres in extent, and as large as 1000 acres all these ponds are surrounded by clear upland shores, which furnish soft and clear water. Half a gallon of water taken from the Croton at Wood's bridge, yielded by evaporation, 2,333 grains residuum, in the following proportions: Prior to the erection of the dam, shad fish annually ascended the river some miles above the present lake. The fishing is now entirely confined to trout, perch, and other fresh water fish. In 1800 it was proposed to render the Croton river navigable, from its mouth to Pine's bridge. The following report of the engineers is entitled: "Estimate of expense to make the Croton river navigable for boats of two " This brings us to Pine's bridge. Here we find 18 obstructions, such as small rapids, fish wares, stony, &c. &c. The cost of which is estimated at £ 60 100 80 250 150 110 30 230 £1650 Pine's Bridge crosses the lake about one mile above the dam. On the south side of the Croton is a small settlement bearing the name of Crotonville, which contains a Methodist church, a Friends' meeting house, two stores, a tavern, a post office, and several scattered dwellings. The old bridge was situated west of the present structure, and served, during the Revolution, as the principal communication between the lines. Here the Americans generally kept a strong guard for the purpose of affording timely notice of an enemy's approach. It was also a place of rendezvous, as appears from the following orders: "Manor of Cortlandt, 12th Nov., 1781. "Lieutenant Purdy, you are commanded to march 24 of your men, well armed and equipt with six days provision, to Pine's Bridge, by to-morrow morning at 8 o'clock, with all the teams. in your company. "SAMUEL DRAKE, Colonel." · Danforth's, 8 o'clock in the evening. "Sir-I have this moment received intelligence that the enemy are out as far as Young's. I shall be at the Bridge, ready to march, at 2 o'clock, and wish to have all the militia in Crompond mustered and at the Bridge by that time. "I am, sir, your most obedient servant, "WILLIAM HULL, Lieut. Colonel. "P. S.-I beg you to send to Major Strang's and Captain Drakes." "On the morning of the 25th of June, 1779, the British light horse, and about 1000 infantry, were at Pine's Bridge." General Heath "ordered 200 light infantry, under the command of Lt. Col. Grosvenor, to march to Robinson's stores, near Marpoach Pond, to cover that quarter."a 21st of October, 1780, "intelligence was received that the enemy were meditating an excursion as far up as Crompond and its vicinity, to sweep off the cattle." General Heath "immediately ordered Colonel Hazen, with a detachment of 500 men, to move to Pine's Bridge, and Lieut. Col. Jameson, with the 2d light dragoons, to move from Bedford towards Col. Hazen. The detachment arrived at Pine's Bridge about 10 o'clock the sameevening, and Colonel Jameson with the dragoons at about 2 o'clock the next morning. The evening of the 23d, Col. Hazen returned with the detachment; the enemy did not come out."b It was in the vicinity of Pine's Bridge that Enoch Crosby, the Westchester spy, first commenced his career of secret service. By way of a general geographical description of Yorktown, it may be observed, "that the north is broken by the hills of the southern border of the Highlands, and the general surface is hilly, though its hills are of a moderate height in the south." The numerous streams supply abundance of mill seats. "The soil is generally productive, and well distributed into arable, pasture and meadow lands. Much of it is stony; and previous to the late introduction of gypsum as a manure, many farms were nearly exhausted by constant tillage." The timber is very thrifty and tall, consisting for the most part of oak, chesnut, hickory and walnut, &c. The low grounds yield maple, black birch, ash and hemlock, &c. The first entry relating to town officers occurs in the manor book, entitled, "Record for the manor of Cortlandt and Yorktown." "At a town meeting held for ye manor of Cortlandt, on the first Tuesday, in April, in the year of our Lord, 1760, to choose town officers for ye said manor for the ensuing year, and the respective names and offices of those chosen." Pierre van Cortlandt, Supervisor, Moses Travis, Clerk, Heath's Mem. 206. b Ibid. 260. • Spafford's Gazetteer of New York. d Ibid. Joseph Sherwood, Treasurer, Daniel Strang, Joseph Tidd, Assessors. Joseph Travis, for the Water Collector at Peekskill, John Travis, Pounder, Jeremiah Drake, Constable for the west part, John Yeomans, for ye middle part, John Purdy, for ye east part, &c.a See Rec. of Yorktown. The names of some twenty freeholders are also attached to the list. YONKERS. YONKERS is situated on the east bank of the Hudson, immediately above New York island, seventeen miles north of New York, one hundred and thirty south of Albany, and ten southwest of White Plains; bounded north by Greenburgh, east by Eastchester and a small angle of Westchester, or by Bronx's River; south by West Farms and New York county, and west by the Hudson River. It extends near eight miles along the Hudson, and has a medial width of near three miles. The name of this town, at different periods written Younkers, Younckers, Jonkers and Yonkers, is derived from the Dutch "Jonker" or "Jonkheer," ineaning in that language the "young gentleman," a common appellation for the heir of a Dutch family.a Yonkers and the Mile Square constituted a township within the great manor of Philipsburgh, until the year 1779, when the manor was confiscated and conveyed to the people of this state. A. D. 1788, the present township was independently organized.b Thirty years after the Dutch discovery of the New Netherlands, A. D. 1639, we find the Dutch West India Company purchasing lands in this town of the native Indian sachems. "Appeared before me, Cornelis van Tienhoven, secretary of the New Netherlands, Fecquemeck, Rechgawac, Packanniens, owners of Kekeshick, which they did freely convey, cede, &c. &c. to the behoof of the General Incorporated West India Company, which lies over against the flats of the Island of Manhates, mostly east and west, beginning at the source of the said Kill till over against the high hill of the flat lands-to wit, by the great Kill, together with all the rights, estate and title to them, the grantees, ■ Benson's Mem. of N. Y. Act passed 7th March, 1788. Rev. Stat. vol. iii. 286. VOL. II. 51 |