Wl1r 1I1nrrst I1t11s Iu11rttu 3Jl'llt'ut Jitlls, Ijjul1!L 3Jslal1b
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
wl1r 1I1nrrst I1t11s iu11rttu 3Jl'llt'ut Jitlls, iJjUl1!l 3Jslal1b Vol. 10 m ~ r i 1l tm a1l Numbl'r. iJl'tl'mbpr 13. 1924 No.6 History of Forest Hills from Days of the Indians N ames of Whitepot and H opedale Discarded - Interesting Stories of Early Times. P rogress Toward Larger Things and Recent Grow th of Community <J3y LUCY ALLE N SMART F the name of Fcrest flills had to be changed to Whitepot Thompson, in the fir st ed ition of his monumental "History of I or Whiteput, which name would receive the higher number Long Island" (1839), gives these as Metoac, Mectowack, of votes among the present residents? An equally inter,est Meitowax, Matanwake, and Seawanhacky, or "Island of Shells." ing and debatable Question is whether the original name was The Dutch named Long Island, "Lange Eylandt," whence the Whitepot or Whiteput. There is a tradition that the place was name by which we know it. This wonderful island, with such called by the former name because the land had originally been variety and beauty of scenery, called today by some the "garden purchased f rom the Indians for three white clay pots. There spot" and by others the "playground of the country," was the is another opinion that the real name was v"hiteput (which was most thickly settled part of New York State down to the time corrupted into Whit€pot), the "put," a Dutch word, meaning of the American Revolution. It was the granary of ew York "pit" or "hollow," for this section was at one time the bed of City all through the Colonial period, just as it has been in later a large stream, dried up long ago. That Whitepot really means years the vegetable garden for the world's largest city. The topography and the soils are due Whiteput is the conclusion of tlummnUll1UIIIUUlII1I1t1111l11111I11mmUllllmllllllurrlllllllmUtlllllllllllUmm'''''UIIIIIIIIIIIl"ummll*,,,,,,mmlllllllllllUtt111t1l1ll1l1t1tlllt J. H. Innes in "Ancient Land chiefly to glacial action; hence, marks of Queens Borough," a with cul tivation, the poSSIble publication of the City Histor... fertility of the land is traced to lub of New York. this geological fact. As we It is generally known that a shall see later in this sketch, the section of Whitepot, with Union land on which our vi ll age wa.> Turnpike aud Queens Boulevard builded .. __ c·;;ned, from the as a center, was for a number time it was bought from the of years called Hopedale. In Indians, by industrious and fact, it is only within the last therefore prosperous truck fal year that a Hopedale Rdilway mcrs. Station, located on the boule Let us recall the first white vard ncar the turnpike, was torn T wo boys playing marbles in irollt of Whitepot School. men who set foot upon Long From all old cut of 1847. down. For many years there Island, September 4, 1009, tlie was a "small solitary house of renowned Hendrik H udson and 1I n i que architecture" called his adventurous crew of 18, who "Hopedale Hall," at the inter disembarked from the Crescent section of the turnpike and the or Half Moon. On this shore, houlevard. This was a popular according to their record, "they place for dinner parties and found the soil of white sand, dances of people from Brooklyn and a vast number of plum trees and New York. loaded with fruit, many of them The whole of Whitepo~ was covered with grape vines of in the jurisdiction of Newtown, different kinds. They saw also of which I shall write later. a great quantity of snipe and How this section became Forest Oldest house standing itl Forest Hills. other birds." According to the Built 200 J'ears ago-On Yellowstone A1Je lllte. Hills is another story. words of Hudson's Journal, he 111 Denton's "History at New IIlIIml"' .... un;OllllllHlItltull1ll1l1'III1I1U1I1I1I1tIllIlIlIllUlU .. UUlllUlllltllllllllllllllfllllllllllllWIIIIIII1IIIUIIIIIIIIIIlIIlIllIlIllIllIllIlrIllIllIlIllIlI sent men on shore in a boat and York," published in J670, we find this de cription of Long these "caught ten great mullet, a foot and a half long, and a Island: "Long Island, the west end of which lies southward of ray as great as four men could haul into the ship." (This i5 Tew York, runs eastward about 100 miles, and is in some the first recorded fish story of Long Island). The ray, today, places eight, in some 12, in some 14 miles broad: It is inhabited is understood to be a devil fish of the tropics. from one end to the other. On the west end are four or five Thompson in his hi story of Long Island quotes DeLaet, au Dutch towns, the rest being all Engli h to the number of 12 earlier historian, as saying that the natives manifested all friend besides villages and farm houses." ship when Hudson first landed among them. The latter says that This old historian was not so far removed from aCCl1racy, "they were clothed in skins of elk, foxes and other animals. Their for the Island varies in width from IS to 23 miles and its length canoes were made out f the bodies of trees; their arms were is 118 miles. bows and arrows, and the arrows had sharp points of stone fast The Indian names of the Island are interesting. Benjamin F. ened to them with hard pitch. They had no houses, but slept un- 2 THE FOREST H1LLS BULLETIN - CHRISTMAS NUMBER wqe lI1nrr!1t i,il1!1 1iullrtht The entire territory, claimed by the Dutch, took the name of FOREST HILLS, LONG ISLAND New Netherlands and this section ( Forest Hills) was in that CHRISTMAS NUMBER territory. The English claimed that Sebastian Cabot had di s Published by CORD MEYER DEVELOPMENT COMPANY covered all of North America, but they were wil1ing to confine Copyright, 1924 most of their operations to New England, while th e Dutch, through the West India Company, claimed New York, New der the blue heavens. They had good tobacco, and copper tobac Jersey, and the country up to the Connecticut River. Th~ com co pipes; also pots of earth to cook their meat in." From the best pany was very powerful and co nquered and ruled whole prov accounts obtainable the Indians who inhabited Long Island were, inces at pl easure. This company failed in 1634, due to the the Lenni Lennape (Delaware) division of the Algonquin In extravagance of its agents. The Dutch Governor followed it dians, and their early name was Matauwakes. They were in contro\. enemies of the Manhattans, and a better people. The 13 tribes The fir st Dutch settlement on Long Island was in 1632, in on the island were li sted by Thompson as: Canarsie, Rockaway. what is now Kings County, and later so me settlements were Merrick (Meroke), Massapequa, Matinecock, Nesaquakc (Nis made in Suffolk County. In the Dutch towns the lane! was saquoque), Seatalcot (Setauket), Co rchaug, Manhasset, Seca- usuall y purchased from the natives by the Governor and by . togue, Patchogue, Shinnecock and Montauk. "The Sachem of him granted to individuals ; but in the Engli sh tow ns, within the Montauk tribe," says Thompson, "was of so much conse Dutch territory, the land was procured by the settlers them quence as to have been ackl10wl edged the Grand Sachem of selves. This was true of Newtown, of which vVhit e p o~ was a Paumanake, as Long Island was so metimes called. Wyandanch part. "The Engli sh who settled the town of Gravesend, New was their Sachem in r640," and therefore the chief of all In town, Flushing, Jamaica and H empstead," writes Thompson, dians on the Island. His residen ce was at Montauk Point. "became from unavo idable necessity, though reluctantly, Dutch Denton describes tile Indians as "no ways hurtful, but rather subjects; but were all owed to hold lands, enjoy liberty of serviceable to the Engli h." He tells of their nomadic life, conscience and employ their own ministers; although in thei r their simple tent homes and very simple food. Their recreation choice of magistrates it was required that the approbation of was football and cards. "They are great lovers of strong the Governor should be obtained, to authorize them to proceed drink," writes this historian, "yet do not care for drinking, in the di scharge of the duties of their office." unless they have enough to make themselves drunk; and if there be so many in their company that there is not sufficient to NEW NETHERLANDS BECOMES NEW YOHK make them all drunk, they usually select so many out of their According to Thompson, in J640, when a few Engli~h emi company, proportionable to the quantity of drink, and th rest grants fr0111 Lynn contracted with the agent of Lord Stirling must be spectators. And if anyone chance to be drunk before for some land on Long Island (a section later known as Man he hath finished hi . :''lrtion (which is ordinarily.a quart of h~.set N ck) , the Dutch Go .. ernor objected, arrested some of brandy, rum or strong water) the rest of the people will pour tr.e men and trouble started. A group of men under Captajn 1he rest of his part down his throat." Underhill , of Long Island, issued a "remonstrance" 011 M~y 20, "When an Indian dies amongst them, they bury him upright, I653. On December II, 1653, delegates from Brooklyn, Flat sitting upon a scat, with his gun, money, and such goods as he bush, Gravesend, Newtown, F lu hing and Hempstead, convened hath with him, that he may be furni hed in the other world, and adopted a strong "remonstrance," to the Director General which they conteive is 'westward, where they shall have great and COllncil of New Netherlands, against Dutch rule.