Historic Pelham: 1873 Committee Report on Proposal to Have Westchester County Purchase City Island Bridge

In 1872, the Board of Supervisors of Westchester County appointed a special committee to study and prepare a report regarding whether the county should purchase (and take over) City island Bridge between the mainland and City Island, then a part of the Town of Pelham. The initiative was pushed by Pelham Town Supervisor Benjamin Hegeman who served as supervisor from 1861 until 1873. Today's Historic Pelham article provides background and context for the report issued by the special committee.

Today we seem to think nothing of hopping onto I-95 with an EZ-Pass and paying tolls to travel the highway, cross the Tappan Zee, and -- frankly -- travel throughout the region. Things were similar in the 19th century, though Westchester County decided to do something about it.

In the 19th century there were tolls everywhere in the region as well. The Harlem Bridge was a toll bridge. Pelham Bridge was a toll bridge. The Westchester Turnpike and Post Road, otherwise known as the section of today's Boston Post Road that passes through Pelham Manor, was a toll road. Other bridges and highways in the county required tolls as well.

The people of Westchester were not happy about it. Thus, Westchester County pursued a lengthy initiative to open its bridges and thoroughfares to free use. It rebuilt the Harlem Bridge and removed the toll. It purchased Pelham Bridge from stockholders and made it a free bridge. It purchased the Westchester Turnpike and Post Road and opened it to the public. And, in 1872 and 1873, it considered purchasing City Island Bridge, then a toll bridge that exacted cash from every Pelhamite who used the bridge to get to and from their homes and businesses on the island.

On December 8, 1872, during a meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Westchester County, Pelham Town Supervisor Benjamin Hegeman proposed a resolution to appoint a committee of three people to prepare a special report to the board regarding "the propriety and expediency of purchasing the City Island Bridge." Under the Board's rules, the resolution was laid over until the following day. The following day, the Board of Supervisors adopted the resolution.

Several days later, on December 23, 1872, the Chair of the Board of Supervisors, F. M. Carpenter, announced that he had appointed three members to the Special Committee to prepare a report on whether to purchase the City Island Bridge. They were Odle Close (Supervisor of the Town of North Salem), Edmund G. Sutherland (Supervisor of White Plains), and George W. Davids (Supervisor of New Rochelle).

The Committee worked for the next two weeks to study the matter, come to its conclusions, and prepare its special report. The matter, however, was controversial and the Committee could not reach a consensus. The Supervisors of White Plains (Mr. Sutherland) and New Rochelle (Mr. Davids) supported purchase of the City Island Bridge to make it free. Supervisor Close of North Salem apparently opposed such a purchase.

On January 4, 1873, a "majority" of the Committee (i.e., the two members who supported purchase of the City Island Bridge) presented a report to the full Board of Supervisors. The brief report, quoted in full below, sheds fascinating light on the history of the City Island Bridge.

The report noted that City Island had a population of about one thousand. It noted the economic importance to the County of the small island in the Town of Pelham. It emphasized the importance of the oyster and ship building industries on the island and further noted that of the roughly 300 acres of land on the island, 250 acres were devoted to farming with a great deal of "gardening" on the remaining 50 acres.

The report recounted a little of the history of the City Island Bridge. It noted that the City Island Bridge Company was chartered in 1864 by an act of the State Legislature with a capital stock of $50,000. Of that capital stock, the company issued $33,700 worth of shares to fund construction of the first wooden City Island Bridge which opened on July 4, 1869. The bridge cost $33,689.98 to construct. A majority of the stock was purchased by Pelham residents. The remainder was bought by residents of Westchester County, New York City, and Brooklyn. According to the report, the non-Pelham residents bought the stock "not as a valuable investment, but to afford a relief to the people of Pelham in getting to and from City Island, which is a portion of said town."

The report recounted the recent history of the County in acquiring and opening to the public toll bridges and toll roads throughout the County. It then concluded that:

"The town of Pelham has been called upon to pay its equal share, according to the taxable property of its inhabitants, of the expenses incurred in the purchase for erection and and repair of turnpikes and bridges, without enjoying an equal share of the benefits derived therefrom. The undersigned are therefore of the opinion that the people of Pelham are justly entitled to relief at the hands of the County from the onerous and oppressive special taxation in the form of heavy tolls which they are called upon to bear in passing from one part of said town to another part of it. No other town in the County is situated like the town of Pelham, it being divided by a body of water which cannot be crossed in the absence of a bridge except by a ferry boat or other vessel. In view of these facts and circumstances the undersigned do not hesitate to recommend the purchasing of City Island Bridge, providing it can be purchased at a sum not exceeding $25,000, one half of the purchase money to be advanced by the County and the other half by the town of Pelham."

In effect, the report concluded that unlike most other toll roads and toll bridges acquired by the County and made free, the City Island Bridge would be acquired by the Town of Pelham and Westchester County. Pelham residents, therefore, would pay more than other residents of the County for maintenance of the bridge since a portion of both their County and Town taxes would pay for such expenses.

The report concluded by recommending passage of the following proposed resolution:

"Resolved, That the Senator from this District and the Members of Assembly from the County be and they are hereby requested to procure the passage of an Act at the ensuing session of the Legislature, to authorize the Board of Supervisors of this County to purchase, at their discretion, City Island Bridge, at a cost to said County not exceeding $12,500, provided the town of Pelham shall pay the balance of the cost of said purchase, and that the said Act also provide for the issue of the bonds of the County and the bonds of the town of Pelham necessary to cover the amount of said purchase."

Immediately upon presentation of the Special Report by the Committee, Odle Close of North Pelham moved that consideration of the report by the Board of Supervisors "be indefinitely postponed." The Board voted 14 to 4 in favor of postponing consideration "indefinitely."

This initiative to have Westchester County and Pelham purchase the City Island Bridge and make it free withered on the vine.

"Old City Island Bridge" Source: "Chapter XX: City Island"

in History of Bronx Borough City Of New York Compiled for

The North Side News By Randall Comfort, p. 59 (NY, NY: North

Side News Press: 1906). NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.

* * * * *

"WEDNESDAY, December 8 [sic; should be 18], 1872.

Board met pursuant to adjournment. . . .

Mr. HEGEMAN presented the following resolution:

Resolved, That a Committee of Three be appointed by the Chairman of this Board to inquire into and report to this Board as to the propriety and expediency of purchasing the City island Bridge, connecting said City Island with the main land in the town of Pelham.

Laid over under the rule."

Source: ANNUAL SESSION OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF WESTCHESTER CO., p. 342 (1873).

"THURSDAY, December 19th, 1872.

Board met pursuant to adjournment.

Present -- F. M. CARPENTER, Esq., Chairman, and a quorum of members. . . .

2 O'CLOCK P. M.

Board reassembled.

Present -- F. M. CARPENTER, Esq., Chairman and a quorum of members.

Mr. HEGEMAN called up the resolution presented by him yesterday, relative to City Island Bridge, whereupon said resolution was considered and adopted. . . ."

Source: ANNUAL SESSION OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF WESTCHESTER CO., p. 361 (1873).

"MONDAY, December 23, 1872.

Board met pursuant to adjournment. . . .

2 O'CLOCK, P. M.

Board re-assembled. . . .

The Chair announced the following Special Committees:

On City Island Bridge, Messrs. Sutherland, Close, and Davids.

Source: ANNUAL SESSION OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF WESTCHESTER CO., p. 371 (1873).

"SATURDAY, January 4, 1873.

Board met pursuant to adjournment. . . .

1 1/2 O'CLOCK, P. M.

Board re-assembled. . . .

[Page 448]

Dated January 4, 1873.

CHARLES E. JOHNSON,
Clerk of the Board of Supervisors.

Mr. SUTHERLAND, from Special Committee on purchase of City Island Bridge, presented the following report thereon:

To the Board of Supervisors:

The undersigned, a majority of the Special Committee to whom was referred the question of the propriety of purchasing City Island Bridge, respectfully report, that they have had the matter under consideration, heard parties in relation thereto, and from the evidence presented and the circumstances of the case, have arrived at the following conclusions.

First -- That the City Island Bridge Company was chartered by an act of the Legislature of 1864, with a capital stock of $50,000, with the privilege of extending the amount to _________. [Left blank in the original.] That a majority of the stock was taken by a few liberal and public spirited residents of the town of Pelham, and the balance by persons in various sections of the County, and in New York and Brooklyn, who were induced so to subscribe therefor, not as a valuable investment, but to afford a relief to the people of Pelham in getting to and from City Island, which is a portion of said town.

Second -- That City Island, between which and the main land of said town the bridge is located, contains a population of about 1,000 persons, a portion of whom are engaged in the oyster business, one of the important industries of the country, and another

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portion in ship building. The Island contains about 300 acres, and 250 of which are devoted to farming purposes, and gardening is also carried on in the Island to a large extent.

Third -- That City Island Bridge was erected at a cost of $33,689.98, and was completed and opened for use on the 4th day of July, 1869, as a toll bridge. It is built of the best timber, and is a substantial structure. The shares of stock issued amount to $33,700.

Fourth -- The policy of the County, some years since initiated of opening our bridges and other thoroughfares to free use and travel, is in the opinion of the undersigned a wise policy, for obvious reasons which need not be here enumerated. The Harlem Bridge, formerly a toll bridge, is now a free bridge, it having been rebuilt at the expense of the Counties of Westchester and New York. Pelham Bridge, also formerly owned by an incorporated Company, exacting toll for passing over it, has been purchased from the stockholders, paid for by the County, and is now a free bridge. The Westchester Turnpike and Post Road has likewise been purchased from the stockholders, and paid for partly by the County, and partly by the town, through which it passes, and its toll gate removed. The Five Mile Turnpike in the upper part of the County was also purchased from the stockholders and made a free public highway. The Central Bridge over Harlem River was erected at a joint expense of the Counties of Westchester and New York -- the Westchester portion of said expense being borne partly by the towns of Morrisania and West Farms, and partly by the County at large. City Island Bridge is the only bridge or thoroughfare in the County of Westchester on which tolls are now exacted from our citizens.

Fifth -- By a special Act of the Legislature passed in 186_, [Left blank in original] the bridges over the Croton River, including its branches, were thenceforth made a charge upon the County at large, and many thousands of dollars

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have been expended in the construction of iron and other costly bridges over that river, and no session of the Board of Supervisors passes in which more or less money is not required to be expended in the repair and superintendence of these expensive structures.

Sixth -- The town of Pelham has been called upon to pay its equal share, according to the taxable property of its inhabitants, of the expenses incurred in the purchase for erection and and repair of turnpikes and bridges, without enjoying an equal share of the benefits derived therefrom. The undersigned are therefore of the opinion that the people of Pelham are justly entitled to relief at the hands of the County from the onerous and oppressive special taxation in the form of heavy tolls which they are called upon to bear in passing from one part of said town to another part of it. No other town in the County is situated like the town of Pelham, it being divided by a body of water which cannot be crossed in the absence of a bridge except by a ferry boat or other vessel. In view of these facts and circumstances the undersigned do not hesitate to recommend the purchasing of City Island Bridge, providing it can be purchased at a sum not exceeding $25,000, one half of the purchase money to be advanced by the County and the other half by the town of Pelham.

To this end the undersigned recommend the passage of the following resolution:

Resolved, That the Senator from this District and the Members of Assembly from the County be and they are hereby requested to procure the passage of an Act at the ensuing session of the Legislature, to authorize the Board of Supervisors of this County to purchase, at their discretion, City Island Bridge, at a cost to said County not exceeding $12,500, provided the town of Pelham shall pay the balance of the cost of said purchase, and that the said Act also

[Page 450 / Page 451]

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provide for the issue of the bonds of the County and the bonds of the town of Pelham necessary to cover the amount of said purchase.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

E. G. SUTHERLAND, }
} Special Com. on Purchase of City Island Bridge.
GEO. W. DAVIDS. }

Mr. CLOSE moved that the consideration of said report be indefinitely postponed.

The Chair put the question upon the motion and it was determined in the affirmative -- ayes 14, nays 4.

On motion of Mr. CLOSE the Board adjourned until Saturday, January 18th next, at 10 1/2 o'clock, A. M."

Source: ANNUAL SESSION OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF WESTCHESTER CO. pp. 448-51 (1873).