New-York tribune., 1913-07-13
BIRTHPLACE OF STATE
Historic Event Occurred at
White Plains on July g, 1776.
MEMORABLE BATTLEFIELD
Washington There Frustrated
the Plans of British
General.
By Eben II. T.. Squire. President of the VII
Inge 81 white Plains.

inge Of white Plains.
Tho territory or the village and town
shin n White Plains is not co-eTt"n-
si,e. the town extending beyond tho vile
lage on tho south. while portion of the
township of Greeushurg forms the west
erlv part of the village Of Whit" Plains.
As tho major portion ~ 40" town and
yiIlag. ARE the same. the history may
DO said % ue the history of each, and
those things that affect tho one closely
Hnoct the other.
whit. Plains is the county seat ~
Wastches'er which gives ~ pr"ml-
rarse because of tho location ~ th"
courthouse. and ~. Registers. county
clerk and County Treasures offices.
and as the courts are continuously ln
session. except for three months boz SUM
m.r. q larg. number OF persons daily
come here from Sew York City and SUR
rounding dIstri'ts
Hi.iuriraIr White Plains is or should
nr of great interest tp The whole United
states. and especially tn 'h" stat" oi
N.R York a. % D.. tho states birthplace.
The early settlement of whit" Plains
pas ny p-our. from th" town ~ Ky".
For many wears there bad been trail
from Eye westward 90 the fertile hills
and dalss of guarupras. nov known as
White Plains and then occupied hy a.
tribe of Indians
lu Issg uraVaupum and other Indian
chiefs executed deed ui Cpu,'yHu," oi
Quarrorpas in the the White Plains to
tho "inhantau'. of tn. town of Rye"
% WAS mot until DO. Harlem Railroad
vas built that Railroad avenue. thr main
business 'huroylhfars was laid out. and
th. western portion ucEiu io develop.
Scar the southern end ~ Broadway nas
erected the county courthouse. on the
slts moss occupied ly the srmory of COM
paus L.
lu this courthouse. iu 1875. there met
an assemll, uf fre.hoidcrs who bad
come nom 40 parts ~ the county q
We-ichest.r tp discuss the mpmcutpus
question then agitatlrg all the colonies
This as-smNlt met NOT without proc
test from about tno hundred of its con-
srrfati1e members. and after adopting
revolutionary resolutions appointed dep
ut.es 90 meet Boo New York City with
IA.NNF HI. lf.I..|f''N IN|ilI 'NNIfH ''AIHhffN W
elect delegates o. that famous 'onu-
mental Congress soon 20 meet 80 Phila-
deipHia
Here iu this courthouse the Provincial
Assembly of the colony = New York met
ln July. l51s Here in front ri this court
house. on july o. 1910. was read fur the
Grsi tim. within this state that charter
of our liberties. the Declaration of In
dependence.
Here tine Provincial Assembly approved
a. and 10 was sent Go au parts oi the
state. Here. again. on that sth of July.
the Assembly changed ~ name from the
Pr. vinoial Assembly of the Colony of
New York" % the convention oi the
representatives 81 the State OF New
Ymk. thus formally r-uouuring all al
lcgiauoc 90 the Kingdom ~ Great Britain.
and So upon this very spot the great state
OF New York Was born.
Near the northern end = Broadway Is a
mound ~ the END 81 which is an old Rev
oluuonary mortar mounted on q granite
block This marks the place where Wash
instun. alter rrtrcating from Chaticrtou
HnI. threw up rarthworks extending
from tine Bronx River. on the west. 90
ST. Marys Lake. crrouc'usly called Sill
yer lake by some. on the east
Here the British army was checked and
the plans of Howe frustrated. Again. In
those times Of storm and stress White
Illins was the scene of an event frlught
with the greatest consequences 10 our ma
ton Had Howe succeeded In his nten-
tious and defeated Washington. or even
had he been able 10 sct O. the north Of
him. 50 that hc might hem him IN and
cut on the Eastern from the Southern
colonies. IL is almost certain that the
Revolution would have failed. and II is
most probable that New York like Can
ada. would still be province OF Great
Britain. Al one end of this street In
White Plains was witnessed the birth OF
New YORK and AT the other end the saliva
tion. the nature of those principles Of
freedom for which our foreiathers fought
fought