The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-11-11

great herds of cattle brOwsed daily Oh
reation spot-Dyckman House park.
Owing q an arrangement made by
Park Commissioner Ward the old
Dyckman farmhouse, which stands on
this property at Two Hundred and
Fourth street and Broadway, will be
restored TO the same condition in which
il was I'm colonial days. Mrs. Bashford
Dean and Mrs. Alexander Mcmillan
Welsh. who have presented this house
TO the .ity. have not only given the
surrounding park. but have agreed to
improve IL I'm accordance with the plans
OF the park department
Some incidents which figured have
beer furnished to Commissioner Ward
by Professor Bashford Dean. whose
wife. Mary Alice Dyckman. is "A Of
the park donors. Professor Dean Is
curator of the collection OF armor In
the Metropolitan Museum OF Art. lie
has been at pains to produce the pie
turesque and accurate ccoun OF the
house and it's inhabitants, which fol
lows:
The ancient Dyckman homestead.
which stands on a knoll at the corner
OF Broadway and Two Hundred and
Fourth street, Is unquestionably the
only remaining dwelling house OF Man
haitian Island built by a Dutch family
la accordance with the past Dutch ira
ditions.
Times have gone by. and many
changes have occurred. The last OF the
family bearing the name In the vicin-
lily died recently in b person OF Mrs.
Fannie Blackwell Brown. widow OF the
late Isaac Michael Dyckman and her
self OF Dyckman descent in several
lines. Her two daughters. Mrs. Bash
ford Dean. who was Mary Alice Dyck-
man. and Mrs. Alexander Mcmillan
WEIGH. who was Fannie Frederick
Dyckman. have as the last of the
k~ingsbridge Dyckmans decided to per-
petuate the old Dyckman house In
memory of their parents.
The Dyckman house in question was
built at the end OF the war Of ~independ-
tuNF. dDOuL 1851 Us uCdtAA Us NNDIuS
go. IL was hen that the family return
ed to their lands after the perils of the
war. Their ancient home, which had
been built opposite the present one,
nearer the river. nat been burned down
by the British. So a new house was
built on ground which was somewhat
higher and nearer the post road.
-n~- D-zIwa- 90 r. x
Dyckman were early graduates of Co
lumbia college 1S09-1S11l. Both died
young. one a lawyer and the other a
distinguished physician-he was health
commissioner OF New York. author and
scientist Ii was he who is said to have
obtained for Columbia college when he
was secretary OF the old Philosophical
society OF this city the relics of Be Ja-
min Franklin which II now has. Jaco-
bus Dyckman. son OF the builder OF the
house. was one Of the best known men
In New York, long time alderman and
a member of the constitutional i've
ton In 1921.
Ii was Jacobus Dyckman who took
an especial liking to his young grand
son. Isaac Michael Dyckman, which
led ultimately to his coming to stay In
the kingsbridge household. He was
then a boy of seven the second son of
Jacobus Dyckman's daughter Hannah.
who had married Squire Caleb Smith
OF Yonkers. So his name was not ortgi-
nally Dyckman. The Dyckman estate
was so large IL required great care In
its upkeep. So IL came about that Mr..
Isaac Dyckman. the surviving bachelor
uncle. looked ultimately to his nephew
for help. At that time. 1t appeared. Mr..
Isaac Dyckman had probably more real
property I'm his hands than any other
single property owner OF Manhattan
has had before or since. At his death
In 1868 Ii was found that his estate
was to be divided among his various
nephews and nieces. His favorite
nephew. however. received the major
part. but with the proviso that his
name should be changed by the legisla-
ture from James Frederick Dyckman
Smith 10 Isaac Michael Dyckman.
The latter did not retain the house as
part OF his heritage. 1t was no longer
as ne III. anu he mad MIN
self built a house In the northern part
Of the property not far from his I'm
cle's. In fact. the old house had chang.
ed inside Inc out Even the old cook.
black Hannah. who was half Indian
and lived TO be a hundred years old.
had gone away-to the old Indian Gem
etery formerly on the corner OF Broad.
way and Dyekman street. Then. TOO.
Mr.. Dyckman found that the approach
of a great city mean heavy assess
ments and taxes. when. in order to
have parts OF his tract developed. he
should practically make people pres
ents OF his leaseholds. Indeed. 1t was
this Jan Dyckman who devised for this
whole region the farsighted plan Of
letting tenants have property for al
most nothing In order that the future
returns might be assured. One Of his
famous leases gave a tenant a valuable
farm for one hen q year for seven