The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1923-09-20
WESTCHESTER co. Is
VERY EDUCATIONAL
MANY MEN PROMINENT IN MA
TION'S EARLY HISTORY RE-
SIDED THERE
EDITORIAL OUTING ENDS
SERIES CONCLUDES NEXT~WEEK
WITH REVIEW OF VISIT
TO WASHINGTON

III WASHlNSlO
The editorial party spent the entire
day driving about Westchester County
and about 1880 in the evening arrived
at the Biltmore-Wesche Country
Club at Purchase. This club is main
tanned and operated by wealthy New
York business and professional men.
The newspapermen We're rendered a
splendid banquet in one of the large
dining rooms at which the Grand
Master of the Masonic Lodge of the
state of New York delivered the prin-
cipal address
The editorial, party left the West
chester Biltmore by auto for the re-
lsturn to New York City about IL 100
P. M. and arrived at the Pennsyl-
vania Hotel at 1 80 A. NJ. Friday
morning.
The Declaration of Independence
was first read in the state of New
York at White Plains and New York
declared state by the Provincial As
sembly. This took place in court
house, on. the site of the present
court house on Main street.
The battle of Chatterton Hill was
fought here in 1776, and Mount Mis-
cry, North White Plains, was mill
tary camp grounds in 1776. Washing
ton had his headquarters here from
1776 to 1778.
On the heights of Greenbush,
north of White Plains, the French and
American armies combined in 1881 /.
II
Yorktown was the camp ground of
French and Colonial troops in the
Revolutionary war. Indian Hill,
where the last Westchester county
indian of the Mohegan tribe had his
final camp and lighted his last wig
wan fire before being sent to Wis
consin by the government, is near
by. ~
a.
Washington is said to have been a
guest at Phillips Manor Hall, Yonk-
ers, during the Revolutionary war.
The legend is that he made love to
Mary Philipse, the daughter of the
house, only to be refused Today the
structure is restored as during the
military period and contains many
rare paintings.
-"
Somers was the home of the first
American circus. The stone barn
where "Old Bet" the first elephant
ever exhibited in this country, is still
standing In house standing nearby
was printed the first newspaper of
Westchester county, ssThe Somers
Museum.
Somers was also the summer home
of President of U. S. Grant. Here
he met many public men and held
many conferences.
At Peekskill Gen. Israel Putnam
had his camp during the Revolution
airy Here he found an English of
fcer as spy and promptly hung
him.
At New Rochelle is the house and
monument of Thomas Paine as well
as the house of Paul Revere.
The British and Hessians had their
camp grounds here in 1776.
At Mamaronek is the house of j /.
Fenimore Cooper in which he wrote
many chapters of his famous Ameri-
can novel, "The Spy"
Westchester County claims to have
the finest system of highways upon
the continent. The county is made
up of four cities, twenty-three vii
lagos, and sixteen townships, aggre-
eating forty-three separate and dis
tinct governments. The highway
mileage is 867 miles, made up of the
following: State Highway, n miles
county highways, 184 miles; town
highways, 596 miles. To date these
modernized highways, exclusive OF
the parkways in. Westchester county
have cost over $5,503,550. The
Westchester park system now fully
underway and functioning, will be one
of the most beautiful and extensive
in the entire world. Westchestel
county is thirty miles/long, twenty
three miles at its greatest width, and
six miles at its narrowest point.
a.
The following taken from a book
let published by Westchester County
has SO much of historic value that the
Herald publishes it herewith:
During the Revolutionary Wal
Westchester County was known as
the neutral ground. 1t was marauded
by royal and harried by Continental
soldiers, SINNERS, cowboys, robbers
and brigands of equal infamy.
"This period gave rise to grea'
deal that is now romance and legend
The courts were first established
at Westchester and were contln'
Continued on page two)
50