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| Town of Somers History |
| Somers…by any other name… The town we call Somers was originally occupied by Kitchawanks, part of the Mohegan tribe, who called the land Amapaugh, meaning “fresh water fish.” This land was located in the eastern segment of an 83,000-acre tract that King William III of England granted to Stephanus Van Cortland of New York City in 1697. The part of Van Cortland Manor that ultimately became Somers and Yorktown was known as the Middle District, or Hanover. Settlement in the Somers area began after Van Cortlandt’s death in 1700 and the final partition of his estate in 1734. Early European settlers included tenants and freeholders from neighboring areas, among them English, Dutch, French Huguenots and Quakers. It wasn’t until March 7, 1788, when the first town meeting was held at an inn, owned by Benjamin Green, that the town named Stephentown was established. However, there already existed a Stephentown in Renssealaer County. The resulting confusion, particularly in mail delivery, lead to a change in the name to Somerstown and in 1808 to the Town of Somers. The town was named as a tribute to Captain Richard Somers, a young naval officer from New Jersey who lost his life in the Tripolitan War. A memorial in West Somers Park was erected in his honor at Memorial Day ceremonies in 1958. The growth of Somers… In the early 19th century, Somers, or as it was then generally known as Somerstown Plains, contained hat factories, carriage factories, three hotels, two general stores, an iron mine, a milk factory, and a sanctuary for boys operated by the Christian Brothers. There was a constant stream of goods and passengers to large markets and cities through the village. As early as 1809, a weekly newspaper was established, “Somers Museum and Westchester County Advertiser”. Though primarily agricultural, the rural economy also supported a varied population of weavers, preachers, merchants, cabinetmakers, doctors, lawyers, teachers and servants. A good system of roads was maintained and some operated as commercial “toll roads.” The railroad, developed in the 1840’s, bypassed the town of Somers, and affected a decline in growth over the next hundred years. The presence of the railroad in nearby communities did allow the agricultural emphasis to move towards dairy production and fruit growing, since the products could be shipped to markets in the city. Industries continued to thrive, with grist, paper, saw and clothing mills operating in the area. Between 1890 and 1910, the Croton and Muscoot Rivers were flooded to create the New York City Reservoir system thereby changing the local landscape considerably. In the 1920’s small lake communities began to spring up as vacation havens for summer visitors and farmers’ guests. Hamlets became larger and firmly established to accommodate the influx of lake and country loving folk, eventually becoming year-round communities. After World War II the rolling hillside country attracted weekenders from New York City, brought into closer proximity by the proliferation of automobile travel. The construction of I-684 in the mid-70’s facilitated additional residential and commercial development. IBM and PepsiCo built complexes in the 1980’s, bringing an international corporate element into the community. Hachaliah’s Elephant… In 1804 a farmer and cattle merchant named Hachaliah Bailey acquired an Asian Elephant he named “Old Bet,” and she was one of the first elephants to come to America. Although Bailey had planned to use the elephant for heavy-duty work on the farm, the throngs of people who came to Somers to see the elephant gave him the inspiration for showmanship on a large scale, and he began exhibiting her throughout the northeast. His success in this venture attracted numerous partners and rivals from local families, who joined in the business of importing and exhibiting exotic animals. The resulting thriving menagerie business paralleled the development of the circus in America, and by the 1830’s the two forms of popular entertainment merged to form the basis of the modern American circus. In fact, the majority of early 19th century circus proprietors came from Somers and neighboring towns in northern Westchester and Putnam counties. This has led to Somers being titled “The Cradle of the American Circus.” The Elephant Hotel In 1824, after Hachaliah’s elephant was killed while on tour in Maine, Bailey erected the Elephant Hotel to commemorate the elephant, which had been responsible for his fortune. In 1827 he immortalized “Old Bet” with a statuary likeness of her on the village green. Today it is stands as Somers’ symbol and is also part of the official seal of the Somers Town Government. Over the years the building has functioned as an inn, a teahouse, a private residence, and a post office. The Farmers and Drovers Bank, chartered in 1830 as the second banking institution in Westchester, adjoined the Hotel, as did a major dance hall that was a focal point of fun, frolic and business transactions for farmers, travelers, and hotel guests. It soon became the economic and social center of Somers and the surrounding area. Not only was it the meeting place for the menageries/circus owners, it was also a stagecoach stop for travelers between New York City and points to the north and east. In 1835, the Zoological Institute was incorporated at the Elephant Hotel. Between 1836 and 1939 “The East Wing” occupied the present parking lot area, and increased the capacity of the Hotel to accommodate overnight guests. It was in 1927 that the Town of Somers purchased the hotel from the Bailey family. The Town Offices, the Somers Historical Society, and the Museum of the Early American Circus currently occupy the Elephant Hotel. tid bits… Numerous historic buildings remain as outstanding examples of the 19th century environment, such as Mount Zion Church (1794) and the Wright-Reis Homestead (1867), donated to the town by Carolyn Wright Reis. The Somers Historical Society oversees these properties and makes them available for public visitation several times a year. Town of Somers and circus memorabilia are available for purchase at the Historical Society Museum including a town of Somers afghan and mini Elephant Hotel. |
| adapted by Linda Marra from text written by Terry Ariano, updated June 11, 2002 |