ae 
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89 
Dongan’s Island. “ Also a certain Island of Salt Meadow situate in the 
Sound between Jersey and Staten Island commonly called Dongan’s Island, con- 
taining by estermation One Hundred acres.” 1794, Liber E. p. 343. 
Big Hummock or Beulah Land. “ . .. . On the Westerly side of Old 
Place Creek, Beginning at the Southwesterly corner of Old Place Creek and 
the Hummock (so called) . . .” 1869. Liber 82; Deeds, p. 488. 
Split Rock. “ During the low tide on Thursday caused by the extraordin- 
ary winds, Split Rock, which is just below the dock of the Corinthian Club 
House, at Tompkinsville, was visible, some two feet of it appearing above the 
water. This rock is well known to navigators and is not often seen.” Rich- 
mond County Sentinel, Dec. 31st, 1887. 
Towd, Todt, Toad or Dongan Hill. The following is from a letter in the 
Staten Islander, Dec. 14th, 1898: 
Ralph’s Island. “Island of meadow sold by Abraham Ralph to David Mer- 
sereau. 1799, Liber E. p. 486. 
To THE Epiror. 
Sm: Pray use your powerful influence in stamping out the senseless awk- 
ward name “ Toadt” applied to a beautiful Staten Island hill. The great co- 
operative movement in England had its small beginning on Toad lane, Roch- 
dale. Visiting the place the secretary told me the name was a corruption of 
“the old,” “ Towd.” That section was settled by Hollanders, who said “ Towd 
Man” and “ Towd Fellow,” for “ The Old Man,” and “ The Old Fellow.” 
That part of Staten Island southwest of the Fort was settled by Hollanders: 
and was known as the Old Town or Dorp, as there is now New Dorp. There 
is also Old Town road or lane leading from the Richmond road. The Old 
Town probably became corrupted to “ Towd Town” and the hill back of it to 
“ Towd Hill.” TI have seen it spelled in an old document “ Toude Hill.” The 
name had no relation to an animal except in sound. To avoid such a sus- 
picion it has been misspelled in various ways, even the senseless barbarous 
“ Toedt.”% Pray help stamp this misnomen out and call it Towd or Toude or 
Wonean Fl s . W. 
Clifton, S. I., December 10, 1898. 
Similar letters to the above appeared in the Richmond County Gazette 
many years ago, and in the Staten Island Gazette and Sentinel, Oct. 24th, 1883. 
Both of them were written by J. O. Woods. 
Crips’ Back. “Also all that certain lot of land . . . in the Town of 
Westfield near the Fresh Kill, the same being the southwesternmost part of the 
tract or lot of land called Crips’ Back . . .” Richmond County Gazette, 
May 10th, 1865. 
Thrifty Valley. “The fire on Saturday night was in a small house im 
Thrifty Valley, near the Quarantine walls.” Sepoy, March 12th, 1859. 
Watering Place. “Tract, piece or parcel of Land situate and being im 
Richmond County upon Staten Island near the Watering place on the East 
Side of the said Island.” 1719, Liber C., p. 55. Also 1726, Liber C., p. 251. 
Cruser or Boiling Spring. “The curious natural phenomenon known as the 
boiling Spring [is] at Elliotteville; a spring from which bubbles of gas con- 
tinually escape in such profusion as to resemble in appearance the operation of 
boiling.” Richmond County Gazette, Dec. 17th, 1862. 
