788 Agricultural Manual 



The ancient residence of the lords of the manor, at Yonkers, is 

 now the property of the state. 



With the completion of railroads a great change at once trans- 

 pired in local conditions. All towns through which these railroads 

 passed at once began to make rapid growth, indicating the immi- 

 gration of a large class of former New York residents. Among the 

 first of those to take advantage of the privileges of rural life was 

 Horace Greeley. 



Westchester County claims the honor of having been the home 

 of several other distinguished men, among them being Chief Jus- 

 tice John Jay; Gouverneur Morris, another of the great Revolu- 

 tionary fathers ; Daniel D. Tompkins, governor of New York and 

 vice-president of the United States ; also Washington Irving, who 

 lived near the present village of Irvington. The famous Sleepy 

 Hollow described in Irving's Sketch Book lies near Tarrytown. 

 While making his home at Mamaroneck, James Fenimore Cooper 

 wrote his first novel, The Spy, forming the basis of his literary 

 reputation. 



The principal event in the county during the decade 1820 to 

 1830 was the building of the state penitentiary at Sing Sing. The 

 principal structures of the Croton water works forming the water 

 supply of New York City are in this county and are among the 

 largest and most substantial of their kind in the world. 



DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRY 



At the close of the eighteenth century the only commercial indus- 

 try that had been established was that of conveying market produce 

 to New* York, in which a few sloops were engaged. As most of the 

 farmers preferred to cart their own wares to the city, the three 

 great thoroughfares were subjected to heavy traffic, especially when 

 the river and sound were icebound. After the introduction of 

 steamboats, however, the river traffic to and from New York City 

 became very animated. Peekskill was the depot from which farm- 

 ers, not only from Westchester County for miles around, but also 

 from a large portion of Putnam County and even from Connecti- 

 cut, shipped their produce to New York City. Apples and other 

 fruit, butter, potatoes, cattle, sheep, calves, live pigs, and dressed 

 pnrk were the principal articles of shipment and were received in 



