THE TOWN 



OF 



WHITE FHi.A.IISrs. 



White Plains is the shire town of the county, and is situated twenty-eight 

 mibs from the city of New York ; one hundred and thirty- one south of Al- 

 bany, six mile's east of the Hudson, and fourteen south of Bedford, (which 

 used to be the other half shire town,) bounded northerly by North Castle? 

 easterly by Harrison, southerly by Scarsdale, and westerly by Green- 

 burgh. The river Bronx runs south along the west line, and the Mama- 

 roneck river along the east — forming the boundary towards Harrison 

 township. The whole area of this town may be eight and a half square 

 miles. 



White Plains originally formed a portion of the town of Rye, and de- 

 rived its name from the White Balsam, ( Gnaphaliunn Polycephalum of 

 Linnizus) gnaphaliu??i, signifying soft down or wool. 



It was called by the Indians Quaroppas, under whom these lands 

 must have formed a portion of the ancient Domains of Weckquaskeck; 

 as we find Shapham, or Thapham, one of the sachems of that place con- 

 jointly selling lands there to the inhabitants of the town of Rye in 1683. 



" It is so long since the Indians quitted these grounds, that their mon- 

 uments are almost effaced. Once in a while a point of an arrow, or a 

 stone axe is found which bears the mark of Indian labor and dexterity ; 

 and there is still to be distinguished the spot on which they had their 

 wigwams, and the cemetery where they buried their dead." The former 

 is situated on the land formerly of Mr. Gilbert Oakley, the latter on the 

 property formerly of Mr. Elisha Crawford, now owned by Mr. Carhart. 

 In the vicinity of the town is a small excavation, cut out of a granite 

 rock ; this was a mortar, where they pounded their corn. 635 



