THE TOWN 



OF 



YOFLK_TO"W]Sr. 



Yorktown is situated sixteen miles north of White Plains, the county- 

 seat, distant forty-two miles from New York, and one hundred and 

 seventeen from Albany; bounded north, by Putnam county; east, by 

 Somers and New Castle ; south, by New Castle, and west by Cortlandt. 



Prior to 1788, Yorktown and Somers constituted the "middle ward" 

 of Cortlandt's manor, called " Hanover." A portion of the former early 

 acquired the name of " Gertrude's Borough," in honor of Gertrude Beeck- 

 man, wife of Colonel Henry Beeckman, and one of the daughters and 

 devisees of De Heer Stephanus Van Cortlandt, first Lord of the manor 

 of Cortlandt. The present township was erected on the 7th of March, 

 1798." 



The Mohegan name " Appamaghpogh," appears to have been applied 

 to the whole Indian territory within the manor, west of Meahagh (Ver- 

 planck's Point), which was subject to Weskhewen, chief sachem of 

 Sachus, as late as 1685. The eastern section of Yorktown still bears 

 the name of "Aemawalk," probably an abbreviation and corruption of 

 the former town — thus, Appamaghpogh, Amaghpogh, Amawogh or Ama- 

 walk. The lands of "Appamaghpogh," were originally granted to 

 Stephanus Van Cortlandt in 1683, by the two Indian sachems, Pewemind 

 and Oskewans, as mentioned in our description of Somers, &c. 



The principal aboriginal settlement in this part of "Appamaghpogh," 

 occupied the summit of "Indian Hill," a vast height which arises to an 

 elevation of nearly six hundred feet above the northern margin of " Lake 

 Magrigaries," " Magnegamus," or " Magregard,"' (Hollow Lake), situated 



a .Revised Statutes of >". Y., p. 486. 661 



