THE TOWN OE EAST CHESTER. 247 



There is a remarkable rock in this vicinity well worthy the stranger's 

 notice, marked with a rude impression of a human foot seven inches in 

 length, pointing west. It is a perfect impression of the right foot; and 

 what is very singular, another track occurs on the opposite side of the 

 sound, on Long Island. There appear to be several tracks upon that 

 island. " About half a mile from the fort on Montauk Point," says Mr. 

 Prime, " in a southeasterly direction, is a granite rock, imbedded in the 

 ground, on the upper surface of which is the apparent impress of a 

 human foot. The figure is as perfect and distinct as would follow from 

 the pressure of the left foot upon some cohesive substance, except being 

 deficient in a toe ; a deficiency not at first sight apparent, and discern- 

 able only by inspection. No artist could have chiselled a more perfect 

 resemblance. The impression is still fresh, and without the least ap- 

 pearance of injury from time. There are two other tracks less perfect 

 and distinct. The one in the Indian field, and the other west of Fort 

 Pond. The heel of the foot is towards the east in all of them, as though 

 formed in passing to the west. Excepting that they are the footsteps of 

 the evil spirit, no record or tradition pretends to give their story. They 

 existed at the first settlement by the whites, and were a subject of 

 pawwa to the Indians."* Perhaps they are in some way mysteriously 

 connected with "Satan's toe" and the "stepping stones" off Throck- 

 morton's Neck, by which the evil spirit made good his retreat when 

 worsted by the Mohegans, or enchanted Wolf tribe of Indians, during 

 some unknown period of the stone age. 



Within a short distance of the village was situated the estate of the 

 late Col. John R. Hayward, Esq., who in 1846 represented this county 

 in Assembly. His son is the present Robert Hayward, of Rye. Col. 

 Hayward purchased the property of the executors of the late Richard 

 Shute. In 167 1 James Eustice and others were appointed to lay out 

 land for Richard Shute (ancestor of the before-mentioned Richard), near 

 Rattlesnake Creek. 



Most of the farms in this neighborhood, which once covered the old 

 Lawrence property, embracing at one period nearly five hundred acres, 

 are now included in the most thickly settled portion of Mount Vernon. 

 A part of the Lawrence estate was anciently called Virginia from its 

 beautiful appearance. Its earliest proprietor was Isaac Lawrence, Esq., 

 who originally emigrated from Long Island to Eastchester about 1689. 

 On the 12th of May, 1690, Isaac Lawrence was chosen by the inhabit- 

 ants of this town, one of the pound-masters for the year ensuing. In 

 1700 he appears to have been town treasurer, and in 172 1, his name 

 aN.S. Prime's History of Long Island. , 



