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Mount Pleasant experienced a number of events during this period which
greatly contributed to its growth. The first of these was the
construcion of the Croton Dam and Aqueduct. The water needs of a fast
growing New York City spurred construction of watersheds which began in
the town during the 1830's. Completed in 1842, the dam changed the
geography of the town and caused the population of the town to increase,
as many of the workers on this huge project stayed on after construcion
was completed. The dam is now submerge under the New Croton Reservoir
but can still be seen when drought causes the lowering of the existing
reservoir. The next event which was to greatly effect the Town of Mount Pleasant was the coming of the railroads. Two railroad lines, the New York and Harlem and the New York and Hudson River Railroads were already running trains as far as White Plains and Yonkers by 1844. By 1849 the New York and Hudson River Railroad had reached Peekskill. A third line, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad opened its line also in 1849. Construction of railroad stations occurred as they became necessary. The present Valhalla station is located just south of the original station and was completed in 1852, followed shortly thereafter by the station called Neperan which is now the Hawthorne station. The original railroad station in Pleasantville was built in 1847, followed by the station in Thornwood in 1890 and the turn of the century for the station located adjacent to the Kensico Cemetery just south of Stevens Avenue. The coming of the railroads to Mount Pleasant caused a shift from subsistence farming to dairy farming during this period because the railroads were now available daily to transport milk to nearby New York City. The coming of the railroads also caused rapid growth in population as towns close to the railroad lines began to grow rapidly. Between 1845 and 1855 the population of the county increased by some 33,000 people and by the time the Civil War broke out the population of the county had reached 95,000. The Civil War had a great effect on Mount Pleasant even though at the beginning of the war many of the townspeople had mixed feelings about Linclon's anti-slavery stand. Slavery had been abolished in Mount Pleasant as the movement to free slaves began early in th 1740's by the then Quaker residents of Philipsburgh Manor. Slaves were freed gradually over the next several years until 1817 an act by the New York State Legislature provided for the gradual abolition of all slavery in the state. By 1828 slavery had ceased to exist in the entire state. | The Civil War saw many Mount Pleasant young men
volunteer and serve with
distinction in the Union Army. Clothing, shoes and bandages were made
in the town in support of the army, but 1863 saw much unpleasantness
begin
as draft riots occurred in many parts of the state, including Mount
Pleasant. The end of the war created the usual readjustment problems as
returning veterans found a higher cost of living and a scarcity of jobs
awaiting them. Soon after the end of the Civil War, prosperity returned to Mount Pleasant when many wealthy families moved into Westchester from New York City. Along with the wealthy families came many manufacturing concerns which located in Westchester County, including Mount Pleasant. New York's thirst for water increased so that in 1887 an earth dam and spillway were built in Valhalla by the New York Board of Water Supply. By 1898, however, the New York City Water Supply had to be increased again which led to the construction of the Kensico Reservoir and the Valhalla Dam, both of which were completed in 1915. The postwar period brought much wealth to a number of New York entrepreneurs. Many of them built large estates in Westchester County but none of them could match the grandeur and scope of the Rockefeller Estates in North Tarrytown and Pocantico Hills. The largest mansion in the county was Rockwood Hall, a 204 room mansion built on 1,000 acres of land overlooking the Hudson River in North Tarrytown. Built by William Rockefeller in 1887, Rockwood Hall was then followed by the construction of the estate of John D., Rockefeller, who comleted his mansion and gardens on 3,500 acres of land in Pocantico Hills in 1913. Today it stands as one of Mount Pleasant's finest landmarks, and is now partly open to the public for walking and riding. Many of the incorporated and unincorporated areas of Mount Pleasant received their present identities during this period. In 1897 Pleasantville was incorporated as a village. Hawthorne received its name in 1902 after previoulsy being know as Unionville, Neperan, and Sherman Park. Known previously as Kensico, Valhalla adopted its present name in 1904. Thornwood adopted its name in 1924 after being known as Nannahagen until 1908 and Hillside for six short years. World War I, with all its horrors, affected Mount Pleasant in much the same way all American communities were affected. Many young men entered the military and served with distinction. Armistice Day, 1918 was treated with rejoicing throughout the town. With the return of its young men, Mount Pleasant now stood on the threshold of our modern era. |