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"Patchogue -
Queen City of Long Island's South Shore
The Early Years" by Hans Henke
Patchogue in 1812
This article was taken from a copy of the
Brooklyn Eagle Published in 1930
History is at all times interesting and especially
so of one’s native town. For the benefit of many who
heretofore have had no knowledge of the early
settlement of Patchogue, the following facts will
prove interesting: Patchogue in 1812 was then in its
infancy. It was a small settlement in the wild woods
around which the noble red men, then becoming
extinct, roamed. Where now are handsome residences
and fine public buildings were then the tall pine
and sycamore with here and there a small habitation.
 In
1812 there were but 75 inhabitants in Patchogue. At
that period, there were only two roads or paths as
they were styled, viz: the present Main Street and
Ocean Avenues; “The Lane” as Ocean Avenue was known
in those days, and which title is now in use by many
of the older inhabitants, was about 12 feet wide.
There were but five houses, all of which were on the
east side of the lane, starting from the foot of the
lane. The first house was that of Moses Wicks,
located north of the house of Mr. Robert Mills. The
next neighbor was Jacob Baker who lived on the turn
of the road near where Mr. George M. Odell now
lives. Baker’s house was torn down in 1825. On the
site of the present Boyle homestead lived William
Baker, father o the late Lewis B. Baker and
grandfather to Mrs. John M. Price. About where
Carman Street now is
lived Daniel Smith, the grandfather of the writer.
Not a single habitation graced the west side of the
lane. Between the Baker homestead and Daniel Smith’s
was a pair of bars across the lane and at the head
of the lane near where Mills & Hammond’s store is
now located was a gate. It was between the bars
below and this gate that cattle roamed at large. The
gate having been erected to allow egress for
pedestrians and to keep cattle from straying on the
main street.
On Main Street, starting from the corner of Ocean
Avenue to Swan Creek, was but one house on the south
side, that being owned by Squire Beale, the
grandfather of the present Rev. Charles H. and
William T. Beale. This house was situated about
where Goldsmith Horton now lives. Coming back on the
north side of the street the first was a small mill
house near the site of G. G. Swezey’s mill at Swan
River. Next came the house of John Charlick, father
of Oliver Charlick, who was well known as the first
president of the Long Island Railroad. The Charlick
homestead was situated near what is now Medford
Avenue. The next neighbor was Jesse Howell, about
where the Craven homestead now is. Medford Avenue
was then the old road to Coram. A few roads to the
east of the residence of Mr. C. E. Rose was the home
of Phineas Rose, grandfather of C. E. Rose.
This brings us back to the lane. What is now Pine
Street was a tract of pine woods from which in later
years the street derived its name. Between Pine
Street and the Patchogue pond on the north side of
the street were two houses, viz: that of a Mr.
Larned, near the present mill and within a stone’s
throw, the home of Mr. Ackerly, father of the late
Elisha Patchogue in 1812 Ackerly. On the south side
of the street, alongside of the creek, lived Smith
Hammond, the village cobbler. Near him was Samuel
Conklin who lived a few rods to the west of the
present Davis Block. It was there that the soldiers
of 1812 stopped over night while on their tramp from
Brooklyn to Sag Harbor, where they had been ordered
to prevent the British from landing. It was here
that Patchogue became an interested partaker in the
war of that year. Michael Smith, Peter Banes, Peter
Smith, Jonathan Baker and several others being
drafted to accompany the soldiers to Sag Harbor. One
of the British ships at Sag Harbor had meanwhile
sent a barge ashore with six men in charge to obtain
water. Three of the Britishers ran away and coming
to Patchogue lived the remainder of their days here.
One of the fugitives, Devuril by name, or “Devil” as
he was nicknamed, was finally the village pedagogue.
The writer was one of his pupils.
The Conklin house was moved from its former site to
South Street a few years ago. It is the only house
now left that stood at that time. The next and last
house was that of Mr. Mulford situated upon the site
of Losee Hotel. Mulford was the largest land owner
in the settlement. These were what composed the
first settlement of Patchogue. The houses were not
very large but cozy and neat. Each had their farm
attached by which a living was made. Situated away
from the settlement was the homestead of Joshua
Smith on what is now Bay Avenue. His house was
located about where Hiram Newins now lives.
The Great South Bay at that time was not traversed
to any great extent. Boats went across the bay only
with a fair wind. The oyster industry was then in
its infancy. The settlers catching a few oysters in
their own crude way just enough for home
consumption, oysters being a luxury of that period.
In 1808, the ocean broke through the beach at
Smith’s Point, injuring the oysters so that all
died. In 1814, the beach again closed. During 1816,
the bay yielded an extra abundance of hard clams.
Along the south side bushels of the juicy bivalves
were caught, the natives boiling them out and
sending the barreled product to the New York
Markets. The clams sold for six cents per hundred.
Capt. Samuel Tooter, who had been in Virginia,
brought home a boat load of Virginia oysters, which
he threw overboard just west of Howell Point. This
was the first appearance of Virginia oysters in the
Great South Bay. Oysters then sold or twenty cents a
bushel and continued at that price for over 30
years.
Correspondence was limited in those days, the mail
being delivered on horse back twice a week between
New York and Patchogue. Eight hours were consumed in
going to New York. The settlers however, did not
have occasion to travel much, their visiting being
confined within the limits of the settlement. Many
of our village people claim an ancestry to the
settlers of 1812 and are proud of the same. The
settlement grew rapidly until now it blossomth forth
its 75 inhabitants to a population of over 4,5000
ranking as the leading village on the south side.
ANDREW JACKSON SMITH STATE OF NEW YORK, SS:COUNTY
OF SUFFOLK, )
WILLIAM C. CHAPMAN, Being duly sworn deposes and
says that he resides at Patchogue, Suffolk County,
New York and has resided there for more than
thirty-five years last past.
That the foregoing article, taken from the Brooklyn
Daily Eagle about the year 1900 was written by
Andrew Jackson Smith for J. Fred Flugrathe, who was
then a correspondent for the said Brooklyn Daily
Eagle and that it was afterwards published in said
paper. Deponent further says that he year 1900 is
fixed as the date when said article was published
because at that time said Andrew Jackson Smith was
living with deponent’s parents while deponent was
still living at home and at that time said Andrew
Jackson Smith was an old man and had always taken a
keen interest in historical facts relating to the
Village of Patchogue, his family having lived here
for several generations and that said Andrew Jackson
Smith was personally acquainted with Peter Smith who
is mentioned in this article.
Signed: William C. Chapman
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 20th day of
June 1930.
Notary Public, Suffolk County, New York
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