The Drake family are of great antiquity and descend from the old house of Drake of Ashe, Devonshire, England, a branch of which gave birth to the illustrious Sir Francis Drake. The name is supposed to be derived from the heraldrick Wivern. the arms of the family, which is another name for the fabled dragon of antiquity, Draco or Drago being a Roman name, as late as Sir Francis Drake -- writers called him the Dragon "c -- of this family was Joseph Rodman Drake, the poet ; the late Charles Drake,d M.D., of New York, E. G. Drake, Esq., of Scarsdale, and Thomas Drake of New Rochelle, who is a lineal representative of Samuel Drake, one of the first settlers of Eastchester in 1664.

Opposite the late Mr. Drake's residence is situated the property of the late Elisha Shute whose ancestor was Thomas Shute another of the early patentees of this town in 1665 f Richard Shute, the son of Thomas was for many years recorder of Eastchester. Elisha Shute was the father of the late Richard Shute whose sons are still living in the town.

The representatives of James Eustis, another of the ten proprietors in 1664, are also numerous in East and Westchester.

On the west side of the town at West Mount Vernon on Hunt's Bridge, on the Bronx, is located the New York and Harlem Railroad Depot. About two miles and a half north of this place is situated Bronx Mill, the property of the late James P. Swain, Esq., formerly known as Underhill Mill.