The village of Dobb's Ferry, one mile north of Hastings, is prettily situtated on the rising hills of Greenburgh, opposite the northern termination of the Palisades and the village of Tappan. This place derives its present name from the ancient family of the Dobbs, who have been long settled here, and also from the fact that they were the early ferrymen. In the year 1698, there was living in this vicinity, " Jan Dobs en zyn huys vrou," (and his wife,) Abigail, both members of the Dutch church, Sleepy Hollow. Thomas, their son, was born on the manor, A. D. 1 7 1 2.

September 20, 1729, occurs a record in the Church books at Sleepy Hollow, of a marriage between William Dobs, born in Philadelphia, and Lea Van Waert, a native of the same place. They were perhaps Swedes, originally from the Delaware. Jeremiah Dobs, former proprietor of the ferry, left issue by Jane le Vines, besides two daughters, two sons Jeremiah and Peter. Several sons of the latter are still living in Greenburgh.

The Indian name of this place as already shown was, Weec-quaesguck, literally "the place of the bark kettle." The aboriginal settlement appears to have been located at the mouth of the Weghqueghe or Wicker's creek, (William Portuguese creek). This beautiful stream arises from two distinct springs, situated on the lands of E. W. Waldgrove and Frederick B. Wilsie, both of which, running nearly west, unite soon after crossing the Albany post-road ; here, commingled, they flow through a rocky glen enclosed between high wooded banks. Passing under the arch of the Croton acqueduct, the waters again appear rushing over their stony bed until their further progress is checked by the mill dam. Here a pipe of nine hundred feet in length conveys the water to the neighboring mill, affording a fall of thirty feet to an overshot wheel.