By a legislative act of March 16, 1812, Herman Le Roy, James Harvey, William Bayard, John Bartow, Richard Ward, Elbert Roosevelt, Daniel Pelton, Joshua Eustace and John Hunter were incorporated as the East Chester Bridge Company, and authorized to build a toll-bridge from the farm of James Harvey, in the town of Pelham, to the point of Throgg's Neck called Dormer's Island. \Vithin a few years a storm destroyed the bridge, and on April 12, 1816, the General Assembly empowered the company to sell ts property and franchises at public auction, the purchaser to become the owner of the franchise for forty-five years. Nothing seems to have been accomplished under this act, and in 1834 George Rapelje was authorized to build a bridge over East Chester Creek "at the point where the bridge formerly stood." If the draw permitted free navigation, and the Common Pleasjudges of the county were satisfied with the structure, it being made their duty to inspect it, Rapelje was allowed to collect tolls upon traffic. His grant was to run thirty years, but in 1860 the supervisors of Westchester County were directed by an act of the Legislature to purchase this Rapclje"s or Pelham Bridge and make it free, which they promptly did.

Dormer's Island, mentioned above, is the present hummock or high land since known as Taylor's Island, and now occupied by General Ellis and others.

Characterisths and Pretext Occupant.*. -- The township is a well-wooded, park-like country, interspersed with thriving settlements, and at ihe extreme eastern limit the Eitst River expands into the broad Long Island Sound, indented on the Westchester shore with numerous bays and inlets washing the feet of commanding eminences, from which combined views of inland and marine scenery are to be obtained unsurpassed in any other part of this